It is frequently 2 to 3 stories in height, and cupolas often rise above the center of the roof making the structure look even larger. The houses are built of brick, stone or wood and if painted are neutral colors. All the decoration applied to the house and all the attention is centered from the roofline upwards. The most distinctive characteristic of the house is the mansard roof. A mansard roof is flat on top with either a convex or concave shape to the sides.
Dormers are sometimes present projecting out from the sides.
Most original mansard roofs have been covered over with many layers of roofing, but the original roof was usually made up of colored shingles set in geometric patterns and ornamental iron railings are sometimes still found along the roofline. The houses frequently have square towers. Evenly spaced windows, tall and narrow, complete the picture.