Cedarwood (house)

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Coordinates: 53°22′54″N 2°52′39″W / 53.381631°N 2.8774932°W / 53.381631; -2.8774932
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Cedarwood
Dewi Prys Thomas
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated25 April 2007
Reference no.1391948
Cedarwood (house) is located in Merseyside
Cedarwood (house)
Location of Cedarwood in Merseyside

Cedarwood is a

Prys Thomas, its "outstanding design, excellent detailing and remarkable preservation" led to it becoming a listed building by Historic England
in 2007.

Description

A design by

Dewi Prys Thomas was chosen by the magazine Woman's Journal as its 'House of the Year' scheme for 1960.[1][2][3] The publication paid for the house to be built in the Liverpool suburb of Woolton and recovered the costs through sponsorships from constructors and suppliers involved.[1] Its estimated value was around £10,000, albeit without its luxurious fixtures and fittings could be marketed around £4,000.[4] Upon completion it was opened up to viewing for the general public for four weeks between 25 February and 27 March 1960,[4] during which time it became a local attraction and was visited by tens of thousands of people.[1][2][5]

It was envisioned as a house of the future which could be mass-produced, suited for the modern family lifestyle emerging in Britain at the dawn of the 1960s.[2][4][5] Ultimately, however, it was never replicated and thus remains a one-off architectural expression of that time period, also experiencing minimal alterations since.[2]

The house is a two-storey building. The ground floor spans the width of the site and is constructed of brick, finished with a white cement render.[1][2][4] It is mostly open plan,[5] however the living spaces and dining room can be divided with folding screens. The kitchen and cloakroom form the main traditionally partitioned spaces on the ground floor; the latter's curved cedarwood frame protrudes outside of the front elevation. Large windows look out onto the back garden.[2][4]

The first floor is a significant contrast. It is narrower than the ground floor,

Western Redcedar,[4] from which the building gets its name.[1][5] It features four traditionally compartmentalised bedrooms, a bathroom, and an external terrace.[4] The roof is pyramidal in form and shallow in pitch,[3] so much so that it is virtually completely hidden from view by a copper clad parapet.[2]

The rear garden was also designed by the architects. It features a small pool, placed close to the house to reflect light into it, artificially sculpted grassy mounds, and

birch trees.[1][2]

The building is particularly noted for its detailing.[1][3] Examples include: stiletto heel coat hooks in the cloakroom, slots for a telephone, directory and coal scuttle in the built-in fire surround, dining room wall niches for wine bottles and concealed strip lights within the wooden pelmets of the bedrooms.[4] The original furnishings were supplied by the Liverpool department store, George Henry Lee.[1][4]

See also

Other Grade II* or above listed buildings in Woolton:

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 978-1849946865
    .
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Me and My House Cedarwood" (PDF). C20 Magazine (Spring 2014 ed.). The Twentieth Century Society. pp. 18–22. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  3. ^
    ISBN 0140710361
    .
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The House Of The Year. Subscription required Paywall. The Guardian. Archived at Newspapers.com. pp. 11–14. 24 February 1960. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  5. ^
    ISBN 978-1849944373
    .

External links
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