by David Claudon
Better Homes & Gardens
Color Pours Off the Pages
The interiors shown in the October 1949 issue show strong use of color in walls, furnishings and flooring: lemon yellow, sage green, turquoise green, sand, slate gray, red, deep greens, teal, medium blue, chartruese green, chocolate. The color fairly pours off the page.
Don't envy a colorful home . . . have one!
declares an advertisement (page 128) for the National Paint, Varnish and Lacquer Association, Inc., which shows this chartruese living room. "Just a few dollars' worth of paint (under $10.00 for the average room) makes the difference," claims the ad. Later (page 163), Pittsburgh Paints asks, "Do you live in a Color-Hungry Home?" Their ad shows a room with dark green walls, neutral carpeting, blonde furniture, white drapes, and two cherry red chairs.
The Cover Picture
(page 37)
The 14 x 15-1/2 living room of Five Star Home No. 1910 has a wood-paneled dining end with a pass-through to the orange kitchen cut at dining table height. "Back of the plaster in the wall at right is a ready-cut door leading into the future bed-room area." The wall is plywood-paneled for contrast and a savings in plastering costs.
The blue two bedroom stucco Ranch-type house has a low-pitched roof of tar and gravel. The house was designed without frills and low costs. Windows throughout have no exterior trim. The multi-purpose kitchen area has two walls of kitchen, a thrid wall with washing machine and double sink. A hardwood cutting board covers the washer to act as more counter space. The water heater is recessed above the washer. In the front bedroom, one wall is papered, twin chests against the wall are also papered with the same wallpaper, and above the bed, wallpaper is cut in the shape of a headborad for an inexpensive substitute for one.
Furnishings for the house cost under $1,500.
How to build Color Schemes
by Christine Holbrook
pages 44-47
Not all color schemes had intense colors. In this vignette, a reproduction of a Cezanne painting inspires a "one-color scheme." The walls and curtains, flax-and-cotton carpeting, and sofa are variations of beige. Accent colors are brown, red, white and yellow. The flower bouquet repeats colors in the painting. (page 45)
Twin Windows Seven Ways
by Harrie and Marni Wood
pages 55-56
| "Pictures and a strip light for reading can fit on the wall between twin windows. If your sofa stands in front of the windows, try matching valance, sill-length draw curtains, and separate petticoats--like this." (page 56) |
| "Potted plants mean fresh green at your windows year-round. Hide the wall panel with silver paper. Then place your plant in front of the windows. At the windows use bamboo blinds. Hand draperies--in a big tropical pattern--from a wooden pole." (page 56) |
| "Wood shutters lend a cottagey look to double windows. Shutters open flat against the wall at either side of the window and fill the center space between. Choose soft white curtains of ninon, nylon, or thin muslin for the lower sashes." (page 56) |
| "Glass shelves across a mirror panel show off Sunday-best crystal. Dramatize the windows, even more with valance lighting. Hang the valance six inches from the window. Install fluorescent tubes two inches behind the valance." (page 56) |
Kitchen Dinette sets
Page 187
Several advertisements show chrome dinette sets. While a few kitchens created seating booths, similar to those found in the soda shops of the period, more often, "Modern" homes displayed dinette sets like this. Ours was in an off-white with a geometric pattern.
Television Advertisement
Page 28
| Admiral's "Three-Foot Home Theatre" boasts a big 12-1/2 inch television tube, a 60 percent bigger picture. The console includes a triple-play phonograph, Fm-Am Dynamagic radio in a rich hand-rubbed, walnut cabinet for $399.95 (Fed. taxs $7.75). Motorola showed it's Television FM-AM Phonograph Combination with 12-1/2 picture tube on page 169. Zenith's Sovereign (page 139) boasted a 165 square inch Giant Circle Screen. |
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Now a Sensational New Home Organ
by Wurlitzer
Page 179
| Home organs must have become the rage because not only did Wurlitzer advertise its $1895 model, but Hammond Organ advertised its $1285 model on page 206. |
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This page was created by D. Claudon.
Last revised 7/26/00.