July, 1918 
43 
The roof and the win¬ 
dow frames as well as 
the doors are apple 
green, with yellow 
flowers planted nearby 
and hollyhocks 'under¬ 
neath the windows 
A “WEE BIT” HOUSE in CALIFORNIA 
Being the Tale of Two Who Built Their Home to Satisfy the Demands of a Busy Life—and Succeeded 
PEGGY NICHOLS 
H AVE you ever dreamed dreams—just for 
the love of it—and have any of yours 
come true? If I tell you how nearly mine did, 
will you forgive the egotism and remember it 
was my dream? 
First of all we found we couldn’t build a 
for - the - market 
house and our “wee 
bit” dream house 
in one. So in spite 
of the dismal 
prophecy of our 
friends we ignored 
the glib real estate 
agents who stalked 
A shaded porch 
serves as a breakfast 
room in pleasant 
weather and for tea 
on Sunday nights 
us with their for-the-market houses, and built 
one for ourselves. 
Being a busy woman, every step saved in 
the routine of housework is time gained for 
other things. Besides, I didn’t intend that a 
mere house should own me. Door bells and 
telephones are necessary evils, as every house¬ 
keeper knows, so these were placed centrally. 
So too was the terrace to the garden. 
Our lot being one of those east-front affairs, 
the kitchen as well as the breakfast room must 
be on the front to catch the morning sunshine. 
To get this outlook 
we eliminated the 
unsightly back¬ 
yard entirely. 
The idea of 
three meals a day 
in a regular - to - 
| goodness dining 
room was appall- 
French windows open 
from the living room 
and the sunshine 
streaks through them 
across the floor 
TE RMCE. 
13 XI k 
BP.Ef\r x VI\ST Roon 
•tf, 1C 
E.NTV,I\N C z 
1*10 
However unconventional, the plan is livable 
and compact, with plenty of closet space and 
lots of sunlight 
In the living room the floor is red tile and the 
curtains red velour with blue and gold acces¬ 
sories and white walls 
The balcony is used for a studio. Off it is a 
Colonial guest chamber tucked away in the 
corner under the eaves 
