File:American homes and gardens (1909) (17965928580).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar61909newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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February, 1909 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 49 standing coupled columns In the center, the latter being a device that is an essential feature of the external loggia. The curtains are red, and the same warm color is the pre- vailing note in the furniture and rugs. The woodwork of the furniture is painted white both here and, in a general way. elsewhere in the main rooms, thus conforming with the wood- work of the various apartments. The effect of this hall, with its groineei and vaulted ceiling, has distinctively the character of a salon of an Italian villa. The dining-room is at the north end of the hall, and oc- cupies the whole of the house here, reaching from front to front. The walls are again French gray and the woodwork white. A low flat rounded vault covers the room from side to side. It Is divided into great panels by flat bands that rise from the pilasters, and is decorated by floral borders in relief. The walls are paneled throughout, with pilasters between the windows and at the corners of the chimney breast, which fills the center of the north end. The curtains are pink, and the rug and furniture covering are pink and white. At the far end Is the door to the butler's pantry, and beyond is an extensive suite of service rooms. Very great care has been taken to render this portion of the house at once comfortable and serviceable. Provision has been made for the performance of the kitchen work out of doors, and every pains has been taken to make this department as com- plete as possible. The south end of the house is occupied by an immense room that Is both living-room and library. The walls are simply paneled by small moldings in a design that pro- vides an Inclosing panel for each window and door, with smaller or larger panels for the intervening spaces as may be required. The celling Is supported by a deep cove, that rises to a flat central rectangle, decorated with a vast oval wreath In low relief. The walls, as elsewhere, are French gray, and the woodwork white. The curtains are yellow, and this hue gives the prevailing note to the rugs and furni- ture coverings. The many windows and the special color of the room make this an apartment of immense cheer and charm, a cheerfulness that is Inhanced by the low bookcases with their comforting contents with which the base of much of the walls is lined. This room connects with a screened and vaulted porch on the extreme south of the house, which forms an agreeable shelter from the east winds. It is interesting to note that while this house is very modern in its building, the estate has been a productive farm for many years. The land, in a general way, consists of roll- ing green fields, broken by pond and brooks, and is strongly reminiscent of many parts of rural England. Yet thoroughly modern and quite new as this house Is, it fits Into the landscape, forms a par't of the great estate, In a thoroughly natural way. In many senses this is the supreme test of success in exterior design. A house needs not only to be good, but to be suited to its environment. Mr. Searle's quiet house, with its extensive dimensions and handsome aspect, surely accomplishes this In a thoroughly charming and satisfying way.
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The dining-room has a low flat vaulted ceiling, and walls of French gray with white woodwork

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