1924 Bilt-Well Homes of Comfort

Known for its millwork and other wood products, Bilt-Well published its Homes of Comfort during the mid-1920s. Below you will find the entire house plan catalog, including close ups of most of the houses. To the left you will find links to our favorite homes that do not require flash.

BW-4202

This Colonial Revival home plan was designed to impress. It’s very traditional with large rooms, a grand entrance hall, a bath and a half, and the sun porch just off the living room. Such a home would have been eminently suitable for the town banker, lawyer, or doctor.

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BW-4205

This home has the cat slide forward gable seen on many English style homes of the 1920s, but the inset dormers and side gabled roof is more Colonial Revival than English or Tudor. As such it has an eclectic character. This large room was designed to accommodate not only the family, but a little live-in help as well. Note the Maid’s Room conveniently located off the kitchen.

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BW-4208

This is a sweet Dutch Colonial with its characteristic gambrel roof, enclosed front entry, and relative large rooms considering its relatively modest footprint of just 26 x 28 feet. Other features include a kitchen nook and three bedrooms.

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BW-4216

Model BW-4216 is a fairly large home that even by today’s standards is well-thought out. A garage, unusual in the 1920s, is even more unusual by its being attached to the home so that the homeowners can avoid the inconvenience of bad weather.

A galley style kitchen is midway between the kitchen nook and dining room. This English cottage style has several Storybook characteristics including the half timbering, rock and stucco facing, and steeply pitched overlapping gables and cat slide roof.

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BW-4217

The popular English style is represented by Model BW-4217 in the Bilt-Well catalog no. 42. This is an elegant little home with a rock-faced entry, prominent chimney, and half-timbered forward gable. Lots of little details add to its facade without making it too fussy.

A kitchen nook, sun room, and half bath are added amenities on the main floor. Upstairs three bedrooms with a large bathroom that includes a shower and a bathtub, were additional features that must have delighted a few buyers.

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BW-4219

In the 1924 Bilt-Well catalog, there are different homes for a range of buyers. This Mediterranean flavored home is cubic with a pyramidal roof. Style is contributed by the sun room, and vestibule, stucco and tile finishes.

It is unusual for a home of its type because it has two half baths, one of which adjoins one of the upstairs bedrooms, as well as a full bath. The living room is very long at more than 27 feet.

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BW-4224

The venerable Foursquare gets a new face in this 1924 version of the classic design. The exterior is stucco and missing the usual broad front porch. Instead, this home gains added asymmetry with its sun room addition, which is balanced by a vestibule extension. It’s a pleasing, if traditional home, with a light Prairie style touch.

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BW-4226

This home is a simple traditional English cottage which is both spacious and promises comfort. Four bedrooms and two full bathrooms make this floor plan a rarity for the price point at that time.

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BW-4228

This Foursquare offers the economy of construction expected from the style, but with a few extra amenities. Though it lacks the front porch, an enclosed sun porch at the entry was bound to save heating costs and cut down on tracked in dirt, certainly a boon to a homemaker of any era. A large, relatively open floor plan on the main floor would have made this home live larger than the square footage would otherwise suggest.

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BW-4230

Brick, stucco, clipped gables, and half-timbering on the upper story make this the quintessential English Tudor cottage. Quoins at the corners of the entry, a brick arch, and window boxes lend more than enough character to his home. It is as spacious inside as attractive without. Five bedrooms and two full baths (one on each floor) ensure that there is more than enough room for every member of the family.

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BW-4231

A large front porch and simple floor plan is typical of many homes of the early 20th century. This simplified two-story bungaloid-style home offered economy of construction but more than enough room for a small family. With few bells and whistles, it presents a plain, but attractive place to enjoy the comforts of home.

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BW-4235

This smallish brick home is designed in the English cottage style with a prominent chimney, forward lapped gables for an artistic and charming facade. The steeply pitched roof and small footprint make it worthy of a fairytale storybook house. It’s a small house, less than 1000 square feet, that nevertheless manages to pack in all the essentials necessary to make it comfortable for a small family.

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BW-4240

Though not a “standard” bungalow, this home still retains many of the typical bungalow characteristics. It is a story and a half, with gabled dormers, faux half-timbering typical of the Tudor-style bungalow, knee braces and wide eaves.

It lacks the prominent front porch, sporting instead a charming small hooded entry. Though not shown, the plan for the second floor may have as many as three small bedrooms making this a very commodious home, given the modest footprint.

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BW-4242

With a footprint of about 1000 sq. ft., this small English style cottage has just two bedrooms/1 bath but offers a large living room with a fireplace. Very little space is wasted on the interior. The exterior, if constructed as shown, would be clinker brick.

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BW-4245

Less symmetrical than the typical Cape Cod, this small Colonial Revival with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath, was pleasingly arranged both inside and out. The shed roofed entry with its sturdy columns and lap siding was bound to please the most ardent traditionalist. Inside small but comfortably human-sized rooms provided shelter from the elements in a cozy layout.

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BW-4250

A tiny sun room serves as a vestibule, reducing heat loss during the cold season but providing a cozy spot to grow geraniums or read. From there and to other parts of this little house, comfortable spaces offer a pleasant sanctuary to owners of moderate means. Modified bungalow features (eaves, knee braces) point to its antecedents.

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BW-4264

At just about 700 square feet, this tiny house has just enough room for one person or a newly married couple. One bedroom and one bathroom in this traditional Colonial Revival offer the bare essentials. Nevertheless an attractive classic entry, fireplace, and window boxes add enough charm to make this home appealing to any buyer of modest means.

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