Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1912-07-26
Disappearing Bed California S
LatestFdd.

Out in southern California along
with orange blossoms and snow COW
cred mountains, eternal sunshine and
flower bordered streets. they have
disappearing beds. Sounds strange,
but it's true.
Go into many OF the first class,
up to date apartment houses. and
you Will see everything that can pos
sibly contribute to comfort and con
venience except the beds, and II you
do net know where to look for them
you might as well start on needle
in the haystack expedition. People
in California have managed to get the
business of living comfortably with
the least effort down to the very
finest point.
Wages are high and servants
scarce. so that probably nine women
out of ten do their own homework.
Owing to this condition architects,
builders. interior decorators and fur
niture designers have all contributed
their share to minimizing the work
and saving time and trouble for the
bousekeeper. and the disappearing
he'd is one Of the results.
It has the old fashioned, unsan-
itarv folding bed beaten to a frazzel
and Just at present seems to have
reached the height Of popularity on
the Pacific coast. for the most ex-
pensive apartment hotels are being
fitted with them as well as the
cheaper flats and modest bungalows.
Built in furniture has long been
distinctive feature Of California
houses and the average bungalow or
flat is equipped with sideboard or
buffet. bookcases and even a writing
desk built into the walls and finished
with loaded glass doors and metal
fnobs and handles. These. proved
to he Sc satisfactory that some enter
prising builder decided TO go one
better.
He put in beds as we'll and a
scheme was worked ont that IS not
only said TO be thoroughly sanitary
brt according to the enthusiastic
advertisements Of one manufacturer
will change q three room flat in the
DAYTIME into a five room flat at
night" Just how this problem is
solved the advertisement fails to
state. but it may be a form Of ex-
nansion peculiar to California.
To get back to the disappearing
bed. however. it Is kent when in use
in a recess opening out Of one room
but extending for the most part into
the room adjoining This recess
opens underneath some large piece
Of built in furniture a buffet or
bureau or bookcase. and the head Of
the bead forms the lower part Of that
particular piece. Only the floor space
in the adjoining room is occupied by
the bed recess which is about three
feet high. and the space above it Is
utilized for a cupboard or closet.
There are hundreds of small apart
ments in Los Angeles and the sur
rounding towns that consist Of a liy-
ing room. dining room. large closet
kitchen and bath. with two disappear
ing beds in each apartment. The
bed in the living room slides under
the bookcase and extends sometimes
into the closet. sometimes into the
bathroom. In either case the space
over the bed recess IS occupied by a
closed in closet with shelves and
doors similar to any ordinary closet
except that its floor, instead Of being
flash with the other floors. IS three
feet higher
The bed in the dining room Is
under the buffet and the recess ex-
tends into the kitchen. The upper
part of the buffet. like the bookcase,
is practical piece Of furniture and
has shelves and glass doors and a row
of drawers for silver and table linen
over the head Of the bed, which as
often as not IS made to simulate
the doors Of the little cupboard IN
ually found in the lower part Of such
a buffet. over the recess in the