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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 56467 ***
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+                  _A_ BOOK _of_
+
+              DISTINCTIVE INTERIORS
+
+
+                   _EDITED BY_
+
+               WILLIAM A. VOLLMER
+
+                 [Illustration]
+
+
+                    NEW YORK
+             McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY
+                      1912
+
+
+
+
+         COPYRIGHT, 1910, 1911, 1912, BY
+             McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY
+
+
+           _Published November, 1912_
+
+
+
+
+      Contents
+                                                PAGE
+
+  PLANNING THE LIVING-ROOM                         5
+
+  By _A. Raymond Ellis_
+
+
+  DESIGNING THE DINING-ROOM                       47
+
+  By _A. Raymond Ellis_
+
+
+  DECORATING AND FURNISHING THE BEDROOM           69
+
+  By _Margaret Greenleaf_
+
+
+  THE PROBLEM OF THE BATHROOM                     87
+
+  By _A. Raymond Ellis_
+
+
+  THE PROPER TREATMENT FOR THE NURSERY            99
+
+  By _Sarah Leyburn Coe_
+
+
+  CHARACTERISTIC HALLS AND STAIRWAY TYPES        108
+
+
+  PLANNING THE KITCHEN                           116
+
+  By _James Earle Miller_
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Pleasing decorative effects may be obtained by bringing out the
+    natural graining of the woodwork. Chestnut and cypress are
+    particularly suitable for this as they may be stained and wax
+    finished, or stained and rubbed down to produce this effect. This
+    fireplace was built with outside bricks selected for their color.
+    There is a mottling of purple and bluish tones among the reds that
+    harmonizes strikingly with the Oriental rug before it
+]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+Planning the Living-room
+
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A lounge before the fireplace becomes more useful if a table bearing
+    a lamp is placed behind it. Cypress is reasonable for interior trim,
+    costing from sixty to sixty-eight dollars a thousand feet
+]
+
+After the method of modern planning, the living-room is treated as the
+principal room in the house. I do not mean to say that this room should
+be overdone, or given undue prominence to the exclusion of the other
+rooms, but it is essential that this room be treated differently from
+the old-fashioned way we formerly treated our living-rooms, then
+generally a front and back parlor. These two rooms have now been
+superseded by one large room, as our mode of living and entertaining
+makes it more desirable than the two small, stuffy rooms, then used
+only occasionally.  To-day we plan to give pleasure and comfort to the
+family, rather than the occasional guest.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The drawing of the suggested room arrangement shows the fireplace
+    and the French doors leading to the piazza. Above the ivory tinted
+    wainscoting the background paper is of a putty color and panels are
+    filled with a striped and foliated fabric held in place by a molding
+    strip
+
+    The ground plan of the room shows a good arrangement of rugs and
+    furniture in order that advantage may be taken of the fireplace and
+    the various lights. Conversation may be carried on with ease and
+    comfort and the room used for various purposes conveniently
+]
+
+[Illustration: This reception room has chiefly Louis XVI furniture,
+which appears well with the light gray and white woodwork designed
+after the Adam style]
+
+There are probably two or three dozen ways that the living-room can be
+planned and decorated and at the same time be comfortable and
+attractive. I have chosen to illustrate this with a type of living-room
+that adapts itself to almost any house and offers the greatest amount
+of free space when the room is properly furnished. The room is 15 ft.
+× 29 ft. 6 in., with a ceiling height of 9 feet, these dimensions
+giving a well-proportioned room.  The fireplace is in the center of the
+west wall, flanked on each side by two French doors which open out on a
+piazza. At each end of the room are two windows, balancing one another.
+On the east wall a wide opening with French doors permits access to the
+main hall. The most prominent feature of the room is the fireplace,
+which is accentuated and made a natural center. This is an important
+consideration when planning a natural grouping of the family or its
+guests.
+
+[Illustration: Such architectural features as beamed ceilings should
+only be used in rooms of pretentious size. A good example of Caen stone
+fireplace is found here]
+
+The treatment of the room is Colonial. A low wainscot, 2 ft. 6 in.
+high, comprising a base, panel, and cap, is carried around the room.
+The ceiling is beamed with four substantial beams and a half beam to
+form a cornice around the room at the junction of the wall and ceiling.
+Over the heads of the doors and windows there is a wide wooden frieze
+with a cap which ties them, one might say, to the bottom of the
+cornice, and makes them more completely an integral part of the
+woodwork. The window stools form a part of the wainscot cap.
+
+[Illustration: A summer living-room that achieves a brilliant note
+through white woodwork and figured hangings with upholstery to match]
+
+The finish of the room is white wood, given four coats of lead and oil
+paint, with a fifth coat of white enamel, rubbed down, and a sixth and
+final finishing coat of enamel of an ivory shade that dries out with a
+very dull satin-like luster that is very durable and not easily marred.
+Above the wainscot the walls are covered with a heavy background paper
+having a body color almost of a putty shade, enlivened in certain
+lights with a pinkish caste. This is accented by the panels, between
+the windows and doors, of a delicately hued fabric with a foliated
+striped design. A flat molding covers the edge of the fabric and forms
+the panel. In order to balance these and add character to the room, the
+draperies at the windows and doors are of soft blue velour, without
+which the scheme would be lifeless and flat. The facing of the
+fireplace is of Sienna marble surmounted with a simple mantel,
+consisting merely of a heavy classical architrave, with a shelf above
+and a large plate glass mirror over it. One must not lose sight of the
+fact that the colors of this room, while light and delicate, are all
+very rich and warm, due to the predominating ivory color of the
+woodwork, enlivened and strengthened by the richer and heavier color
+used in the panels and curtains.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Some would consider it bold to combine white walls and white
+    woodwork in the living-room. The rug, pictures and furniture
+    covering, however, are chosen with an eye to bright colors
+]
+
+The ceiling is sand-finished and tinted to match the walls. The floor
+is of quartered oak, filled and given two coats of a finish which
+produces a durable even surface with a dull luster that is not so
+slippery as a waxed floor. The disposition of the rugs over this floor
+is a matter of personal taste and the amount one can afford for rugs.
+The rugs should be Oriental and of light uniform coloring. The plans
+show probably the most economical way of covering the floor--using one
+large rug as a center and filling with smaller rugs. One large rug
+might be obtained that would extend from the piano to the pier glass,
+but it would have to be an odd shape or specially made.  Two large rugs
+might be used, one in each end of the room, with a small rug to fill in
+before the fireplace. The approximate positions and proper design for
+the various pieces of furniture used in the room are indicated.
+
+In order to obtain the real benefit of the fireplace, it is necessary
+to have a broad comfortable sofa or an upholstered mahogany seat in
+front of it. In back of this should be a small mahogany table on which
+an ornamental lamp may stand. On each side of the table can be drawn up
+large comfortable chairs. This arrangement permits the light of the
+lamp to fall in the correct position for anyone wishing to read in the
+chairs or on the seat in front of the fireplace. At one side of the
+fireplace a large wing-chair would be well placed. The bookcases would,
+of course, be unnecessary if there were a library in the house, but
+where the living-room is to answer the general purposes of the family,
+the book-shelves would be found very useful, and could be movable or
+built in as part of the finish. Between the northern windows a fine
+position is obtained for the piano, on the right of which is a good
+place for a davenport.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Where a living-room is long, various parts of it may be devoted to
+    different uses, one end being a library and the other a sitting-room
+    for instance, with a corner for deskwork
+]
+
+The disposition of the minor pieces of furniture need not be mentioned,
+except the fact that a pier glass at the opposite end of the room,
+between the two southern windows is a very decorative treatment, and
+that the corner at the left affords a place for a tea table or a
+Colonial pie-crust table.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The low hanging center light is rapidly being superseded by
+    individual fixtures about the room or hung from chains. The
+    three-quarter paneling here is attractive when combined with some
+    conventionalized frieze design
+]
+
+In addition the electric lights are provided with switches, and in the
+baseboard around the room are two plugs for attaching portable table
+lamps.  There must also be a bell registering its signal on an
+annunciator in the kitchen,--one ring for a maid--two rings for tea, or
+as the housewife may arrange.
+
+The cost of the furniture used in this room, covered in cotton, made
+from the architect's drawings, would be as follows: 18th century sofa,
+rolled ends, $90; and it requires 3-1/6 yards of 50-inch goods to cover
+it. Low-boy with drawers, $90--size 2 ft. 6 in. × 4 ft. 6 in. Tip-top
+tea table, 38 in. in diameter, $60. Martha Washington wing-chair, $54,
+in cotton; requires 5 yards of 50-inch goods to cover. Martha
+Washington armchair, $40, in cotton; requires 2 yards of 50-inch goods
+to cover. The crown ladder-back side chairs would cost about $35 each
+in cotton, and the armchair to match, $40.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    As a general color rule for decoration, red should be used for north
+    rooms and blue for east and west rooms; the warmer tones in
+    living-rooms than in bedrooms. This shows a good use of scrim
+    curtains with a gathered valance
+]
+
+The beamed ceiling, door and window casings, mantel and wainscot in the
+room would cost about $450. If the wainscot were omitted about $75
+would be saved--the mantel and marble facing cost about $100 separately.
+
+
+A. RAYMOND ELLIS
+
+[Illustration: The use of a single large rug as the basis for the floor
+covering is often very satisfactory. This house shows an interesting
+treatment with a molding that acts as cornice]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    There is something in the restraint shown in the fireplace of
+    Indiana limestone with no mantel shelf that overdecoration could
+    never have obtained. An interesting feature is the use of candle
+    sconces as an auxiliary to the electric lighting
+]
+
+[Illustration: Heavy woodwork requires the use of heavy, substantial
+furniture. In this room, where the appearance of craftsmanship is
+prevalent, such furniture is very suitable]
+
+[Illustration: A very unpretentious room, but one in good taste. The
+furniture has all been planned for a distinct location and has been
+built in to it]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A large living-room demands some such architectural treatment as
+    these pillars. The usual mistake is on the side of overdecoration.
+    Here, however, a decided simplicity is employed, leaving the
+    flanking windows in small bays
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Oftentimes four beams only are used
+    for the ceiling; two as a cornice and two framing
+    in the chimney-piece
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A consideration of modern house decoration is to provide comfort for
+    all members. A small den off the living-room affords privacy when
+    others occupy the living-room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In a California bungalow there is an interesting decorative
+    combination where old heirlooms of furniture from the Eastern
+    ancestors of the family are carefully preserved and Navajo rugs are
+    used as a floor covering. These rugs and the Indian baskets are
+    chosen of a color that will not clash with the polished mahogany
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Another corner of the bungalow living-room on page 18 shows a good
+    type of secretary. The Navajo rugs seem to add a tone of vigor that
+    is not found in the rag rugs generally used in this connection
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A living-room given a Manorial treatment with the use of Gothic
+    arches. It is carefully treated, even to the rug, which is
+    rectangular in pattern somewhat like the ceiling beams. Although
+    this is in a great house, there is no reason why smaller houses
+    might not be furnished with equal consistency
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Two living-rooms in an old Connecticut Colonial house that are
+    decorated with furniture in use during Revolutionary times. These
+    flowered papers were considered very rich then and have colors well
+    chosen as a background for the dark mahogany furniture
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An antique stone fireplace forms
+    the keynote for this room and gives the suggestion
+    for large commodious chairs and lounges. The table
+    and chair in the foreground show Jacobean
+    influences
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    There is surely a decorative quality in bookcases that is heightened
+    by the color of books when arranged properly. Perhaps the results
+    might have been better had all the bookcases been built the same
+    height entirely around the room. The furniture here is of a type
+    that is particularly comfortable and wears well
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A living-room decorated along Colonial lines, where the fireplace of
+    red brick with wide white mortar joints is particularly effective.
+    French doors open onto a veranda that is used as a living-room
+    annex. The mantel is a reproduction of an old one
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A charming, little Colonial room is decorated entirely in white
+    woodwork with a baseboard. The prim pattern of the flowered
+    wallpaper is quite appropriate. The only modern furniture appearing
+    is the wicker chair, but it lends no jarring note
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This room with its heavy settles and rag rugs, its ornaments and
+    pictures, is furnished with nothing but objects from Colonial times.
+    The floor with its original wide boards is stained a dark color and
+    much of it left bare
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This room shows the possibility of combining various sorts of
+    furniture. Wicker and willow are suitable for the living-room when
+    used with furniture of an informal type. Above the fireplace is a
+    plaster reproduction of a section of the Parthenon frieze that is
+    well placed
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The architects of the West are achieving distinction in the creation
+    of a particular style. This interior is characteristic of their
+    work. Horizontal lines are emphasized and colored brickwork enters
+    as a part of the decoration
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A bay with three connecting windows of this sort may be curtained as
+    a unit. There is but one valance for the three windows and light
+    silk curtains are used to match the grass cloth of the walls
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Living-rooms need not always be indoors. In this home a glazed in
+    piazza makes it possible to enjoy the early days of spring and late
+    fall when the weather is too uncomfortable to remain out-of-doors.
+    The porch is furnished with all the conveniences that may be found
+    in an indoor living-room and has connections for reading lights and
+    other lamps. The furniture is of grass cloth, willow and wicker, and
+    there are rugs covering the entire floorspace
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Much of the Colonial carving was extremely simple. Here added
+    decorative detail appears in the old-fashioned fireback of modeled
+    iron. The covering of the old rosewood furniture is quite in harmony
+    with the wallpaper
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An exemplification of the use of deep colors in the living-room
+    treatment is here shown. A restful green makes a good background for
+    large and variously formed pieces
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This studio living-room is a successful exponent of the same
+    principle of color harmony shown in the previous illustration. A
+    heterogeneous collection of various styles of furniture is rendered
+    harmonious by the use of kindred tones of browns, tans and dull reds
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Built-in furniture is not limited to seats and cupboards. This desk
+    is carpenter built, and although quite inexpensive fits more exactly
+    than many products that could be purchased. The bookcases encircling
+    the room are made part of the desk
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The living-room of two stories and with mezzanine floor is receiving
+    more and more favor for its spacious effect. The simple woodwork in
+    this room is well chosen and there is a good suggestion in the
+    lighting fixtures
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The cream colored walls and woodwork in this English drawing-room
+    make an especially fine background for mahogany furniture. This
+    fireplace nook is a good example of modern English work
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    English architects consider that woodwork may be decorative in
+    itself, and finish it so that its natural colors take the place of
+    wall paper. The walls are of unfinished plaster
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Some straight lines might be introduced by different curtains and by
+    doing away with the fussy table-covers and frilled lounge pillow.
+    The mantel is particularly good Dutch Colonial but is too much
+    cluttered with bric-à-brac
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Every house builder should consider that the downstairs living-room
+    may not always be occupied by the entire family at one time. The
+    upstairs sitting-room provides privacy on all occasions. The mantel
+    treatment here is interesting
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The living-room in the same house is rendered distinctive by a large
+    inglenook. It is finished in rough plaster and colored in a light
+    tan
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Green and white is a scheme for this summer living-room. White
+    wicker chairs are combined with green willow ones and the green
+    design of the wall paper is echoed in the green rug with a white
+    pattern
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Even the most modest bungalow may have personality. The match board
+    wall is finished with a light stain that shows the grain. India
+    prints with their bold colors and striking designs are used for
+    curtains, table and couch covers and for the pillows
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The inside curtains in this living-room are of figured Madras.
+    Although they fade, their price is reasonable enough to permit
+    reduplication every few years with small expense
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A more formal room is this with its intricate mahogany paneling. The
+    ceiling has an architectural cornice, below which the wall is
+    decorated with a velour in proper coloring
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    There is a growing desire to build living-rooms that open into the
+    light and air. This is as completely furnished as any other room in
+    the house, but is given a dark stained lattice background as
+    suitable for plants
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An informal living-room, where the plaster walls are divided by
+    vertical strips run from a wide molding to the baseboard. This is a
+    cheap, and if properly handled, effective substitute for paneling
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A living-room that was designed to take advantage of the view in
+    many directions from a high situation. A large rug with harmonious
+    colors occupies the center of the floor space
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Dutch house builders make a feature of the window nook and most of
+    the light is directed toward one part of the room. Matting of an
+    ivory color has been selected as a floor covering
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An English mantel treatment that is worth copying is shown here. A
+    single-color carpet is used and the brilliant chintzes lend the
+    completing note of cheerfulness
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In contrast is this room where deeper tones are emphasized in rugs
+    and wall treatment and it is desired to produce a more serious
+    effect
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Another example of the two-story living-room is here shown in more
+    elaborate style where the precedent was the Manorial hall of
+    England. Tapestries and heavy wall papers are used and the
+    chandeliers are large and elaborate
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This sun room is an integral part of the house and is fitted with
+    casement windows, but is by no means a porch. The fireplace renders
+    it a comfortable place in the most severe weather
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Furniture covering and draperies here are of a large figured English
+    chintz. As the ceiling was low, a green paper with a perpendicular
+    stripe was used for heightening effect
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The chief feature of this room is the doorway with its fine fan
+    light. The chairs in the foreground are of Heppelwhite design
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In England a great deal of attention is given to centering the
+    family life about the hearth. This inglenook has almost the value of
+    an additional room. The walls are plain except for the woodwork and
+    the tiling
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The inglenook here has a raised floor of ordinary brick and an
+    attractive brick fireplace the mantel of which is a cypress beam
+    supported by projecting bricks. The furniture is made consistent by
+    being stained and then waxed
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Glazed tile fireplaces are very much the vogue in England. Here the
+    colors are selected to go well with the light ash treatment of the
+    woodwork
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The heavy beams in this living-room made it a simple matter to place
+    the inglenook. The curved lines of the seat, however, and the
+    grotesque plaster figures might grow tiresome, and are most suitable
+    for the house occupied only in the summer or one with more informal
+    treatment
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An architect's suggested treatment of a Flemish dining-room. The
+    fireplace is of Caen stone and the plaster wall is sand-finished in
+    a dark shade
+]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Designing the Dining-room
+
+
+We have a habit, generally, of making the dining-room either English or
+Colonial in style, I suppose for the reason that we have so many good
+types of furniture in these two styles that their use makes it easier
+to obtain an attractive dining-room. The room of Flemish character is
+probably more unusual and I have, therefore, chosen to offer a design
+in this style.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The plan shows an arrangement for a dining-room about fifteen by
+    sixteen feet, showing suggested positions for the rugs and furniture
+    that is consistent with the scheme
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A very similar treatment to that described in the article is shown
+    in this room with its high rectangular panel wainscot. Instead of a
+    cornice the sand-finished walls are rounded into the ceiling and the
+    ceiling is lower. An interesting candle fixture is hung above the
+    plain oak table. The picture framed in the paneling is an additional
+    possibility
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Warm tones are appreciated in a dining-room where the woodwork is
+    all white. Here they are obtained in an Oriental rug of good colors.
+    Chairs are of present-day manufacture, suggested by Sheraton's work
+]
+
+The room is 15 × 16 feet in size, opening from a broad hall from which
+it is shut off with glass doors. The morning sun, a very essential
+feature in any dining-room, is obtained through the eastern window and
+through the southern windows in the summer, while the after-glow of the
+summer sunset comes through the west window, thus insuring a pleasant
+dining-room at all times.  There is nothing so cheerless as a
+breakfast-room which is cut off from the sun in the winter, by being
+isolated in the north or northeastern part of the house; it continually
+exerts a depressing influence on the family at meals.
+
+The dining-room is adjoined by the serving-room, which connects with
+the kitchen, affording a quick and direct line of service.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Most dining-rooms need color, which may be introduced in a frieze,
+    as here, or by the use of tapestry. Side fixtures, such as these in
+    duplication of old Colonial lamps, may be purchased for six or seven
+    dollars. The center light is of etched glass
+]
+
+It is suggested that the room be wainscoted in oak to a height of seven
+feet, with rectangular panels formed by very flat rails and stiles,
+without any panel moldings. A wide plate-rail forms the cap of the
+wainscot, affording a place to put bits of china and old pieces of
+pewter or copper. Above the wainscot the plaster is sand-finished, as
+is also the ceiling, and at the intersection of the ceiling and side
+walls a cornice is carried around the room. On the north side is a
+large fireplace, which is a necessity on a rainy day to make breakfast
+cheerful and the room comfortable. It is built of light gray Caen
+stone, which has almost the appearance of limestone. It is imported in
+blocks and is soft enough to be worked into a variety of shapes. The
+hearth has a curb border, raised an inch or two above the level of the
+stone hearth in order to retain the ashes better. A heavy carved casing
+is carried around the stonework of the fireplace, surmounted by a
+carved shelf supported on heavy brackets.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    All the furniture necessary beside the chairs and dining-table is a
+    sideboard and a serving-table. The china closet may be dispensed
+    with if a place for decorative china is made on a plate rail. This
+    china closet matches well and seems part of the room
+]
+
+French doors are an essential feature in the dining-room because they
+permit it to be shut off from the hall and kept warm, and they prevent
+interruptions during the dinner hour. As they are of glass, they afford
+a view into the hall--a very attractive feature, which does away with
+that feeling of oppressiveness experienced sometimes from being shut up
+in a room with solid doors of wood. The floor is of oak, filled and
+given two coats of a finish which has a dull luster and enough
+elasticity to make it durable. The floor should be of a shade that is
+not too light or so dark that it readily shows the dust.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Instead of using the separate pieces of dining-room furniture, two
+    sideboards were built in flanking the fireplace and as an extension
+    of its woodwork. A tapestry paper is used above this wainscot
+]
+
+Opposite the fireplace is a position for the sideboard and there is
+wall space enough for a china-cupboard although I should prefer to omit
+this cumbersome piece of furniture, which everybody shuns with the
+admonition of childhood still ringing in his ears, "mustn't touch."
+Near the door to the serving-room is the proper place for the
+serving-table, and there remains plenty of wall space for chairs. By
+referring to the plan the position of these pieces of furniture will be
+made more clear.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A possible variation for the seven-foot wainscot suggested, is the
+    room entirely paneled with cypress finished to show the grain. The
+    French doors in this room are desirable in a dining-room, as they
+    allow plenty of light to enter
+]
+
+The decoration of this room is a simple problem.  On the floor there
+should be a rich-colored rug with deep reds in it, strong enough to
+afford a foundation for the dark sturdy Flemish furniture and the dark
+finish of the wainscot. Above the wainscot, the sand-finished ceiling
+and side walls should be sized and painted with three coats of oil
+paint of a dull golden shade which reflects a warm glow over the room
+when lighted. The rough texture of the sand-finish is well adapted for
+such use as this. Of course a frieze of foliated tapestry paper, or
+real tapestry, could be used with good effect, or even an oil-painted
+frieze representing a scene from medieval history is permissible. It is
+safe to say that all of these schemes would be good, though, of course,
+there would be a great difference in their cost. The radiator under the
+east window should be painted to match the color of the wainscot. To
+obtain the correct shade for this wainscot, the wood should go through
+several processes of staining. The first coat is a deep penetrating
+stain of burnt Sienna hue to form a mellowing base, similar to the warm
+colors the old masters used in their paintings. This makes a warm color
+to reflect through the succeeding coats of darker stain, each coat of
+which should be rubbed into the wood and any superfluous stain rubbed
+off, exposing each time the high lights of the wood's grain. The final
+coat should be a thin coat of wax or a flat-drying oil paint to give
+the wood a dull luster.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The woodwork treatment here is much the same as that suggested in
+    the text, but of a Colonial or English style and finished white. A
+    good stenciled frieze is used above it. The chairs are of
+    Chippendale design
+]
+
+The furniture should be of the Flemish type, preferably a shade lighter
+or a shade darker than that of the finish of the woodwork, in order to
+give contrast. The dining-room table should be a modern extension table
+with heavy, turned legs, which would of course be repeated in the
+sideboard, serving-table and chairs. This type of furniture depends
+entirely for its beauty upon its plain sturdy lines and simple
+turnings. The chairs should have leather seats and backs, studded with
+copper nails. The brasses of the fireplace should be of odd design, and
+the electric lights and fixtures should be of old brass to add a touch
+of color to the dark wood finish.
+
+It seems hardly necessary to mention that the lights of this room
+should be governed by an electric switch, and an electric bell on the
+table should ring a buzzer in the serving-room.
+
+In the serving-room there is a counter shelf two feet eight inches high
+on each side wall, over which there are glazed cases with sliding doors
+to contain the china. Under the window there is a sink for the washing
+of fine china, glass, and silver, which should not go into the kitchen
+with the heavier dishes. Under the counter are cupboards and drawers
+and at one end a plate-warmer and a small refrigerator, in order that
+one may obtain a bite to eat late at night without having to go through
+the kitchen to the kitchen pantry--which is sometimes awkward if there
+is no servant's dining-room and the maid is entertaining.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Still another substitute for the wainscot is the use of wood strips
+    applied in this fashion. The Moravian tiles in the fireplace add
+    welcome color
+]
+
+The finish of the room would cost approximately $575 in selected white
+oak. The mantel alone is worth $80 and the wainscot about $300. The
+furniture for the room, made from detail drawings, would cost about
+$450 in oak and leather.
+
+
+  A. RAYMOND ELLIS
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Where the dining-room woodwork shows its natural grain, a specially
+    designed buffet of quartered oak, such as this, proves very
+    attractive and satisfactory
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The rough plaster walls here are surmounted by a plaster frieze of
+    grapes in color. This design is echoed in the center drop light
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Flanking china closets, when in perfect balance, form an admirable
+    feature for the decoration of a Colonial room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The ladder back design of Chippendale is most attractive. In this
+    room with its white woodwork an attempt has been made to repeat the
+    dominant colors of the rug in the wall paper
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In this dining-room there is architectural treatment that could by
+    no means find place in any but a large room. Panels at one end of
+    the room are filled with tapestries that give a fine color effect.
+    The scheme is Georgian and the furniture Hepplewhite
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Having a large quantity of old blue china, the owner of this room
+    selected a brown figured paper that would harmonize with it. The
+    plates have almost the value of a stenciled frieze
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Two types of modern furniture are shown here. The china closet is
+    unnatural and is of no decorative value and but little usefulness.
+    The table and chairs are of simple design and good, solid
+    workmanship
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This Colonial room shows an effective panel treatment that can be
+    secured at low cost by applying a molding directly to the plaster
+    and then painting the plaster and the woodwork alike. Good Colonial
+    fixtures are shown above the mantel.
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Faithfulness to Colonial tradition does not necessarily make the
+    most comfortable room, but the Windsor chairs are serviceable and
+    easy
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    White woodwork in this dining-room permits such a set design as this
+    with the little green bay trees. A gate-legged table is not always
+    the most comfortable thing for a dining-room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Furniture, made of applewood, finished with a plain smooth surface
+    and covered with reeds, is especially applicable to the small house
+    and suggests the original home, the English cottage
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    White enameled furniture as well as woodwork is a novel suggestion
+    for the summer home and makes a brilliant, cheery dining-room,
+    especially when accompanied by bright reds or blues in the rugs,
+    chair cushions and curtains
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In the summer camp little ornamentation is necessary, yet the
+    natural attractiveness of wood finish is both useful and beautiful
+    here
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In remodeling an old tavern, the taproom with its smoke-blackened
+    beams and dark wainscot was converted into the dining-room. The use
+    of handmade floor tile is particularly interesting
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This Dutch interior offers a suggestion for a summer camp in the
+    dining-room alcove placed at one end of the living-room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Wilton rugs in a single color with a darker toned border serve well
+    for the dining-room. The curtains repeat the color in a figured
+    pattern
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    During house cleaning there are various objections to a plate rail.
+    In this dining-room it was done away with and a frieze was set low
+    and secured by the use of a narrow white molding. If the room were
+    irregular, it would have been almost impossible to locate in this
+    position, but in a rectangular room it is not so difficult. It is in
+    neutral colors and the friezes are in Delft blue with draperies of a
+    darker blue. The furniture is Hepplewhite
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The combination of gray and white as used here is an effective
+    background for mahogany. The candle sconce fixtures at either side
+    of the sideboard alcove are in good taste
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Although the furniture need not be permanently fixed to the room it
+    may be planned to accommodate certain spaces, as here. The chairs
+    are reproductions along Colonial lines
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In a house where there is an additional room, there is a suggestion
+    from the German boudoir. This is really the modern woman's workroom
+    and place of rest and adjoins the sleeping apartment. It is also a
+    place to receive intimate friends
+]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Decorating and Furnishing the Bedroom
+
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Attractive results are achieved in adopting a central figure or idea
+    and planning the room about it. The main unit of design in the wall
+    paper has been repeated on the ivory white furniture
+]
+
+In the bedroom the individuality of the occupant is more in evidence
+than in any other room of the house, as such rooms or suites are
+complete in themselves and need not necessarily be considered
+relatively. Where the house has the marked characteristics of any
+period the architectural detail of the wood trim in the bedrooms as
+well as that in the other apartments will, of course, express this and
+must in a measure influence the furnishings, but even under these
+conditions more latitude is permissible in the chambers than in the
+living-rooms.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This room, also shown in the two illustrations following, uses the
+    blue bird as a _motif_. Cretonne repeats the design that is echoed
+    again in the cut out border. A blue and white rag rug, having a blue
+    bird edging, is suitable for the floor
+]
+
+A room in which no period idea is dominant may be made very charming,
+and the individual taste of the occupant may influence the entire
+scheme of decoration. A very dainty and attractive room is shown in the
+illustration on page 69.
+
+The floral paper used on the side wall here is beautiful in color and
+design, and the crown of this has a cut out extension of flowers and
+leaves that is applied directly to the ceiling proper.  The furniture
+of ivory enamel finish has been painted with clusters of the same
+flowers as those shown in the wall paper. Much of the green of the
+foliage in this design is repeated in the two-tone rug upon the floor.
+The curtains and bedspread are made of ivory white linen taffeta and
+bordered with four-inch bands of cretonne showing the same floral
+design as the side walls.
+
+Much of the comfort as well as the attractiveness of a bedroom depends
+upon the arrangement of the furniture it holds. The space for the bed
+is usually indicated by the architect in the first drafting of the
+plans, and should be adhered to unless the room is unusually large.
+However, the other furniture may be arranged and rearranged until the
+right position is found for each piece.
+
+Where a couch is included this may be placed near the window with the
+bookshelves conveniently at hand, or it may be set directly across the
+foot of the bed. The reading- or work-tables and easy-chairs should
+find their permanent place, as their proper grouping adds much to the
+livableness of any room.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The wall paper is plain with a satin stripe in what is known as a
+    cerulean blue. The crown effect of the border is a silhouetted
+    pattern cut out and attached separately
+]
+
+The English idea of placing a dressing-table directly in front of a
+window is not especially favored here as we are loath to sacrifice so
+much of direct sun and air as the closed window would necessitate,
+although by such an arrangement we secure a good overhead light.
+
+[Illustration: A white bedstead of this style may be had either of wood
+enameled or of metal]
+
+The placing of the lighting fixtures should also be given some careful
+study. Side or drop lights should be near the dressing-mirror, and a
+convenient stand or drop light, well shaded, should be placed near the
+head of the bed. And a well-arranged table light for reading and sewing
+is of great convenience in a large bedroom which is used at all as a
+sitting-room. However small the room, the light must be well arranged
+for the dressing-table. A central light for a bedroom is a very
+objectionable feature.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In many cases the bedroom serves more purposes than for sleeping
+    quarters. There should be space for a desk, comfortable chairs and
+    books
+]
+
+Light and crisp colors are more acceptable in the decorative scheme of
+the bedroom than any other room of the house. Where plain walls and
+figured cretonnes or chintzes are used in combination the latter should
+appear generously, that is, not only in valanced curtains at windows,
+but as slip covers, or cushion covers for chairs, window-seat, or
+lounge.
+
+The old-time idea of a blue, a pink, a green, and a yellow room is
+falling into disuse, although any one of these colors may be brought
+out prominently in the scheme of the room, or, as is even more usual,
+all may be combined in either wall covering or drapery material. The
+dominant color should appear again in the plain or two-tone floor
+covering.
+
+Plain and embroidered muslins for window draperies and covers for
+dressing-tables are effective and dainty, and by having two sets for a
+room it may be kept always delightfully fresh and clean, as these
+muslins launder well. A small coin-dot of color on a very sheer, though
+not fine, white ground can be purchased from 25 to 35 cents a yard and
+gives a dainty charm to a room in which it is freely used that few
+other fabrics at the same cost will supply.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    There is a preference for bedrooms furnished in light colors. Here
+    the paper is figured and the color of the design appears in curtains
+    of a solid color. The closet doors have full length mirror panels
+]
+
+Where the decorative scheme must be very inexpensively carried out, a
+floral paper on an ivory ground can be purchased for 25 cents a roll of
+eight yards. In these cheaper papers one finds a better selection in
+yellow and old rose than in other colors; greens, too, are usually soft
+and attractive. If plain colored over-draperies are desired for the
+windows these may be made from cheese-cloth which has been dyed to the
+desired shade, matching the color of the flower in the wall paper. It
+is not a difficult matter for the amateur to do.
+
+There are now made some very attractive cotton crepes showing a variety
+of floral and other patterns. Some of these are beautiful in color and
+good in design, and, with plain tinted walls, a room in which the
+curtains and slip covers for cushions and pillows are made from this
+fabric is very attractive.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The lighting fixtures should be planned for the position the
+    dressing table and chiffonier is to occupy. This is an attractive
+    bedroom paper of an old-fashioned design
+]
+
+Old furniture may be revamped and given a fresh coat of ivory white
+enamel, and a central rug or a number of small rugs made after the
+old-fashioned rag carpet in one or two colors makes a satisfactory
+floor covering for use in such rooms.  If the woodwork can be painted
+ivory white the scheme is more successful, as this is an important
+factor in the completed whole. In fact for bedrooms there is no better
+finish than the ivory white enamel. It is easy to apply and durable,
+and harmonizes with almost any scheme of furnishing one may desire to
+bring out in the room.
+
+Attractive little shades for electric lights or candles may be made
+from bits of silk or even tissue paper, and, used in a room in which
+old rose predominates, the effect is charming, as the light showing
+through the rose color is very soft and pleasing.
+
+
+  MARGARET GREENLEAF
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An unusual decorative treatment is
+    the division of walls into colored panels which
+    are held in place by molding strips
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The perpendicular stripe in this paper serves to increase the height
+    of a rather low ceiling. The window is fitted with sash curtains and
+    draperies of a figured pattern on the order of the crown border
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An interesting feature of this house is the long window seat placed
+    for reading or sewing. Beneath it is a quantity of space for many
+    things
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A room consistently decorated along Colonial lines. Some sort of a
+    couch or lounge is a decided boon in the bedroom, as it provides a
+    place for the afternoon nap
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The so-called craftsman's house or
+    house with woodwork left in natural condition may
+    well use furniture built to match the trim
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The informal bedroom of rough
+    plaster and brick substitutes strength of color
+    and form for the delicacy of Colonial white
+    woodwork
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Many people still delight in the old-fashioned four-poster or in the
+    canopy bed. This should be considered in planning the room, as the
+    architect generally arranges a certain set position for it
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This dressing table shows a satisfactory arrangement for
+    lighting--two flanking lights and one overhead light. The striped
+    walls require the color furnished by the hangings
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In this little under-the-eaves bedroom a surprising saving of space
+    has been made by fitting part of one side of the room with a series
+    of drawers painted in white enamel. There is room here for the
+    household linen and for storing away clothes
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Where neutral grays are chosen for the walls there should be some
+    warmth of color elsewhere. Here most of the decoration is left to
+    the furniture in its warm mahogany tones and to the brighter colors
+    of the rug
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In the small bedroom that must be used as a study there should be a
+    space for living-room comforts. The sash curtains combined with
+    inside ones of sill length are attractive
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Even a small under-the-eaves bedroom may be well arranged. This is
+    consistent Colonial with its rag rugs and Windsor chair
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A bedroom in which the cream colored chintz with pink and green
+    design is repeated in the upholstery and echoed in the carpet
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Curtains may be very simple but in good taste. This is a fine
+    cheesecloth with a stencil design, which conventionalizes the
+    flowers in the wall paper
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Another treatment of cheesecloth, showing a poppy design that is
+    taken from the cut out band pasted at the top of a gray striped wall
+    paper
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Views of an old-fashioned bedroom that is finished in dull grayish
+    blue. Such heavy furniture would appear uncomfortably bulky in any
+    smaller room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The carpet helps to make the room homelike, with bare floors the
+    height and size of the room would be more apparent
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A short length of cretonne hanging between two sill length curtains
+    may be used instead of a valance
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The cut out paper border goes well with a shaped valance and side
+    curtains. The valance is hung on a projecting frame
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The Japanese design is repeated on the gathered valance of the
+    curtains, chairs and the table-cover. Several original stencils of
+    butterflies are framed as decorations
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Ivory white is always a
+    satisfactory color for the woodwork of most
+    bedrooms. Here it takes the place of wall paper
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    One article of bedroom furniture that should not be neglected is a
+    bedside cabinet on which an electric light may be placed. These twin
+    beds are of gray ash with a natural finish
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    An example of several of the uses for stenciled borders is shown
+    here in this desk corner. The room makes good use of wicker
+    furniture and bungalow rugs
+]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+
+
+The Problem of the Bathroom
+
+
+Only a few years ago, sanitary conveniences, which were very crude when
+compared with those of to-day, were considered luxuries; to-day they
+are necessities, demanded for our physical comfort and welfare. The
+old-fashioned Saturday tubbing was a much dreaded and messy event; but
+with sanitary house plumbing, bathing became a pleasure and a valuable
+adjunct to good health. It is, therefore, interesting to note the
+treatments of the present bathroom.
+
+The average house to-day contains at least two bathrooms, the simplest
+equipment being a water-closet, lavatory, and tub, the two latter
+fixtures supplied with hot and cold water supply pipes. From these
+three fixtures of the simplest kind, installed in a room not smaller
+than 5 ft. 6 in. × 6 ft. 6 in., we may enlarge the scheme to contain a
+shower-bath, with floor receptor to catch the water, a sitz or
+foot-bath, double lavatories, if for the owner's bath, with marble or
+porcelain pier slabs for toilet articles. These fixtures may be simple
+in pattern, of enameled iron or of porcelain or marble, in a room
+having tile or marble floors and wainscot. There are, happily,
+inexpensive fixtures of good quality that are just as efficient as the
+most expensive ones, and the plainer the lines of the fixtures the more
+beautiful they will appear in the finished bath; heavy ornamentation in
+color or molded design should be avoided--it is not so easily kept
+clean, nor is it so beautiful.
+
+In many houses having but one servant, a separate bath is provided for
+her use, and in a house costing $8,000 it is customary to provide a
+private bath connecting with the owner's chamber, as well as a general
+bath for the family and guests, and a servants' bath in the attic. The
+importance the bath and sanitary plumbing have attained is shown by the
+fact that seven or eight per cent of the cost of a house is taken for
+plumbing, and in houses costing from $8,000 to $15,000, three bathrooms
+are installed.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Two oval lavatories are generally representative of the latest
+    convenience for the modern bathroom
+]
+
+The model servants' bath should have a floor of small hexagonal white,
+unglazed tile with hard plastered walls, above a sanitary base, painted
+with four coats of moisture-resisting paint and equipped with a
+five-foot enameled iron tub, quiet syphon-jet closet, with oak seat and
+tank, and a plain pattern enameled iron lavatory. A medicine closet
+should be built in the wall over it, having a mirror set in the door.
+The fixtures cannot be properly set in an area less than 5 ft. 6 in. ×
+6 ft. 6 in., and 5 ft. 6 in. × 7 ft. 6 in. would be much better.
+
+The owner's bath is largely a matter of personal taste and cost.
+Usually this has a floor of 2 in.  white, unglazed hexagonal tile, with
+a 4 × 6 in.  white glazed tile for walls, with cap and sanitary base,
+marble thresholds and plinth blocks. The height of the wainscot is
+optional; but 4 ft. 6 in. is usual, with the walls and ceilings above
+it oil painted. The room should not be smaller than 8 ft. × 10 ft. and
+may open from the owner's chamber or dressing-room. Its equipment
+usually comprises two lavatories of vitreous china, placed at least six
+inches apart, unless a double lavatory is used in one slab, over which
+may be a medicine closet built into the wall with mirror door set in;
+the bathroom door should have a full-length mirror. In the illustration
+that appears on page 95 is shown a silent syphon-jet closet with
+low-down tank finished in mahogany. The "low-down combinations," as
+they are called, are made in oak, cherry, mahogany, and white enamel.
+The tub should be at least 5 ft. long, of enameled iron or porcelain,
+finished on both sides if enameled, and supported on porcelain block
+feet, with standing waste and mixing cocks. The tub must be set far
+enough from the wall to permit cleaning.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The great problem in planning a bathroom is not to sacrifice all
+    warmth and color to sanitation. At present there are washable and
+    sanitary papers made by the decorators that are very proper for
+    bathroom furnishings. The seagull design in blues and greens and the
+    kingfisher in a brilliant, cool green are both suitable and
+    attractive
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The upper left hand plan shows excellent spacing and good
+    arrangement combining all the desirable features and conveniences of
+    a bathroom. The upper right hand plan shows a desirable arrangement
+    for minimum space. The lower left hand plan shows a modern idea of
+    dividing the bathroom into two sections. In the lower right hand
+    plan there is a complete equipment, well arranged, but with few more
+    than the necessary conveniences
+]
+
+Every fitting or exposed pipe in the bathroom should be nickel-plated.
+The shower may be installed over the tub, as in one of the
+illustrations, or made a separate fixture with a floor receptor to
+drain off the water. It may be inclosed with a cotton duck curtain,
+which is more agreeable to the body than rubber or marble slabs.  The
+merits of each fixture and its equipment I shall leave to the reader,
+because these things he can readily determine for himself; but the
+arrangements and number of fixtures required must be considered--the
+quality is a matter of price.  The general bathroom of a house should
+be similar to the owner's--in some cases it is divided into two
+compartments, as shown in one plan, with the water-closet by
+itself--permitting independent use.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    One especial convenience that should not be neglected is the shower
+    with the duck curtain arranged over the top. For bathroom floors the
+    hexagonal tile is very suitable and enduring
+]
+
+In homes costing from $15,000 up, the number of bathrooms is in
+proportion to the number of occupants. Every room may have a connecting
+bath with tile floor and wainscot, completely equipped--in such a case
+the visit of a guest is not fraught with hasty skirmishes to the
+nearest bath, perhaps only to retreat, and wait and listen for an
+opportunity to use it.
+
+Plumbing fixtures are made in many materials; the most popular of
+these, on account of durability and cost, is cast iron with an enamel
+glaze fused on the iron. This ware will stand hard usage, is not easily
+fractured, does not craze, and therefore holds its color. The vitreous
+china ware is, I think, more appropriate for bathrooms finished in
+tile, because the materials, being similar, are in harmony, while the
+enameled iron is not quite as heavy or substantial looking when used
+with tile. Vitreous china is potter's clay, properly fired, with a
+vitreous glaze baked on; porcelain is similar and their cost is about
+the same, except that this increases rapidly with the larger pieces;
+because fewer perfect fixtures are obtained. Fixtures cut from solid
+marble block are the most expensive and their relative merit with their
+relation to cost is a question for the owner to determine.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A sunken bathtub is a form of luxury that is desirable but requires
+    low ceiling in the room below, or that the bathroom be built on the
+    ground floor. This is oftentimes an impossible arrangement
+]
+
+There is little difference between the enameled iron, vitreous china
+and porcelain or marble as far as the retention of heat is concerned,
+or the feeling from bodily contact. There are in every kiln some
+fixtures that are not quite perfect; they are called "seconds," and
+catalogued as "Class B" goods, with a lower price.
+
+The weight of massive plumbing in a frame dwelling is considerable and
+will cause a settlement of the floors unless carefully supported.
+
+The fashions in tubs are many. The usual shape is square at the foot
+and round at the head-at the foot are the waste and supply pipes which
+are made in several combinations. The double bath cock, which gives hot
+or cold water or a mixture of both, is advisable for tubs-the small cup
+between the faucets is a ring tray and can be replaced with a soap dish
+if desired. Most shower-baths have a shampoo attachment or body spray
+that can be used instead of the overhead shower, so that the head and
+hair are kept dry if desired, and if a shower is not to be installed
+this can be provided in the tub.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The bathroom to-day finds great need of such built-in conveniences
+    as wall chests and cupboards. These should be arranged for at the
+    time the house is built
+]
+
+A tub incased in tile is a perfectly sanitary treatment, and in some
+cases the tub has been sunk into the floor a foot and then incased to
+avoid the high step necessary to get into the tub. The plunge--sunk in
+the floor--is an unusual treatment that permits more freedom of
+movement than the tub; but the tile, when wet, is slippery, and I
+should expect one might carelessly slip in with fatal results. Roman
+tubs are alike at each end--with fixtures in the middle of one side of
+the rim. Solid porcelain tubs rest on the floor, set into the tile. The
+ideal position for the tub, if there is available room, is with the
+foot against a wall and ample room on either side to get in or out of
+it. Tubs are made in lengths ranging from 4 ft. to 6 feet, and about 30
+inches in width over rims.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This room contains the desirable articles and fixtures for the
+    modern bathroom in a very satisfactory arrangement. There is the
+    latest thing in nickel plumbing and modern equipment, but at the
+    same time there is an attractiveness that is so lacking in the cold,
+    hospital type of room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The small hexagonal floor tiles permit sections to be taken up with
+    little difficulty and replaced at small expense. Wall tile, however,
+    should be made of the larger rectangular units with a cornice at the
+    top and a rounded surbase that obviates a sharp angle at the
+    junction with the floor
+]
+
+The lavatory is an important fixture that is made in a great many
+varieties. The old-fashioned bowl is obsolete--the oval has taken its
+place, though probably the best is the kidney-shaped bowl, as it
+permits a free and natural movement of the arms in raising water to
+lave the face. The bowl should be at least 14 × 17 inches, in a slab 22
+× 32, with a space surrounding the bowl countersunk a little to form a
+border that tends to confine the splashed water. All the fixtures
+manufactured by responsible concerns are equipped with nickel-plated
+faucets, wastes, traps, and supplies that are very satisfactory; but
+quite often the plumber who installs the work buys the fixtures without
+the selected trimmings and substitutes a cheaper pattern. Some tubs and
+lavatories are sold in "A" and "B" qualities, and it will be to your
+advantage to select the fixtures with your architect, who knows the
+grades and fittings.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    All the wood that is in these bathrooms is heavily enameled in
+    white. Both rooms show a good use of colored tile worked in
+    attractive designs. The room on the left has a mosaic pattern in
+    several shades as a decoration, while in the right hand room there
+    is a bright border and vertical strips making panels. The tiles
+    between them are laid in herring-bone fashion. Both tubs are without
+    supports and rest flat on the floor
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This European treatment is particularly effective for the owner's
+    bath, which opens into his bedroom. The glass doors provide all the
+    lighting necessary and are very decorative with their curved
+    segments
+]
+
+A particularly pleasing treatment is the bath opening from the owner's
+chamber, and separated from it by glass partition. This arrangement is
+good where outside light cannot be afforded or obtained, and a curtain
+effectively screens it.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A simple bathroom where waterproof enameled paint was used in
+    several coats instead of a tiled wainscot, and above this an
+    attractive waterproof paper that suggests tiling. Such an
+    arrangement is a possibility where tiles may not be purchased
+]
+
+Bath-room accessories should be arranged with care and consist of the
+following devices: Plate glass shelves supported on nickel-plated
+brackets are the best; towel-racks; toothbrush holders; clothes-brush
+hangers; clothes hooks; soap dishes; and soiled towel baskets. Hardware
+is usually of nickel-plated tubing screwed into the tile. The
+accompanying photographs and plans will illustrate the subject further
+and are self-explanatory.
+
+
+  A. RAYMOND ELLIS
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+The Proper Treatment for the Nursery
+
+
+Furnishings for the modern child's room, like everything else that
+belongs to that important personage, are as complete in the smallest
+detail as skill and ingenuity can make them, and every feature of a
+well-appointed bedroom may be duplicated in miniature for the
+youngsters.
+
+The wall-papers and draperies especially designed for nurseries and
+children's rooms are in a way more distinctively juvenile than the
+actual pieces of furniture, and are a most important consideration in
+fitting out such apartments. If one does not care to go to the expense
+of furnishing a nursery completely, paper and curtains that will leave
+no doubt as to the identity of the room may be had at small cost, and
+from this simple touch the scheme of decorations and the furniture, to
+say nothing of the cost, may be indefinitely extended.
+
+Strictly hygienic parents who scout the idea of wall-paper as being
+unhealthy and will have nothing but painted walls in a bedroom are
+confronted by a bare expanse that may be sanitary, but is neither
+attractive nor interesting for the child. With walls treated in this
+way a decorative frieze may be used with good effect. The friezes,
+which come in panels varying in depth from fourteen to nineteen and
+one-half inches, are printed in gay colors on backgrounds of blue-gray,
+ivory-white, drab, and other neutral tones that can be matched exactly
+in the color of the walls.  The designs include processions of Noah's
+ark inhabitants, farmyard animals, chickens and ducks, Normandy
+peasants going to market, toy villages with stiff little soldiers and
+prim-looking trees, hunting scenes, and a row of Dutch kiddies
+indulging in a mad race across the paper.
+
+If wall-paper is used it also matches the background of the frieze, the
+paper being either in a solid color or with a figure so inconspicuous
+that it gives the impression of a single tone.
+
+One of the new papers for children's rooms is a reproduction of the
+quaint Kate Greenaway figures that are quite as fascinating to little
+people in these days as they were years ago. The background is a pale
+yellow and the figures are printed in rather delicate colors, each
+group representing one of the calendar months. The effect is
+particularly dainty and the designs are diverting for the children
+without becoming tiresome from too great contrast in color. Another
+paper that shows groups quite as charming is printed from designs by
+Boutet de Monvel, the famous French illustrator of child life.
+
+A new idea, and one that is proving popular, is a decided departure
+from the conventional wall-paper, with its figures at regularly
+repeated intervals. This consists in first putting on the walls a paper
+of solid color to be used as a background for single figures or groups
+that are cut from friezes and pasted on to suit one's individual taste.
+The figures, of course, must be quite large, in order to be effective,
+and in some favorite groups cut from a frieze showing little Dutch
+girls and yellow chicks the latter are even larger than life. For
+nurseries, when the children are very small, the figures are often
+arranged in a frieze just above the foot-board, so that they come on a
+line with the child's eye, and are therefore vastly more entertaining
+than when placed at the infinite distance of the top of the wall.
+
+Blue and white seems to be the favorite combination of colors for
+nursery draperies, and among the all-over patterns are a lot of
+roly-poly children picking gigantic daisies on a pale blue ground, and
+also a Delft design on a white ground covered with black cross lines
+that are far enough apart to give a tiled effect. A number of other
+colors and patterns may be had as well as the gay printed borders that
+come two strips to a width of the material. When figured wallpaper is
+used, draperies of solid color with the printed border are rather more
+satisfactory, as one set of children or animals tumbling over the
+walls, and another set chasing across the draperies, create a
+bewildering impression that is anything but restful and quieting for
+the small occupant. The borders are particularly attractive for
+curtains made of plain scrim or some soft white material, and are
+stitched on in strips or cut out and put on in silhouette.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The playroom in this house was to be made use of by the grown folks
+    occasionally for their handicraft work. Special attention was paid
+    to built-in closets convenient for toys and tools
+]
+
+Floor coverings especially suitable for children's rooms are to be
+found in the more or less recently revived rag carpet rugs, either
+plain or with figured borders. Almost any of these rugs with their
+decorative strips showing queerly constructed landscapes are suitable,
+but most appropriate is one that has a solemn procession of geese
+across either end, or another that is ornamented with a family of black
+and white bunnies lined up against a red brick wall. They come in
+various sizes, from the small hearthrug up to the one that is large
+enough for the center of an average size room.
+
+A new rug for nurseries that is rather more practical than pretty is
+woven in the same way as the rag rugs, but instead of cotton materials,
+strips of oilcloth are used, rolled so that the glossy side is
+uppermost. The idea was first employed in making small rugs for
+bathrooms, as they are waterproof and easy to keep clean, but they are
+quite as serviceable and sanitary for children's rooms, and are cleaned
+by wiping off with a damp cloth. They are made in different sizes, and
+in a mixed design, like the ordinary rag rug, or with white centers and
+borders of solid color.
+
+In the way of furniture, chairs and beds are to be had in a much
+greater variety than the other pieces, and the miniature Morris chair
+is no doubt the most attractive piece of furniture that is made for the
+little folks. It comes in almost as many different styles and prices as
+the grown-up variety, and may be had in light or dark wood, with
+cushions of velour or leather or figured cotton material, and is a
+perfect reproduction of the large chair. Little sets consisting of
+table and two chairs, one straight, the other with arms, are decorated
+with juvenile figures in color, and may be had for prices that are
+quite reasonable.  They are especially useful when no attempt can be
+made at arranging a regulation nursery. One of the most serviceable of
+these sets is of dark wood with leather seat chairs and a table of good
+size, the top of which is hinged and may be raised disclosing a
+receptacle for toys or books.
+
+Small willow and wicker tables and chairs are made in attractive
+shapes, many of them copies of the larger pieces, and are used either
+in the natural color or stained to harmonize with the color scheme of
+the room. Less substantial than the pieces made of solid wood, they are
+rather more practical for older children than for small ones who are no
+respecters of furniture, and, while designed for use all the year
+round, they are particularly suitable for summer rooms or to be carried
+outdoors.
+
+In spite of the fact that the little white bed is always associated
+with the child's room in story and song, to say nothing of the popular
+imagination, there are various kinds of brass and wooden beds made in
+small sizes that are thoroughly in keeping with one's idea of a typical
+nursery. The white enamel beds, which may be had as plain or as
+elaborate as one desires, are always dainty, and have the advantage of
+harmonizing perfectly with furniture and hangings of almost every
+description. Brass beds have the same characteristic, but they are much
+more expensive than those of iron, and seem to require rather more
+elaborate surroundings. The newest brass beds for children are quite
+low, only about half as high as the ordinary bed, which is a distinct
+advantage, as it is much easier for the child to climb into, and less
+dangerous in case he falls out.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The sense of possession that the child has in its own room produces
+    much satisfaction. Substantial furniture may be purchased in small
+    sizes and a variety of wall treatments are suggested with
+    interesting friezes
+]
+
+A recently designed wooden bed of attractive appearance shows severely
+plain lines in the head and foot boards, and in the sides long narrow
+panels are cut out, through which the covering of the box spring is
+seen. This bed is made only to order, and is intended for elaborately
+decorated rooms in which a definite color scheme is carried out. It may
+be had in any desired width and stained any color to match the other
+furniture, while the box spring and little pillow and mattress are
+covered with the same material as the draperies of the room.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Japanese prints are being received with increasing favor and
+    thousands of beautiful designs are particularly appropriate for the
+    children's room. The subjects are chiefly natural history figures
+    and they serve as an inspiration to have stories woven about them
+]
+
+Furniture of a special size for children's rooms is made in a design
+that is substantial and handsome, by the manufacturer of a well-known
+and widely used type. There is a wardrobe just five feet high, with
+compartments for hats, clothing, and shoes; a bureau twenty-nine inches
+high, with a twenty-inch mirror on it; a bed with high sides, the
+simple decorations of which match those of the bureau; rocking chairs
+and straight chairs with leather seats, a settle, and tables of
+different sizes and shapes. Nothing could be more attractive or
+complete than a room furnished in this way for a child of six or seven
+years who has outgrown the daintier surroundings of the nursery. It has
+all of the dignity of a well-appointed grown-up room, but with
+everything in proportion to the size of its owner.
+
+Even washstand sets, suitable as to shape and decoration, may be had
+for the child's room in which no detail is to be omitted. They are
+little if any smaller than the usual sets, but the decorations are in
+keeping with those of the other appointments, and the pitchers are
+designed with a view to their being handled easily by small hands.
+They are not unlike milk jugs in shape, with a substantial handle over
+the top and another at the back, so that there is small chance of their
+slipping while in transit, and the mouth is a definitely formed one
+that will not fail to pour in the direction intended.
+
+For a comparatively small amount a room may be fitted up with enough
+distinctive juvenile furnishings to impart individuality and to give
+the child a sense of possession that it will never have in grown-up
+surroundings. Even though circumstances are such that it has not had an
+elaborate nursery, as soon as a child is old enough to have a room of
+its own there is no reason why the furnishings should not be in
+keeping, and with the expenditure of a little money a dainty and
+attractive room may be arranged. High-priced beds and other pieces of
+furniture are by no means necessary, and, as is often the case, the
+most reasonably furnished room may be the most satisfactory if a little
+ingenuity and good taste are brought into service.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    There are various ways that Japanese prints may be used in the
+    child's room. This and the opposite illustration show prints put on
+    the wall and held by a molding at top and bottom. This also may
+    contain a glass to protect each picture
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    There are decorations such as this that have an educational value
+    and that take the place of toys. These little figures on the left
+    are really companions, while the plaster plaque illustrates
+    Stevenson's Verses
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    These bas-reliefs make interesting decorations and at the same time
+    serve as object lessons in illustrating good poetry
+]
+
+Thirty to thirty-two dollars can be made to cover the cost of
+wall-paper, curtains, bed and mattress, a rug and a bureau, all in
+sizes and designs suitable for children. The wall-papers in juvenile
+patterns are not expensive, and the cost of papering a room of average
+size would be about five dollars. A little white iron bed may be had
+for as low as five dollars, with seven dollars additional for the
+mattress, and a rug 3 × 6 feet in size with a decorative border is
+$3.50. A bureau of small size, such as comes in an inexpensive grade of
+the so-called antique oak, costs about $8.00. For the very reason that
+the furnishings of the room are only temporary, and soon to be outgrown
+and discarded, it is quite satisfactory to buy a cheap grade of
+furniture whenever possible, if price is a consideration. A small
+bureau is less expensive than one made especially in a child's size,
+and is equally practical if not so substantially made. Such a bureau
+can be done over in white enamel to match the bed, or in any dark color
+that may be preferred in place of the shiny oak finish.
+
+For curtains that hang straight from the top of the window to the lower
+edge of the sash, scrim at twenty-five cents a yard would cost two
+dollars.  Allowing four yards for each of two windows, and enough
+printed cretonne to make a decorative border, it would cost a dollar
+and a half additional.
+
+These figures are of the very lowest for which a child's room can be
+fitted up, but even with everything of the most inexpensive grade it
+will give more real pleasure than one on which a much greater amount
+has been spent if the room is nondescript in its furnishings and fails
+to impress the child with a sense of ownership.
+
+  SARAH LEYBURN COE
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Characteristic Staircase Types and Hall Treatments
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In the right place half-timber work on plaster has many
+    possibilities for hall decoration
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Japanese grass cloth in golden color is an excellent combination for
+    chestnut stained light brown. Wood strips are used instead of
+    paneling
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In certain old Colonial halls the entrance is fashioned in a
+    semicircular recess up which the stairs curve in a spiral. The
+    effect is exceedingly beautiful but requires much space
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The front door in this house opens directly into the living-room,
+    into which stairs come down at one side. The wood has natural
+    treatment and part of the banister forms the wainscot of the room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Some of the best Colonial detail is to be found in newel posts where
+    careful craftsmen worked a variety of spirals
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    One method of securing pleasing decorative effects was the use of
+    balusters in three different designs
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In the old farmhouses for the sake of warmth the main stairway was
+    made with the smallest possible well and often closed with a door at
+    the main hall
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This is a modern example by Wilson Eyre of the stair well inclosed
+    for the greater part of its length. Such arrangement is only
+    possible under certain lighting conditions
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The stairs that rise from this living-room are designed to take up
+    as little room as possible. In this they are very successful and
+    little of the banister rail and stair woodwork can be seen
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Where there is a large room made dignified by architectural
+    decoration the twin stairways curving either side of a main flight
+    are decidedly impressive; but one should not plan to make use of
+    this effect in any but a pretentious house
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The hall paper should not be a decided contrast to rooms opening
+    onto it. Tapestry paper may often be found successful in this
+    situation
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Another stairway that divides on the way to the upper flight, but a
+    treatment particularly fit for houses in English style of decoration
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This view shows to good advantage the value of an archway between
+    living-room and hall. Woodwork, simply carved, frames in
+    delightfully the stairway which is so appropriately treated with a
+    forest frieze. Curtains would be objectionable here
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This hall is of generous width, and the stairs rise straight with
+    but one landing lighted by a large window. A window is almost a
+    necessity in the hall as it permits a free circulation of air
+    throughout the house
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A use of the Colonial flat arch which separates this stairway from
+    the living-room and makes a small room of it
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Simplicity characterizes this Colonial stairway that is very similar
+    to the one at the top of page 114. There is, however, a baseboard
+    treatment which, like the banister rail, is crowned with mahogany
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    In the recess made by the vestibule the stairway is economically
+    placed. The hall serves the double purpose of entrance and reception
+    room
+]
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration]
+
+Planning the Kitchen
+
+
+There is a growing and altogether proper tendency to treat the kitchen
+as an integral part of the house, which was almost entirely absent in
+English and American houses of early times; in fact, until within the
+last twenty-five years very little thought was attached to it. A
+century ago it was regarded advisable to have the kitchen occupy a
+separate building somewhat removed from the main building or located at
+a great distance from the dining or living rooms, ofttimes the whole
+length of the house. The principal reason for this was the primitive
+methods used in cooking and preparing foods which were very
+objectionable at close range. Odors, noises and unsanitary appliances
+made the kitchen a place to be abhorred and to be kept as far away as
+possible. The present-day intelligent methods of dealing with the
+kitchen, particularly in America, have effected a complete
+transformation in this old idea. Our modern successful architect of the
+home attaches great importance to the planning of the kitchen, with its
+adjoining pantries, closets, storage rooms, etc.; and rightfully he
+should, as it goes more towards making for the convenience, help and
+comfort of the up-to-date household than possibly any other feature of
+the home.
+
+The modern English kitchen with its relation to the dining-room is
+interesting for comparison with those here in America, chiefly because
+the early English settlers constitute the original source from which we
+obtain our start in house-building.  The English kitchen's adjuncts
+practically comprise separate departments, such as the scullery,
+larder, wood, ashes, knives and boots, fuel, etc. This condition
+naturally requires the employment of considerable help even in the
+smaller homes. On the other hand, the compactness so noticeable in
+American homes--requiring perhaps one-half the space, thus reducing the
+necessary help to a minimum and obtaining the maximum of
+convenience--has brought our kitchen to a standard, nearly, if not
+entirely, approaching the ideal. The American architect has based his
+idea for this compactness upon the same reasoning as is exercised in
+fitting up a convenient workshop, for truly a kitchen is the workshop
+of the house.  Again, the peculiar custom of medieval times in placing
+the kitchen a considerable distance from the dining-room still survives
+in the English homes, while in American homes a marked difference has
+long prevailed. The kitchen here is usually placed as near as possible
+to the dining-room, only separated, if at all, by a china-closet,
+pantry, or butler's room.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The model kitchen has developed considerably from the
+    higgledy-piggledy arrangement of Colonial times. Supplies are
+    limited to the most necessary articles, and these stored away in a
+    handy location
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Such a kitchen _de luxe_ is expensive, but not extravagant. The
+    built-in range, tiled wall and floor, together with the open
+    plumbing, give the highest degree of sanitation
+]
+
+Convenience, cleanliness and ventilation are three essentials that must
+be paramount in arranging the up-to-date kitchen and its accessories.
+
+While there may be differences as to minor details, the principal
+features to be obtained in establishing a modern kitchen may be found
+in the various suggestions herein contained:
+
+1st. The kitchen should be roomy but not excessively large. This
+applies to any size of house, as too large a kitchen is maintained at
+the expense of convenience and labor. An ideal size for a kitchen in a
+house measuring 25 × 50 (containing living-room, reception room,
+dining-room and pantry on first floor) would be 12 × 15 feet.
+
+2nd. The general construction of the interior is of the utmost
+importance. The floor may be of hard Georgia pine, oiled, or covered
+with linoleum or oilcloth. As a covering, linoleum of a good inlaid
+pattern, while more expensive than oilcloth, proves the best and most
+economical in length of service. In a house where comfort is demanded
+regardless of cost, an interlocking rubber tiling is suggested. This
+flooring absolutely avoids noises and slipping and is comfortable to
+the feet, as well as being of an exceptional durability. Other floors
+of a well-merited character are unglazed tile, brick, or one of the
+many patented compositions consisting chiefly of cement, which is also
+fireproof.
+
+The wainscoting, if adopted for the kitchen, can be of tile, enameled
+brick, or matched and V-jointed boards, varnished or painted; but in
+any event should be connected with the floor in a manner to avoid
+cracks for collecting dust or dirt. This is accomplished (when a wooden
+wainscot is used) by means of a plain rounded molding which is set in
+the rightangle formed by the junction of the floor with the wainscot.
+While seldom seen, because of the expense, a kitchen completely tiled
+or bricked on walls, floor and ceiling is indeed a thing of beauty and
+necessarily an ideally sanitary room.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The sink should have a drainboard space and be located where the
+    light may fall directly upon it. The row of hooks for utensils saves
+    much walking
+]
+
+The doors, window frames, dressers and other necessary woodwork should
+be plain, made of medium wood and painted some light color or enameled
+white; or finished in the natural state with a transparent varnish.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The butler's pantry should have an indirect connection between the
+    kitchen and the dining-room. The two doors here keep out odors,
+    noise and heat from the dining-room. The refrigerator is in the
+    cook's pantry and opens out on the porch
+]
+
+The walls and ceiling, if not tiled or bricked, should be finished with
+a hard smooth plaster and painted three or four coats of some light
+color--light yellow, green, or blue making a very agreeable color to
+the eye. This manner of treatment permits the walls to be washed and
+kept free from dust and dirt, which latter is a disagreeable feature in
+the use of wall papers.
+
+3rd. The proper installation of the various furnishings of the kitchen
+is worthy of much thought and consideration. Of all these, nothing is
+of more vital importance nor appeals more strongly to the household
+than the range. The size of the range is largely governed by the size
+of the house or the number of persons it is intended to serve. However,
+it is advisable to have a range not less than three feet square for a
+seven or eight-room house. It should be of a thoroughly modern style,
+with a hood over it, either built in or of sheet iron, an excellent
+provision for drawing away the steam and fumes of cooking. And, by all
+means, the range should be placed so that direct daylight falls upon
+it. Most present-day houses also have either gas or electric ranges
+installed in them and these should be near the coal range so as to
+confine all cooking to one part of the kitchen; and further, especially
+in winter when large gatherings are entertained, they furnish a
+combined service. Some large establishments, in addition to the range,
+are especially equipped with "warmers."
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The modern kitchen may be neat and clean if all of wood, with
+    V-matched boards varnished or painted. The space under the
+    drainboard here for a table is a feature worth adopting. The
+    cupboard over the shelf is also an attractive feature
+]
+
+The sink, being so closely allied in its usefulness to the range,
+should be placed near the latter and under, between or near windows,
+but never where the person using it would have his back to the light.
+It may be of galvanized iron, copper, soapstone or enameled porcelain,
+and provided with an ample draining-board; two being much preferred. If
+there is a special sink for vegetables required, it should be
+immediately adjoining the draining-board to insure compactness and
+convenience as well as economy in plumbing.  The draining-board may be
+of hard wood or of wood covered with copper or zinc. The best are made
+of enameled ware similar to the sinks.  Draining-boards of copper or
+zinc should be given only a slight slope to prevent the possibility of
+dishes slipping therefrom.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A feature of this plan is the sliding door connecting the kitchen
+    and pantry. This may be closed when cooking is in progress and
+    successfully keeps all odors from finding their way into the
+    dining-room. Opposite windows provide a cross draft and excellent
+    ventilation
+]
+
+The refrigerator should be built in or placed against an outside wall
+in order that the ice can be put in easily from without through either
+a small opening or window. If it can be avoided, the refrigerator
+should not be placed immediately in the kitchen, but rather in the
+entry, pantry or enclosed porch.
+
+The kitchen of the small house which sometimes has no communicating
+pantry should have built therein dressers of such proportions as will
+accommodate all the necessary dishes, pots, vessels, bins for flour,
+sugar, etc., cutlery, and other things essential for obtaining the best
+results under the circumstances. A dresser of commodious size is always
+a blessing. The top portion, of plain shelves, should be enclosed
+either with doors or sliding glass fronts; the lower portion, first
+lined with zinc and enclosed with solid wooden doors so constructed to
+fit nearly if not airtight. If an exclusive pot closet is desired, it
+should be handy to the range and at the same time be under cover for
+sanitary reasons.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    This German kitchen is a model of neatness and cleanliness in its
+    white enamel furnishings. The cupboard provides space for china, the
+    long shelf beneath being a great convenience, while the various bins
+    and drawers provide proper places for everything
+]
+
+Frequently in a small kitchen a counter or drop leaves against the wall
+are substituted for a table, but in most kitchens a good-sized
+substantial table, preferably in the center of the room, is found
+indispensable. The table should have a smooth top that can be easily
+kept clean.  Although costly, a heavy plate glass fitted perfectly with
+rounded edges makes a splendid top for the table.
+
+The service part of the house, of which the kitchen is the central
+room, should fit together just as parts of a machine and form a unit in
+themselves. The pantries, store rooms, etc., should be placed so as to
+afford easy access one to the other.
+
+In a house, which has two or more servants, a dining-room or alcove
+should be provided for their use. This may be a part of the kitchen or
+immediately adjoining, and merely large enough to seat comfortably the
+servants around a table.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A kitchen in a large country place that is equipped with every
+    possible convenience, sliding doors, built-in refrigerator, clothes
+    chute, dumbwaiter and a revolving drum between kitchen and butler's
+    pantry. There is also provision made for a servants' dining-room,
+    advisable wherever possible
+]
+
+The cook's pantry should contain cupboards in which are all the
+necessary paraphernalia for preparing pastries, puddings, etc., such as
+bins, bakeboards, crockery, pans and supplies, and should be lighted by
+at least one window.
+
+The butler's pantry, or china-closet as it is often called--generally
+located and affording direct communication between the kitchen and the
+dining-room--is essentially a serving-room and should contain a sink
+with draining-boards, cupboards and shelves to accommodate the fine
+china, glassware and other requisites for the table. With such a plan
+the door between the pantry and kitchen may be either sliding or double
+swinging, but between the pantry and the dining-room, a noiseless
+double-swinging door. A slide, with small shelves or counters on either
+side, between the kitchen and pantry, for the passing of food and
+dishes, saves time and steps.  It is well to have the communication
+rather indirect through the pantry to prevent in a measure the passage
+of odors or a direct view of the kitchen by those entering the
+dining-room or seated at the table. This can be partly accomplished by
+not having the communicating doors directly opposite each other.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The kitchen need not be large, if it is compact. In the house 25´ ×
+    50´ the ideal size is about 13´ × 15´. A work table of this sort
+    does away with many unnecessary steps, the lower shelf being a
+    convenient place to put articles that are in constant use
+]
+
+The outside entrance to the kitchen should be so placed as to
+facilitate the delivery of provisions, preferably through an entry or
+an enclosed porch.
+
+The laundry in many houses is combined with the kitchen or immediately
+adjoining, in which latter case it often serves as an entry and a place
+to store certain articles, such as brooms, buckets and possibly the
+refrigerator. The very best plan is to have the laundry in the
+basement, with separate outside stairs. In such a case, a chute for
+sending soiled linen, etc., should run from the kitchen or pantry to
+the laundry.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    The butler's pantry or serving-room should be equipped with a
+    cupboard and sink in order that the finer glass ware can be stored
+    and the more fragile articles be washed without finding their way
+    into the kitchen
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A rather unusual plan, in which great economy of space is made by
+    building the service stairs about the chimney. The pantry is
+    exceedingly well arranged in that it takes up no room from the
+    kitchen or the dining-room
+]
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    Plaster walls should be finished with a hard surface and given
+    several coats of a waterproof paint. The shelves beneath the sink
+    here provide a place useful and easily accessible
+]
+
+The kitchen should above all be well ventilated and have plenty of
+daylight. The necessary fumes and heat arising from the cooking should
+be taken care of in such a way that none of it is carried to the
+dining-room or to other parts of the house.  This can partly be
+accomplished by the hood over the range, but plenty of fresh air is
+required.  Generally in country homes, the living-rooms are given the
+southern exposure, so the kitchen usually faces the north. The best
+location is either the northern or eastern exposure, as the cooling
+breezes in the summer generally come from that direction, especially in
+this part of the country, and combined with the morning sun, make the
+kitchen cheerful and cool. If possible there should be exposure on at
+least two sides, opposite, affording cross ventilation as well as an
+abundance of light. All windows should be well fitted with screens in
+summer to keep out flies and other insects attracted by the odors of
+cooking.
+
+The best artificial lighting is obtained by a reflector in the center
+of the kitchen, possibly with side brackets where necessary, as at the
+sink or at the range.
+
+[Illustration:
+
+    A very novel kitchen cupboard is this, with the shelf space in the
+    doors giving almost a double capacity. The bread board slides
+    beneath a shelf and is provided with handles
+]
+
+In a large house the service portion may be situated in a separate wing
+and if so the stairs should be in a small hall, centrally located and
+near the kitchen, especially the stairs to the cellar. This hall may
+contain a closet for brooms and a lavatory for the use of the servants.
+It it well not to have the stairway ascending directly from the
+kitchen, as it lessens the valuable wall space. The rooms directly over
+the kitchen can best be utilized in most cases for servants' sleeping
+rooms as they are often objectionable for members of the household, or
+guests.
+
+
+  JAMES EARLE MILLER
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Notes: Italic text is denoted by _underscores_, bold text
+by =equals signs=.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of Project Gutenberg's A Book of Distinctive Interiors, by Various
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 56467 ***