Jalousies were popular in mid-century homes in mild climes because they gave air across the entire window; occasionally they are only found in select rooms. They were made of horizontal panes of glass set in a track that opened and closed using a crank mechanism (think Florida rooms). The name comes from the French for "veil" or "curtains."
Jalousies were commonly used as solar control devices until the advent of air conditioning. They can be reopened during warm months or when needed for ventilation. Their presence in mid-century homes indicates that their owners believed it necessary to provide some form of climate control even though air conditioners were becoming more common.
Many mid-century modern houses have exterior walls that are mostly glass or plastic. This is called an "all-glass" or "all-cladding" house. It's very energy efficient since there are no barriers between what's inside and what's outside. These houses need to be built with special care to protect people from accidents involving glass, but overall, they're much safer than ordinary houses.
Mid-century architects sometimes incorporated other design elements into their buildings too. For example, they might use wood instead of steel for part of a building's construction. Or, they might choose organic shapes for the roofline instead of the traditional square or flat roof. These are just two examples; there are many more possibilities.
The majority of medieval houses were chilly, wet, and gloomy. It was sometimes warmer and lighter outside the house than within. When windows were present, they were very small apertures with wooden shutters that were closed at night or in severe weather for security reasons. There were no glass windows in Europe until the Renaissance.
Houses were made out of wood, with some stone used for major buildings such as castles. They usually had three floors, with rooms on each floor. The ground floor was used for storage, the first floor for sleeping and living space, and the second floor for storage again. There might also be an attic storey.
The inside of the house was dark because there were no lights until oil lamps were developed in the 15th century. Even then, they were expensive and rare. A few houses have been found with parts of their interior decorated with colored tiles or stones, but this is unusual.
There was no bathroom in the modern sense of the word, but there were toilets built into walls or into outdoor latrines. Water was obtained from public wells or from rain barrels. Cooking was done with fireplaces or ovens, which took up much of the living room floor. Meals were simple and often spartan; for example, peasants working the land didn't eat till they got back home at dusk.
The Miwoks lived in dome and conical-shaped houses. These constructions were subsequently covered with redwood planks (referred to as "kotcha"), grass, or tule (called "kaawul kotcha"). The grass dwellings featured a willow frame wrapped in bundled grass, and the flap door leading into the house was made of tule mat or animal skin. The conical shape of these homes was due to the use of only the upper part of the tree for construction purposes. The base of the tree was left intact to provide support for other trees to be planted near it.
Miwok houses had one room with a central sleeping area flanked by two windows. There was no such thing as a kitchen in miwok times; all cooking and eating activities took place outside the house. Tools used for building the houses included stone adzes for cutting wood, copper knives for slicing plants, and wooden spades for digging holes for posts. The Miwoks also used baskets and bags made of woven grass to store food and collect water.
Houses built by the Miwok Indians were usually only habitable for about 2 years before they needed to be rebuilt. This is because the Indian people would move away from their cities when winter approached so that they could build new homes on higher ground farther from the river. When spring came, they'd return to their old neighborhoods and rebuild everything from scratch.
During the winter months, the Miwok people would sometimes live in underground caves that they had dug out themselves.
Mid-century modern homes are still fashionable, despite being evocative of a design that was prominent in the early part of the twentieth century. People aren't only purchasing the original copies. They also like modifying them or creating new ones.
Modernism as a design movement emerged in the United States around 1920. It was inspired by classical European architecture and its emphasis on function over form. Mid-century modern is a design style that began to take shape around 1945, just as the modernist movement was ending. It continued through the 1960s with some modifications.
Mid-century modern is characterized by simplicity, functionality, and modesty. It often includes natural materials such as wood, stone, clay, and even concrete. The overall feeling is one of cleanliness and order.
These homes tend to be smaller than traditional houses and have fewer rooms. They usually have one floor living space with no basements or attics. These properties typically have few or no lawn or landscaping areas. They are located near other buildings or within walking distance of public transportation. They may have garage apartments or suites, which are sometimes called "in-law" apartments. These are small bedrooms and bathrooms attached to the main house by a shared hallway.
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