THIS SIDE-TO-SIDE split-level has a modern touch. Note the no-nonsense roof structure, the simple but efficient- looking exterior, the functional rectangular plan. You step from an attractively- planted entrance area into a hall on the level of the living room. This room is tremendous-it occupies 480 square feet of floor area and is dominated by a huge fire- place. All the other rooms are up four steps. Behind the living room is the kitchen, flanked on one side by a dinette for snacks and informal meals and on the other by a dining room for more formal occasions. The Westwind has three bedrooms, all larger than average. There are two bathrooms-the one off the master bedroom has twin wash basins so that He and She can get ready for their engagements at the same time. 

THIS HOUSE, originally designed for a hillside location, features a butterfly roof which is like the wings of the insect- higher on the outside than in the center. It is an economical design. For one thing, it saves on the cost of gutters and leaders; water drains to the center of the roof and then is carried away by a single leader.

The front of the Sea Gull is intended to face the high side of the hill. From this elevation, you see a one-story house. Walk around the rear and it becomes a two-story house as a result of the downward slope. On the main floor level, there are three bedrooms, two baths, an oversized living room, kitchen, dinette and den. The latter three rooms are in the rear of the house and open onto a balcony overlooking the hills below. There's plenty of room for expansion on the lower level. 

DO YOU OR DON'T YOU need a garage? Architects differ on that question. Some argue that it pays to protect your car from the elements at all times. Others say that modern automobiles are made with finishes that withstand sun, rain and snow and don't need an expensive covering.

A carport like the one included in the Westerner is a good compromise. It protects the car, adds to the appearance of the house and can be used as a covered porch as well. Most important of all, of course, it costs much less than a garage to build.

Features of the Westerner are a front- to-back living room, with floor-to-ceiling picture windows at both ends; a kitchen- dining room combination which can be closed off from the living room by means of a folding door; and a slate entry hall flanked by a handsome fireplace enclosed in a brick wall which dominates one side of the living room. There are high sloping ceilings in most rooms, full forced warm- air heat for every room, and an economical plumbing arrangement. For economy's sake also, the furnace flue is located next to the fireplace.

The Westerner is available either with or without a basement and can be built in any part of the country. It also may be readily expanded in any direction.

The exterior finish is cedar siding with some brick or stone, if desired. Marble chips or gravel are used on the roof. Requirements of F.H.A. and V.A. have been specifically incorporated into the design of this home. Special attention also has been given to construction details so that waste of materials and labor may be eliminated.

ONE WAY architects fight rising building costs is by designing houses that are as simple to build as possible. This post-and-beam model is an example. Construction is uncomplicated. For example, when the carpenters apply the roof sheathing, they are also applying the finished ceiling for the main-floor rooms. One piece of wood thus is made to serve a double purpose.

The almost all-glass wall makes the Lakeside worth considering if you have a lot with a view-a hillside lot, for example, or one overlooking a stream. The living room is situated out of the traffic flow, allowing family activities to leave the social area undisturbed. Note the raised hearth fireplace, bringing the fire up within easy view, and the partial wall that separates living room from entry.

The kitchen is planned for maximum efficiency. It enjoys a view of the deck and the scene beyond. The family dining room, adjacent, could look out on its own private garden or courtyard. (The end of the living room may be used for more formal dining.) There is ample storage space in this house. Witness the utility room, with cupboard or closet room for miscellaneous cleaning supplies as well as laundry facilities. The bedrooms are provided with wall- to-wall wardrobe closets. Also note the unusual bath arrangement, with the tub room accessible to either bath.

Downstairs, roughed-in plumbing provides for a future bath with adjoining bedroom. There is a large shop area and a big recreation room with fireplace, opening out onto a patio. This house may also be built without a basement.

THE TEAL provides an interesting ex- ample of how design interest can be added while basic principals of economy are observed. This is an essentially simple exterior, low in cost and easy to build. But a den and garage are added, with their position set back slightly. This set-back, plus brick veneer, makes house inviting.

If you want a small house to look appropriate on a large lot, the Teal will serve the purpose. With garage and den, it measures 75 feet across. But it is only 27 feet 8 inches deep. It has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large fireplace that occupies a commanding position in the living room, and a large walk-in closet for the master bedroom. Architect Matern has specified a cedar lining for this closet so that you can store out-of-season clothing there as well as things you use regularly.

For the sake of economy, the two bathrooms are located back-to-back and are close to the kitchen. Since a minimum of pipe is required to install plumbing fixtures, there is a saving both in the cost of material and in labor. Other features include: A den located for maximum privacy, with its exterior rear entrance leading to a covered porch and the yard beyond. A different type breakfast corner in the kitchen that is formed by the rear projection of chimney block and kitchen cabinets. A rear garage entrance, which opens to the covered porch and provides protection against the weather. A full dining room that is large and well-lighted, with corner sash affording a view of the porch and the rear garden. Large aluminum sliding glass windows throughout, with the exception of the bow bay window in the living room. 

THIS PLAN CONCENTRATES on giving a maximum amount of usable living space within a small area. It is a modest- sized home but has all the features-or can be made to provide them-that can be found in a much larger house.

Typical of the good use that is made of space is the living-dining combination. It measures 23 feet from front to rear and the entire expanse is viewed as one steps into the living room from the foyer. The cut-back area of the dining space gives it the impression of being an actual room. It makes the full area of the living room available for dining if needed. Picture windows on the walls of both the living room and dining room also add to the illusion of large size.

The foyer is over-sized-another "big-house" feature. It leads to a center hall off which there are three good-sized bedrooms and an unusually well-planned bathroom. The foyer and center hall provide efficient circulation throughout the house, making it unnecessary to cross any room to get to another.

The kitchen is arranged in the popular L-shape. While it occupies a modest area, the efficient food preparation and storage arrangements leave room for a full-sized breakfast nook. There also is ample room for the largest refrigerators, ranges and dishwashers.

A feature of the bathroom is a vanity dressing table measuring more than six feet long, with a huge glass-door medicine cabinet above. A plastic counter-top is specified for the vanity. It can be obtained in a wide variety of colors and will resist stains, burns, abrasions and other abuse.

The bathtub is set into a nook, away from the window-a location that eliminates the danger of drafts while you bathe. There is plenty of room for shelves in the bathroom so that it will have adequate storage facilities. A hamper is built into one wall. Ver- tical poles separate the vanity from the water closet for an economical touch of glamor.

The master bedroom carries out the "big-house" theme. It has two unusually large closets. Many home builders have chosen to finish the larger of the closets as a lavatory. It is also possible, by extending the depth of the closet somewhat, to make it a full bathroom with a stall shower.

While there is no garage in this plan, one may easily be added to the living room- dining room side of the house. The garage could then be reached directly from the dining area. Other options could include an economical fireplace. The present plan shows only a chimney for the furnace, but this is located directly where a fireplace could be added most conveniently. If you choose to build a rear patio, or enclose it later, the door has been placed so that you can reach it from the dining room-not through a cluttered kitchen. The basement can be reached from the center hall. If you finish it off with a game room, guests can come and go without entering any other rooms.

The exterior is an economical combination of wood shingles with a small area of brick. It is neat and trim but provides enough decorative touches to make it homey. An appealing feature are the win- dow boxes under the bedroom wing. Note large living room corner window. 

IF YOU HAVE A LARGE LOT and a low budget, and want to make your modest- cost house look a great deal more expensive, here is a lesson from Designer Hermanovski on how to do it. He has made the Brookville half again as large simply by adding a low-cost breezeway and by turning the garage around on its side. Not only is the over-all effect more attractive (the yawning emptiness of the garage can't be seen from the street when the door is up and the cars are out) but the house looks immense.

Inside and out, the Brookville is completely modern. It has the features that many alert home-buyers look for: a kitchen-laundry-den arrangement that enables a housewife to do eighty percent of her household chores without taking more than a few steps; cathedral-type ceilings and exposed floors which show off the woods used in the basic construction to their natural advantage; and electrical wiring that is more than adequate to meet all the present and future needs that may be placed upon it.

Take the kitchen layout first. According to authorities, housewives spend up to eighty percent of their time preparing food, working in their laundry, and supervising their children at play. Their dream is to have a layout that enables them to perform all those tasks from one central location-an area which has been called "the woman's workshop." According to these experts, the ideal location for the laundry is a light, ground-level spot next to the kitchen, close to the outdoors so that it is easy to reach, yet keeping the kitchen clear for food preparation and informal eating. The family room or den also should be near the kitchen, yet separated from it so that the youngsters are not in Mother's way while she prepares a meal or cleans up after it. Note how the Brookville's ingenious all-in-a-line arrangement meets these requirements. The den, kitchen and laundry are only a few steps from each other, yet are separate. As a further aid to home-making efficiency, the full dining room is but a few feet from the food preparation center.

A "cathedral ceiling" is one with a slant -the kind you usually find in churches. When using this kind of ceiling, many modern architects prefer to construct the roof of heavy rafters which are spaced wider apart than those ordinarily used. These beams are generally left exposed, stained or varnished to accentuate their natural beauty. Such slanted ceilings are fully in keeping with the Brookville's overall modernity.

Persons who have built from this plan have often followed another trend-that of displaying more of the wood floor area. We are beginning to recognize that oak floors, properly maintained, have a natural beauty all their own.

You expect the Brookville to be equipped with all the latest in electrical appliances -built-in ranges and ovens, dishwashers, washers and dryers, freezer, etc. It is. That takes a lot of electrical power-and to supply it, there must be a heavy service entrance carrying juice to the house from the utility company's lines, plus enough branch circuits inside to serve all the equipment and lights. 

THE SPLIT-LEVEL Bavarian makes efficient use of space on all of its four levels. The front entrance hall is on the same floor as the living room, dining room and kitchen. Down a short flight of stairs there is an oversized garage, a den, hobby room, laundry, and a powder room. Directly above this level there are three bedrooms and two baths. The bathrooms are back-to-back and as close to the kitchen as possible a good cost-cutting arrangement. Down four steps from the laundry area is a full basement, large enough to accommodate all your storage needs. The exterior is an attractive blend of different materials in contrasting arrangements: horizontal siding, vertical board-and-batten paneling, and brick. An oversized louver adds a decorative, functional touch.

THE CALIFORNIA INFLUENCE is exceptionally strong in this modern home design. The "Californian" appears costly, but careful planning concepts aimed at economy of construction can enable you to erect it at a lower price than most persons would believe possible.

Among its economical design ideas are its essentially simple exterior enclosure- it is built in an economical L-shape. The plumbing for the two bathrooms is back- to-back, thus piping is kept to a minimum and savings are made in the cost of both material and labor. The roof is of simple hip construction.

Hundreds of homes of this identical design have been built in a large development on Long Island, and the plan has been thoroughly tested in actual use. In its Long Island edition, its all-brick exterior has proved a highly popular feature. If you choose, however, you can use other exterior materials-shingles, siding, clapboard, board and batten, panels of plywood or hardboard, or other materials.

You enter the house through a spacious foyer which shares a distinctive floor pattern with the kitchen. The kitchen is lined almost solidly with ceiling-high cabinets and plastic work surfaces. There is room for an elbow-high oven and refrigerator, and for a dishwasher and other essential appliances. The area including the living room, dining room and breakfast room runs across the entire rear of the house, creating a luxurious illusion of expansiveness. Adding to the feeling of spaciousness is a huge window wall which brings the outdoors in. By using an extension table, you could seat a dinner party of 24 persons.

There are three bedrooms. One has accordion doors separating it from the living room and can be converted easily into a den. All bedrooms are large enough to accommodate pleasing furniture arrangements and decors, such as mirror walls or fabric-covered panels to match bedspreads and draperies. All bedrooms have ceiling- high closets with sliding doors. In the master bedroom there is a nook for a large vanity table.

The two bathrooms have large windows which create an airy, cheerful effect. The bathroom for the occupants of the master bedroom has a commodious stall shower enclosed with frosted glass. The second bathroom, which also serves as powder room, has a double basin arrangement and built-in vanity. It has two double-sized medicine and cosmetic cabinets with sliding plate-glass mirrored doors and in addition a towel rack and a large laundry set.

An unusual idea is the large triple window in the garage. This area is well-lighted and easily accessible to the kitchen. It can be used as a playroom when the husband is away for the day with the car.

An unobstructed basement houses the furnace and hot water boiler. The basement can be reached directly from the center hall and is well located to serve as a recreation room. Other specifications include blanket insulation in walls and ceiling, metal leaders and gutters, and complete weather-stripping.

When this house was introduced to the public, one real estate editor described it as a "subdued modern." He meant that its lines are distinctly up to date and that it can fit into new home colonies anywhere. 

YOU WOULD NORMALLY expect the occupant of a dashing, modern house to be a go-getter by nature. On the other hand, you would expect the owner of the Ridgefield to be one who has learned to relax and to enjoy life at an easier pace.

Here is a home where you can do a heap of leisurely living. Vital features include: Large living room with a dining room off- set, occupying a total area of more than 250 square feet and with picture windows facing both the front and rear. . . A large corridor-type kitchen with a space for a breakfast nook overlooking the rear garden... Powder room near the front entrance . . . Three bedrooms. . . Family bathroom off the center hall... Attached garage that helps extend the roof line and makes the Ridgefield look larger than its actual cost would suggest . . . A full basement for family fun.

Here, indeed, is a well-designed house. 

THE DANBURY can be built at a moderate cost and is well-suited to the medium-sized family which seeks a good economical design, separating living areas, and a minimum of maintenance problems. The home as shown above features an exterior of brick, shingle and horizontal board.

The front door admits you to a corner of the living room equipped with a large guest closet. Joining the living room, the dining room makes an L-shaped area that extends from the front to rear. The kitchen can be reached from the living room, dining room, and outside. Up a few steps from this level are three bedrooms and two baths. Included in the well-planned bathroom off the master bedroom is a stall shower with a frosted glass enclosure. Under the bedroom floor is the garage level. Here there is also space for a recreation room.

The Hancock will go comfortably on any lot forty feet wide. There are three bedrooms, a large living-dining room, a kitchen with a separate dinette large enough for eight, and one bathroom with a recessed tub. Cabinets have been placed on three walls of the kitchen to make it exceptionally rich in storage space. A serving counter separates the kitchen from the dinette.

Exterior design features include a gable roof, asphalt shingles, and face brick accented by a plywood gable in front. The brick exterior will keep maintenance problems to a minimum. The lines of the house are low, so all painting of exterior trim can be done safely from a low ladder. 

ASK ANY HOUSEWIFE what features she wants in her dream house, and regardless of her budget, chances are that she will demand an abundance of storage space. You get that in the Vancouver. There are two closets in each of the larger bedrooms, and another oversized closet in the third bedroom or den. These wardrobe closets have built-in trays designed to make maximum use of space. There's also a linen cabinet, walk-in vestibule closet, and coat and household supply closets by the rear entrance. That means that young- sters can deposit all their muddy clothing when they come in through the rear. The plan also specifies a two-car garage and full basement for additional storage.

The exterior is finished with asbestos siding, asphalt shingle roof and vertical redwood siding around front entrance.