A 1950 American Dream House
Mid Mod Pam on Nov 28 2008 at 8:00 am | Filed under: Inspiration
These illustrations from the National Plan Service courtesy Indiana Coal & Lumber companay are idealistic - picture perfect - to be sure. Even so, they all include great little ideas to scrutinize and consider replicating in our own little jewel box 40s 50s and 60s ranches, colonials, capes, splits and contemporaries.
Some tips from this model:
- Color scheme - I personally am a huge fan of gold as a paint color for ranch homes.
- Cupola - a great great addition to a postwar ranch, cape or colonial
- Lots of cool ironwork - connected to lighting
- Note the mix of horizontal and vertical wood, stone, and fretwork above the picture window
- The glass block wondow near the little pine tree, and the window on the green mudroom door are delightful
- Ooooh, and look at the planter with horizontal, minimalistic trellis.
Pam,
Do you have the floor plans to go with these houses? I always enjoy seeing the way that these houses were designed inside.
Yes, I do, white chevy — I’ll start including them!
There’s that mix of colonial and modern again. Look at those exterior light fixtures! Cute house, but I hate how the curtain is pulled back in that picture window. Looks like they just moved in and hung up a big sheet!
Interesting, especially because I was living in Indiana in the 50’s although we did not have a ranch house. I am intriqued by the treatment of the big picture window — while it has the 3 main windows I am used to seeing, it also has the wood trim across those windows making it 9 panes of glass rather than the 3 usually seen.
As for the oddly hung drape —- maybe they were not used to so much light streaming in and so came up with that “solution”. Personally, I can’t have too much daylight streaming in.