START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CONVENIENT HOUSES*** E-text prepared by Pat McCoy, Chris Curnow, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (https://archive.org) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 42469-h.htm or 42469-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42469/42469-h/42469-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/42469/42469-h.zip) Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See https://archive.org/details/convenienthouses00gibs [Illustration: FIGURE A.] CONVENIENT HOUSES With Fifty Plans for the Housekeeper Architect and Housewife--A Journey Through the House--Fifty Convenient House Plans--Practical House Building for the Owner--Business Points in Building--How to Pay for a Home by LOUIS H. GIBSON Architect New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Copyright, 1889, By Louis H. Gibson. C. J. Peters & Son, Typographers And Electrotypers, 145 High Street, Boston. PREFACE. When the reader is familiar with the writer's general purposes, it is easier to understand the details of his work. This book is intended to deal with houses in a housekeeping spirit. In doing this, the architect has in mind convenience, stability, and that ideal of housekeepers, beauty of surroundings. In carrying out this idea, the relation of architecture to good and economical housekeeping is first considered. Following this division is "A Journey through the House." It begins at the porch, moves through the different rooms, and stops to consider the various details. This brings about not only a consideration of the general arrangement of a house, but such details as kitchens and pantries, plumbing, laundry, and heating. These first two sections of the book--"The Architect and the Housewife," and "A Journey through the House"--are, in a measure, educational. After this, and in keeping with the general principles that have been set forth, plans of fifty convenient houses are illustrated and described. For the most part, they are houses that have been built. The next section is devoted to practical house-building. It is constructed by taking a complete specification for everything which may concern a dwelling-house, and ridding it, as far as possible, of all technicalities; thus putting in form all practical house-building questions for the benefit of the owner. Following this is the consideration of business points in building, which sets forth methods of letting contracts with the view of securing the best results without waste of money. The closing section is devoted to the getting of a home,--how to arrange the monthly-payment schemes, building-association plans, and other methods for getting a house on easy instalments. LOUIS H. GIBSON, ARCHITECT. INDIANAPOLIS, IND., September, 1889. CONTENTS. _THE ARCHITECT AND THE HOUSEWIFE._ CHAPTER I. THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE ARCHITECT.--FLOOR-PLANS AS RELATED TO GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.--LABOR-SAVING DEVICES.--ECONOMY AND GOOD CONSTRUCTION.--COMPACT HOUSES NOT NECESSARILY CROWDED.--WOOD-WORK THAT IS READILY CLEANED 11-15 CHAPTER II. HOUSEKEEPING OPERATIONS.--THE WORK OF THE HOUSEKEEPER.--THE AVERAGE HOUSEWORK OF A WEEK.--THE ARCHITECT'S LESSON THEREFROM 16-20 CHAPTER III. MODERN CONVENIENCES.--A LITTLE HISTORY.--PLANS THAT MAKE EXTRA WORK.--MODERN CONVENIENCES ENUMERATED 21-25 CHAPTER IV. MODERN ARCHITECTS AND THE HOUSEKEEPER.--MISPLACED HOUSES.--OLD COLONIAL POVERTY IN MODERN COLONIAL HOUSES.--AFFECTATION IN DESIGN.--NATURAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE.--AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE AND AMERICAN HOMES 26-28 _A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSE._ CHAPTER V. JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSE.--PORCH.--VESTIBULE.--HALL.--LONG HALLS AND SQUARE HALLS.--THE HALL THAT IS A ROOM.--RECEPTION-HALL.--PARLOR.--SITTING-ROOM.--DINING-ROOM 31-38 CHAPTER VI. KITCHENS.--THE KITCHEN A WORKSHOP.--WORK TO BE DONE IN A KITCHEN.--A PLAN.--FITTINGS.--DISH-WASHING CONVENIENCES.--SINK AND TABLES.--CHINA-CLOSET.--PANTRY. --COMBINATION PANTRY.--PANTRY FITTINGS.--WORK IN A PANTRY.--A DOUGH-BOARD.--FLOUR-BIN.--PANTRY STORES.--CUPBOARD.--REFRIGERATOR ARRANGEMENTS.--PANTRY UTENSILS.--A DRY-BOX.--SOAP-BOX.--VENTILATION OF KITCHEN.--GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF KITCHEN PLANNING 39-50 CHAPTER VII. CELLAR.--FUEL DEPARTMENTS.--FURNACE CONVENIENCES.--COAL-BINS. --CEMENT FLOORS.--LIGHT IN THE CELLAR.--A CELLAR-CLOSET. --OUTSIDE CELLAR-DOOR 51-53 CHAPTER VIII. A LOW-COST LAUNDRY.--BLUE MONDAY.--BASEMENT LAUNDRY.--LOW-COST CONVENIENCES.--INEXPENSIVE LAUNDRY FITTINGS.--HOT AND COLD WATER ARRANGEMENTS.--A LABOR-SAVING LAUNDRY.--A PLACE TO DO FRUIT-CANNING 54-58 CHAPTER IX. THE SECOND FLOOR.--STAIRWAYS.--THE COMBINATION STAIRWAY.--IDEAL NUMBER OF BEDROOMS.--LARGE CLOSETS AND PLENTY OF THEM.--A LINEN CLOSET.--PLACING OF GAS-FIXTURES.--SERVANT'S ROOM.--BATH-ROOM.--AN ATTIC.--ATTIC CLOSETS.--ATTIC ROOMS 59-63 CHAPTER X. PLUMBING.--IS PLUMBING ENTIRELY SAFE?--COMPLETENESS IN PLUMBING APPARATUS.--LABOR-SAVING PLUMBING APPARATUS.--SEWER CONNECTIONS.--SOIL PIPE.--A TRAP.--ACCIDENTS TO TRAPS.--FREQUENT USE OF PLUMBING APPARATUS DESIRABLE FOR SAFETY.--WATER-CLOSETS.--SIMPLICITY IN PLUMBING.--DRAIN CONNECTIONS.--TO KEEP PLUMBING APPARATUS FROM FREEZING.--CISTERN WATER SUPPLY.--GREASE SINK.--FLUSHING OF DRAIN.--BATH-TUB 64-74 CHAPTER XI. HEAT AND VENTILATION.--COMMON HEATING ARRANGEMENTS.--PRESENT METHODS GENERALLY UNSATISFACTORY.--IDEAL CONDITIONS.--PROPER AMOUNT OF MOISTURE RARELY ATTAINED.--A FURNACE DEFINED.--METHODS OF REACHING BEST RESULTS.--SUPPLY OF PROPER AMOUNT OF MOISTURE.--REMOVAL OF FOUL AIR.--SUPPLYING FRESH AIR WITH PROPER MOISTURE FROM STOVES.--STEAM AND HOT-WATER HEATING.--DIRECT AND INDIRECT RADIATION.--LOW-COST HEATING APPARATUS 75-82 CHAPTER XII. HEATING DEVICES AS WE FIND THEM.--FURNACE ESTIMATES.--COMBINATION HOT AIR AND HOT WATER.--DISH-WARMING ARRANGEMENTS.--HOW TO GET A GOOD HEATING APPARATUS 83-85 CHAPTER XIII. THE HOUSE AND ITS BEAUTY.--ARTISTIC SURROUNDINGS.--BEAUTY MORE A MATTER OF INTELLIGENCE THAN MONEY.--VESTIBULE DECORATIONS.--BEAUTY IN THE RECEPTION-HALL.--MANTELS AND GRATES.--FRET-WORK AND PORTIÈRES.--SPINDLE WORK.--SIMPLE FORMS OF GOOD DECORATION.--WOOD-CARVING.--DOOR AND WINDOW CASINGS.--A CONSERVATORY.--STAINED GLASS.--A CABINET ON THE MANTEL.--TINTED PLASTERING. --FRESCOING.--SAFETY IN THE SELECTION OF COLORS.--AN ATTRACTIVE SITTING-ROOM.--THE PARLOR.--A RECEPTION-ROOM. --PARLOR HISTORY.--THE IDEAL PARLOR.--THE LIBRARY.--A PLACE OF QUIET AND REST.--LIBRARY FURNISHINGS.--THE DINING-ROOM.--SOCIAL RELATIONS OF THE DINING-ROOM. --DINING-ROOM DECORATIONS.--CONSERVATORY AND DINING-ROOM. --A WOOD CEILING.--BEAUTY IN BEDROOMS.--QUIET AND LIGHT 86-100 CHAPTER XIV. EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL DESIGN.--AN OLD TOPIC BEFORE THE PEOPLE.--THE ARCHITECTURAL STUDENT'S DREAM.--A BEAUTIFUL HOME THE HOUSEKEEPER'S AMBITION.--IT COSTS NO MORE TO HAVE A HOUSE BEAUTIFUL THAN UGLY.--ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION.--CHARLES EASTLAKE'S BOOK.--VULGAR ARCHITECTURAL REVIVALS.--THE GROWTH OF THE ARTISTIC IDEA.--BEAUTY A MATTER OF REFINEMENT 101-105 _PLANS OF FIFTY CONVENIENT HOUSES._ CHAPTER XV. EVOLUTION OF A HOUSE-PLAN.--RESPECTABLE DIMENSIONS FOR A MODERATE PRICE.--SIX PLANS.--COSTS FROM $1,500 TO $2,600 109-117 CHAPTER XVI. A SMALL POCKET-BOOK AND A LARGE IDEA.--AMBITION, DOLLARS, AND A GOOD HOUSE.--THE GROWTH OF THE HOUSEKEEPER'S IDEAS.--POINTS ABOUT THE HOUSE.--$2,900 118-125 CHAPTER XVII. "WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT."--A CONVENIENT PLAN.--MEETING THE WANTS OF PEOPLE WHO BUILD 126-130 CHAPTER XVIII. TWO GOOD ROOMS IN FRONT.--THE COMBINATION PANTRY.--TOO MUCH CELLAR A BURDEN.--$2,500 131-134 CHAPTER XIX. SITTING-ROOM AND PARLOR IN FRONT.--A CONNECTING VESTIBULE.--A CENTRAL COMBINATION STAIRWAY.--GOOD ROOMS IN THE ATTIC 135-138 CHAPTER XX. A COMPACT PLAN.--AN ISOLATED RECEPTION-ROOM.--COMBINATION STAIRWAY.--DESCRIPTION OF THE FLOOR-PLAN.--CELLAR ARRANGEMENT.--DINING-ROOM AND CONSERVATORY.--ANOTHER PLAN 139-144 CHAPTER XXI. WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR $1,600?--THE CLOSET IN THE HALL.--A SMALL, CONVENIENT KITCHEN.--CLOSETS IN THE BEDROOMS 145-151 CHAPTER XXII. OUTGROWTHS OF ONE IDEA.--EVERYTHING COUNTS AS A ROOM.--ONE CHIMNEY.--CONVENIENCES OF A CONDENSED HOUSE.--COST FROM $1,600 TO $2,800 152-156 CHAPTER XXIII. ONE-STORY PLANS.--DESCRIPTION OF FLOOR-PLANS.--BATH-ROOM NEXT TO KITCHEN FLUE.--KITCHEN, PORCH, AND PANTRY.--THE EXTERIOR.--ENLARGEMENTS ON THIS PLAN.--OTHER ONE-STORY HOUSES 157-163 CHAPTER XXIV. SIDE-HALL PLANS.--PLANS WITH BEDROOM ON FIRST FLOOR 164-170 CHAPTER XXV. MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTION.--SHORT DESCRIPTIONS OF ELEVEN HOUSE-PLANS.--VARYING COSTS.--SQUARE PLANS.--ONE-CHIMNEY PLANS.--REAR AND SIDE HALL 171-181 CHAPTER XXVI. EIGHT PLANS.--EACH SUITED TO FAMILY REQUIREMENTS.--DOUBLE HOUSES.--AN ELABORATE FLOOR-PLAN.--A SHINGLE HOUSE.--A BRICK HOUSE 182-193 _PRACTICAL HOUSE-BUILDING._ CHAPTER XXVII. PRACTICAL POINTS.--WATER.--LOCATION OF HOUSE ON LOT. --DRAINING THE CELLAR.--MASON WORK.--FOUNDATIONS.--WALKS. --PIERS.--FLUES.--CISTERNS.--DAMP COURSE 197-200 CHAPTER XXVIII. BRICK FOUNDATIONS.--LAYING BRICK.--COLORED MORTARS.--COLORED BRICKS.--BRICK VENEERING.--HOT-AIR FLUES.--DETAILS OF BRICK CONSTRUCTION.--CHIMNEYS AND FLUES.--HOLLOW WALLS.--CELLAR.--ASH-PITS.--GRATES 201-206 CHAPTER XXIX. STONE MASONRY.--CUT STONE.--TERRA COTTA.--PRIVY VAULTS. --CISTERNS.--FILTERS FOR CISTERNS.--BRICK PAVEMENTS.--CEMENT PAVEMENTS 207-212 CHAPTER XXX. CARPENTER-WORK.--FRAMING.--SIZE OF TIMBERS.--HEIGHT OF STORIES.--JOIST.--STUD WALLS.--OUTSIDE SHEATHING. --BUILDING-PAPER.--ROOFS.--OUTSIDE FINISH.--OUTSIDE SHINGLE WALLS.--OUTSIDE CASINGS.--WINDOWS WITH BOX FRAMES.--HINGED OR PIVOTED WINDOWS.--OUTSIDE SHUTTERS. --PORCHES.--LATTICE PORCHES 213-221 CHAPTER XXXI. INSIDE WOOD-WORK.--FLOORS.--SOFT AND HARD WOOD FLOORS. --TABULATED STATEMENT OF INSIDE FINISH.--DIFFERENT KINDS OF WOOD.--DOORS AND FRAMES.--FLY SCREENS.--INSIDE CASINGS.--WAINSCOTING.--INSIDE SHUTTERS.--WOOD-WORK FOR PLUMBING.--KITCHEN SINK AND FITTINGS.--KITCHEN TABLES.--CELLAR-SINK FITTINGS.--WOOD-WORK FOR BATH-TUB.--WATER-CLOSETS.--WASH-STANDS.--TANK.--PICTURE MOULDING.--CLOSET FITTINGS.--BROOM-RACK.--CEDAR-CLOSET. --DRY-BOX.--CLOCK SHELF.--CHINA-ROOM FITTINGS.--PANTRY FITTINGS.--STAIRWAYS 222-235 CHAPTER XXXII. PLASTERING.--GRAY FINISH.--WHITE HARD FINISH.--BACK PLASTERING.--GAS-PIPING.--TIN WORK.--GUTTERS.--VALLEYS. --DOWN SPOUTS.--GALVANIZED IRON-WORK.--HOT-AIR PIPES. --THIMBLES.--PAINTING.--STAINING.--OIL FINISHING.--INTERIOR STAINING.--FLOOR FINISH.--GLAZING.--PLATE-GLASS.--BEVELLED GLASS.--CATHEDRAL GLASS.--HARDWARE 236-246 CHAPTER XXXIII. PRACTICAL PLUMBING.--WOOD-WORK FOR PLUMBER.--EXCAVATING FOR PLUMBER.--WATER DISTRIBUTION.--OUTSIDE FIXTURES. --HYDRANTS.--STREET-WASHERS.--SOFT-WATER SUPPLY.--HOT-WATER SUPPLY.--SOIL PIPE.--INSIDE FIXTURES.--KITCHEN SINK.--CELLAR SINK 247-254 CHAPTER XXXIV. PLUMBING WORK CONTINUED.--BATH-TUBS.--BATH-SPRINKLERS. --FOOT-TUBS.--SAFES.--WATER-CLOSETS.--WASH-STANDS.--LAUNDRY FITTINGS.--SET TUBS.--OUTSIDE DRAINS.--GREASE SINKS.--NICKEL FITTINGS 255-263 CHAPTER XXXV. COST OF A HOUSE.--SCHEDULES OF COSTS.--WHAT GOES INTO A HOUSE.--SCHEDULE "B."--COST DETAILS 264-269 CHAPTER XXXVI. VARYING BUILDING VALUES.--COST OF APPURTENANCES.--PRICES OF LABOR AND MATERIAL ON WHICH ESTIMATES ARE BASED. 270-274 _BUSINESS POINTS IN BUILDING._ CHAPTER XXXVII. LOW-COST HOUSES.--METHODS OF MAKING CONTRACTS.--ARCHITECTS' ESTIMATES.--BUILDING BY THE DAY.--THE SAFEST PLAN.--GUARDING AGAINST LIENS 277-287 _HOW TO SECURE A HOME._ CHAPTER XXXVIII. MONTHLY PAYMENTS.--CALCULATIONS ON A LONG-TIME PLAN.--PURCHASE ON A RENTAL BASIS.--HOW IT MAY BE WORKED OUT 291-294 CHAPTER XXXIX. BUILDING ASSOCIATIONS.--WHY DIVIDENDS ARE LARGE AND INTEREST LOW.--BUILDING ASSOCIATIONS AND SAVINGS BANKS.--ASSOCIATION SECURITIES.--BUILDING-ASSOCIATION METHODS.--DIFFERENT PLANS.--BORROWING FROM A BUILDING ASSOCIATION.--A BUILDING-ASSOCIATION REPORT 295-311 CHAPTER XL. PURCHASE OF A LOT.--THE BEST THE CHEAPEST.--A GOOD LOT AS A BASIS OF SECURITY.--THE BASIS OF VALUE IS THE RENTAL 312-316 THE ARCHITECT AND THE HOUSEWIFE. CONVENIENT HOUSES. CHAPTER I. THE HOUSEKEEPER AND THE ARCHITECT.--FLOOR-PLANS AS RELATED TO GOOD HOUSEKEEPING.--LABOR-SAVING DEVICES.--ECONOMY AND GOOD CONSTRUCTION.--COMPACT HOUSES NOT NECESSARILY CROWDED.--WOOD-WORK THAT IS READILY CLEANED. There is a definite relation between the work of the housekeeper and that of the architect. This is the text of this book. It is a part of the business of the architect to do what he can to make housekeeping easy. He can do a great deal. He should understand the principles and practice of good housekeeping. This knowledge is something which cannot be derived from the architectural schools or offices; it must come from a home. The public press of the country has had a great deal to say about the artistic qualities of domestic architecture, a great deal to say about house decoration, and, altogether, has furnished much valuable matter. Little, however, has been said as to the relation of architecture to good housekeeping. The artistic element should not be neglected. There must also be considered the question of convenient arrangement, economy and ease, for the housekeeper. Washing dishes is disagreeable work, but the architect can do his part toward making it easier. If we take a conglomerate mass of china, knives, forks, and spoons, pots, pans, and kettles, and bring them together on one small kitchen table, which has a dish-pan on one end and a wooden water-bucket at the back, with a scarcity of everything to facilitate the progress of the work, we have a condition quite different from that wherein there is a roomy sink with a table on each side of it, and plenty of hot and cold water above. An architect may plan a kitchen so that all of these conveniences are possible. He may plan it so they are impossible. The floor-plan of a house has a definite relation to house keeping requirements, which is not fully appreciated. The difference between a good floor-plan and a poor one may make the difference of three or four tons of coal in the heating of a house during the winter. It may influence the keeping of a servant, the wages to be paid, or may control the necessity for one or more than one. It makes more difference to a man who lives in a house that costs two thousand dollars or three thousand dollars, as to whether he burns seven or ten tons of coal in warming it, than it does to the man who lives in a ten-thousand-dollar or twelve-thousand-dollar house as to whether he burns fourteen or twenty tons. The cost of fuel is of more importance to a man of moderate means than to one of wealth. Then in the matter of service: it is difficult to keep a good servant in a bad kitchen, or in a badly planned house where there is a vast amount of sweeping and other work to be done every day. Those who plan factories and mills arrange them with reference to the saving of labor. The idea in saving labor is to save money. One can build a better house for a given sum of money at this time than ever before. The real reason for this is to be found outside the fact that material and labor are cheaper now than they have been in the past. It is because of the thought that is put into the planning and arranging of dwellings. It is the thought that saves the money. It adds external and internal attractiveness, convenience, labor-saving devices, and arrangements. Thought helps to make housekeeping easier. Economical housekeeping can be most readily carried on in a compact house. To say that a house is compact does not necessarily imply that it is crowded, or that any of the conditions of comfort are neglected. If we avoid waste space, such as is frequently assigned to large halls and passages, we merely take away something that is not needed. It frequently happens that a man and his wife go through life with the hope of building a better house "some day." They are economical; they live carefully; they live in a small house; they are crowded. At last, by dint of hard work and careful management, enough money is accumulated to build the new home. This is the great event which has been thought about for so many years. The idea in building this house is invariably to get something as different from the old house as possible. It was square; the new building must be irregular. It had no front hall; the new house must have a large one. There were no grates in any of the rooms; in the new house there must be one in each. In the old building the rooms were very small; in the new house they must be very large. There was no porch before; now there must be one running across the front and along one side of the house. Altogether, the idea of the old house and that of the new are in direct opposition to each other. In one instance they were crowded; in the other they have plenty of room. There can be no doubt about the abundance of room. The building is finished; they move into it. Almost the first person to leave it is the servant whom they had in the old house. She sees the amount of work which she will have to do. It was easy enough to sweep the old house, with its small, compact plan. Housekeeping was relatively a small matter; but with the habits of economy, which rendered the new home possible, they will not employ additional help. The work which is left over by the servant falls to the mistress. Strange as it may appear under such circumstances, it takes the mistress a long time to find the cause of the trouble. It is the house. It was planned with an entire disregard for the work which was to be done. It had not been thought of. The idea was merely to get something which was different from the disagreeable features of the old home. They thought that everything would be easier and pleasanter and more agreeable in every way. The only trouble with the old home was that they were too much crowded. In the new they are not, but have an impossible amount of work to do every day. The difference between what they wish to do and what is done, is represented by fretfulness in addition to the natural weariness at the end of the day. What has this to do with architecture and economical house-building? Simply this. The house which is economically planned is economical as to money, carpets, sweeping, and strength. The architect may do a great deal for housekeepers by keeping this thought in mind. To recur to the idea of economical house-building in a direct sense, it may be borne in mind that economy and good construction go hand in hand; that none of the conditions of permanency are sacrificed for the sake of cheapness. Of two houses which cost the same, one may be far more convenient and roomy by an avoidance of waste space and unnecessary material. Evidently one flue-stack will cost less than four. Therefore, if a house can be constructed which has only one flue-stack, it will cost less than one which has four; but the demands of the housekeeper, and those who live in the house, are that the one stack afford the conveniences of four. People do not like compromises in house-building, especially when they are building a home. The compromises come easier when one is planning property for rental. Evidently a house in which one-fifth of the floor space is given up to halls is more expensive than one which contains a smaller proportion of such space. According as one is able to diminish the amount of passage room, and yet meet all of the conditions of good and economical house-keeping, he can reduce the cost of the house as to its building, its furnishing, and the amount of labor required in caring for it. Thus economy in construction, and convenience and ease in general housekeeping movements, go hand in hand. Parallel illustrations might be carried forward, so as to include each detail of the house. The architect may do a great deal for the housekeeper by making his mouldings and interior wood-work so that they will not catch dust, and can be readily cleaned. Some of our friends, who have studied the artistic qualities of house-building to the exclusion of all other considerations, will say that a regard for housekeeping requirements, in the matter of interior decorations and construction, is placing too great a limit upon their work. They will say that beauty and general artistic qualities are not always consonant with the means which will make easy housekeeping,--that they are limited by such considerations. This need not be so; it is simply a question of ingenuity and thoughtfulness. One may be careless of utility, and make very beautiful things. Another may be thoughtful and careful as to housekeeping requirements, and design something quite as beautiful and attractive as the former. In the above statements will be found the guiding principles which affect all of the work of this book. CHAPTER II. HOUSEKEEPING OPERATIONS.--THE WORK OF THE HOUSEKEEPER.--THE AVERAGE HOUSEWORK OF A WEEK.--THE ARCHITECT'S LESSON THEREFROM. With the architect a house has been too often considered as something to be looked at. No one is disposed to criticise an architect for making houses pretty and attractive. It is true, however, that many houses are nothing more than pretty; they are not convenient. They are not built with a regard to the requirements of housekeeping. A lady once said to the writer, that an architect would never live up to his opportunities until he had associated himself with a housekeeper, who would be strong enough, in her control over him, to see that the housekeeping conditions and conveniences were kept constantly in mind. In order fully to reach the housekeeping idea, it will be convenient to consider in detail what is meant by housekeeping. Primarily, a house is a place in which to eat and sleep. The present requirements of comfort and luxury suggest that all should not eat and sleep in the same room. Originally this was the case. The primitive man needed only a hut or a cave, or the protection of a rude shed. Later on, he was satisfied with a hut with one or two rooms. If the weather was cold, the occupants would huddle around the fire, and eat and sleep without regard to other surroundings. A bath in cold weather was unnecessary. During the summer this was regarded more as a matter of recreation than of necessity. A neighboring stream served the purpose of more modern arrangements. Housekeeping operations under such conditions were light indeed. There are many homes of this kind in America to-day. If we take the case of our Indians, we find that the squaws have time for much else than the absolute duties of camp-life and the care of children. There is much other labor which falls to their lot, house-work being regarded, as it is, insignificant. This is one extreme. There are various gradations which come with the instincts of a higher civilization. Education, and other conditions which go with it, increase housekeeping requirements, and thus far have not furnished to the majority compensating conditions in labor-saving devices. At the present time, the natural and affected requirements of housekeeping make the life of many a woman one of the extremest drudgery and hardship. Her condition is almost that of a slave; and this at a time when she is surrounded by many of the elements of a higher civilization. Her children and those around her frequently live under the shadow of her uncomfortable condition. The Indian's home, in the rest and peace which it affords, is often preferable. This condition is brought about by the increasing requirements upon the housekeeper, without the presence of other compensating conditions. Assuming that an architect may do something to make the care of a house lighter, it remains to call attention to the modern requirements of a housekeeper, with a view of simplifying her work. Let us watch her work for a week; we will begin on Monday morning during the month of January, and assume that there is one servant in the house to help,--bearing in mind, at the same time, that it often happens that the work which is here outlined is done by the housekeeper herself, with possibly only the help of a wash-woman. First, the house is to be warmed, the kitchen fire to be kindled, the living-rooms to be swept and dusted, the washing to be started, the children to be dressed, breakfast to be cooked and put on the table, and, in many cases, all of this done before seven o'clock. The serving of breakfast is no small task to the housekeeper. The coffee is to be poured, food prepared for the children, and many other things done which no man can specify. As soon as breakfast is over the men are out of the house, but not usually before making more than one demand upon the time of the housekeeper. Then the dishes are to be washed, and the children made ready and started to school. Next, the grocery and butcher supplies must be cared for. Possibly they are ordered from the boy who calls at the door. In some instances a trip for this purpose is required. Next, the dining-room must be arranged, the dishes put in place, the chamber-work attended to, beds made, children's things put away, sweeping done, slops disposed of, fires looked after. Some time or in some way the clothes worn by the children on Sunday must be especially looked after, stitches taken, a little darn here and there, and then put away. During this time there may be the demands of one or more babies to be met. In this there is no compromise. With the completion of other work dinner time is approaching, for, with the majority, this is a noon meal. The cooking must be done, and yet nothing else must be allowed to lag. The children in their confusion are home from school. Then dinner. Every one is in a hurry to get away. The children are sure they are going to be late. There is more work for them and the men, and then they are gone. Dinner dishes are washed, and the laundry work continues. The afternoon is little different from the morning; there is a little less rush and confusion, but a continuance of regular work. Before supper the evening supply of fuel must be provided. In the mean time the children are home from school with their demands. Now supper must be in mind. Where there are children in the house, this is one of the most trying times of the day. They are tired, hungry, and sleepy. Supper is over. The children go to bed at intervals during the evening. The men have a place by the fire. The housekeeper often feels it incumbent upon her to mend, darn, or sew, if no heavier work presents itself. Tuesday morning calls for a repetition of the former day's work, with ironing substituted for washing. There is the carrying-out of ashes and the bringing-in of coal, and the same routine during the day. On the part of the housekeeper regular sewing-work is taken up as opportunity presents, and possibly calls are made or received. Wednesday, the same. Thursday, the servant, if one is kept, is out for the afternoon. Other regular work must progress. Compromises are not thought of. Friday is general sweeping-day, in which everything is thoroughly gone over. The housekeeper must find time to go down street one or more times during the week, for the purpose of doing necessary shopping. Saturday brings its scrubbing and cleaning. During the week must come the window-washing, cleaning of silver, baking, and many things besides. Sunday is often the hardest day of all; the children require especial care. There is church in the morning, Sunday school in the afternoon, and, in many cases, church at night. In the mean while the children are on hand all the time. Where is the man who will say that his business life is as exacting or as harassing as the work which is here outlined? In the pages which follow it is the intention to bear the housekeeper and her requirements in mind, and to suggest what is properly due her in the way of labor-saving devices, with a view to facilitate the manifold operations of housekeeping. CHAPTER III. MODERN CONVENIENCES.--A LITTLE HISTORY.--PLANS THAT MAKE EXTRA WORK.--MODERN CONVENIENCES ENUMERATED. Most of the conveniences of housekeeping are modern. It is only within the past few years that the demands of the housekeeper for helps or aids in making her work easier were thought worth considering. Even now we occasionally meet men who think that anything that was good enough for their mothers is good enough for their wives. We have in mind a farmer who, during fifteen years, purchased three large farms. He buried a wife for every farm. Their death was the result of more than slavish work. The disposition which leads in this direction often continues after the time when economy does not demand close living. The man who moves west to a new country cannot pay for many of the modern conveniences. The demand for them is not great. Such a man usually builds a house of two or three rooms. The family cook and eat in the kitchen; they sit there between meals. The other rooms are for beds. There is not a great deal of house-work to be done in a house of this kind. The trouble comes when the pioneer becomes wealthier, and builds a large house "in town" or on the farm. Possibly his wife or daughters do the work as they did in the smaller house. If not, it is done by one servant. The work in this house is a great deal harder. There is a great deal more of it than there was in the two or three room house, which was built during their earlier life. In the former house, if they had coffee, it was poured from the pot in which it was made directly into the cups which were on the table. The meat was taken from the skillet in which it was cooked and put into the plates of those who ate it. If they had pancakes, the wife would sit with her back near the stove, where she could easily reach the griddle to grease it and turn the cakes while she was eating her meal. There was no formal dessert. The pie was eaten from the same plates as the rest of the food. There were no napkins; often, no tablecloth. It did not take long to wash the dishes after a meal of this kind--there were not many of them. In from fifteen to twenty-five minutes after the meal was over, the wife could be seen sitting by the kitchen stove, sewing or knitting. The pans and the kettles were out of the way, and the kitchen was turned into a sitting-room. If the weather was cold, the door into the bedroom was open; the whole house was warm and comfortable. Wood was plenty and cheap. This woman's troubles began when her husband, by dint of hard work and close economy, found himself in a position to gratify his pride in his accumulated wealth by building a new house. It was a big white house with green blinds. The stories were twelve or thirteen feet high; a large hall ran through the centre; the kitchen had nothing in it but doors and windows and a stove-hole; there was no sink, no conveniences of any kind. They now had a separate dining and sitting room, and an awful parlor with brussels carpet on it, which had red and green flowers all over it. The bedrooms were upstairs. They were all large; wood-work painted white. In the winter they were cold. The old habits of economy which made this house possible had so fixed themselves upon the occupants that they would not build a fire in the bedrooms. They said that they "didn't think it healthy to sleep in a warm room." People go to see Mrs. Green in her new house. They go through and look at it, and say, "Oh, how nice." But they find a tired woman. She doesn't sit down to sew or knit in a few minutes after the meal is over, as she used to. She is at work all the time. The children must have clothes to fit the house. There is more sweeping and dusting to do; there are more dishes to wash; there is more of everything to do. Still, she came into the new house expecting to find things different and easier than they were before. The modern conveniences are those arrangements and appliances which make it possible for people to live comfortably in a larger house, without seriously increasing the cares which they had in a smaller one. In the old house of two or three rooms the mother would bathe the children once a week in a tub by the kitchen fire. The tub would be dragged out the door, which was not very high above the ground, and the water emptied into the yard. In the new house it is different. The water is carried from the pump in the back yard, and from the kitchen stove, upstairs into one of the rooms. Then it has to be carried down again, emptied into the alley or the yard. The living habits are all changed without the compensating conveniences which naturally belong to them. It is probable that Mrs. Green keeps a "girl," but even then she has infinitely more work to do than ever belonged to the old home. She cannot understand it. She has a new house and a girl, and yet she is always tired. Most of the houses in the newer cities and towns are, in a measure, similar to this. Nearly every one attempts to live up to the mark set by those who have all of the appliances of modern housekeeping. Coal and water have to be carried all over the house. Slops and ashes have to be carried downstairs and out of the building. By attracting attention to the inconveniences of housekeeping, we may see and understand the full meaning of the term "modern conveniences." There is a natural call for dish-washing arrangements to take the place of the square table, with the dish-pan, the tea-kettle, and the water-bucket. In its place, we have at one side of the kitchen, a sink, with cocks for hot and cold water immediately over it. The tables and drain-board are arranged to simplify the operations of dish-washing. The water, instead of being carried to the yard or alley, finds its way naturally into the drain through the sink. Modern laundry arrangements make it unnecessary to carry great tubs of water outside, or to delay wash-day on account of the weather, or to bring in the frozen clothes during the cold winter days. The bath-room, with the tub, the water-closet, and the wash-stand, is on the second floor. This saves a great deal of work. The water does not have to be carried upstairs nor the slops down. There is hot and cold water within easy reach of all the rooms. Often it happens that there are stationary wash-stands in the various bedrooms, though this is only usual in the most expensive houses. The amount of work which a furnace saves is not readily estimated. It also saves money. Others of the modern conveniences are "places to put things;" large closets in the bedrooms, well supplied with drawers, shelves, and hooks; a general closet on the upper floor, which is accessible from all of the rooms, for bedding and other articles of common use; a ventilated closet in the bath-room, in which soiled linen may be put without contaminating the atmosphere. There should be a closet or place on the second floor for brooms, dust-pans, and dusters. Where there is no particular place for these articles, the housekeeper or the servant has to use time in searching, or in going up and down stairs. Anything which saves labor may be regarded as a modern convenience. CHAPTER IV. MODERN ARCHITECTS AND THE HOUSEKEEPER.--MISPLACED HOUSES.--OLD COLONIAL POVERTY IN MODERN COLONIAL HOUSES.--AFFECTATION IN DESIGN.--NATURAL DEVELOPMENT OF AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE.--AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE AND AMERICAN HOMES. No one ever heard of the matter of house-planning being discussed in a convention of architects. Their reports will show that a great many subjects are handled, but none so near home as this. Sometimes there is an effort to discover that America has a style of architecture peculiar to itself. When such a thing becomes true, the effort to find it will not be necessary. An American architecture will have its growth in American necessities, and not through the blind copying of foreign styles and architecture. Nor to have an American style does it necessarily mean that we should ignore foreign precedent. It means that we should consider foreign architecture intelligently. Everything that is good should be adopted, no matter whence it comes. Those of us who see what is going on in the architectural world frequently notice English houses designed and built for those who live in the cold Northwest. In many of them the broad, English casement windows and general style of architecture, which is suited to the gloomy light and the mild temperature of Great Britain, is placed in the bright, cold climate of the Northwest. Nothing could be more out of place; it is an affectation, an exhibition of bad taste and poor sense. The cold Northwest, with its bright, clear atmosphere, presents its own architectural conditions. The work of blind copyists, those who have so strong a regard for precedent, is ridiculous. In one of the Eastern magazines there was an illustration showing what purported to be an old colonial cottage, situated possibly at Newport. The architect had copied the old colonial details, the old colonial forms, which were very nice, but he had also copied an idea which had its outgrowth in extreme poverty. He had placed a rain barrel at the side of the house, and had set it up on a rustic-looking bench or support, all of which was very ridiculous. This had been done in an old colonial house, and had its origin in old colonial poverty. Now, this architect, in his respect for that which was past, copied the faults, the inconveniences, and arrangements which belonged to those earlier times. A course of this kind, carried out to its fullest extent, would lead us to barbarism. In the same magazine was another house which was designed with great respect for precedent. In it was a front door which was divided about half-way up, so that the lower part might be shut and the upper part opened. Houses have been seen where something of this kind was reasonable, where it had its advantages. There are many places in this country where a door of this kind is almost a necessity; but it isn't on the seashore. If one has a house in the country, or in a small country town, where the horses and pigs, geese, chickens, and other animals, are allowed to roam about in the front yards, a door of this kind has its uses. In the summer time the upper part can be thrown back and the lower part closed, so that the most a horse can do in the way of getting into the house is to stick his head over the top rail and look in. In the country mills doors of this kind have a very proper and apt name; they are called pig-doors. They keep the pigs off the mill floor, and, at the same time, allow the light and air to come from above. But there is no necessity for a pig-door at Newport or Long Branch, or other seaside resort. Their use is a silly affectation. There is no beauty in them. There is no convenience which would lead to their use. It is performances such as the above which retard the natural development of American architecture. American architecture will be simply carrying out, in an architectural way, the requirements of the American people in their buildings. From their homes the march of progress will be through the kitchens, pantries, and dining-rooms. It will unite with the parlor and sitting-room ideas, which have been more clearly worked out. The exterior will be formed in a natural way by the requirements of the interior, and by the variations of climate, and it will be decorated in a rational, artistic manner. We will not hamper the interior by the adoption of doors and windows which possibly belonged in a cathedral of the twelfth or thirteenth century, or the richer details of the later time, which had their special uses and forms as the development of the necessity and requirements of that particular period. The doors and windows of the nineteenth century should have their own special forms and positions. They should be decorated with a true regard for precedent so long as precedent does not influence the arrangements suited to modern times. The American style of architecture will not be developed through grand public buildings and enormous cathedrals, or expensive dwellings. In this country every one is imbued with the idea of having a home of his own, and he desires to have it nice, convenient, and attractive. The average home is in a small, inexpensive house. The proper construction of these buildings, their arrangement with reference to their housekeeping requirements, their tasteful external designs considered in a rational way, will develop American architecture. It will be the expression of American wants in a natural, artistic spirit. A JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSE. CHAPTER V. JOURNEY THROUGH THE HOUSE.--PORCH.--VESTIBULE.--HALL.--LONG HALLS AND SQUARE HALLS.--THE HALL THAT IS A ROOM.--RECEPTION HALL.--PARLOR.--SITTING-ROOM.--DINING-ROOM. In this section of the book we will make a journey through the house, stopping at various points of interest long enough to give general consideration to the details. From the principles herein derived, the plans subsequently given are constructed. Every house should have a front porch. It should be wide,--if possible, eight feet, that one may sit at a distance from the railing and afford a space for others to pass behind. The porch is a protection to the front part of the house from the sun, wind, and, partially, from the cold. Nothing can be pleasanter than to sit on a shady porch during the warm part of the day or in the evening. It is an auxiliary to the vestibule. The front door should be wide--three or three and a half feet. Double doors look very nice from the outside, but they are not as convenient or as easily handled as the single door. The door-bell should be at the right-hand side. The threshold should be elevated from three to six and a half inches above the porch floor. VESTIBULE. In the plans that are given, various arrangements of vestibules are shown. In a few instances, direct entrances into the hall and reception-room are indicated, but such an entrance is not as desirable as where there is a vestibule. The arrangement of a vestibule for hat-rack, umbrella-stand, and other conveniences, changes the hall into an available room. Take, for instance, plan No. 16, page 153. At the right, as one enters, is a little closet; in it are hooks. At one side is an umbrella-stand; on the floor is a place for overshoes. Here one may arrange himself before going into the hall or reception-room. This is altogether better than having to pass across to one side of the hall or room, in order to find a place to deposit overshoes, wraps, umbrellas, etc. It saves work. If this vestibule have a hard-wood floor, and on it is placed a rug, one may stand there and divest himself of that which he would not carry into the house, and go into the room in good order, leaving the muddy overshoes, and the possible dampness of his umbrella and overcoat, behind him. This arrangement saves work; mud is not carried into the room. It is a very simple matter to care for the vestibule; the rug on the floor may be taken to the outside, and the deposit of mud and dust readily removed. It is well to have a small mirror at the side, or in the rack. The plan mentioned is merely suggestive, and does not apply to all houses. By looking through the plans given, various arrangements may be seen. In some of them there is no vestibule. Not all housekeepers want the same arrangement. Again, others do not care to pay for a vestibule. In other instances, the hall is too small to admit of one. As said before, a good vestibule changes the hall into a room. It makes a reception-hall tolerable, because it is not necessary to deposit there many things which should have another location. A vestibule does not properly serve its purpose where there is no room or arrangement for depositing wraps, etc. The closet part of the vestibule, shown in the cut, can, perhaps, be omitted, and hooks arranged around the wall sides. A curtain could be hung across the space occupied by the closet door: however, all these details are matters of taste and disposition. In the opening between the hall and vestibule may be placed tapestry curtains; these are sufficient storm protectors from the outside door, especially if the hall register is placed near it. No one who has not tried it, can realize the amount of protection from the weather that is afforded by a heavy curtain. It is not necessary or desirable that a door be placed in the opening from the vestibule to the hall. HALL. This part of the house may be hall, reception-hall, or room. It is a hall or passage frequently, and not provided with a vestibule. It may be a hall from its shape; it may be a room for the same reason. It may be of no use as a room, if the stairway is improperly placed. The house arranged with a long, narrow hall, having the stairway at the side, is essentially wasteful of room. Such hall space is usually dark and gloomy as well as crowded. A hall eight feet wide and twenty feet long, contains one hundred and sixty square feet of floor-surface, though only a limited portion of it is available, on account of the shape of the space which remains after the stairway is placed. A hall twelve by thirteen feet contains one hundred and fifty-six square feet, but a great deal more available room. The space not occupied by the stairway is in better shape. A hall of this shape partakes of the nature of a room, and may be used as such. In the plan referred to a window-seat is shown. This window-seat may be used as a seat in warm weather, and, if the front is in the proper direction, as a conservatory in the winter. There are many such arrangements as this shown in the book. The hall, in most of the plans, is a key to the whole arrangement. It has been a common, objectionable practice during the past few years to build houses of moderate cost, so that the hall is along one side with its entrance to the front, and the parlor next to it; back of the parlor is the sitting-room, and the hall opens into the dining-room; back of the dining-room is the kitchen, and so on to the extreme rear with summer-kitchen, pantry, etc. This makes a long house with only one room in front on the first floor, and one chamber and alcove facing the street on the second. Thus the hall serves only as a passage-way. The living-room has no front view. To obviate this, the halls in the plans, that are considered with most favor, are arranged to be used as rooms, and the vestibules are built so that such a thing is possible. If the hall is to be used as a vestibule, the hat-rack and other arrangements for hanging wraps, and the umbrella-stand, etc., are placed as near the front as possible. Where this is not done there must necessarily be a track from the front to the back, as a mark of travel. The stairway may start at one side, and should lead towards the centre of the house. The nearer it can be started to the rear of the hall, the better; this gives more room in front. Sometimes the stairway is started immediately in the rear of the reception-hall, or from an alcove space at one side; these are good arrangements, depending, of course, upon other conditions. Upon one side, or in the rear, should be placed a grate. Nothing can be pleasanter when coming in from a disagreeable outside than an open-grate fire; this needs no argument. Under the stairway, or in some convenient nook, it is well to have a lavatory. The hall should be arranged as a centre from which to pass to the parlor, living-room, and dining-room. It is important to consider in this connection that the hall, and the stairway in it, should be placed so that the stair-landing above is in the centre of the house. Thus we have in the centre of the building only a small hall as a starting-point; hence less waste room. When the stairway lands near the front wall on the second floor, a passage must be provided to the rear of the house. Where the landing is in the centre, we have only to pass into rooms without extra steps through long halls. For example, see plan No. 1, page 110. Not every one cares to use the front hall as a reception-room. There is certainly no objection to naming and using it otherwise. RECEPTION-HALL, PARLOR, AND SITTING-ROOM. During recent years there is more of a disposition to live all over the house; one reason for this is the improved heating arrangements. The terms sitting-room, parlor, reception-room, mean less in a distinctive sense, and are used largely for the purpose of classification. We will consider the parlor and the sitting-room in the same connection. The parlor has lost the awful stiffness of times past. It is now a reception-room. In a house where there is a reception-hall in front, and the sitting-room to one side, both having a distinct front view, as is shown in many of the plans, a lady may occupy the front room and have her children and work around her, if desirable. A caller may be received in the reception-room; these, however, are matters of individual preference. The vestibule may be planned so that it will have an entrance to both reception-room and sitting-room. In some instances the arrangement of sitting-room and reception-hall are reversed. The hall is the sitting-room, and the other room the parlor. If doors are used between hall and sitting-room, they should be sliding; the effect is better, and the separation of the rooms as complete as necessary. Such doors should always be hung from the top. The sitting-room should certainly be as good a room as any in the house; as well located. There should be a closet on the first floor, and, if possible, it should communicate with this room; if not that, with the dining-room or reception-hall next to it. Certainly the sitting-room should always be provided with a grate. A window-seat in the hall, parlor, reception, or other room, is really a great addition in more ways than one. It is not only attractive, but it adds to the availability of a room. Where there is space for three or four people to sit, in case of necessity, it is like seating that number of people outside of the room. They are comfortable, and the room has that much added to its seating capacity. A bay window arranged in this way is pleasant indeed. Wall space is of great importance in these rooms. In planning a house, the piano, pictures, lounges, book-shelves, book-cases, bric-à-brac, etc., should be in mind. In a house of moderate size, it is, ordinarily, not necessary that the reception-hall, parlor, or sitting-room should be wider than thirteen and a half feet, and from fifteen to eighteen feet in length. However, this is not wide enough for those who entertain largely. A room thirteen and a half feet, with much furniture in it, is not wide enough for dancing. A house arranged with a reception-hall,
{'title': 'Convenient Houses, With Fifty Plans for the Housekeeper by Louis H. Gibson', 'source': 'Project Gutenberg', 'lang': 'en'}