Many of the period homes that you’ll see around Australia are replicated after American and English historical homes. To a trained eye, it is obvious what era a particular period home is modelled after, but for most people, this is not easy to tell. When it comes to creating your own period home, narrowing down the exact look that you want to replicate can be tricky.

In this post we are going to take a look at the different kinds of period homes styles and architecture of  different eras to give you some inspiration and help you identify each one more.

1930-1950 – Art Deco

Solid aesthetics and geometric designs made Art Deco homes famous in the 1930s to 1950s. They had strong lines, vibrant colours, and were perhaps the most popular style of housing in the US and Europe. Art Deco was a blend of modernism and fashion, with a non-traditional elegance and a streamlined look.

1920-1930 – Californian Bungalow

The post-war American homes were affordable and simple to build. Made from brick and stone, they had low-pitched roofs and offered a unique simplicity.

1900-1915 – Federation Edwardian

Homes built just before the First World War in Australia were a modern update on old Edwardian standards. They were built from red brick and used corrugated iron as a feature, and some homes looked similar to the cottages from the time of Queen Anne.

1895–1915 – Art Nouveau

Featuring asymmetrical lines in façade designs, homes from the Art Nouveau period embraced a range of fine and decorative art including ceramics, metal work, glass work and unique architecture.

1840-1895 – The Victorian Era

Gothic-like homes were the popular look during the first part of the Victorian Era, with iron being one of the most common building materials used. Homes had intricate facades and lancet windows and were symmetrical and steeply pointed.

Iron was also commonly used in the homes from the later part of the Victorian Era, but with a lot more emphasis on showy decoration. Lavish styles were the way to go in 1875-1895, as if the architects of the time suddenly found their creative bones and chose to do interesting mosaic patterns and brickwork.

Pre 1840 – The Georgian and Regency Eras

Homes that replicate the Georgian and Regency eras dating back to pre-1840 have a simple elegance. They are easily recognisable by their absolute symmetry, straightforward design and multi-paned windows at the front of the house.

What kind of period home are you interested in?

Creating a period home that replicates your preferred era is best done by a professional design and build team with the expertise, knowledge and skill to get it right. Our incredible team at Period Extensions & Designs will be delighted to speak with you to uncover the home you are dreaming about and how to make it a reality. Feel free to give us a call on 03 9882 5255 and we’ll organise a time to get together to share our ideas.

There’s something special about period homes that makes you take notice when you drive past one or see one on TV. Their timeless design reminds you of olden times and rustles up feelings of nostalgia or romanticism thanks to their striking aesthetics.

Are all older homes period homes?

The term ‘period home’, refers to homes that are inspired by historical eras in the past, which could be one hundred or even a few hundred years ago. These historical designs, especially from American and English years gone past, are mimicked by Australians across the country. Period homes are a joy to live in thanks to their beauty and intrigue, and when done in the right way by a professional team, they can be a place that you’ll never want to leave.

Renovate or from scratch?

Period homes can either be built from scratch following the designs of a certain era, or they can be developed from historical buildings that have been kept in relatively good nick.

Due to an insane amount of detail and care that has to be taken to do correct period work on a home, it’s important that an expert handles the project from start to finish. Period features are difficult to replicate, so using the services of a designer-builder team ensures that a period home looks exactly the way you want according to the era that you prefer.

Period on the outside, modern on the inside

As our lives now rely on the technology and advancements in our homes, most period homes that you will come across will have modern living standards inside. After passing the beautiful period design on the outside through the front door, the inside could be a mixture of old and new, with luxuries to cater for the modern family.

When using a historical building to create a period home, you may want to keep the interior design just the way it is but have a professional spruce it up to match the renovated exterior.

Interested in having your own period home?

Period homes are such a joy to own, and with the right design and build team, your dreams can become a reality. Our team at Period Extensions & Designs are highly experienced in creating period homes for our customers, so take a look at some of our recent projects to get a feel for what we can accomplish. We are more than happy to have a chat to understand what you are looking for, so please feel free to get in touch with us on 03 9882 5255.