7 October 1956 “A Little House”

This fun song by the Four Lads had me flipping through me various 1950’s vintage house plans. It is fun to sing along with. Here are the lyrics:

There’s a tiny house (There's a tiny house)
By a tiny stream (By a tiny stream)
Where a lovely lass (Where a lovely lass)
Had a lovely dream (Had a lovely dream)
And the dream came true (And the dream came true)
Quite unexpectedly
In Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea
She was out one day (She was out one day)
Where the tulips grow (Where the tulips grow)
When a handsome lad (When a handsome lad)
Stopped to say hello (Stopped to say hello)
And before she knew (And before she knew)
He kissed her tenderly
In Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea
The happy pair were married one Sunday afternoon
They left the church and ran away to spend their honeymoon
In a tiny house (In a tiny house)
By a tiny stream (By a tiny stream)
Where the lovely lass (Where the lovely lass)
Had a lovely dream (Had a lovely dream)
And the last I heard (And the last I heard)
They still live happily
In Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea
In Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea

I am not sure what it is exactly about this particular house, but I am drawn to it. It couldn’t be simpler. I currently live in a rather small home, but it couldn’t be more different than this little gem. (click images to see full size)
I think the combination of the stone, the clapboard siding, the little cupola on the garage, the swoop of the white fence attached to the garage. It just seems very homey. This house was probably built many times in a sub-division, but I could really see it on a little plot of land here in New England.
Here you can see the layout both with a basement or just a foundation. There is even included in this layout an outdoor fireplace. You can see there is a lot of living in this small space. And I could see it decorated either 50’s modern or Early American and both being quite lovely and appropriate.
Before 1955,  a home such as this would hardly have caught my eye in a book of plans. As I learn to make more of my own, live more simply and really find that I need less and less, the concept and idea of my living space seems to shrink as well. And, as a homemaker, the less space to clean the more time for other endeavors.
A family with two children would have happily lived in this space in the 1950’s. Today, I think separate bedrooms and baths as well as the requisite great room or media room would be required. It’s funny to think that today there are probably more computers in an average American home than there are bedrooms in this 1950’s home.
Just a simple post for me today, I hope that is fine with all of you. The crisp fall weather calls and there is dinner to be made. I hope all of you a fine day and as always, Happy Homemaking.