The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-12-02

During all of the winter months previous to
the time when they would build in the spring
many sketches are made in a laborious way
of the floor plans of the house that is to be.
Finally the net result is handed to builder
or an architect, more frequently the former,
as most houses are built without professional
services The figures from the builder come
in and are very much higher than was ex-
pected 1t is quite shock, for certainly
there is nothing there that they can well do
without; everything has been thought OF SO
much Nothing that their house contains ap-
pears to them to be less than matter OF
necessity. Other builders are asked to figure
with results little more satisfactory. In the end
there must be compromise. The builder
and the owner both yield, and as result a
very satisfactory house is built. There are
little things which they would have diff
ferent but in the main the house is salts
factory.
This is the universal experience and the
effect upon the domestic architecture OF this
country has been very pronounced. We can
now get better house for given sum of
money than ever before Better not only as
to general construction but as well on
ON account of the external appearance and
the convenience of its internal arrangements.
One NAV get more of what are regarded as
the little conveniencies which mean so much
TO the housekeeper. This is not altogether
the result of the lower prices of material and
labor which 20 to make house, but is as
we'll on account of the skill which has been
developed in planning and arranging build
ings with reference to economy of space and
cost of general construction. The planning
of houses has undergone revolution wlthln
a few wears past, and instead OF having the
long narrow halls at the side and In the MD
die of the house. and the long halls and mar
row passages through the upper noors, all Oh
which was ugly and inconvenience we
now have the same area thrown In
large. square hall, so as to be available
az a room with stairway at one side iii
mediately adjacent to it. 1t may be known
that chimney stacks are quite expensive.
For this reason an effort has been made to
group them SO that one may be made TO
answer for number Of rooms, and the sue
cess with which efforts in this direction has
been attended has been wonderful indeed. The
modern floor plan is altogether different from
that of the past; it is more convenient and
less expensive to build, and, as said before,
this is largely the result of the controversy
between the owner, who has ideas larger than
his nocket book, and the architect or
Luilder who exercises ais ingenuity to bring
tbe ideas and the money together.
The floor plans here given are OF an eight
roorn house and are fairly representative OF
tbe ideas above expressed. The general
form il will be seen, is square. 1t is two
story house with reception hall, parlor,
dining room, kitchen, china closet, pantry
and stair hall on the first floor. There are
three chambers, the servants bed room, the
hath room and communicating hall on the
SECOND floor. The first floor is 10 feet
inches high and the second o feet o inches.
From the second floor there is a stairway
Going TO the attic which is large and roomy
and which may have various uses The
cellar is feet high, and is well lighted by
having the ioist set well up from the grade
line. There may be laundry here ana
separated from it by door we may nave q
coal cellar and furnace room. as we ap,
nroach the house there is first, proan
rorch of about 8 feet in width and IA feet IN
length. At slight additional expense, say
ca 10 500 this porch might be extended
acres the entire front. Before reaching tns
front door there is small vestibule Arranged
! with or without storm doors, as may y