ONE of the most artistic houses, inside and out, and down to the last detail, is the residence of Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Hill, recent comers to the district. The home is situated at 10045 South Seeley Avenue, facing north, and when the landscaping is completed will be one of the most attractive places in the fast growing district of beautiful homes.
The ideas incorporated in the house were brought back from France and Switzerland by Mr. Hill, who spent two years over seas with the A. E. F. He calls it an American adaptation of the Normandy type of architecture.
Brown tapestry brick is used for the exterior, with a shingle to match, and the chimney, a feature, is constructed of rough stone, heavily mortared. The hardware on the outside is all of hand-wrought bronze work.
The entrance, facing Seeley Avenue, is tucked under a set of balcony windows. The door is a heavy, wooden, arched affair and admits to a north-south reception hall with an arched ceiling. The hall and living room, at the front, are finished in buff sponge plaster, of oak leaf design, with silver oak wood trim.
The living room, extending across the south half of the front, presents a number of unusual features. It is a story and a half high, with the ceiling constructed in a sort of vaulted, or angular arch effect. This is accentuated by the paneled beams across it. In the south wall there is a large cut stone fireplace of English design, and in the opposite wall, set where the ceiling would begin in a room of the one story type, is a balcony with a bronze rail and a pair of French windows that open to a library or den. This den occupies the second floor space above the garage, which harmoniously occupies the north half of the front lower floor. The windows in the living room are of the large English casement type, draped with colored portieres, which are supported by heavy polychromed poles. To enter the living room from the hall one passes through a wide arch and down two steps.
The dining room is gained through a pair of French doors with amber cathedral glass panes, which open from the hall to the east. The walls here are stipled a light buff, with ivory and walnut for the wood trim. All of the fixtures and hardware in this room are done in Butler silver. An open archway leads from the dining room to the solarium on the east, which overlooks the rear and side lawns. The kitchen is gained through a swing door to the north, and is finished in blue and white. There is a breakfast nook here with an east exposure, and an electric refrigerating system is a feature. There is a small rear hallway communicating from the kitchen to the basement, a rear entrance and a lavatory.
On the second floor there are two bedrooms, one on the south and the other on the east. They are done in orchid and green, and blue and gold, respectively, and have ample closet space. The bath is done in black and white tile, with the tub set under an arch.
The heating plant in this home is one of the oil-burning type.
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