HOUSES AND GARDENS 



not penetrate to the sitting-rooms. Although thin partitions may be used 

 between certain rooms, the division between the sitting-rooms and kitchen 

 premises should be at least of nine-inch brickwork. In the internal finishing 

 of the kitchen premises, that structural finish which has been suggested for 

 certain portions of the living-rooms will be specially appropriate. Such 

 superficial finishings as varnished sanitary wall papers and linoleums may be 

 suitable for the house built in the usual modern way, but tiles and the liberal 

 use of whitewash are better. It may be desirable in the sitting-room-kitchen 

 that the floor should be of wood. If so, the boards should be laid on 

 concrete with no spaces for insects. Red tiles or stone are, however, better 

 materials for the floor, and with a few rugs or mats will not have a cold 

 appearance. 



For the walls there is nothing quite so cleanly as white-glazed Dutch tiles. 

 The harsh glaring tiles made by English firms have the same forbidding glare 

 which sheet glass has, while the Dutch, with their soft uneven glaze, have 

 an inviting and homely appearance. When means will allow, the lower part 

 of the walls at least should be finished in this way, with whitewash above. 

 For the woodwork green paint varnished and flatted is recommended. White 

 paint shows marks too readily to be quite suitable for kitchen premises, 

 or the woodwork may be in white wood specially selected and left unpainted. 

 The tiled treatment of the walls should be extended as far as possible in the 

 kitchen premises; but, where it is unadvisable, whitewashed brickwork will 

 form the best finish for larders, pantries, &c., although, if the house is of 

 stone, it will be desirable to plaster or cement the walls. For the ceilings 

 whitewashed plaster or, where the joists are shown, whitewashed woodwork left 

 rough from the saw will be the best finish. All pipes in the kitchen premises 

 should be left exposed, and neither buried in plaster or concealed in casings. 

 Everything should be capable of easy cleansing, and there should be as few 

 corners as possible to collect dust and dirt. Without mentioning any special 

 make of kitchen range, I should recommend that this important apparatus 

 should be of a type which admits the use of the open or closed fire, and 

 which has an arrangement for raising or lowering the fire as required. 



