San Diego Style: Playful Entryways, Classic Streamline Moderne Bunglows

This article kicks off a new column at The San Diego Border Observer: San Diego Style will document both innovative and classic architectural styles in the mid-city neighborhoods of San Diego.



Here's a lovely entryway in North Park/Normal Heights: a classic Spanish style bungalow. Notice the elegant entryway, painted a contrasting burnt orange to accentuate the depth and dramatic curvature of the interior walls of the entrance.

Classic Arts and Crafts designs are a clever way to add ornamentation and historical reference to a plain residential building.

In the 1930s, residental architecture picked up on the sleek curving lines of Streamline Moderne, a late development of Art Deco style. The style reached its peak in 1937, and we see lots of these homes in the older neighborhoods of mid-city San Diego.




Here's a classic Streamline Moderne with the smooth curving line accentuating the flat roof. Streamline moderne draws upon futurist design and doctrine, emphasizing speed and efficiency, metallic trim celebrating the machine age.

Art Deco on Meade