Better Homes and Gardens

The first of the three World's Fair houses, created by Royal Barry Wills Associates, is an outstanding example of an American standard: the traditionally styled home with an efficient interior and plan. Its designers, well-known for their authentically styled Early American houses, wanted it to have the flavor and charm that people would appreciate, along with the flexibility and arrangement of space found in the best new homes.

As the exterior photograph demonstrates, Wills designer Merton Barrows succeeded in retaining the appeal of the original New England home. Two wings extend from a slightly larger central section, just as they did on the first Cape Cod Homes. Other details also mark this as a Wills creation: small-pane windows, properly proportioned shutters, narrow siding, and large central chimney.

The plan indicates the guiding concept of this house - a room arrangement that is geared to a family of all ages. Since people tend to live around a kitchen, it occupies a central place in the plan; the living and dining rooms are close by, and the family room is just down the hall by the garage. This arrangement helps generate systematic privacy for the family, with space for the children to entertain at one end and room at the other end for a quiet master bedroom suite and a study.

The rear exterior of the Wills house displays the functional side to this traditionally oriented home. All three of the rooms facing the terrace - from the living room at left to the dining and family rooms - have large glass panels and sliding doors. For each of the rooms, the glass panels mean more light, an unobstructed view to the yard, and a way outside. In keeping with the leisurely pattern of family life, the terrace plantings are kept to compact, convenient areas. The siding, though authentically scaled, is permanent white plastic.