Victorian Stick

When I talk about sub-styles the Victorian Stick is a perfect example. The architecture can mimic just about any Victorian style, but there’s definitely a look and feel that makes the Stick distinctive enough to have its own classification. The major distinguishing factor is the exterior half-timbering or “stick-work” reminiscent of many Tudor homes. Whereas most Queen Anne homes have a wide arrays of fantastic geometry and decoration in all shapes and sizes, Stick homes tend to be decorated with much straighter lines. The exterior stick-work is usually ornamental, not structural. These houses will also often have exposed rafters and rafter tails, braces and brackets. Technically speaking the stick-work/half-timbering style can be used on any Victorian style, or any non-Victorian style for that matter, but there are enough examples of what we call the Victorian Stick to give it its own classification. Whereas the Queen Anne style often exhibits a sort of three dimensional quality in its decoration, the Stick style in much more linear and “flat” with an emphasis on vertical and horizontal lines.