SMALL HOUSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 807, 30 October 1929, Page 14

SMALL HOUSES

Simplicity Combined with Utility MODERN FURNISHINGS

j The first tiling to consider in the i building of a house is the accommoi dation required. This must be very j strictly dealt with, for every single ] Person connected with the household i will have his'' or her own personal re- | auirements, which, if not firmly dealt I with, would result in a mansion being j built rather than the cottage home S really needed. | First of all, decide on the number of j bedrooms really necessary, and then, j according to your means, decide on the number of sitting rooms, with the ! one important proviso of a big, sunny living room. *1 lie idea of a bedroom wherein must be found not only a bed, but a wardrobe dressing table and washstand, is fast disappearing, and young people especially prefer the idea of a bedroom disguised as a sitting room. Built-in j cupboards take the place of the big unweildy wardrobe, the washstand is no longer required, and the bed and I dressing table constitute a divan with j an occasional table and a mirror above. ! A- few bookshelves and an easy chair, | and most young people are more than | content. The modern bathroom is so j efficient that nobody today dreams of j washing in bedrooms. The bed- ; rooms settled, the one big living room ; must have due consideration, and here | it is as well to err on the large size. Most of us must economise, but let I be done in a way that concentrates on good, material and good workmanship, relying for effect on these, rather I than on any sham device or added i ornamentation. The full test of econI omy conies not only in the capital outlay oil the house, but also in the question of upkeep or maintenance. If a house is well built, the repair bill is almost negligible. A good simple roof will not be so costly to construct, or to maintain in good repair, as one

I that has many gables. Good wood, j such as oak or teak used for doors j will practically never need anything | but oiling, whereas painted wood will need constant replenishing, with the j additional knowledge that- it always ■ looks cheap. Inside, much that is thought necesj sary may be banished. Fireplaces j should ho simple., window sills r.oni structed of easily cleaned mediums, | and all unnecessary ornamentation j dispensed with. Simplicity should he aimed at in the building of a small house, and it is this to which time will add beauty, i Good material, good workmanship, j good planning, and an unostentatiousness are the hall-mark of the best in ! the smaller house of today.