Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/332

 WOMAN'S HOME 3^0 The Landing Ample space should be provided at the stair-head. Stairs which end three feet from a blank wall or bedroom door may provide awkward happenings to strangers. A good roomy landing has much to recommend it. It is useful in case of sickness to be able to put a small table outside the bedroom to accommodate trays, etc., and this is often impossible where space is cramped. On the other hand, too much space external to the rooms makes the house cold, and long passages mean draughtiness. In well-planned villas one finds the principal bedrooms opening on a roomy area more or less square in shape, from which a single short passage leads to the servants' rooms or to a supplementary bedroom. r. r It is remarkable how much the comfort ot a house is affected by these apparently < I ^:i the searcher for the ideal house will be guided by his own special set of circum- stances, and give just as much importance to the matter as it deserves. On sanitary, as well as aesthetic, grounds, it is better that the bathroom should not include conveni- ences other than the bath, except a lavatory basin, which is almost indispensable. The Linen Cupboard A linen cupboard, when present, is usually associated with the bathroom, so as to tap the hot- water system. A heated cupboard, with rack shelves, is provided in most modern villas, and is only mentioned here as a reminder to the house-hunter that he may satisfy himself that it is present. The Living-rooms Reference has already been made to the desirability of having one large sitting-rooni, however modest the size of the house. Sir r A B C (a) Stairs too near front door (lO Angled stairs awkward for carpeting (c) A staircase free from these defects unimportant matters. The novice is apt to concentrate his scrutiny upon the rooms, and to overlook questions of access, general convenience, and hygiene, which are largely determined by the spaces external to them. Opinions differ as to the best position for the bathroom, relative to the bedroom accommodation. Perhaps the most con- venient arrangement is that it should be readily accessible to all the bedrooms. Not infrequently the bathroom is planned as an annexe to the principal bedroom, from which it opens, a second door being provided for the use of the occupants of the other bedrooms. This is not an ideal arrangement, though certainly a special convenience to those placed in direct communication with the bath. Much, however, depends upon the consti- tution and habits of the household, and Norman Shaw, years ago, when planning the first of our garden suburbs, Bedford Park, took care that the very sma,llest house had one roomy parlour, and to this day these charming little villas remain as models of all that is best in house-planning on a small scale. Much depends upon the habits of the household as to which of the two sitting- rooms will be used for meals. Usually the positions of the two rooms in relation to the kitchen are such as to involve no difficulties, whichever be chosen. Yet, if it appears that the whole length of a long, narrow hall has to be traversed before the dining-room is reached, it may be preferable to change about, and adopt for meals that room which is situated more conveniently to the kitchen. Dishes have a way of cooling rapidly when carried through a draughty passage, and all long, narrow passages are draughty. To be continued,