A Treatise on Domestic Economy; For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at SchoolBeecher, Catharine Esther
General
A Treatise on Domestic Economy; For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School
Beecher, Catharine Esther
Home economics
A room, thus arranged, can be made to serve as a genteel parlor, for
company, during the day, when all these doors can be closed. At night,
the doors of the bedpress being opened, it is changed to an airy
bedroom, while the closets, _f, f_, serve to conceal all accommodations
pertaining to a bedroom. The bedpress is just large enough to receive a
bed; and under it, if need be, might be placed a trucklebed, for young
children. The eating-room, _c_, has the small bedroom, _d_, adjoining
it, which, by leaving the door open, at night, will be sufficiently airy
for a sleeping-room. The kitchen, _j_, has a smaller bedroom, _d_,
attached to it, which will hold a narrow single bed for a domestic; and,
if need be, a narrow trucklebed under it, for a child. The staircase to
the garret, can either be placed in the eating-room, or in the small
entry. A plan for back accommodations is shown in Fig. 35, (page 276.)
These should be placed in the rear of the kitchen, so as not to cover
the window.
A house like this, will conveniently accommodate a family of six or
eight persons; but some economy and contrivance will be needed, in
storing away articles of dress and bedclothing. For this end, in the
bedpress, _k_, of the parlor, _b_, (Fig. 18,) a wide shelf may be
placed, two feet from the ceiling, where winter bedding, or folded
clothing, can be stowed, while a short curtain in front, hung from the
wall, will give a tidy look, and keep out dust. Under this shelf, if
need be, pegs can be placed, to hold other articles; and a curtain be
hung from the edge of the shelf, to conceal and protect them. Both the
closets, _f, f_, should have shelves and drawers. The garret can have a
window inserted in the roof, and thus be made serviceable for storage.
[Illustration: Fig. 20.]
Figure 20 represents a fireplace and mantelpiece, in a style
corresponding with the doors.
Such a cottage as this, could be built for from five hundred to nine
hundred dollars, according as the expense of labor in the place, and the
excellence of the materials and labor, may vary.
[Illustration: Fig. 21.]
Figures 21 and 22, show the elevation and ground-plan of a cottage, in
which the rooms are rather more agreeably arranged, than in the former
plan. The elevation, (Fig. 21,) has a piazza, running across the whole
front. This would cost nearly two hundred dollars; and, for this sum,
another story might be added. An architect told the writer, that he
could build the two-story house, (Fig. 23 and 24,) without a piazza,
for the same sum, as this cottage, _with_ one. This shows the poor
economy of these appendages.
The ground-plan, (Fig. 22,) will be understood, from the explanation
appended to it.
[Illustration: Fig. 22.
Scale of Feet.
_a_, Porch.
_b_, Entry.
_c_, Stairs.
_d_, Parlor, 16 by 20 feet.
_e_, Dining-room, 16 by 16 feet.
_f_, Kitchen.
_g, g, g_, Bedpresses.
_h, h, h, h_, Closets.
_i_, Store-closet.
_j_, Back entry and Sink.
_p_, Cellar stairs.
_o, o, o_, Fireplaces.]
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