Many families are discovering that there may be no better place for a weekend house than right on their own property, but the discovery is sometimes made in a gradual way. When, for instance, the Emil Rutz family built a swimming pool some years ago alongside their house in Hillsborough, California, they decided it would be practical to have a little dressing room on the terrace. Nearby, a simple outdoor barbecue pit was added. Finally, after passing through several stages, the dressing room and the barbecue area were fashioned into the pleasant weekend house shown here. It is so well equipped that when the main house was being remodeled, the family moved into the weekend house and lived comfortably for several months.

Actually, it is three houses under one roof: a playhouse for informal dining and entertaining, a guest house of two bedrooms and baths. and a poolhouse where swim- mers may shower and change. For Mrs. Rutz there is a greenhouse along the rear wall and Mr. Rutz has a darkroom. In a beautifully landscaped setting the weekend house enables the Rutz family to enjoy their leisure fully without ever leaving their home.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | April 1956

A wooded background screens this lakeside weekend house in deceptive seclusion. Viewed from the lake, it appears to be miles from civilization, but it is scarcely 80 yards from the main house of its owners, Mr. and Mrs. George Mesberg, in New York's populous Westchester County. The Mesbergs built their main house and this guest house at the same time, and they like to think of them as an entity. But for several reasons they decided to make the guest quarters a separate unit, rather than a wing of the main house. Since the smaller house stands at the very edge of the lake, Mr. Mesberg can fish for bass from the terrace, and the family can swim off the boat dock. The lake view makes the house a pleasant place for entertaining, and adroit planning insures privacy for guests when they wish it. The unusual triangular shape has maxi- mum exposure to the lake setting for each of the three rooms- kitchen, living room and bedroom-without squandering space. The long solid rear wall is economically used for kitchen work units, the bathroom and a large bedroom closet. With its cantilevered sun deck running along two sides of the living room and jutting out over the edge of the lake, the guest house brings the Mesberg family as close to nature as is architecturally possible.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | April 1956

While most larger houses are being built today to accommodate families outgrowing undersized homes. this house has a different reason for being. Simply to give the couple who own it the things they wanted, it had to be big. The owners wanted a house with a separate living room and a formal dining room which would do no double duty whatsoever. They also wanted a front hall, a kitchen. a laundry, a pantry, and a breakfast room with their separate identities respected. The house is traditional in guise, designed with details inspired by American Colonial style. The luxury of many separate rooms gives it individuality and variety, lessens clutter and lets household wheels turn more smoothly than they do in some more openly designed houses. Yet. as in houses of contemporary design, most main rooms open to outdoor areas, a beautifully landscaped rear terrace among them.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | March 1956

Kitchen has connected areas for laundry, bulk storage, cooking and eating. Washer-dryer is beyond sink area. Large freezer, broom closet and case-goods storage are in a walk-in closet behind wall ovens. Pans are kept in two-way cabinets between ovens and sink. The breakfast corner in foreground has a grill built into the counter-top. Sliding glass panels beneath hanging china cabinet permit serving to terrace.

Breakfast corner extends the kitchen counter space and links it to the living and dining rooms. The tiled counter zigzags around the wall, ends beneath two-way storage cabinets and pass-through which serve the dining room. Living room and breakfast corner share a two-way fireplace, pass-through bar and sink. Wood, glasses and liquor are stored by the bar.

Cooking center  is arranged in a wide bay with a triangular island to keep it free from busy traffic. Sink with disposal is next to refrigerator. Counter has a big built-in chopping block.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | February 1956

A custom-built cooking island stands at one end of living-dining room. The owner planned the details of the island and the cleanup area (where food is stored and dishes washed behind concealing doors). "I used lessons I learned from time and motion studies to save work." he says. "You don't have to move a step to talk to anyone and everything is at hand." 

Detachable hood is hung over grill before broiling steaks. It fastens to stain- less steel vent above cooking island which expels smoke and odors from both the grill and countertop burners through floor duct. 

Built-in stove unit supplements the charcoal grill in food preparation. In the fore- ground is a part of the chopping block. The entire unit is planned for serving either a swimming party lunch or elaborate dinner.

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source: House and Garden Magazine | February 1956

Miami motorists passing the Albree E. Miller home on Palm Island almost invariably slow down for a second, searching look. A good many even make their way to the house and request a tour of inspection or an explanation. The explanation is simple.

The Miller house, 2,460 sq. ft. in size, is essentially two layers of open living space suspended between concrete floors and roof. Supporting the second floor and roof are fourteen poured concrete columns arranged in two rows of seven each. Although this building method has been used for many years in industrial construction, its application in home design is rare. The advantages, however, are impressive. Because no supporting walls are needed, the architect may open up outside walls as he chooses, may place indoor partitions wherever he wishes, or he may leave them out altogether.

On the second floor of the Miller house partitions separate three bedroom-bath areas. But on the main floor only a single partition stands, separating living room and kitchen from the carport. Aside from the construction method itself, the most re- markable feature of the house is its cooking center. An integral part of the living room, it is an elaborate steel cooking island. A restaurant executive and amateur chef, Mr. Miller designed the island so that he could prepare meals without leaving his guests. 

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source: House and Garden Magazine | February 1956