Colorado Vintage Home Guide
Finding the perfect vintage home takes commitment and dedication. While there are many vintage homes in Colorado, especially in Denver historical neighborhoods, stylish older homes are a hot commodity. To help in your search for a vintage home, here’s an overview of the local historical styles you’re likely to see on your house hunt, how to recognize them, and where to look if you’re got a specific style in mind.
Use REcolorado’s Keyword Search to locate specific architectural styles. Selling a vintage home? Ask your REALTOR® or real estate agent to mention the home style in your listing so buyers can find it.
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Colorado Vintage Home Styles
 | Art DecoPopular in the 1930s and 1940s, Art Deco homes are easily recognizable for their bold colors, eclectic ornamentation (often with glass and metal), and striking geometric shapes. Known for embracing the emerging technology of the machine age, the Art Deco movement used the straight lines and symmetry of mass produced materials to produce patterns ranging from zigzags to chevrons to floral motifs. The Bonnie Brae, Hilltop, and Park Hill neighborhoods in Denver feature many excellent examples of Art Deco homes. Search Art Deco homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | BungalowBungalows became extremely popular in Denver between 1910 and 1930. Relatively small in size, bungalow houses are normally either one-story or two-story homes with dormer windows built into sloping roofs. Denver bungalows were typically built in the Craftsman style, but often include Queen Anne, Swiss or Japanese influences as well. Highly utilitarian, bungalows were known for their earth tones, hardwood floors, built-in cabinets, handsome fireplaces, exposed wood beams, stone chimneys and large front porches. Home buyers can find stunning bungalow homes in Denver neighborhoods including Congress Park, Park Hill, Platt Park, Sloan’s Lake, and Washington Park. Search Bungalow homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | ColonialThe Colonial Revival Movement first took place in Denver in the 1890s and continues today. Colonial homes, which often include elements of the Federal, Georgian, or Neoclassical styles, feature rectangular floor plans, impressive front entries, rounded windows, pediments and gables. Considered part of the Colonial Revival, Dutch Colonial homes have a barn-like appearance based on their dual-sloping gambrel roof and flaring eaves that extend over the sides. You can find Colonial and Dutch Colonial homes throughout Metro Denver, with many older examples in Denver neighborhoods like Bonnie Brae, Cherry Creek, Congress Park, Country Club, Hilltop, Park Hill, and University Park. Search Colonial homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | CraftsmanThe American Arts and Crafts movement was the impetus for the American Craftsman architectural style. Craftsman homes style came to Denver in the early 1900s and remained popular into the 1930s. Craftsman style was known for its sturdy look, clean lines and use of natural, handcrafted materials like wood, glass and metal. Common Craftsman features include low-pitched roof lines, deeply overhanging eaves, exposed rafters, front porches, and handcrafted stone or woodwork. Home buyers can find many Craftsman homes in Denver neighborhoods like Berkeley, Congress Park, Country Club, Highlands, Mayfair, Park Hill, Platt Park, and Washington Park. Search Craftsman homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | Denver Square (American Foursquare)Known locally as Denver Squares, American Foursquare homes became very popular after the Silver Crash of 1893 and remained en vogue through the late 1930s. Unlike Victorian homes, Denver Squares are known for their less ornate, more utilitarian style. Normally 2½ stories high, American Foursquare homes feature a boxy design with four large square rooms on each of two equal-sized main floors. Common features include large front porches, high ceilings, arched entryways, hardwood floors, tile fireplaces, leaded glass windows, and built-in cabinets. Home buyers can find most Denver Squares in Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, City Park, Denver Country Club, Highlands, North Congress Park, Platte Park, and Uptown. Search Denver Square homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | International Style & Mid-Century ModernThe International style first emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, originating from a book by the same name that identified the key characteristics of modernism across the world. The style is based on modern structural principles and focuses on the use of materials such as concrete, glass and steel structural supports. Much like the Bauhaus philosophy, followers of this style avoided decoration based on the belief that form should follow function. Uniquely American, Mid-Century Modern homes share many traits with homes built in the International Style but tend to be less formal and somewhat more organic in form. The highly practical, family-friendly 1950s Ranch home is one example. You can find International Style and Mid-Century Modern homes across the Denver Metro area, with some of the finest examples in the Bonnie Brae and Virginia Village neighborhoods of Denver. Search Mid Century Modern homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | Mission Revival & Spanish Colonial RevivalThe Mission Revival style was popular in Denver between 1890 and 1915. It then evolved into the larger, more decorative Spanish Colonial Revival style, which saw its peak between 1915 and 1940. Both drew inspiration from the Spanish missions built in California in the late 18th and early 19th century. The Mission style features stucco or plaster walls with minimal decoration. Its most distinctive feature are its curvilinear parapets that extend above its flat rooftop. Like its predecessor, Spanish Colonial became popular in Denver in part because the dry sunny climate was similar to the climate in Spain and California. Like the mission style, it features tile roofs and plastered, thick walls that keep houses warmer in winter and cooler in summer. While very similar to each other, Spanish Colonial style is typically two stories and is more elaborately decorated with its tile roof, balconies, elaborate tile work and decorative ironwork. You’ll find hundreds of both styles throughout greater Denver. Search Spanish Colonial homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | Pueblo RevivalThe Pueblo Revival style started at the beginning of the 20th century and reached its peak of popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. The missions and pueblos of New Mexico provided inspiration for the new style. Homes in the Pueblo Revival style often have rounded corners, thick adobe-like walls, parapets, and trademark wooden beams that projected out of the side of the house. Search Pueblo Revival homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | Tudor RevivalSolid and stylish, Tudor Revival homes became the most popular choice in the Denver area in the 1920s and 1930s. These homes had a simple, rustic appeal that harkened back to medieval cottages. Considered a reaction to the compact Bungalow, Tudor homes were built with steeply pitched roofs, front and side gables, half timbering, elaborate brickwork, terra cotta details, high chimneys, and tall casement windows. On the inside, they often included grand front rooms, beautifully crafted iron and mahogany doors, crystal doorknobs, coved ceilings, elaborate oak trim and floors, wood fireplaces, and elaborate fixtures. In Denver, Tudor homes were constructed almost exclusively with stone and brick. You’ll find some of the best preserved Tudor homes in neighborhoods including Bonnie Brae, Country Club, Crestmoor, Hilltop, Montclair, and Park Hill. Search Tudor homes for sale in Colorado >> |
 | VictorianThe Victorian era extended from the mid to late 19th century and includes a number of eclectic architectural revivals, many of which have Middle East and Asian influences. Queen Anne Homes are the most ornate of the Victorian style. Known for their asymmetry and use of contrasting materials, these homes typically included extravagant features like massive bay windows, turrets, wraparound porches, exquisite balconies, decorative fish-tail shingle patterns, tall brick chimneys, and stained glass. Stick Homes, which are more linear, less formal versions of the Queen Anne, feature decorations like lacy balconies and beaded spindles. Folk Homes were considered the ‘working class’ Victorian style and usually came without the elaborate bay windows, balconies and a variety of decorations. Regardless of the particular style, Victorians remain in high demand in Denver. Neighborhoods where you’ll find the most Victorian homes include Baker, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Congress Park, Curtis Park, Five Points, and Highlands. Search Victorian homes for sale in Colorado >> |