Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-11-28
ELEVATION.

1t is not uncommon in such buildings TO
have the entrance directly in front. There is
always objection to direct passage into
large room. The placing Of vestibule in
front of or at one side Of u large hall changes
il into a room.
If there were n door in the front part OF
the large central room of this house there
would necessarily have to he a hat rack or
other repository for wraps, umbrellas ETC.,
which never present themselves agreeably to
the eye. Furthermore, in placing them away
from the door, there would be a passage across
the room to the hat rack, which would be
marked at times with dirt and dust brought
in from the outside. The vestibule and stair
hall change all this. In this instance the stair
hall is placed at the side, which gives an
unobstructed view from the front part of the
main room This stairhall can be covered
by rug, which can be carried out of the
house for cleansing
One of the great objections to hard wood
floors in houses which must be cared for at a
moderate expense is the large amount of la
bor they require. They are easily soiled, and
show the slightest Disagreement, so that it is
necessary more than once every day for some
one to wipe them up in spots, if not all over
In houses where expense or energy of service
is not important this may be a small matter,
but as the general condition must contem-
plate economy of energy, it is important that
this matter be considered. The disposition
which leads those of moderate means to fol-
low the example of wealthy neighbors tends
to the use of many hard wood floors A good
body Brussels carpet is easily taken care of
as compared with hard wood floor, and the
first cost is but little more.
The inside finish of the entire lower floor of
this house is of hard wood. Some little vari-
city is used. The main room isquartered oak,
the chamber white maple, the library syca-
more, the stair hall quartered oak and the
dining room walnut. The plastering has a
gray finish-not the white, glaring color so
common. In the dining room, about half
way up the wall, on all sides, is a shelf which
is about six inches wide. 1t extends between
castings of all doors and windows. On the
under sile of it are cup hooks, to which may
be hung an occasional cup, or through which
smilax or other green or decorative material
maybe trained. The little china closet in the
corner of the dining room has glass doors in
its upper section and shelves and paneled
doors below.
i On the second floor are three full height,
square bedrooms. The larger rooms are in
the high part of the roof where the height is
sufficient to admit ceiling with light collar
beams. Not even the upper corners of the
rooms are clipped. The height to the small
room is derived by placing dormer the size
of the room on that side of the house.
To return to the first floor. The main
room is divided by a circular form of orna-
oI f,ot1x hat ;e II
sage through the center. The view from the
front through this fretwork to the mantel
and seat in the rear is very charming The
mantel itself is Of wood The facing is of
enameled tile. Very little wood work sLows
on the front through the shelf
The porch is very elegant feature of this
house, presenting, as it does, large unob-
structed space for this room outside the
house. The main body of the porch, as will
be seen, is to one side of the entrance, thus no
one is disturbed by passage from the front
steps to the door. The large gable in front
of the porch is left open to the sheathing line
above the rafters. The effect of this is not
only agreeable, but it let's more light into the
main room than would be the case if the
gable were filled with ornamental forms of
wood work, shingles or other material which
obstructs the light to line with the top of
the columns of the other part Of the perch.
There is another point about this open ga
BILE which can only make itself apparent from
experience. That is, there is a feeling pleas
antly in contrast with the depressing effect
which comes from sitting under the low roof
of the ordinary form of porch. One can sit
under this gable, look up and see large ex-
panse Of sky above him; otherwise, there is
little more than the horizon to be seen. A
number of people sitting on such porch will
naturally move from each end to the center
to get under the opening of the gable with
out really knowing the reason.