Better Homes in America: Plan Book for Demonstration Week October 9 to 14, 1922 · Chapter 6Girls' Rooms
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A Suggested Color Scheme
Walls—Papered in a soft gray-rose, allover design paper.
Woodwork—Cream paint.
Floor—Hardwood—Rag rugs, with rose stripes or a gray chenille carpet. Softwood—Battleship gray paint, with rag rugs or rose chenille carpet.
Suggested List of Furnishings
Bed—Single—Painted ivory or cream—four post, or with some low, simple headboard.
Bedspread of rose dotted swiss, with wide ruffle.
A Dressing Table—To match bed, with rose colored sateen mats—bound in pale-gray with drawers.
A Large Box—For waists, etc. Covered in rose and gray cretonne.
A Desk—To correspond with painted furniture; a gray blotter and rose colored pen.
Two Chairs—One of natural wicker with cushions of rose sateen, and one of wood to correspond with painted furniture, caned seat.
A Sewing Table—Of mahogany or cherry.
A Lamp—China base with a shade of silk, dotted swiss, or rose-colored paper.
The Nursery
The ideal nursery is also a play room. It should, as nearly as possible, meet the ideals of the child's own world. In that room are received early impressions which are never forgotten, and which have a lasting influence on the adult life.
Don't bedeck the cribs, beds, or curtains with ribbons and laces, and expect your child to be happy. The "don'ts" and "be carefuls" make children irritable and unhappy. Choose the room with a thought to sunlight, and be sure it has outside blinds which will darken the room without keeping out the air.
The floor should be bare with the exception of one rug near the bed, or should be covered with a good grade of plain linoleum.
The walls and woodwork should be painted, if possible, a cream or light gray. Some fairy tale friezes are attractive, and afford opportunities of introducing color, but, if used, should not be placed too high on the wall—about three-quarters of the way up from the floor is a reasonable height. Child-study has taught that many and oft-repeated designs and subjects become meaningless, especially to older children.
The furniture in the nursery should be practical. Painted furniture and wicker chairs are attractive. A comfortable winged or overstuffed chair for the grown-ups is essential. Low shelves and cupboards, built for toys and books, are necessary if the room is to be kept neat and tidy. A stationary blackboard, and a large box for books and cherished belongings, are very welcome additions.
A Suggested Color Scheme for the Nursery
Walls—A soft, misty, gray paint, tint, or plain paper.
Woodwork—A dull white.
Floors—Plain hardwood, with a rag or braided rug in sapphire blue—or softwood, entirely covered in taupe Jaspe linoleum.
Below Is a Suggested List of Furnishings Which the Nursery Might Contain
A Crib—White iron or wood, on ball bearing casters.
Bedspread of yellow and white seersucker, or a silky yellow sunfast.
A Tall Chest of Drawers—Painted cream or white, with plenty of drawers.
Table—Low nursery table or tall one which has had its legs cut.
Two Chairs—Low, with wooden seats, and painted to match the furniture.
A Desk—Flat top with plenty of paper and pencils.
Waste Paper Basket—White or natural wicker.
One Large Fireside Chair—With slip cover of blue and yellow striped linen.
Glass Curtains—Of best quality of cream colored cheesecloth, bound in yellow tape.
Over draperies (If desired)—Of primrose yellow silk, or sunfast, or striped yellow and blue linen to match slip cover.
Clothes Rack—Low wooden rack, painted white, with at least four hooks.
Closet—Should have a low pole on which could be hung plenty of hangers. Also a shelf about 6 inches from the floor for shoes, etc.
Large Cushions for the floor—One each of blue, yellow, nile green and orange.
Color Scheme—If you desire another color scheme, such as blue-and-white, or pink-and-white, write for information.
Model Kitchen
PREPARED BY THE HOME ECONOMICS BUREAU OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
The first consideration in arranging kitchen equipment is to save steps and labor. The kitchen should be clean, odorless and attractive.
Size—Not more than 120 square feet of working space for preparing food and washing dishes. More space when kitchen is used for laundry or has dining alcove.
Ventilation—If no cross drafts are provided for, cut a transom over back door if possible and arrange window boards to allow ventilation through top and bottom of window. Is desirable to have hood installed over stove to carry off drafts.
Lighting—Two or three windows desirable and a glass pane in kitchen door. If unavailable, increase light by having very pale walls and mirrors in dark corners. Artificial light should be from powerful burner hung from center of ceiling. Electric light should be indirect. Additional side lights should be added near sink and stove, unless they receive full light.
Wall Coverings—(1) Commercial oil cloth wall covering; or (2) good oil enamel paint. Color—Light tones. On Southern exposure—pale gray, green or pale blue; on Northern exposure—buff walls with a deeper buff or tan woodwork are good. For very dark rooms—white. Avoid white in well lighted rooms because of glare. If natural color, woodwork should have two coats of water proof varnish; if painted, two coats of flat paint and one of enamel paint.
Floor Coverings—If room has cement floors, provide rubber mats before sink, stove and cabinet to avoid foot strain. Otherwise, use linoleum slightly darker than walls and harmonizing or contrasting in color; or any other surface easy to keep clean.
List of Kitchen Fixtures
The Kitchen should have the following equipment:
Range—Coal, wood, gas, oil or electric. Good hood for ventilation is desirable. Height of all working surfaces depends upon height of woman who will work in kitchen. All working surfaces including top of range should be as near the same height as possible. Height should be at least 32 inches, or more, if worker is tall. A label should state this fact. If coal range is the main one, have supplementary gas, electric or oil range. Gas range should have stove pipe from oven.
Sink—Sink should be large enough to accommodate both a washing and rinsing dish pan. Have large drain board on each side with raised edge or beading. It should either slope gradually toward sink or have sloping grooves. If only one drain board is provided, add an adjustable folding board. Bottom of sink should be at least 32 inches from floor. Sink should be placed under or near a window to insure coolness and view.
Cabinet—White or colored enameled metal or natural wood finish with broad working shelf 32 inches from floor or higher according to height of worker. Shelves and bins for most commonly used supplies and utensils. If a cabinet with a good work shelf is not available an additional table near cabinet should be provided.
Tables—One or two tables, porcelain, glass, enamel, or zinc topped. If none of these can be had, linoleum may be fitted with waterproof cement to a wooden table. It should be at least 32 inches high. A table with drawers underneath and a swinging stool and space for knees is good.
Cupboard—If there is no dining room pantry, a cupboard should be added for the china; if space permits, this should be added anyhow for less frequently used utensils and supplies.
Stool—Stool, preferably white, should be of right height to allow sitting at table, work-shelf or sink. Add a plain chair if space permits.
Refrigerator—A well insulated ice box, preferably white. Ice compartment should be at side or top. Straight easily cleaned drain pipe should attach to plumbing. If refrigerator is indoors a door for icing from the outside is desirable.
Towel Rods—Wood or nickel with space for four or five dish towels.
Hand Towel Rack—If only one person uses it, roller towel rack may be installed. Otherwise, paper toweling or individual hand towels hung on cup hooks near sink by loops on corners.
Wall Clock—Simple, with clear figures.
Housekeepers' Rest Corner—If space permits, a comfortable chair, footrest and small table for books and sewing should occupy a little-used portion of the room, to permit rest and recreation while waiting for food to cook.
Garbage Pail—Covered; with foot lever to raise cover without stooping; fireproof trash basket.
Arrangement of Equipment
Sink, cabinet with broad working shelf and dish cabinet (if dishes are washed in kitchen) should be as close together as possible without cramping passage room. Stove should be convenient to, but slightly away from, work shelf for hot weather. An ideal arrangement is china cupboard at right of sink, cabinet with broad work shelf at left of sink and, in a narrow kitchen, range on opposite wall from sink across narrowest part of room; if range is far from any broad working surface a table should be very near range. All kitchen equipment, except range, should be as near as possible to dining room door. If no dining room pantry with sink is provided, kitchen sink should be near dining room door. Range with supplementary range beside it should be so placed that full day light will light the oven. If stove is already installed in a dark place in exhibition house, move it into light, even though repiping and wiring may be required. Mirrors may be hung to throw additional light on range. If there is no good working shelf on cabinet, a table should be near cabinet for mixing food. There will then have to be a second table with a heat proof top near the stove unless stove is so near to cabinet that one table will serve both for mixing and setting hot utensils on. If possible, install a gas range, or an electric range if current is cheap enough to warrant. The range should, if possible, have an oven heat regulator. Where gas is unavailable and cost of electric current high, install a good oil stove with an oven. Refrigerator should be on porch or vestibule just outside kitchen door or should be in the kitchen near the back door away from the stove. If space permits, table next to refrigerator is a convenience. An out-icer is a convenience; in cold weather the ice compartment may be left empty and open for the air to cool the food.
Dish towel and hand towel racks should be as near as possible to sink, high enough to be out of the way. The dish towel rack should be on side towards window for drying and airing.
Wall clock should be within sight of stove without worker turning around. Garbage pail and trash basket should be under sink. Stove should be near chief working surface; either table or cabinet.
Decorations—Simple, easily washed curtains of gingham, striped calico or unbleached muslin with a colored tape border add to the attractiveness of the room. They should not obscure the light. If the windows are near working centers, curtains may be half length, that is, from top of window to center sash, and finished with a fringe.
Smaller up-to-date equipment, such as a fireless cooker, a pressure cooker, utensils, electric whippers, cutlery, strainers and so on, should also be installed. Further information is given in another bulletin.
The Kitchen as Laundry
If the Kitchen is also used as Laundry, laundry equipment should be away from cooking equipment if possible. Two Tubs—well-lighted, tops 34 inches, a Washing Machine run by whatever power the locality affords, preferably electricity. Washing Machine may have direct connection with plumbing, or good pipe hose should be provided for draining and filling machine. Copper lined Wash Boiler with spigot for emptying. Zinc Topped Table—on rollers, same height as top of stove, for carrying wash-boiler between sink and stove. Ironing Board—If possible, board that folds into cupboard. Board should have its own support far enough in from ends to permit of putting garment over it. Clothes Basket—with Casters on Bottom.
Iron—Electric Iron, or if electricity is unavailable, gas iron. Electric or hand Mangle for ironing.
Have tubs, washing machine, ironing board and plug for electric iron grouped together.
The Equipment of the House
Having a house that is structurally sound, well planned and with adequate yard space, the next question is its equipment. Equipment has to do with the operation, with the house work. On the one hand this is more or less determined by the size and plan of the building, on the other by the furnishing and decoration. A well planned house makes house work lighter; and furnishing and decoration which add unnecessarily to the number of things which must be cleaned or cared for, or heavy pieces which must be moved, add to the labor of house work. Nevertheless, equipment occupies a clear outfield of its own that calls for separate discussion.
Heating
Central Heating—Central heating preferred. May be hot air, steam, hot water, or vapor. Insulate heater and pipes. Large furnace water pan, or radiator waterpans, desirable. Select heating system, using fuel most economical for your locality. Thermostat heat regulator installed in living room is desirable. Write placards describing why you selected this heating plant; why it is so well insulated; why large water pan or radiator water pans are important.
Supplementary Heat—Open fireplace, Franklin stove or gas logs desirable in living room for beauty and comfort in spring and fall.
Water Supply
Should have running hot and cold water. If city water not available, should be pumped by power rams. Hot water boiler may be attached to coal range with auxiliary gas or oil heater for summer. Where gas rate is low, gas may be used alone. Automatic gas hot water heaters very desirable.
Bathroom
Size—Should be large enough for tub, basin, toilet, clothes-hamper, stool, medicine cabinet and towel cabinet.
Floor—Should be most sanitary. Tile, stone or linoleums are the most sanitary. Small black and white pattern or light blue and white are good. A well-filled painted wood floor of battleship gray or colonial buff may be used.
Walls—Tile or plaster painted with two coats flat paint and one coat of enamel, or oil cloth wall covering. White, blue and cream are the best colors.
Ventilation—Window board should be in window to allow top and bottom ventilation. An additional separate ventilator is desirable.
Fixtures—Porcelain or enameled iron tub with hot and cold running water; shower with spray set at angle not to wet hair.
Basin—Porcelain or enamel with hot and cold water. Toilet—porcelain, white enameled seat desirable. Medicine Cabinet with door and mirror over basin, shelves for shaving equipment, lotions, antiseptics, etc. Cupboard large enough to hold supply of towels, soap, toilet paper, and equipment for cleaning bathroom fixtures.
Clothes hamper unless chute to bin near wash tubs is provided. Hamper should have white smooth surface. Enameled metal or wood desirable.
Towel racks—A nickel or enameled wood rack for each member of family to keep towels separate.
Miscellaneous fixtures—Two nickel or enameled metal soap racks, one beside basin and one beside or hooked to tub. Tooth brush rack to hold tooth brushes well separated. Toilet paper basket or rack. Individual mugs or glasses for each member of family. Shelf of glass or wood covered with oil cloth over basin.
Stool—White enamel, preferably. Clothes hooks on back of door, or clothes tree. Sash curtains of white material, easy to launder.
Lavatory—It is well to have additional lavatory on ground floor to save steps. It should contain toilet, wash bowl, stool and fixtures for accessories. Should be as easy to clean and hygienic as bathroom.
Lighting
Electricity if possible. Bulbs in all rooms should be frosted or shaded. Hall—Electricity or lamp hung from center in form of lantern or cast iron bracket to hold at least one bulb or one lamp. If side lights are desired, fixtures of brass, cast iron, or enameled iron are effective.
Living Room—If possible, at least one baseboard plug, one center ceiling light or side brackets if desired. If room is large a center floor plug is desirable. Plugs permit lamps to be used without unnecessary cords showing. If wire must pass through rug, do not cut rug but push threads apart.
Dining Room—If a center light in shape of dome is used, hang low enough to avoid shining in eyes of those dining. A soft effect is gained by side brackets representing sconces. Wired metal or glass candlesticks on mantel and side-board, give pleasing effect. Floor plug near dining table for electrical table appliances.
Bedrooms—Fixtures should be placed in long wall space convenient to bureau or dressing table. Have plug near bed for lamp for reading in bed. If space permits, night light on table in upper hall is useful. All plugs and sockets should be of standard shape and size.
Cleaning
House should be easy to clean with hard smooth floors, with cracks well filled, and rugs rather than carpets. Rounded edges and corners of baseboards desirable, also simple baseboards. One flight of stairs is sufficient if located out of sight of living room. This saves labor of cleaning two flights. Two cleaning closets, one on ground floor and one on second floor, are labor savers. Have space for vacuum cleaner and for hanging all brushes, brooms and dusters, and a shelf above or at side for the cleaning compounds. Zinc or other fireproof lining to cupboard and ventilator desirable.
Storage Space—Attic with rows of shelves for storing boxes and small objects is desirable. Wooden chests, trunks, and a cedar lined chest or cupboard useful. Built-in closets or rows of inexpensive chests of drawers with space to pass between are good.
Storage Closets
Every bedroom should have clothes closet with hooks and a rod for hangers, a shelf for hats and a bottom shelf for shoes. A tall closet may have near ceiling an additional rod for hangers for less often used clothes, and long rod lifter to reach hangers. A cupboard for bed linen should be in upstairs hall or in a centrally located room. On ground floor coat closet is desirable; also tool cupboard or chest, large china cupboard, low enough for all china to be within reach. Cold closet with open wire screen cabinets in basement.
Pantry
If kitchen is well ventilated and stove has hood, pass pantry not necessary. It makes extra steps. If pass pantry is in house, only its narrowest dimension should divide kitchen from dining room. Partitions under sink for trays to stand; a narrow space for table leaves; a china cupboard with reachable shelves, and a sink and drainboards like those described for kitchen are desirable. Drawer on small shelf for cleaning compounds and brushes for cleaning silver, steel, brass and copper.