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1925 vs. 2012: Which Floorplan Wins?

  • January 27th 2014

by Lark Turner

1925 vs. 2012: Which Floorplan Wins?: Figure 1
“The Amsterdam” house, built in 1925. From the Grolier Club via WSJ.

When it comes to floor plans, we’ve made some improvements in the last century.

That was the conclusion of two analysts brought on by the Wall Street Journal to evaluate the floor plans of a 1925 house and a 2012 home built to look like an older home.

The 1925 house, called “the Amsterdam,” had this floor plan:

1925 vs. 2012: Which Floorplan Wins?: Figure 2
The Amsterdam house plan. From the Grolier Club via WSJ.

The 2012 home was laid out like this:

1925 vs. 2012: Which Floorplan Wins?: Figure 3
A 2012 Plan.

The WSJ’s evaluating architects, Matthew North and John Brown of the Canadian firm Housebrand, noted some big differences between the home’s conveniences. Here are a few:

  • The old house’s entrance is tiny, with no place to greet guests, throw a coat or pull on shoes; the new house has ample closet space near the larger front entry.
  • Unsurprisingly, given the technological advances over the past century and the evolving use of kitchens, the old home’s kitchen was dark, cramped and lacking in storage when compared with the new kitchen, which has a big center island and lots of light.
  • The old house lacks a master bedroom that makes a statement to buyers, not to mention closet space, while the new house gives owners a suite all their own.

Intrigued by this idea, UrbanTurf will be executing a DC-oriented concept in the coming weeks.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/in_a_floor_plan_face-off_between_new_and_old_which_century_wins/8045.

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