The architectural style of homes in Portland is diverse, which is thrilling for a team of home remodelers like us! From the iconic Portland foursquare to the cozy bungalow, and the Victorian charmer to the edgy mid-century modern side-split, let’s look at the distinct characteristics of Portland architectural home styles we help homeowners preserve.
Portland Foursquare
Of all the styles of homes in Portland, the Portland foursquare stands out the most. Making its first appearance in the late 1800s, it quickly became popular across the U.S. in the early 1900s, where it became known as the American Foursquare. Foursquare refers to the distinct cubic style that gives these homes a boxy, square look, with four square rooms on the main floor and four on the second. This practical design ensures each room occupies a corner of the home, featuring two windows which creates a cross breeze to keep the home cool.
This typical two-story home was designed to optimize living space, which is often limited by Portland’s narrow lots. Defining features of the Portland Foursquare include:
● A pyramid-shaped hip-jointed roof
● A front dormer staring out from an unfinished attic
● A substantial porch spanning the front of the house
● An off-center front door making room for a large front living room window
● Two balanced windows looking out from the second-story bedrooms
Homeowners can take advantage of the foursquare attic to grow their living space as a very affordable addition.
Victorian
Victorian Portland home architectural styles appeared between the 1830s and well into the 1910s. Known for their ornate detailing and charming architectural features such as turrets, the homes of this time period were built to reflect the prosperity of the homeowner, giving way to plenty of character both inside and out.
Because many Victorians stand out as one-of-a-kind homes, it’s not as easy to define their characteristics. However, some Victorian architectural details might include:
● Stained glass
● Extra tall windows looking out from rooms with 9-foot ceilings
● “Gingerbread” woodwork including hand-sawn and turned spandrils, multiple corbels, gable treatments, siding, and more
● Asymmetrical designs
● Bay windows, often more than one
● Complex roof designs featuring multiple gables and dormers
● Highly decorative porches that wrap around the unconventional designs such as turrets
● Second storey porches
● Turrets and towers
● Complex color palettes applied to each exterior element
● Iron porch and stair railings
● Third floors
Victorians can be painstakingly restored to bring out interior features while adding modern updates to optimize awkward spaces and improve functionality.
Colonial
Colonials are most recognizable for their centered door featuring front steps, as opposed to a large porch. Built throughout the 1800s, their façade is misleadingly simple considering their grand interiors. The steep pitched roof allowed builders to make the most of the interior space, including the attic. We mention the Colonial as it was one of the architectural home styles in Portland that influenced other trends, including the humble bungalow.
The Colonial offers perfect symmetry and classic features, including:
● Roofs with the pitch facing the street and the gables to the sides
● Windows symmetrically placed on either side of the entrance
● A chimney on both sides of the home
● Attic dormers
● Glassed-in side porches/conservatories
Like Victorians, Colonials can be restored to their original glory to bring out interior features such as grand staircases, original hardwood floors and impressive fireplaces.
Bungalow
Bungalow home architecture in Portland arrived in the early 20th Century offering a simple, small home that was practical and well-built. Perhaps the forerunner to the modern open-concept plan, this one-story home sometimes includes a small basement.
Classic bungalow characteristics include:
● Similar façade to a Colonial with a centered door and a window on either side
● A moderate to low-pitched roof
● Impressive covered front porch with columns
● Sometimes featuring a half-story attic with dormer or unfinished basement
Homeowners can transform basements to create a beautiful living space, including a rental or in-law suite. Half-story attics also offer opportunities such as creating a vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom, or creating a cozy office, living room, or guest bedroom loft.
American Ranch
The American ranch is a single-story home that gains sizable square footage over the bungalow thanks to its distinct wide, rectangular shape. A design that started in California in the 1920s, the American ranch made its way north to Portland in the 1950s. Unlike its spin-off the mid-century side split, the ranch is known for spacious open-concept designs. Often streaming with light from walls of windows at the back of the home, their low-pitched roofs make way for stunning vaulted ceilings that add to the light and airy feel of the home’s wide-open floor plan.
The American ranch is unmistakable due to two distinct features:
1. An attached garage built flush with the rest of the home creating its distinct rectangular shape
2. A very low-pitched roof almost to the point of distraction
The American ranch makes the most of open-concept spaces, but often has some unexpected, less-than-functional kitchen designs. A kitchen remodel can significantly improve function without interfering with the open concept design.
Mid-Century Modern Split-Level
Another Portland classic, the mid-century modern split-level home takes a whole new approach to design, focused on simplicity and efficiency. The split-level design combines the aesthetics of the mid-century ranch with the addition of a “side split” featuring a second story. Popular in the 1950s, this home style separates the living areas and bedrooms for privacy.
Features of the mid-century modern often include:
● Sleek window walls or ceilings at the back of the home streaming with natural light
● Interesting simple wood built-ins often incorporated into fireplace walls or entryways
● Textured façades such as stone accents, wood lap siding and brick
● Exaggeratedly low-pitched roofs
● Recessed entries often accented with a separate material such as stone
● Short, wide horizontal windows at the front of the home
Because of their closed-off floor plans, many homeowners optimize natural light and improve home function by opening up the main floor as much as possible.
The architectural detail of your home speaks to its history and what designers were hoping to achieve when it was built. We believe it’s important to protect and preserve these features and help homeowners appreciate the story behind their homes’ unique characteristics. If you’re planning to renovate your classic Portland home, we invite you to reach out to our team here at ReCraft. Our skill at matching or complementing era-specific design and construction techniques enables us to create a remodel that connects the past and present beautifully. Call us today at 503-939-9782 or click here to submit your remodeling project details.