164 HOUSE PLANNING

HALLS

The entrance hall is a transition between the exterior and in-
terior of the house. An entrance hall is not a necessity in a small
house where space is at a premium, but it is desirable in order to
promote privacy, to exclude outside functions from the living
room, and to keep heat from escaping in winter.

When planning a front hall, interesting proportions, pleasing
decoration, and convenience should be sought. At least one coat
closet and possibly a powder room may be located off the entrance
hall. Closets can be fitted under a stairway; bookshelves and cup-
boards can line the walls. Sec page 349. 1 lulls may be plain or

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lively. Decorative and durable floors of linoleum or tiles are
suitable in the halls of some homes.

The back hall in the average home should be as small as con-
venience permits, extending only exactly far enough to include
the necessary doors. In a one-story house a passage connecting the
kitchen with a bathroom is desirable.

BEDROOMS

Sleeping rooms should be located so that they are private and
are protected from noise and morning sun. On a noisy street they
should be placed at the back of the house. They should have cross
ventilation and if possible should be exposed to the breeze so that
they cool off quickly when the sun goes down.

To add interest to the house plan, bedrooms should he of dif-
ferent shapes, with one larger than the others. Bedrooms in
general are smaller now than formerly, Small individual bedrooms
for children are preferable to double rooms.

Bedroom doors and windows must be carefully located in order
to allow convenient furniture arrangement; corner windows are
especially advantageous in this respect, AH large rooms should
be designed to accommodate twin beds, Beds should be placed so
that occupants do not have to face windows. A boy's room or a
girl's room sometimes has double-decker beds for the use of juve-
nile guests. See page 171, Where space is limited a disappearing
bed of some type may be desirable* When two single beds are
needed in a small room, it is sometimes advisable to buy n pair* one
of which is made to fit underneath the other one when nut in use*