Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-22
Los Angeles Architect
Gives Details on Cost
of a Home

Building the home in California for
certain amount of money is a far
easier task and permits of greater out
lays in connection with the comforts
of the family than the same effort
would be obtained in connection with a
house in the middle west or far east
ern states.
How to get what want for s25OO or
$3OOO," is a problem which often con-
fronts, no doubt, the minds of a great
many persons when they get ready to
put up a home.
Some advice along these lines may
be of assistance to the readers of The
Herald, and will therefore endeavor
in this article to give some of the prin-
cipal points to be taken into considera-
tion in connection with planning n
house.
The lot having been selected, the first
lHlHS 10 De TAKEN lHlO COISlueIdllOH 10
the laying out of the rooms in such a
manner as to afford sunlight in all of
the rooms, at least during some portion
of the day. Then on the other hand,
if the lot be an inside one the broad
front is most desirab BILE on account of
affordins two rooms facing the street.
The center hall plan of a $250O resi-
dence may have ground dimension of
say. not to exceed 40 feet frontage by !
81 feet in depth. The hall may have !
(after deductions for walls and parti-
tions are taken out) of IA feet clear on
either side of the hall.
On the ground floor there can be a
parlor 14x14 feet and directly opposite,
or on the other side of the hall, SIM
liar sized room 14x14 feet can be OBJ
styled for instance, living
room or library.
The hall parlor, living room, should
be connected with sliding doors. or
archways, set directly opposite each
other, in order that the rooms may be
opened or thrown together if the oc-
casion requires, for the purpose of en-
tertaining.
Back Of the living room or library
should be located the dining room and
the balance of the space can be taken
up with the kitchen, pantry, screen
porch, back and cellar, stairs, etc.
The hall should extend well back be-
yond the center line of the depth of
the house, thus affording a door lead
ing into the dining room and this will
also permit of the reception hall stair
way being started back of the sliding
doors affording ample space from the
starting of the stairway to the front
door-a mistake often permitted in
planning a house by not leaving ample
space in front of the stairway. If the
hall be nine feet wide the writer
would suggest not less than ten feet
in front of the stairway to the front
door.
On the second floor the ground plan
will afford four splendid chambers,
with large closets for each; a linen
closet, bath room, landing for front
and back stairs and a small balcony at
the rear of the hall on the second floor
for the purpose of airing bedding, etc.
Thus 1t may be seen one is able to get
a comfortable and conveniently ar
ranged home of eight good sized rooms
for $25O0 or $4,000 If proper care is taken
in planning in such manner as to save
and unnecessary labor.
Now for the exterior, which comes up
naturally after the plan is laid out.
Remember the plan must be laid out
first and the elevations afterward. 1t
may be possible that the designer may
work both together, but in most cases
the plan is laid out with the full knowl-
edge as to what the elevation is going
to be. The style at present in Los An
geles which seems to bring about the
best results is the Elizabethian, with
It's broad, open cornices, low, sweep
ing roofs and irregular gables and
general outline and considerable saw
ing can be had in using resawed red
wood siding with the rough side out.
The. idea Of this is that one coat Of
good shingle stain will accomplish
more than three coats of paint and be
much more effective on completion.
The under side Of all cornices and porch
ceilings should be left in the natural
oregon pine finish, simply treated
with boiled linseed oil.
The foregoing perspective dealing
with this article suggests typical CAL