January 18, 1931

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A column from the Interior Decoration Department home series describing the Shaftsbury house.

At 16881 Shaftsbury; Open to Public Today
Presents Opportunity to Inspect Types of Materials, Efficiency Appliances, and Other Features of Modern Home.
Continuing the plan adopted by the Home Building Service, some few years ago of showing from time to time a completed home in place of the usual architects perspective and floor plan, there is a presented today to Detroit News readers the first model home of the year. The advantage of this method of presentation lies in the fact that prospective home owners have the opportunity to see new ideas of construction, variations in floor plans, application of different types of materials and the installation of new house appliances as they are actually used in modern homes.

The house shown today is primarily a six room with the addition of a breakfast nook and a lavatory on the first floor with a metal clad deck over them. The dimensions are a little less than 28 feet wide and a little over 35 feet deep. One a 40 foot lot there is a trifle more than the usual allowance for the side drive. The canopy driveway, with the supporting brick pillar, adds materials by giving the appearance of greater width.

All the modern conveniences which are incorporated into the present day home give little pleasure in themselves. In fact, they are not installed for that purpose. Their primary function is to save us time for our responsibilities precious time that we may pass as we will in the pursuit of such pleasure, recreation or mental diversion as appeal to us.

Therefore every detail should be carefully considered. Efficiency kitchens, pantries, wardrobes, closets, clothes chutes, medicine cabinets, cupboards, ironing boards, etc. are installed for the purpose of making duties a little lighter and each saving a little time in which the aggregate means much to the housewife. Because of this, these labor saving devices should fit into the ideal conception of that one has of their dream home.

Of course there is a limit to these things and they should not be expected and can not be installed beyond the capacity of the house to contain them, or the amount of money, expended in the construction of any well planned home in which the relations of all parts are well proportioned.

The Shaftsbury embodied as many of these features in as good proportions and correct relationships as can be found in the six room home. And of course, in addition to all this there must be taken into consideration other living conditions which are dependent upon the floor plan and dimensions of the rooms.

Here is a living room 22 feet long and 13 feet wide with windows on three sides and simple wall space for placing the furniture in different positions. The dining room is connected by an archway and is so near square that It also offers opportunity for changing the appearance.

A glance at the plan will show that the kitchen has been well planned. Upstairs there are three nice bedrooms, just slightly larger than the usual run of sleeping rooms in moderate sized houses. Closet space is adequate.

This house is open for inspection today. It is located in the north west part of the city at 16881 Shaftsbury road, just south of the Six Mile road and one block east of the Outer drive. The home was built by the J.H. O'Hara Company and is being presented by them as their first offering of 1931 that the public may gain throughout conception of what these builders believe should be incorporated in a home of this size and cost.

The following schemes for the various rooms in this house include the decorations as designed and executed by the builder and furnishings suggested by the Beauty in the Home Department:

Living room: Woodwork, walnut walls, rough plaster with antique ivory finish, glass curtains, light weight ecru casement cloth, over draperies, dark mulberry ground flowered chintz, floor covering deep mulberry furniture, sofa, covered in beige ground flowered tapestry, easy chair in striped frieze, armchair with covering of needlepoint secretary, circular occasional table, nest of tables, single chair for desk over mantel decoration to consist of mirror with wrought iron frame each end of mantel shelf which is marble supported by iron brackets may be decorated with an iron candelabra with deep mulberry candles.

Dining Room: Woodwork, like living room, walls ( lower portion being marked off in cane stone effect) finished in a platinum grey, glass curtains and floor covering, like those in the living room, over draperies, mulberry silk rep, furniture to be of oak (Dark English) and consist of rectangular extension table, five single chairs one armchair, buffet and serving table. The chairs may be covered with mulberry and gold figured velvet.

Kitchen: woodwork, light green, lower walls, white tile trimmed with green tile band, upper walls, light buff, floor covering, red dark tile pattern linoleum, curtains yellow ground flowered chintz, furniture for breakfast room, maple and to consist of drop leaf table and four ladder back chairs. The breakfast room has a very delightful arrangement of built in china cabinets, between which is a small window seat over the radiator.

Bedroom over living room: front: woodwork, ivory, walls, apricot, floor coverings, plain light green Wilton rugs in small sizes, glass curtains cream French marquisette, over draperies, light green ground flowered chintz, furniture, mahogany, and to consist of full sized bed, dresser, chest with separate over mirrors, small table and boudoir chair equipped with slip covering of the drapery material, bedspread apricot silk broadcloth trimmed with ruffles of light green silk broadcloth, dresser covers, apricot handkerchief linen trimmed with cream lace edging, electric fixtures to be equipped with shades of apricot chiffon over taffeta of the same color, trimmed top and bottom with light green moir' ribbon binding.

Bedroom over dining room: Woodwork ivory walls light green glass curtains, like those in the other bedroom. Over draperies, orchid, trimmed with ruffles in light green rosette, floor coverings beige Wilton rugs in small sizes, furniture walnut and to consist of full sized bed, chest of drawers, dressing table, bench, small table and Windsor armchair; bedspread unbleached muslin with design in green candle wicking, dresser covers, cream linen finished with hemstitching, electrical fixtures, to be equipped with shades of pale yellow Swiss with white dots.

Rear Bedroom: Woodwork, ivory, walls, yellow; floor covering, hooked rugs in soft shades of brown, red, green, and a touch of black; glass curtains, like those in the other bedrooms: over draperies, yellow ground chintz, trimmed with turquoise blue ruffles, furniture, maple and to consist of Jenny Lind bed, chest of drawers with separate over mirror dressing table with skirt to match draperies, Hitchcock chair and small pedestal table, bedspread piece work quilt in cream, turquoise and yellow; electrical fixtures to be equipped with shades covered with yellow organdie and bound top and bottom turquoise velvet ribbon.

Bathroom: Floor and lower orchid tile trimmed with black border, upper walls ad ceiling orchid, woodwork, ivory curtain silk voile.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.