Property of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin H. Lischke | Scarsdale, New York | Architect Edmond N. MacCollin

IT's just a half hour's drive from New York City to the charming red and white home of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin H. Lischke, yet upon first sight, one seems miraculously transported to rural New England. The hustle and bustle of the metropolis are left far behind. Here is quiet beauty combined with a warm nostalgic appeal so often associated with our best Early American houses. This is a nation's tradition, intelligently keyed to modern tempo and living. 

Narrow siding, covering all walls, has been painted barn red and is crisply accented with white trim and entrance door. This doorway with its full-length shutters and flanking carriage lamp is really a gem of Early American design. The split rail fence, used both to extend the general horizontal feeling of the buildings and to separate the driveway from lawn adds just the right dash of quaintness to the entire composition. There's an ample drying yard behind the garage. The rear of the plot has been informally landscaped for outdoor living. There are plenty of shade trees here to insure comfortable coolness during hot summer barbecues. 

A definite departure from the accepted traditional plan has been achieved by placing the entrance door off center. This deviation not only adds a certain picturesque quality to the front elevation but helps tre- mendously in adding variety to the usual central hall pattern. The hall is not overlarge, but a visitor is never aware of any cramped feeling upon entering. In fact, it does its duty efficiently, leading directly into all important rooms. Stature has been gained by the clever staggering of living-and-dining-room doors, a device which eliminates formal balance. Another narrow hall leads to a small den and to the second floor stairway. The kitchen is directly behind the square dining room, and is well ventilated on two exposures.

A short flight of stairs runs up to the bedroom floor. Sleeping quarters on the rear are well planned for wall space and have full ceilings Rooms on the front, with their sloping ceilings and half windows, are used primarily for storage, though one is often drafted into use as extra guest space. Making the house low in front helps greatly in keeping it "down to earth." Full height windows here would have necessitated raising the roof lines with resulting accentuated appearance. Since the ground slopes up toward the house, this exaggeration of height would have been unfortunate. The Lischkes were wise in placing important second floor rooms on the rear. The half flight of stairs also gains better headroom and light  into the rear basement without resorting to expensive excavation.

Since Mr. Lischke is a commercial artist and his wife is a student of interior decorating, we were not surprised to find interiors that were at the same time colorful, homelike and completely in the Early American tradition. A small entrance hall efficiently opens into living room, dining room and studio. The former room is well proportioned and lighted poses. It can either be the intimate background for a small gathering of friends, a game of cards, quiet reading or, when necessary, working quarters for Mr. Lischke. A documentary paper covers these walls and the special feature of the room is the large bay window with shelves of clear glass for displaying odd bits of china and colored glass. Built-in bookshelves are also a feature here. The furniture is comfortable and efficient on three sides. Its focal point is the large fireplace set in wall of white painted boards running vertically above the wainscot. At one end of this panelling is the parson's cup- board, a feature found in many of our earliest homes. This is lined with colorful wallpaper and displays Mrs. Lischke's collection of antique glass and pottery. The other three walls of the living room are covered in a wallpaper that is an exact reproduction of an original Colonial pattern. The dado and woodwork are painted white matching the fireplace wall. The room is furnished in originals and fine seventeenth century furni- ture plus a generous number of mod- ern, well-upholstered chairs for in- formal lounging. The commodious wing chair is covered in the same gay floral cretonne as that used for draperies. This fabric is repeated again in the seat of the little desk chair, thus tying the room together nicely. Perky white ruffled glass curtains are used throughout the Lischke house.

A half-glazed door leads to the screened porch overlooking the in- formal rear garden. Between the living room and entrance hall, flanking both sides of the opening, are twin sets of open shelves for either books or the display of prized ornaments. The Lischkes find this feature an attractive introduction to the largest room in their house

The studio, directly opposite the main entrance, is used for several purposes: for either leisure or hard work. The small dining room, just across the hall from the living room, boasts a rare corner cupboard in which Mrs. Lischke houses her treasured collection of antique china and glass. Patterned wallpaper above a dado of white forms a pleasing background for the simple lines of the well-chosen provincial furniture.

It is not easy to achieve the atmosphere of a traditional kitchen with today's streamlined equipment, but the Lischkes' kitchen shows that it can be done. The walls are finished in stained pine except for the window wall which is covered in a quaint paper-and the brick chimney in back of the very up-to- date white enameled stove. Attached to this brick chimney is an old-fashioned copper hood under which is a ventilating fan. The modern electric refrigerator is recessed in a pine niche and a metal resembling pewter covers the cabinet tops and is used for the sink. A small table and two chairs in front of the window that looks out over the beautiful countryside is a very special place used for eating breakfast and snacks.

In the master bedroom, a small, all-over floral paper is used on the walls. White ruffled curtains hang at the windows and form the canopy over the maple four-posters. The spreads are white ones dyed green to match the green in the wallpaper.