The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-27

kAl1 tinctly their own. AS different as
IcGnSof they are one from another there
- are nevertheless certain dis
tinctive qualities which run through them
ALL A house may be large small, but
there is always the stamp of the American
plan. One might think there would be a
certain resemblance between a typical
American house of eight or ten rooms and
q middle-class English house of about the
same size. This. however. is not the case.
An architect OF experience has never been
able TO impress American client with
English. German French house plans
The reason is clear enough. Conditions
OF house service and methods of living are
so essentially different that the house which
Is suited TO one nation is not suited to an
other. The idea of convenience. as we I'M
derstand and express il. has counter
part in the English French plan.
The question of house service has had a
great deal to do with making the typical
American house compact. There is a dispo-
sition To save space, If for no other reason
than TO save work. The reception hall plan
came out of this thought and did not
exist to @ppreciable extent until the
question of house service became matter
OF very serious consideration 1t very often
happens that the reception hall has more
area than the long side hall of years ago.
a hall seven feet wide and twenty-five feet
long would contain 152 square feet. Mani
testify a room about twelve feet square is
better than one seven by twenty-five feet
The space twelve feet square forms a room
that is available for living. and the space
seven feet wide Is not very good a hall,
ana most assuredly is not room.
TIE reception hall plan is more con-
venient and pleasing on the second than the
first floor. part Of the space may be
utilized as room with view TO the front.
while the space connecting with the stair
hall will be large enough for all surrounding
rooms 10 open into it. This is infinitely bet
ter than the old plan with hall bedroom
hn and liz r ind Of a
hall connecting the front and parts
of the house. Within reasonable limits
every foot that can be saved in upstairs
hall space is very desirable. and wherever
such saving can be made there is the corre-
spending saving Of many steps and much
The plan given herewith has little re-
ception hall and a sitting room on the
first floor. with the stairway so placed that
the stair landing Is almost exactly in the
center of the second floor. For that reason
the means of communication from one room
TO another and from the hall to the various
rooms is brought about in the most econom-
lea, manner possible.
BEDROOM REQUIREMENTS.
OF the bedrooms little need be said. Each
has good light and abundant ventilation
the two most essential conditions in a sleep
ing room. The spacing of doors and WIN
dows is such that convenient places are
found for furniture, with the proper light
for dressers. and bed space free from
enough
comfortable living. but not so large that
unnecessary time is needed for their care
or large expenditures of money for furnish
ing.
There are ten bathrooms i'm a moderate
sized town in this country at this time
where there was enc fifteen or twenty
years ago. The location of a bathroom or
the second floor of house has entirely
changed the use of bedrooms in the Amer
can home. We remember. those of US
who are not too young. that going up
stairs distinctive operation
1t was associated distinctly with retire
ment. at night and the housework next
morning. Now. however. conditions have
changed. The bedroom floor is a living
part of the house. and finish and deco
fully as any other part of the structure
With the bathroom the second floor
the various operations of living and house
washbowl and pitcher, the carrying up
stairs of water, and the carrying down
stairs of slops have been eliminated.
The bathroom is the second-fOor work
shop. just as the kitchen is the Workshop
for the first floor. There are few houses
In which delicate articles. laces, handker-
chiefs, etc. which X is not wise TO trust
to the laundress, are not washed here
Instead OF brushing clothing in the bed.
rooms before placing them in the closets
room for cleansing. This keeps all of tn,
dust OF such work in room, by on,
window. and thus reduces the necessary
sweeping and busting in the bedrooms
But IL makes necessary a bathroom which
Is readily cleaned one in which there ar,
unnecessary projections i'm which m,
bath fixtures are the most easily careC
for and the most sanitary. Ii makes i'm
perative a room large enough so that on,
exceptionally we'll lighted and ventilated
No room in the house needs sunlight
every day.
BATHROOM ESSENTIALS
The porcelain tub. or the one of meta
with porcelain lining and white enamele,
paint on the outside. the one which stand.
on legs and clear from the floor, is a grea
advance over the copper-lined. wooden
eased tub OF years ago. The marble-toppeC
or porcelain washstand. with nickel trim
mfngS and connections. which stands FIRE,
on metal legs or brackets. is n great i'm
provement over the old inclosed catch-all
the dire disease breeder of earlier times
But the greatest Improvement OF all is tn,
modern closet IL is simplicity itself com
pared with the one which came so promi
Philadelphia exposition OF &c. The us
or those old inclosed fixtures wa
difficult OF eradication from the minds o
the people One architect.in the Mississippi
valley worked for many years with hi
clients before he could get them TO consen
10 Install porcelain tubs. The slight add
uonal cost and the change OF habit com
bined 10 make them difficult of introduc
ton.
In the old bathrooms the encasing of IN,
tub and other fixtures suggested the wains
coting OF the walls with wood Nothin:
tain as little woodwork as possible On
the walls painted plaster Is infinitely bet
ter than wood, and II the paint be enamele,
IL IS still more easily cleaned. Marble is su
perior 10 plaster where one cares 10 ignor
the question OF cost. and tile being non
| absorbent is better than either.
There Is a chance for an honest differenc,
OF opinion In the matter OF the bathroom
floor. From the standpoint OF cleanliness.
the ideal floor for a bathroom is tiles bu
there II more everyday work I'm caring 70
IL than for well-prepared and well-fin
ished hardwood floor. The nonabsorben
tile has "A sanitary value which cannot b.
realized IA any other material IL is no