The 1930s house is stepping out of the shadows cast by modern homes and into the limelight shared by buildings that have reached a certain antiquity and can be labelled as ‘of a period’. The stout, square semi, with tall curving bays embellished with coloured glass patterns, sleek and streamlined metal-framed windows, tall hipped roofs and Art Deco details is now becoming fashionable in its own right.
The Jazz Age in which this style of house was born has given us iconic images of outrageous luxury in the face of depression, glamorous Hollywood styles and an obsession for speed. It was a time when modernity had to co-exist with tradition. This mix is mirrored in the housing of the time as new hygienic homes, powered by electricity, were packaged up in mock-timber-framed exteriors, and builders could site Tudor and Jacobean next door to the latest streamlined International styles. It is these distinctive forms, sound quality and spacious plots which make the detached, semi or terrace from this period such a desirable purchase once again.
For those who wish to discover more about houses from this period or are planning to renovate their own home, this book is designed as a first step to understanding and appreciating the building, styles and interiors of the inter-war houses that reached their peak in the 1930s. In the Explained series, the emphasis is put upon those buildings which we are likely to visit or live in today, and thus this book concentrates on the mass-produced detached, semis and terraces which line our main roads and suburban estates.
It is important to put these houses in the context of the times. You cannot appreciate how much of an improvement these structures were to what had gone before if you do not realize how bad much of the existing stock was. I have recently made a move similar to that taken by a better-off, working class family some 80 years ago, from a small Victorian terrace to a 1920s three-bed semi. I can appreciate, as they would have done, the extra space, the solid structure and gardens front and rear, but to this they could add their own delight at gaining electricity, a separate bathroom and a flushing toilet, things we take for granted today but which were a revelation for many then. With this in mind, the living conditions and state of existing houses are covered in most chapters before looking at the new houses of the day.
The book is divided into four sections: the first outlines the history of the period, which affected how houses were planned and built. Drawings, diagrams and photographs illustrate the different layouts, styles and details to help in dating, appreciating or restoring buildings. The second section steps inside and looks at the various rooms and their fittings and how they would have originally appeared, before going back outside and describing the gardens and garages. There follows a chapter briefly explaining the developments in housing after this period, before a final section which is a quick reference guide, including notes upon dating houses, a glossary, suggested further reading and places to visit.
Trevor Yorke
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