Drywall mortgage: what a dream home in 1950s America looked like
'07.01.2021'
Source: Travel ask
It was in the post-war 1950s that the American dream was born in the United States, which soon became a symbol of the country - to have a house with a white fence in the suburbs. A beautiful wife, two kids, hobby time and a car round out this perfect picture. By the early 1980s, three out of five families had their own home, life in the suburbs became the norm, America is one-story, says Travel ask.
Construction and baby boom
The decade after World War II is often referred to as one of the most prosperous economic periods in American history. Veterans returned home with money, the country was not destroyed by the war, so the Americans of the 1950s could safely fulfill their dreams.
Part of that dream included comfortable home ownership and the ability to start a family. 16 million veterans kicked off a real housing boom. The baby boom was on its way: by 1954, more than four million babies were born each year, peaking in 1957. To keep up with housing demand, especially in the US Southwest, major developers have begun serial construction and have made the suburban home affordable to millions.
House off the assembly line
The assembly line methods used by the builders offered “modern” houses with panel construction, drywall instead of wet plaster, and metal braces so that an entire block could be built quickly.
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The military, on the other hand, was interested in inexpensive housing, low down payments and long-term mortgages. The problem was solved mutually. Young families, just beginning their journey, rushed to raise their children in flourishing suburbs.
Spacious kitchens and bathrooms are the main requirement
Modern kitchens, stylish interiors and ample entertainment space were just a few of the many demands made by customers in the 1950s.
Unlike cramped cottages or stately Victorian homes, which lacked the necessary refurbished kitchens or spacious toilets; new country houses were not supposed to be too large or small, neither pretentious nor too modest.
Some of the more common styles at the time were colonial revival and ranch; houses were also built in Cape Cod style. Typically, this involved a symmetrical façade, wooden exterior cladding, bay windows and overhanging dormer windows. The ideal 1950s home was decorated with colorful wallpaper, screens, partitions and colorful kitchens inside. The modern style that came to dominate the homes of that era came to be known as Mid-century Art Nouveau. This trend is experiencing a revival today.
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Some of these peculiar, but cute houses are now abandoned. The fashion for such a style soon passed, and then they even made fun of the desire to have their own house in the suburbs. A few years earlier, the film “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream Home” was filmed in Hollywood about a married couple who start construction without even understanding what they are getting themselves into. Have you seen this comedy?
