Palladian-style Classic Box (1890 to 1910)

The Palladian-style Classic Box is a variation on the Classic Box House.

Colonial Revival houses are known for Palladian windows, and these appear on selected Neoclassic Boxes in Oakland. A Palladian window has three parts: a high arched central section, and, on either side, a lower section underneath an entablature. This distinguished feature is named after its designer Andrea Palladio, Venetian architect of the Italian Renaissance. In the 17th century he revived the use of classical forms and proportion, and his work has been imitated ever since.

Other classic details of this residential style may have Palladian origins too. Hugging the corners of the house are fluted pilasters. Pilasters are like col-umns, having a base, shaft and capital, but pilasters are flat instead of round or square. The front door is enshrined beneath a portico complete with Ionic or Corinthian capitals. When the portico is flat, it is topped by a turned balustrade, and sometimes the portico extends across the house, creating a spacious front porch. In other homes, the portico is peaked and hipped, repeating the theme established by the roof and dormer. Even the front steps are in keeping. The tread and risers are flanked by a terraced stoop, each level covered by a flat, over-hanging cap.

Originally, Colonial Revival houses were painted white or subdued tones of gray, with white trim and black window sash. Some modern owners, jumping on the Victorian paint wagon, have chosen to highlight details with bright, contrasting colors. As successful as this technique is for extroverted Italianate and San Francisco Stick houses, it is of questionable value for the more sedate neoclassic style.

Excerpt from "Rehab Right - How to Rehabilitate Your Oakland House
 Without Sacrificing Architectural Assets"