San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
WHITE CLAPBOARDED HOUSE

1870 INV
Unassuming, but replete with the
assurance of an artistically conceived
and carefully planned home, is this
cheerful, little, white clapboarded
house designed by Architect +. Wi
kander of New York. 1t is, indeed, a
gem of inspiration to the intending
home builder.
A covered auto entrance furnishes
shelter for guests arriving on inclem-
ent days. The red quarry tiled ves:i-
bule has circular arches over the en-
tries, to harmonic with similar arches
spanning the columns of the porch
overhead and elsewhere.
At the far end of the stair hall there
is a coat closet. A spacious living
room occupies the entire front of the
house, overlooking the street. This
room is II. feet wide and % feet long.
Its size makes it decidedly live-in-able
and interesting. Now that living rooms
are lived in, and are not merely the
show rooms that the old fashioned par
iors of generation ago were, it is nee
essary to have them of good size. The
living room, being the center of the
home, should have a large, real fire
place, for a cracking CHEEKY fire, to-
gether with plenty of books, a piano,
and a radio set. These items will 60
a long way toward keeping the young
people at home, and will offset the
disintegrating influences which cause
the younger members to seek enter
tainment elsewhere.
The living room opens on to large
front porch which extends the full
width of the house. 1t may be floored
with brick or tile. st is decidedly Of
the nature of an old fashioned YER
anda. Being built so that it is just a
step off the ground makes it an at
tractive place for neighbors to gather,
informally, for visit. Another advan-
tage of a porch like this is that the
housewife, doing her mending here,
may keep a watchful eye on the chill
dren playing in the front yard.
Connecting the living room with the
dining room is a wide, double cased
opening, with closet in between. This
may be used to accommodate a tele-
phone, or for any of a large variety
of purposes. The dining room is 1876
XII feet. 1t is built just off the kitch-
en-, which has been Interestingly de-
signed by Mr.. Wikander. The dining
room overlooks a beautiful backyard.
consisting of flagstone paved porch.
an interesting formal garden, and a
pergola, used both decoratively' and
usefully because of its grape bearing
vines.
Encircling the garden is a walk
made of limestone screening. At each
end are garden benches of cypress or
Of ,.as,afnrnaI
6en furniture has been used n great
deal during the last ten years, since
it has been found to be easily made
permanent by steel reinforcing. Its
well known permanence, too, has ere
ated substantial demand, so that the
cost of individual pieces has come
down within the means of the average
home owner. What appears to be a
lily pond is centered on the other axis
of the formal garden, and over it is
another pergola. Towards the kitchen
entrance there is drying yard,
which is also used as place in which
to turn the automobile, so that it may
be made to face the street, in the pri-
vate garage at the corner of the lot.
Alongside the walk there is a vegetable
plot. 1t is separated from the more
formal part of the garden by means of
a trellised fence. The kitchen porch
is just off the ground. and is paved
with quarry tile. In the entry is the
icebox, which may be conveniently
iced without necessitating entrance
into the kitchen. 1t is, also, far
enough away from the heat of the gas
range to effect a conservation in the
summers ice supply. 1t is, neverthe-
less. readily accessible from the
kitchen.
The servantless household must les
sen, as much as possible. the number
of steps of the housewife. This re-
quirement has been taken care of in a
compact kitchen, Q by IL feet. 1t is a
sunny room, as it has a large double
window, overlooking the interesting
back yard and garden, previously de-
scribed. Another window opens on to
the kitchen porch, and a door leads
directly into the short passage from
which the main entrance may be
reached by two or three steps. This
door leads, also to the stairs to the
basement, where vegetable and other
eatables are kept for storage.
1t is interesting to note how well
the ceiling has been safeguarded
against the formation of disfiguring
streahs and plaster cracks. This pro-
lection has been assured by the use OF
metal lath on the ceilings of the liv-
ing and dining rooms and the stair
hall. Metal lath, with its reinforcing
ability, and the excellent key which it
gives to the plaster placed over it, pre-
vents dislodgement and streaking, be-
cause of its non-absorptiveness. Al
though it is said TO be slightly more
expensive than ordinary lath. it is now
being recommended by many of our
best small house architects. as well rs
by those who undertake larger pro-
jects. because of the lessening of the
ultimate decorating expense, especially