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But, although more economical than a Prairie house, Usonian homes proved to be more expensive than the average middle class family could afford. Still, they are functional houses still privately owned, lived in, and loved by their owners — and they are often on the open market for sale. They inspired a new generation of architects to take seriously modest but beautiful residential designs for the middle-class, working family. Brazilian and Scandinavian architects were very influential at this time, with a style characterized by clean simplicity and integration with nature.
Richard and Dion Neutra VDL House, Los Angeles
Built in 1948, the Revere Quality House was the result of a competition sponsored by the Revere Corporation and ultimately drew 16,000 visitors, curious about the look of the new American architecture. Conceived as a prototype for modern living, the Revere Quality House set the template for many early modern homes in Florida. The Florida House Seminar was prompted, in part, by the renewed conversation about sustainability, and taking a closer look at this architecture seemed obvious. Rudolph, famous for the homes he designed in Sarasota, became a natural focal point, as did the Watson Residence, which had long since been demolished. Prints of the original drawings, some correspondence, and one perspective were all that remained. We reconstructed the house from these materials to understand the spatial impact of the “screened-in” patio Rudolph was evidently proud of.
Simplified Colonial: Vintage ’50s small home plan
Building costs can be determined only by a competent contractor from plans and specifications. Naturally, a material list is helpful, and the more complete the plans, the closer or more accurate the estimate. They are designed to meet the requirements of all lending agencies, and will help any builder to construct a better home. Mrs. Home Buyer comes into the picture in firmly wanting a basement for added storage space. And the whole family prefers homes on one level, with the split-level taking second place.
Vintage appliances
The 1950s saw a rise in fascination with far-off places, and the breezy, casual style of coastal regions made a splash in interior design. From bamboo furniture to tropical prints and ocean-inspired accessories, nautical themes sailed smoothly into homes across America. George Fred Keck, his brother Willam Keck, Henry P. Glass, Mies van der Rohe, and Edward Humrich created Mid-century modern residences in the Chicago area. Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House is extremely difficult to heat or cool, while Keck and Keck were pioneers in the incorporation of passive solar features in their houses to compensate for their large glass windows. When you look at a mid-century modern home, you will rarely find wall-mounted lights or the contemporary down-lighters. Further, most designers prefer using several lamps like table lamps and floor lamps that are artistically made to suit the theme of the home.
1950s Interior Design Ideas (With Pictures)

One-story ranch houses quickly became two-stories, like the 1970s-era ranch shown here, because bigger was better. A squared-bay window one might have seen on a Lustron home decades earlier is added to the once-simple ranch design. Several mid-20th century architects experimented with triangular shapes, but until the 1950s tent-like A-frame homes were mostly reserved for seasonal vacation dwellings. By then, mid-century modernists were exploring all sorts of unusual roof configurations.
The residence, with landscaping by Garrett Eckbo – who has been described as the pioneer of modern landscaping – had previously been featured in Progressive Architecture magazine. They offer a vintage collection of Mid Century Modern Design furniture, lighting, and other household items sold in original condition to maintain each item’s authentic charm. After architect Rudolph Schindler came to California in the 1920s to oversee construction of Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House, he designed his residence in West Hollywood. Some say it was the first modern house to respond to California's unique climate, serving as the prototype for the distinctive California style that developed in the early twentieth century. This house is in an area of the Silver Lake neighborhood called The Colony, where you'll find a number of Neutra designs on and around Neutra Place.
Usonian Houses
You can see them from the outside by touring off Earl Street between Silver Lake Boulevard and Glendale Boulevard. This unusual house was designed for him by Arthur L. Haley in the Arts and Crafts style; it retains its original interiors and furnishings. One of Frank Lloyd Wright's most important works, in a style he called "California Romantic," designed in 1917 and built between 1919 and 1923 for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall.
On ’50s house plans and homebuilding in the mid-fifties (from
Why Atomic Age Design Still Looks Futuristic 75 Years Later - Architectural Digest
Why Atomic Age Design Still Looks Futuristic 75 Years Later.
Posted: Tue, 31 Jan 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
During the day, the designer allows natural light to flow into the house allowing a mesmerizing blend of the indoors and outdoors. The style which originated in America had its base in the Bahaus style popularised in Germany and the International Style which was inspired by that. Landmark events in history which led to destruction of catastrophic proportions and exodus of popular designers from the Continent, contributed in abundance to this movement. As the name suggests, mid-century modern interior design refers to the design style of the mid-1900s – from the 40s to the 60s. Be it fashion or interiors, ‘design’ has a way of reflecting upon the people, their way of life, culture, and beliefs. Design in the mid-1900s was characterized by a little bit of a minimalist approach, clean lines, functional use, ornamentation, and organic shapes.
Doheny Mansion, Los Angeles
Despite his close collaboration with Rudolph, Hiss seems to have preferredMiesian stylings for his own abode. Yet the clarity of detailing, the material palette, and the clearly legible diagram make it an icon of Florida modernism. But things would change quickly after air-conditioning became widely adopted. These houses serve as a reminder that architecture should endeavor to commune with the natural world, not be in opposition to it.
With the orientation of the house we take full advantage of the southwest breezes so that we can turn off the AC unit altogether. Many of the houses on the street as well as my direct neighbors still live in the original homes from the 1950’s. While the home is decidedly contemporary it does not overpower the neighboring homes. I wanted to set an example of how you can build new in an established neighborhood while being sensitive to the context. Rectangular form, simple gabled roof, steel casement windows and wood siding covered up at some point with asbestos tiles like many homes of that era.
Clean, simple styling gives this split-level home a modern and attractive exterior. It’s L-shaped for convenience and serving for the dining space or dining room requires just a few steps for the homemaker. From coast to coast, millions of quintessentially American houses like those shown below were built during the 1950s… and many of them are still the places we call home.
For a brief time, odd-looking A-frame styling became popular for upscale houses in trendy neighborhoods. Adopting Craftsman-like decor, the interiors of A-frames are filled with wood beams, stone fireplaces, and often floor to ceiling windows. The idea of prefabricated housing — factory-made mass-produced parts shipped like self-contained Erector Sets to a construction site — was not a new idea in the 1940s or 1950s. In fact, many cast-iron buildings were produced this way in the late 1800s and shipped all over the world. Later, in the mid-twentieth century, factory-built mobile homes gave rise to entire communities of steel housing.
Many of these dwellings changed the face of the United States and became the very homes we occupy today. The oak tree at its center has merged with the house into a singular entity, even as the structure has become more delicate and fragile with age. These Florida modern houses always suggested that their existence was transient.
The complex includes the main house, garage, and one other surviving structure. A well-preserved and fascinating example of Arts and Crafts architecture, designed by Greene and Greene, it was built in 1908 for David and Mary Gamble of the Procter & Gamble Company. Domed structures are amazingly energy-efficient and hold up especially well during natural disasters. During the 1960s and 1970s, custom-designed dome homes sprouted in sparsely populated areas, like the American Southwest.
BC Arquitetos designed this Brazilian apartment to look like an art gallery, filling it with decorative sculptures and classic furniture designs by Brazilian masters of the 1950s and 1960s. Perhaps the ultimate example of mid-century modern design, designer couple Ray and Charles Eames' eponymous house is filled with the couple's own creations. Pieces by mid-century modern designers such as Ray and Charles Eames, whose lounge chair sits next to a floor-to-ceiling window, and Isamu Noguchi decorate this Los Angeles loft that was designed to nod to Japanese minimalism. Here’s the littlest house of the lot — only 656 in square footage — but it takes on an extra size and depth because of the long low-slung roof, with a broad overhang in the front. These unique designs prove that good things still do come in small packages — that originality can make the tiniest house attractive.
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