May, 1912 
the furniture, which is also 
of mahogany, and the dark 
tones of this wood form a 
pleasant contrast with old 
blue of the rugs and the 
paper which fills in the pan- 
els of the walls. The side- 
board is of particular inter- 
est, for it has been built in 
two sections and placed at 
either side of the door lead- 
ing into the pantry and the 
kitchen. Each section is fitted 
with the usual drawers and 
shelves and the door between 
is set with a mirror which is 
framed in with a wide band 
of mahogany. 
Nowhere in the house, 
possibly, does the Japanese 
spirit which dominates this 
little California home find 
such complete expression as 
in a small breakfast-room, 
which adjoins the dining- 
room and which also con- 
nects with the pantry and the 
kitchen. This room is placed 
at the southeast corner of 
the house and at two sides 
are placed windows which 
completely fill the spaces. 
These windows are covered 
by plain screens of split 
bamboo and through them the sunlight is poured into 
the room where the walls are of buff and the woodwork and 
a very interesting built-in cabinet are very simply stained. 
Table and chairs of colored “‘reedcraft”” ware and the win- 
dow screens of bamboo are stained the same copper color, 
so that with the buff walls a very beautiful and distinctive 
effect is created which is made even more decorative by the 
use of Japanese lanterns of metal which are hung just above 
the breakfast table. At one side of this room the windows 
screened with the bamboo shades open upon a broad per- 
gola where upon horizontal timbers are trained vines such 
as only California can produce, and where the purple blos- 
soms of the wistaria carry even a degree further the Japan- 
ese feeling which is here so strong. 
The kitchen and the pantry are placed where they may be 
directly reached from breakfast- and dining-room and are 
SEE, 
Sete, 
Sent Cn 
The lounging balcony of the living-room 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
The spacious high-ceilinged living-room 
179 
complete with all the fittings 
which are required for suc- 
cessful housekeeping. hese 
domestic departments are 
connected with the living- 
room through the small al- 
cove, in which are placed the 
stairs leading to the floor 
above, and the door by which 
they connect with this alcove 
is one of the most interesting 
features of the house. This 
door, together with the ver- 
tical panels at either side, is 
of a kind of lattice work, 
made of wood in a simple 
but very quaint design and 
stained to match the wood- 
work in the living-room, of 
which it is really a part. 
Stairways are almost al- 
ways interesting, and gener- 
ally they have more charac- 
ter than any other one part 
of the house. A very suc- 
cessful staircase has been 
built which is placed, as has 
been said, in a recess or al- 
cove which opens from the 
living-room. It is partially 
screened by a low partition 
of paneled wood, upon which 
is placed an earthenware jar 
covered with wicker. Be- 
hind this low parapet or screen the stairs ascend with sey- 
eral square landings upon one of which is placed a small 
group of casement windows; upon another landing a 
mirror is placed where it reflects anyone passing up or 
downstairs, this being a clever idea of Mrs. Adam’s 
and one which is the greatest possible convenience, for it 
gives one an opportunity for a final survey of her appear- 
ance before entering the music-room below. 
The house is so arranged that only a portion of it is two 
full stories in height. The part which contains the living- 
room, study and balcony is somewhat less than two stories 
and the bedrooms are placed above the dining-room, break- 
fast-room and kitchen, where ample space is obtained. The 
stairway leads, therefore, to a small hall upon which open 
three bedrooms and a bathroom. These rooms have win- 
dows facing in several directions and the grounds which they 
The living-room showing lounging balcony 
