By: Architectural Historian Shelley Roff, Ph.D. The house at 100, Trillium Lane hugs the hill it sits on with a low, extended profile and is shaded by a beautiful canopy of native Texas trees. It is a 1963 modern Ranch Style home with a light, minimalist aesthetic. The exterior walls are constructed with a cream-colored brick laid in an irregular relief pattern, accompanied by the straight repeating lines of white-painted wood siding. The profile of the gabled roofs is low enough that one does not see their shingled surface from the street. By the 1960s, steel and glass skyscraper and slick, transparent public buildings, in the so-called International Style, were cropping up all over American cities. Those who were ready to relinquish the compartmentalized spaces of the bungalow or old-fashioned look of the stately Neoclassical home welcomed the clean lines and open spaces of both International Style and Ranch Style residences. One enters the house on Trillium through a charming, xeriscape courtyard and a door ornamented with a glowing stained glass panel. The entry gives way to a spacious living area with large windows, which spans one-half of the length of the house. In typical Ranch fashion the more familial spaces of the house are tucked behind the living room and face the back yard. The entryway also leads directly to the den, which has its original, stained wood paneling and attached ceiling beams. Set in contrast to the darker tone of the paneling, is the white-painted fireplace and bench, designed with the same brick pattern of the house's exterior. The wood paneling extends down the walls into the kitchen with pantry and cabinet doors matching its smooth, minimalist aesthetic. This 60s modernist look is carried through into the bedrooms with the folding closet panels and wood panel doors. Back in the den, French doors open to the back patio and yard. Most likely, these were originally Arcadia sliding glass doors, which would have provided a direct and transparent view into the outdoor space. The patio floor has a sweeping profile, designed to match the curving shape of the fence beyond; and its cover is upheld by a typical 1960s detail: a thin steel frame with a repeating "S" motif welded in between. |
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