Houses are planned by many people according to their individual ideas, and often the houses reflect the occupations of the persons building them. An architect will not build the same house for himself that he would build for a pair of newly wedded dove nest seekers. It is much the same among actor-folk. One sees pictures of the palaces built by motion picture stars, magnificent, spacious, in keeping with the advertisements concerning their pictures. What, then, would one expect from a man whose occupation is pulling a dozen rabbits out of one small hat when he builds his house? Laurant, the man of many mysteries, has given us the answer in the compact and efficient little bungalow which is located at 10322 S. Wood St. No space is wasted or half used in this little masterpiece of small house building. The door at the north side of the house opens directly into the living room, which is surprisingly large. Almost at once the observer forgets the tiny exterior and imagines himself in a far larger home than he really is. Mr. Laurant has created the illusion of space in his home just as he must create the various illusions on the stage which deceive the audience. The house is divided through the center, by a hallway, into two groups of rooms, living room, dining room and kitchen being to the north and the two bedrooms and the bathroom occupying the south portion. A glass inclosed porch is reached through the kitchen. This is practically another room during most of the year, but it is not heated for use during the very cold weather. In the basement is the workshop of the magician. A sewing machine and a workbench testify to the hours of work and the painstaking care which are necessary for the staging of even the most simple of tricks. Things must work just right and every time they are called on to do so. The habit of precision, ingrown from years on the professional stage, is reflected throughout the little bungalow, where every detail dovetails into the next without the slightest hitch.
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