Blog, Design Ideas
Design Ideas: Italianate
Jun
The Italianate style began in England during the Victorian era when British architects developed a style inspired by the villas of Italy. The style migrated west and became popular in America between 1850 and 1880. Its most striking features of Italianate houses are usually its numerous windows and distinctive cornices below low-pitched or flat roots, where they are under wide, overhanging eaves. They feature large brackets in a wide range of shapes and spacing. Deep trim brands with decorative panels or moldings ma further distinguish the cornice line. Single-story porches – full-width, partial-width, or surrounding only the entry – often protect double doors that are the same shape as the windows.
Characteristics
Typical Italianate-style homes are two stories. However, there are also many different homes that feature many different variations including three-story detached homes to urban town houses. They are generally identifiable by their wide projecting cornices with heavy brackets and their richly ornamented windows, porches, and doorways. Most American examples of Italianate mix details derived from both informal rural models and formal renaissance town houses.
Profiles
Italianate homes may feature clapboard, Dutch lap, or beaded profiles as the dominant exterior cladding. However, there are still some notable examples that feature board and batten style sidings.
Roof
Roofs were low-pitched, often with a square cupola on top (hip style). Dominating the cornice are projecting eaves with large brackets in a variety of shapes and spacing. The brackets were usually underscored with wide, decorative bands and sometimes further elaborated with panel moldings, which were arranged singly or in pairs.
Windows
Window trims had exuberant vibrations and typically had one-over-one or two-over-two glazing. This trend popularized arched and curved windows.
Color
Historically-used colors are often light to medium palette in all colors except for reds, greens, and browns. Newer interpretations, however, may include darker colors, especially for trim elements.
