Stars Of The Fab Fifties
Sydney Morning Herald
Saturday May 4, 2002
Far form turning up their noses, people are seeking out this desirable decade. Melissa Rimac reports.
Fifties music? Sure. Fifties clothing? Cool. But '50s houses? Er, maybe not just yet.
If that's your reaction to the prospect of '50s homes returning to centre stage in the desirability stakes, then maybe it's time to change your ideas. Fifties architecture, with its crisp lines and modernist overtones, is rapidly becoming hot property.
The decade is very significant, says Charles Pickett, architectural historian and curator at the Powerhouse Museum. ``[These houses] capture the essence of that period in history optimistic , simplistic and light," he adds.
In the '50s the future looked bright Australia was emerging from post-war austerity and, for the first time, most people could aspire to owning their own home.
The liberal-democratic rumblings of modernism were influencing many spheres of expression, including architecture. The resulting no-nonsense houses, which introduced a light and airy contemporary minimalism, innovative use of limited materials and free-flowing interiors, reflected the can-do positivism of the time.
And now that '50s houses are starting to emerge from the shadow of their more flamboyant predecessors, design buffs, architects, and agents are warning they won't be on the bargain rack for long.
Classic features
The design imperatives of the era signalled a radical departure from previous styles, says Bruce Rickard, an architect who designed many classic houses in the '50s.
``It was an honest, simple style there was nothing pompous and pretentious about it," he says.
Fifties housing encompassed a vast range of styles, ranging from the architect-designed classics imbued with strong modernist tones, to the more fanciful and quirky (such as our cover house), through to the functional red-brick house with a low-pitched roof and square, skillion-roofed ``boxes".
New materials were introduced and designs became less formal. Rickard says climate and orientation became considerations and emphasis was placed on open-planning, interplay between indoor and outdoor areas, large openings and the extensive use of glass.
Other defining features included flatter roof lines, strong horizontal proportions, high ceilings and expressed features such as raked ceilings and exposed beams.
Today you'll find '50s houses scattered throughout Sydney's ``outer ring" suburbs, including the North Shore, northern beaches and southern suburbs, and pockets of the Hills District and outer suburbs.
A bright future
For most people, a sleek, streamlined, minimalist box just doesn't tug at the heartstrings in the same way as an ornate Federation charmer.
``But tastes change and every style has its day," says James Phillips, heritage architect at Weir + Phillips. ``Younger clients in particular are drawn to this style."
He wonders if this has as much to do with nostalgia for the ideals of the era as it is a fashion statement.
``Fifties houses have a lightness and lack of clutter that suits professional couples," he says. ``They're a great backdrop for modern art and furniture."
The extent to which you stick within the '50s groove is a matter of taste and of your expectations of the house however, the experts insist you should work with rather than against any classic features.
Bruce Rickard is awaiting council approval for extensions to the sandstock brick house which he designed in the '50s. He's emphatic that extensions to classic '50s houses should be in sympathy with the spirit of that era and the original structure.
According to Phillips, simple lifestyle adjustments, good design and a reappraisal of scale such as more compact furniture can make better sense than superfluous renovations. ``Be wary of changing too much you may destroy what originally charmed you."
He adds that '50s houses lend themselves to additions because they typically consist of ``rectangular modules. Adding wings or separate pavilions is a great way to add space and enhance the livability of the house without interfering with the integrity of the original design."
Architect Georg Straesser finds that clients with red brick, '50s houses are usually seeking a total makeover with more space the prime objective. ``A '50s shell is a great starting point to work with," he says. ``These houses were generally well built and they're easy and cheap to modernise and enlarge."
Popular options include opening the house up, reconfiguring the internal spaces, then rendering and painting the exterior.
Straesser says that buyers needn't fear flatter roof lines ``they're thought to be hot, but good insulation will easily fix this".
Cheaper alternative
Fifties houses are overlooked by a market that defines ``character" very narrowly. They often sell for less than more conventional houses, which makes them a great buy for canny and imaginative house hunters.
John Sheehan, president of the NSW Division of the Australian Property Institute, says '50s houses are a good buy because they're often on big blocks of land in suburbs with good transport links .
Matt Mc Ewan, director of Belle Property, Manly which focuses on marketing properties with design merit believes '50s houses will become sought after.
``Many buyers lack imagination and are wary of buying something a little different; they've tended to go for the more obvious history and character of earlier styles," he says. ``But there are not many unrenovated houses of that period left, so people will start buying '50s houses to do up their time will come."
Market cycles will also give '50s houses a leg-up. McEwan says suburbs where '50s houses dominate are poised for rejuvenation as empty-nesters move out and younger people move in.
Love at first sight
When Katie-Louise and Shane Clinton spotted this rambling 1950s house at Palm Beach, above, it was love at first sight and they're still enchanted 10 years on.
``We just loved the light and the original features, such as the sandstone walls, parquetry floors, high ceilings and exposed beams," says Katie-Louise. ``The fireplace jumped out at us."
The house is spacious without being imposing and offers ample room for the family of seven. ``It's a big, solid house with lots of character," she says. ``There's no wasted space, the floor-plan flows really well, and the large, shaded decks are basically extra rooms."
Apart from painting the house and changing the kitchen, the Clintons haven't done much to it and have kept the original grey and pink '50s bathrooms.
``Most people would have thrown them out but it reminds me of the history of the house and gives it a quirky character," says Katie-Louise. ``This house has got a lot of soul and I think that has to do with the era in which it was built."
The family is moving closer to the city but can't bear the thought of selling the house and will rent it out instead.
The vision thing
Many potential buyers were not inspired by this brick '50s North Narrabeen house, despite the fact it was superbly located and well priced.
But Jim and Georgia Randall saw past the red brick, mirror tiles, abundant vinyl and Copperart fittings.
``I felt like I'd walked onto a Brady Bunch set but it was a spacious, solid brick house, with simple, clean lines," says Georgia. ``It had potential and most of what needed doing was cosmetic. People couldn't believe we'd bought it. Now they can't believe the change."
The living areas were first on the hit list an internal wall was removed and the kitchen was moved making way for a large, open-plan living area. Windows were extended to the floor and replaced with cedar louvre windows and sliding doors that open onto a wide deck.
Rendering the external walls and adding dramatic dark blue paint took care of the red brick.
``It was a choice of a new bathroom or doing something about the exterior I figured that the outside of the house is the first thing I see when I come home," says Georgia.
The Randalls' vision and imagination paid off a few basic and inexpensive changes have resulted in a stylish and modern home.
Optimist in shorts
The iconic '50s house in Berry, featured on our front cover, has a colourful history. It was built by a Ukrainian vet who shocked locals by working in his shorts almost akin to nudity. Vet fees were often paid in the form of building work.
When James Phillips and wife Elaine Townsend bought the house four years ago, they were the only bidders at the auction now there are people who wish they'd put their hand up.
The couple have kept the house much as they bought it, and haven't interfered with the limitations of the period such as a small kitchen. A '50s car, '50s furniture and pointy plants complete the picture.
``Being in the house is an uplifting experience; it reminds us of a more relaxed time," says James. ``These were optimists' houses they represent people's dreams and aspirations."
Self-contained units within the house are available for rent.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
* If possible classic features to enhance
* Sound construction and robust materials (get a good building report some of the materials and techniques used were experimental )
* Enough room around it to extend
* If it's a priority for the purchaser, a design that facilitates modernisation, eg large internal spaces
* Adequate off-street parking
* Be careful with roofing some flat roofs weren't waterproofed very well
* A house that the rear will make it easier to ``open up"
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald
Share This