He and his wife kept an eye on them as well as they were able until the two older boys went away to school, but in huge establishments this is difficult—it was much simpler in the series of small and medium sized houses in which my own youth was spent—I was never far out of reach of my mother’s voice, of the sense of her presence, her approval or disapproval.
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Rich Boy

The America of the 1920’s was a place of great optimism. Wealth and abundance prevailed. The automobile allowed families an opportunity to live away from the city centers in a home of their own. Life was getting better and the future was bright and easy.

The new suburban home, of which this was an example, reflected this optimism and ease. In plan, the spatial arrangement is uncomplicated. Three rooms on the 1st floor and three on the 2nd. The small and efficient kitchen was used to cook meals and clean dishes. In the pre-television days, taking meals in the dining room was where and when the family came together.

The exterior form of the home also spoke to the era’s optimism. The steep gable and tall chimney point skyward to tell us that the future is boundless. The steep roof pitch becomes a gentle curve as it nears the ground speaks of comfort and repose. The porch area extends the dining and living room spaces into the yard, where our eye is focused on the bull's-eye lattice screen.

Our addition to this home uses this language while adding much needed space and providing stronger connections between inside and outside.

This project was featured in Better Homes & Gardens. You can see more pictures of this home at http://tinyurl.com/3s2nm5r

Photography by Mike Kaskel.

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