Property of Mr. and Mrs. James L. Jacobs | Architect: James L. Jacobs

12/08/2025 12:47:00 AM

A young couple's first house, like their first year of marriage, is rarely completed without compromise. Building a house is a tug of war between the budget and construction costs and in the process some dreams have to yield to a lack of dollars. Fortunately, this setback need not be fatal. The couple whose hearts are young and gay may also have heads that are wise and wary. They will discover that some things are essential in a house and some are not. In the interests of cutting costs, complicated design and construction are expendable and so are fancy features and gadgetry. What should not be yielded is good design and adequate space, wisely planned.

This small house in the Pacific Northwest illustrates the point precisely. In designing a house for his young wife, his baby daughter and himself, James Jacobs faced the same difficulties most young married couples encounter today. His budget was minimum and building costs were high. Desirable sites were scarce and land was expensive. The size of his house and number of the rooms had to meet typical mortgage requirements for houses in the $15,000 to $20,000 category. And resale value and building code restrictions had to be considered in the design.

Working within these formidable limitations, he created a house which is surprisingly spacious. It stands on a typical 80-foot by 100-foot lot sloping downhill. To avoid the expense of tailoring the house to the slope, it is raised above ground and is built in an economical form: a wood post-and-beam framework enclosed by plywood walls and a flat roof. This solution also makes possible a carport and 16-foot by 16-foot studio-workshop under the house. Quiet and privacy from street and neighbors are assured by a window-less front wall and by side walls that have only two high bedroom windows. But the interior is cheerful because a center court, right, skylights in the kitchen and bathrooms, and a glass wall facing south flood the rooms with light.

The plan also gives the Jacobses privacy that is rare in a small house. The living-dining room, left, is at the back of the house so it is not exposed to view when the front door is opened. The baby's room near the front is a hall's length from the living room so adult activities and entertaining won't disturb her. The glass enclosed center court serves as a buffer, too, but its great value is in the spaciousness it creates: it extends and enlarges the living room, the hall and the Jacobses' own bedroom, right, because it is joined to each of them with ceiling-high glass walls. A garden room enjoyable all year, the court lights and enlivens the center of the house.

Another device that makes this small house spacious is unity of structure, materials and decoration. All the flooring is cork; all walls are white; all ceilings are hemlock boarding; all wood posts, beams and trim are fir, stained black. Color accents forestall monotony. In the living room, the armchairs are orange, the sofa, curtains and rug blue, and the cabinets blue and orange. The bedrooms have bright bedspreads and curtains, painted doors and cabinets.

The feeling of spaciousness is also enhanced by the rear glass wall of the living-dining room. It opens to a wood deck which is fine for family lounging and barbecues and enlarges the indoor rooms when the Jacobses entertain. The galley kitchen, below, partly open, partly screened from the dining room, below right, is a particular asset during parties; guests are in and out of it all evening, helping with food and tending bar. The Jacobses have found their house pleasant to live in, easy to take care of and to pay for. Minimum in cost, it is notable for good design.