Spanish Colonial Homes
The Home I Love
History of Spanish Colonial Homes
The style of Spanish Colonial dates back to the time of the Spanish Conquistadores. The type of homes/buildings fit with their lifestyle, environment and were able to be constructed out of the materials they had. The term used today to describe these homes built in the early 20th century is "Spanish Colonial Revival". Their style comes mostly from Spanish buildings or homes built in their colonies in North and South America. Along with Spanish influence, these are inspired by Pueblo, Mission, and Mediterranean architecture as well.
Characteristics of Spanish Colonial
- Made from natural materials.
- Thick stucco walls
- Arched windows, doors, and entrances to the porch
- Red terra cota roof
- Interior or exterior courtyard
- Tile patterned walls and floors
- Historical styles were normally one story, but more modern homes are two
- Tall, double hung windows
- Detailed carved doors
- Open floor plan with high ceilings
- Tall, open windows
My Spanish Colonial House
My home is Spanish Colonial because...
This modern house I chose is Spanish Colonial because of the many architectural characteristics it has. Yes, it is modernized compared to the historical Spanish Colonial homes, but it still has the similar characteristics. This home has the red terra cota roofs, stucco walls, and tall windows on the exterior. This house also has a large outdoor courtyard.
I Love Spanish Colonial because...
I love the Spanish Colonial style because it reminds me of California houses and I love those kinds of houses. I am from California and I miss it, so these homes remind me of the style and culture in California. I also really like the pretty outdoor courtyard.
Elements and Principles of Design
Spanish Colonial homes contain elements and principles of design such as...
- Lines: Spanish Colonial houses have a lot of vertical and diagonal lines. Since they are a bold style of house, the vertical lines add strength and the diagonal lines create movement.
- Rhythm: The interior of Spanish Colonial houses have tiled floors and sometimes walls. These tiles are repetition, adding rhythm to the house. They also often have a specific color scheme of natural browns and reds which adds to the rhythm as well.
- Proportion: One of the main characteristics of Spanish Colonial homes are the large windows. A lot of these windows follow the "2/3 ratio" which means the window or grouping of windows takes up 2/3 of the stucco walls