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A FIELD GUIDE TOMID-CENTURY HOUSESWWW.MAKEITMIDCENTURY.COM

Copyright © 2019 by Susan E. Halla | Make it Mid-Century, LLCSecond EditionAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner.First edition published in blog form 11/2017

CONTENTSCONTENTSINTRODUCTION ................... 2TRADITIONAL ..................... 4MINIMALTRADITIONAL.......... 5THEREVIVALS..................11NON-TRADITIONAL ................19USONIAN......................21LUSTRON......................25INTERNATIONALSTYLE..........29RANCHES ........................ 33RAISEDRANCH.................35SPLIT-LEVEL................... 39TRI-LEVEL......................43STORYBOOK...................47MODERNS ...................... 51MINIMALMODERN............53EICHLER.....................57ALEXANDER..................61VACATION HOMES ...............65A-FRAME.....................67VACATIONCABIN..............71LOGCABIN...................75POPULUXE ......................79GOOGIE......................81SPACEAGE...................85GEODESIC...................89CONCLUSION ...................93CREDITS ........................95

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2What does a mid-century house look like to you? Asymmetrical? High design? Screams California? Not so fast. Mid-century homes are everywhere, andthey come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. In fact, mostmid-century homes are not high-style mid-centurymodern. There are quite a number of styles that can allcall themselves mid-century.While everyone has a take on what years constitutemid-century, for the purposes of this guide, we areusing the 1930s through the 1970s. Even though we’restarting with the 1930s, the greatest contribution tomid-century housing stock occurred starting in the mid-to-late 1940s when men came back from WWII andstarted having families. These early homes veered moretowards traditional styling as you’ll see at the beginningof this guide.Our guide will help to identify the styles and whatattributes to look for on your hunt for the (not so rare)mid-century house.INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

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Believe it or not, many mid-century homes are prettytraditional. Simple shapes, hipped roofs, divided litewindows and paneled doors are some of the traditionalhallmarks of these early mid-century homes. Don’tjudge a book by its cover; home exteriors can bemisleading – many of these traditional homes havemodern touches on their interiors.TRADITIONALTRADITIONAL193Os to 197Os4

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MINIMAL TRADITIONALMINIMAL TRADITIONALYour might be living right next door to a minimaltraditional and not even appreciate it for its mid-century roots. Small and unassuming, these homeshave quite often been expanded throughout the yearsand may no longer be recognized as a minimal design.Clues would be traditional styling with multipanedwindows, brick or horizontal lap siding and verytraditional styles for the front door and shutters.Levittown is a prime examples of minimal traditionalhousing.Besides their small size, minimal traditional homes arealso often less ornamented than their earlier peerssuch as Craftsman homes. Particularly after the war,minimal traditional homes were ubiquitous and thesmaller and less ornamented the homes were, theeasier and faster they were to construct and thecheaper they were to buy, leading to a great number ofthis style in existence today.6

MODEST HOUSE WITH SIMPLE MATERIALSBASIC BOX SHAPE WITH ONE OR ONE-AND-A-HALF STORIESSIMPLE, TRADITIONAL STYLINGSGABLE ROOF7

8MINIMAL TRADITIONALMODEST HOUSE WITH SIMPLE MATERIALSMAIN HOUSE HAS BASIC BOX SHAPE WITH ONE OR ONE-AND-A-HALF STORIESSIMPLE, TRADITIONAL ORNAMENTATIONGABLE ROOF SOMETIMES INCLUDING DORMERSGARAGE, MOST OFTEN DETACHED, BUT MAY BE PART OF THE HOME IN LATER YEARS

MODEST HOUSE WITH SIMPLE MATERIALSBASIC BOX SHAPE WITH ONE OR ONE-AND-A-HALF STORIESSIMPLE, TRADITIONAL STYLINGSGABLE ROOF9

MODEST HOUSE WITH SIMPLE MATERIALSBASIC BOX SHAPE WITH ONE OR ONE-AND-A-HALF STORIESSIMPLE, TRADITIONAL STYLINGSGABLE ROOF1OMINIMAL TRADITIONAL

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THE REVIVALSTHE REVIVALSThe Revivals are just what the name implies – reworksof the classic styles of early American architecture.While the revival style dates back to the turn of the 20thcentury, mid-century revival style tends to be lessornate and at a smaller scale. On Tudor revival homes,Look for half-timbering and peaked door façades.Colonial Revival is the most classic of the classic –shutters, symmetry with porches and lean-to add-ons.Colonial Revival might be seen in both one and two-story options. Cape Cod revivals have steep roofs, with agable-front roof. Most Cape Cod Revivals are one-and-a-half stories with dormers on the upper story. All of therevivals are classic, classic, classic and tend to be small(two to three bedrooms.)12

TUDOR REVIVAL HAS STEEP, GABLE-END ROOFS AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSECLASSIC STYLING – MATERIALS OFTEN ARE BRICK, STONE OR STUCCO, BUT CAN BE CLAPBOARDMULTI-PANED WINDOWS ROUND OR ARCHED-TOP WINDOWS OR DOORS ESPECIALLY AT THE ENTRY13

HALF-TIMBERING AT THE EAVES AND GABLE ENDS.MORE ELABORATE TUDOR REVIVALS MAY BE STUCCO OR PLASTERDECORATIVE CHIMNEY BRICKWORKROUND OR ARCHED-TOP WINDOWS OR DOORSCHIMNEY ANCHOR PLATES14TUDOR REVIVAL

HIPPED OR GAMBREL ROOFSCLASSIC STYLING WITH SIMPLE MATERIALS OFTEN CLAPBOARDMULTI-PANED WINDOWS AND TRADITIONAL SHUTTERS.SYMMETRICAL FRONT FAÇADE15

HIPPED OR GAMBREL ROOFSCLASSIC STYLING WITH SIMPLE MATERIALS OFTEN CLAPBOARDTRADITIONAL SHUTTERSSYMMETRICAL FRONT FAÇADE16COLONIAL REVIVAL

STEEP ROOF PITCHSHUTTERS AND OTHER CLASSICAL NODSGABLE FRONT ROOF WITH DORMERSSYMMETRICAL FRONT FAÇADEMULTI-PANEDWINDOWS17

STEEP ROOF PITCHSHUTTERS AND OTHER CLASSICAL NODSGABLE FRONT ROOF WITH DORMERSSYMMETRICAL FRONT FACEMULTI-PANED WINDOWS18CAPE COD REVIVAL

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There are a few housing styles from the early years ofmid-century homes that cannot be categorized asanything but by their own style. We’re calling these“non-traditional”.While they are all in the non-traditional category, theycouldn’t be more different from one another. The first,the Usonian style, is a mid-century housing style fromarchitect Frank Lloyd Wright.ThesecondistheLustronhome;ahomethatisnon-traditional in the building materials utilized forconstruction along with its modern design while stillexpressed in a traditional style.Last is the International Style which impacted bothcommercial and residential architecture.NON-TRADITIONALNON-TRADITIONAL193Os – 195Os2O

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USONIANUSONIANBased on a concept devised by architect Frank LloydWright, the Usonian style is an off-shoot of thearchitect’s earlier prairie style in a typically morecompact form.The concept of Usonian is an architectural style thatresponds to its site and feels organic. Frank LloydWright’s concept of Usonian architecture contrastedsharply with the more traditional and often massproduced homes of the time. The intention of theUsonian style was to create affordable, small homeswhich were individually designed and responded bothto the needs of each family and to the uniquerequirements of the home’s location.In Usonian architecture, look for long, low lines thatblend with the landscape with natural materials ofwood and stone. The Usonian style is attributed to bethe pre-cursor of the ranch home.22

VERY LINEAR DESIGNNATURAL SETTING AND MATERIALSDECORATIVE ACCENTS OFTEN GEOMETRICCAR PORT (NO GARAGES)CLERESTORY WINDOWS23

LINEAR DESIGNNATURAL SETTING AND MATERIALSCLERESTORY WINDOWSDECORATIVE ACCENTS OFTEN GEOMETRICCAR PORT (NO GARAGES)24USONIAN

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LUSTRONLUSTRONA short-lived architectural style with distinct mid-century design features and colors, Lustron was thebrainchild of Carl Strandlund.Lustrons were proposed as a way to house the manyG.I.’s and their new families as well as a way to keepwartime factories up and running. The Lustron housewas designed out of a porcelain enameled steel panelsystem inside and out that could be factory stampedand loaded onto specially built trucks and shippedacross the United States for assembly. Key features ofLustron houses are their unique 24” x 24” metal panelexterior wall along with their stamp-formed steel roofshingles.Lustron came in two-bedroom models and later inthree-bedrooms. The homes came in four colors: MaizeYellow, Dove Grey, Surf Blue and Desert Tan. The housesare typically slab-on-grade and one popular styleincorporates a cut-out corner with a splayed, zig-zagcolumn.26

24X24 METAL PANEL SKINSTAMPED METAL ROOF SHINGLESZIG-ZAG CORNER POSTORIGINAL METAL TRIM AND ALUMINUM WINDOWS27

24X24 METAL PANEL SKINSTAMPED METAL ROOF SHINGLESZIG-ZAG CORNER POST28ORIGINAL METAL TRIMLUSTRON

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INTERNATIONAL STYLEINTERNATIONAL STYLEInternational style buildings consist of very rectilinearforms with no ornamentation. They rely on newmethods of construction; steel and concrete, andsometimes incorporate cantilevers into the design. Thenew materials also allows for great expanses of floor-to-ceiling glass and little to no structural supports inthe interior creating open floor plans. Roofs are almostalways flat, accentuating the long lines of the buildings.Most international style buildings are painted white orvery light colors. If traditional-style windows areutilized, they are ganged together to form large, longplanes of windows that sometime form corners on thebuilding. Early international style buildings may havemulti-paned steel casement-style windows in lieu of thelarge sheets of glass found in later designs.International style homes were often larger and gearedmore towards the upper class homeowner.3O

FLAT ROOF AND LONG RECTILINEAR FORMPREDOMINATELY WHITE BODYCANTILEVERED DESIGNEXPOSED STRUCTURE AND LARGE EXPANSES OF GLASS31

FLAT ROOF AND LONG RECTILINEAR FORMPREDOMINATE WHITE BODYEXPOSED STEEL STRUCTURELARGE EXPANSES OF HORIZONTAL GLASS32INTERNATIONAL STYLE

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Also known as Ramblers, Ranch-style homes becamepopular in mid-century for their open floor plans(sound familiar?) and modern styling.Typical ranch-style homes are long and often low. Lookfor overhanging eaves with picture windows in the livingareas and simple double-hung windows in the separatebedroom portion.Ranches are often one-story, but multiple story versionsexist. The backs of ranch homes often open up to patiosand yards through sliding glass doors. Trim details aresimple, and materials include brick, stone, and siding.Siding is often vertical board and batten or brick andoccasionally a horizontal lap.THE RANCHESTHE RANCHES194Os – 197Os34

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RAISED RANCHRAISED RANCHA raised ranch contains the stylings of a traditionalranch while adding a finished basement level to thehome. The entry of a raised ranch is half-way betweenlevels, with stairs leading up to the main floor whereyou would find bedrooms and public spaces and stairsdown to the garage and finished basement areas suchas rec rooms.The Raised Ranch is often mis-labeled a split-level.36

2NDFLOOR1STFLOOR HALF BELOW GRADEENTRY DOOR AT MID-LEVEL OF FLOORS – MUST GO UP OR DOWN STAIRS UPON ENTRY37

2NDFLOOR1STFLOOR HALF BELOW GRADEENTRY DOOR AT MID-LEVEL OF FLOORS – MUST GO UP OR DOWN STAIRS UPON ENTRY38RAISED RANCH

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SPLIT-LEVEL RANCHSPLIT-LEVEL RANCHA split-level ranch enters into the main living area livingarea (living, dining, kitchen), with steps down a half-level to the finished family/rec room and garage andsteps up a level to the bedrooms and bath. The Split-Level differs from the Raised Ranch in that the entry tothehomeisononeofthefloors(mostoftenthemainlevel with the public rooms) whereas the Raised Ranchhas a stairwell to go up or down immediately uponentry. This style may also be referred to as a Side-Splitor a Back-Split depending on the location of the two-level “split” portion of the home.4O

41UPPER LEVEL (BEDROOMS AND BATH)LOWER LEVEL (REC ROOM, GARAGE ENTRY)MAIN PUBLIC ROOMS (LIVING ROOM, KITCHEN) AT THE ENTRY LEVEL OF THE HOME.

UPPER LEVEL (BEDROOMS AND BATH)LOWER LEVEL (REC ROOM, GARAGE ENTRY)MAIN PUBLIC ROOMS (LIVING ROOM, KITCHEN) AT THE ENTRY LEVEL OF THE HOME.42SPLIT-LEVEL RANCH

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TRI-LEVEL RANCHTRI-LEVEL RANCHSimilar to a raised ranch, a tri-level ranch has an entryon grade into a vestibule or hallway. From the vestibuleyou can go up or down a step into the living room andkitchen areas, up a half-flight to bedrooms and baths,or down a half flight to the garage and rec rooms. Oftenyou can only identify a tri-level from the insidefloorplan. From the outside, it may appear to be either araised ranch or split-level.44

ENTRY INTO VESTIBULE OR HALLWAYTWO-STORY SECTION OF HOUSE, LOWER LEVEL CONTAINS GARAGE AND REC ROOM.ONE-STORY SECTION OF HOUSE WITH LIVING ROOM AND KITCHEN, DOWN A HALF-STEP FROM ENTRY.TWO-STORY SECTION OF HOUSE – UPPER LEVEL CONTAINS BEDS AND BATHS.45

UPPER LEVEL (BEDROOMS AND BATH)LOWER LEVEL (REC ROOM, GARAGE, ENTRY)MAIN PUBLIC ROOMS (LIVING ROOM, KITCHEN) UP A HALF LEVEL FROM ENTRY46ENTRY INTO VESTIBULE OR HALLWAYTRI-LEVEL RANCH

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STORYBOOK RANCHSTORYBOOK RANCHStorybook ranches can be any of the ranchconfigurations but dressed in fairy-tale finery.Storybook ranches often have a gable-front section withornamental fascia trim along the peak. These rancheswill often have decorative window panes such as adiamond motif. Storybook ranches may also have acombination of simple and patterned sidings such asdecoratively shaped shingles. Look, too, for decorativeshutters and in some instances, dovecotes in the gablepeak.48

DECORATIVE FASCIA BOARDSDOVECOTESEXPOSEDRAFTER TAILSDECORATIVE WINDOW MUNTIN49DECORATIVESHUTTERS

DECORATIVE FASCIA BOARDSEXPOSED RAFTERTAILSDECORATIVE WINDOW MUNTINSAND SHUTTERS5OSTORYBOOK RANCH

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When someone uses the general term “mid-century” todescribe a house, mid-century modern is what mostoften comes to mind. Elements of modern houses arepicture and casement windows, bold geometric shapesand large overhanging eaves. Roof lines are low andoften with an interesting shape.MODERNSMODERNS195Os – 197Os52

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There are many minimal modern houses from the mid-century period. They are often smaller than thesprawling mid-century modern ranch homes that wemost-often think of and have less grand-scale details.The hallmarks of the classic modern exist in the picturewindow styles and overhanging eaves, but thegeometric shapes are often understated. These homesalso tend to have a smaller footprint.MINIMAL MODERNMINIMAL MODERN54

LOW HIPPED ROOF WITH LARGE OVERHANGSHORIZONTAL ACCENTS IN STONE OR BRICKLARGE PICTURE WINDOWSMAY STILL HAVE SOME TRADITIONAL TOUCHES LIKE SHUTTERSMODERN ACCENTS55

LOW HIPPED ROOF WITH LARGE OVERHANGSROMAN BRICK ACCENTCORNER WINDOWSMAY STILL HAVE SOME TRADITIONAL TOUCHES LIKE SHUTTERSMODERN ACCENTS56MINIMAL MODERN

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A house type synonymous with its developer, JosephEicher, these homes are ranch-style in their overallhorizontality and eave lines. Typical Eichler detailsinclude exposed rafter tails, flat or low-sloped roofswith gable-end glazing, interior courtyards and woodand glass construction. Location is also key to spottingan Eichler – they are located in both northern andsouthern California. One caveat – Eicher did build threehomes in Chestnut Ridge, New York, but if you see asimilar house outside of these areas, it is not an Eichler.EICHLEREICHLER58

VERY LOW SLOPE OR FLAT ROOFWOOD POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION WITH EXPOSED RAFTER TAILSLARGE EXPANSES OF GLASS59VERTICAL WOOD SIDING

LOW SLOPE OR FLAT MAIN ROOFWOOD POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTION WITH PROMINENT RAFTER TAILSGRAY OR BROWN FIELD COLORS. MAY HAVE POPS OF COLORS AT BEAMSVERTICAL WOOD SIDINGCENTRAL ATRIUM6OEICHLER

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Alexander homes were built by the AlexanderConstruction Company in collaboration with architectslike William Krisel. Palm Springs, California is the placeto find these beauties. Alexander homes are similar toEichler ranches in their minimalistic andindoor/outdoor design. The distinctive rooflines ofAlexander homes often give them away: butterfly,slanted and exaggerated gables. Decorative concreteblocks (breeze blocks) were also often part of thedesign. The expansive use of glass brings the outdoorsin in Alexander homes. Like Eichlers you will seeexposed rafter tails and post and beam construction.ALEXANDERALEXANDER62

DISTINCTIVE ROOF LINESWOOD POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTIONMINIMAL GLASS ON THE STREET – FRONT ELEVATION WITH SUBSTANTIAL GLASS FACING THE PRIVATE YARD, OFTEN WITH A POOL63

DISTINCTIVE ROOF LINESWOOD POST AND BEAM CONSTRUCTIONCONCRETE BREEZE BLOCK ACCENTS64ALEXANDER

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The post-war boom in home building was a largeimpact on the family home, but was also felt in thevacation home field. Vacation homes became a must-have goal for the burgeoning middle-class and homebuildings and plan books were at the ready. Fromwinter homes in the mountains to homes at the beachor lake and motor cabins for tourists on their way totheir second homes, plan books covered the gamut.Vacation homes could be found in all different styles,from traditional to modern or even new styles like A-frames and many combinations thereof.VACATION HOMESVACATION HOMES195Os – 197Os66

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A-frame homes are named such that their shaperesembles the capital letter “A” with the steeply peakedrooflines coming almost all the way to the ground. Thestyle was easy to construct and quite compact and wasoften constructed as a second vacation home for mid-century families. One or both ends of the A-frame areoften fully glazed, perfect for a vacation home situatedin an idyllic location in the woods, on a lake or in themountains.A-FRAMEA-FRAME68

69“A” SHAPE CONSTRUCTIONWOOD FRAME CONSTRUCTIONGLAZING ON THE FRONT FACE

7O“A” SHAPE CONSTRUCTIONWOOD FRAME CONSTRUCTIONGLAZING ON THE FRONT FACE A-FRAME

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Whether mid-century vacation cabins were multiple-bedroom large houses in vacation locations, or just asimple rental cabin in the woods, vacation cabins werea popular purchase during mid-century. Some cabinscarried the hallmarks of traditional mid-century whileother displayed more of the modern aspects of mid-century architecture. Smaller cabins were often oneroom with built-in bunks or divider curtains to makebedrooms come nightfall. Cabins were often made ofsimple materials – clapboard or vertical wood sidingbut included windows – often large picture windows –to capture the setting.Motor courts in the early mid-century were often madeup of multiple, small, one-room cabins in lieu of themore traditional motel with think of today.VACATION CABINVACATION CABIN72

HALLMARKS OF MID-CENTURY DESIGN SUCH AS LOW PITCHED ROOFS AND OVERHANGS.MOST OFTEN WOOD CONSTRUCTIONSUBSTANTIAL GLAZING TO TAKE IN VIEWSWOOD SIDING73

HALLMARKS OF MID-CENTURY DESIGN SUCH AS LOW PITCHED ROOFSMOST OFTEN WOOD CONSTRUCTIONSUBSTANTIAL GLAZING TO TAKE IN VIEWSWOOD SIDING74VACATION CABIN

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With the popularity of vacation homes, log cabins madea resurgence during mid-century. While still constructedvia traditional methods, mid-century log cabins hadmore hallmarks of mid-century design with shallow roofpitches and overhanging eaves. Large picture windowswere also popular allow natural views into the log-facedinteriors.LOG CABINLOG CABIN76

HALLMARKS OF MID-CENTURY DESIGN SUCH AS LOW PITCHED ROOFS AND OVERHANGS.FLAT OR ROUND LOG CONSTRUCTIONPICTURE AND CORNER WINDOWSMID-CENTURY ACCENTS77

HALLMARKS OF MID-CENTURY DESIGN SUCH AS LOW PITCHED ROOFS AND OVERHANGS.FLAT OR ROUND LOG CONSTRUCTIONPICTURE WINDOWS78LOG CABIN

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Never heard of the word “Populuxe”? The Populuxe termcomes from a mash-up of the terms popular and luxuryand came about in the later mid-century with the riseof the consumer culture. While the styles under thePopuluxe umbrella greatly vary, one of the definingcharacteristics are futuristic shapes and eye-catchingdesign.POPULUXEPOPULUXE195Os – 197Os8O

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Googie is a style associated with commercial buildingswhich originated in California. Think “The Jetsons” withbright, primary colors, a plethora of neon and brightlights with bold geometric forms. Starbursts,boomerangs and other geometric forms are closelyassociated with the Googie style and were co-opted forresidential design. Googie is also sometimes referred toas “Doo-wop”, particularly where the style infiltrated theeast coast. While we mention the east and west coastshere, Googie architecture can be found throughout thecountry. Colorful, optimistic and fun, Googiearchitecture is smile-inducing in its playful nature.GOOGIEGOOGIE82

SUBSTANTIAL COLOR (DAY) AND NEON (NIGHT)BOLD GEOMETRIC SHAPESFLYING ROOF LINECOMMERCIAL BUILDING83

84BOLD GEOMETRIC SHAPESFLYING ROOF LINECOMMERCIAL BUILDINGGOOGIE

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Space Age architecture take futurism to the extreme,often appearing to be alien ships which have landedhere on earth. Other influences of the era where thespace race between the United States and Soviet Unionas well as other scientific discoveries. One residentialhome that most exemplifies the space age style is theFuturo homes designed by Matti Suuronen. Only 100Futuro houses were ever built. Other similar space-craft-inspired houses are scattered throughout theUnited States and other commercial architecture showthe space-age influence.The Space Age style may be considered a further subsetof the Googie style.SPACE AGESPACE AGE86

FORMS REMINISCENT OF SPACE TRAVEL AND SCIENCE87SUBSTANTIAL GLAZINGBOLD SHAPES

88BOLD SHAPES REMINISCENT OF SPACE TRAVEL AND SCIENCESUBSTANTIAL GLAZING BOLD SHAPESSPACE AGE

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Popularized by Buckminster Fuller in the early 1950’s,geodesic forms are created of interlocking triangles tocreate a domed appearance. The structure of theGeodesic style is very different than that of a traditionalhome which, with its system of load-bearing columns orwalls and beams, is a compressive structure, whereasthe geodesic form is in tension. Geodesic homes aresaid to be very energy efficient and are still available forpurchase today.GEODESICGEODESIC9O

DOMED SHAPE91TRIANGULAR STRUCTURE

92TRIANGULARSTRUCTUREDOMED SHAPEGEODESIC

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94The National Register of Historic Places considers 50years the age at which a property is deemed historic.Most (if not all) of these mid-century beauties have nowreached that prime age, but they are still in danger.Why? Most of these structures, even at the age of 50+,are considered the recent past, and if it’s in the memoryof those people still alive, then it can’t be historical, canit? Furthermore, everyday or vernacular structures andthose that are not “high-style” or have an architecturalpedigree are often not considered worthy. These are thestructures we lose daily, to tear-downs and redesignsand remuddlings. Perhaps the only way to preservemany of these structures is through documentationsuch as the guide you have before you, but we certainlyhope not. Now it’s time to grab your camera and go outthere to photograph some of these styles in the wild.Happy hunting!CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

CREDITSCREDITSPage 7: The Bristol, from the 1958 Aladdin Redi-Cut Catalogue. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 8: House number 5305 from Garlinghouse1955 Plans for New Homes - Public Domain Mark 1.0Page 9: A minimal traditional home in Portland, Oregon. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographer: Ian Poellet.Page 10: A minimal traditional home in Knoxville, Tennessee. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photographer: Brian Stansberry.Page 13: A Tudor Revival home Model 24 from the 1955 Garlinghouse Plans for New Homes. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 14: A Tudor Revival house in Los Angeles, California. CC BY-SA 3. Carson Willington.Page 15: The Tacoma, a Colonial Revival house from the 1958 Aladdin Redi-Cut Homes catalog.Public Domain Mark 1.0.95

96Page 16: A Dutch Colonial Revival in Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photographer: Corey Coyle.Page 17: A Cape Cod Revival house from the 1955 Garlinghouse Plans for New Homes. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 18: A Cape Cod Revival in Middleton, Wisconsin. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photographer: Corey Coyle.Page 23: Laurel, a 1956 Usonian home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Wilmington, Delaware. CC0. Photographer: Smallbones.Page 24: The Melvyn Maxwell & Sara Stein Smith Usonian home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1950 in Bloomfield Township, Michigan. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photographer: Andrew Jameson.Page 27: Lustron home in surf blue, Jamestown, New York. CC0. Photographer: Nyttend.

Page 28: Lustron in Maize Yellow in Huron, South Dakota. CC0. Photographer: Ammodramus.Page 31: The Farnsworth house by Mies Van Der Rohe from 1951. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photographer: Marco 2000. Page 32: The Inadomi House by Richard Neutra from 1960. CC BY-SA 4.0 International. Photographer: MichaelJLocke.Page 37: House number 9714 from the 1963 Garlinghouse All American Homes catalog. Public Domain 1.0.Page 38: Raised Ranch or Bi-Level Ranch in a Colonial Revival style. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photographer: Adamwe12.Page 41: A split-level ranch, number 705 by National Plan Service in their 1961 Multi-Level Homes catalog. CC0 1.0 Universal.97

Page 41: House model 705 from the Multi-Level Homes catalog from National Plan Service 1961. CC 1.0 Universal.Page 42: The Des Moine split-level from the 1963 Miles Homes catalogue. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 45: The Cornell, a tri-level ranch in the 1958 Aladdin Redi-Cut Homes brochure. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 46: Tri-Level home. CC BY-SA3.0. Photographer: Adamwe12.Page 49: A storybook ranch from the Hiawatha T. Estes house plan book Prize Homes from 1969. CC0 1.0 Universal.Page 50: Storybook Ranch, Lodi, California. Google Maps 2012.Page 55: Minimal Modern home Model 1856 from the Garlinghouse New Small Homes catalog, 10thEdition. Public Domain Mark 1.0.98

Page 56: Minimal Modern home in St. Louis, Missouri. CC0. Photograph by author. Page 59: Eichler Home from the 1955 Eichler Catalog. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 55: The 1962-64 Foster Residence by Joseph Eichler in the Balboa Heights neighborhood of Granada Hills, California. CC BY-SA 3.0. Photographer: LosAngeles.Page 63: Alexander Butterfly home by William Krisel in Palm Springs, California. CC BY 2.0. Photographer: Randy Heinitz.Page 64: Alexander home in Palm Springs, California. Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. No known restrictions.99

Page 69: The Ranger A-Frame cabin from the Douglas Fir Plywood Association’s Second Homes for Leisure Living published in 1960. CC0 1.0 Universal.Page 70: A-Frame cabin on Turtle Lake in Saskatchewan from the 1950’s. CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported. Photographer: Regriemer.Page 73: Vacation Home - National Plan Service Summer Living 1953 - Public Doman Mark 1.0Page 74: The Rainier vacation Cabin from the 1961 Weyerhaeuser Gracious Outdoor Living catalog. CC 1.0 Universal Page 77: Georgia plan No. 20-A log cabin from the 1957 Pioneer Log Cabin Co. Book of Plans. Public Domain Mark 1.0.Page 78: The Chippy vacation home as seen in 1956. Use by permission from Crow Wing Crest Resort. All rights reserved.1OO

1O1Page 83: Googie restaurant in La Cienga, California. CC BY-2.0 Generic. Photographer: Sharon VanderKaay.Page 84: Googie flying saucer Starbucks in St. Louis, Missouri. CC BY-2.0 Generic. Photographer: Paul Sableman.Page 87: Futuro House in Pensacola Beach, Florida. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photographer: TimothyJ.Page 88: LAX (Los Angeles Airport) control tower in Los Angeles, California. CC BY-SA 2.0. Photographer: Jeff Turner.Page 91: The 1960 Buckminster Fuller Home in Carbondale, Illinois. CC BY-SA 4.0. Photographer: Communityhelper1000.Page 92: The 1963 Cinerama Theater in Hollywood, California. CC0. Photographer: UpdateNerd.Thank you for reading