See what was cookin’ in home design decades ago by checking out these kitchen islands from the ’60s! They combined form, function, and fun, too.
home plans
After WWII, millions of new small starter homes were built all across America. Here, see a collection of these practical, affordable little suburban houses – each one under 1000 square feet.
When post-WWII prefab housing was becoming passe, in the ’50s, a new version of the prefab home emerged – the kind of upper-middle-class home with many mid-century modern design ideas that would become popular over the next decade.
See a Scholz Mark 58, a marvelous mid-century modern home built in 1958. From the blue bathroom to the wooden wall paneling, every inch of this reinterpreted California Ranch house screams retro… and we love it.
If you love the mid-century style, or want to re-create that beautiful vintage backyard feel, get 47 of the best old-fashioned patio, deck & porch ideas here for a little retro inspo.
If you were planning to get a new kitchen for your home in the 1950s, here are nine of the most popular mid-century kitchen remodels and floorplans you might have checked out!
Just look at the richly-textured patterns in this mid-century modern carpet! And the vintage 3-level pile apparently offered the highlights and shadows in expensive sculptured rugs.
Monsanto’s Home of the Future at Disneyland – set in the futuristic year 1986 – was built almost entirely of plastic, either alone or in combination with traditional building materials.
Here is how the builders of this ’50s small-home design made the most of the space they had available! Take a look at the vintage decor and floorplan here.
Take a 1950s home tour of a ‘junior five’ near San Francisco – a small house that had an entry stairway that starts at garage level and leads up to five rooms – bedrooms, kitchen, garage and more.
If you’re remodeling a 1950s home exterior, advice from that decade says to follow a simple, straightforward style. Your house will look better and cost less.
This vintage mid-century modern show home – the House & Garden magazine Hallmark House for 1963 – offered nearly 5000 square feet of ’60s style.
See floor plans and exterior views of 7 antique homes from the Civil War era, designed by prominent architects and built during the early 1860s.
This unusual home in the hills of Oakland, California is tree house – with a modernist design – belonging to Dave Brubeck, known as ‘Mr. Jazz’ to his fans.
Flash back to 1960 with the Scholz Mark 60, a prefab mid-century modern home! From the blue bathroom to the wooden wall paneling, every inch of this house screams retro
The rooms shown here aren’t just fun to look at, they also have room to play and plenty of shelf and storage space for games and books and sports and hobby paraphernalia.
This cute build-it-yourself vacation cabin from the ’50s was designed to be affordable and easy to build, and it could be expanded, too.
See 125 vintage ’60s home plans used to design & build millions of mid-century houses across America
If you already own a 1960s house, are thinking about buying one, or just want to see how new suburban homes were designed back in the Kennedy era, check out these vintage ’60s home plans!
Our practical dream house: Practical in the sense of low maintenance. Dreamy in the way it realizes the family’s hopes. What a house costs to
Practical ideas to help you plan small gardens of your own – a quiet, refreshing area close to your house where you can enjoy the plants and flowers you love!
A-frame house plans for second homes & family vacation cabins: 12 retro designs from the ’50s & ’60s
The A-frame house design is a tried and true style, and was especially popular for second homes and vacation cabins in the ’60s. See several retro A-frames here!
If you’re buying a 1950s house, already live in one, or want to see how new suburban homes were designed back in the ‘Leave it to Beaver’ era, see some fantastic ’50s house plans here!
If your family never stays home because there’s nothing to do, check out these ways to pep up your yard or garden. Sometimes the simplest things, as in the play castle here, yields the most imaginative results.
These gorgeous vintage home designs and their floor plans from the 1920s are as authentic as they get – From sweet little retro bungalows to cool Colonials.
Move out of doors in style during the summer . . . yet provide year-round storage for your boat, motor and outdoor equipment with this boat shelter and convertible patio.
Here’s an idea designed to make one room serve two purposes . . . a cozy, practical family room, plus well-planned facilities for extra guests or family additions.
Children’s activity center Hours of family-planned fun with this compact “home saver” A separate little world for the youngsters of your house . . .
The Homarina beach cabin provides secure boat storage, over 400 square feet of comfortable, practical leisure living space, plus a large deck right at water’s edge.
A touch of Old Japan, added to the occidental comforts and convenience you’ve come to expect — that’s this charming summer teahouse vacation home design from 1960.
These seven unique budget small house designs from the 50s prove that good things still do come in small packages – that originality can make the tiniest house attractive!
Boy’s Alaskan bedroom hideaway Built-in utility… plus a new world of adventure The young men of your house will appreciate this beautiful and practical “Alaskan
Here’s how to make a retro DIY kitchen island with roll-away cart! This prep and serving center was designed to modernize a kitchen with ’60s style.
Fold-away dining corner A family-centered dining nook tucks away into warm wood paneling Here is an idea that will provide additional living space in your
Over, under and all around, a sunny mood pervades this lemon-and-lime kitchen in suburban Cincinnati. But this kitchen has more than good looks.
Make a ‘Finger-tip’ buffet server Display, serve, store, “roll away” with this serving center of fine wood This built-in buffet will save you steps, help
Make a fold-up home workshop Plan, work, store, protect with this “fold away” workshop For Dad only . . . a complete, self-contained home workshop
Make a ‘Lazy Susan’ wardrobe Four-season wardrobe selection at the touch of a finger Separate your wardrobe by season . . . by formal and
One of the first problems which confronts the prospective home builder is the selection of the style of architecture for his new home. New England
