Evening star., 1936-08-01
BY DOROTHY DUCAS AND
ELIZABETH GORDON.


JUST because house is small and
sells for $4,000 is no reason to
suppose 1t cannot have as many
special features as more pre-
tentious and expensive house. We
have always believed this, but it was
not until we saw the all-Southern
pine model home at the Texas Gen.
tennial in Dallas that we were pro-
vided with demonstration for the
theory.
This five-room house is full of
"snooty" things, especially made of
wood, which lend much dignity and
charm to the inside of home. Yet
the architects say it can be built al
most anywhere in the United States
at from $4,000 to s6,Oo0-right from
local sources like your neighborhood
lumber yard.
Composed Of living room with din
ing "Y," kitchen, two bed rooms and
could want within the limitations OF
its size that this plan fails to offer,
1t is made of officially graded, marked
Southern pine, treated for termite
control, with a cypress roof. 1t is a
"dry-built" house, meaning that no
plaster has been used on the interior
walls or ceiling, which are covered
with the pine A dry-built house can
be moved into right away, whereas
plastered interiors have to dry out be-
fore the house is livable, and often
times seriously prolong the time need
ed for building. Then, too, it gives
protection against plaster cracking,
injury to the wallpaper and settling.
The interior is largely panelled IN
decorative pine, chiefly Of the knotty
variety, finished with a damp-proof
vanished surface. The living room
has used the wood in that most
modern way, horizontally, with a spe-
cial matching pine molding to ut over
the joints which serve as the only
decoration.
All the doors are flush, which means
they are fiat in appearance and hol-
low inside. This type of door is COM
ing into vogue now. A large. diamond
shaped pattern grooved into their
smooth surface, adds a feeling OF
lightness. These are the modern
equivalent of old "batten" doors which
have come down from Colonial days
as choice examples of the early IA
thers' woodmaking artistry. Some day
thev may be preserved as heiriooms
of way back in 1886.
Most striking innovations are the
"ventilating walls" Actually, these
are venetian-b blind walls, made OF
sturdy stats that can be tilted to
horizontal position, thereby opening
the wall, or that can be turned down
to make a tight, holeless wall. This
surprisingly simple convenience Is
used in both bed rooms. assuring cool
nights for hot days. The plans for
this house call for an attic fan-a
favorite method for cooling houses
down where Summer heat really gets
serious.
The floors, excepting the kitchen
and bath, are of pine and have the
beauty that is found only in specially
milled woodwork-the sort found as
a rule only in big, expensive houses.
The kitchen floor is linoleumed, the
bath room tiled. There are three
porches, the largest one at the rear
of the house with lattice-work around
it, and a small latticed portico open
ing off the master bed room.
The garage, built as part Of the
house, has lowered windows on one
side to make break in what would
otherwise be a monotonous fiat wall.
1t is all triumph of details, for
thinking of these has made an aristo-
cratic little house where there might
have been only another bungalow.
The plans are available for So, for any