10 Popular Features of Spanish Style Homes

Spanish style homes are some of the most beautiful you'll come across.

People love the beauty and old-world feel of Spanish style homes that have become so closely associated with California casual style. These types of homes also allow for wonderful indoor-outdoor living.

You can find Spanish style houses in many U.S. states but they're super common in the Southwest, in the likes of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Florida - where it's HOT. And so, many features of Spanish style homes were intentionally designed to keep heat out, and allow air in.

Think you could recognize one if you passed it? No worries if not, just keep on reading for the 10 most common features of Spanish style homes!

Here are 10 common features of Spanish homes:

1. Flat red tiled roofs

Traditional Spanish colonial houses in America were made from indigenous and local materials, and the iconic, red, barrel terra-cotta tiles used to roof them were made and curved by hand.

2. White stucco exterior walls

Stucco was traditionally placed over brick walls and painted white to reflect the sun and keep heat out. Stucco was chosen as a cheap, durable, and weather-resistant.

3. Arches

A subtle but incredibly beautiful feature you'll often see in Spanish style homes is arches. In doors, entryways, windows, between rooms - these soft, slightly rounded arches lend so much to the architectural beauty of Spanish houses.

4. Carved wooden doors

You can expect to see large, carved wooden doors in Spanish style homes. These large, heavy doors help keep the heat out, sometimes features wrought iron details and are sometimes even split in half allowing you to open the top and bottom separately.

5. Wood beams ceiling

Support beams were originally for just that: support. Heavy roofs needed support and these dark, unfinished beams did the job. However, nowadays, thanks to modern building and structure developments, these beams are no longer essential for support - and are more decorative than anything else.

6. Courtyards

Spanish homes can sometimes be L-shaped, with an outdoor courtyard either in the middle or on the side.

These courtyards allowed for leisurely outdoor space and also allowed windows and doors on the courtyard to be left open, in the shade, allowing cool air in to flow throughout. Key for those hotter climates.

7. Few and small windows with wood shutters

Windows in Spanish colonial and Spanish revival homes homes have just a few, small windows that allow air in while keeping light and heat out. Heavy wooden shutters are also used during the hottest middle part of the day to ensure the heat stays out.

8. Rustic style and appearance

Spanish homes tend to be rustic in both style and appearance, really lending to that endearing old-world feel people love so much.

Modern Spanish style houses are however less rustic and more contemporary - but may still feature a lot of the same characteristics.

9. Limited ornamentation

Spanish homes tend to have less ornamentation than the likes of a Victorian or classic American Colonial style home.

10. Wrought iron details

Last but not least, a detail you will commonly see in Spanish homes is wrought iron details surrounding stair banisters, railings, balconies, light fixtures, windows, doors, and more. These wrought iron elements really add to the rustic feel of Spanish style houses.