Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/330

 WOMAN'S HOME The Disadvantages of High Houses with Several Floors— The Use of a Porch— Halls, Good and B^jI_Xhe Staircase— The Shape and Size of Rooms— The Linen Cupboard Houses of this type put much additional work on the servants and others responsible for their cleanliness and good order, and in HOUSES vary so much in character and convenience as regards their internal arrangements that one may well be particular before deciding upon one. The house is related to others of its kind in one of three ways. It may be detached, semi-detached, or wholly attached, as one unit in a con- tinuous terrace. It need hardly be pointed out that the two latter forms of relationship have originated in a desire to economise ground space and building materials. They are devices for reducing the original outlay, and the tenant cer- tainly shares in the saving, in the matter of rent, in part, if not altogether. Beyond this it can- not be said that there is any advantage to the tenant in having his house united to someone else's. The disadvantages of the arrangement have already been pointed out. The detached house obviously is so much more desirable that the house-hunter will always find it worth while to pay a slightly higher rent for it. In country districts one has little difficulty in finding detached houses at small and moderate rentals, and usually there is little inducement to pass them by in favour of one of the other types. In towns and suburban districts the difficulty is greater. Land has a considerably higher value, and, in consequence, frontages are restricted to a minimum. Hence the scarcity of detached houses at low rentals. For the same reason the builder is tempted to make up for limited ground space by giving greater height to the house ; thus we find houses of several floors in which an apparently endless stairway winds sky- wards without regard to the labour imposed upon the members of the household in climbing it. -planned first'floor many cases an extra servant is needed to cope with this addi- tional work. The sum paid for her wages and board would be better applied in paying the increased rental of a house of fewer floors. The ideal modern villa has all its prin- cipal accommodation on two floors, or, if it extends beyond, it is merely to utilise the roof-space for box- rooms, or possibly for the servants' quarters. The relief one experi- ences in taking up one's residence in a house of this kind after having lived in a three or four storey house must be experi- enced to be appre- ciated. Apart from curtailment of " stair a sense of unity and roomy landing; no long passages the very welcome exercise," there is comfort in having all the principal rooms grouped together on two floors ; in fact, it j: The canopy, a protection against wet