International studio (25.1905)

71%<?


THE LIVING ROOM AT "REDWOOD"

The name of the house is derived from the in-
terior finish of natural redwood, which was pre-
pared in California in exact measurements for wall
panels, window sashes and door frames. The tex-
ture and tone of the wood are not reduced by an
elaborate finish, the thin coat of wax that is
brushed on without polishing acting only as a pre-
server of the smooth surface.
As the panelled side walls take the place of plaster
and papers, the decoration of Redwood is concen-
trated upon the pictures, flower holders and small
articles expressive of the handicrafts. A perma-
nent hanging of a fine landscape is made by fitting
it into the panels of wood, where it is illuminated
at night by a shaded electric light.
The living room occupies nearly one-half of the
ground door, and its area would seem, perhaps,
too extensive for the size of the house, if it were not
broken up with posts and beams, stairway, and an
"island fireplace," around which one may wander

into a retired corner fitted with seats, writing desk
and bookshelves—a miniature library.
An ingenious device for the fireplaces appears in
the slanting fronts, in which two sizes of bricks are
set. Less of a departure, but still noteworthy as
following the creed on which Redwood is founded,
is the use of the black iron for all of the interior
hardware—door knobs and hinges, andirons and
firepieces—to save the labor involved by polished
metal, and the adoption of rugs, instead of carpets,
to alleviate the semi-annual ordeal of house
cleaning.
The floor plans of Redwood have proven satis-
factory in a livable sense, and the disposition of
rooms leaves no waste angles nor useless lines.
The fore part of the main floor is occupied with the
living room, in which is incorporated as the focuss-,
ing point, the "island fireplace." Besides the
library nook, there is a music corner, with a cabinet
for music built into the wall, an open stairway and a

VII