THE residence of Mr. and Mrs. W. B. Ranney, 8848 Pleasant Avenue, is one of the beautiful new additions to the colony of lovely homes that is springing up in the Forest Preserve at the north end of the Ridge. This residence, English in design, contains eight rooms and is constructed of dark red tapestry brick with grey stone trim and green tile for the roof. The house has been built in a setting of oak trees, with as many as possible left near the structure. A flagstone walk winds from Pleasant Avenue to the arched stone English entrance on the south.
The entrance and vestibule admit to the stair hall, with its English staircase, and opens on the east through an open doorway to the large living room, and on the west through French doors to the dining room.
The living room occupies the entire east side of the lower floor and has three exposures, on the south, east and north. A large fireplace in the center of the east wall dominates the room, which is done in antiqued ivory with walnut stained birch wood trim. The lighting fixtures are of polychromed iron, the wall type, with tiffany bulbs. Rows of casement windows are found on all three exposed sides.
The dining room, to the west, occupies the southwest corner o fthis floor and is finished in the same style as th eliving room. Here, however, is found a large central fixture of wrought iron. This fixture, a circular affair suspended by six chains, has the bulbs set in deep sockets so that an indirect lighting effect is obtained. The china closets are set diagonally in the corners and a swing door admits to the butler’s pantry, which connects with the kitchen on the northwest.
The kitchen is also connected with the stair hall by means of a rear service hallway, which contains a rear entrance, the door to the basement, a coat closet and a lavatory. The kitchen is finished in natural birch and is equipped with the usual built-in fixtures. The butler’s pantry is also finished in natural birch and contains a door leading to the rear stairway.
The front staircase leads to a suite of rooms on an intermediate plane, these being accessible from the window landing and found on the northwest. This includes a bedroom with exposures on the east, north and west, with a bath adjacent, which connects with another bedroom on th ewest and several steps higher. There are two more bedrooms on this floor, the master bedroom over the living room and one on the southwest corner, with a bath between, at the front.
The third floor contains the maid’s room, a bath and attic and storage space.
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