I hope you studied up on your housing styles, because it’s test time!
Let’s see how well you’ve been paying attention to the topic of housing styles through the decades (or how much television you’ve watched over the last 40 years, either way). No cheating. No bathroom breaks. Number two pencils only. Okay, begin:
How many of these t.v. land homes can you identify? Scroll to the end of the post for the answers . . . .
**Extra Credit Question: Happy Days
We’re more than halfway through the century and coming up to the decade of disco, the Doobie Brothers, and Donny and Marie. And nothing says 1970s like the split level home. Okay, and Farrah Fawcett.
During the 70s, things just got . . . . bigger. Cars. Hair. Elvis. Unfortunately, inflation, unemployment, and housing costs also got bigger.
“Housing costs in the United States increased rapidly in the 1970s. The median-priced single-family home in 1970 cost $23,000 at an average interest rate of 8.5 percent, which represented 17 percent of the home owner’s income. By 1979 the same house cost $55,700 at 10.9 percent interest, or 25 percent of the owner’s in-come. This trend continued in the next decade, contributing to inflation, urban decay, and the problem of homelessness.” (enotes)
Whether they realized it or not, home buyers were ripe for the entrance of the split level style home. The peeps over at splitlevel.net say, “Virtually every type of home in the USA is an adaptation of something earlier…an evolution of design, ideas, and architectural styles.” Sound familiar?
So while there was a lot of experimentation with angles, stained glass, shiny metallic wallpaper, and (unfortunately) wrought iron, the split level was reminiscent of the humble cottage, designed for the masses, and affordable for the common man.
Although still fairly common and easily recognizable, here’s the official definition:
“The split level has two or three short sets of stairs, and three or four levels. The entry is on a middle floor between two floors. The front door opens directly into what is usually the formal living area. This mid-level floor houses Living Room, Dining Room, Kitchen, and has a short flight of stairs leading up to bedrooms, and another short flight of stairs leading down to informal living areas and garage.” (Wikipedia)
Within the split level category are variations such as:
We’re coming to the end of our jaunt through housing trends, coming up on the hot pink and teal 80s. My name is Joni Kerley, I specialize in Snohomish County real estate. I’d love to help you find your next home whether it’s a split level or something more like Richie Cunningham’s. Feel free to give me a call at 425-343-4545.
As promised, here are the answers. Thanks for playing!
- Bewitched – Cape Cod
- The Godfather – Tudor
- The Partridge Family – Dutch Colonial
- Murder She Wrote – Victorian
- Married With Children – Two Story Ranch (kind of a trick question)
Extra Credit Question: Happy Days – Mid Century
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