May 1969

ARE YOU SMART TO BE YOUR OWN REMODELING CONTRACTOR?

Yes, but only if you have the time and patience to supervise a variety of subcontractors-- and cope with the headaches that can crop up. Then you might save 10 to 20 percent of the total price a onestop remodeling contractor would charge for the whole job. This means savings of up to $400 on a $2,000 family room, or up to $700 on a new $3,500 addition.

WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET MONEY FOR REMODELING?

Money tight? Interest rates high? That may be true, but you still can find a variety of lenders-- and rates-- in many metropolitan areas. In smaller communities, your choice may be somewhat limited, but here are several good possibilities:

IS THAT OLDER HOUSE WORTH BUYING?

What are the pros and cons of buying an older house? Every family can rate the importance of such factors as neighborhood, schools, churches, and nearness to work. But the dollars and cents comparisons are key considerations, too. Here are facts to help you make the decision.

FIXING UP AN OLDER HOME

May is a great month to take the first step toward that home improvement project you've been thinking about. Whether it's a new coat of paint here and there-- or a major updating-- now's the time to put your ideas into action.

AN EXTRA BATHROOM IN A PACKAGE

How often do you wish for the convenience of an extra bathroom in your home? Every morning? You aren't alone. Many people, especially those owning older homes, are faced with the problem of sharing a single upstairs bathroom with the whole family.

A CLOSE LOOK AT USED CAR BUYING

About to shop for a used car? Then brace yourself. You're about to enter what can be an area of great uncertainty, confusion, and frustration.

A DOZEN FAMILIES PROVE YOU CAN UPDATE ANY HOUSE

Is yours the kind of family that would rather buy an older house and fix it up? Or maybe you're in an older house now and need some ingenious ideas to make it really sensational. Here we show you 12 families who did exactly that. The changes they made range from simple to substantial-- and from the front entry to the back door. Each family got something they either couldn't buy or couldn't afford in a new house. So look closely at the ideas in every picture in our biggest home-improvement issue of all!

A STUFFY KITCHEN NOW HAS A GARDEN VIEW

A GREAT OUTDOOR LIVING AREA FROM A DO-NOTHING BACKYARD

These homeowners had a dual dilemma: two small unconnected areas on different levels. The arrangement was frustrating for their own purposes, useless for entertaining. So they commissioned a landscape architect to draw up a plan for them to follow. The owner did all of the structural work on weekends and evenings; his wife took care of the planting.

A GARAGE CONVERSION STARTS THIS INDOOR-OUTDOOR REMODELING

A CRAMPED KITCHEN OPENS UP FOR A BUSY FAMILY

Want to gain space without robbing another room or building an addition? Take a tip from Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Baron, Toledo, Ohio, who "turned the outside in"-- and changed a seldom-used portico into a full-time family kitchen.

A WONDERFUL OLD HOUSE JOINS THE 20TH CENTURY

A NEW KITCHEN/EATING AREA REPLACES A MAZE OF HALLS AND WALLS

Here's a house that grew without adding any new space. When some useless walls came down, that labyrinth of old closets, halls, and pantries opened up into a delightful kitchen/eating area for Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sullivan of Boston, Mass. The architect duplicated the original doorway arch when creating new windows (below right), so the outward appearance remains traditional.

SMALL IMPROVEMENTS ADD UP TO A GREATLY CHANGED HOUSE

A VERY ORDINARY SMALL HOUSE BECAME SOMETHING SPECIAL ...

This is a very typical 1940s tract house --owned by the Milton E. Florence family of Des Moines, Iowa. Or, we should say, it was a typical tract house. Here is proof that wonders can be worked in family living (and in good looks) even when you start with something plain and poorly planned.

... AND THEY FOUND A DINING AREA THAT WASN'T THERE!

Dining for the Florences had been confined to the kitchen-- a tight squeeze for five people. The solution shown here involved the only structural change in the entire house.

A CHOPPY, OLD-FASHIONED FLOOR PLAN GOES MODERN

This used to be a typical 19th-century Boston house. Then Dr. and Mrs. Robert D. Griesemer moved in and promptly decided that the maze of rooms on the first floor had to go. The result is the free-flowing contemporary arrangement you see here. The low ceiling defining the dining area conceals steel beams that now furnish support for the upper level.

ANOTHER OLD GARAGE GIVES A FAMILY ROOM WITH PATIO

Sometimes the solution to a space problem can lie right under your nose. Take the case of these homeowners, hard pressed for a family room and more outdoor living area. Adding a room seemed the only answer-- but where to put it? Instead, they decided to convert a double garage (with a floor of about 450 square feet) that was only six feet from the kitchen.

A WELL-PLACED GARAGE BECOMES A GREAT FAMILY ROOM

When Mr. and Mrs. Walter Spicer spotted this home in Larkspur, Calif., they couldn't resist it. The garage, nestled under two beautiful redwoods, offered an inexpensive source of the family room they needed.

TIPS ON MAKING FANCY SANDWICHES

Planning a special-occasion tea, reception, or open house? Put dainty sandwiches on the menu, then check these ideas to help you make them as special as the occasion. Drawings and directions tell you how to make them step by step.

THIS KITCHEN REMODELING COMES IN A KIT

Looking for a fast, easy, and economical way to restyle your kitchen? A shortcut that lets you restore old cabinets without replacing or refinishing them?

GOOD NEWS FOR THE GALS

MEALS FOR ... DAY

... it, family appetites miraculously disappear because you're faced with less other problems on ... day! But with careful ... planning, the first meal ... new home can be ... painless.

MEN: KEEP IT CLEAN

GOOD NEWS FOR MEN

Dirty hands come clean fast with this cleaner. Just rub into hands until stains are dissolved, then remove with a cloth or rinse off with clear water.

TAKE YOUR FAMILY HOUSEBOATING

This month's Family Travel package is chock-full of ideas for great summer trips: family fun on a houseboat, a trip to the handicrafts paradise in North Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountains, a tour of Mexico's land of Mayan temple ruins, and some choice state parks you'll find ideal for a family vacation.

EXPLORING THE LAND OF THE MAYAS IN MEXICO

In Yucatan, archaeology comes to life before your eyes. Although their great pre-Columbian cities lie in ruin, many of the ancient traditions of the Mayas still survive. In the countryside. you'll discover Mayas who even today inhabit plastered mud and wattle huts with thatched roofs, and practice slash-and-burn farming methods. Many of them dress in the traditional white garments and speak their ancient tongue.

STATE PARKS WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE TO ROUGH IT

Even if yours is not a camping family, don't cross state parks off your summer vacation list. There are a surprising number of state park systems that are far from being an exclusive domain for campers or rugged outdoorsmen, but are actually great family recreation resorts. In fact, you can't classify your accommodations as "roughing it"; some state park lodges are downright luxurious.

SHOPPING FOR MOUNTAIN CRAFTS IN NORTH CAROLINA

The Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina cuts through a land of many uncommon pleasures for travelers-- an ideal climate, rugged mountains, sheltered valleys, scenic lakes, camping and recreational areas, and a fascinating collection of towns and shops where you can find the delightful work of mountain craftsmen. Their handicrafts-- from fine dulcimers, banjos and guitars, to furniture, dolls, and loomed goods-- are available in many shops along the parkway.

WAYS TO SPARK UP A FIREPLACE

Don't Take Pain To Bed With You

Measurin is the only leading pain reliever with Timed-Release Action, so one dose at bedtime helps you sleep better at night and wake up without morning stiffness.

FENCE YOURSELF IN

Everybody needs some privacy these days, outdoors as well as in. A fence offers just the right amount of protection from the hurly-burly world outside. A hedge could do the job for you, if you don't mind waiting a few years, but wood fencing is practically instant.

SHOPPING EDITOR'S CHOICE

Discover the fun and convenience of shopping by mail! You can order with complete confidence any of the items shown: each company will refund your money if you're not delighted.

SHOPPING BY MAIL IN NEW ENGLAND

Here's a wide choice of values specially selected from the great Northeast. You'll find Early American furniture and furnishings, craft projects, gifts for your friends, ideas to make life more fun.

THE MAN NEXT DOOR

Christine notes that with the price of food what it is today, it's completely understandable to cry over spilled milk.