According to Virginia and Lee McAlester in A Field Guide to American Houses, as a subset of the Neo-Eclectic style, “Neo Mediterranean includes free interpretations of the earlier Italian Renaissance, Spanish Eclectic, Mission or Monterey styles; most examples have stucco walls, rounded arches, and red tile roofs.” In addition, the authors note, “as in their pre-1940 predecessors, the style is most common in California and the southwest.” Please see below for more common features of Neo-Mediterranean houses.
Identifying Features:
As noted in “Architectural Movements of the Recent Past” by Alan Higgins, the defining features of the Neo-Mediterranean style are:
- Low-pitched roofs, multiple levels
- Red roof tiles
- Stucco siding
- Arches above doors or windows
- Carved wood doors
- Large portico
- Typically 2 to 3 stories
Sources:
- Higgins, Alan. “Architectural Movements of the Recent Past,” PDF. http://alan-higgins.com/.
- McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Knopf, 1991.
