quote:Along with tiny homes, prefab homes have emerged as an ultratrendy option for those looking for an alternative to expensive and oversized housing.
But the prefab concept certainly isn’t new. In fact, steel “Lustron” homes, built between 1948-1950, were supposed to be the housing of the future. While only about 2,500 of these low-maintenance homes were ever built, many still land on the market. And we found seven available right now!
"I think it was a great example of Mid-Century design, but also compact living that was well organized," says Megan Wood in a video for the Ohio Historical Society, which has an actual Lustron home on display for its exhibit "1950s: Building the American Dream." "People were coming into the modern world, and the home eally embodies that."
The homes were the invention of Carl Strandlund, founder of Lustron Corp., and the promise was to quickly assemble affordable homes for returning World War II veterans.
An Ohio factory mass-produced some 3,000 parts per home, including the bathtub, built-in cabinets, and vanities. The parts were loaded on to a truck and delivered to the building site, where they took mere weeks to construct.
Each home consisted of 12 tons of porcelain-coated stainless steel—inside and out—that can be cleaned with a power hose, doesn't require paint, and that would defy “weather, wear and time,” as the company claimed.
While the homes did live up to their promise, the business didn't pan out. The company declared bankruptcy in 1950.
Many of the homes that were built still stand. Aside from the standard small size of the two-bedroom and one bath, the prices for these vintage Lustrons are generally still low. They make a viable option as a cool starter home, an easy-to-maintain rental, and a great topic of conversation.
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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
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Life is short. Play with your dog.
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My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u
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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
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www.PianoRecital.org -- my piano recordings -- China Tune album
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Money seems to buy the most happiness when you give it away.
Why does everything have to be so complicated, all in the name of convenience. -ShiroKuro
A lifetime of experience will change a person. If it doesn't, then you're already dead inside. -MarkJ
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"A mob is a place where people go to get away from their conscience" Atticus Finch
quote:Originally posted by ShiroKuro:
Wow, I’ve never heard of those. I wonder what it’s like to live in a metal house... wouldn’t they be noisy?
So I wonder why the company went bankrupt.
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We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
--------------------------------
We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
--------------------------------
My piano recordings at Box.Net: https://app.box.com/s/j4rgyhn72uvluemg1m6u
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Mary Anna Evans
http://www.maryannaevans.com
MaryAnna@ermosworld.com
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Life is short. Play with your dog.