The Washington times., 1922-04-16

~ the house plan will be wheth'
or to provide for certain built
In fxtures, or whether to use port
able, ready-made pieces in such loca-
tions. There Is much to be said IN
favor of built.in furniture and other
equipment as against the movable
or portable piece OF like kind.
II we are building our own homes
we would do well to see IL we can
not build.in our sideboards, our
bookcases, many of our closets and
pieces instead of building the four
walls of room and filling It later
with the usual furniture. Amy
builtin piece must naturally fit into
the surroundings or background bet.
ter than portable piece. How
often do we see dining room
which the architect finished In
tuned oak made into horror" by
suite" OF table and chairs In
mahogany! Or there is the bed
room with trim In stained cherry
wood, while the owner furnishes II
with a dresser and wardrobe of gray
enamel. which Is the only finish she
likes In her pieces.
From the housekeeping point OF
view, the built-in has the advant.
age not only of being more suitable
and fitting. but also generally OF
being easier to care for. The sad
fact is that all portable pieces,
whether bookcase, buffet or dresser,
are mounted on legs-and the dust
collects under these legs and must
be STOPPED for and constantly
moved for the purpose of cleaning.
Either the entire article of furni-
ture must be moved out from the
wall or difficult stopping resorted
to. II seems as II the dust Just
loves to accumulate In rolls under
such places!
Since the built-in piece is re-
cessed into the wall there is no op-
portunity for the accumulation of
such dust or disorder. II the piece
is a built-in sideboard, 1t is really
part of the wall of the house; there
are no crevices, no legs, no dust.
traps, for the bottom of the buffet
is flush with the floor. The same
holds true of the built-in dresser,
chest of drawers or similar piece.
For instance, in bookcases which
are portable there is always the
difficult task of deciding where
they shall go. / know several
friends who became quite broken
hearted and desperate because IN
moving from one home to another
there was never a place large
enough to accommodate their pet
bookcases without making them ex-
tend too far into the room or jut
into a door or spoil the effect Of
other pieces In the room.
From the point of view OF cost
the home builder need have no
scruples that to provide numerous
built.in fixtures will be too expen.
sive. II the owner has never kept
house before, then he can save on
the cost of furniture by substitut-
ing the built-in. Or, II he has a
van of Lares and Penates to carry
about, he may dispose OF some, or,
at least, be sure that from the In
vestment and selling point OF view
the home with built.ins always ap-
peals more to the purchaser than
one without such fixtures.
The built-in gives opportunity for
far greater attractiveness because
IL can be so harmonized with the
surroundings, the wall and the gen.
eral finish. Last, do not forget that
the built-in saves floor space over
portable pieces. Just contrast a
typical dining-room buffet and the
floor space 1t requires to jut into
the room with a built-in buffet re-
cessed In the wall between kitchen
and dining room. Indeed, the built.
in may permit an actual and con
siderable saving in construction
cost
No built-in fixture is more attrac-
tice, space-saving and useful tnan
the buil'-in book shelves. Located
on either side of the fireplace, for
example; in an Inglenook, on two
sides OF a bay window, or In any
spot and in any room-they add ser
vice and a certain attractive cozi-
ness which no other fixture seems
to give. We have spoken OF the
buffet, the dresser. the chest OF
drawers These can bring Joy to
the houseke sper's heart and can be
built with as many drawers, or
drawers so deep and shelves so
wide as she desires.
l know one unusual buffet built
between the dining room and
kitchen where the drawers were 50
put in that they pulled from back
to front on ball bearings. In other
words, lay the silver in the drawer
from the kitchen side, push 1t In,
and lafnr uhan caffinQ the table