An Easy Housekeeping Cottage

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7865, 29 July 1911, Page 13

An Easy Housekeeping Cottage

HEEE is a comfortable hotise, designed and partly built by tie own., fr —a professional man—during his vacation time, writes Charles B. White, in tho •‘Ladies’ Home Journal/’ Ho desired a house which would be so compact in its arrangements that his aide would S!»d the housekeeping cares reduced to the minimum. Me wanted, too, an attxac-' tire house and one which was sound struct uraliy, but the cost must be kept as Jew as possible.. Alter much observation and study ho drew his own plans and had them traced by an architect, A low-priced fifty-f.j.>t wide lot was purchased and the building bo* gun. Contracts wore lot for the plumbing , and plaster- j ing, but the balance of the ( work was acaanpUshed by day labour and muck, of it was done by the owner himself. In six weeks the building was completed ready for occupancy, and at tho end of seven weeks the mom hers of the family were comfortably installed, and it looked as, if they had 'lived there for years. In this house there «re many interesting and unusual features to be found. For instance : Between the living-room, which is also used as a dining-room, and the kitchen is a pivoted partition, the plain side of whica faces the living-" room, while attached to the kitchen side is a china-cabinet. Between meals tho dining-table stands in the kitcheu.At mealtime tho table is set there, and then the pivoted partition is swung around, bringing the china-cabinet into : the living-room, and at tho same time tho table, which is provided with felt castors, is pushed into the living-rooni. .. After the meal the process is reversed, bringing the table with its soiled dishes back to the kitchen, within reach of the fink. Tho living-room is large and attiao • tivo, 'and behind the rather unusuallooking grating at the side-of tho room is the furnace, which, however, is not visible from the living-room. ; There are no pipes from the furnace; the heat radiates from jt just as it does from o stove, and directly over it is a register for boating the room above. On the second floor is a largo room with a balcony at one end and a sloe pingporch, at the other, each reached by glass doors., A little alcove off ono side . is used as a sewing-room. In_ ono : corner is a tier of drawers for linen, and in an unusually largo closet at the other end of tiro room tho family clothing is stored- As- this room is occasionally used for a guest-room a cornfortabls . couch-bed is kept there. The kitohea is a marvel of convenience; though it isn't much larger than! tho kitchen of a dining-car. In it is a combination' sink and laundry-tub, tho cover of the tub acting as an excellent ilrainboand for the sink.:, A gas hot/ water heater is within readh, supplying a tank located] behind the chimney in the upstairs room/ but during tho winter season water is heated by a coil ini tho furnace. A complete little gas rangy is on , the opposite side of the room; and at one end are built-in pantry cum boards. The refrigerator is in tie back entry,land little cupboards are bnOt inr to the wall wherever there is roam. The bedroom is an excellent littls room with plenty of space in it. There are windows on two sides and a clothes; closet is under one part of the stairs. Part of this closet is given over to long* built-in diawers for skirts and waists, which may thus he laid out flat. The bathroom has the most modern fixtures, and a convenient medicine-onp-board, with a mirror set in its’door, is placed over the- washbowl. A glance at the plan will show that this house- has more porches than the average one of more than twice its size. Downstairs there are the little entrance poich. the hack porch, a private porch which is j nst off the living-room, and upstairs the front balcony and the rea^ sleeping-porch.