The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22

plan itself can so persstently
If$t1s3I present itself will careless or
poor Workmanship on the inside
finish. When planning and building a
home, there is never a time when vigilance
can be relaxed. There is no point where
the owner. or his architect for him, can
afford 10 be neglectful. From the bottom
brick of the foundation to the coping OF
the chimney, every inch of a house must
receive careful and intelligent attention.
Every housekeeper knows the WEAKNESS
of soul which comes from seeing an imper-
feet place in door or window casing every
time room is busted. or a place on the
stair landing where the woodwork is imper-
fectly Joined or poorly sandpapered. Such
a place Is seen every time one goes up or
down stairs. These may seem trifieS, and
so they are, but the sum of trifies which
persistently obtrude themselves one 5
consciousness is no light burden and should
be avoided whenever possible. But If the
door and window castings. the baseboards
and the doors be badly designed then the
matter ceases to be a trifie TO anyone who
lives in the house Ii cannot be too often
repeated that ugliness in any form de-
presses people mentally and affects the
morals adversely. That this action is often
unconscious does not vitiate the truth of
the statement.
But before the question OF design comes
the choice Of wood for the interior finish;
interior woodwork was painted, IL made no
great difference what kind of wood was
thus treated, and when. as so often hap
pened, the wood was insulted by being COW
cred with graining-that most barbaric
tnvention-it made even less difference.
The world really moves. for one would have
TO go far to find grained woodwork to-day.
Even uncultured householder knows
that no finish ever equals the natural grain
CT even an inexpensive wood. There are
q few housekeepers who follow the French
method OF painting inside woodwork white,
but when one considers how difficult it
is 10 furnish such room artistically in any
but extremely light tones, and how almost
impossible IL is to keep Ii clean, il will be
recognized that white paint is luxury
which brings almost no return on the
investment
QUESTION OF PoCKETBoOK.
Within reasonable limits the selection of
wood for doors and castings in any but very
iow-cost houses is less a question of peck
etbook than is usually understood. 1t is
not many years since the choice in this
part of the country lay between white
pine, poplar and oak. II the house was
inexpensive. one of the two former
woods was used; otherwise oak Poplar
stains well, and. being of fine grain, takes
beautiful finish when either oiled. paint
ed or vanished. But woe TO the house
holder who used IL for doors IL was never
the same shape or size two days at time
II the door could be locked at night, you
the morning. or in the morning felt any
certainty that you would not be forced &c
barr1cade IL with furniture at night IL YOU
had not the courage to nail IL shut So
poplar fell into disuss and white pine took
its place.
This is undoubtedly the best OF the soft
woods IL does not warp or swell is sat
isfactory IN grain and texture. and shows
good color when oiled or vanished. But
Its extensive use has lessened the supply
and so increased the price that il can nc
longer be considered an inexpensive wood
II the quality be of the best In an effort
at economy. II is sometimes used for doors
with poplar castings and baseboards This
however, Is not n satisfactory solution
Such mixture OF woods in a room breaks
the harmony which should prevail in even
an inexpensive house and the saving Is
really more imaginary than real. Yellow
pine has been used To an extent for less
expensive work. but is not satisfactory
III does not take a good finish for doors
or castings. and when used for the former
Is liable TO crack through the panels. Red
wood was tried here few years ago. This
Is beautiful in color, but too soft TO be
used on the inside OF houses. The least
pressure scratches or mars IL. and il never
ceases 10 splinter. II one cannot afford
clear. white pine OF the best quality there
IS no really satisfactory solution OF the
problem OF cheap interior finish. but per
haps the least unsatisfactory is u use z
second grade pine.
IL Is difficult 20 understand the popular
tty OF pine. when either birch or ma pie
can be used at moderate price. Neither
or these woods costs more than pine at It's
present price. and there is every reason for
using them They OF hard. fine grain
superior In color and texture and beautiful
In CONFORMATION. They finish superbly In
either oil varnish. and afterwards pre-
sent the advantages OF hardwoods in wear.
Neither white nor red oak Is greatly more
expensive when in position, than is pine
although both these woods are becoming