Catalog Homes of the1920's
Who needs a realtor when you can just open a catalog and order your new home right out of its pages?
Back in the 1920s, people actually had the opportunity to do just that! Buyers had the ability to order their new home straight out of an annual catalog, choosing everything they wanted...from the house model and style, exterior and interior colors, and any extras that they wanted to include in their new home (at additional cost, of course).
Then-famous department stores Sears and Montgomery Ward were two of the leaders of the catalog home industry. Aladdin "Built-in-a-Day" was another...and, as the name suggests, these homes were constructed, painted, wired, plumbed, and finished within just a matter of days!
Despite the quick construction, these were good, quality homes. They were no different than any other house that was built using the "conventional" construction method, except that their materials were pre-measured, pre-cut, and pre-tested inside a manufacturing facility. The home pieces were then delivered to the new home site, where several workers assembled the home's many pieces, much like a puzzle.
I have always been fascinated by these homes, and have had the opportunity to even see some of them in person. Thousands upon thousands of catalog homes still exist throughout the United States...and, as you may have guessed, many of these houses also exist in my Sims' worlds! While these homes are much smaller than most of the large, awesome, sprawling houses that many simmers have built and shared on the gallery, my catalog homes each possess a 1920's charm that serve my Sims' well.
The purpose of this thread is to offer other Simmers a peek at some of my catalog home creations...and, if there is enough interest in them, perhaps I will upload them on the gallery sometime soon. Cheers!!
Back in the 1920s, people actually had the opportunity to do just that! Buyers had the ability to order their new home straight out of an annual catalog, choosing everything they wanted...from the house model and style, exterior and interior colors, and any extras that they wanted to include in their new home (at additional cost, of course).
Then-famous department stores Sears and Montgomery Ward were two of the leaders of the catalog home industry. Aladdin "Built-in-a-Day" was another...and, as the name suggests, these homes were constructed, painted, wired, plumbed, and finished within just a matter of days!
Despite the quick construction, these were good, quality homes. They were no different than any other house that was built using the "conventional" construction method, except that their materials were pre-measured, pre-cut, and pre-tested inside a manufacturing facility. The home pieces were then delivered to the new home site, where several workers assembled the home's many pieces, much like a puzzle.
I have always been fascinated by these homes, and have had the opportunity to even see some of them in person. Thousands upon thousands of catalog homes still exist throughout the United States...and, as you may have guessed, many of these houses also exist in my Sims' worlds! While these homes are much smaller than most of the large, awesome, sprawling houses that many simmers have built and shared on the gallery, my catalog homes each possess a 1920's charm that serve my Sims' well.
The purpose of this thread is to offer other Simmers a peek at some of my catalog home creations...and, if there is enough interest in them, perhaps I will upload them on the gallery sometime soon. Cheers!!
