NenaE Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) Found this listed in the Sept. 1959 issue:Idea Home Plan 2909-B In Sugar Land123 SorrentoBuilt by: Leo E. O'NealDecorated by: Foley'sTalks of a hipped roof, shingled siding, a family "activity" center in the hub, enclosed garden next to the carport, has a one car garage , as well. Bedrooms are to one side of house, in a row. Has a fireplace you can walk around, on both sides. Has a narrow patio that extends around three sides of the main living area. Says the plan is an "unusual shape". It's 1712 sq. ft.Tried to look at this on GoogleEarth, can't tell much. Looks like the backyard is on a waterway.Wouldn't say it's one that really fascinates me, but it does have an interesting history. Edited May 28, 2009 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 (edited) That's one block from my house in Venetian Estates.Any pictures? Edited May 28, 2009 by LunaticFringe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 That's one block from my house in Venetian Estates.Any pictures?Yeah. Will try to copy & scan them, soon. Was surprised that a house was built that early in Sugarland. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Yeah. Will try to copy & scan them, soon. Was surprised that a house was built that early in Sugarland.Venetian Estates was the first neighborhhod built in newly incorporated Sugar Land. Would love to see pics and compare how it looks now. Some houses have been rebuilt but many are exactly the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 Venetian Estates was the first neighborhhod built in newly incorporated Sugar Land. Would love to see pics and compare how it looks now. Some houses have been rebuilt but many are exactly the same.Oh, sorry...they are colored diagram drawings, and a blueprint type rendering, not the actual location picture. I'll still try to post them, you may be able to tell from them. There is a list for quite a few of these homes that were featured in Texas, and elsewhere, different cities, Houston was not included this time.(From GoogleEarth) Looks like it sits at the end of the culdesac, I think it might be the lot on the left. Do you know? G/E only gives the address for the one on the right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Most likely it is the last house on the left in which case it's still the original home with just a little remodeling done to the rear of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted May 28, 2009 Author Share Posted May 28, 2009 The plan originally had glass panels along the living area back wall. Also looks like it had two living areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted May 28, 2009 Share Posted May 28, 2009 Many old homes back then had a formal living room and a not so formal room (a den as we called it). Many older homes around here have that same setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott08 Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Many old homes back then had a formal living room and a not so formal room (a den as we called it). Many older homes around here have that same setup.I was vacationing last week near Birmingham, Alabama. Anywhere I go for a few days, I always search out mod type houses to look at, and I found a local reference to a 1955 Better Homes and Garden house in nearby Vestavia Hills. We went to see it and found a whole neighborhood of extremely cool mods built on hilly, heavily wooded terrain. Doing a real estate search, seems like the 1500 square footish houses are selling in the $200-300K range. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera along, so no photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmer Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I was vacationing last week near Birmingham, Alabama. Anywhere I go for a few days, I always search out mod type houses to look at, and I found a local reference to a 1955 Better Homes and Garden house in nearby Vestavia Hills. We went to see it and found a whole neighborhood of extremely cool mods built on hilly, heavily wooded terrain. Doing a real estate search, seems like the 1500 square footish houses are selling in the $200-300K range. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera along, so no photos.Thanks for the tip, Scott. Check this out: Magic City Modern blog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 (edited) Found this listed in the Sept. 1959 issue:Idea Home Plan 2909-B In Sugar Land 123 Sorrento Built by: Leo E. O'Neal Decorated by: Foley's Talks of a hipped roof, shingled siding, a family "activity" center in the hub, enclosed garden next to the carport, has a one car garage , as well. Bedrooms are to one side of house, in a row. Has a fireplace you can walk around, on both sides. Has a narrow patio that extends around three sides of the main living area. Says the plan is an "unusual shape". It's 1712 sq. ft. Tried to look at this on GoogleEarth, can't tell much. Looks like the backyard is on a waterway. Wouldn't say it's one that really fascinates me, but it does have an interesting history. Here's the pics requested by LunaticFringe..took me awhile...The magazine was a very old one, large sized, before they went to the smaller ones we know now, made it hard to scan (I struggle to remember how to post these links & pics, maybe sevfiv or another moderator can re-size that last magazine layout pic for me, it's way too big) Edited June 27, 2009 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottonmather0 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Is the "activity center" actually a basement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 (edited) Is the "activity center" actually a basement?The activity center is highlighted in yellow, in the blueprint...Here is another description from the mag..."Here again. the ACTIVITY CENTER is in the most convenient place, the hub. Living room has been opened to an enclosed garden next to the carport. No need to hide behind drawn draperies here---privacy is built right in."I also saw the basement stairway, and thought in Houston that it would probably be a closet. The plan is very flexible, so it says, to meet different or changing needs. I like the idea of having the bedrooms away from the kitchen & living area, in my house the master bedroom is next to the family room. Not good. Edited June 27, 2009 by NenaE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 (edited) Thanks for scanning those NenaE. I don't know the people and have never been inside the place but I hear it's in real bad shape. Probably going to be a tear down some day soon. Here's a pic from the front of the place now: Will try to get a pic of the rear of the house later. Edited June 27, 2009 by LunaticFringe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cottonmather0 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 The activity center is highlighted in yellow, in the blueprint...Here is another description from the mag..."Here again. the ACTIVITY CENTER is in the most convenient place, the hub. Living room has been opened to an enclosed garden next to the carport. No need to hide behind drawn draperies here---privacy is built right in."I also saw the basement stairway, and thought in Houston that it would probably be a closet. The plan is very flexible, so it says, to meet different or changing needs. I like the idea of having the bedrooms away from the kitchen & living area, in my house the master bedroom is next to the family room. Not good.Ahh, I missed that. Well, tell me if I'm reading the plan wrong, but it does look like there's still a basement, no? That's extremely unusual for southeast Texas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NenaE Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 Ahh, I missed that. Well, tell me if I'm reading the plan wrong, but it does look like there's still a basement, no? That's extremely unusual for southeast Texas.Yeah, it's a basement. I've looked at quiet a few of these Better Homes & Gardens floor plans, growing up. The magazine is not just a local one, so it was always a flexible design. The list of Parade of Homes locations covered a very wide range of the United States, not just Texas. It was very adaptable to location. What a shame, concerning the present condition, but so typical. Thanks for the current pic, LunaticFringe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakabedy Posted July 28, 2009 Share Posted July 28, 2009 Thanks for the tip, Scott. Check this out: Magic City Modern blogThanks for the shout out. The blog magiccitymodern blog has been neglected, but I've started fluffing it up lately. Back in 2004 I was considering a job transfer to Houston and spent a week learning the city. That was when I really started to consider a classic MCM home. I never made it to Houston, but I did get my MCM home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.