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Step 1
Look at the facade of the house. If it's asymmetrical. that's a clue. Queen Anne houses rarely have symmetrical, mirror-image profiles; rather, they tend to look lopsided. Another distinct element is a fancy one-story front porch, which is common in all varieties except row houses.
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Step 2
Look at the walls and decorative detailing. Queen Anne homes typically have irregular-shaped and textured walls, sometimes covered with clapboard and wood shingles, with some shingles often a fish-scale shape. Are there towers, chimneys, parapeted gables, fake or cantilevered overhangs, and other elements that make you think of fairy tales? These are all signs you may be looking at a Queen Anne style house.
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Step 3
Look closer at the front porch. In large Queen Anne homes, the porch often wraps around more than one side. Also common is a wooden balustrade railing with spindlework detailing. Does the porch look "draped" with fancy decorative elements, including wood cut with lacy patterns (called gingerbread)? These are further clues to the Queen Anne style.
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Step 4
Check out the upper story and roof. Queen Anne houses tend to have riotous roofs and upper stories that may look crowded or overly detailed. Often, intersecting gables make the roof appear to have a complex shape. The gables themselves typically have steep slopes, ornaments, finials, terra cotta sections or Palladian windows--a series of three windows set closely next to each other whose center window has a rounded arch above.
