A SVIODEL HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5698, 17 October 1896, Page 3

A SVIODEL HOME.

(New. York Sun). Mrs Maiy J. Lincoln, an authority on household economics, delivered a lecture recently at Chautauqua on furnishing a model home, which was full of valuable suggestions. ' The family planned for was an average one of five — father, mother, daughter of seventeen, boy of twelve, and baby of one year, the joint possessors of an income of lOOOdols a year. Deep window seats, with spaces beneath for the baby's toys, work, &c, were suggested for the one room which must be parlour and sitting-room, and some more must-haves were : Painted or washable papered walls in sleeping-rooms, bathroom and kitchen ; perfectly tight-fitting window screens in every window ; window shades that harmonise both with the extei'ior and interior ; picture mouldings ; clothes hooks at the right height ; shelves with no waste space between them; door and cupboard mouldings that have no dust-catching grooves ; spaces for beds where the occupant need not be exposed to a draught and with room to get in and out on either side; chimneys and fireplaces so arranged that the family can gather round them without being in the way if one wishes to open a door ; windows and doors so placed that 'when open there can be a perfect flushing of air ; doors planned to swing in the most convenient direction — all these, and many more things which may seem of minor importance to an architect, and are not often found in rented houses, will be suggested to one who is planning a permanent home with special reference to each member of the family. In the kitchen Mrs Lincoln ranks ventilation first, and urges that less money should be spent on the bay window for the parlour, and more to put an extra door or ventilating register in the kitchen. The next most important thing is the sink, and of this Mrs Lincoln says : — " One great source of polluted air in a kitchen is an imperfectly drained sink. From thirty to sixty minutes at a time three times a day nearly every day in the year the housekeeper works near or over her sink. Taken separately these half hours may seem of no account, but when we think ot them collectively it is seen to be a matter of vital importance that everything be done to make the air about the' sink pure and sweet, and to lessen the labour of the one who works there. The waste pipe and drain should be properly trapped and situated, and a strainer used to collect all solid refuse. Frequent flushing with boiling soda-water and with clean water whenever any dirty water has been* poured down, and always the last thing at night, and with care in using it so that no greasy water can collect behind it, and a sink may be as clean as any part of the room. In the sleeping room the housekeeper is advised to think more of the quality of the mattress, the ease of the spring-, than the polish of the woodwork. Use cotton sheets — woollen blankets, even if thin and cheap — rather than puffs and comfortables, and have the spreads of light material rather than heavy Marcella. Finally, these points were emphasized : Select your furnishings not from the standpoint of style or rivalry of your neighbour, but with a reference to your own house, your occupation and your family needs. Let them be for service, not for storage ; for enjoyment, not for exhibition, and such as will contribute to your comfort, but lessen your labour.