VALUE in a home is not determined by its price alone. Many factors must be considered. A large house may have poor value because it is overpriced in relation to what it offers, while a small house, on the other hand, may be very modestly priced in relation to what it gives its owner and therefore have considerably more value. The Elmhurst is neither a small house nor an inexpensive one, but value is one of its major features.

This rambling, L-shaped Ranch home demands a lot of sufficient size for wide lawns and broad landscaping to do full justice to its long low lines. At least a 100 x 100 foot plot is recommended, though the more land you can give The Elmhurst the better. It would look particularly well on a corner lot, if such is available.

The exterior finish is attractive white brick except for a white clapboard section in the front and the stone of the handsome chimney wall. A low slanting hip roof adds distinction. In the rear, at basement level, is the large, two-car garage, which is located under the kitchen L of the house. A sheltered front porch and a roomy rear patio are additional exterior features.

The front entrance, under the porch, enters on a long, L-shaped central hall of the house, which gives convenient access to all sections of The Elmhurst. The entrance is framed by two large windows which overlook the patio from the foyer part of the hall. A guest coat closet is directly forward of the front door.

Turning right, one approaches the truly lovely living room. Two sweeping bay windows, forming a twin effect along the 34-foot wall, highlight this area. In the narrower front wall the fieldstone fireplace is a distinguishing feature.

In the rear section of this area, centered near the rear bay window, is the dining section. A door nearby appropriately leads directly to the kitchen. The modern kitchen, in the back L of the house, is large enough to contain a complete dinette section of its own, attractively arranged around a large French window overlooking the rear patio. All the latest kitchen equipment is neatly arranged in a U-shape around another window in the side of the house. The kitchen may also be approached through a door from the central hall as well as from the dining area. A third door leads back to the laundry room and maid's quarters.

Proceeding back down the central hall past the living room, we pass a lavatory convenient to the living room and a roomy coat closet. The hall turns into the left wing of The Elmhurst containing a large den, three bedrooms and two more baths. All bedrooms have cross ventilation and double exposure. The master bedroom in the rear has three windows, as well as a large walk-in dressing room. The den has a door opening onto the rear patio and may be converted into an extra guest bedroom if necessary.

 

THIS beautiful two bedroom home, The Berney, illustrates several points in favor of combining the architectural flavor of the past with the necessities and designs of the present-without sacrificing too much of either. Fundamentally, this is a one-story house with an expansion attic, a type that is frankly economical. It costs less to build than the full two-story, yet if the pitch of the roof is steep enough it affords generous space above the first floor for two bedrooms and bathroom.

It's a simple matter to build a house that will fit your present family. But how will that house fit a family the size yours may be in ten or fifteen years? With a house like The Berney you need not worry about the future. For it is a house that can grow, shrink, or remain the same size, accord- ding to your demands upon it.

The secret is flexible space both above and below the first floor.

First, with its living-dining room, kitchen complete with space for a breakfast set, and two bed- rooms, The Berney is planned expressly for a family of two or three.

Both first-floor bedrooms are large-11 x 12, and 14 x 12 feet - and each has a big closet. The master bedroom has a built-in wall chest. Also, just off the small hall, there is a linen closet and bath containing storage space for linens and medicines.

This first-floor area (1,068 square feet) gives a small family comfort and convenience. But what happens when the family increases? Begin by finishing off the attic space. The upstairs bedrooms included in the plans of The Berney are large and bright, unlike those of many small story and a half homes. One room has space for twin beds, the other will take a double bed easily. Thus, by finishing the upstairs area your family can expand to five or six; and no one will be crowded.

As your children grow and need more play space, you can finish off part of the basement as a recreation room. Only a little basement space is needed for the laundry and your heating plant.

Stairs to the basement lead off the central hall. That means children can go to the basement for an evening of fun without disturbing anyone in the living room or bedroom.

When your children marry, you will still have room for them when they return with their families for visits. But between visits you can live entirely on one floor, leaving a minimum of stairs to climb.

There are other features of The Berney you will enjoy. You may consider a picture window and a fireplace as first requirements for your future living room. This house has both features, plus large windows in the dining area for light and cross ventilation to the living room. The only division between the two is a bookcase.

The dining room is well placed in relation to the kitchen to reduce to a minimum the work of serving formal meals. In the kitchen itself nothing has been neglected or overlooked for the comfort and convenience possible with today's equipment.

The exterior of The Berney is also simple to maintain. Since bricks and dark stained shingles are used, only the white trim will need painting.

Every inch of available space is employed to full advantage in this expansible modern home. Note the clever arrange- ment of all areas in the floor plan. Basement and attic stairs are built above each other to conserve space. The recessed area for the bathroom tub is further extended to form a closet in the adjoining bedroom. The fireplace and chimney construction recedes into the garage so that valuable interior space is not wasted. Here indeed is a practical design for comfortable living.

 ASIDE from its trim beauty, The Montana has qualities that will improve with acquaintance. Planned for the average American family, it provides maximum comfort and privacy at surprisingly moderate cost.

The compact and economical floor plan of this five-room house suggests, among other things, the present day tendency for formal dining to give way to buffet suppers. It is not that people no longer enjoy well-planned meals. But because buffet suppers are more common than large formal affairs, the dining room here has been scaled down. Such planning serves to symbolize the whole house-it is scaled down to really pleasant living, being big enough for comfort, small enough for charm.

Another example of this scheme is illustrated by the passing of the big oiled porch of yesteryear. Such porches provided much enjoyment, but they were a definite waste of space if not a sacrifice of appearance. However, in The Montana the porch has been designed for sitting and so scaled down to practical use. (The porch, as shown, is roofed in. It has a flagstone terrace and may also be screened in.)

Another design feature of this home is the built-in garage under the main roof which is accessible directly from the kitchen through the porch. This feature is especially appreciated during rainy weather.

The exterior of The Montana is carefully designed and planned to harmonize with the size of house. The outside walls can be of brick, stone, clapboard, shingles or a combina- tion of any two of these.

Entrance into the house is made by way of a small concrete terrace into a vestibule. The vestibule is equipped with guest closet and the stairway to the 45-foot unfinished attic. The main feature of the living room is a large floor to ceiling picture window which adds natural beauty to the room.

The large dining room is reached through a large archway from the living room, thus making the living room look more spacious. The almost square, knotty pine paneled dinette receives plenty of sunlight from the large picture window in the back.

Only a step from the dinette, the kitchen makes serving quick and easy. The kitchen is step-saving, of course. It is also bright and cheery with its white cabinets, red linoleum counter-top and floor, its window centered between two hanging wall cabinets, its work table between the range and refrigerator, and its Dutch door.

The bathroom is large, and completely equipped. Due to its central location, it is easily reached from all rooms.

The master bedroom is large and has an eight-foot closet with a built-in wardrobe dresser. The junior bedroom has a corner window combination and one commodious closet. Two more bedrooms and bath can be made in the large 45-foot attic.

Any one of a number of popular methods of heating may be used in The Montana. Of the many varied types of heating plants available on the market today, you will have to select the one for your new home that will be the least expensive for you to operate, from the standpoint of fuel, and one that requires the least maintenance. The heating plant in the house shown is the familiar oil-fired, hot-water system.

No convenience that might add to the pleasure of living has been left out of The Montana. Here is a modern home of distinguished character and old-fashioned charm. 

 

BUILD your home carefully to fit its site and you'll get a handsome reward in housing comfort and convenience for years to come. But no matter what the size of your lot, the five-room Ranch-style Wichita will fit as naturally on the land as if it were especially custom designed for that particular piece of earth.

For, whether the lot is 40 x 100 feet or 100 x 100, you may place The Wichita in practically any position on the plot. Thanks to its lowness, clean-cut horizontal lines and rectangular shape, it will still look as if it belongs right where you put it.

Besides The Wichita's suit- ability to virtually any site, other strong points in its favor are three bedrooms with large closets and ample window space, combination back porch and carport, a poured- concrete foundation and a full basement with lots of extra space for storage and play facilities.

From the protected porch set in the front right corner of The Wichita's plan, you step directly into a living room cheerfully lighted by two picture windows. These decorative casement windows not only give an attractive view of the yard but also supply plenty of cross-ventilation, since they are built into opposing sidewalls. The squarish shape of the room and the broad sections of unbroken wall allow you to use your imagination freely in working out a novel plan for your furniture.

An archway in the back wall joins the living room with the dinette. A pleasing feature of the dinette is the picture window that gives you a full view of the side yard (or the front yard, depending on what plot arrangement you are using).

This dining section forms a unit with a modern, efficiently designed kitchen. The working area is confined to the wall directly beneath the window. The range and refrigerator are located on the opposite wall. A convenient door at the far end of the kitchen from the dining area leads to the basement stairway or out to the large porch or carport. The location. of the cellar stairs gives you direct access without having to go through any rooms of the house.

The combination carport and porch will save you the expense of building a garage and provide an outdoor play spot for your children on rainy days.

Another archway in the wall separating the living room from the small bedroom leads into the central hall. This passage-way has a service closet for the home- maker's vacuum cleaner and brooms and a large linen closet with double doors.

The bedrooms, because of their almost square shape, permit the best possible use of floor space. All the bedrooms have roomy closets and sufficient window area for good light and ventilation.

You can use any type of popular heating system in this house. Like many houses of this type, you can build The Wichita on a concrete slab. By thus eliminating the cellar, you can cut the building costs by $1,000 to $1,200. A radiant heating system in this case would be placed in the area set aside for basement stairs.

Because of its simple roof line and easy construction details, the amateur home-builder may put up this house himself without any trouble.

 

FOR a big family, pent up in an apartment or small home in the city, The Plainview must look like a bit of heaven. A six-room Ranch house, it not only has three large bedrooms on the first floor but has space for two more and a second bath in the expansion attic. Both children and parents will appreciate the luxury of having private, spacious rooms all their own, designed in the western style for easy, in- formal living.

The simple L-shaped plan of The Plain- view provides airy space rarely found in a house only 1,146 square feet in area. The living room, for example, measures 17 x 13 feet, but the L-shaped dining room and the open stairway to the attic make it seem much larger.

With the smallest of the three bedrooms 10 x 11 feet, the expansion attic easily convertible into two extra bedrooms and a bath, and the full basement available for playrooms and hobby activities, you can see that The Plainview will give the large family a maximum amount of living area on a very small lot.

You walk into this comfortable dwelling from a brick-and-concrete landing in the corner of the L formed by the living room and the front bedroom.

The living qualities of The Plainview are immediately obvious as you step into the vestibule. For here you find a closet for coats and umbrellas. a handsome stairway with an unusual wrought-iron railing, leading up to the expansion attic, and the opening to the 16-foot central hall. This hallway gives direct access to all of the rooms

A brick-faced, log-burning fireplace set in the wall next to the garage, and a large picture window at the front, makes the living room the warm, friendly "heart" of the home. Large areas of wall space give you plenty of latitude for working out the most pleasing furniture arrangement.

A wide arch provides a fine vista through the house and lends an air of real spacious- ness to this six-room home. A Dutch door opens on the rear patio and, with the big front window, gives plenty of light. A paneled swinging door connects the dining room with the kitchen.

The Plainview's kitchen is the last word in homemaking design. Every single part of this kitchen and the equipment in it has been designed to give the housewife the greatest convenience and efficiency in her working center. The refrigerator, stove, cabinets, cupboards and sink are laid out to make a U pattern.

In old-fashioned kitchens, a housewife has to walk nearly a mile and three-quarters just to prepare a single meal. But in this U-shaped kitchen with the working areas scientifically located for maximum convenience, the distance traveled while preparing a meal is less than half a mile. With this compactly organized plan, there's still space in the kitchen for a dinette set. Just off the central hall is the bathroom, which features a glass-enclosed tub shower and a built-in vanity. The flooring and walls are of colored ceramic tile that matches the fixtures.

Since the only basement partition is the wall between stairs and the heating unit, there's more than enough room for you to add a hobby center and a recreation room and still have extra space for storage. The heating system is oil-fired, hot-water with concealed radiation.

The attached garage can accommodate a workbench for the home mechanic or a tool room for the gardener.

 

FOR city dwellers who long for an ideal home in the country but still want all the convenience of swank urban life, the gracious six-room Fleetwood can make their fondest hopes come true. This brick- and-fieldstone Colonial Ranch house combines the quaintness of Williamsburg Colonial with the modern charm of a rambling Ranch home. The red brick, gray fieldstone, and Colonial white trim and shutters give this long, charming home appealing color and graceful lines.

Among the highlights of this house are a wide breezeway that makes the house look larger than it really is but adds real delight in protected "outdoor" living; a powder room off the front hallway, a luxurious, glass stall shower-usually found only in much more expensive homes-and an attractively planned sleeping area with three comfortable, well-ventilated bedrooms.

After strolling down a winding walk, you step into a large hallway. The guest powder room is located off to the left as you enter the hallway. Opposite the powder room is the door to a large coat closet.

Through an archway at the right of the front hall, you step into a big living room and are immediately struck with the natural beauty of the fieldstone fireplace centered in the opposite wall. A panoramic window gives an attractive outlook on the front landscape and admits lots of daylight.

A broad archway in the rear interior wall opens into a separate dining room, lighted by a large picture window.

A door in the sidewall gives access to the enclosed breezeway. The floor- ing for this outdoor living room is made up of vari-colored flagstones. Besides adding both comfort and distinction to your home, this breezeway gives your family a screened out-of- doors area where they can read, lunch, relax or play without upsetting the living room or scuffing up the lawn.

In the outer sidewall another door opens into the attached garage, which is big enough to include space for a workbench and for garden tools.

Passing back through the dining room, you enter the kitchen. The Fleetwood's kitchen has been planned with an eye to beauty as well as to modern efficiency. All equipment has been installed in an L-shape set against the rear wall and the sidewall separating the kitchen from dining room.

You can reach the sleeping area through the double archway leading out into the central hallway. In the front extension is a big master bedroom with a picture window in the front wall and a smaller window in the sidewall. Husband and wife can each have a separate closet in this room.

The junior bedroom in the rear corner of the house also is designed for comfort with a roomy, built-in closet and double exposure. The smallest bedroom has a double window and a good-sized closet in the opposite wall. A fifth closet, for linen, is conveniently placed in the hallway.

The handsomely designed bathroom includes a tiled stall shower with a frosted glass door bound in shining chromium. The bathroom also includes a closet for bathing supplies, a full tub and all the other modern accessories.

The heating plant in the basement is an oil-burning, hot-water system. Since the cellar includes the entire poured - concrete foundation, there is plenty of space for setting up a rumpus room, a big workshop or dark room.