Remodeling Your Historic Home in San Diego: An Overview of Styles

swimhouseSan Diego has a notable heritage of historic homes in a variety of styles. Our professional design team carefully studies historical design to bring educated creative inspiration to whole home remodels for historic homes. If you are one of the proud owners of these distinctive properties, you understandably do not want to compromise the rich tradition of your home’s architecture. However, you may need to remodel to create more room for a growing family, or otherwise adapt your home to better suit your needs. Our unified team of architects, designers and construction professionals gives meticulous attention to the remodel of your historic home. Here is an overview of the historic styles most commonly found in San Diego.

Victorian: Includes Eastlake/Stick, Queen Anne, Shingle
General characteristics:

  • 1860-1900
  • Vertical, ornamented, asymmetrical
  • Floor plans generally tight, sectional, and include many rooms
  • Created during the age of rapid industrialization

Craftsman: Similar to Prairie, Bungalow, “Arts and Crafts”
General Characteristics:

  • 1905-1930
  • Horizontal, low gable roofs; front porch with accentuated tapered posts
  • Articulated wood work and heavy exposed beams/rafters
  • Cozy, human scaled spaces
  • Created during boom of the industrial era and people feeling a loss of landscape

swimkitchenSpanish: Includes Mission, Monterey, Spanish Colonial, Spanish Eclectic
General Characteristics:

  • 1890-1955 // present
  • Most vernacular style to Southern California
  • Curved archways, stucco or adobe surfaces, terracotta tile roofs
  • Accentuate relationship to exterior space
  • Many subtypes: Mission, Spanish Eclectic/Spanish Colonial, Monterey, Pueblo Revival

Mid-century Modern: Includes Ranch, International, Bauhaus
General Characteristics:

  • 1920-1975 // present
  • Very simple, geometric designs
  • Flat roofs, open plans, industrial materials
  • Focuses on simpler, non fussy design with little to no ornament – “throwing away the past”
  • Mass produced post-war

pl_houseProperly remodeling historical homes requires expertise in design and craftsmanship, as well as thorough knowledge of city requirements. Whether your home is historical in nature or registered with the Historical Department under the Mills Act, you can rely upon Jackson Design and Remodeling for the experience, knowledge and design mastery necessary to assure that the integrity of your home’s original design and character is preserved.