Start by touring the Cleaver's home here.
I was going to just focus on their second home on 211 Pine Street. But, there is one part of their first home that I am in love with - their living room and in particular, that nook space in the back. So, I decided to explore that room before venturing over to Pine Street.
Here's my favorite part . . . sigh! We rarely got to see it on the show.
Here's a close up of that area. This is where Larry and Beaver sat to try and smoke their dad's German meerschaum pipe - filled with coffee grounds!
This fun thing happened. I tweeted a picture of this room on Twitter and asked Jerry Mathers if he remembered what color the walls really were and he actually took the time to respond. So cool of him. And, now I'll go back and change the color to match what he remembers.
And, another shot of that area - this one showing us what the other side might have looked like. This is what a Cleaver would see as they walked into the living room from the dining room, if there had been 4 walls.
In this longer shot of the room, you get to see a view we never got to see on the show - the wall that their TV and desk were on. I love this home. And it has held up. You could move in today. Amazing.
And I just have to show it in black and white, because...well, you know why.
One last look at this room before I head over to their second home, which had many of its own interesting spaces.
I've started on the Cleaver's 2nd home. Here are a couple views of the living room, in ways we never got to see.
I had never noticed that little nook off to the side with the game table, until I started researching to do the model. But, it's there, in several episodes. We just never get to see it from this angle. How cool is that? I love this living room more than I even thought!
Here's an overhead view to help give you a better idea of the layout of the living room and dining room.
The view from Wally's side of the dining room table.
The view from June's side.
I started working on the kitchen today. What an incredible kitchen, especially for the 50's. Wait until you see the other side.
Looks like June has started supper. This is a view we never got to see on Leave it to Beaver. The Cleaver's actually had a pretty nice kitchen, even for today's standards. No dishwasher, but a lot of cupboard space.
I had always thought of the Cleaver home as being middle class. But, I think that was because we only saw one little snippet of the home per scene on TV. As I modeled it, I was discovering one huge, spacious room after another.
The quintessential den, belonging to none other than Ward Cleaver.
And, for those who want to see the tour in black and white - here you go:
With every TV home I've modeled, I am always surprised at how much larger it is than I thought it was. There must be something about how it looks on TV just seeing little bits at a time, vs. walking through the entire house, being able to look left and right as you go through. You know how the camera is supposed to add 10 lbs. to a person? Well, it must take away 1,000 sq ft on a house.
In this overhead view, you not only get a sense of the feel of the whole layout of the home, but you get to see that quirky passageway from the kitchen to the entryway. By the way, there was room [but just barely] for a half bath under the stairs. You could enter it directly across from the kitchen door. So, if anyone wants to build this home, go right ahead - you can have your half bath on the main floor. Just remember to invite me over when you are finished building it.
To see the other TV and movie homes I've finished, visit the home page here: https://www.mockingbirdlane.design/
The Cleaver home dressed up for the holidays.