"Mediterranean" is a broad term for stucco or stone clad houses with red tile roofs. During the 80's this term was popular until the Merchant Housing industry ruined this term. The newer subsets that belong to Mediterranean are:
Spanish Colonial Revival a 1990 remake of a 1920 remake of a 1770's Spanish Colonization structures such as missions, churches and a few governor palaces in both of the N and S America continents.
Another subset is the Spanish Eclectic where random Spanish details are applied to the facade. This was a lack of discipline and restraint style. Designers without great skill resorted to this method of elevation treatment. Todays merchant housing 99% fall into this subgroup.
In Southern California Santa Barbara was the resort destination of the 1900's. Mediterranean architecture there were clean, modern and simple that emphasized the indoor outdoor relationship often separate structures that housed several visiting families connected by breezeway, loggias, and expressed the element of outside staircase. Floral garden are the hallmark expression by having wall mounted pots, outdoor gardens and water fountains.
Old Hollywood is a recent term modeled after Spanish stage set in many old silent films. In the vicinities of West Hollywood courtyard style apartments were the legacy of this era. Dark stained wood decks and colorful malibu tiles were the accent.
Provencal is derived from the French country side. The farmhouse were simple 1600's stone houses with gable roofs and shed roofs. The shed roofs were family compound extensions for multigeneratinal livings. Colors were deep to blend in with the vineyard soil. Openings are often flanked by a pair of shutters.
Tuscany often were interpreted as the hillside Italian countryside known for wines and foods. It is similar to Provence but the structure often were more classical and mathematically proportioned, Openings are often accented with precast.
Northern Italian was the elite society in Italy. Its architecture is very ordered and classically composed. In today's perception it represents wealth. This style requires good skill architects otherwise the outcome can be disastrous like a ostentatious Caesar Palace in Vegas.
Mission Revival was the earliest Spanish remake of the Adobe architectural style in 1900's. Parapet, flat roofs, and heavy ornamentation were its robust hallmarks. It was mostly successful for larger residences, hotel, train depots and inappropriately scaled for smaller residences.
Andalusian Farmhouse is derived fron the austere palaces of Andalucia and the Moorish empire. The palaces had very few windows to the exterior. The few windows along the perimeter were caged. The outside of the structure had a lot of wall mass but the inside has garden and atrium fountain courtyard full of french doors and windows. This was borrowed from Chinese Courtyards. In both societies women married into the family were isolated from the outside world and only to service the husband and mother in law. All the riches and enjoyment are fullfilled inside the home. The limited openings with bars are the chasity prison to keep the daughter in law from the temptation of lust in the outside world.
We should move this thread to Archtecture for future referencing.
Good luck in researching your home by styles. RE agents often mislead the public is their listings and only a few that I know really have the architectural knowledge to label the homes correctly.
In OC I found mostly hybrids. Floral Park is the closest to finding architectural purity in the styles but not as good as the textbook perfection of San Marino and Montecito.
