THEN AND NOW

Evening Star, Issue 22070, 2 July 1935, Page 2

THEN AND NOW

Though so many great happenings have marked the 25 years’ reign of King George Y., it is not to he expected that in house design there shall he the changes of fashion that make women’s dress of 1910 seem so strange when compared with that of 1935. Judged by past standards, a quarter of a century is indeed but a short while in the world of architecture, and it is only within the last decade —since the advent of the “modern” style—that we have to note any radical differences (writes Robert Stanley in English ‘ Homes and Gardens ’). To begin with, the same materials for the structure are still used—bricks for the most part for walling, and timber for joinery. So, looking around us, we s.ee innumerable houses being built which have much the same appearance as those erected in the years preceding the war. Concrete, of which we have heard so much of late, still enters little into house design, though it plays so great a part, with steel, in commercial and civic buildings. Rrick still holds the field by reason of its proved worth, economy, and adaptability. A more recent competitor is the timber house, once quite cpmmon in England, and now witnessing a commendable revival. It is in the planning and equipment rather than the structure, of houses that the differences between 1910 and 1935 are so pronounced. The days of the large country house are gone. Its place is now taken by something far less expensive to build in the first place, and much more economical to run. Restricted incomes, the servant problem and the übiquitous motor car have wrought a veritable revolution. Even in the house of very moderate size to-day it is customary to provide a cloakroom off the hall; the formal drawing room has become a homely sitting room; and often the latter absorbs the dining room, providing one large living room.

Changes in the Home during the King’s Reign

COMPARISON IN KITCHENS. The kitchen and scullery, instead of being separate, are now merged into one domestic workshop; and hero especially great changes are to bo noted in the equipment. The kitchener, with its voracious grate, has gone entirely. In its place is either a gas cooker with immaculate enamelled surfaces and automatic oven-heat control, an electric cooker, or one of the new storage heat cookers which burn an astonishingly small amount of fuel and meet every cooking need in the most efficient way. In the 1910 house hot-water supply was dependent on the mysterious boiler at the back of the kitchen range. Today the independent boiler gives far better service, and is now regarded as a standard item of equipment; or, alternatively, a gas storage heater is installed, with thermostatic control, so that it needs no attention whatever. Washing-up arrangements are another feature that have been vastly improved since 191''- There were, of course, deep porcelain sinks in pre-war days, but to-day there is the attractive alternative of stainless steel sinks with draining boards formed integral with them. These are not only most serviceable, but also add greatly to the brightness of the modern kitchen-scullery. Larders have diminished in size, but this limitation is far more than compensated bjr the introduction of the modern refrigerator, which keeps foods in perfect condition, whatever the_ weather conditions, and provides delicious cold salads and iced dishes for the table. Another admirable newcomer is the water softener. -IN THE BEDROOMS. Upstairs, in the bedrooms, perhaps the most noteworthy change is the complete disappearance of the washstand. This used to be regarded as an essen-

tial part of the bedroom “ suite,” but now it has gone to limbo, its place being taken by the fitted lavatory basin with hot and cold water. For warmth, new gas fires and new electric fires have been produced, as pleasing in design as they are efficient —always ready for use at a moment’s notice. In the bathroom the 1910 bath on short legs (which made it almost impossible to clean the floor under) has been replaced by the neat enclosed bath. Tiled walls have built-in holders for soap, lighting fittings have totally enclosed globes, the floor is covered with rubber or compressed cork tiles, and at the window are curtains of oil silk which defy the steamy atmosphere. FURNITURE AND DECORATION. Turning to furnishing and decoration, we see very radical changes from 1910 to 1935, The old styles still retain their charm, but during the last few years especially modern manners in design have been widely adopted. Thus we find flush-fronted wardrobes of beautifully figured woods, dressing tables with tall glasses and dwarf pedestals, _ mattresses with a multitude of ingeniously contrived springs, dining room tables with Bakelite tops on chromium legs, easy chairs that are the acnm of ease, and other items representative of a changing age. Plywood has come into wide use, not only as a wall covering, but also in the machine production of furniture, and even for floors. And there are a host of new cellulose and other paints that give a fresh aspect in decoration. Similarly an entirely new range of fabrics has been produced, modern in design and colouring. To enumerate the many other changes in the home that have taken place during the King’s reign of 25 years is here impossible, but sufficient has been said to show how different the house of 1935 is from its predecessor of 1910.