The age-herald., 1900-01-14

Every woman knows the value of such an arrangement, and yet how many bed- rooms one can recall where there was not any space for either the bed, dressing case and other necessary furniture.
 The importance of interior construction or the house was discussed by a number or women last week and at the meeting of the Cadmean Circle on Friday with Mrs John Towers MT. Hugh Martin, a we'll known architect, was invited to speak q1p- on the subject. Mir. Martin talked in the most Interesting manner upon interior con struction, and brought out as only a pro- fessfonal architect could do, all the prae- tical as well aesthetic values of interior plans.
 As we are dealing with the interior of the home, he said, 'the interesting details of verandas, porte-cocheres. balconies, log sias, etc, may be omitted, but be it re- me rnoered that in most cases they form es- sential parts of the perfect plan
 Our research would naturally begin With tine now very generally used vesti- oule, oftentimes with mosaic or tile floor ing, and which is even more necessary in the colder and more severe climate of the hor'th than with us. However, it is always a useful adjunct and may De invested with some sentiment by the insertion in tho tile flooring of the Romans 'SalVe'' for vel come and in letters to be read from the op- Poslte direction or point of exit, the "Vale' for farewell"
 In speaking of the various anarf n,a,,ts MT. Martin continued:
 The dining room should be one of the most cheerful rooms in the house and should, if possobe, have an eastern or southeastern exposure so that the breakfast hour shall be made as cheerful as possible by the rays of the morning sun. The ad- vantage of this is evident when we remem- Der that, especially in sumner will the heat be more unbearablc if the room be exposed to the mld-day and afternoon sun, and that lack of morning sun is liable to make the room eheerless in winter. In more elabor- ate houses breakfast room may be used to advantage.
 Light and air are most important require ments for every part of your house, nor should they be sacrificed to desire for ef- feet, or even beauty, though these desider- ata wall seldom conflict aS the former are nearly always chief elements of the latter.
 ''The library is, as a rule, used most fre- quently at night, and hence is not quite so dependent on ample daylight and desirable window exposure; though these are not to be altogether neglected.
 "The uses of the parlor, drawing room, re- ception hall and other public rooms are so widely variant that it s impossible to pre- scribe certain rules for their government but must be made a particular study in each separate instance The bed rooms also will have to be carefully planned to best suit the needs of the individuals for which they are intended.
 Besides which it VIII in some eases be necessary to provide for Billiard rooms. pie ture galleries. conservatory and other apartments winch are superf1uous or desira- ble according to the habit, requirem ens and ability of the family to possess them. All of these, however, instead of being desig mated as formerly unnecessary luXuries' are growing to be considered as desirable additions, and with a tendency to increase the aesthetic in1uenceof the home.
 'T once knew" MT. Martin continued, 'of a design in which 1t was desired to incor porate an oriental den, a smoking room and billiard room: the result was accom- plished by combining these features and fit ting up in oriental style the billiard room, which opened off the first stair landing few steps above the ground floor. It was also made into coZy smoking room py the use of quaint eastern tapestries. lamps and divans. but with the innovation of our mod ern open grate fire and electric lights for comfort.
 ",rhe tendency to introduce foreign styles of decoration has been rather more pfoml- rent of late For some years, drawing rooms parlors of the more elaborate resi- dences have been furnished in a sort of Morocco or French renaissance, sometimes spoken of as the white and gold style, and designated according to it's variations. as the styles of Louis XIV, XIV, or XVI, de- pending on the chronological order of in- production of their prototypes.
 "Later on we have the introduction of rooms furnished in the styles of other for eign and oftehtfmes oriental countries, such Arabia, Inda China and Japan, with various degrees of success from an artistic standpoint, but frequently of con siderable interest, being for the most part designed after correct models with the pur- pose of appropriately housing antiquities and relics brought from these foreign coun- tries.
 4I,a ,f man who returned to his native state afser serving as missionary to Japan, so large was his collection of curos that 1t was de- cfded to have his whole house treated after the Japanese style, both inside and out. It was said to make a very interesting and very successful experiment, though one Is inclined Ito question the appropriatenes of removing the houses of lthat Land of Flow CTS to the less temperate climate of New England.
 'Frequently the charm of a room may be much added to by the judicious use of bays, octagons, or other variations in its shape, which furnish a relief to the eye as we'll as pleasant hooks and corners which go to make it more homelike and are of especial advantage for the purposes of entertaining. However 1t is possible to err in the opposite extreme, and have the house too much cut up. Rooms that are square or rectangular, are capable of very artistic treatment, and the value of blank wall space Tor convenient arrangement of Furniture etc, is not to be over-es timated
 "I am glad that in the treatment of this branch Of my profession I am allowed to dwell with particular stress upon the aes thetc values of the home And 1t is the home in its broadest sense of which We are speaking; not merely its drawing rooms. libraries and reception halls but it's utili- tarfan portions as well. What have our kitchens to do with aesthetics, yon may ask; and indeed is this question too often pertinent one.
 'The kitchen emphasized MT. Martin ''the pantries and other work rooms must be in accordance with the rest of the house In cleanliness, and above all in ample space and convenience of arrangement
 "Neither should we neglect the bath room. but there is less need for cautior. in this direction, as so much has already been said and done in its favor and with such evident results"
 "I would.' he continued, ''that had the eloquence to plead the cause of exposed plumbing pipes and to dwell upon the enor- unity of the offense of putting them in inac- cesstble places where they will forever after be source of constant annoyance.