Inter-war 1918 > 1939

Single storey detached houses were common during this period. Economic stringency and the move towards modernism were both reflected in this style. Most houses were set well back from the street on fairly large blocks.

Building forms were simple and fairly austere with limited embellishment, although the influence of a number of decorative styles such as Spanish Mission, Georgian Revival and Art Deco were apparent. Space was optimised by removing long passages, combining rooms and decreasing kitchen sizes. Porches replaced verandahs.

Social history

As people travelled more, ideas and styles from around the world spread. In this period houses reflected this great stylistic diversity.

In 1920 the Housing and Reclamation Act made housing more accessible and in 1921 the State Savings Bank introduced its housing scheme, providing finance and low-cost house designs to thousands of people on modest incomes.

In 1938 the Housing Commission of Victoria was established and reclaimed vast areas of Melbourne’s inner city ‘slums’.

As car ownership grows, driveways and garages became common.

To watch Robin Grow talk about Art Deco architects in Melbourne, Click Here

To watch Robin Grow talk about Art Deco design Click Here.