| If you are plainning to build your own house how | | | | the morning rush hour, when the children are hurrying |
| large should a bedroom be? | | | | to get ready for school, and Dad has to shave, and |
| At least large enough so that the bed can be moved | | | | mother has to do her hair, enough bathrooms will |
| around or turned around in it. Large enough for a | | | | save a lot of frayed nerves. Better economize |
| full-sized bed and a chest of drawers, a night stand, a | | | | somewhere else and have enough bathrooms. |
| chair, and perhaps a dressing table. Perhaps 8' x 10' | | | | A guest room can be kept to the minimum. A private |
| inside measurement might be considered as the | | | | bath with the guest room will be greatly appreciated |
| absolute minimum. | | | | by the guests, but if this strains the budget too |
| Most building codes do not permit rooms smaller than | | | | much, some compromise will have to be worked out. |
| 80 square feet in area, and this would just meet that | | | | A smaller room with the private bath would be much |
| requirement. Certainly a room 9' x 12' would be much | | | | better than a large room without it. |
| better, while 11' x 14' or 12' x 14' would seem rather | | | | Try to keep the guest room somewhat isolated |
| spacious. In an ordinary house a room 12' x 16' would | | | | from the rest of the house, so the guests can be |
| be adequate for almost any master bedroom. | | | | off to themselves at times. This will give them more |
| A bedroom isn't greatly in need of a view as a | | | | opportunity to rest and will permit the regular |
| person usually isn't often in a bedroom during the | | | | activities of living to go on with less interruption. |
| daylight hours and then he usually isn't looking out the | | | | Storage |
| window. | | | | Organized storage space is very important in |
| People are in the living room usually in the evening | | | | designing a house. When you move in, where are |
| when the landscape is dark, unless the view is over | | | | you going to put the suit cases? Well! Where are you |
| towns or villages where the lights make an interesting | | | | going to put them? Of course there is no place to |
| pattern. | | | | put a trunk. A closet or wardrobe for a bedroom |
| The kitchen should, if possible, open on the sunrise. | | | | must have a rod to put the clothes hangers on. |
| When one is working at the sink, an occasional glance | | | | A piece of V^" pipe or a piece of electric conduit is |
| out the window overlooking an inspiring view can be | | | | much better than a round wooden pole, as the |
| very refreshing. The breakfast nook should also have | | | | hangers slide more easily on the pipe, and a piece of |
| a good view if at all possible. | | | | wood gets black looking if not painted, and if painted, |
| There should be at least half as many bedrooms as | | | | the paint gets scraped and scarred very soon. |
| there are people in the family, and a guest room is | | | | Shelves at one end of a wardrobe are very |
| an important adjunct, if it can be managed. Two | | | | convenient in order, each pair easy to get without |
| boys can occupy the same room when they are | | | | disturbing the others. |
| small, but, of course, the ideal is for each child to | | | | Where at all possible, it is a good idea to have |
| have his own room when he gets older, if at all | | | | separate wardrobes, particularly in the master |
| possible. | | | | bedroom. (A man likes to have a small place in the |
| Perhaps the master bedroom should be large enough | | | | house that he can call his own.) A man will not usually |
| so that two beds can be put in it in hot weather. | | | | need as much room as his wife or daughter does for |
| When it is cold, probably only one of them will be | | | | clothes, but it helps to keep the arguments down if |
| used. | | | | he has some space of his own. Even if he may not |
| Where there are small children, the mother will | | | | have many pairs of shoes, a rack for them should |
| probably want their room to be near hers, but for | | | | also be planned. |
| adults, if bedrooms can be separated from each | | | | With building costs the way they are, every square |
| other, one noisy or restless person will not bother | | | | foot of floor space must be used to the best |
| the others quite so much. | | | | possible advantage. Of course, a place for laundry, |
| A private bath for the master bedroom is a good | | | | heating plant, and storage of larger items must also |
| idea, but not an absolute necessity. A good rule to | | | | be found. |
| follow is to have at least one bath for each two | | | | If you decide to borrow money to buy property |
| bedrooms. | | | | always use a mortgage calculator to get the best |
| A three-bedroom house should have two baths. In | | | | mortgage. |