Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-08

HOLD
lINTS

NSA'ANSSNNs
little wool"
In house building and furnishing how
ever there may be noted marked change
for the better.
Queen Mary AIMS" full of tawdry
makeshifts of ornamentation, now hide
their diminished heads. Utility expressed
In plain but graceful form. and always
reason for It's being. marks the difference.
In looking over new houses In "model
suburbs" or studying the architects plans
for houses to be built for people of good
taste. but moderate means. one sees re-
turn to the best features OF the old master
pieces of architecture. Elizabethan, Dutch
Mission, Colonial Gothic or Italian.
Each OF these holds once more the Key
note OF sturdy solidty, even when built
to SELL"
Natural woods show their own beautiful
grains instead of being covered with paint
Floors are of hard wood or of narrow strips
of pine or chestnut so closely matched that
with a good stain they answer almost as
well. No more steep stairs. Nearly all the
new ones show a square landing usually
large enough for an outside window and a
built-in seat. while the lift TO the stairs is
so low that ascent is easy and natural.
The "parlor' of grim and forbidding asso-
citation with haircloth furniture and COM
pany manners IS out. There is the big,
cheerful living room with raftered ceiling,
capacious fireplace made of boulders, thing
or the brick that in the burning has taken
on 80 rich a color that It is out of COM
mission for ordinary building purposes,
while both ornamental. durable and mex
pensiye for the fireplace.
The reception room Is small Or eliminated
entirely; the hall being arranged as 10
accommodate the formal or business caller.
Window frames are now pushed outward
IN order to secure generous old-fash!oned
slls within.
The upper sash in many OF the new subur-
ban houses are small PANIED, sometimes
loaded, while the lower sash holds one large
pane.
door is utilized with built-in settles at either
side on the porch. These are frequently
made with lid to open. furnishing a per-
manent abiding place for overshoes, UNI
brellas. the childrens play coats sweat
srs, croquet balls and mallets and other
-Gst-Of-dUor requisites.
PidZZis are broad and Toomy, inviting to
fresh air living
While the modern kitchens are not nearly
80 large as the kitchens of our foremotbers,
they are far and away more convenient.
Every foot of space is utilized. The plumb
ing IS all open with no spot where dust
may cling and hide. In almost all we'll
appointed houses there are two ranges of
French wrought steel one for coal and one
for gas. In the smaller houses there is
Only the gas range with a separate heater
for the water tank. The hood over the
range which Is used to carry off odors, al
though Of comparatively recent fixture
mere. has been in use In many European
countries for centuries The walls of the
modern kitchen are finished with thing or
tho cheaper but equally sanitary Keene ce-
ment. Indeed, this enameled cement has
many advantages over the thing, in that
the beautiful glaze of tile will sometimes
crack and fall off, leaving a spongy, por-
Gus surface Nitrifed brick is also hand
some and sanitary. The floor of the new
kitchen is of vitriied tile laid in hydraulic
cement. If the laundry IS In the cellar (ahd
the modern architect has a cast-iron rule
hat m yraG IN he done
ktchen). the stationary porcelain-lined
tubs stand on a slightly raised wooden plat
form to prevent the strain on the feet and
ankles of the laundress.
The kitchen sinks are of enameled
earthen ware, the waste trapped directly
down to the drain. with all pipes nickel
plated and exposed
The drip board. as well as cooks table.
Is of maple Marble which has sometimes
been advocated as the material par excel
lence for serving and cooking tables is not
10 be desired. II stains readily. dissolves
in some of the acids and clogs with all
kinds OF oils.
Besides the buffers pantry between the
kitchen and dining room with its linen
closets and drawers for the table and
kitchen linen. its pantry with glass doors,
china closet with glass doors, and its plate
warmer. whether heated by gas, hot water
or electricity, there are other side rooms
such as the storeroom for dry groceries
and separate refrigerators for meat and
milk, with other compartments for fruit
and vegetables. But while all these things
are a delight TO the born housewife, who
enjoys knowing about them In case her
ship comes in and some day she too shall
inherit, the most of US have still to go on
making the best of our present surround
ings, even Mary AIMS" and cheesebox
fats.
Yet even nthis setting ordinarily not of
our own choosing. the possession Of good
or bad taste is quickly recognized.
The Transformation of Dining Room
Take, for instance. the ugly little dining
room OF the ordinary apartment house. with
It's uneven floor, cheap and scaly woodwork
unprepOssessing outlook across the alley to
the brick walls adjoining.
young couple moving into such one
last spring transformed the 'bete noir," as
the previous occupant had styled IT, into a
most charming interior The ceiling which
was plain white, was freshened. A plate
shelf was extended around the room and
this. with the woodwork. was painted white
The walls were covered with blue denim
The floor, whose crevices had been filed
with some OF the good preparations on the
market. was given a stain of light oak
made By mixing one pint of linseed oil with
one and one-half gills turpentine three
Tablespoonful Of raw lumber and three ia
blespoOnsfrl of whiting Over this was
spread a Turkish kiskhillim, in whose va
regated pattern a rich deep blue predomI-
mated. While this hard smooth covering
had been used for carpets in the orient from
the earliest times Il is only very recently
that * has been used In America for any
thing but pOrtieres and covers; yet they are
both attractive. durable and withal mex
pensive In comparison with the heavier ORR
entail rugs of single face
Against the windows. to hide the staring
brick walls, were stretched across the lower
sash a pretty blue figured stained glass ef-
feet fabric, and over this In turn were
draped In the French or crossed effect cur
tains made OF tarletan. This same tarletan.
by the way was used in all the other rooms
giving a perfectly legitimate and pleasing
erect The material was purchased by the
bolt. cut Into desired lengths and the dress
Ing washed out before hanging. Contrary
70 expectation. II makes a sheer soft, dura-
BILE hanging After these curtains were
crossed on the poles they were looped back
about the center of the window casing.
where they were punched with a big soft
knot of the material
The dining table was small and plain. the
chairs OF good lines. but also plain and
there was no other furniture In the room
aside from the built-in china closet whose
lower part extended far enough beyond the
cupboard TO admit OF its taking the place
or sideboard. Drawers below held the
silver and linen. On the plate shelf around
the room blue Canton plates were ranged
while the two shelves of the mantel were