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A PRETTY COUNTRY COTTAGE. 
Upon this page we present a beautiful illustration of 
a very cosy country cottage, which will commend itself 
to a multitude of citizens who wish for something con¬ 
structed at a moderate cost. For a lai’ge proportion of 
country families, needing but small space, and having 
but small means to build, this plan is exceedingly suit¬ 
able. Although the plans wo give 
are for rooms of only moderate width 
and length, yet the same proportion 
may be maintained for building a large 
house, and still the same exterior be 
preserved. The cost of enlarging from 
rooms 12 feet square to 14 or 15 feet 
square, will add but $300 to the price 
mentioned below. 
From consultation of plans it will 
be seen there are five rooms on the 
first floor and three rooms on second 
floor. 
1. Entrance porch, about 8 feet 
square. 
2. Hall and stairway, 8 feet wide, 
11 feet long. 
3. Parlor, 12 feet wide and 12 feet 
long. 
4. Bedroom or library, 8 by 11 feet. 
5. Porch, fronting No. 4. 
6. Kitchen, 12 feet square. 
7. Pantry, a back lobby, 6 by 8 
feet. 
The capacity of the first floor may 
be considerably added to, by widening room No. 7 to 
that of No. 2, say 8 feet, and then extending it back¬ 
wards 20 feet. This extension will then allow space 
for two rooms—No. 7, eight feet wide and twelve feet 
long, with smaller room, No. 8, at end, for a scully, 6 
feet by 8. 
In this case No. 3 would be a parlor, No. 6 dining¬ 
room, and No. 7 kitchen. 
Perhaps a pleasing addition to this plan would be to 
enclose Porch No. 5 with glass, and make it a handy 
Conservatory or Plant Garden. 
The roof can be ornamented still more than is shown 
in the illustration, and made much more elegant. This 
can be built in any country district for $1,500, where 
timber does not exceed $35 per 1,000, or labor $3 per 
day. It would be also an excellent design for a gar¬ 
den, a cottage, or summer-house among the country 
hills. 
INTERIOR FURNISHING- OF COTTAGES. 
An English lady, who fancied this design and copied 
after it, building a house of her own just like it, has 
written some excellent suggestions about house furnish¬ 
ing, which apply equally well to not only this design, 
but most country dwellings. We know of nothing 
which will add greater grace and refinement to the 
life, habits and conversation of a family than the pos¬ 
session of such a pretty house. The lady says: 
"I like small, square entries, like vestibules, for cot¬ 
tage ornes. They separate effectually the front and 
back of the house, so that the noises and other attend¬ 
ants of work do not invade the sitting-rooms. The 
lobby, as well as the porch, should be laid with mosaic 
or encaustic tiles, if not considered too expensive or too 
pretentious for the petite simplicity of the cottage. If 
economy, however, is to be strictly studied, choose an 
oilcloth of a ma.rquetrie pattern, (like gay inlaying), or 
white India matting, with a colored border. For the 
side lights, obscured glass with colored borders, seem a 
desirable addition. 
“ From the ordinary stair carpet, with dingy enam¬ 
eled cloth cover hiding the pattern, us deliver and for- 
fend! Either you can afford to have a stair carpet and 
use it, or you can't have one at all. Cover the entire 
stair with one with a small-figured ingrain, moss-like 
pattern of crimson, green or drab, with large patent 
stair-rods—not the wretched little bits of brass wire 
that are too commonly seen. 
Design for Pretty Country Cottage. 
“ The lobby table is preferred to the hat-stand in 
cottage ornes. It should unmistakably vary from other 
tables in being long, low and narrow. A square, plain 
glass must hang above it; for a lobby without this 
convenience, whereby a guest may arrange his appear- 
anee before entering the presence of his hostess, is 
inhospitably furnished. Below the glass, or on the 
opposite wall, should hang a wall-basket of carved 
Plan for First Floor. 
wood or iron, of open pattern, to receive gloves, papers 
or parcels. An ornamental whisk-broom should hang 
near. 
“ About the furnishing of the rooms, I have some 
decisions which wall scarcely 1 be accepted at once. 
They come from noticing the French and Flemish 
country styles. The cloth-covered door is one of these 
ideas. This is a frame of plain deal, with broad cross¬ 
piece, on which the lock is fastened, the whole covered 
with baize or rep, stretched tight, and studded with 
gilt nails on the edge. Else it may be covered with 
jacquard linen, and covered by a curtain, like the 
French portiere. The advantage of these doors is, 
that they are lighter, more noiseless, and less expen¬ 
sive than wooden ones. When covered wdth woolen 
stuff, lined with several thicknesses of common paper, 
they are even warmer than wooden doors. They 
deaden sound effectually. For these reasons I urge 
their adoption—at least between communicating rooms, 
j if the doors opening into the entry are of wood. 
“ If ordinary wooden doors are 
used, let them be well painted, and 
if really good graining is not to be 
thought of, in consequence of the ex¬ 
pense, paint them in solid color. The 
dark Etruscan coloring, delicately 
lined with white, crimson, or black, 
is coming in vogue for town houses, 
and is in far truer taste than the 
i mitations of walnut which show their 
shabby edges on the ‘ genteel ’ squares 
and side streets. This style is too 
heavy for cottages, which may have 
the doors treated in the salon fashion 
of some gay French houses, the 
panels painted with fruit and flowers 
oil white or neutral ground. This 
effect may be given by cutting the 
figures from fine wall paper, glueing 
them on the panels, and coating the 
whole with clear varnish. 
“ Let the walls be tinted plain, 
with gay cornice and ceiling mould¬ 
ings. Ornamental hinges, door-knobs 
and key-holes, if not obtrusive, are 
appropriate- additions to prettiness in the style we are 
considering. The surbase must be narrow, and have a 
single bevel on top. 
“ The carpet should be of small figure, and the rules 
for choosing apply equally to Brussels or tapestry, as 
the patterns are repeated in both. I should say a. 
tapestry is in better taste for a simple house than a 
Brussels, just as muslin and cashmere suit a village 
lady better than moire and velvet. These carpets are 
fine, and wear nearly as long as Brussels. The effect, 
after a year's wear, is almost the same. The patterns 
fancied now are mottled crimson, green or drab, in 
three shades of the same color. These are monoto¬ 
nous, perhaps, in themselves; but a five-inch border 
of brilliant color is usually added, which gives a beau¬ 
tiful finish. Drab carpets are specially fancied now; 
small figures in oak yellow and oak brown (marquetrie 
designs, quite different from the “oak” carpets for¬ 
merly chosen for dining-rooms), small flowers and 
leaves strewing the ground thickly, without any set 
grouping, are favorite styles. The floral oak patterns 
need no border. Bugs should be made of the mottled 
carpeting, with bright border. 
“ Stuffed chairs are preferred to common cane-seats. 
When the latter are used, a border of blue or crimson 
velvet should be placed round the canework. Ebonized 
wood is in request for the drawing-room suits of cot¬ 
tage ornes, beyond all other descriptions; and to 
lighten the effect a few chairs of scarlet or white lac¬ 
quer are introduced. 
“ Muslin with fluted borders and chintz under-cur¬ 
tains are the appropriate style for cottages. If chintz 
is disdained, draperies of rep over full muslin curtains 
are used; but never long curtains of wool or silk mate¬ 
rials. They are too heavy. 
“ The ornaments for a cottage must be unpretend¬ 
ing, but choice. No gilding or inlaid ware should be 
seen. 
