February 09, 1930

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A column from the Interior Decoration Department home series describing the Brandenburg house.

Representative Type of Modernistic
Many Possible for Color Contrast
This is the first in series of Contemporary Style to be Presented by The Detroit News Home Building Service.
During the past few years has been much discussion in this country concerning the modernistic movement in architecture and interior decoration. Many of the more prominent architects, especially those who have given considerable study to the new styles, prefer to class it as contemporary architecture and perhaps in the modified form in which the designs are being prepared and submitted in this country that term more clearly expresses this new architecture.

It was in the late eighties of this past century that the modernistic movement had its inception when two English artists created ornamentation along naturalistic plant lines. The movement grew and soon spread among designers in nearly all parts of Continental Europe. Before the World War it was in full swing and had been applied quite extensively to buildings. Most of the work was pronounced good, sometimes extraordinary.

The new styles developed two classes of architects and designers which easily fall into the classification of new traditional and expressionist is more of a radical departure from the old at times to the point where it may appear bizarre to some.

American architects who have studied the new movement and are producing designs along that line naturally belong in the of new traditions. The basic designs for their buildings are founded on one or more of the historic styles that have been revived during the past periods when architects and designers were searching for something new and different.

The floor plans have not been materially changed from those used in the American Colonial period which was later revived in all its phases such as Southern, Middle Atlantic, Pennsylvania, Dutch Colonial, and New England types. The only difference is that brought about by the necessity of providing for the installation of electric wiring, heating, plumbing, water, telephone, and other modern appliances.

Therefore, the real innovation that distinguish American modernistic or contemporary architecture are the embellishments that have been introduced by assembling the materials in rectangular, hexagonal and octagonal shapes. In some of the more pronounced designs the scheme is carried into the interior arrangements and trim.

The Detroit News Home Building Service today presents the first of a series of residences designed in the modernistic or contemporary style of architecture. These creations are the work of the Detroit Architecture Small Homes Bureau 503 Architects Building, who have prepared the plans for the home building service since its inception seven years ago.
Preparations have been made for continuing this series in all its applications to the practical and livable five, six and seven room floor plans which are recognized as being suitable for the average American family under our present standard of living.
The home presented today is based on a modulated modernistic design, but it has dignity and the arrangement of the interior shows possibilities of many treatments to bring about the fascinating effects by color contrasts. The hall and living room are a bit formal. The desired atmosphere for a home of this can be attained by the use of neutral but rich backgrounds against which more vivid shades for the draperies can be used of neutral but rich background against which more vivid shades for the draperies can be used and this can be further emphasized in the furniture coverings.

The following decorations and furnishing scheme is suggested as a basis from which one might evolve an arrangement to suit the individual taste, if preferred to the one here offered.

Hall: Walls and woodwork to be finished in a rich bisque shade: floor covering, Italian red Chenille, or Wilton furniture cassone to be placed on the wall toward the dining room, and to be grouped with a glass shade. Over the cassone may be a venture tapestry.

Living Room: Walls and woodwork to be finished like those in the hall, floor covering, very dark rich rose taupe Chenille or Wilton, leaving approximately one foot of floor margin all around, glass curtains, heavy figured gauze in a pale gold shade, made to draw, over draperies, Italian Red and Gold damask, hung from wrought iron poles. Furniture, a pair of love seats covered in red velvet to match the ground of the draperies extra pillows for same of gold ground brocade tall walnut cabinet with conventional decoration in colors, oblong taffeta shade, easy chair in striped damask greenish blue predominating pair of single chairs, with loose and seats of red velvet ( one to be placed on each side of fireplace) armchair in needlepoint Venetian mirror and pair of bronze candelabra for over mantel decorations, bridge lamp with parchment shade and small table to be grouped with striped damask chair, and decorated leather fire screen completed this room.

Dining Room: Wall and woodwork to be a yellowish sand shade floor covering. Pompeian green Chenille or Wilton, glass curtains, cream figured gauze, made to draw over draperies, Pompeian green ground cretonne or linen to hang to floor and put up with a flat shaped valance, all trimmed with a mix braid to harmonize with the...

Kitchen: Blue and white checked linoleum on the floor, walls and woodwork to be finished light tan, curtains cream voile, trimmed with brass bands of blue and white plaid gingham.
Stairs and second floor hall to have carpeting to match that in the first floor hall.

Bedroom at left: Cream woodwork, beige jaspe wall paper, soft old rose rug, glass curtains, coarse ecru filet net, over draperies, tan ground chintz with lattice backgrounded large bouquet of flowers carried out in rose, deep tan and green, furniture to be walnut and to consist of a double bed, chest of drawers, over mirror, desk, single chair, easy chair large foot stool, bedspread to be made of rose and tan striped amure and easy chair to be covered in the drapery material.

Center Bedroom: Cream woodwork, yellow ground paper, with cream polka dot, glass curtains, like bedroom at left, fawn colored rug, amethyst ground cretonne with floral design in gold, green, and rose, furniture walnut, consisting of twin beds, night table, chiffon robe, dresser, single chair, and easy chair, bedspread to be made of amethyst linen piped with yellow each chair to be covered in amethyst and green sunfast stripe piped with yellow.

Bedroom at right: Walls to be paneled with wood molding and walls and woodwork to be finished in a rich light tan, floor covering soft old blue, glass curtains like those in the other two bedrooms, over draperies soft old blue ground linen with Arabesque design in soft tans and coral, furniture, combination walnut and mahogany consisting of a double bed, night table, dresser, dressing table, dressing table bench, single chair and easy chair, bedspread to be blue and coral changeable taffeta, easy chair to be upholstered in drapery material.

Bathroom: Pale rose walls, filet curtain to match those in the bedroom, rose gray and green reversible Chenille rug.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.