Evening star., 1936-09-19
RESIDENCE STYLE
FITS LIVING HABIT
New Dobbs Ferry Home OF
Building Editor Is Strik.
: ing Note.
Or .e,al Dispatch to The Star.

Or eelal Dispatch to The star
NEW YORK, September ia
striking note in small house arch1-
tecture-modern Georgian, Is featured
in the new Dobbs Ferry home OF
Joseph B. Mason, Eastern editor OF
American Builder, now under con-
struction on Willard Hill, overlooking
the Hudson River.
Mr.. Mason enjoys the unique posi-
ton of q building editor, who Is taking
his own advice. In frequent newspaper
and magazine articles, he has urged
others to build. He reaffirmed his be-
lief yesterday that there never has
been a better time to build q home
Of your own"
The seven-room house being built
by Editor Mason was designed by
Louis Kurtz, New York architect. It
illustrates a well-defined trenG-the
adapting of time-honored styles to
today's living habits. "You do not
need to have fiat roof or so-called
prefabricated house to have modern
home today" declared Mr.. Mason.
Present Time to Act.
"You do not need to take un-
necessary chances with experimental
methods and materials. People who
want modern houses shouli stop
dreaming prefabricated dreams and
build or buy q real house now, using
tested materials and methods" he
said.
Many people have asked why /
am building now. The best answer
Is that with rents and realty values
rising as they are, 1t is cheaper to
own your own home than pay tent.
Every current building index shows
rising values, higher rents, higher
labor material costs. A period of bet
ter business is ahead, and there Is
already a shortage Of good homes.
Whether the country goes Demo-
cratic, Republican or Socialistic, q
good house will be just as useful. A
house Is a better investment than the
stock market-not only safer but
yielding q higher return on the in
vestnent. It takes IS per cent mar
gin to buy stocks, but you can invest
IN a home with only 20 per cent.
Thanks to the 20-year amortized
loan system a house can be paid for
In monthly installments like rent, and
II planned right the cost need be no
greater than inferior rented quarters"
Compact Structure.
The Mason house Is compact
seven-room structure in white brick,
stucco and wide siding. It is being
built in Willard Hill estates. a new
Dobbs Ferry subdivision. From its
location near the top of Willard Hill
the house commands q magnificent
view of the Hudson River and the
Catskills.
The house has been planned along
modern lines from the inside out"
according to Mr.. Mason. Windows
were placed to take advantage Of the
view and to let in winter sunshine.
The real front Of the house .is away
from the street. overlooking the Hud-
son River. The floor plan was worked
out in detail long before the exterior
design was considered. "The house has
windows placed where they logically
belong and do the most good, and
not where tradition says they should
be-" says Mr.. Mason. II believe cor
ner windows such as we have used
are . very worthy new idea-when
they look out on something worth.
while"
The dining room Of this house gets
both early morning and late after
noon sun-something that makes for
pleasant breakfasts and dinners. First
floor partitions are kept at q mini
mum to add to spaciousness. The
chief reason people formerly cut their
houses into small rooms was that they
had to heat each one individually,
says Mason. That reason no longer
exists with modern heating equipment,
he points out.
A view of the Hudson River and the
distant mountains Is provided In al
most every room. Large steel case
ment windows, grouped where they
give the best outlook, are used. These
are Of the modern type which may
be f1tted with interior screens in
Summer and tight-fitting storm glass
In Winter.