Nestled into a wooded site, this 1956 Ranch~Style house at
1217 Forestdale Drive in
Salisbury NC is the perfect contemporary home for a growing family.
The brick veneer exterior blends the house with the shadowed tree trunks of the surrounding woods and large windows and sliding glass doors optimize views to the surrounding landscape. A large screened in porch overlooks the nearly half-acre naturalized back yard with mature landscaping.
Just a few doors down from
the newest section of the Salisbury Greenway,
1217 Forestdale Drive is perfectly located for strolling, walking dogs, exercising, or relaxing.
One-story Ranch~Style home designs are so simplistic that some critics say they have no style. But there's more than meets the eye to the classic suburban Ranch~Style house.
1950's era homes are the new historic architecture. People forget that historic doesn't just mean 100+ years old! For anyone over 40, the 1950's Ranch~Style home represents a familiar, if bygone era, where hoards of kids trawled the streets and sitcom families lived in homes just like theirs.
As with all 20th century American architecture, the Ranch style is eclectic. The typical Ranch~Style home is a single story structure that at first glance, may appear bereft of style, but that first impression can be deceptive. 1950’s ranch homes ranged from an unadorned box to various L- or U-shaped configurations, often long and horizontal with an asymmetrical facade. Distinctive features found homes of the 1950s and 60s included Formica kitchens, sliding glass doors and large, casement-style windows.
The interior of a Ranch~Style home is generally open with living room, dining areas, and family rooms blending into one another. Kitchens are often adjacent to the family room (where Mom, Dad, and the kids while watching “Ozzie and Harriet” or “Bonanza” could enjoy many a TV dinner served on a tray). Sliding glass doors open onto decks and patios for summertime patio living.
This sprawling, 3-bedroom, circa 1956 Ranch~Style home at 1217 Forestdale features extremely spacious living areas, such as the long, combination living room/dining room off the kitchen ~ over 27 feet long! This wonderful family and entertaining has one of the homes two fireplaces. The other is in a large, 23’ x 14’ den that features sliding glass doors. This room additionally has the potential to be converted into a fourth bedroom. The 15.5x9.5’ kitchen includes a breakfast room area and the convenient location for the washer dryer hookup.
A feature unique to a home of this era is the original vintage pink-tile bathroom! Pink bathrooms were common in homes built in mid-century America, but by the 1970s they were considered as saccharine as a package of Sweet’N Low. But within the last 5-7 years, pink bathrooms are back into vogue. While pink bathrooms started appearing as early as the 1930s, many credit Mamie Eisenhower with popularizing them in the 1950s. Pastel pink or “Mamie pink” soon became the era’s iconic bathroom color.
Ceramic tile work done before the 1970s was usually of very high quality, according to architects and architectural historians. The tiles themselves were often more substantial and less prone to crack and the so-called mud job, or the way tiles are set in place, was more careful and adhesive. The tiles back then were laid in real mortar, which is why so many of the pink and other wild-colored bathrooms survived. It’s unclear what is driving the recent rethinking of pink, but one factor could be the high visibility of mid-century design due in part to the popularity of “Mad Men” (the Drapers’ downstairs powder room was pink) and Atomic Ranch, the retro architecture magazine. And since pink bathrooms are associated with a time of prosperity, perhaps there is also an element of nostalgia for rosier times. Just "Google" 1950's pink tile bathroom to see the momentum this style has! There are even 'Save the Pink Bathroom' websites!
Some of the additional features of 1217 Forestdale are the new laminate floors that gleam throughout the hall, combo living/dining and two bedrooms. The home has a small 143 square-foot foot utility basement and utility room. The roof and HVAC systems at 1217 Forestdale are only 6 years old! This retro- Ranch home, with its architectural style growing in popularity, and all its features is for sale now at $129,900.
Ranch~Style homes are gaining popularity for their ability to integrate Universal design concepts (Universal design is an approach to design that works to ensure products and buildings can be used by virtually everyone) and accessibility into its single-story floor plans, which is becoming extremely popular ~ and everyone loves the retro look and enjoys a relaxed and spacious home for their families. To get started relaxing in your own circa 1950's Ranch~Style home in Salisbury NC, call Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846.
Greg Rapp 
