Carmel Valley Homes

There are many big homes in this new area. three car garages, two stories and four bedrooms are very common. A few of the homes are in the executive class quite large with imaginitive landscaping, but most homes are on modest size lots. Available housing ranges from brand new developments to large custom homes. Good custom residences exhibit all of the qualities of good residential architecture. A human-scaled entry, covered entry porch, sheltering roof, and a strong tie to the landscape combine to create a unique presence. The interior uses materials from the exterior andcompletes the transition from outdoors to in.

Contemporary--Characterized by odd-sized and often tall windows, their lack of ornamentation, and their unusual mixtures of wall materials--stone, brick, and wood, for instance. Architects designed Contemporary-style homes between 1950 and present day, and created two versions: the flat-roof and gabled types. The latter is often characterized by exposed beams. Both styles tend to be one-story tall and were designed to incorporate the surrounding landscape into their overall look

French Eclectic -- Some prominent features:

• Tall, steeply pitched, hipped roof without dominant front-facing cross gable
• Eaves commonly flared outward at roof-wall junction
• Brick, stone, or stucco walls, sometimes with half-timbering

The French style displays great variety in form and detailing, but is united by the characteristic style of roof. Because they both share a common Medieval English tradition, both French Eclectic houses and Tudor Revivals use half-timbering with a variety of different wall materials, as well as roofs of flat tile, slate, stone or thatch. As a result, the two styles are often confused. To tell the difference, one only has to look for the telltale dominant front-facing cross gables; if it's missing, it's a French Eclectic.

Neoclassical - The Neoclassical style remained popular through the 1950s and even today in multi-level mansions. Its identifying Ionic or Corinthian columned porches often extend the full height of the house. Also typical: symmetrical facades, elaborate, decorative designs above and around doorways, and roof-line balustrades (low parapet walls).
Ranch House Identifying features:

Tudor - This architecture was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and continues to be a mainstay in the best neigborhoods in California. The defining characteristics are half-timbering on bay windows and upper floors, and facades that are dominated by one or more steeply pitched cross gables. Patterned brick or stone walls are common, as are rounded doorways, multipaned casement windows, and large stone chimneys.

Ranch Style Architecture

The Ranch Style became become the dominant style throughout the country during the decades of the '50s and '60s. In the 1950s almost any one-story, close-to-the-ground, rambling house was called a California ranch house. With its open kitchen/living area, the ranch was specifically geared to casual entertaining. Another key selling point was the desirable indoor/outdoor living promised by the one-story layout, which featured glass doors, picture windows, and terraces and patios secluded in a rear yard. Having the ability to move freely about the house, without steps, into large private porches and patios from almost every room was living the "good life". Gone was the street-oriented Victorian front porch; that was replaced by a private rear one. The garage also became an integral part of this house design.

The Ranch Style, also known as the California Ranch, Texas Ranch or Western Ranch Style, was the ultimate symbol of the postwar American dream: a safe, affordable home promising efficiency and casual living. The style is loosely based on early Spanish Colonial precedents of the American southwest, modified by influences borrowed from Craftsman and Prairie modernism of the early 20th century.