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American housing styles have changed, and continue to change, across the country as homeowners’ tastes and lifestyles have evolved. As the country went through industrial and economic changes, good and bad, housing styles adapted out of necessity.
In this new series, I’ll walk you through the dominant housing styles of the past 12 decades, starting in 1900. A basic understanding of each decade-defining architectural style will position you as an experienced agent with your clients and make the home search with your buyers easier for everyone.
Common knowledge would confirm that the 1970s are not far enough in the distant past to become desirable as a retro housing trend. Indeed, it will probably be a long time before real estate buyers begin to actively seek out homes built in this time period with design elements intact.
While fashion and interior design staples from the 1970s have seen a revival, residential styles have yet to have their second moment in the sun.
Several architects and historians considered the 1970s “the decade that taste forgot”. Design elements from the 1960s, such as single-story houses and ranch houses, continued to be popular in the following decade. The lack of enthusiastic design has been attributed to multiple recessions, high unemployment and political corruption.
Sharing this information with real estate buyers may not be stimulating, but it will help a well-informed real estate agent understand the reason for so many brown interiors with shaggy carpets, brown wood paneling, and imposing stone fireplaces.
Despite the lack of distinctive design innovation, home values doubled in the 1970s. The uninventive construction of columns and beams characterizes the houses of this period. Much of the construction was a study in contradictions, as the houses ranged from natural to futuristic high-tech structures.
At the same time, beautification and experimentation are visible in some housing styles. These elements were a reaction to the elegant “space age” modernist style of the 1950s and, to some extent, a legacy of the 1960s pop art scene. In general, no universally clear aesthetic or direction is seen.
Terracotta floor tiles, previously only seen in commercial kitchens, and natural exposed ceiling beams were in demand. Massive stone and brick fireplaces had raised hearths with natural wood beams as frames. Some of these fireplaces were “translucent,” allowing the flame to be seen from both sides, a design innovation that had nothing to do with heating.
A few prominent movements were the “back to nature” movement and the renewed interest in environmental protection. Large picture windows brought the outside in, and atriums or interior garden rooms were the trend. The home featured plants everywhere, in the obligatory hanging macramé planter. Skylights began to appear as design elements due to modern engineering and a further desire to bring the outside inside.
Open floor plans were introduced in the 1970s, with public living spaces flowing easily into one another. Double-height spaces also first appeared in homes in the 70s, along with grand entrances and foyers. Sunken living rooms and “conversation pits” were introduced at this time, sometimes with a fireplace as a focal point.
Home offices and studies appeared for the first time in the home, they are no longer called libraries. Kitchens now had islands and breakfast nooks, offering places for a quick meal or snack at counter height, behind which the family gathered on bar stools.
Asphalt roofed driveways were a common approach to homes in the 1970s, with a concrete patio outside in the back yard. The interior wood paneling and beams inside the house reflected the Scandinavian influence, despite IKEA not appearing in the United States until the 1980s.
While modern and international design elements began to appear throughout the home, asbestos, aluminum wires, and lead paint were still commonly used in construction. Popcorn sprayed ceilings, another source of asbestos, are often found in 1970s buildings. Today’s informed real estate agent will encourage, if not insist on, material testing in period homes and the removal or remediation of toxic materials by a professional.
A “master” or primary bathroom is now standard issue in new homes. Galvanized steel water pipes, with a standard lifespan of 20 to 50 years, were the only water pipes used at the time. Wise real estate agents encourage homeowners to test and replace pipes, as cracks and rotting are typical problems. The inside of steel pipes can rust, and metal flakes can be found in the tap water in these homes.
When driving through a neighborhood with older homes, a quick test to determine if the housing stock is from the 1970s includes whether the homes are single-story, rectangular, or L-shaped. If the garage is attached and the home has a ranch, Mediterranean, or contemporary feel with with large windows, there is a high chance that the houses were built in the 70s.
Of course, almost every period, including the 1970s, has its share of two-story, center-hall colonial homes, a style that Americans have embraced for decades and never seem to lose interest, either for patriotism or the ease of understanding the floor plan and lifestyle. .
Real estate veterans and newcomers alike will see all ages and types of homes during their day. Housing styles will be as varied as the clientele agents encounter in each. Some houses will be purely of one style and period, and some will be a mixture of styles and accessories, defying one clear period.
Regardless of the style of the home or the age the real estate agent is dealing with, if you can discuss the pros and cons of design and proper functioning, your clients will appreciate your wisdom and guidance.
