A MODERN HOME.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 3

A MODERN HOME.

(I3y Columbia.)

Thero aro so many advantages in] having a house designed by a woman, that it is a marvel moro women do not tako up architectural designing as a profession. Tho thousand and one things that go to make a house comfortable, and, better still, that, go to mako work in .a house easy, arc never forgotten by the woman designer as they aro by.a man. A mail too often builds for siiow, economy, and space, forgetting that .bo tho house never so splendid and spacious, it profits nothing if the passages run down the sunny sido of the building

and all the living rooms aro in tho shade; nor will tho beauty of tho stairway give pleasure to the mother of tho family if it has encroached on the space needed for bedrooms. In a

woman's house there aro always plenty of cupboards and hot-water taps; the washing tubs aro not fixed too high or. too low; thero ere no unnecessary steps up and down to gather dust and worry tho maids; nor is the region of the hearth in any room rendered uncomfortable by reason of the doors 'being, fixed to open draughtily a few feet away. No work of art is more admirable than a home that has been evolved by a clove.r Jiomc-Hiaker with experience,, ingenuity, and originality to .help her, and her own choice of materials to work with. We hope.to be able to describe in future issues some of tho charming homes in and begin now with an artistic and common-senso home in Hawkcstonc Street, which is essentially of woman's design.

The other' houses along the same side of the street face the roa.l and the south, so that what should be tho best rooms iij the house —the living rooms and bodro.anis— aro sunless; this house has wisely turned its bacl; to the street, which does not matter since some contriving and a fciv feet of frosted glass have made the hack quite sightly. Tho library-drawing-room and nearly all tho bedrooms face tho north and get the benefit of all tho sunshine Tho'rndon knows.

. This librr,ry-dra-,ving-room is a delightful place, full of individuality, and, provided it bo of a pleasant sort, .individuality for room is a quality to be earnestly desired by home-makers. Tho room is largo and well ligl'.to:!, and to make tho most of its sunny aspect a large window lias been bv.ilt out at ono corner.- Tho whito ceiling is crossed with heavy beams of dark wood, the walls are papered in Venetian rod, and the floor is covered with a turkey , carpet in a most uncommon shade of brown, patterned with red and white. That is the setting for many things of beauty, charm, and comfort; Everywheroi-onc looks tho eye is pleased and rested, and not only the. eyo is rested hero. Tho exquisite pictures 011 tho walls, tho rows of delightful books which givo snob a charm and livingness to the room, can -be appreciated to the full because there are no spindle-legged chairs urging, advising, 0110 to hurry away before the destruction comes,' but instead wido cosv seats built for comfortanil fireside cheer.

. The red walls are surmounted by a frieze stencilled in red, white, and black, with an arrow-headed' iUaori rafter design. Maori art is weird and nnhomelike, but this room pioves triumphantly the designer's theory that tho moment you apply it to civilised uses it loses its savagery. Tho mantelpiece is carved with , thatdouble spiral design of which the Maori is so fond, and which is said to represent .miming , water, while four cunningly-carved figures,- such as form the handles., of' .treasure boxes, spring out to support tho 'mantelshelf.'" Maori carvings adorn tho doorposts, a -carved okrupi or lintel looks down with eyes of pawa shell; and panels of Maori design on the revolving bookcase in tho centre of the. . room complete the barbaric element of a thoroughly cosy and lovable room, and by reason .of tho carp with which they have been chosen do not. clash

with tho many beautiful .pictures 011 tho.'walls. The bookcases' hanging from rails fastened on tho .walls arc worthy' of note. Whom most bookeases have a leather edging to protect tho books, these have hinged wooden slates, which can be raised to allow a book.to be'removed, or locked down to keep tho books securely. This is tidier than tho leather, and even moro cfcVetive as a safeguard, against dust.

Tho dark-green paper of the din-ing-room affords an> excellent hackground for many pictures, tho most beautiful of which are two magnificent kke scenes by tho late Mr. Nicholas Chovsiier. These sue the pride of tho room, as indeed they might well bo the prido of any picture gallery in the Dominion. There is in this room .1 carved mantelpiece with emblematic design ; though unlike the. Maori carving, this was not carvod by the designer of the wholo. It cannot be ten much insisted on that these carcfuTy t7nrked-eut ideas, shiv;:i:u; that tho house is so loved that time and thought have been given to its adornment, add moro than an artistic charm.

Tlie hence is 011 two levels, and every twe-levcl dweller , knows what thai, may mcaii in tlie way of additional work to the maids. 1 havo seen houses built 0:1 different levels where the one maid spent half her time running upstairs .to attend to tho living rooms and the front door, or running downstairs to attend to the tradespeople. I have seen houses where you ascended from the front door to tho kitchen, or where you wore taken from the front door down to a draw-mg-room in tho depths, but seldom have I seen tho two-level problem satisfactorily solved. Hero the difficulty is overcome simply enough by puttbig on tho samo floor, and an tho street'side of the house (which, as before explained, is the back), first tho back front door; then tho diningroom, and then the kitchen with its own iro'.it back door. By this means ail tho work having to do with tho cooking or the serving of food is done compactly, and though the kitchen and the stairs leading to tho lower (leer are at tho end of the pretty artistic hall, they are practically hidden by a carved fretwork screen of light-coloured wood, flanked with cur-, tained archways.

Down these stairs arc bright, sunny bedrooms, one of which possesses nil osceliont owtvonienco in t-lio shapeoo f a easement winrlov.- (declared to be weatherproof) at the head of thebod, so tint the inhabitant thcrcoi' can with tlm greatest comfort road the iwirnins paper. Tnlki :i.l; of windows, all the ether windows in this house arc made v.'iti: the lower sash r,:i deep in the. window-sill, so that it can be raised sevoial inches without lnttiu;j; a blast of air blow underneath. This allow.'; the renins with' a northerly aspect to ho ventijatec! even when the ('ercest northerly. is !'!ov.-'i:i;4, ar.d it is r.n idea worth eor.:•i'en:lin«s to every Ti'el.'inj-lon builder. 0.: this Hoar there in n laundry. e. re.-.;-.'!, hr»o onotj'jh to Id the reek's v.-.whir!? be Jiang from the >rs r!ijb:{ a'"e-.'; the rwm. A iv;m pr~.b".idy have built a laundry f half 'lie <ir.c, ni'.d v.-nnuirr-nl wl: ■ raaHs s.::uk' «x!i a :s:cs»n about 9 ■.v:'.;::!i:, , ;-dav.' Outside is a iitf. '."den. v.lre'.t. brir.,", Ivnwil cartfui!; v a lady who lever, ii.-derstae . -.inlfniiiK, yield-; ilv.r.T.-.j ail the y. - "sil, an.l here eiia s!' vie'.'.' el ;li- !>i;:.v, i'i,i-1 ill ,'J ... < ;-H;:-cGf|Ue with.;"t. as it is art;::' i c-:mferlai!)].' wdiiin. \\ hat inc.". ...I:id a ho'.:sa be;'