December 08, 1929

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 Pennington house.

There is Variety, Too, Throughout the House
Living Room Space Increased and Upstairs Hallway Decreased by Stairway Arrangement
By Edith B. Crumb

Here is a house that immediately radiates friendliness with its suggestion of welcome in the extension of the entrance beyond the front wall line. Moreover, the tall brick chimney promises a deeply recessed fireplace which will do its bit of cherry on cold winter evenings.

And there is variety here, too, as shown in the grouping of the windows and the change from brick on the first floor to stained shingles on the second floor with the front gable in stucco with English panel trim.

Placing the stairwell at one side of the house provides a considerable larger living room that is usually found in homes of this dimension and it also makes available every foot of floor space for living purposes. The same arrangement reduces the hall space on the second floor to a minimum.

Today's home, the Pennington is an exceptionally is an exceptionally well balanced product of English architecture. The vestibule entrance to the home is large and roomy and contains a large guest closet.

The first floor arrangement consists of a goo sized living room with antique covered ceilings and striped walls. The dining room also has covered ceiling and textured walls accentuated with detail panel molding. These rooms are well arranged for the attractive placing of furniture.

A large kitchen with tile sink and build in cupboards and closets permits the utmost in convenience. A breakfast nook with textured walls enters off the kitchen.

A decorative stairway with wrought iron hand rail leads to the second floor which comprises three cheerful bedrooms, each of which permits of cross ventilation. The bedrooms are finished in the soft, graduated pastel tints. The bathroom has tile floor and walls, recessed tub and shower with tiling four feet six inches high.

The basement contains an enclosed toilet, fruit room and coal room. The home is planned for a gleam heating plant.
Here is a decoration and furnishing scheme that could be carried out in this home that would tend to make it harmonious in exterior or interior.

Living Room: woodwork, walnut finish, walls, rough plaster surface in an antique parchment color, floor covering, medium green Wilton made to cover the floor entirely up to the shoe molding, glass curtains ecru French marquisette, over draperies, green ground cretonne with Jacobean design in copper, orange, rose lavender and black. Furniture, sofa with covering of copper piped in green a pair of extra pillows to be covered in Roman striped taffeta to harmonize with the colors in the drapery material, wing chair covered in copper ground glazed chintz, easy chair in striped frieze with green predominating, circular topped table ( approximately 30 inches across the top) a pair of end tables, magazine rack, and smoking stand; over mantel decoration to be a mirror with a wrought iron frame finished in black, electrical fixtures to be equipped with mica shades.
Stairway and floor of second hall to be covered in carpet to match that of living room.

Dining room: Woodwork and walls like those in the living room floor covering, copper Wilton, glass curtains, like those in the living room, over draperies, black ground glazed chintz with floral designs in orange, copper, bright blue, purple and green; furniture walnut and to consist of oblong extension table, five single chairs, one arm chair, buffet and serving table, electrical fixtures to be equipped with mica shades.

Kitchen and breakfast room: Woodwork, light green, walls cream, floor covering, green and cream linoleum, curtains, bright yellow organdie, furniture bright yellow trimmed with black.

Green bedroom: Woodwork, ivory, walls, light green, floor covering light green Wiltons in small sizes, glass curtains, cream French marquisette, over draperies, light rose ground chintz with bouquet design in blue, lavender, yellow and green- these to be trimmed with pleated ruffles of light green chintz and hung from a rose pole with green rings, furniture, walnut and to consist of full size bed, dresser, with separate over mirror hung with green silk cord, small table, dressing table, and upholstered chair with slip cover of the drapery material piped in green; bedspread and dresser scarfs, cream marquisette with a green door over rose Stateen, electrical fixtures to be equipped with shades of roes chiffon over taffeta of the same color, trimmed rope and bottom with a light green moir' ribbon binding.

Orchid room: Woodwork, ivory, walls, orchid, floor covering, orchid Wilsons in small sizes, glass curtains, cream French marquisette, over draperies, gold ground flowered chintz with orchid predominating.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.