Tri-Valley’s expandable homes: flexible floorplans for growing families (1960s–1970s)

In the booming post-war years of the 1960s and 1970s, the Tri-Valley area embraced a unique housing innovation: the expandable home. Designed to grow with families, these flexible homes offered affordable initial pricing with the option to add bedrooms and living spaces later. This clever concept met the needs of young buyers eager to start their homeownership journey without sacrificing future space or comfort.

What are expandable homes?

Expandable homes were built with unfinished areas—often an upper floor or basement—that could be completed as families expanded or budgets allowed. This modular approach allowed buyers to purchase a smaller, more affordable home upfront, then customize and enlarge it over time.

Black-and-white 1968 newspaper photo of a finished bonus room featuring a pool table, posters, and casual seating in a suburban expandable home.
A 1968 bonus room in action—finished as a lively games room, showing the flexibility of expandable home design.

Builders highlighted models like the “Room Maker,” which debuted in the late 1960s in Dublin. With 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms initially, it featured an unfinished second story that could be finished later, adding a hobby space, more bedrooms, and a bathroom.

1967 ad for the Room Maker expandable home with an optional unfinished second story.
The Room Maker model at Appletree offered affordable flexibility for growing families.

Where expandable homes were built in the Tri-Valley

Dublin: a creative start

Parkwood San Ramon – Monarch Construction (1962)

One of the earliest expandable designs came from Monarch Construction in Parkwood San Ramon.

Two-story Parkwood San Ramon home with an unfinished second floor designed for future use.
The Plan 3 model at Parkwood featured an entire second floor as a “bonus room.”

Appletree – American Housing Guild (1967)

The Room Maker model introduced an unfinished second story that included windows but unfinished, highlighting the do-it-yourself nature of these homes.

Photo of the Room Maker model at Appletree in Dublin. A home with flexible second-story for future dreams.
The Room Maker: a creative solution for families looking to build as they go.

Livermore: a pioneer in affordability

Somerset – H.C. Elliott (1968)

The original Somerset House offered a two-bedroom layout with an unfinished second story.

Livermore’s Somerset House with expandable second-story option.
Somerset House with flexible design—stairs and windows sold separately.

A revision of the Somerset House, the 1969 Spacemaster included blueprints and a kit for a 500 sq. ft. second story. In 1970 it came with pre-installed second-story windows and a DIY staircase kit.

Exterior of a Spacemaster model home with pre-built upstairs windows.
The Spacemaster: offering blueprints, windows, and a staircase kit for future upgrades.

Pleasanton: a future-forward option

Valley Trails – Morrison Homes (1970)

Morrison’s Now and Future House lived up to its name with a design that could be purchased as a finished 4-bedroom or left at a 2-bedroom starter.

Single-family home in Pleasanton’s Valley Trails with optional second floor.
The Now and Future House gave buyers a choice: grow now or later.

San Ramon: flexible living in a country setting

Country Club Park – Volk-McLain (1962)

The Woodside model offered an upstairs “bonus room” or up to three additional bedrooms and a bath.

Two-story home in San Ramon’s Country Club Park, with expandable upper floor.
Woodside model in Country Club Park, San Ramon, with flexible second-story potential.

California Classics – William Lyon Homes (1968)

The Look Ahead House included a convertible second story that could be finished later as two more bedrooms.

California-style ranch home with potential for upstairs expansion.
California Classics Look Ahead House: understated, expandable elegance.

Why were expandable homes so popular?

Expandable homes addressed several key challenges of the post-war housing boom:

Affordability

Buyers could get into a home at a lower initial price, with the option to expand later—ideal for first-time homeowners.

Flexibility

Families had the freedom to customize their home over time—turning bonus rooms into bedrooms, home offices, game rooms, or income units.

Personalization

Unlike fully finished tract homes, expandable homes gave buyers a chance to DIY their space or contract their own improvements, adding sweat equity and personal flair.

The legacy of expandable homes in the Tri-Valley

By the mid-1970s, hundreds of expandable homes dotted the Tri-Valley suburbs, contributing to a more diverse and flexible housing stock. They helped broaden access to homeownership during a time of high demand and limited financing options.

Many of these homes still stand today—now fully built out, remodeled, and cherished.

Whether it was a Room Maker in Dublin, a Spacemaster in Livermore, or a Now and Future House in Pleasanton, these designs represent a unique chapter in California's suburban history—a period when homes were designed to adapt to real life, not just a floorplan.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

San Ramon's Country Club Park: 1961–1965 homes & subdivision history

Image
Welcome to San Ramon Country Club Park In the early 1960s, Country Club Park wasn’t just a place to live—it was a way of life. Located alongside the San Ramon Golf Club, the 531 homes built between 1961 and 1965 were crafted to reflect a lifestyle of sun-drenched leisure and striking mid-century architecture. Each home was designed to meet the tastes of a modern, active generation—one for whom a golf cart was as much a part of the scenery as the fairways it cruised upon. With its winding streets, manicured lawns, and quiet elegance, Country Club Park offered the kind of suburban paradise where Sunday drives could become an endless journey through leisure. Location of the County Club Park neighborhood in San Ramon, California. Volk-McLain and the bold architecture of Country Club Park The development of Country Club Park was entrusted to Volk-McLain , with homes designed by the talented Raymond Dean Conwell. Between 1961 and 1965, the neighborhood’s architecture took shape through...
Read more

Walnut Grove Series: 1966–1968 homes in Pleasanton Valley

Image
Welcome to the Walnut Grove series homes at Pleasanton Valley When Morrison Homes broke ground on its second phase in Pleasanton Valley — the Walnut Grove Series — it did so with a nod to the land’s past. Built between 1966 and 1968, the homes were sited on generous lots — many measuring over 11,000 square feet — and often came with a quiet legacy: up to six mature walnut trees left from the original orchard. These weren’t just new homes; they were new roots planted in old soil. A view from Hopyard Road in 1968 shows the Pleasanton Valley model home complex—fresh sidewalks, young trees, and homes awaiting families. The photo hints at Pleasanton’s rural feel before suburban expansion. Pleasanton in the mid-to-late 1960s was undergoing a slow but steady transformation. While nearby Dublin was developing its first shopping centers and San Ramon remained mostly pasture, Pleasanton was emerging as a town with modern schools, growing families, and a suburban identity still grounded in r...
Read more

Pleasanton Valley history: Pleasanton's 1964–1979 neighborhood development

Image
From 1964 to 1979, Pleasanton Valley quietly transformed Pleasanton from a rural crossroads into a thriving hometown. Developed by Morrison Homes on the former Orloff Ranch, this neighborhood became one of the city’s largest and most defining suburban expansions—home to over 1,470 families. For 15 straight years, Pleasanton families had something new to look forward to: a fresh model home to tour, a new floor plan to dream about, and another reason to fall in love with this growing community. Map of the Pleasanton Valley neighborhood in Pleasanton, California. A neighborhood of birds, trees—and families Locals often called it “Birdland” or “The Woods,” thanks to the whimsical street names inspired by birds and trees. But the names weren’t what made Pleasanton Valley special. It was the families. Generations of kids rode bikes past new construction, splashed through sprinklers in front yards, and chased each other through parks and cul-de-sacs. Nearly everyone in Pleasanton at the t...
Read more