Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-25

II was these pretty details in whcih
they reveled that gave a pleasure to
their pursuit of a home, which those
who have a commissioned architect can
scarcely comprehend. OF course, they
must have a bath room That was in-
dispensable. In one OF the junk shops
they came upon hundreds Of white
enameled tiles wrenched from some
millionaires bath room. These they
bought. They bought also the nickel
plated fixtures, and marble basins and
enameled tub, as good as new, but
still junk at junk prices. Their bath
room is now paneled throughout with
the shining tiles. The tub has been
sunk In the floor with a romantic feel
ing of Greek luxuriance and nickel
plated rail guards the unwary steps.
inserted flush with the wall is great
square mirror, selected from A collec-
tion of mirrors which had done service
in various parts of the town. With all
this. there are very few bath rooms,
even in pretentious new houses, that
give a happier sensation OF brightness
and pleasant living. That, indeed, has
been the determining feature In letting
the house twice when the owners
wanted a vacation.
The conclusion to be drawn Is that
such a home would have been impossi-
bic to these young people at first hand.
For them no lofty windows, paneled
wainscoting. garlanded carvings, and
luxurious bath room, but for the junk
piles clustered on the outer edges of
the town.
Another young couple have achieved
a home which is fairly q show-place In
their part of the country. This is an
hour and half distant from New York
City, where they bought seven acres
at $50 an acre, and on which they were
to put their home, which could not cost
over $1,000. They were artists, and
they must have an attractive interior
at the least cost. The principal thing
was to have a studio, which must be
also the living room, the dining room,
and drawing room. 1t was to be two
stories high and vauted 1t must have
three f1replaces, for they could not af-
ford a furnace. 1t must have a bal
cony and stairs, for the balcony above
and below must serve as bedrooms.
The other departments were to be the
kitchen and its attic. The kitchen also
should have water in 1t, and there must
be a cellar. These were the simple re-
quirements Here, too, was a view
down a smiling valley, and the view
determined the exact position of the
house.
Making a Cheap Studio
Now all this was before spade was
thrust through the turf. There was to
be no architect. An architect was a
luxury like fountains and Italian gar
dens. There was to be a builder and
day laborer But before these were on
the scene they had visited the junk
piles, and there were lying on the grass
curious boxes, bundles, and punches.
Out of the latter came a couple of
lovely Corinthian pillars, six feet high,
and clusters of delicately wrought spin
dies. In the boxes were loaded, quaint
diamond paned windows of varying
sizes, and delicate tracery, such as the
old Carthusian loved. There were fine
old brass door knobs, andrions, and a
stunning lofty solid mahogany door
which was to serve for entrance. There
they lay about the grass and only the
eye of imagination could put them in
place.
Now they are in place. The studio
is a noble room with a canvas frieze
painted by it's owner. The balcony
spans the studio width. 1t is a balcony
such as Paul Veronese would not haYe
hesitated to have introduced in the
Marriage at Cana" From the balcony
leading down into the studio is the
staircase with it's procession of spindles
terminating in the two Corinthian pill
lars, an architectural detail of great
effectiveness. Rugs hung over the bal
cony rail transform it into the owners
bed room. Screens furnish the casual
guest with his nights lodging beneath
the balcony. Toward the west looking
down the valley is the dining rooms
space, defined also If necessary by
screen.
Such is the finished house in it's grove
of laurels, the outlook down the pleas
ant valley a place of joyful comfort
prolonged until late in the autumn,
when the great fireplaces roar with the
flames of the burning logs.
These two enterprises Indicate that
beautiful and costly interiors may not
always be the exclusive property of the
rich. That it is a knowledge gaining
q wider circulation is evident from the