A PLEASANT trend in modern home planning is the inclusion of a family living room even in homes of modest size. This casual, comfortable spot — usually a combination living room, dining room, library, den and television room — is the hub of the family’s daily activities. And it’s a boon to party-givers with children, for here the youngsters can play or do their homework, while the adults in the living room proper enjoy music, conversation or a game of cards.

The family room in the house shown here overlooks the garden. To make the most of the view, the entire back wall is of glass. A sliding glass door opens onto a covered porch that is wonderful for outdoor living and dining in the summertime and affords a protected place for the children to play in winter. Both the family room and the living room have a handsome fireplace flanked by bookshelves.

The step-saving U-shaped kitchen is at the front of the house. It has a large closet or pantry, space for a central heating unit, and a dining area at one end. Adjoining the kitchen there is a lavatory and a place for laundry equipment.

The bedroom wing, separated from the living area by closets, is quiet and private. Each bedroom is light and well ventilated. The bathroom has a linen closet and a built-in lavatory-dressing table.

To help in driveway and site planning, there are three possible locations for the garage doors.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

THE simple, dignified lines of this ranch-type house give it an air of refinement not usually associated with this basically informal style of architecture. The brick walls are ornamented only with the stone trim around the doorway and the built-in brick planting box.

The front door is sheltered and opens into a small entry which diverts traffic to the various parts of the house. The spacious living-dining room is at the rear of the house and has two window walls overlooking the garden. In addition to the dining area, there is a handy breakfast room.

The large L-shaped kitchen — which is conveniently located midway between the front and back doors — opens into a good-sized utility room, which in turn opens into the double garage and onto the back porch.

Note the spaciousness of the bedrooms. One of these rooms has two exposures, the other three. Both have plenty of wall space for good furniture arrangement.

Storage space is ample. Notice the twin sliding-door closets in the bedrooms, the linen closet in the bathroom, the large closet in the hall for miscellaneous storage, the coat closet near the entry, and the tool closet in the garage.

The house is centrally heated, but there is also a handsome fireplace in the living room.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

EFFICIENT allocation of space and excellent relationship of service, general living and sleeping areas are matters worthy of note in this streamlined house. This plan may be built with or without a basement; the stairway is placed so any future addition in the basement involves a minimum of disturbance to the basic structure.

The use of a glass panel opposite the front door separates the family bedrooms from view of the living and dining rooms. The living room has many interesting features such as the large picture window, good cross ventilation, a large built-in bookcase and a combination fireplace and cabinet with a wood storage bin. The dining room is well lighted by the large windows on two walls.

The economically designed car port is partly open to give additional light and ventilation to the interior and follows the modern trend of using one space for several activities. This makes an excellent place for car storage, children’s playroom, or sitting porch, and offers a direct entrance to either the service or front door. This feature is cleverly connected to the porch roof, and with the other two features—the chimney and the picture window—adds considerably to the attractive exterior design.

The kitchen is well arranged for preparation and service of meals either in the dining room or breakfast room. The hall has plenty of storage space for clothes or linens. The front bedroom may be used for guests, or to meet family needs. The other two bedrooms with their large closets are more private and, in addition, are connected to a screened porch leading to the outside play areas.

Special attention has been placed on the use of modern materials and methods of construction allowing for the use of plastics and prefabricated units.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

THIS highly efficient plan is distinguished by its unusual window treatment and its well-defined living, working and sleeping areas. Designed in the economical rectangular shape, the house fits easily on a 60-foot lot. It is planned for a north front, but reversing the plan makes it equally suitable for a west front.

The huge chimney is an important element of the exterior design of the house—and it’s doubly attractive when you consider that it serves three fireplaces and the central heating unit with the expense of only one chimney. Another practical feature of the plan is the sliding wall in the den.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

CHANCES are, if television isn’t already a part of your plan for family entertainment, it will be sooner or later. Too often, though, when television comes into the home, it becomes a problem as well as a pleasure because there is no room in which the set can be placed without playing havoc with the furniture arrangement or interfering with other family activities. In this plan, however, television has been given careful consideration; the family can enjoy it to the utmost and still carry on their usual activities.

But a television room is only one of the many good features of this plan. The living-dining area is unusually spacious (over 45 feet long) and has an expanse of windows overlooking the garden. The convenient U-shaped kitchen has a cheerful spot for a breakfast table. There are two large bedrooms and the den, with its sliding door, can serve as a guest room.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

Gemini AI Rendering

Scale model of the house indicates its adaptability to any site, any orientation. Irregularities of terrain can be ignored because concrete piers of different heights raise house clear of ground. This technique eliminates much bulldozing, and so helps to preserve trees and other distinctive features of the site. As a result of the options offered by the system of open or closed bays, the rooms can easily be located to take advantage of the best views; terraces can be placed to enjoy the most desirable exposures, and other outdoor areas can be made an integrated part of the over-all design and landscaping of house.

ARCHITECT: Robert Damora 
DEVELOPERS: Emil Hanslin Associates
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Suzanne Sisson
DECORATOR: Melanie Kahane
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Sepp Firnkas
LOCATION: Mashpee, Mass.
SIZE: 1,480 square feet of enclosed space 1,184 square feet of terrace

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source: House and Garden Magazine | February 1963