Here is a fabulous California houses: the home of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney F. Brody in Holmby Hills. In it are the kind of conveniences many of us might not expect short of the 21st Century: curtains drawn by touching a button; an indoor plant bed that sprinkles itself; lights that dim and brighten like the house lights in a theater to create soft illumination for conversation, bright lights for parties; music wafted indoors and out. In the Brody house, these comforts are as easy to come by as flicking a switch. This 'pushbutton paradise' was made to order to suit the Brody family and the way they like to live. Their house is big, high-ceilinged, and large in scale, planned for effortless, California living. It is built around an atrium, ringed with terraces for following the sun, and planted with tropical foliage. From it one has a sweeping view of the mountains and the ocean, and, at night, a broad panorama of Los Angeles. 

In a special children's wing, Chris, age 8, and Susan, 5, and all their friends, can have the time of their lives. For Mr. and Mrs. Brody themselves, there is a second-story penthouse, which gives them complete privacy from the rest of the house. All in all, it is a very personal house. Its walls are lined with beautiful paintings which the Brodys have collected over the years; its furniture was designed to complement the contours of the rooms. The exterior of the Brodys' house is unassuming. Inside it substitutes decisive, straight-forward lines and easy-upkeep materials for ornate décor. Like the really livable house that it is, it fits today's philosophy of fulfilling its owners' requirements rather than impressing the neighbors.

As you enter the Brodys' house you seem to be both indoors and outdoors. You see a wide staircase that appears to hang in air; enormous glass walls that overlook an inner courtyard, and big, exotic plants. The Brodys call this courtyard their 'room with the sky for its ceiling'. Actually, it is an atrium, a centuries-old idea borrowed from the Romans. But in the Brodys' house, the atrium has every possible modern comfort. It is as private as an indoor room and as pleasant as outdoors, exactly right for the type of casual California living and entertaining which the Brodys enjoy. A waterfall, with a backdrop of glittering stones, dramatically cascades down one wall, cooling it on hot days.

On cool days and evenings, an open fireplace and hot water pipes under the black and white terrazzo floor take off the chill. The surrounding walls protect it from the wind on all four sides, making it livable year-round. As a shelter from rain or hot sun, the Brodys can draw a black-and-white striped canvas sky-shade overhead. Furniture and accessories are as comfortable and colorful as those used indoors, but in the atrium everything, even the clock and table lamps, is weatherproof. If the Brodys want to listen to music, they can have it automatically relayed from the music room inside the house. The atrium is really the hub of the Brodys' house, with all main rooms wrapped around it. By sliding back the two glass walls, it can expand the space of the living room and gallery. Since it is a particularly glamorous place to be on a star-studded night, this is a favorite spot of the Brody family and their guests.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | January 1953

Today's kitchen is no longer the forgotten room of the house, unseen except by cooks. In these informal, and servantless times, it is the housewife's living room, the hub of the house for the entire family, the room everybody seems to gravitate to- ward during a party. As an important part of the house, it deserves the attention you give to any other room, and a color scheme that is related to the rest of the house. An attractive kitchen needn't sacrifice efficiency. In fact, in HOUSE & GARDEN's House of Ideas, the kitchen is more efficient than ever before because it must do double duty. Only 12 by 17 feet in size, it is actually a laundry-kitchen. But it is exciting to enter and fun to linger in, as well as a pleasure to work in. 

Its mainspring is the central peninsula formed by backing the sink and dishwasher against the clothes washer and ironer. (This plan locates all plumbing in one spot, a construction cost-saver.) A peninsula plan, which can be used in any kitchen, not only gives you extra wall space, it also makes each center more compact and is thus a step-saver. Notice the order in which equipment is placed. The dishwasher is next to the sink so that rinsed plates can be put right in without taking an extra step (garbage disposer is in the sink). Traffic proceeds from sink to work counter to burner (or oven) to assembly point for serving without an extra step or back-tracking. Built-ins are another important feature of this kitchen. They save space, eliminate dusting, and give the room an uncluttered look. Not only are the completely equipped storage cabinets built in, but also the refrigerator, cooking units, dishwasher, ironer (which folds under a counter), and the breakfast bar. All the cabinets have natural birch doors: insides are steel, enameled in terra cotta color. Terra cotta is repeated in laundry equipment and wall colors. Formica counter tops, all in a dove-gray linen pattern, are a delight to look at as well as to use. The linoleum floor is in muted tones of gray, white, terra cotta. White split bamboo curtains can be drawn across the wide window. A study of the pictures on these pages will prove that this kitchen not only does an efficient job in small space, but is inviting to the family and a room to show proudly to visitors.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | January 1953

It is against the spirit of America, home of the front porch, to snub one's neighbors architecturally, so the House of Ideas ingeniously avoids this solecism. At the same time, it proves that the blessings of modern home planning are not irrevocably wedded to flat roofs and clinical angularity. The occupants of this house can enjoy the flexibility of an open plan, take maximum advantage of the sun and the out-of-doors; yet the pitched roof, clapboard walls, and warm brick foundation, which were inspired by Illinois farmhouses, mingle diplomatically with the homes of more traditional-minded neighbors. So does the planting, designed to effectively screen out the surrounding lots. Yet because of its variety in height, it is not forbidding to the outside world. Only woody plants that require minimum care have been used-trees, flowering shrubs, and ground coverings-but they have been chosen with respect to texture, color, and seasonal behavior, so that the landscaping will be interesting all year. The front lawn of Merion bluegrass, easy to maintain, relatively weed-resistant, is the talk of the neighborhood. 

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source: House and Garden Magazine | January 1953

For many Americans, no grassy knoll, wood, or stand of pine can ever replace the fascination of a lapping brook or pounding sea. When Mr. and Mrs. Henry S. Chafee decided to live year-round on Narragansett Bay, a beautiful, broad arm of the Atlantic which reaches deep into Rhode Island, they asked architect George W. W. Brewster of Boston to plan for them a livable modern house on the terraced site which their Victorian summer house once occupied at the water's edge. Taking full advantage of the old foundation and rich planting, Mr. Brewster designed an attractive and comfortable house by the water. By using radiant heat in the floors, he was able to spread the house out in one story and open it to the outdoors with glass walls, even in a cold New England climate. The new Chafee house retains the dignity of its predecessor, is thoroughly modern in concept. Only one room deep, it spreads in a long. central unit flanked by two adjoining wings, one of which extends down the sloping grade to two-story depth and embraces the terrace wall. Through a glass window wall with five double French door- ways, the house, which faces south, opens its main living area to the flagstone terrace, lovely old lawns and gardens which the builder was able to keep intact, and to the bay. 

Its solid clapboard front, turning toward the roadway, is broken only at the very end by a chaste and beautiful double doorway, side-paneled with glass. The center unit is one large room divided into entrance hall, living room, and dining area by two fireplace walls. Most of its handsome floor is in black, white, and gray marble squares, exquisite to look at and easy to maintain. One wing houses the master bedroom and a sewing room, and a double guest room which can be closed off from the house to reduce work, or provide independent quarters for guests. In the sewing room there is space for a grandchild to nap. Storage closets are fitted with built-in bureaus and sliding doors. In the opposite wing is a U-shaped, compact, and step-saving kitchen, which blends stainless-steel sinks, white enamel appliances with teakwood counters and backsplash. A spacious pass-through opens to a land- ing and stairs which lead out to the garden or down to the laundry, a floor below on the slope of the hill. In the laundry room there is an electric washing machine and a gas clothes dryer concealed behind accordion folding doors. Among the clever but simple ideas that make this an unusually easy house to live in is a closet at the service entrance that opens from the outside so food deliveries can be made while the owner is away. 

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source: House and Garden Magazine | October 1952

You can have all the fun of living out-of-doors if you plan your house so that small, separate terraces can be reached easily from every room. In this way, you can take advantage of different views all around your house. To give your terraces as much variety as the inside of your house, consider each one as another room. Since this house was built in a mild climate, the owners wanted to be able to walk outdoors from almost every room to relax, garden, sun-bathe, or dine. A dining bay plus a porch near the kitchen replaces a dining room. Guests can move freely from the living room to the sunny brick patio. When the children have parties, the parents can withdraw to still another secluded terrace adjoining the master bedroom. All of the indoor rooms shoulder their share of entertaining, too. A pair of sofa-beds convert the library into a bedroom for overnight guests. The daughter's bathroom doubles as a powder room. Between the living room and the library is a bar and a turnabout television set which can be used in either room. On cool days, meals can be served in the dining bay overlooking a pool or on a large cocktail table in front of the fireplace. In contrast to the natural greens of the outdoor rooms. tawny browns and beiges are mixed with white inside the house.

A house with many terraces enjoys good views in several directions. Above. you see the dining porch on the right end of the house, the open patio outside the living room, the trellis-covered terrace joined to the master bedroom by sliding doors. On the other side of the house, louvered shutters control sun and ventilation in bedroom and dining alcove. Inside, every inch of space is used adroitly. You can entertain in either the library or the living room because the wall between them has a bar opening on both sides and TV on a swivel base. Master bathroom is divided so that two people can dress at the same time. Storage is provided at every turn, in hall, dressing rooms, bedrooms, library, kitchen.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | August 1952

Part of being a good neighbor is building a house that harmonizes with houses nearby. This often presents a problem when you move into a community that is steeped in tradition. Can you have a modern, one-floor house that doesn't look conspicuous? You can if you modify it. First, adapt your plan to the natural landscape, leaving as many of the trees intact as possible. If you have a good view at the back of your lot, plan to have your porch and living room on the rear where you can enjoy greater privacy. You can use simple windows that project like awnings. They provide good light and, what is more, can be left open during rain. In this house, a wall of windows gives the living room a picture of the woodsy countryside on the west and also lets in the breeze. Wide overhanging eaves, together with the existing tree shade, control the warm afternoon sun. This house reaps the benefits of a flexible modern plan, but looks like a native New Englander.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | August 1952