THIS climate-wise plan is a natural for the South. The generous window areas are arranged to provide cross-ventilation throughout the house, and the wide eaves overhanging the picture window protect the living room from the high-riding summer sun, helping to keep the house comfortable in even the warmest Gulf Coast areas. Yet the design is one that would be equally at home in the cooler sections of the Upper South.

The exterior is smart and simple. The long line of the front is relieved by the slight projection of the living room, and the shutters add a contrast of texture and color to the brick walls. The single column supporting the roof of the front porch matches the columns of the car port.

The house has the flexible rectangular floor plan. One of its outstanding features is a 31-foot living-dining room. The rest of the house is proportionately spacious. The bedrooms are 12 by 14 feet, the study is 13 by 14 feet, and the large kitchen includes a roomy breakfast area and space for laundry equipment in addition to a convenient sized working area. And there are two full baths, each with a built-in dressing table. The study will be the family’s favorite room. With its picture window overlooking the garden, it makes a delightful retreat. And it will serve equally well as a library, television room, family living room or guest room. Besides the closets in the bedrooms, there are two hall closets, a pantry in the service hall, and an oversized closet for tools in the car port.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

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In this little house you will find many of the most appealing features of the ever-popular ranch-style architecture, minus the spreading floor plan that sometimes presents a problem to the city-dweller because of the wide front footage it requires. The compactness of this plan makes it ideal for the average city lot, and the simple lines of the exterior make it suitable for almost any neighborhood.

While the width of the house isn't an important consideration if you are building in the country, you do have to give special attention to the suitability of the plan for its site. The warm earth tones of the stained wood siding and the native stone of the plant box tie this house in beautifully with a rustic setting.

The floor plan is a model of convenience and livability. Both bedrooms are good sized and have large closets with sliding doors. The front bedroom has two exposures and the back bedroom has three, affording ample light and ventilation. The bathroom has the popular built-in counter-top lavatory and a tub that can be enclosed for a shower.

The living room is unusually large for a house of this size, and the ireplace also serves as a partial partition between living and dining areas.

The efficiently arranged kitchen has space for a laundry. There is a handy work surface on each side of the stove, a serving counter by the dining area and a window above the sink overlooking the garden.

The exterior of the house has a warm and friendly air. The wood siding — which can be stained or painted — is accented by contrasting shutters and an unusually large L-shaped planting box constructed of stone. The car port has a storage closet for garden tools.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

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OUTSIDE, this friendly house reflects the charm of yesterday, but step inside and there is the convenience and the openness of living areas that characterize the home of today.

A fireplace forms the only separation between the living and dining areas, and only a serving table (which can also be pressed into service as a breakfast bar) marks the spot where the dining area ends and the kitchen begins. Because of its convenience in entertaining, this open type of kitchen is sometimes referred to as a "party" kitchen, but it is equally practical for everyday family use. A home-laundry set-up is tucked in a corner, and there are handy work surfaces by both the range and the refrigerator and counter space on each side of the double sink.

There are three large bedrooms, but if yours is a two-bedroom family, the front bedroom with the interesting window treatment would make a delightful library or den. All bedrooms have enough wall space for good furniture arrangement.

The house has a bath-and-a-half, a practical and economical plan for the three-bedroom home. The tub in the bathroom is so situated that it can be enclosed for a shower.

The outstanding feature of the exterior is the wide, curving driveway, which eliminates backing the car out to the street. It is also a boon to guests, especially during cold or rainy weather, since they can step directly from the car to the protected entry; for family traffic, there is a door from the double garage to one of the bedrooms.

The lines of the house are simple and dignified, and the skillful combination of wood paneling, wood shingles and brick veneer adds textural interest to the exterior.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

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THIS two-bedroom house cuts building costs without sacrificing those little extras that make for good living — quite an achievement in these inflationary times. First of all, it is of economical frame construction. And it is practically square — the least expensive shape to build — yet the low-pitched roof and the car port give it the long, ground-hugging lines that are so popular. A distinctive front door, wood shingled walls and the columns of the porch lend interest to the simple and straightforward exterior. 

From the protected entrance, the front door opens into the 26-foot-long living-dining area. And here is one of those extras just mentioned — plenty of wall space for large pieces of furniture. Another of the plus features of this well-integrated plan is the generous amount of storage space. Both bedrooms have twin closets with sliding doors. There is a pair of roomy closets in the hall (as well as a closet for the heating unit), a linen closet in the bathroom and a coat closet by the front door.

The convenient L-shaped kitchen provides additional eating space and it has one especially handy feature that will appeal to any cook — a large working surface on each side of the range. A utility room, with space for a complete home laundry, adjoins the kitchen. Cross-ventilation throughout the house keeps it pleasantly cool in summer, while a central heating unit takes care of winter chill.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

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HERE is a house that the fun-loving family will take to its heart. The wide-open spaces of the king-sized front room—a combination living-dining room and den — are the answer to a party-giver's prayer. Except for the coat closet, there is not even a suggestion of a partition to get in the way when you are entertaining a crowd. You will especially appreciate this feature if you are active in the affairs of a church or club to which you frequently open your home.

Closets in the hall take care of bedding and out-of-season clothing, while there is storage space in the bathroom for linen and laundry. In addition to the usual fixtures, the bathroom has a convenient built-in lavatory and dressing table with a large mirror above. The kitchen has a step-saving arrangement of the work space and a breakfast area at one end.

A handy utility room is connected with the kitchen by a breezeway, which provides a covered passage to the car port.

Besides providing ample space for entertaining and everyday living, this plan offers almost unlimited possibilities for originality in interior decoration.

The hall adjacent to the living area insures privacy in the bedrooms and provides access to the bathroom, kitchen and breakfast room. The bedrooms have plenty of closet space, and their doors and windows are arranged to allow cross ventilation.

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source: The Progressive Farmer – Distinctive Southern Homes | 1950

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THERE are many conveniences in this attractive house. It is compact without being crowded, and the rooms are arranged with consideration for today’s casual scheme of living. There is a large living-dining room that lends itself to entertaining either a small group or a sizable crowd. The kitchen is at the front of the house, handily midway between the front door and the entry from the garage. There is a good-sized utility room with space for laundry equipment and a large storage closet. Both the service entrance and the garage open into this room.

The two bedrooms have double closets with sliding doors; there is a coat closet, a hall closet for miscellaneous storage, two linen closets in the bathroom and, in the garage, an unusually large closet for tools and garden equipment.

In addition to the dining room, there is a breakfast area in the kitchen. Hall space is kept to a minimum; there is just enough to give privacy to the bedrooms and bath and to keep the other rooms free of traffic. To provide cross-ventilation, the living room has three exposures and both bedrooms have double exposures. There is a central heating unit, but a fireplace in the living room provides the additional cheery warmth of a wood fire.

The front entrance is sheltered and features a large picture window and a built-in plant box. Vertical siding on the garage provides an interesting contrast to the brick walls of the house.

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