HOUSE AND GARDEN CORRESPONDENCE 
SEMI-DETACHED VERSUS URBAN HOUSES 
Will you permit me to take issue with your suggestion in House 
and Garden for October, that houses of the closely built city type 
are preferable to semi-detached houses under certain conditions ? 
The particular case cited showed houses about eight feet apart. 
Does not the fault lie with the plan of these houses rather than 
with the type itself? I fully agree that existence under such con¬ 
ditions as there shown—with, say, fifty per cent, of the windows 
within handshaking distance of similar windows in an adjoining 
house, must be nearly intolerable—or at least it should be so to 
people normally sensitive to the value of privacy in domestic life. 
But could not these houses have been so arranged as to obviate 
this objection by having the plan so shaped, with the front parlor 
not more than two rooms deep ? These rooms would be lighted 
by front and rear windows respectively, and assuming that these 
rooms on the floors above the first were bedrooms, a bath room 
and closet space could be introduced between the principal rooms, 
the former having a side window with the sill above the eye line, 
and a similar window could be introduced into each of the rooms, 
for cross ventilation only. The back building could be arranged 
upon similar principles, and the objectionable feature of those 
houses thus entirely eliminated.— Vignole. 
Our correspondent is right in principle, but it is inapplicable to 
the case cited, as the width of the lot would not permit of an 
L-shaped plan without materially lessening either the size or the 
number of the rooms, with a corresponding reduction in the rental 
or the selling price as the case may be. The advantage of a house 
having free light and air on three sides rather than on two is unde¬ 
niable as an abstract proposition, but when this light and air on 
the third side is derived from a chasm less than eight feet wide 
and some fifty or more feet long and thirty feet high, the advantage 
becomes purely a sentimental one, which is overwhelmingly offset 
by the destruction of the real value of the side windows in the 
manner shown. [Ed.] 
FINISH FOR THE LIVING-ROOM OF A HOUSE-BOAT 
Please suggest a finish for the living-room of a House-Boat. I 
wish to use a Franklin stove at one end, and would prefer the room 
to be Colonial in character. M. D. R. 
Had you given me some idea of the wood finish used in the 
living-room of your House-Boat, I would perhaps be able to advise 
you more particularly. However, since you say you wish a 
Colonial effect, I would suggest the ivory eggshell-w r hite enamel 
for the woodwork. A frieze could be used about the upper wall 
of this room. I have one in mind which comes in beautiful shades. 
These are 21 inches wide and 58 inches long. “The Swans” is 
a particularly attractive one and would look well used in such a 
room. The soft gray-green of the water and deeper tone of the 
lily pads and reeds make a charming contrast with the pure white 
of the swans themselves, which is repeated again in the water lily 
blossoms. The windows should be hung with a crinkled thin 
silk which will not be affected by dampness; this in the shade of 
green of the lily pads. The couch which your drawing shows, 
should be upholstered in linen taffeta of a deeper shade of this 
green. The rug for your floor should be rich in tone showing 
some crimson, together with other soft deep colors. Mahogany 
furniture would look well in this setting of ivory white, although 
willow furniture upholstered would be attractive. At your French 
door the same crinkled silk as is advised for the windows; curtains 
of this should be run on slender brass rods set at the top and bot¬ 
tom of the glass and drawn tautly in place. The price of this silk 
is 90c per yard and it is 32 inches wide. There should be many 
pillows used on your couch, these to repeat all the various shades 
of color used in the room. The deep crimson in the rug, the dull 
old blue, cold green and rich yellow will be found to be entirely 
harmonious if chosen in raw silk pastel shades. 
Margaret Greenleaf. 
A COLOR SCHEME, RUG AND CURTAINS 
Please suggest color scheme, rug and curtains for an octagonal 
room, size 15 x 15, finished in mahogany; upright piano in mahog¬ 
any, onyx tile, old-fashioned writing desk, small carved mahogany 
sofa, arm chair, tiger skin rug; the furniture is to be upholstered. 
This room has three windows and one door with portieres. Height 
of ceiling eleven feet. S. A. G. 
If you had mentioned the coloring of your onyx tiling, it would 
have been a help to me. I will advise a scheme in shades showing 
much of green in the hope that this will harmonize with the tiling. 
For the upper third of your wall, use a foliage tapestry paper. 
This does not mean a tree pattern, but is a foliage of poppies 
against a yellow brown ground. The shades of green are soft, 
some quite dark, and others almost sage green with suggestions 
of the blossoms themselves showing in dull red. The ceiling 
should be a lighter shade of the yellow tan. The low er wall should 
be covered with the green Japanese grass cloth matching the 
medium shade of green in the tapestry. The carved mahogany 
sofa and arm chair should be covered in silk-and-wool tapestry 
showing same shades of green, with suggestion of red. Window 
draperies of dull red, raw silk should reach only to the sill; next 
the glass should be hung curtains of soft point-de-sprit in cafe au 
lait shade. These curtains should also reach to the sill, and be 
finished with a plain hem three inches in depth. A Khiva rug 
showing the rich dull crimson ground that one sees in these, would 
be effective used with your tiger skin. Margaret Greenleaf. 
FURNISHING A NURSERY 
I am glad to see that your valuable magazine has opened a 
correspondence department relative to house decoration. This 
will be of great help to many like myself who will be glad to avail 
themselves of it. I wish now to ask advice as to the furnishing of 
a nursery in a simple way that would be attractive to children 
ranging in age from two to eight years. H. B. C. 
There is a nursery paper made in England which is particularly 
attractive. This is Dutch in design, showing smiling little maidens 
and great white geese against a blue-gray ground. The poster 
effect is carried out in the stiff little trees and suggested back¬ 
ground of hills and fences which are clearly defined. This used 
for the upper third or frieze in a nursery where walls are of dull 
blue or yellow, this latter shade matching the kerchief of the goose 
girl, is attractive. If the yellow is chosen, the draperies should be 
of white muslin next the glass, made with frills up the front. 
Straight valanced over-draperies of dull blue linen taffeta would 
harmonize well. The woodwork in this room should be treated 
with ivory eggshell-white enamel, or with Gobelin blue enamelacq. 
Tiny Morris chairs, in every way exact replicas of the larger 
ones, are now made for children, also tables of exactly the right 
height. However, should it be your desire to furnish this 
nursery inexpensively, you, perhaps, have some odd pieces ot 
furniture which you can treat with ivory eggshell-white enamel, 
thus bringing pieces of your divers sets into harmony. A blue 
and white rag-style rug, which, as its name suggests, is very like 
the old rag rug, will be a good floor covering to use in this room. 
Margaret Greenleaf. 
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