The French Norman style draws it’s inspiration from rural vernacular architectural forms of medieval Europe. As the name implies, the style borrows its design cues directly from the Normandy region of France. In the region, barns were attached to living quarters, and grain or silage was stored in a central tower/turret. This element serves as the main character defining feature of the revival style of the nineteen twenties and thirties. The tower, most often round could be octagonal or square in plan and is capped with a cone shaped roof. In most homes this tower serves as the main entry and inside, a convenient place for stairs. Most French Norman style dwellings rely on a side gable or steeply pitched hip roof. Some employ clipped gables, while others simulate thatched roofs with upturned ridges and/or rolled eaves. Exterior walls are clad in brick, stone, stucco, shingle, or any combination thereof. Some may utilize decorative half-timbering on a portion of the facade. The idea is to create a building that appears to have developed over time. Other features include asymmetrical placements of multi-pane windows, wall dormers with hip or shed roofs, round or segmented openings, and plank-like entry doors with large decorative wrought-iron hinges. While never as popular as Colonial or Tudor Revival, there are numerous lovely examples around Los Angeles.
