February is finally here, and that means that soon the real estate market will be picking up. While you don’t need to be an architect to shop for a home, it doesn’t hurt to know the main categories of styles found in the various neighborhoods and streets.
Knowing and understanding the style you prefer is a helpful tool in your search for the perfect house. Here’s a little bit of trivia on some popular housing styles:
* Colonial — two-story, rectangular-shaped homes, sometimes referred to as a saltbox in reference to the old wooden, wall-hung saltboxes from the 1700s.
* Ranch — uniquely American, ranch homes are identifiable by their long footprint and single-level stature.
* Split-level — made popular after World War II because of the spaciousness, split-level homes have a lower living area just below ground level, followed by the kitchen, living and dining rooms resting atop and a third upper level for bedrooms.
* Tudor — modeled after the English country cottage, Tudors feature a combo of light-colored stucco and distinctive dark-wood timbering.
* Bungalow — in the early 1900s, builders started designing homes that were compact, economical and informal. The bungalow style was typically small with a single story or a tight second story built into a sloping roof.
* Victorian — this term references several styles of homes built around the industrial era from 1840 and 1900. These homes are usually two or three stories and feature porches, peaked roofs and decorative trim.
Doug Kaarre, village planner and historic preservation liaison for Oak Park, said “Victorian” is a very broad term that is actually not a style, but an era. A number of styles fall under the category of Victorian, he said.
“These include the main one, which is Queen Anne, but also shingle style, Gothic revival and Italianate,” said Kaarre. “We also have neoclassical or classical revival style, and, of course, the craftsman and prairie styles. “
Technically, a bungalow is not an architectural style, but is a building type, like a foursquare, said Kaarre. The same goes for a ranch and a split-level, he said. “Those are building types and not styles, and would most likely be in the mid-century modern style or just modern style,” said Kaarre.
“In Oak Park — and I imagine River Forest is going to be similar — the most popular styles are Queen Anne, craftsman/prairie, colonial revival, neoclassical, and Tudor revival,” Kaarre said. (Just an FYI: There are 600 Queen Annes in Oak Park; 561 prairie styles; 474 craftsmans; 156 colonial revivals; 19 neoclassicals; and 85 Tudors, according to information provided by Kaarre).
Prairie style and craftsman style are very popular in the Oak Park and River Forest market given the abundance of Frank Lloyd Weight and other architects who built that style here, said Greer Haseman, a Realtor with @properties in Oak Park.
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“In today’s busy and hectic lives, the uncluttered style of this type of architecture appeals to many,” said Haseman. “The prairie style also is known for bringing the outside in, an important feature as we quest for more time outdoors in our work focused lives.”
Speaking of FLW: How would you like to be a volunteer for the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust and present a world-class historic site and its neighborhood to an international audience?
Enrollment for volunteer training sessions in March and April is now underway for interpreters to lead tours at the Home and Studio and Frank Lloyd Wright Historic District in Oak Park. (Enrollment is also happening for the Frederick C. Robie House in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood). For those interested in the Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave., training will take place April 18 to May 4, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, as well as two Saturdays.
The time commitment consists of in-class training of 30 hours, said Andrea L. Brown, senior manager, public relations. Out-of-class reading, writing tours and studying varies from person to person, but is usually between one and 30 hours, spread over three weeks, said Brown.
Volunteers are asked for a minimum commitment of four hours per month, said Brown. The trust is flexible in scheduling to accommodate people, she said. However you choose to volunteer, just know it’s appreciated.
“Our volunteers generously share their time and expertise to enrich the experience for guests at our tour sites,” said Brown. “They are fundamental to the success of the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust.”
For more information about volunteering at the Frank Lloyd Wright Trust, contact Linda Bonifas-Guzman at 312-994-4045 or visit flwright.org/joingive/volunteer.
Felicia Dechter is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.