Take a neighborhood full of cookie-cutter tract houses …  let their owners fuss with them … and 50 years later photographer Julia Baum finds that they have been “transformed from modest white cubes into a vibrant display of personality and present a rebellion against conformity….human individuality cannot be contained. Inevitably it shines through even the most average facade.” I love her study, which demonstrates again that their is so much to love about our jewel box mid-century homes. No matter how small, the opportunity is there to make them our own.  Read more about Julia’s project and see her slide show of 13 same-yet-different homes here.

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Guest post today from Dave Stuhlsatz, architect with Royal Barry Wills Associates, and my main contact there for all things RBW. I am very pleased that Dave will contribute an occasional article on mid-century architecture, design and related issues. – Pam

The Royal Barry Wills Cape Home
By Dave Stuhlsatz, Royal Barry Wills Associates

The time seems appropriate to revisit Cape Cod House design as it was promoted by a pioneer of their twentieth century revival, Boston architect Royal Barry Wills. When Wills started out in his architecture career he established himself designing English Tudor inspired homes in suburban towns around Boston like Newton and Brookline. But, it was his rigorous examination and subsequent success with the Cape and Colonial Revival homes that cemented his reputation as one of the most influential residential architects in America.

Wills made every effort to publicize what he was doing and how to do it. The fact that other architects and designers didn’t seem to grasp some of the subtleties of his techniques only made his services more sought after by those who wanted the genuine article. From its historical roots the Cape style house is a study in simplicity and function, but with the right combination of details and a careful arrangement of proportions it can be a deeply satisfying architectural composition. Wills did not seek to perfectly replicate the rugged and spare shelters of the 17th  and 18th century on Cape Cod. To do so would have certainly alienated a client base that appreciated the imagery of the Colonial era, but with modern conveniences and luxuries like indoor plumbing and garages.

The images below were originally published in the August 26, 1946 issue of Life magazine. They provide a concise summation of the design principles espoused by Wills.

What is ironic about the “Bad Design” is that is the more frequently used model for Cape construction in modern times. Contractors could, and still do, make a compelling argument for the extra space and material economy that can be realized by employing a steeper roof pitch and larger dormers.

The “Good Design” sketch also conceals the time and care that often went into the details of the custom designs produced in the Wills architectural office. The surge of building in the post-war era witnessed a shift to production techniques that favored production speed over individual craftsmanship. The homes that Wills designed early in his career benefited from the input of skilled carpenters who could invest significantly more time in the construction of mouldings and window trim.

These illustrations also conceal the fact that Wills strived to make his architectural commissions a complete expression of his client’s needs and habits. The constant motifs of large chimneys, carefully scaled windows and exquisitely detailed front entrances imply a formulaic approach to the design process. The subtle variations in floorplans, combined with unique site conditions, contradict this assessment. Wills’ houses display a careful balance between space planning and exterior aesthetics.

The Cape house, with living spaces on the ground floor and bedrooms above, was modified successfully by Wills in numerous designs—his book Living on the Level demonstrated how the visual elements of the two story house could be used in single story floorplans. The power of the Cape Cod house derives in no small part from its near limitless flexibility in layout and details, but without discipline, a Cape can turn into a jumble of awkward shapes. By establishing rules for the composition, Wills could steer the design process in a direction that ensured a satisfactory outcome.

And those large central chimneys that define a Wills home—some of them were fake.

Copyright © RetroRenovation.com 2009

Thanks, Dave, and RBW Associates. I look forward to more guest posts.  Reader, in addition to looking at their main site, here’s a page I love with photos from RBW projects over the decades.

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Today is RetroRenovation.com’s second birthday. And on this occasion I would like to introduce something I’ve been noodling for the better part of the year — an all-new term that I have invented: “Mid-century Modest.” I first used the term at my home show talks in Eugene in March…and then again when I met with the wonderful Portland MCM League group for dinner right after.  I believe that author Cara Greenberg is credited with coining “mid-century modern,” in 1985, with her book of the same name. A mere 24 years later, let me introduce “Mid-century Modest” and along with it, the Mid-Century Modest Manifesto.

I think that we all pretty much know what “mid-century modern” design is all about, at least in its popular incarnation. There is an entire philosophy behind it, but in short, it’s typified today by sleek and futuristic designs like Saarinen tulip chairs, $6000 Eames lounges, and experimental-shaped, high-ceiling, loft-like contemporary homes. The irony is that while mid-century modern design came out a kind of communist “internationalist” ethic aiming to make housing more accessible to the masses, it can actually be out of reach. As you know, I like to call it “high falutin’ mid-century modern design” in recognition that authentic licensed designs are very expensive.

My new term, Mid-century Modest, recognizes the fact that while there may have been 1 million mid-century modern homes built in postwar America, there were about 29 million Mid-Century Modest homes. And, while Americans may have had a progressive social and economic outlook, they tended toward the conservative in their homes. In all these years, nothing quite says “stable and affluent” in the U.S. of A. like a center entrance Colonial. That’s why we see so many Early American elements both inside and outside our postwar homes. Finally, while some pundits today consider the vernacular mass-market postwar design all too “kitsch” and pretty much spit on the idea of “tract” houses and all they stood/stand for, I say: Let’s celebrate Mid-century Modest, too – because this era of American housing and all it encompassed were really quite fascinating and special.

So, that said, here is a first draft of my “Mid-Century Modest Manifesto”:

The Mid-Century Modest Manifesto

NO QUESTION, we love Mid-Century Modern homes,
the high falutin’ designer kind.
BUT IN POSTWAR AMERICA, while we built
maybe 1 million mid-century moderns –
we built some 29 million Mid-Century Modest homes.
MID-CENTURY MODEST:
Mainstream. Main Street. Mass produced. Middle Class homes.
ROYAL BARRY WILLS Cape Cods at one end of the architectural spectrum.
CLIFF MAY Ranches on the other.
AND OVER THE NEXT 30 YEARS –
a gazillion prosaic, vernacular melting-pot variations in between.
MID-CENTURY MODEST HOMES ARE: Small –
1,000 square feet for many years running.
“SMALL” TODAY– but to their owners starting in 1946,
they were the culmination of the American Dream.
Following years of economic Depression and WWII,
these little homes were an amazing gift.
HOW DO WE LOVE THEE, Mid-Century Modest homes?
Let us count the ways…

• Built with love and immense gratitude.
• Wonderful features – pastel bathrooms, fitted kitchens, livable layouts.
• Knotty pine paneling – installed by Gramps.
• Lots of ingenious Americana
  like Nutone exhaust fans, Hall-Mack Tow’lscopes, and Dishmasters.
• Wallpaper and pinch pleats and pull-down kitchen lights.
• Boomerang cabinet pulls and wagon wheel lights and braided rugs.
• Indoor plumbing.
• Unpretentious. Exuberant. The first taste of true material comfort
  for many millions of people.
• Our houses have stories…
  Stories about the beginning of a new American era still playing out today.
• Did I mention small? Yes. But small is — green.
• Small is quite often: “enough.”

THERE IS MUCH TO APPRECIATE in our Mid-Century Modest homes.
And certainly nothing to apologize for.
GRANITE countertops? Who needs ‘em, especially when they come with
a home equity loan that stresses our family finances beyond our limits.
What silliness. What Insanity.
SHHHH! Don’t tell anyone, but our Mid-Century Modest homes,
because they are so unpretentious by today’s standards,
can be much more affordable to buy and to renovate.
RETRO RENOVATION is very much about the “Re”:
Reduce. Re-Use. Recycle. Restore. Re-Store.
Returning to the source of “The American Dream”…
And in the process, re-thinking what we want it to mean for us today.
OH YEAH, and Retro style has a happiness-quotient that is off the charts.
WE LOVE our Mid-Century Modest homes
in all their glorious simplicity and optimism,
and cherish the opportunity to safeguard their history and heritage.
That’s the: Mid-Century Modest Manifesto.

Copyright © RetroRenovation.com 2009

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Maintaining windows – wood, steel or aluminum?  Concerned about abrasive cleaners? Ceramic tile? Moisture problems? The National Park Service has preservation briefs to help on all these topics — 44 in all — available at your fingertips online. While these briefs appear to be intended for historic preservation pro’s — and while I’m not sure the NPS would yet classify our little pieces of the American dream as “historic” — the reports certainly appear to be informative reading for renovation geeks who want to know as much as they can about what they may be dealing with. Remember, I always advise to consult with pro’s when it comes to environmental and safety issues — renovate safe. Here is the link to all the NPS Technical Service Briefs. You can read them online — or order them in print, for free.

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Think your bathroom is a problem? Let us not forget that until well after WWII, many homes in America did not have indoor bathrooms. My mom and grandmother, in Shenandoah, Pa. — outhouse out back until they moved to an apartment in 1950.  Dad — farm in Aneta, North Dakota — outhouse ’til about the same time. The poster at left, produced between 1936 and 1941 as part of the Work Projects Administration Federal Art Project, appears to indicate that many homes didn’t even have outhouses. Gulp. Image: Library of Congress.

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In contrast to the sleek and modern 1938 Gropius kitchen, here is a June 1938 country kitchen that must have been an even greater joy to its new owners. This photo was taken as part of a U.S. Farms Services Administration project and is  now housed in the Library of Congress. Their documentation identifies the photo as, “Resettled farmer’s wife and daughter in kitchen of new home. Wabash Farms, Indiana.” This can only mean — resettlement from the Dust Bowl droughts of the Great Depression. John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath was published in 1939. And the photographer, meanwhile, was Arthur Rothstein. When I google him, I find that he has been called, “simply the definitive photographer of the Dust Bowl.” Later, he went on to be the photo director for Look Magazine from 1946-1971, then Parade. He has a book  – which I’ve added to Pamazon.  Finally, here’s a link to a Library of Congress learning lab about that era. (Photo info: LC-USF34- 026361-D.)

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In the early 50s, Duco paint featured advertisements that showcased beautiful interiors – as well as some gorgeous paint colors. This Early American living room is a classic. I love the paneling above the fireplace, and the pegboard for pewter mugs. Also notice the use of a small chest in the living room.  Moreover, this image inspired me to do some more research on Early American design, which  remained quite popular into the 1950s and even the 60s.

The world-famous American consumer economy didn’t really start until about 1953. Before that, we tended to relish our American ‘classic’ furniture: Colonial stuff, like from the pilgrims. This style of furniture also is called “Colonial Revival.” If you are studying for your online PhD in Retro Renovation, read this article on the Colonial Revival period. It explains the genesis of Colonial Revival’s popularity, which spanned 1880-1940:

The first promoters of colonial furniture were collectors and antiquarians who focused on the originals and admired their simplicity and proportions. These early advocates produced books and articles intended to elevate popular taste by providing examples of colonial refinement for adaptation to modern life. Contemporary designers were urged to follow older models. As the style became more popular, manufacturers like Wallace Nutting began to produce historic reproductions inspired by surviving antiques. Into the 1950s, popular magazines like House Beautiful and House and Garden were filled with articles on interior decoration that promoted colonial styles, while advertisements touted a wide array of Colonial Revival products…

And this on why the style remained so strong:

The continuous popularity of the Colonial Revival in America since the 1870s is due to a number of factors. Patriotism or nationalism is certainly a significant reason. The ethical argument – that furniture and architecture from a more virtuous time has an inherent moral superiority – is also important. In terms of aesthetics, much of the attraction to colonial architecture is a result of its “correct” proportions and adherence to classical principles. But economics has also entered into the equation. Colonial reproduction furniture began to be mass marketed to the public in the 1880s. While intended to denote handcraftedness, the pieces were inexpensive precisely because they were machine-made. Small inexpensive houses in various colonial styles were also marketed to the mass public in the early twentieth century. The Colonial Revival house, also known as “modernized colonial” for its combination of historic appearance with modern functionality, peaked in popularity in the 1930s. These simple houses were almost infinitely variable and required neither the ornamentation of the previous century nor the expensive materials of the budding modernist movement. In fact, the Colonial Revival achieved its most enduring popular acceptance in the domestic sphere. The home became the center of everything associated with the Colonial Revival. As a writer stated in 1899: “The American home is the object to which we may well give our best thoughts and make it the place where religion and civilization shall dwell together.”

I bolded these last couple of sentences because they seem hugely important, and track some of my other research. The importance of the American home apparently really solidified during around this turn of the century period as masses of folks started to rise above hardscrabble. The two concepts – Colonial Revival and the iconic, emotional attachment we as a nation developed to the meaning of  “home”  in America — converged in this period.

Finally, remember my good friend Royal Barry Wills. There is no question in my mind that he gets the credit for keeping the Early American / Colonial Revival style very strong in America in the immediate aftermath of WWII. My vintage postwar magazines are chock full of the stuff. As the 50s wound on, the look began to be usurped by the trickle down effect of high modernism. Although as all articles point out, Colonial style has never stopped being a part of the American landscape. I’d say this is especially true about the exteriors of our homes. The good ole center hall colonial is arguably the #1 most enduring style in America.

Relative to our own mainstreet, middle class, mid-century homes today: I say, embrace at least a little bit of colonial decor. Early American is very comfy and homey, to be sure. All the nice wood takes the hard edges off of modernism. And I always like to be a little counter-culture, to laugh in the face of what’s popular today. So be a design rebel! Plop a spindle rocker in the living room, or an early American dining room set proudly in the middle of the dining room, or a great big American eagle over the mantle, and enjoy the history.

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“America’s Kitchens” by Nancy Carlisle, Melinda Talbot Nasardinov, and Jennifer Pustz is possibly the only comprehensive book on the history of the American kitchen. I am reading it right now. This is just the stuff I love: How Hoosier cabinets, frozen food, open plan architecture and other tweaky things changed the way we live in, and use, our kitchens. And I like to hear the story right from the beginning, too…because virtually no development can be understood in isolation. For example, when I was busy researching “Why steel kitchen cabinets?” it took me all the way back to…Florence Nightingale…Another story for another day. I supported Historic New England by paying them full price.  You can get an even better deal at Amazon…via my Pamazon store, of course.

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WOW, THIS IS AN AMAZING TREASURE TROVE: An online archive of 46 years of Aladdin Home Sales Catalogs, courtesy of Central Michigan University and its Clarke Historical Library. I’m serious: Complete catalogs: Page through for hours and watch the history of middle-class housing styles in the first half of the American 20th century unfold. The catalogs were the principal marketing method for the houses…. So also you get all kinds of little detail that paints a picture of how people lived, what they considered when looking for a house… See the dramatic shifts during the Depression and wartimes, for example. They are little social history books.  Aladdin’s were kit houses… manufactured houses like the famous Sears’  models. These kinds of homes are EVERYWHERE across America.

The series starts in 1908, with cottages and $98 hunting lodges and one house, at about $600. As the years progress we see bungalows, capes and Dutch Colonials…barracks during WWII…on into the 50s. The images here are from ‘54, the last year for catalogs posted, but the bio says Aladdin, which was based in Bay City, Mich., manufactured homes until 1981.

Here’s some history about the firm:

• Begun in 1906 by two brothers, Otto and William Sovereign, the family-owned firm continued to manufacture houses until 1981. Over the firm’s long history it sold over 75,000 homes to both individual and corporate customers.

• The records of the Aladdin Company were donated to the Clarke Historical Library in 1996. The almost complete run of company catalogs, full set of sales records, over 15,000 post-World War II architectural drawings, and various other company records create an extraordinary historical resource.

• The Aladdin Company records are open for use by the public, having been arranged and described through a grant made by the National Endowment for the Humanities. (Mount Pleasant, by the way, is on the far western side of the state, just north of I-94 where it starts to bend around the Lake. Full-text copies of the annual sales catalogs were scanned through a grant by the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Many thanks to all these great folks! I for one cannot wait to start wading through every single catalog. I love love love this every-person kind of house…I am so excited! My guilty secret, though: I seriously thought about not posting this story, afraid I’d never get you back, like, you’ll be Alice fallen down the rabbit hole into retro-wonderland. But there. I’ve gone and done it anyway.

View the website and catalogs here. … I’ll miss you all.

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DID YOU STILL HAVE A MILKMAN growing up? (Do you look suspiciously like him? tee hee.) Historic New England has a really wonderful virtual-online exhibit about the history of milk home delivery from 1860-1960. The exhibit also helps explain some of the history of modern kitchens. Alas, we retro renovators know how the story ends. –>

I am the oldest child, born in ‘59 (same year as Barbie) and I think that we actually still had a milkman delivering milk to our first little house on Buena Place in Carlsbad. The one with the countertop I once featured and mom said it was in that house! But I can’t find the post now, drats. Mom, can you verify we had a milkman?

Here in the Berkshires we still have a functional dairy, and they still do home delivery, hitting each town in the county one day per week.  High Lawn Farm, a really wonderful place, it’s like a fairy tale, more than 100 years old. The milk is wonderful, but it costs more, of course.  It comes from Jersey cows, and I think they say it has more protein and calcium and of course, none of those artificial hormones. On Saturdays in the summer I drive down (it’s just 2 or 3 miles away) and buy a half gallon of heavy cream. I then make the most delicious delectable ice cream in the world with a vintage electric (yes, I know…) ice cream churner that I got at a garage sale for five bucks.

The dairy! The milkman! The chocolate cows that make chocolate milk! All this is leading up to: Historic New England’s absolutely delightful virtual exhibit – From Dairy to Doorstep. Very interesting. For example, do you know the #1 factor that killed the milkman? I tested my history-teaching husband, and he guessed ‘industrial dairy farming.’ Hah! Gotcha! The answer: Refrigerators. These little details about how and why life changed – became “modern” – fascinate me. In fact, I think the reason I like the postwar era so much, rather than say, the Victorian era, is that in many ways we are still playing out the changes launched after WWII. Most all the elements important to life today gelled then.

The exhibit reports:

After World War II, change came to the milkman. The milkman was a familiar character in the neighborhoods of small towns and cities alike, and dairy products now held an unquestioned place in the American diet. Yet, refrigerators, supermarkets, suburban sprawl, and automobiles threatened home delivery. Consumers chose to live in different places and get milk in different ways. In fact, by the end of the 1950s, home delivery fell into a decline and never recovered. By the early 1950s, reliable power refrigeration replaced ice boxes and revised the homemaker’s job of buying and cooking for the household. Perishable foods like milk could now be bought in greater quantity and kept longer without spoiling, more meals could be made from leftovers, and frozen foods could replace fresh. The milkman did not have to arrive every day in order for the family to have unsoured milk.

Tour the wonderful Historic New England virtual exhibit here.

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