If the return of the Owens sisters from “Practical Magic” has you daydreaming about spellbinding home design, a Queen Anne Victorian home is probably right up your alley.
Although the famous fictional home was built from scratch by set designers and torn down just after filming wrapped, its eye-catching aesthetic was inspired by countless real homes across the country.
Nearly 30 years later, with the release of “Practical Magic 2,” it’s clear that viewers still yearn for the whimsical features commonly found in Queen Anne Victorian architecture.
Elaborate woodwork, wraparound porches, and enchanting towers are just a few of the elements that contribute to this style’s staying power—and can even make a fictional house feel like home.
Read on to explore the centuries-old history of Queen Anne Victorian architecture, which still manages to feel as magical now as it ever was.
What are the most distinctive features of a Queen Anne Victorian?
“Queen Anne” is a type of Victorian architecture, meaning that all Queen Anne homes are Victorian, but not all Victorian homes are necessarily Queen Anne.
Queen Anne Victorians were first developed by architect Richard Norman Shaw between 1870 and 1910, an era that overlapped with Queen Victoria’s reign. It’s considered to be a bit of a misnomer, as the style draws inspiration from Elizabethan and Jacobean eras that predated Queen Anne’s 18th century reign.
Queen Anne style is rooted in ornamental opulence, and is marked by an excess of textures and unique design features.
Look for dramatic structural elements that make a grand statement, such as turrets, towers, dormers and balconies. Bonus points are awarded for hidden rooms within these components.
It’s also common to see a variety of materials used to create these asymmetrical, multi-story structures. Think: patterned brick, colorful stone, or intricately-designed shingles.
Windows in varying sizes can be found throughout the home, often using colored or stained glass to ramp up the ornamentation.
Steep roofs leverage intersecting gables to add to the playful design.
Wraparound porches are also another key design feature of Queen Anne architecture that tends to be deservedly romanticized.
When was the first Queen Anne Victorian style home designed?
The very first Queen Anne Victorian style home built in the United States—the William Watts Sherman House—was designed by American architect Henry Hobson Richardson in 1874 in Newport, RI.
Now a protected landmark owned and operated by Salve Regina University—which currently uses the structure as upper-level student housing—the property is noted for its significant architectural innovation.
Until the Watts Sherman house, many American architects typically mirrored European styles, with luxurious Italianate homes leading the charge. According to the Society of Architectural Historians, this particular design was not just ornate, but sensible, utilizing gables and undercut porches to protect the home from the elements.
Where are the best places to find Queen Anne Victorian homes?
While Queen Anne Victorian homes can be found in pockets all over the country, San Francisco is a fantastic place to visit if you’d like to see some of the most famous homes in this style.
Adoringly referred to as “Postcard Row,” the city’s iconic line of Painted Ladies, prominently situated along Alamo Square Park, remains one of the most-photographed residential blocks.
These homes have also been prominently featured in pop culture, serving as the backdrop for countless movies and television shows, and perhaps most memorably, the opening credits of “Full House.”
How have Queen Anne Victorian homes changed over the years?
These days, it’s not uncommon to hear of Queen Anne homeowners meticulously restoring their Victorian properties to retain their original charm. But this wasn’t always the case.
In San Francisco, following World War II, a surplus of battleship gray paint resulted in Victorian homes receiving muted paint jobs. It would be decades until the colorist movement of the 1960s popularized the cheerful Queen Anne homes most people think of today.
Regardless of paint job, Queen Anne homes have maintained an eclectic, highly-embellished aesthetic from the beginning.
Why do people buy Queen Anne Victorian homes?
Queen Anne Victorian homeowners are likely drawn to the signature look of this style, as the intricacies could be considered a pro or a con, depending on the individual.
While the look is striking and filled with character, it can be costly and cumbersome to upkeep.
The Queen Anne homes that still stand today have been built and maintained well, which also means that with the right maintenance, they’re likely to last for years to come.
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