46 
HOUSE & GARDEN 
Japanese stencils mounted between two 
sheets of glass will prove an interesting 
solution of the front door problem 
A FRONT DOOR SILHOUETTE 
A PART from bringing up babies, keep¬ 
ing the cook contented and learning 
to dance “Walking the Dog,” the most dif¬ 
ficult problem in modern life is the decora¬ 
tion of the front door. Obviously you 
want light in the hallway and as much of 
it as you can have, within reason ; but, on 
the other hand, privacy prevents the front 
door being so glassed in as to make it look 
like a conservatory. There are likewise 
architectural features to be considered. You 
may curtain the side lights and the door 
light itself; you may use stained glass me¬ 
dallions ; or you may use, as illustrated 
above, Japanese stencils. The stencils 
should be mounted between tw r o sheets of 
glass and fastened 
into the frame with 
moulding. Their 
silhouettes are re¬ 
markably charming 
and give the en¬ 
trance individuality 
and character. 
— 
h 
m 
■ 
Drawers on the 
stairs! Why not? 
They're perfectly 
reasonable and 
will afford an un¬ 
believable amount 
of space for tuck¬ 
ing away things 
ATTRACTIVE DEVICES 
for the HOME 
Doubtless you, Mr. and Mrs. Reader, have 
your otvn little devices for decoration and 
disguising. Why not describe them and let 
us give you a dollar for the idea? Send a 
rough sketch, if possible. Address The 
Editor, HOUSE & GARDEN, 440 Fourth 
Ave., New York City 
A LIBRARY TORCH 
I 
T is logical that the lights of a li¬ 
brary be centered in those spots 
where they are most needed—on the 
reading table and desk. But what 
does one usually do when he searches 
for a book in a dark corner? He 
usually has to switch on a center light 
and flood the room. By applying the 
simple principle of the humble “trou¬ 
ble light,” which every autoist knows, 
the problem can be solved. Arrange 
on either side of the bookcase a bracket 
or hook on which can be suspended 
a fixture of the torch pattern. Leave 
a length of wire on each. When one 
wishes to look for a book in the dark 
corner he merely 
switches on the 
torch, unhooks it, 
and takes it down 
the shelves. The 
wire may either 
drop inside the 
casing or be hung 
outside. 
By applying the principle of the garage 
“trouble light ” to the library one can have 
a torch that will be handy for all occasions 
You never suspect 
t h e cupboard of 
hiding the wash- 
stand. Open the' 
middle door, tilt 
back the top, and 
the mirror is in 
place. Toivels can 
be kept in the side 
closets 
DRAWERS ON THE STAIRS 
DISGUISING THE WASHSTAND 
N O house is so commodious but that it 
can afford just a few more corners 
for tucking away things. The stair drawers 
are a solution. The best stairs for them is 
one going up to the third story, or a stairs 
that is little used. By making the drawers 
not too deep and having them sufficiently 
shallow they will fit into the casing of the 
ceiling below. Use countersunk drawer 
pulls and—note this warning!—see that 
all drawers are closed after use. This de¬ 
vice is adaptable to stairs that are not 
carpeted. See that the drawers fit snugly so 
that dirt from sweeping the treads does not 
sift through. If the owner wants to avoid 
making the drawers a conspicuous feature, 
he can paint both them and their pulls the 
same color and shade. 
H OWEVER much of a joy forever it 
may be, the washstand is not always a 
thing of beauty; hence a disguise that at the 
same time will be useful. This may con¬ 
sist of a cupboard built either side, which 
will serve for towels or soaps and such. 
Behind the center door is the washstand. 
Open the door, tilt the lid back against the 
wall, and the underside is a mirror. The 
whole thing can be closed up, and a bowl 
of flowers placed on top. This sort of dis¬ 
guise is especially suited to those rooms 
which are used for living purposes. It 
would also be applicable for a bedroom. 
See that the woodwork is painted to match 
the woodwork of the room. Instead of the 
solid paneling, one may have a slatted panel 
striped the same color as the mouldings. 
