Solana Beach Homes

A house is merely four walls and materials, while a home is a comfortable place of retreat, refuge and base of domestic activities. Current California residential architecture seems to focus on the practicality of everyday life, while paying tribute to some of the traditional styles of the past.

During the 1950's there was a minimalist style, driven by low price in housing. Today most home buyers will no longer settle for just a simple "box", they want amentities and style.

The popularity of "rambling" ranch houses was made possible by the country's increasing dependence on the automobile which in turn, created the suburb. Because land was cheap, homebuyers were able to buy larger lots. Larger lots meant bigger homes so the sprawling house, a.k.a. the California Ranch Style, was born.

California Ranch Houses

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.

• Asymmetrical one-story design Low-pitched roof, with the hipped version the most common
• Moderate or wide eave overhang
• Built of local materials (wood, stucco, brick, or stone)
• Shaped like an L or U and surrounds a patio
• Large expanses of glass
• Visible inclusion of cars, children's play areas, etc.
• Partially enclosed courtyards or patios
• Large picture windows

"The ability to move in and out of your house freely, without the hindrance of steps, is one of the things that makes living in it pleasant and informal." -- Sunset magazine's 1946 edition on homes.

What other types of homes are in the Solana Beach area?

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 (in the Modern family) between 1950 and present day, and created two versions: the flat-roof and gabled types. The latter is often characterized by exposed beams. Both breeds tend to be one-story tall and were designed to incorporate the surrounding landscape into their overall look

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

.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).

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.