This is one of the most fascinating subjects of the year. Begin by noting the kinds of houses needed for the mountains, the seashore, the inland plain or valley, and the camp, and their delightful variety. The bungalow is the modern suggestion for any simple summer home, and it is capable of infinite change to suit its surroundings.
The forest camp is usually planned to have several plain bungalows rather than one, and they form a group, one for sleeping, one for dining, one for cooking. Note the need of fireplaces, of screened windows and doors, and provision for storing food. Show how bunks can take the place of beds, and the charm of an out-of-door dining-room.
Seashore cottages should be built so as to avoid dampness; for this reason stone or cement is not a good choice, but wood, with thin walls which dry quickly. Fireplaces are essential, and deep porches on the sheltered side of the house. There may be two stories to a bungalow of this kind, rather than one, and the inside may be ceiled with wood, and stained rather than plastered.
Inland cottages may be made of cobble or any native stone, or of wood, or cement, or a combination. There should be large, deep porches, to be used for living-rooms, and, if possible, out-of-door sleeping-porches. The house should be so placed as to command the best view, especially of the sunsets. There should be beautiful gardens all about the house.
Show pictures of all these styles of cottage, and of the famous California bungalows, which are in every possible style and at all prices.
Close this subject with a brief talk or paper on Furnishing the Summer Home, mentioning that it should be done appropriately, not with left-over city furniture, but with the plainer kinds which suit the house. Speak of simple and attractive curtains and hangings, of the use of chintzes and cretonnes, of white-painted beds and chairs, of porch furniture. Notice also the labor-saving contrivances for summer kitchens. Have members tell of what they have seen and done in summer; close with a talk on the names of summer houses.
VI—THE APARTMENT
The remarkable multiplication of apartments in the last few years is noteworthy. Have their advantages and disadvantages presented, and question: What are the essentials of a good, livable apartment?
Suggest that the street should be accessible and as quiet as possible; the rooms not too small nor too crowded; that there should be light and air in the sleeping-rooms; that a few good closets, a sanitary bathroom, a convenient kitchen, are all necessary, and a private hall is desirable.
Discuss the question: How does the furnishing of an apartment differ from that of a house? Present the suggestion that as the rooms are apt to be small there must not be too much furniture, and that what there is should be plain, and simply upholstered. The wall-paper should be rather light in color, and plain or self-figured; to have it all of one kind makes the apartment look larger than if several kinds were used. There should be few hangings, and light curtains. Note also these questions: How can spaces be saved in sleeping and other rooms? What about heating and ventilation? Is living in an apartment hygienic? Does it tend to foster or discourage neighborliness? Does one form the habit of moving, and is the sense of continuity of a permanent family home destroyed? Have a discussion arranged in advance on these and similar points.