Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1911 — The American Home [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The American Home

WILLIAM A. RADFORD Editor

Ifr. William A. Radford will answer .questions and give advice FREE OF COST on all-subjects pertaining to the subject of building for the readers of this paper. On account of his wide experience as Editor, Author and Manufacturer. he is, without doubt, the highest authority on all these subjects. Address all Inquiries to William A. Radford. No. 194 Fifth Ave. # Chicago. 111., and only cif elose two-cent stamp for reptrThe little house illustrated in the accompanying perspective sketch and floor plans is of a very attractive design that is very popular. A residence should not be too plain and unornamented in its appearance; yet at the same time there is no need of going to extravagant lengths in the pursuit of architectural beauty. - , Many try so hard In their desire for an artistic home and In their abhorrence of the plain, box-like houses that the designs they Anally work out and follow In building reminds one of a Chinese pagoda, or of a pavilion at the county fair. It Is a good thing to look after the artistic in house designs, but always with moderation. In the house illustrated there are a number of very pleasing features which give the building a distinctive appearance; yet, these are in good taste and the dwelling has a sensible, home-like appearance. With a good brick or solid concrete foundation, the first story of this house Is covered with clapboards, while the second story Is finished with cement plaster stucco, divided into panels in the English half timber style. The second story also projects slightly beyond the line of the first, In that way keeping true to the English Elizabethan models. With the woodwork painted a soft

brown and with the stucco panels a yellowish tint, an exceptionally attractive appearance is secured. There are a number of other artistic color combinations that suggest themselves for this house. All of them are on the dark order, In shades of green, brown and red. The white, pale yellow and French gray paints that have heen so popular for the finishing of colonial houses are not best to use with a design such as this. A glance at the floor plans will show the Interior of this house arranged conveniently with good light and air in every room. The first floor has a large living room 13x16 feet in size, a dining room 13x13 feet 6 Inches and a kitchen 13x12 feet. There is also a pantry of generous dimensions, conveniently located with respect to both kitchen and dining room. Two closets are also provided on the first floor. Upstairs there are three comfortable bedrooms. Two of these seem to be somewhat cut up owing to

the way the roof is formed; yet, these extra spaces are by no means disadvantages. The small balcony over the front porch and opening from the large dormer window is a feature that Is both ornamental and useful. The cost of this comfortable dwelling is estimated at This would provide for oak floors for the living room and dining room, maple floors for the kitchen and pantry and first quality yellow pine edge grain flooring on the second floor. The living room and dining room should be finished In red oak, stained, the Interior trim to be of a square cut fashion to harmoa-

ize with the general character of the design of the house. For the second floor no material is superior to birch* either red or the white. This can be finished in any color and produces a beautifully appearing hardwood trim. For the bedrooms a combination of mahogany and white enamel is the most popular and it Is, without doubt, as attractive a style of finishing tor such rooms as can be devised. A warm air furnace of proper ztzS

placed very nearly In the center of the basement will heat this house both upstairs and down very satisfactorily. No one who has any appreciation of convenience or economy would think of building a new house of this kind and not provide a central heating plant Stoves have shown themselves to be not only costly and inefficient, but dangerous as well. With a good waterproof cemented basement, as

called for in the plans of this house, a very satisfactory heating plant can be easily installed.

Second Floor Plan.

First Floor Plan.