REWRITE!!!!
When we think of midcentury home styles, we often think of “Atomic!” design, big cars, lots of kids, and Retro interiors of turquoise and pink. And it’s true, the later half of the Midcentury period took place from about 1950 to 1965.
The 15 years leading up to it were considerably more challenging. Together, it created both an evolving design aesthetic and new challenges.
1920-1935 The 20s and Early Depression
In 1910, the Colonial Revival was often a full, two-stories with traditional character that was designed to be formal and somewhat imposing. By 1935, the Colonial remained what it had always been, but it also was expressed in a smaller footprint like the Cape Cod. Same essential character, but often smaller. Another style was the Garrison Colonial, a more modern interpretation.
The original bungalow and Prairie styles often evolved into variations of the Ranch styles during the By the late 1920s, “modern” styles were simplified and lost many of the defining characteristics of their predecessors. Often the changes occurred because designs evolved, but also out of necessity when the Depression caused a severe economic contraction in the 1930s.
Post-Depression & World War II
While the Depression caused widespread economic despair, architects and builders continued to create innovative and creative living spaces. The for the members of the middle-class who retained their work, while they built less, they often benefitted from the skills of skilled craftsmen who would have been unavailable, and unaffordable, 10 years earlier.
REWORK Despite the downturn, the innovation and creativity of designers like Richard Neutra, Kenneth Day, and Gregory Ain, many homeowners found the call of the traditional styles more compelling.
Mid-century traditionals included the Garrison Colonial, which became very popular during the 1930s, possibly because it lent itself so easily to the split level. The single-story Ranch, which based a considerable amount of its style on the earlier Prairie style, evolved to include the tri-level. One derivative of the Ranch was the “storybook ranch.”
Manufactured and prefabricated housing became prevalent during World War II when housing for defense workers was in short supply. That eventually gave way to ever-growing suburban developments of tract housing as well as infill.
We’ll define each style with its characteristics, and provide illustrative examples.