Siedler's 'house of the future' - 1954

In May 1954 the 'house of the future' was unveiled at the Architectural and Building Exhibition in the Sydney Town Hall.

Testing the assembly of the 'future house' at the factory in NSW

Architect Harry Siedler planned the streamlined house as a solution to post-war the housing crisis in Australia.  As typified the mid-century modern trend in the US (where Siedler had studied), he wanted to replace 'wasteful' handicraft methods with a streamlined steel frame assembled from machine made parts.

A one bedroom home was built for display purposes, but Seidler's design was flexible enough to allow for different sixes and configurations.

  

In each design though is a north facing wall made entirely out of plate glass, specially designed to let in the light but repel the heat - partly fixed and partly in sliding frames.  Long metal sunshades and an insulated roof space would also protect the home from to much heat and glare.

Other innovative features included a kitchen unit incorporating a fridge, sink, stove and garbage disposal unit, and pre-fabricated bathroom unit with a shower, basin, toilet, flooring and walls.

Harry Siedler also designed the interiors and furniture for the 'house of the future.' 

For more posts on Harry Siedler, see here.

Harry Seilder's Waterman House, 1952

I have written on my other blog about architect Harry Seilder and his 'Rose Seilder House'. Now one of his other houses, the Waterman House, built in 1952 as a small one-bedroom weekend house, is up for sale.

The house has been modified over the years, including a new bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room, and the garage has been enclosed the deck even further enlarged.  You can find out more about the sale here, and read more about Harry Seidler here.

Seidler, at only 29, also completed the Hutter house, Turramurra; the Thurlow house, Blakehurst; the Landau house, Whale Beach and the Bowden house, 11 Northcote Crescent, Deakin, in 1952.  He also produced unbuilt schemes for the Barnes house, Lane Cove and the Bluhdorn house, Roseville.

Deb xx

A New Direction and some Cute.

You may have noticed my blog has been taken over my mood boards. Apologies!

I have been busy starting up my new e-decorating business and website, and preparing mood boards for it, and they have somehow landed up here. My new Mid-Century Love Website has it's own decorating blog,  on which I will post mood-boards, furniture finds etc, and this blog will continue to be about my loves and likes and life.

If you want to check out my new website - please head over to Mid-Century Love.com.

In the meantime, here is some mid-century cuteness -

Scottie dog on a pink mid-century chair

black cat on an Eames Lounge Chair

Deb xx

Vintage Design - Mid-Century House Plan - 1958

Now here is a plan I quite like. the living areas are at the back, to make the most use of the yard, and the car port, long enough to have two cars undercover, leads directly into the kitchen. And there's a fire-place!

Plan

I have been dreaming of a house with a fire-place - we don't need them here in North Queensland. Maybe it's time for a move?  I found this house for sale while looking online - it's in the Victorian town of Benalla, where my folks live.  It has a great chimney -

which unfortunately has an electric fireplace installed, but it does have another fireplace -

with wonderful mid-century lights and brick wall.  The whole house is fairly original, and at only $300,000 for a four bedroom house, it's very tempting.  See the listing here.

Rainy Days & the Mid-Century Garden in January

Well it's almost the end of January, which here in Queensland means the middle of the wet season and Summer. It's gone from hot and dry to hot and wet in about a week, and we have a cyclone on the way bringing lots of rain and wind.  It's not really great gardening weather, and my new seedlings, especially the lettuces are not happy. 

This is what I came  home to this afternoon - one banana tree down and the tarp almost off the chook dome.

Split level home with Sunken Courtyard - 1961

This U-shaped, split level home was designed in 1961 for a sloping site, with three separate wings - the living areas in the lower wing, the bedrooms at the higher end of the slope, and the utility wing long the side.

Three wings wrap around a sunken courtyard

The car-port indicates that the bedrooms are closer to the road than the living areas.

I quite like this plan - especially the fact that there are no wasted long hallway spaces.  I do think an additional car port next to the kitchen, with entry through the laundry/playroom would make unloading the groceries easier than parking near the bedrooms.  Back in 1961 the family probably only had one car, used by the man of the house to get to work, and the lady at home would have walked to the shops.

At around 12 squares, this house could have been built for about $,500 pounds, about $116,000 today.

10 Ways with Cement Pavers for a Mid-Century look

It's time for another garden make-over at my place. I really want to do some new paths in the front yard, so today some inspiration with cement pavers - great for a clean, simple, mid-century look.  They are available to buy in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you can make your own forms and pour your own, or get someone to do it for you.

1. Square pavers with dark stones, contrast nicely with green turf

2. Poured concrete pavers with scotch moss in-between

3. Extra -large cement slabs with 1 inch black stones

4. Large oblong pavers with small contrasting gravel

5. Large oblong pavers laid the other way with 2 inch stones

6. Large oblong pavers with crushed dust/sand

7. Circular cement pavers in gravel

8. Lots of circles for a polkadot look

9. Poured Circular cement pavers

10. Large poured cement circles

I really do love those big circles!

Deb xx

A Mid-Century Inspired Living Room

It's the end of the holidays and my thoughts are turning to re-decorating. If I had a spare $5,000 I would be tempted with something like this.....

Where to find -

Table lamp
$155 - mattblatt.com.au

Outdoor chair - I'd get two of these
$175 - mattblatt.com.au

Clock
$89 - mattblatt.com.au

Seabrook wallpaper
burkedecor.com

Knoll sofa
around $1,300

Bookcase
$315 - mattblatt.com.au

Entertainment unit
$1,270 - mattblatt.com.au

 Eames Reproduction Lounge Chair
 from $850

Wooden table
$230 - mattblatt.com.au

Accent table
$185 - mattblatt.com.au

Mid-Century House Plan - January 1962

Each week this year I want to share a mid-century house design. Many of these designs are small, in comparison to modern day homes, but they also have some great features that we can incorporate today.    With new technology like flat screen tvs and lap tops, we really don't need separate studies or TV rooms, and smaller is definitely cheaper!

This home from the January 1962 issue of the Australian Women's weekly has a U-Shaped plan with a semi-enclosed courtyard separating living and sleeping wings.

The laundry is an extension of the kitchen, and you can imagine a carport or garage could be attached here for easy entry after doing groceries, as well as an undercover washing line for inclement weather.  The dining area is conveniently located close to the kitchen, but not right in it, and that wall could be a feature brick wall continuing in the same material as the fireplace.

I love the closet in the entry hall - I could really do with one of those, and the fact that you can't see into the house from the front door, but there is not the wasted space of a long hallway.

There are three large bedroom, and the largest bedroom has a walk in robe. Wouldn't it be lovely to wake up and breakfast on the terrace? And perhaps a swimming pool just off the terrace and living area - with light white furniture and orange and turquoise accents?

White metal outdoor furniture

Deb xx

Five on Friday - Retro Coffee Cups

I don't know about you, but the closer it gets to Christmas the more exhausted I feel.  I think work, Christmas functions and the children's school events are wearing me out! I seem to be living on coffee at present - it helps me keep awake (especially at school awards nights).

With coffee on the brain, and a cup beside me, here a few coffee-cup things I love this week -

Retro Dress- Coffee Cups $110

Mid-Century Geometric Coffee Cup $24

Gadget Pouch - Multi Color Cotton Coffee Cup Fabric $34

Travel Coffee Cup In Retro Style Pattern $13.50

Retro Turquoise Olive Green Coffee Cup Cafe curtain $15.25

Deb xx

Universal goes Mid-Century with Cabana Bay

As much as I would love to holiday in Palm Springs, if I ever make it back to the US, I must say that this new resort at Universal Orlando looks stunning - even if it's a little cheesy.