Well hello. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything with the blog here. Business has been very busy since 2011, and I’ve neglected this site. However, I got a question this weekend from someone who ran across my post regarding “Exterior Do’s and Don’ts”. So I thought I’d expand on that a bit, since really the intention of the post was to address what was happening here in the Dallas Fort Worth region directly, and may not necessarily apply to the rest of the nation.
See, here in Texas, masonry is a VERY common material. Mostly because we have so much clay in the ground, there are several brick manufacturers located in state. Plus, most timber and wood has to be shipped as opposed to being milled locally. So, (to some extent) local materials shape the way that houses get designed due to the costs of what is available. You see a lot more siding and trim work in northern states where masonry is less available (which means “more expensive”). Which is why architectural styles such as Queen Anne, Craftsman, Shingle style, Georgian or Colonial Revival styles are more poplar in those locations than here in Texas.
Now, for some of the styles, contrast is perfectly appropriate. Particularly styles such as the Queen Anne and Craftsman, where the exterior is designed to be more elaborated, and colors help accentuate that detailing. Consider the below examples:
This is an excellent example of Queen Anne architecture in Los Angeles, and very nicely restored. Lots of color going on here, but the nature of the architecture here was to have the surfaces of the house exquisitely detailed to give them a “sculptural” quality. Note all the niches and simply the amount of DETAIL in this house. It’s super busy, but again, that’s what is appropriate to that style- and it works brilliantly here. I love this house personally (even though it’s not really “me”).
Here’s another “Victorian Era” style: Second Empire (an American interpretation of French “Imperial” architecture)