THINKING IT OUT

If we would be quite sure of it--to use a Hibernianism--we should live
in our house at least a year before it is built. We need an
imagination that will not only perceive our castle in all its stages of
construction but will picture us in possession. Advice is not to be
disdained, and a good architect we shall find to be a blessing; but the
happiness of our home will be in double measure if we can feel that
something of ourselves has gone into its creation. And this something
we should not expect to manifest genius, or even originality, but
tasteful discrimination.




CHAPTER II

FLOORS, WALLS, AND WINDOWS

Tradition has established the condition of her floors as the prime test
of a good house-keeper, and the amount of effort that faithful
homemakers have had to waste upon splintery, carelessly laid cheap
boards would, if it could be represented in money, buy marble footing
for all of us.

But we don't want marble floors. We are not building a palace or a
showplace, but a house to live in. We are not seeking magnificence,
but comfort and durability (which are almost always allied), as well as
sightliness (which is not always in the combination).