The 1930s House Explained

Book excerpt: The Art Deco exhibition in Paris in 1925 ushered in a new style of architecture based on the latest designs from Europe and American flat roofs, plain facades, reinforced concrete and white paint inside and out. Streamlining was the watchword and houses, from bungalows to detached family homes, were planned around their internal use. Using his own drawings, diagrams and photographs, author Trevor Yorke explains in an easy-to-understand manner all aspects of the 1930s house, and provides a definitive guide for those who are renovating, tracing the history of their own home, or simply interested in houses of the period. The book is divided into four sections. The first outlines the history of the period; the second steps inside and looks at the different rooms and their fittings and goes on to describe the gardens and garages.; the third section explains briefly the developments in housing after this period; and the final section contains a quick reference guide, including notes on how to date houses, a glossary of unfamiliar terms, further reading and details of places to visit.