,,the ,,art ,,of ,,building ,a ,,home4 ,,manchester3 ,chorlton ,knowles1 ,mayfield ,press4 #aija4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,building ,a ,,home4 ,a ,collection of ,lectures and ,illustrations by ,barry ,parker and ,raymond ,unwin4 ,longmans1 ,green ,co41 #ci1 ,paternoster ,row1 ,london1 ,new ,york1 ,bombay1 #aija4 ,,preface4 ,some time ago ,i published a reprint of two of my articles with illustrations which had appeared in 8,the ,building ,news40 ,this little publication1 though long out of print1 being still constantly asked for2 and the need of something to take its place being felt by us2 the question of re-issuing it arose4 ,instead of doing this1 however1 it seemed better1 as being a later and fuller expression1 to collect two or three of the lectures which my partner and ,i had from time to time written for various audiences2 and to add by way of illustration some of the sketches and photographs we had by us4 ,so came into existence this book in its present form4 ,,barry ,,parker1 ,the ,quadrant1 ,buxton1 #aija4 ,illustration ,,contents ,,of ,,this ,,book4 ,page4 ,introduction ,i-,,vi ,i4 ,of the ,smaller ,middle ,class ,house #a ,barry ,parker4 ,,ii4 ,of the ,dignity of ,all ,true ,art #ba ,barry ,parker4 ,,iii4 ,of our ,education in ,art #cg ,barry ,parker4 ,,iv4 ,of ,art and ,simplicity #ee ,raymond ,unwin4 ,v4 ,of ,furniture #fi ,barry ,parker and ,raymond ,unwin4 ,,vi4 ,of ,building and ,natural ,beauty #hc ,raymond ,unwin4 ,,vii4 ,of ,co-operation in ,building #ia ,raymond ,unwin4 ,,viii4 ,of the ,art of ,designing ,small ,houses and ,cottages #aji ,barry ,parker and ,raymond ,unwin4 ,list of ,plates and ,plates at the end4 #acf ,,introduction4 ,the way we run in ruts is wonderful3 our inability to find out the right principles upon which to set to work to accomplish what we take in hand1 or to go to the bottom of things1 is simply astonishing3 while the resignation with which we accept the ,recognised and ,usual as the ,right and ,inevitable is really beautiful4 ,in nothing is this tendency more noticeable than in the art of house-building4 ,we begin by considering what1 in the way of a house1 our neighbours have2 what they would expect us to have2 what is customary in the rank of life to which we belong2 anything1 in fact1 but what are our actual needs4 ,about the last thing we do is to make our home take just that form which will1 in the most straightforward manner1 meet our requirements4 ,it is too often evident that people1 instead of being assisted1 and their lives added to1 by the houses they occupy1 are but living as well as may be in spite of them4 ,the house1 planned largely to meet supposed wants which never occur1 and sacrificed to convention and custom1 neither satisfies the real needs of its occupants nor expresses in any way their individuality4 ,the planning having been dictated by convention1 all the details are worked out under the same influence4 ,to each house is applied a certain amount of meaningless mechanical and superficial ornamentation according to some recognised standard4 ,no use whatever is made of the decorative properties inherent in the construction and in the details necessary to the building4 ,these are put as far as possible out of sight4 ,for example1 latches and locks are all let into the doors leaving visible the knob only4 ,the hinges are hidden in the rebate of the door frame1 while the real door frame1 that which does the work1 is covered up with the strip of flimsy moulded board styled the architrave4 ,all constructional features1 wherever possible1 are smeared over with a coat of plaster to bring them up to the same dead level of flat monotony1 leaving a clear field for the erection of the customary abominations in the form of cornices1 imitation beams where no beams are wanted1 plaster brackets which could support1 and do support1 nothing4 ,even with the fire the chief aim seems to be to acknowledge as few of its properties and characteristics as possible2 it is buried as deep in the wall1 and as far out of sight and out of the way as may be2 it is smothered up with as much uncongenial and inappropriate 8enrichment0 as can be crowded round it2 and1 to add the final touch of senseless incongruity1 some form of that massive and apparently very constructional and essential thing we call a mantelpiece is erected1 in wood1 stone1 or marble1 towering it may be even to the ceiling4 ,if we were not so accustomed to it1 great would be our astonishment to find that this most prominent feature has really no function whatever1 beyond giving cause for a lot of other things as useful and beautiful as itself1 which exist only that they may be put upon it1 8to decorate it40 ,could we but have the right thing put in the right place and left alone1 each object having some vital reason for being where it is1 and obviously revealing its function2 could we but have that form given to everything which would best enable it to answer the real purpose for which it exists2 our houses would become places of real interest4 ,the essence and life of design lies in finding that form for anything which will1 with the maximum of convenience and beauty1 fit it for the particular functions it has to perform1 and adapt it to the special circumstances in which it must be placed4 ,perhaps the most fruitful source whence charm of design arises in anything1 is the grace with which it serves its purpose and conforms to its surroundings4 ,how many of the beautiful features of the work of past ages1 which we now arbitrarily reproduce and copy1 arose out of the skilful and graceful way in which some old artist-craftsman1 or chief mason1 got over a difficulty6 ,if1 instead of copying these features when and where the cause for them does not exist1 we would rather emulate the spirit in which they were produced1 there would be more hope of again seeing life and vigour in our architecture and design4 ,when the architect leaves the house1 the subservience to convention is not over4 ,after him follow the decorator and the furnisher1 who try to overcome the lifelessness and vapidity by covering all surfaces with fugitive decorations and incongruous patterns1 and filling the rooms with flimsy stereotyped furniture and nick-nacks4 ,to these the mistress of the house will be incessantly adding1 from an instinctive feeling of the incompleteness and unsatisfactoriness of the whole4 ,incidentally we see here one reason why the influence of the architect should not stop at the completion of the four walls1 but should extend to the last detail of the furnished house4 ,when his responsibility ceases with the erection of the shell1 it is natural that he should look very little beyond this4 ,there is no inducement for him to work out any definite scheme for a finished room1 for he knows that if he had any aim the decorator and furnisher would certainly miss it and would fail to complete his creation4 ,if1 when designing a house1 the architect were bearing in mind the effect each room would have when finished and furnished1 his conceptions would be influenced from the very beginning1 and his attitude towards the work would tend to undergo an entire change4 ,at present he but too readily accepts the popular idea of art as a thing quite apart from life1 a sort of trimming to be added if funds allow4 ,it is this prevalent conception of beauty as a sweetmeat1 something rather nice which may be taken or left according to inclination after the solid meal has been secured1 which largely causes the lack of comeliness we find in our houses4 ,before this idea can be dispelled we can appreciate either the place which art should hold in our lives or the importance of rightly educating the appreciation of it1 we must realise that beauty is part of the necessary food of any life worth the name2 that art1 which is the expression of beauty as conceived and created by man1 is primarily concerned with the making of the useful garments of life beautiful1 not with the trimming of them2 and that1 moreover1 in its higher branches art is the medium through which the most subtle ideas are conveyed from man to man4 ,understanding something of the true meaning of art1 we may set about realising it1 at least in the homes which are so much within our control4 ,let us have in our houses1 rooms where there shall be space to carry on the business of life freely and with pleasure1 with furniture made for use2 rooms where a drop of water spilled is not fatal2 where the life of a child is not made a burden to it by unnecessary restraint2 plain1 simple1 and ungarnished if necessary1 but honest4 ,let us have such ornament as we do have really beautiful and wrought by hand1 carving1 wrought metal1 embroidery1 painting1 something which it has given pleasure to the producer to create1 and which shows this in every line--the only possible work of art4 ,let us call in the artist1 bid him leave his easel pictures1 and paint on our walls and over the chimney corner landscapes and scenes which shall bring light and life into the room2 which shall speak of nature1 purity1 and truth2 shall become part of the room1 of the walls on which they are painted1 and of the lives of us who live beside them2 paintings which our children shall grow up to love1 and always connect with scenes of home with that vividness of a memory from childhood which no time can efface4 ,then1 if necessary1 let the rest of the walls go untouched in all the rich variety of colour and tone1 of light and shade1 of the naked brickwork4 ,let the floor go uncarpeted1 and the wood unpainted1 that we may have time to think1 and money with which to educate our children to think also4 ,let us have rooms which once decorated are always decorated1 rooms fit to be homes in the fullest poetry of the name2 in which no artificiality need momentarily force us to feel shame for things of which we know there is nothing to be ashamed3 rooms which can form backgrounds1 fitting and dignified1 at the time and in our memories1 for all those little scenes1 those acts of kindness and small duties1 as well as the scenes of deep emotion and trial1 which make up the drama of our lives at home4 ,b4 ,p4 ,r4 ,u4 ,,the ,,smaller ,,middle ,,class ,,house4 ,a lecture delivered before an audience of architects in #ahie4 ,in the class of house with which we are to deal to-night1 there are so many directions in which improvement is needed1 that it will only be possible for me1 in the space of one lecture1 to refer to a few of them1 and to those specially which will illustrate most suggestively the main principles for which ,i contend3 suggestively1 in the hope that some present will do me the honour of giving further thought to what ,i shall touch upon1 than is possible to them during the length of time assigned to me this evening4 ,the influences which our common every-day surroundings have upon our characters1 our conceptions1 our habits of thought and conduct1 are often very much underrated2 we do not realise the power they have of either aiding or hindering the development in us of the best or worst of which we are capable4 ,of the capacity the mere contour of a moulding has to bear the impression of refinement or vulgarity1 we1 as architects1 are fully aware2 but1 ,i think1 may not quite as fully realise the harmful influence of imperfect and unspontaneous drawing1 or ill-conception in pattern design1 or ill-assorted combinations of colour4 ,the thing of first consideration in designing a house is convenience1 workability4 ,the plan is that which should be first thought of2 so1 in our small middle class house1 ,i will try to suggest one or two of the improvements that seem to be most wanted in planning4 ,illustration3 ,diagrams #a1 #b1 #c ,first of all1 for the sake of any who may be here who are not architects1 ,i will just point out what is the most comfortable form of room for a sitting room with respect to the relative positions of the door1 windows1 and fire4 ,if your room must1 of necessity1 be square or oblong 7which should be the case as seldom as possible71 the form most conducive to comfort1 is of course this3 diagram #a4 ,the second best arrangement1 7when this cannot be got7 is to have the door and fire both on the long wall1 diagram #b4 ,when the door is on the opposite wall to the fire1 you never feel to be able to get out of the draught of it2 and of course this kind of thing1 diagram #c1 is too palpably bad to need that anything should be said regarding it4 ,one of the first defects we notice in the plans of houses of the class we are speaking of1 as usually laid down1 is that there are too many rooms all therefore necessarily too small4 ,in the larger middle class house there are generally drawing room1 dining room1 library1 kitchens1 and offices1 all tolerably good rooms4 ,now1 when a smaller house is wanted1 the general custom seems to be1 to put exactly the same number of rooms1 only reducing all in size4 ,would it not be far better to reduce the number of rooms1 keeping such rooms as we do retain1 large enough to be healthy1 comfortable1 and habitable8 ,are not many of the houses we know only too well1 most distressing in this respect1 divided up1 as they are1 into a number of small compartments1 we cannot call them rooms1 all far too small to be healthy2 too small to be really fit for human habitation4 ,and what is gained by this cramping8 ,only that there shall be one or more of these compartments practically useless4 ,in far the greater number of these houses the third room is never used1 or used merely because it happens to be there1 and its chief end seems to be to provide a place for the women of the household to spend any spare time they may have1 cleaning down1 dusting c4 ,now many people have a feeling that there is a certain cosiness in a small room entirely unattainable in a large one2 this is a mistake altogether2 quite the reverse has been my experience1 which is that such a sense of cosiness as can be got in the recesses of a large room1 can never be attained in a small one1 be it no larger than a sentry box4 ,but if your big room is to be comfortable it must have recesses4 ,there is a great charm in a room broken up in plan1 where that slight feeling of mystery is given to it which arises when you cannot see the whole room from any one point in which you are likely to sit2 when there is always something round the corner4 ,and what is made of the hall8 ,generally one of two things2 either it is a passage with a kind of step-ladder for a staircase and a hat stand in it1 with not room enough for you to hold the door and let a friend out2 or it is a great bare cold comfortless waste space1 in the centre of the house3 instead of being1 as it might1 the most comfortable and homely room1 the centre of the common life of the household4 ,of course a hall of this kind needs some care in planning4 ,in the first place1 the staircase must occupy exactly that position in which it can be made an ornament and a pleasing feature in the room1 all of which it is quite capable of being1 and a position in which it does not detract from the cosiness1 or give any unpleasant feeling of draughtiness1 or too great openness4 ,in the second place1 the doors necessarily opening into a hall must be carefully so grouped that the parts of the room in which anyone would sit1 shall be out of the draught of them as far as possible4 ,any house is cold all through the winter months unless a fire of some kind is kept burning in the hall2 many people1 therefore1 find it necessary to have a stove or heating apparatus2 and1 in most houses1 it is thought necessary to have two other fires burning1 one in the living room1 and one in some other room that there may be somewhere to show visitors4 ,now when the hall is also a sitting room1 with a fire in it1 we get1 for the trouble and expense of two fires1 all the advantages ordinarily attaching to three4 ,i must now pass on to ,decoration and ,furniture4 ,the best test of the artistic merits or demerits of a room as a whole1 is the impression it makes1 on one's entering for the first time4 ,we can get accustomed to anything1 and it is from this fact1 taken in conjunction with what we have already noted1 of the power as an influence for advancement or degradation of beautiful or unbeautiful surroundings1 that the importance of our subject to-night is partly drawn4 ,and what should be our feeling1 on entering a room8 ,simply this3 ,how exquisitely comfortable6 ,for the first essential in the form and design of any decorative object1 7and everything in a room should be a decorative object71 is reposefulness4 ,i feel herein to be guilty of giving utterance to a truism1 and ,i should hardly dare to state so obvious a fact1 were it not that ,i see this first principle so almost universally violated2 for1 if this test of reposefulness is the test1 the average farm house kitchen has an artistic value far beyond that of ninety-nine out of every hundred drawing rooms in the kingdom2 and ,i will endeavour to show why4 ,the first fault in our rooms which contributes to this result is over decoration4 ,this is an almost universal failing4 ,everything has a pattern on it and almost every pattern is mechanically produced1 run out by the yard1 and cut off just where it happens to be when the time comes for it to finish4 ,no pattern bears any relation to any other pattern1 and the whole effect is fidgety1 fussy1 and painful to a degree4 ,nothing is let alone1 but every surface must needs be worried and tortured into some unwholesome form of altogether soul-less ornament4 ,we cannot even find rest for our weary eyes on the ceiling1 for tortuous intricacies of design meet them there also4 ,the second fault ,i wish to refer to1 is that all this ornament is made to shout1 everything is clamouring for notice4 ,it would not be in place for me to say much here about those rooms in which any one element of decoration is in such flagrantly bad taste as to be noticed1 immediately on entering1 with a sort of start and feeling of 8,oh6 wall-paper10 or 8,oh6 carpet10 or whatever it may happen to be4 7,a designer will often aim at this for the sake of the advertisement and at the sacrifice of his artistic principles74 ,but even when this extreme is not reached1 everything seems trying within certain limits to assert itself1 to attract attention4 ,now any ornament you notice when you do not look for it1 or perhaps ,i might better say1 when you do not wish to think of it1 is necessarily in bad taste4 ,the degree of assertiveness admissible in a decorative object depends upon the degree of its naturalisation or conventionalisation1 or1 to put it another way1 on the degree in which it is fine or mechanical4 ,and though we cannot pretend to regulate by rules of this kind1 pictures which are direct mirrors as far as possible of real things1 yet1 in so far as they are mural decorations1 they come under this law4 ,mr4 ,ruskin's wall1 painted to look like a vinery1 would admit of much more forcible treatment1 being entirely painted by hand and as true to nature as possible1 than would a wall with a printed vine pattern on it in which there necessarily was repetition4 ,and natural flowers painted may fittingly be treated much more forcibly than would be admissible in a purely conventional design1 because natural flowers1 hills1 trees1 cannot become assertive enough to influence one disquietingly4 ,therefore the more nearly approaching to nature1 the more assertive may be our ornament1 or rather the less assertive it will be from this very reason1 and therefore may be the more forcible in treatment4 ,so we can stand1 in a conventional pattern design1 a degree of contrast in tones1 which we could not tolerate in flat masses of colour4 ,one of the chief underlying causes of this failing of fussiness we have noted1 is1 that a room is scarcely ever designed as a whole1 never enough thought of as a whole4 ,the designer of each individual thing1 knowing nothing of the form or character which anything else in the room was going to take1 thought only of his own design1 worked enough interest into it to make it all-sufficient in itself2 and the consequence1 when his design gets put into a room in conjunction with a lot of other things1 all designed in just the same spirit1 is1 that restlessness we have been deploring4 ,a room is a place in which to think of other things besides those relating exclusively to the room itself1 and so much incident and interest should not be worked into it as to distractingly affect the pursuance of these thoughts occupations4 ,i say again1 any ornament which you notice when you do not wish to is necessarily in bad taste4 ,when choosing anything1 a wall paper for instance1 we forget that we are1 while so doing1 devoting all our thought and attention to the design we are considering2 and that1 though pleasing under these circumstances1 it may not be equally so to have by us when we wish to think of other things1 or in the position for which we intend it4 ,now no flat mechanical ornament1 designed to cover a large space1 should ever be so designed that you are able easily to trace the pattern at the other side of the room4 ,please do not understand from this that it should be small in design2 far from it2 things small in design are1 almost necessarily1 finikin and therefore unreposeful2 but being quiet and retiring in colour and contrast of tones1 whether large or small1 let it reveal1 when you come to have leisure to examine it1 vigorous broad and direct treatment1 good loving thoughtful drawing1 real artistic conception1 and perception of beauty in form and line4 ,how seldom we get these qualities3 how laboured and unspontaneous most patterns are6 ,into what unwholesome forms the ornament is tortured1 how the one aim seems to be to make the design as restless and fussy as possible6 ,a sort of feeling pervades the whole1 that the designer could not let the thing alone4 ,i think we must not now go far into the faults in actual draughtsmanship most common in our designs4 ,but one thing is very striking3 our designers1 almost without exception1 seem to be out of their depth directly anything in the way of foreshortening is required of them2 this cannot but lead us to the conclusion1 that drawing from ,nature does not form a sufficiently important part of their training4 ,in fact ,i have myself known several men1 engaged entirely in drawing ornament1 who never drew a bud or twig from ,nature in their lives4 ,however this may be1 the fact remains that very few of our designers seem able to draw a leaf turning over with any truth and accuracy4 ,another cause of failure in our rooms is the dread of repeating ourselves4 ,with my wish that a more wholesome feeling in this may spring up among all engaged in artistic work1 ,i am perhaps more anxious to have your sympathy than with anything which has gone before4 ,let us then do nothing different from what we have done before1 until we feel it to be better than what we have done before4 ,now this fear of repetition is no imaginary evil1 but a very real and living one4 ,how often do we all attempt something fresh1 knowing it not to be the best we can do1 7best ,i mean more in kind than degree7 simply from a weak dislike that people should say of us1 that we have only one style4 ,how often do we turn out a design for a certain purpose and position1 knowing it to be not so good as one we have before made for a similar purpose and position1 simply because we have not strength to repeat what we believe to be best1 lest people should think that is all we can do4 ,in so doing we preclude all possibility of development4 ,now observe1 this never occurs during the progress of any living art in the past4 ,the man who had carved one ,early ,english capital did not1 when next he had a capital to carve1 say1 8,i know nothing more beautiful1 but ,i must at any rate do something different1 ,i must not put the same capital here again40 ,on the contrary1 his aim was to carve a similar capital again1 only he would try to do a better one2 for probably he had noticed some little point in which he could improve on the last he did2 some way in which he could mass his light and shade so as to give them a more pleasing form when seen at a distance2 or some more lovely feeling it was possible to introduce into the reveal of a leaf or the curve of a stem4 ,you must forgive me if ,i dwell on this a little4 ,for it is of vital importance that all of us who have any hope or wish to see a living art again existent among us1 should realise the full significance of this4 ,there are many other changes which must take place in our practice of the arts1 and these very radical changes1 before living art is again possible to us2 but if ,i can bring home to anyone1 directly or indirectly1 the full significance of this1 ,i shall have done something towards this great end4 ,in excuse it may be and is said1 8,this aiming at change1 variety1 novelty1 c4 is demanded of the designer by a capricious change-loving public1 broadly speaking1 incapable of any true judgment or appreciation of good and bad in art40 ,in reply to this1 ,i think we cannot do better than recall what ,mr4 ,ruskin says on this head4 8,you may like making money exceedingly2 but if it come to a fair question1 whether you are to make five hundred pounds less by this business1 or to spoil your building1 and you choose to spoil your building1 there's an end of you4 ,so you may be as thirsty for fame as a cricket is for cream2 but1 if it come to a fair question1 whether you are to please the mob1 or do the thing as you know it ought to be done2 and you can't do both1 and choose to please the mob1--its all over with you2--there's no hope for you2 nothing that you can do will ever be worth a man's glance as he passes by40 ,a further cause of failure in decorating and furnishing is virtually the same as we noticed when speaking of planning4 ,when a small middle class house is wanted1 what is usually done1 we saw1 is virtually to take a plan suitable for a larger house and reduce it every way1 instead of designing a house suited to the new requirements4 ,this same mistake is generally made in the decoration and furniture2 instead of these being designed to suit the condition or circumstances in which they are to be placed1 each designed for its position and purpose1 and good and honest as far as it goes1 what do we find8 ,cheapened imitations of the sort of thing common in the larger house1 cheapened by being badly made1 by veneer on pine instead of solid wood1 by cast metals and ornament made to look like wrought1 by machine carved wood1 by marbled slate1 c4 ,p4 ,g4 ,hubert in his little book entitled 8,liberty and a ,living10 says3 8,one of my critics1 for whom ,i have great personal deference1 tells me that my theory of life tends to a relapse into barbarism1 and in illustration of the truth of his position1 he pointed one evening to a music stand near the piano with the remark3 8,with your ideas1 that stand would never be made of mahogany and elaborately ornamented1 but would be of pine1 perhaps stained40 8,well1 suppose it was1 ,i am inclined to think that the greater use of common material1 stained pine and other cheap wood1 in the houses of people of taste is a distinct indication of a needed reform4 ,take the little music stand in illustration4 ,its purpose is to hold a number of music books and loose sheets of music4 ,it has three or four shelves1 and is so made as to stand in a corner near the piano and take up but little room4 ,it is made of mahogany1 highly polished1 is ornamented1 as most people would call it1 with a sort of stucco-beading1 which to me is distasteful4 ,but it cost money1 and therefore has its reasons for being in certain eyes4 ,i have forgotten what it cost me--probably from fifteen to twenty dollars4 ,thanks to the growth of good taste1 ,i can to-day pick out from half-a-dozen books ,i know of a little design for a music stand1 or sketch it myself1 and the nearest carpenter will make the thing in a day at a cost of two or three dollars for wood1 labor1 and staining4 ,the result will be something which is pleasanter to my eye1 and ,i will venture to say to the eyes of nine out of ten persons of educated taste4 ,the other fifteen or sixteen dollars saved may be devoted to books1 pictures1 music--any of the things which really add something to life4 ,the music stand of stained pine will do its work just as well as the one made of mahogany1 inlaid with stucco beading--in fact it will do it better1 for it will not need a periodic rubbing on the part of the parlour-maid to keep it bright and polished1 and it can be moved about when occasion demands1 as it weighs but little4 ,it is as strong as the other1 and it will last a hundred years40 ,and now for the last cause of failure of which ,i shall speak1 and this is3 the very marked feeling which everything has of not having been designed for its place3 the look everything has of being ready to move at any moment4 ,most things to look right and happy in their places must be designed for their places4 ,the advantages attaching to a room furnished in this way1 and largely by means of fixtures1 ,i think the accompanying sketches will do something to illustrate4 ,there is a unity1 completeness1 comfort1 and repose about such a room1 which can never be got in a room in which the furniture c4 is not designed for its position and looking at home there1 but is just temporarily stuck where it happens to stand1 with a look of being on the alert1 and ready to move on at a moment's notice4 ,but it is time to sum up our position and note the general conclusions to which we are led4 ,i have described some of the defects we most commonly see in planning1 and the arrangement of the hall2 the entire want of reposefulness1 7that infallible criterion of good ornament71 that troubles the man of taste in nearly all domestic decorative work2 and the lack of fitness in the furniture that is generally crowded into the rooms of smaller middle class houses1 which adds the final touch to the complete failure1 from an artistic point of view1 of the great majority of such rooms4 ,i further mentioned as causes generally contributing to this failure1 over-decoration1 the covering of all surfaces with a mass of incongruous patterns1 quite fatal1 even where the designs are in themselves good3 the effortfulness of most ornament1 by which every pattern seems to clamour for notice1 in which connexion ,i stated as a guiding principle1 that any ornament you notice before you look for it1 is likely to be in bad taste4 ,further ,i noticed the laboured and unspontaneous character of so many of the designs themselves and the lack of good drawing in them1 and hinted that this arose partly from the designer's dread of repeating himself1 and his eagerness to produce something fresh without considering whether it was better4 ,finally ,i drew attention to the way in which so many rooms are furnished with cheap imitations of better or more esteemed materials1 decorated with cast1 or otherwise mechanically produced imitations of hand-wrought ornament1 and the general unfitness1 and ready-to-move look1 which results from there being no fixed furniture1 but all having been designed without any thought of the room1 and the room planned without any view to its furniture4 ,i have several times hinted that the entire lack of unity1 which is the inevitable result of all this1 must continue1 so long as our rooms and our houses are never thought out as a whole1 so long as one man plans the building1 another arranges the decorations1 and a third picks up the furniture of twenty designers1 here and there and everywhere4 ,it is essential to any good result1 that one man should design the house as a whole4 ,i do not mean necessarily that he should design everything in it1 or draw with his own hand every detail2 but he must exercise a controlling power1 selecting where he does not design1 and ensuring that the work of all may be done in a spirit of co-operation towards the complete whole which he planned4 ,you will all be wishing to ask me1 ,i doubt not1 how this is possible in our days of speculative building1 short leases shorter tenancies4 ,i must at once admit that to a large part of this work such a system is inapplicable1 though even here much could be done if each department made what improvements are possible irrespective of the others4 ,the lack of power to control the decorations does not excuse a badly planned hall4 ,but outside the purely speculative building there is yet a large amount of work to which the system is applicable1 in greater or less degree1 such degree mainly depending on our clients3 and here we have the real difficulty4 ,we are powerless to compel our clients1 nay1 to a large extent1 the client has a right to have his own way4 ,i suppose a doctor is in a similar fix2 he is called in to prescribe for a patient and finds his prescription is useless because the patient will continue to smoke2 he does not1 if he is worth anything1 accept the situation2 but he explains that smoking is1 in this case1 fatal1 that it renders his skill unavailing2 and1 if all his advice is neglected1 he will finally refuse to act4 ,architecture is rightly called a profession only when the architect advises his client what is best1 and brings the whole weight of his knowledge and experience to persuade him from anything foolish1 or in bad taste4 ,when he produces to order some plan of which he cannot approve1 he is merely a merchant of plans4 ,while speaking of this duty of the architect1 ,i would not be thought to make light of many conditions of modern life which will1 so long as they continue1 and to the extent to which they spread1 hinder all attempts to produce beautiful and dignified homes4 ,one such condition is the instability of social position2 everyone is seeking to get a step further up the social ladder4 ,the result is a demand for houses which look as though they belonged to the social grade next above that of the people who are to live in them4 ,to such untrue aims art refuses any countenance2 and it is well4 ,but there is an already great and daily increasing number of those who are weary of this fruitless struggle1 of a life spent in work entirely without interest or beauty1 or the power of giving a vestige of real pleasure1 that they may have the means to acquire things without interest1 beauty1 or the power of giving any pleasure beyond the sordid satisfaction of letting ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,so-and-,so see they can afford to have them4 ,these are anxious to find houses suited to their genuine wants1 houses in which the work will be reduced to a minimum1 and the beauty increased to a maximum1 by the only true method of making all the useful and necessary things beautiful2 not by the false method of keeping all useful necessary things out of sight1 trying to conceal their purpose or to appear unconscious of their existence1 and substituting for them things recognised to be useless but regarded 7so long as the fashion lasts at any rate7 as beautiful4 ,this polished mahogany life of ours1 with stucco trimmings and jerry joints presented for view to our visitors and acquaintances in the front room1 is not1 ,i believe1 what many of us really want2 we are tired also of the dismal and cramped1 but at anyrate real1 back office1 back room1 and kitchen life2 many are looking for houses in which they shall not spend their labour for that which is not bread1 but shall be able to live a life of less artificiality than our present complex #aith century existence1 a truer1 healthier life altogether4 ,i have just said1 that the true method of making a room beautiful is to make all the necessary and useful things in it beautiful2 so much is this true that it becomes almost impossible to design a really beautiful room that is to have no useful work done in it or natural life lived in it4 ,an architect called upon to design a room in which nothing more earnest is to be done than to gossip over afternoon tea has1 indeed1 a sad job4 ,for a room must always derive its dignity or meanness from1 and reflect somewhat1 the character and kind of occupation which is carried on in it4 ,for instance1 the studio of an artist1 the study of a man of letters1 the workshop of a carpenter1 or the kitchen of a farmhouse1 each in its position and degree1 derives a dignity and interest from the work done in it4 ,and the things in the room bear some relation to that work1 and will be the furniture and surroundings natural to it2 as the bench and tools in the carpenter's shop2 the easels and canvasses in the studio2 the books and papers in the study2 and the bright pans and crockery in the kitchen4 ,all these lend a sense of active1 useful1 human life to the room1 which redeems it from vulgarity1 though it be the simplest possible2 and no amount of decoration or ornamentation can give dignity or homeliness to a room which is used as a show room1 or in which no regular useful life is lived4 ,for in the work room all things have a place1 by reason of their usefulness1 which gives a sense of fitness and repose entirely wanting in a room where a place has obviously had to be found for everything1 as in a drawing room4 ,how far things beautiful alone1 are to be allowed place in our rooms ,i am not prepared to say4 ,thoreau1 you will remember1 threw away his fossil1 the only ornament in his room1 because it required dusting4 ,while not suggesting that we should follow his example to such an extreme1 ,i yet think that in retaining his spade and his axe he retained more of true decoration4 ,and ,i believe in the main that the more adapted to its use anything is1 the more graceful will it be in shape4 ,the bent handle of the axe1 more comfortable to hold1 is also more beautiful than the straight1 and in the degree the curve and form of the handle is adapted to its uses as an axe1 by just so much the more beautiful it becomes4 ,the charm of the farmhouse kitchen1 with everything in its place because of its usefulness1 can of course be increased to an unlimited extent by making all the useful articles also beautiful in form1 and harmonious in color4 ,this is the line on which alone1 ,i contend1 a really beautiful room is to be got2 and ,i would discourage all attempts at adornment by finding places for useless things4 ,i am glad to think that1 owing to the great increase of education and employment among ladies1 there will be less and less call for the old-fashioned drawing room2 ladies will want a room to work in1 not to dawdle in4 ,pardon me if ,i seem to have dwelt over long on some of these difficulties in the way of designing really beautiful rooms4 ,i have done so in the belief that they do not1 as at first may appear1 lie outside our province4 ,for ,i believe1 as professional men1 we have just such power of influencing our clients by helping them towards a more natural life as the doctor has in such matters as diet2 and particularly is this power evident in the domestic branch of the profession1 with which we are dealing4 ,in building a man's shell for him we certainly can influence very largely the life he will live within it2 and while it is our duty to make that shell fit the life as well as possible1 it is surely also our privilege to make it conduce to the realisation of the best of which he is capable4 ,in so far as we do this1 we shall rise above the mere planner of houses and take our places in the work of planning and moulding the future life of the people4 ,,barry ,,parker4 ,,the ,,dignity ,,of ,,all ,,true ,,art4 ,the kinship between all the various branches of art is so very close1 that instead of speaking of them as different arts1 it would really be more accurate to describe them as only different media for expression of the same truth4 ,our object in trying to express ourselves in some one form of art1 is to bring home to those to whom this form most appeals1 truths which we see are passed over by them unheeded and uncomprehended when expressed in another4 ,many of the principles and truths ,i hope to bring before you are so much more easily set forth in other arts than that of language1 that the attempt to use this form would seem unnecessary and undesirable were it not for the truth of what ,i have just said1 that each of the arts appeals clearly expresses its meanings and teachings only to a part of those to whom it is addressed4 ,all feel something of the meanings expressed through art1 no matter what form of expression may have been chosen1 but every one will be more directly appealed to and will more clearly understand the message expressed in one art than they would that1 or some other message1 expressed in another4 ,it cannot be denied that many get from music what they see not in poetry1 while others learn from poetry what they miss in music1 painting1 sculpture1 or architecture2 that some can feel and know truth in architecture they find not in the drama1 and many learn from the drama what no other art can teach them4 ,for though it is true that many of our greatest artists could have expressed themselves1 as some have expressed themselves1 with equal power through several media2 many of our greatest poets might have made equally great painters1 and our painters1 poets2 still few could possibly find time to acquire equal knowledge of several arts4 ,and though most men1 being masters of one art1 will have abundant sympathy and love for the others1 yet life will prove too short for them to come to feel and know the messages or truths of any other with equal clearness4 ,but1 having them in the depths of their natures1 they will feel1 though dimly perhaps1 that they are all one1 and that their vital truths belong to all alike1 and are essentially the same in all1 and are of the very life of all that is worthy1 all that is beautiful1 true1 or noble4 ,now all the greatest truths are so broad and universal in their very elements1 that they are incapable of clear definition and must depend on the subtleties of true art for expression4 ,and in this lies the dignity of all true art1 in that by it and through it only can the highest truths be taught1 or true education reached4 ,music is the most perfect means of saying what cannot be expressed in words4 ,none of us can translate into words what has been revealed to us through music1 it is a means of expression above and beyond words2 painting1 poetry1 sculpture1 architecture1 even a mere colour scheme1 can all tell us much which is beyond the power of any direct expression4 ,the deeper the truth the more dependent it is upon one or other of these arts for its expression4 ,none of us can say what music has brought home to us1 none of us can tell what a beautiful building has said to us4 ,if we try to give all these things in words1 8beauty10 8truth10 or that hopelessly feeble phrase 8elevating influence10 and kindred terms1 are all that come to our aid with which to tell of them4 ,into these weak inadequate words we have to read all that which we have learned from other arts1 so give them a meaning they are incapable of conveying1 unless we have felt it through influences above and beyond them4 ,music1 the most perfect of the arts1 is the most subtle1 the most inexplicable4 ,it seems to be1 7if ,i may use the expression71 the most direct gift of ,god to man1 excepting of course that revelation of ,himself which we call ,nature1 and which is above all arts or anything needing man's instrumentality4 ,why has music this power of calling forth all that is best in us1 of making us feel the great things beyond expression8 ,we cannot say4 ,we feel1 and so we know and realise1 that music never deceives1 and is the only art which is never misunderstood4 ,her revelation is either taken or left1 it is either comprehended or passed by unheeded1 but it is never misconstrued4 ,it may be understood and felt in a degree only4 ,it may give more of its message to one than to another1 but in so far as it is understood at all1 it is truly understood and never misleads1 and herein lies its greatness4 ,some there are who say they can express by language or other arts what the musician is speaking of in his music2 this only shows that all in which music transcends other arts is beyond their conception4 ,the messages music has for us are above and beyond such things as can be put into words1 and to have it merely telling a story which could equally well1 or perhaps even better1 have been told in words1 or even to have it imitating the sounds of the sea1 the voices of the storm1 the whisper of the trees1 or the sorrow of the wind1 is to miss much of its greatness4 ,the messages of music may have been at some times the same as those of ,nature1 in the sea1 the stream1 or the trees1 but to make it merely a less comprehensible language1 telling us what written or spoken language can tell us1 is to take from it much of its nobility and to deprive it of some of its most sacred prerogatives4 ,so if we follow this through we see its truth in all the arts4 ,poetry1 partaking of the character of music1 can bring home to us things too subtle1 too high1 to be told to us in prose1 but may be misunderstood as music cannot be4 ,in its highest influences1 in those elements which it has in common with music1 it is1 like music1 either taken rightly or not comprehended at all1 but in many of its lesser and more definable messages it may be misunderstood4 ,a very little thought will show how absolutely true in literature is what ,i have said1 as to the position art must hold as the only means of expressing the greatest truths1 and will show too1 that just as our theme advances in dignity1 will it increasingly need the aid of art to give it expression4 ,the meanest things of life are most easily expressed4 ,we can give our financial position with clearness in figures4 ,we can express the composition of a gas with absolute accuracy in a formula4 ,we can give almost any mere scientific fact in words4 ,we can even state the properties of a triangle with some definiteness4 ,but beyond this we cannot go without calling ,art to our aid2 and the higher we attempt to soar the more dependent upon her do we become4 ,our laws and legal documents are a constant comment upon and illustration of the utter failure inevitably resulting from any attempt to express with absolute accuracy1 without the aid of art1 any of those things which involve questions of morality1 love1 truth1 justice1 or any of the higher qualities of our nature2 for they have always been and must always be the most obscure1 involved1 and incomprehensible attempts at expression in any language4 ,so we go upwards from the scientific formula and the laws of geometry1 past the legal document to the newspaper article1 and everyday prose1 until we come to the more matter-of-fact forms of philosophy1 thence on to parable1 fiction and fairy tale1 from these to sculpture1 architecture1 painting1 and poetry1 calling in at every stage more and more of the aid of art1 until we arrive at last at that most perfect art1 and most complete expression1 music4 ,and observe1 all the way through the series we have moved less and less within the regions of definitely statable facts1 and more and more in the regions of those truths which can be felt known1 but not definitely expressed4 ,great truths1 which are for all time and all peoples1 must be expressed in an art at any rate as high in dignity as parable in one of its many forms4 ,the greatest teachers have recognised this4 ,all great truths must be presented in a form in which those who are capable of realising them can find them1 while others miss1 each can take away what he can comprehend4 ,this is only another way of saying again1 great truths can only be expressed through the medium of art1 for it is an essential property of all true art that it shall suggest and imply more than it actually says4 ,i have said art is the only true educator between man and man1 and a knowledge and appreciation of those things which through art alone we can learn1 is the only true education4 ,but ,i would not for one moment be thought to lose sight of the fact that ,nature can and does teach us more than any work of man4 ,she has influences over us tending to the highest education2 with these ,i was not concerning myself in the above1 for ,i was speaking of man's influence upon his fellow man4 ,i am to try and give some idea of wherein lies the life and vitality of some of the humbler branches of art4 ,i say humbler1 for ,i will have none of the shallow hypocrisy of those who1 not being able to paint a great realistic picture1 pretend that their little conventional decorations are a higher and nobler branch of art1 and who1 because the great picture may be still greater by being also decorative1 and can only attain to its greatest when it is also decorative1 argue that all decorative art is greater than pictorial4 ,it is my aim to show that to these applied arts also belongs much of that power to express those higher things which are felt and known only through art4 ,we all know that the mere form of a chair1 the contour of a mould1 the shape of a bracket1 a scheme of colour1 have power to affect us1 in a degree1 in just the same way music does1 and1 with awe let us realise it1 even as ,nature herself does4 ,and ,i would have every craftsman and every practiser of the arts as deeply impressed with the dignity this places upon him1 and the responsibilities it brings with it1 as he can possibly be4 ,i would have him feel this truth1 that in his degree he is instrumental in either forwarding or retarding his fellow men in their highest and truest education2 that in just so far as his art is true or false1 real and vital1 or feeble and insincere1 he is advancing or hindering this great work2 that true art is the grandest work of which humanity is capable1 and that through it alone can man advance to higher things than those of which he is now capable4 ,we can none of us know1 and certainly none of us are in any danger of over-estimating1 the good influence of a beautiful building upon all those who pass and repass it daily2 and the smallest and most insignificant article in our daily use has1 in its own degree1 like power to help or hinder our development4 ,wherein truth in art consists1 none but the artist can know1 and he cannot tell to another what he knows of it himself2 he has learned it1 first from an inborn instinct and gift1 and second1 by that education which true art only can promote1 and others can only come to a knowledge of it in the same way4 ,the whole spirit and trend1 all the outside circumstances1 influences1 and conditions of modern life1 are against the artist and true art4 ,the present individualistic and competitive basis of society makes a living art almost an impossibility1 but ,i do not propose we should concern ourselves now with questions which are not within the designer's power1 but only with those things which he can and must see that he personally rightly understands and practises4 ,no good work in any field of art was ever yet done in a hurry2 it maybe done quickly1 with the utmost energy1 this will probably only give it vitality1 but all outside pressure means death to art4 ,all true art work must always be done under the very keenest stress of mental effort2 it cannot be slovenly1 careless1 or interestless in its smallest detail1 but must be wrought with every faculty alert with an absorption and concentration amounting to abandon1 and it must be done1 can only be done for the love of it4 ,other motives there may be1 and in greater or less degree there will be1 but this must be first and paramount1 or true art is impossible4 ,a very fruitful cause of failure is the effort to be original4 ,in the loathsome distortions of fashion we see daily the result of this attempt to originate new forms1 simply for the sake of novelty1 without the slightest reference to any feeling for beauty or fitness4 ,originality has no value other than a purely commercial one1 unless the original thing has advantages over the commonplace4 ,most of the things which we have about us show unmistakably that their designers went to work in the wrong spirit from the very first4 ,we see at a glance that the position taken up was this4 ,the designer has said to himself 8,this is generally done so and so1 in such and such a manner2 now how can ,i modify this to make it in some degree original3 where can ,i introduce a little novelty80 ,no good result was ever yet arrived at by any one who took up this position4 ,no3 the way to go to work is1 to get clearly into your mind the functions1 duties1 requirements and limitations of the thing to be designed1 then choose the material or materials which will enable it best to fulfil its functions1 duties1 and requirements1 and keep within its limitations4 ,afterwards1 with a full knowledge and candid recognition of the properties and characteristics of your materials and the best way of using them1 set to work to evolve the form which will1 in the simplest and most direct at the same time most beautiful and decorative manner1 fulfil the requirements1 and the result will bear the impress of your own personality1 it will have your own feeling1 and will probably also have something of true originality4 ,you may if you like1 with all this clearly in your mind1 pass in review the customary forms employed to fulfil the conditions1 retaining such characteristics as you see are valuable either because they advance the objects1 or add to the comeliness1 but this must come second not first4 ,i would like you to notice in passing that this right and true method of going to work in design is entirely inapplicable to all things having no functions to fulfil1 by such a throng of which we are now surrounded4 ,the whole trend of modern civilisation would make the outlook for the artist one of blank hopelessness1 were it not that there are signs of a reaction1 due to the efforts of great men who have fought hard that art may not die4 ,we call the present the 8,machine ,age40 ,now the influence of machinery on art is one of the most degrading we have to contend with1 for every advance made by machinery must mean a corresponding retreat on the part of art4 ,when ,i have expressed the keen sense of pleasure given me by the beautiful variety of surface1 the light and shade1 the crisp1 clean adze cuts1 the vital human interest1 of some old beam1 the commercial mind has said to me 8,if the workman who wrought it had possessed the tools with which to get it up to a better surface1 he would not have left it as it is40 ,this is probably true1 but it does not affect the question of the relative beauty of the two beams1 the absolutely square1 smooth1 machine planed one1 and the irregular rough hewn one so full of character and interest4 ,the artistic value of each is a question quite apart from such considerations4 ,to-day1 if we require a beam in our building1 we take every bit of natural character out of it1 and bring it1 by mechanical processes1 to as dead and flat1 as lifeless and monotonous a state as possible1 then we stupidly try to replace some of the natural and characteristic beauty we have been at so much trouble to get rid of1 by some form of applied ornament1 moulding1 or what not1 which probably has only this one result1 that it obscures the one trace of natural beauty which has been able to survive the previous processes1 that is the grain and figure of the wood4 ,afterwards we stand and look at it1 with a sort of feeling that there is something wrong1 and wonder why it was so much more beautiful before4 ,this is only one illustration1 it would be easy to give hundreds4 ,for beauty of texture and surface are nothing to the machine producer or the commercial spirit of to-day4 ,when ,i say ,i want a piece of copper just hammered out to the size and shape ,i require without that grinding and polishing by which all trace of the hammer human hand is lost in mere smoothness and mechanical finish1 the workman tells me it will be injurious to his credit1 people will see nothing in it but bad workmanship and inability to finish4 ,he would prefer to efface the sympathetic surface and natural beauties of the beaten metal as completely as possible1 then he would put it in a press and stamp some meaningless pattern on it1 but the result would be entirely uninteresting to him1 and he would have no satisfaction in it1 unless sheer commercialism had utterly killed every grain of everything higher than itself in his nature4 ,think of the beauty of leaded glass compared with the lifeless hard mechanical perfection of polished plate4 ,this beauty has nothing to do with its old-fashioned look1 with romantic associations1 or quaintness of effect2 it is simply an inherent property of all leaded glazing1 due to the wonderful and never ending charm of the play of light and shade on the different panes1 each one catching the light slightly differently from any other1 some glistening brightly1 others dead and sombre1 and the rest occupying every tone between the two4 ,one sheet of glass with the leading laid upon it would be more ugly and meaningless than the plate glass4 ,many would-be artistic people think that it is an essential characteristic of the artistic that it should be in some degree eccentric or unusual4 ,this is as great a delusion as any one could well labour under4 ,that it is the case at the present time cannot be denied2 but it is because we have sunk to such depths of degradation1 that the artistic has become the eccentric and unusual1 not that to be different from the ordinary is the property of the artistic4 ,there was a time when the exact reverse was the case1 when simple natural beauty was the rule in all things and ugliness the exception1 and the unusual and eccentric was then the inartistic4 ,so also many would-be artistic people think that things derive an artistic value simply from being old or old-fashioned4 ,this again is entirely untrue except of such things as undergo a modification and change for the better in themselves at the hands of old ,father ,time4 ,but this too is an error easily accounted for1 as at the present time1 as regards the common things of daily life1 the standard of design is so debased that it would be almost impossible to bring out of the past 7at any rate of centuries before the last71 forms for these which would not surpass in beauty those now current among us4 ,if art in our homes were living and progressive the old and old-fashioned would be the ugly and inartistic4 ,a perfectly frank recognition of construction and an honest compliance with its demands is an absolute essential of all good designs2 any attempt to disguise or thwart1 or failure to acknowledge1 the necessary characteristics and features of construction1 must result in artistic disaster and is indeed a very fruitful cause of it4 ,so also is that kindred error1 the adoption of a less perfect construction to get the form wanted4 ,it is not necessary ,i should dwell upon this now1 for it is recognised by all art teachers1 though by very few of those who practise the applied arts1 and illustrations of the truth of it meet us in abundance on every hand and will occur to all4 ,neither is it necessary 7and for the same reasons7 that ,i should say much about imitations shams2 wood made to simulate stone or marble2 iron cast in forms suited only to wood2 wood worked into forms suited only to stone1 or in imitation of stone1 as in tracery and groining4 ,the evil of all this is too well known1 and ,i have had to pass over it for the sake of what is less recognised and not so often brought before us4 ,to put the right thing in the right place2 to give it its most appropriate form1 and above all things the form which will best enable it to fulfil its functions and uses1 and withal the simplest1 most direct1 and the most perfect in construction2 this is the first duty of every designer1 and in doing this he will generally find he gets the maximum of beauty4 ,the conscious effort to be original will always produce abortions and painful results2 the only originality worth anything is arrived at in trying to do something better not something new2 and the true artist shows himself in giving beauty of form1 of colour1 and design to the necessary and useful1 and adding that higher usefulness belonging to a work of art4 ,but may we not have ornament1 pure ornament which has no other definite use8 ,certainly we may1 but let us at the very outset apply this test to it4 ,it does not1 we say1 fulfil any useful purpose on the physical plane1 does it fulfil any purpose on that higher plane of which ,i have spoken8 ,is its educational influence good8 ,if so we will welcome it4 ,if not let it go4 ,and ,i fear1 when this test is applied1 it will be found that there is but little of the enormous profusion of the 7so-called7 ornament spread over everything about us1 which would not have to go4 ,most of us would do well to change it all for one or two good pictures1 a bit of really beautiful metal work1 carving1 or embroidery1 done by an artist with his own hand1 and possessing something of that dignity of true art ,i have tried to show4 ,,barry ,,parker4 ,,our ,,education ,,in ,,art4 ,my subject is 8,our ,education in ,art10 ,i approach it with a sense of trepidation1 feeling that the task ,i have set myself is one of very great difficulty1 and being1 as ,i am1 so fully alive to the tremendous issues involved in our holding right or wrong views upon art education4 ,the place in our lives which ,art must fill is so exalted that it is with reverence ,i would consider the way in which we should teach or be taught to express ourselves in art1 or learn to read the meaning of others expressed through that medium4 ,those who have come to realize that only by the employment of ,art can the highest truths which we are capable of receiving be conveyed from one man to another1 must feel that the method of preparing ourselves to wield so great a power1 or render ourselves receptive of such an influence1 should be most earnestly considered4 ,i have taken 8,our ,education in ,art0 as my title1 instead of 8,the ,education of an ,artist0 or any other title which would have fixed more definitely the limitations within which ,i should confine myself1 because ,i want what ,i am about to say to have a much wider application than it would if simply taken as addressed to those who propose to practise an art4 ,for1 to train all to an appreciation of what is good1 true1 and beautiful1 in ,art1 is hardly less important than to train artists capable of expressing what is good1 true1 and beautiful4 ,all have not vouchsafed to them the power to express themselves in an art1 but all are in some degree influenced by the artistic qualities of the things by which they are surrounded1 and ,i wish to suggest a way of learning to appreciate what is good and true and beautiful in art1 even more than a way of learning to create such art4 ,that there shall be those who can appreciate good art is necessary to its life4 ,that we should have those who can create it is not enough2 this is the work of the few2 the work of the many is to make an atmosphere in which it can live4 ,i would impress as gravely as possible upon those who aspire to the practice of an art1 not only the dignity belonging to what they would undertake1 but the tremendous responsibility attaching to it4 ,the first thing that must go to the making of an artist is that he should have that within him which craves for expression1 and which can only be expressed through the medium of an art4 ,this first essential is given to many to whom the power to express it is not given1 but without it the facility to express will be a power for harm not for good3 it is the presence of great qualities1 not the absence of bad1 which makes a work of art4 ,the artist's great responsibility lies in this3 every time he creates anything capable of bearing the impress of the true art instinct1 he brings into existence that which will have an influence upon all who see it1 and will quicken or deaden in them this high instinct4 ,the thought that1 if he create not something better than would have been created by others1 had he left it to them1 he is doing harm in the world1 not good1 is one that should come home to him very solemnly4 ,to the art worker belongs this privilege--that his art can be a great power for good2 and this responsibility--that he must of necessity have done either harm or good by his work1 and that unless he has done something which is beyond and above the conception of the general run 7nay1 of the great majority7 of his fellow-creatures1 something they feel to have a little more in it1 and to be a little more than they can grasp1 he is not merely harmless1 he is a failure4 ,for as in life generally1 so in the artistic life1 he who merely does what no one can attach blame to1 and has not done better than others would have done in his stead1 has lived to no purpose4 ,virtue is not a negative quality in art or in life2 it does not consist in keeping the ,ten ,commandments4 8,all these things have ,i kept from my youth up3 what lack ,i yet80 ,this man #aijj years ago had grasped the truth of what ,i have said above better than most of us have to-day4 ,i will herein confine myself to speaking of those arts which depend upon our eyes for their means of appealing to us2 and as ,i wish that these suggestions may be of real practical value1 to all who desire to appreciate what is artistically good and true1 ,i must leave out of our consideration1 for the moment1 all the greater qualities which belong to art2 and confine myself to showing how we must first learn to see1 and to what ,i may call the purely technical side of learning to see and represent4 ,for simplicity ,i will take the art of portraying ,nature1 as seen in her landscapes1 as my example of how to learn both to see and to draw2 for the process is the same in either case4 ,now when first one attempts to paint a landscape1 one is over-whelmed by the tremendous number of different things one sees in it and has to take into consideration at the same time4 ,there is the form and drawing1 the light and shade1 the atmosphere and its effect upon the local tints or real colours of each individual object in the landscape1 the overpowering profusion of detail1 the reflected lights and reflected colours1 the relative value of objects1 the texture1 and character of surfaces1 the composition1 what we call the accidental effects2 and last but not least1 the teaching and meaning1 the particular message ,nature has to convey in the whole scene4 ,and only by long and patient study of each of these separately1 can we acquire the power to grasp them all together in the way which is necessary when painting4 ,were ,i to teach1 ,i should make my pupils go through a long and patient study of each of these separately1 devoting much thought to each in turn1 quite apart from the use of pencil or brush2 for it is impossible to represent one without the others1 but not impossible to study one without the others4 ,and that we should be able to first dissociate one from another in our minds1 and then see the influence of one upon another1 is absolutely necessary to a true portraiture of ,nature in landscape4 ,i would then begin with the simplest of the things in my category1 and impart to my pupils a knowledge of form 7probably best done by some simple process of modelling71 and ,i would go on to the drawing of form without reference to light and shade4 ,next ,i would teach them to see form in masses of light and shade only1 leaving out of consideration at the first 7as far as possible7 the influence of reflected light1 but eventually giving much time and thought to enabling them to see the reflected light truly1 and to measure its gradations and degrees accurately4 ,from this they should go on to represent textures and character of surfaces1 and not until all this had been done would ,i bring in the use of colour4 ,this should begin by the accurate matching of local tints1 before the representation of the colour effects produced by atmosphere with its varying degrees of moisture1 of density and transparency or opacity1 its power of diffusing light1 and its effect on distance1 was attempted4 ,next ,i would allow sketching with reference to composition1 grouping1 and much study of the relative values of one object to another in the landscape1 affected as it is by all the foregoing1 and difficult of explanation as it always is1 even in view of and with a perfect knowledge of all the foregoing4 ,finally1 being first able to see and feel1 then we would go on to try to catch portray the moods and messages of ,nature1 and the poetry of the whole4 ,i would then point out to the accomplished craftsman1 that he1 upon sitting down to paint from ,nature1 must first ask himself what it is which makes a picture 7in the true sense of the word7 in what is before him1 and why he has chosen this particular subject3 and he must never for a moment allow himself to lose sight of this4 ,much there is he must of necessity leave out1 but he must grasp the essentials and retain these4 ,his study has taught him to see things as they present themselves to his eye1 rather than as he knows them to be4 ,in a sentence1 he has learned to know what he sees1 not to see what he knows3 he is aware that yonder hill in the distance1 were he there1 would be green1 but that seeing it as he does1 affected by the intervening atmosphere light1 it is blue4 ,the painter must by training1 and power of analysing causes of effects1 be able to see his subject somewhat as he would were he suddenly dropped into his seat from another planet1 without any knowledge of the appearance on closer inspection of the component parts of his subject4 ,may ,i explain some of what ,i have said1 with the aid of a simple example1 a stone wall bounding a green field1 the wall casting a shadow on the grass4 ,of drawing pure and simple there is not much2 there is the form of the stones in the wall1 the irregularities of the contour of the field1 the shadow of the wall the modifications which the rise and fall of the surface of the field effect in it1 presenting it to the eye now more foreshortened and now less as the angle between the wall and the ground changes4 ,in the reflected light there is much to note and dissociate in our minds from the direct lighting4 ,in this we should see that the shadow on the shade side of the wall is much lighter than the shadow cast by the wall upon the grass4 ,this results from the fact that the grass from its horizontal position receives far more diffused light from the atmosphere and the sky than does the vertical surface of the wall2 therefore it reflects more light upon the wall than the wall can in its turn reflect on to it4 ,but though the shadow on the shade side of the wall is lighter than the shadow on the grass1 the shade side of the wall will be darker than the grass within the shadow of the wall2 and this is not due to the local tint1 the grey of the stone and the green of the grass1 for probably the horizontal surfaces of the stones on the top of the wall1 show as light as the part of the grass which is also in the full blaze of the sun2 it is due to the different character of surface or texture of the grass field and the stone wall1 and the different effect upon each of varying degrees of lighting4 ,so observe1 all these1 the light and shade1 the diffused and the reflected light1 the character of the surfaces1 the local tints and the atmosphere distance from the observer1 all affect the relative value of the tone of the grass and wall1 which value must be seen truly before it can be painted truly4 ,as ,i said1 for simplicity1 ,i have herein so far followed out the course of study as applied in landscape only1 but at the right stages ,i would have the student1 in exactly the same way1 study the seeing rightly1 and then drawing rightly1 first plants1 then animals1 then the human figure2 then finally ,i would let him apply his knowledge and artistic feeling to design4 ,art is at its greatest when applied4 ,if the great picture1 while retaining all its merits as a picture1 can at the same time also hold its own as an element of decoration and lend its aid to producing the general effect to be made upon us by the whole building1 it is by so much the greater4 ,i would not1 until the final stage1 encourage the study of any form of applied art4 ,none of the figures drawn or studied should be those applied to the decoration of a building1 used in flat design1 or in any way conventionally treated or grouped4 ,i would encourage no study of ornament of any style1 period1 or nation4 ,our need is for a system of education which will strengthen our inborn perception for what constitutes real beauty4 ,it is comparatively easy to learn to distinguish a beautiful thing from an ugly thing1 but to know wherein the difference lies is quite another matter4 ,it is our education in art that must strengthen our power to see what are the essentially beautiful properties which the one possesses and the other does not4 ,we1 whose work it is to design1 frequently find the client who has best been able to appreciate the difference between the good and bad design in the finished result1 will1 when a design is being worked out for him1 be most emphatic in his instructions that one by one every feature which has contributed to that difference shall be eliminated3 and the bearing upon this of what ,i have said1 about educating those who are not to practise the arts1 but to appreciate1 will be easily seen4 ,he who has studied landscape earnestly and lovingly1 and learnt to see wherein its beauty lies1 when he comes to apply that landscape to an architectural or decorative purpose1 such for instance as the decoration of wall surfaces1 stained glass1 or what not1 will find his own characteristic way of conventionalising it4 ,his conventionalisation will be such as is dictated to him clearly by the limitations of the material in which his design is to be produced1 and by questions of fitness and suitability4 ,and his feeling for true beauty will enable him to retain the essentials of the beauty in the landscape he is applying1 to discard what is less necessary4 ,he will suggest the mood of ,nature and convey her influence upon the beholder4 ,he will also1 in his freedom from the influence of long established conventions1 be able unconsciously to impart his own personality and feeling1 and so give real originality to his handiwork4 ,for him who would practise the art of the architect1 a course of study directed primarily to the strengthening of the power to see wherein lies the secret of the beauty of one form over another1 and not merely that one form is more beautiful than another1 is perhaps more important than to him who follows any other art appealing to the eye3 for this art is further removed from the influence of ,nature's own teaching4 ,i have been obliged to dismiss in a single sentence the training by means of drawing and studying plants1 animals1 the human form1 which ,i would advocate2 and fear ,i may so have given a very wrong impression as to the importance ,i attach to this study4 ,i must ask that this be not measured by the time ,i have devoted to it2 for ,i hold it to be all-important1 and the work at it should be long and thorough4 ,in this work the student could be carried much further in many of the separate branches of his study ,i have indicated1 than he could be in landscape4 ,the plants animals would demand of him a far greater perception of the subtleties of form than did the landscape1 and of course his drawing would be carried very much further4 ,he would have to apply all he had learnt of light shade and reflected light under very much more complex conditions4 ,much more subtle distinction of the character of surfaces and textures would be required of him2 and also greater nicety of perception in local tints4 ,but composition or grouping should not enter yet into his consideration4 ,before he thought of these ,i should want him to specialise1 and decide in what field of artistic labour his feeling knowledge were to find expression4 ,i should then require that he get a complete mastery of the technicalities of this1 and of its methods1 restrictions1 and capabilities4 ,if he elected to be an architect1 ,i would have him acquire a comprehensive knowledge of pure building construction1 but no architecture--in so far as it can be separated from building construction4 ,if possible1 ,i would have him learn one of the handicrafts for which he is eventually to design1 that he might show forth his feeling for beauty of form modified by1 and in due and proper relation to1 complete mastery over methods of construction4 ,if he were to be a sculptor ,i would have him next master the technical side of the art4 ,if a glass painter he should be able to make a window before he attempted to design one4 ,the embryo painter should master all the details of the painter's art2 the would-be textile designer should work at a loom2 and the ceramic designer with wheel1 mould1 glazes1 kiln4 ,then at length1 each should in his own line attempt to give expression to his own ideas1 his own feeling1 and his own love of beauty1 in something really to be used1 and for which there was a definite requirement and a place in the world already assigned4 ,and this brings us to what ,i consider perhaps the most vital point in the whole system ,i am advocating4 ,the student is now in a position to solve the difficulties which will beset him on every hand4 ,in his own way he sets himself to create that which will best fulfil certain definite conditions and requirements1 and to give it what he conceives to be the best and most beautiful form in which it can do this4 ,at this stage1 having first encountered the difficulties1 he may1 with advantage to himself and his work1 look round and see how others before him have met and overcome similar difficulties2 and how1 out of the way they have done this1 certain historic styles1 accepted forms1 and recognised conventions have resulted4 ,as each difficulty presents itself it will help and stimulate him to study how it has been overcome in old work1 but if he is saturated with knowledge of the forms and finished result of old work1 without first having met the problems which brought them into existence1 he will simply have his own instincts swamped by them1 and will blindly reproduce them without any feeling for the spirit which prompted them4 ,really vital design will be well-nigh impossible to him4 ,that we substitute suggestion for development is one great defect in our educational system to-day in all things1 but especially in those things appertaining to the arts4 ,our schools of art begin their training in design with an exhaustive study of historic styles of ornament and applied form of every kind4 ,the course of study laid down by the ,institute of ,british ,architects for its pupils1 commences with 8,evidences of ,study0 of old ,greek and ,gothic buildings2 in all cases suggestion is substituted for development1 and in consequence we have turned out by the thousand men capable of reproducing works in all styles1 but with no vital appreciation of the spirit and causes which lead to the existence of any one of them1 and not one who can evolve a really vital work of art among them4 ,if we look round among those who are the leading spirits in the really great forward movement in art which is going on among us1 how many of them shall we find to be the product of our recognised educational authorities in art8 ,how many have got their art training on the lines laid down by our schools of art1 for instance8 ,if they come out of government schools at all1 we shall generally find they have acquired their grasp mastery in spite of that system1 and owe it to influences arising in some by-path1 there1 or outside its curriculum altogether2 or to the fact that their own individuality has been too big to be drowned or stamped out by it4 ,still we cannot fail to be struck by the very small percentage of these leading spirits which it can be claimed are the outcome of any system of training at present recognised4 ,the embryo architect is in a somewhat better position than those intending to follow other arts1 for the old apprenticeship system still obtains in this profession2 and in his master's office he is at anyrate engaged upon work for a definite purpose and designed to fulfil definite conditions4 ,he has opportunities to go some depth into the why and wherefore of things1 and must of necessity do so4 ,very differently is he situated from one who is patiently acquiring a knowledge of the outward forms of things in a large technical school4 ,the advocates of this 8,study from the beginning of the best examples10 talk of getting imbued with the spirit of the old work4 ,it is not for me to go now into the many reasons why it is not possible for us in these later times to enter fully into the spirit which prompted the beautiful work of the past3 this one reason1 that we have not first met with the difficulties the overcoming of which brought it into existence1 is all that is within my province at the moment4 ,get yourself saturated with knowledge of form1 of beautiful form1 presented for your study by ,nature on every hand1 and apply this in your own way to meeting requirements and overcoming difficulties which you fully comprehend1 which present themselves to you in the work which you have to do4 ,be not swamped with anothers' ways of fulfilling other 7though perhaps similar7 conditions1 meeting the requirements of another age1 or overcoming other difficulties which you at best understand very imperfectly4 ,it would be very easy to give numberless illustrations of the harm resulting from this very wide-spread and far-reaching error in our conception and teaching of the duties of the designer1 of the way he should go to work1 and the methods he should follow4 ,we do not now require to be told that to fasten thin strips of wood to the face of a brick or stone wall in imitation of half-timber work is bad2 but ,i may just in passing point out1 that it was this same fault in our training and in our conception of the whole question1 which ever made this possible1 and rendered us able to tolerate it4 ,we saw the beauty of old timber and plaster construction1 and not seeing also that that beauty resulted from straightforwardly honestly using the best form of construction known for these materials1 we thought of the finished effect only1 and imagined we got it by imitating it in other construction1 where the conditions and requirements and the difficulties to be met and overcome were different4 ,nor do we need to think about these things much before we can see that it is wrong to erect gable1 projection1 cove1 parapet1 continuation of a bay window1 or what not1 for no useful purpose but solely for the display of even constructionally genuine half-timber work1 that it may1 by its echo of the beauties we have felt to exist in some true art work in the past1 lead us to suppose that it too is beautiful4 ,but to avoid all possibility of becoming in the least personal1 ,i will not take my illustrations from recent times1 for it is easy to find them in abundance without4 ,the abominations of the ,renaissance are in themselves enough4 ,these abominations were simply the outcome of giving the study of the finished result in the beautiful work of the past undue prominence in men's minds1 and allowing this study to smother the feeling for what had constituted the beauty in that work4 ,as all know1 the ,renaissance came from the revival of the study of old ,greek and ,roman work in the #adth1 #aeth #afth centuries4 ,men then began again to see the beauty that was in a ,greek capital1 shaft and base1 but had not first learned to see that that beauty was the result primarily of the simple and direct way in which the pillar fulfilled its functions1 in the form of construction in which it was used2 and they began to use it again1 and tried to work it in just as it was1 and at the stage it had reached in the process of its evolution4 ,they began to introduce it in buildings of a different construction1 and in places where the conditions were very different from those under which it was so great4 ,it had been beautiful where it supported a roof and cornice1 and stood strong and adequate under their dead crushing weight3 but it was now introduced in conjunction with the dome1 the thrust of which it was entirely unsuited to sustain1 therefore chains hidden in the masonry 7like those in our own ,st4 ,paul's ,cathedral71 were requisitioned1 and we got an apparently stone building so constructed that it would not stand up in stone1 just as we have to-day on every hand imitation half-timber buildings which would not stand up if of timber construction4 ,it had been beautiful in the sunny climes of ,greece and ,italy1 where the shade of the entablature it supported was needed1 and an attribute of beauty3 but it was now placed where the wall could not be set back from it1 but must be brought out to it1 and must have windows unshaded by cornice1 frieze1 architrave4 ,therefore the pillar stood in front of it1 carrying nothing1 doing nothing1 and a melancholy1 painful thing to all who beheld it rightly4 ,they studied the ornament of the ,greeks1 but failed to notice how it was in all cases subordinated to1 and explained and enhanced the general forms and contours and emphasized the construction2 and the result was the meaningless inanity and vapid gracefulness of their compiled arabesques and ornament on pilasters1 their festoons1 and all the rest of the imitative and uninspired artificialities of the style4 ,the work became lifeless compiled4 ,in a ,gothic cathedral1 of the times before the ,renaissance tainted our northern work1 one feels the mason honestly developing the resources of his material1 age by age4 ,behind one of ,wren's spires one always sees the man with paper and drawing instruments1 hard mechanical lines laboriously measured off on a drawing board1 with mathematical calculations of proportion figured all round the margin4 ,and apropos of all this1 may ,i be allowed parenthetically to say1 that there is a movement on foot to make architecture a close profession4 ,i do not propose to enter here into this1 or into the question whether any true standard of qualification in architecture1 or any other art1 can possibly be secured by examination2 but all ,i have been saying has a very distinct bearing on the policy of those who advocate that all who would enter the profession of an architect1 should go through the same course of study as definitely laid down by them2 a course which begins with the study of ancient work1 and1 in so far as it includes at all those things which constitute the true training1 brings them forward in the reverse order from the one indicated above4 ,but this is not the point ,i wish to show2 ,i wish emphatically to say that to train all would-be architects in such a way that they can pass the same examinations is bad enough2 but for all to go through the same mill in preparation for these examinations1 not allowing those who have other ideas of what an architect's training should be a free hand to act upon their own convictions1 can only have most disastrous results to architecture1 as it would to any other art4 ,it is well to think earnestly of our education in art1 and to fit ourselves for true appreciation2 but when we have done this1 if we come to actively practise an art1 to keep a watch upon our motives is our only true guide4 ,everything depends on this4 ,if the motive is unworthy the art will be unworthy4 ,unless we create any work of art1 unless we write1 paint1 design1 or whatever it may be1 first with a desire to create an influence for good1 to bring home to others something of the true beautiful which might otherwise escape them1 our art will be unworthy4 ,the first thing that must go to the making of an artist is not that he shall have the power to express himself1 but that he shall have that within him which needs expression4 ,the artist's duty is a very grave and solemn one2 it is for him to rouse in others the power of seeing truth and beauty1 8,the best impart the gift of seeing to the rest40 ,,barry ,,parker4 ,,art ,,and ,,simplicity4 8,ability to live without furniture1 without impedimenta1 with the least possible amount of neat clothing1 shows more than the advantage held by this ,japanese race in the struggle of life2 it shows also the real character of some weaknesses in our civilization4 ,it forces reflection upon the useless multiplicity of our daily wants40 ,kokoro1 ,lafcadio ,hearn4 ,looking over some colour prints from ,japan1 ,i have been much impressed by the extreme simplicity which characterizes the interiors of ,japanese houses as depicted in them4 ,print after print shows us a room almost bare1 the walls in some delicate brown or grey tint1 with the wood framing exposed3 this latter consists of bamboo cane or simple squared posts and beams1 with now and then a door head slightly arched4 ,for the elaborately ornamented screens and bric--brac which are associated with ,japan one searches these prints in vain3 the rooms are characterized by an almost complete absence of mere ornament4 ,there is in one a single panel of the wall or screen adorned with a landscape very slightly suggested2 in another a blind or hanging of some sort bears a text or painted floral decoration2 or a vase standing on a slightly raised dais1 holds a carefully arranged spray of flowers2 or ajar on the centre of a wall displays a single peony or chrysanthemum exquisitely poised2 but beyond this there is no ornamentation4 ,there is considerable variety in the shape of the rooms shown1 none seemingly being just four-square4 ,a complete absence of furniture characterizes them1 and only such things as are actually being used find a place there4 ,yet the whole suggestion conveyed is one of refined and elegant life3 the lady arranging flowers does not have the sprays from which she is to select on the floor by her1 but on a beautifully lacquered tray2 while all the utensils one sees represented1 such as boxes1 candle-sticks1 tea-cups1 or platters1 are elegant in shape and colour and often much ornamented4 ,they are quite obviously in the room for use however1 not for ornament4 ,judging from these prints1 the refinement of ,japan seems to result in no desire for beautiful ornaments or elaborate decorations1 but rather in the demand that everything that is required for use shall be elegant or even highly ornamental4 ,their stheticism evidently does not bring a craving to be always surrounded by innumerable articles of vertu1 but rather a demand that such things as must come to their hands justified by their use1 shall come also graced by beauty4 ,in contrast with the extreme simplicity of the rooms is a lavish display of bright colour and ornament on the dresses of the ladies1 as they are represented chatting or working2 this tells with wonderful effect against the soft grey or brown1 or the pale green of the dried rush matting1 which are the prevailing colours shown on the walls and floors4 ,such rooms as these are obviously thought of mainly as the back-ground to the people and their life4 ,there is evidently in the ,japanese no lack of love for the beauty of ,nature and of ornament2 only there is a dignity which makes them demand a suitable setting for their lives2 and a very rare refinement which teaches them to prefer the complete realization and enjoyment of the beauty of a few simple things1 to the superficial appreciation of many elaborately beautiful ones2 which leads them to spend their thought rather in showing to the best advantage the utmost beauty of one spray1 than in finding places for a basketful of rare flowers4 ,how different is the common estimate of art and refinement here in the west4 ,when we think of the elaborately upholstered houses of our #8artistic circles1' the people of taste--crowded as they are with costly decorations and ornaments2 when we find that one of the most refined of our modern painters is in danger of being remembered as much for the gorgeous palace in which he lived as for the works of art he painted2 what wonder if philosophers and moralists tell us that art is the enemy of simplicity1 the fosterer of luxury6 ,if the love of art did really result in making more and more elaborate collections of beautiful things necessary to us1 then indeed it would be the enemy not alone of simplicity but of liberty also4 ,then would it be but an added burden1 still more terribly dividing those who work from those who enjoy1 and further enslaving the one to the other2 but another millstone hung about the neck of miserable man to keep him from rising above the slough of mere material wants and entanglements1 in which he is already well-nigh engulfed4 ,but the accumulation of beautiful things from all the ends of the earth is no sign that a deep love for art exists1 and the admiration of them in itself is no sign of much refinement4 ,rather does this result from our utter lack of true art1 from our complete inability to make the things we need beautiful4 ,it is a sign too of our entire want of refinement that we are content to use such ugly things as we do make1 if only we may have a few of the beautiful things that other people have made1 to look at4 ,fancy a ,greek carrying water in a galvanized iron pail1 and thinking it artistic to put his pitcher on a bracket in his hall6 ,the ,greek required his pitchers for water carrying1 and made them for that purpose1 made them as comfortable and easy to carry as possible2 and that his work in the making of them might be to him somewhat of an interest1 he made them as beautiful as he could in form1 and decorated them with suggestions of the things his mind loved to dwell upon4 ,and so was art to him both a solace to labour and an expression of his interest in his work4 ,and to the one who used the things made1 what was it but a pure added joy in his life2 suggesting to him the pleasure of that worker1 and starting in his mind thoughts of gods or heroes on which he also liked to dwell4 ,this is the origin of all true art1 springing from some joy in the maker and giving to all who use the thing made some suggestion of this joy4 ,or it may be1 in the higher branches1 springing from some great thought demanding expression or great emotion yearning for sympathy1 in the beholder ever after stimulating something of that thought or emotion4 ,instead of being an added burden to men it may be an added joy2 may gladden the hours of toil to the maker2 and for the user may lift the every-day affairs of life out of the commonplace1 satisfying his taste with the comeliness of all the implements he uses and cheering him with the beautiful suggestions of their ornament4 ,art such as this must be in close touch with simplicity2 for1 under its influence1 ornament that has no message of suggestion1 that conveys no memento of a maker's pleasure1 would not exist2 and if you come to think of it1 why should it8 ,there is no virtue in mere ornament3 far otherwise4 ,it is not easy to create a decoration more beautiful than the play of sunlight or firelight on a whitewashed wall2 and unless some one has joy in doing it1 or can give us something more constantly pleasing or suggestively helpful1 why should it be attempted8 ,certainly refinement does not demand it2 for it is refinement that teaches us to appreciate the subtle colouring of the varying light and to be content with it4 ,in other ways also the growth of the sthetic faculty will lead to simplicity1 will help to produce those changes in the conditions of life and work1 without which there is no hope for any great revival of art on the lines just sketched4 ,until recently the beautiful feathers of the heron1 the so-called ospreys or egrets1 were a favourite decoration for the head dress2 but since the cruelty attendant on the obtaining of them has been generally known1 they have vanished alike from the plume of the soldier and the bonnet of the gentle lady4 ,their beauty brings no more pleasure2 it is marred by the mental picture of the bleeding heron and its starving young3 none but the ignorant or vain can wear them now4 ,as our appreciation of beauty becomes1 if ,i may so use the term1 intensive as well as extensive1 many similar changes will be brought about4 ,for one must not forget that the appeal of beauty1 of art1 to us is not solely a matter of the senses4 ,a work of art does not cease to touch us the moment it is out of our sight2 nay1 we may even get more pleasure and help from it after than when actually gazing at it4 ,but if it is to continue to please us1 beauty must bear to be thought about4 ,if we cannot dwell with satisfaction on the origin or production of the beautiful object1 its beauty ceases to please1 we feel it to be superficial4 ,this desire for such a harmony in our life and surroundings as will not alone delight the eye1 but will also satisfy and please the mind and heart1 springing as it does from a deeper appreciation of beauty1 will have far-reaching results in the direction of wedding art and simplicity together4 ,there are many who can no longer enjoy an artistic life above stairs1 undisturbed by the lack of what art could add1 in the life below stairs on which it rests2 for they feel that no beauty in the drawing room can make up for the want of beauty in the lives of those in the kitchen2 no refinement in the study compensate for the utter lack of it in the workshop4 ,in fact we are coming to realize that although we may have the right and the power to create for ourselves a costly palace to dwell in1 and to gather around us all the luxuries and refinements we can think of1 and may moreover have plenty of servants to wait on us and plenty of labourers to help us to support our costly life2 yet art will not make such a life beautiful1 simply because of that want of harmony between the life and all that goes to support it4 ,however right and just such a life may be thought to be1 it cannot be beautiful4 ,and so those to whom beauty really appeals are seeking a simpler form of life1 one which need not cost so much of the labour of others to maintain1 or so much of their own to procure4 ,and the more they come to love enjoy beauty1 the greater must this tendency to simplicity of life become1 not from any virtue or asceticism1 but simply as a matter of choice4 ,why should one having such tastes encumber himself with an elaborate household1 which but offends his inner love of harmony1 and takes his time and energy from the enjoyment of so much greater pleasure8 ,he knows that the art in a picture belongs to all who can appreciate it1 not solely to the purchaser of it1 who buys not the art but the right to shut it up2 and he realizes that the beauty of a landscape is a pleasure open to all who can see it1 and that it cannot be conveyed in the title deed4 ,such an one does not barter away his time and his freedom to enjoy these solid pleasures1 for the sake of a fine house1 fine society1 or any other fictitious refinements4 ,he minds not how simple his surroundings1 if only he may be able to dwell in thought on everything he handles or sees about him without any painful suggestion of drudgery in the making of them1 or squalor in the maintaining of them1 marring his pleasure in their simple elegance4 ,the most humble house will content him1 so only he may have time and quiet to appreciate the beauties of nature and art1 and opportunity for the sharing with others of like taste the enjoyment of these things4 ,for the love of beauty is not selfish1 it grows by sharing3 we all love to make others see the beauty that we enjoy4 ,it is true that such a man may be fastidious1 that he may hate all ugly or sordid things1 and may demand that everything he has shall be the best of its kind4 ,but this must not be confounded with a desire for many things1 or a dislike of simple ones4 ,the musician too1 is hurt by harsh sounds and requires his music to be of the best1 but he does not ask that an orchestral concert shall be for ever going on4 ,this general dependence of beauty on simplicity1 at any rate in the private dwelling house1 is of special interest to those whose function it is to give an artistic setting to the lives of clients by so designing their homes that they shall be comfortable for those who are to occupy them and comely for all who shall behold them4 ,the architect is astonished to find how very conventional generally are the reasons which dictate the size and arrangement of the house4 ,he is impressed by the great difference that exists between what are considered to be suitable houses for different classes of people3 and he begins to wonder whether there are not discoverable some factors determining what is a suitable size for a man's shell having more intimate relation to his life than the depth of his pocket1 or some reason for its form and adornment less conventional than those usually accepted4 ,for example1 an architect receives a commission to design some labourers' cottages4 ,the cost is the first stipulation3 this must be low enough for the cottages to yield a fair return on the outlay when let at such rents as the labourers can afford to pay out of their present wages4 ,probably the next stipulation is that each house must have a parlour1 kitchen1 and three bedrooms4 ,the usual result of such instructions is a design for a row of cottages1 all alike1 each having a small parlour in front with a front door into it1 a kitchen behind--it is well if this is not smaller still--with the stairs going up between the two and a little larder under3 the kitchen has a back door leading into the yard1 a sink under the only window1 and a copper between that and the fire4 ,here we have as the living-room for a family a place twelve to fifteen feet square1 containing three doors1 a sink1 and a copper4 ,true there is a sitting-room2 but that is of little use4 ,the occupants will have neither money to find coal for a second fire1 nor energy to keep the fire going and the room tidy for use1 nor will there be any inclination for the family to divide for the little time they are all at home4 ,but a false convention of respectability demands this sitting-room2 and the stern limits of cost preclude the possibility of having a scullery or washhouse in addition4 ,how an architect must wish he could attack this commission from another standpoint4 ,how he must long to design a house to fit the habits of life of those who are to occupy it4 ,then he would work on quite different lines4 ,knowing that the family will practically live in the kitchen1 he would think out the space needed to give room for doing work1 taking meals1 and resting4 ,he would consider what of the work which must be done most tends to make the living-room uncomfortable and dirty2 and he would banish that to a scullery or wash-house4 ,in the living-room he would plan so that there might be warm seats round the fire in winter1 free from draughts1 and seats for summer near the window2 a good dresser for work1 well lighted and supplied with cupboards1 plate-rack1 and perhaps a small washing-up sink for the crockery4 ,then he would allow space for a table for meals1 and a few shelves for books2 perhaps he might even find a corner for a piano or desk1 in case either should be wanted4 ,instead of the sitting-room1 he would either build a little den for quiet reading or writing1 if any member of the family desired to study1 or more probably so plan one of the bedrooms that a portion of it could be made cosy for such a purpose1 about the only one for which a sitting-room would be at all likely to be wanted4 ,remembering too that cleanliness has been placed only second among virtues1 and that probably most of the labourers would have dirty and arduous work1 he would contrive to give a bath2 and if nothing better could be done might put it in the scullery4 ,in this way he would have obtained a cottage as nearly as possible fitted to the lives of the people4 ,it would take no more daily labour and expense to keep up than the conventional one1 and would not cost such a great deal more to build--in fact1 omitting the bath1 and keeping within the total size1 need cost no more4 ,perhaps the next commission is for a country house4 ,it is stipulated that there shall be dining-room1 drawing-room1 and library1 a good entrance hall and six bedrooms1 together with kitchen1 scullery1 two servants' bedrooms1 butler's pantry1 china pantry1 larder1 laundry1 a lavatory and cloak-room on the ground floor1 and a bathroom on each bedroom floor4 ,such requirements have probably as little real connection with the lives of the people who are to live in the house1 as the conventions which dictated the two roomed cottage4 ,the size of the house has more to do with the social position assumed by its owner1 than with the number of his household2 and the library quite as likely is due to the length of his purse1 as to the number of his books or his literary pursuits4 ,somewhere between these two extremes must lie the sort of house which the lover of art and beauty would desire for himself4 ,somewhere1 in each case1 must the two opposing tendencies of comfort and simplicity meet4 ,up to a certain point it will add to a man's real pleasure in life to enlarge upon the bare shelter of the labourer's cottage2 but beyond that point any gain there may be will be too dearly bought4 ,this point is fixed for any individual1 but must of course vary widely with the temperament and circumstances of each4 ,it is sufficient for our purpose to realize that there is such a point1 and that the development of a man's love of beauty and art will in the long run give more and more force to the tendencies which make for simplicity4 ,those whose main desire is for beauty in their lives1 are coming to see that to the rational cottage as sketched above1 with its ample living-room and the other absolute necessaries of a decently comfortable life1 they must add with great caution and reluctance1 and only as dictated by really pressing needs4 ,every extra room is an added care1 means further demands on time and energy1 and makes it harder to maintain the home without introducing additional inharmonious elements in the way of service4 ,it is possible1 though not easy1 to introduce one helper into the home life on equal terms1 but very difficult indeed to do this with two4 ,the increase of the house must be zealously resisted1 if it is to be kept within the limits of one helper doing a fair share of work4 ,and not only must the size be watched3 the furnishing and decorating likewise need to be kept simple4 ,it is a good rule in such a house to add nothing until actually needed1 and to think well whether the pleasure and comfort it can give will repay the care and dusting it will require4 ,working on these lines there will be a good chance that our homes will grow beautiful1 that they will fit our lives and be really filled with life4 ,when we try how few things we can do with1 we also begin to try how beautiful those few may be made4 ,when we value our time1 and the time of our helpers1 by the pleasure which may be had from a wise use of it1 we shall take care that any adornment we have1 shall at least give pleasure equal to any other use we might have made of the time required to obtain it4 ,therefore none but good decoration will tempt us4 ,we shall be content with our bare coloured walls1 until perhaps some artist friend comes along and adorns them for us with some true ornament1 which will be an abiding satisfaction1 not only in the direct suggestion which it conveys1 but also in the memories it revives of a pleasant visit and a guest happy in a congenial task4 ,,raymond ,,unwin4 ,,of ,,furniture4 ,part #a4 ,a lecture given before a gathering of art workers4 ,our instructions for to-night are that we show you examples of some of our work4 ,but we have found ourselves unable to comply with the letter of the instructions1 to confine the examples that we show you to-night to furniture2 for1 of furniture which can be considered apart from the building it furnishes1 we have scarcely any to show4 ,complying as nearly as we can1 we will as far as possible keep within what may be considered furnishing4 ,before proceeding to the illustrations of our work1 ,i would like to point out what we claim you shall find to be its leading characteristics3 and among these ,i will name first1 absolute simplicity1 directness1 and straightforwardness4 ,i feel that we are to-day so completely smothered in lifeless and meaningless fuss of pattern1 moulding1 knick-knack1 flourish and convention1 and the machine-made mechanically produced substitute for ornament1 that it is well-nigh impossible for our artistic sensibilities to exist at all unless liberated from them4 ,i would mention secondly complete unity and absolute harmony between all the parts1 such as can only be obtained when a house1 its decorations and furniture1 are all designed by one man--or at least under the entire supervision of one man4 ,now when ,i claim that if the result is to be artistically satisfactory1 nay also if it is to be satisfactory from the point of view of comfort and practical utility1 the house and everything in the house must from the first be thought of and designed as a whole1 the objection most commonly made is that a house should reflect somewhat the character1 habits1 and taste of those who live in it2 and that if the architect is to make his influence felt in every detail of its furnishing and decoration1 it will show his feeling1 taste1 and character1 not his client's4 ,there seems at first glance to be some truth in this2 but a very little thought will show1 that instead of the power of the members of a household to impress their own individuality upon their home being lessened by this extension of the architect's influence1 it would be greatly increased4 ,the architect who is worth anything will always design a house which will fit any particular client much better than would any house he could possibly find not designed for him3 and of furniture1 fittings and decoration1 and all else belonging to a house1 this is also true4 ,the client wanting a piece of furniture1 can otherwise only select1 from those offered for sale in the shops1 that which will most nearly fill the place of something designed specially to meet his requirements4 ,his own taste and individuality can have no influence upon it whatever2 no say in the form it shall take2 this has been decided for him by a designer to whom he probably never gives a thought4 ,but if his architect designs something to fit him his house1 the client can make his own taste felt from the beginning2 he can make known to his architect his own personality1 habits1 and feeling2 and have some chance of getting what will accord with these and moreover be in proper relation with the whole4 ,it is not a question whether he shall have things to his own design or to that of another3 this would be a different matter altogether3 the question is3 ,shall he have things designed to fit in with him and his requirements1 or do the best he can with what chance may offer him8 ,it has struck me as very wonderful how good a result has in rare instances been attained by one of true artistic feeling through long years of careful watchfulness making the most of such opportunities as came in his way of picking up gathering round him--often in a house which has not a redeeming characteristic--furniture and decoration which his own taste has told him are good and reasonably congruous4 ,but ,i have always felt3 ,what would not this man have made of it if he had been able to have some influence upon the design for the house and the things in it6 ,by choosing an architect capable of sympathy with his own artistic feeling1 he could have done more at the very outset towards procuring a fitting setting for himself and his life1 than he has been able to do by all his care and thought in selection4 ,that they who lack taste will also stamp their own individuality on the house they live in1 no matter how extended has been the architect's province1 we know to our cost to be only too true4 ,all here know that the only right way to go to work to design anything is to give it that form which will best enable it to fulfil its functions1 that form which is best adapted to the methods by which it is to be produced1 at the same time giving it the most beautiful form consistent with explaining these conditions of purpose and construction3 and ,i contend further that to gain artistic success the position it is to occupy must also be taken into consideration2 it must be designed for its place2 and1 to get the best result1 its place must even be designed for it4 ,socially morally and artistically one of the most necessary reforms to-day is that we should simplify our lives2 we should shake ourselves free from all this hampering web of artificialities in which we have become so degradingly entangled3 and in our homes we must make this possible for ourselves by first sweeping away all these fussy substitutes for ornament1 all these supposed indications and requirements of refinement4 ,then1 when we have done this1 we must set ourselves to make those things which are necessary and helpful to real life and true refinement also beautiful4 ,but have you ever seen the ordinary room with nothing but the bare necessaries of educated and refined life in it8 ,i can assure you the effect is not comfortable4 ,and it is not to be wondered at that people condemned to live in such rooms should try to supplement their baldness by all sorts of added ornament and bric--brac4 ,some time ago a picture dealer was looking at some of our designs for rooms1 and he said3 8,yes1 but it cannot be expected that ,i should admire them4 ,you1 and those who follow your teaching are the worst enemies ,i have4 ,i want people to have houses of the ordinary type1 that they may always be trying in vain to make something of them1 by patiently buying buying in the hope that by adding first this then that some approach to a satisfactory result may be obtained4 ,each of these rooms is in itself a complete and satisfactory whole3 there is no temptation to add anything40 ,lest the foregoing should give any the impression that ,i do not find places for pictures1 ,i will let this bring me to what sooner or later this evening ,i shall be called upon to justify myself in1 namely1 the amount of realism ,i admit in a picture to which ,i accord a place as an element of decoration4 ,i hold that the degree of conventionalisation justifiably demanded in any decoration is only such as is necessitated by the following3 ,the limitations of the materials and the processes by which it is to be produced2 a just appreciation of the special beauties of these materials and characteristics of these processes2 and a full recognition of its proper relations to all by which it will be surrounded1 and with which it is to be combined as a component part of an architectural whole4 ,there is no need for adding any further artificial restrictions4 ,but as a legitimate reason for convention ,i would add a perfectly frank acknowledgment of considerations of economy4 ,if you use one process in preference to another because it is less costly1 there is no occasion to disguise this4 ,but1 spite of the convention justified by this needful economy1 seek to retain something of the effect which the motif that gave the inspiration had upon you4 ,the easel picture hung on the walls of our houses is certainly unsatisfactory2 that it is only more so when hung on the walls of an exhibition all will admit3 but that all the advance we have made in our power to represent nature in realistic portraiture is in the wrong direction we cannot admit4 ,we may insist that our easel pictures shall be regarded as complete in themselves1 and thought of as detached dissociated from all that surrounds them2 but this is demanding an impossibility3 they must form part of a whole4 ,we find the easel picture is less unsatisfactory if we do nothing more for it than consider its frame1 the colour scheme of its setting and surroundings with relation to it3 give it a definite place made for it1 and it is better still4 ,but let us add to all its other dignity this too1 that it fulfils all the demands made upon it in its capacity as an element of decoration1 and it will be by so much the greater4 ,the imaginative picture1 or the picture giving a bit of nature with her mood1 and having something of the effect upon one the real scene would have1 only gains by being at the same time also decorative4 ,and it is equally true that if decoration1 by the suggestion of a beautiful scene1 can also have upon us something of the uplifting effect such a scene would have1 as a decoration it is finer4 ,do not let us have convention pure and simple4 ,if we are to retain all that art has gained in the development of the easel picture1 we must face the problem fairly1 not shirk it4 ,let us first have something which we feel to be really beautiful1 and then let us suffer it to undergo only such conventionalisation as is dictated naturally by the conditions and processes of its production1 the limitations of the materials from which it is to be created1 and a true feeling for fitness2 never losing sight of the essential elements of the beauty of our motif and the factors in creating that beauty1 and sacrificing nothing we can help of its meaning and charm4 ,,barry ,,parker4 ,,of ,,furniture4 ,part #b4 ,there is one point touched upon by ,mr4 ,parker in his paper1 about which ,i should like to say a few words3 ,i refer to the question of simplicity in furnishing4 ,i feel that in showing to an assembly of art workers many of the illustrations which we wish to show1 some further explanation on this point is due4 ,there may be rooms required for state purposes in the palaces of kings or the mansions of the great1 which call for elaborate very ornate furnishing3 such ,i do not propose now to consider4 ,i would refer rather to the homes of average middle-class people1 where this style of furnishing would be out of place4 ,such people have usually thought it necessary for their houses to contain several sitting-rooms1 calling them dining-room1 drawing-room1 and breakfast-room1 although the means at the disposal of the great majority would not allow three decent rooms2 and the desired number could only be obtained by reducing them all to tiny box-like chambers1 not one of them large enough to make a comfortable living apartment4 ,from this supposed necessity has sprung the typical modern suburban residence1 which consists of a series of these small box-like chambers more or less cleverly fitted together2 while to meet the demand thus caused1 we find the warehouses filled with ready-made furniture1 supposed to be suitable to these rooms1 inscribed 8drawing-room suite10 8dining-room suite10 and so on4 ,these also ,i will not consider2 they have no interest1 no actual touch on life4 ,such houses and the furniture which is made for them are no more fitted to the lives of nine out of ten middle-class families than would be the old hall and solar of the middle ages with their rude fittings4 ,my contention is that the great majority of middle-class families live in one sitting-room4 ,it is even pathetic to watch their attempts to do this in houses which seem specially designed to make it as difficult as possible4 ,many make the dining-room serve them for a living-room1 wasting the best room in the house by keeping it vacant1 except on more or less state occasions2 others live in the drawing-room1 taking their meals only in the dining-room4 ,but whatever the arrangement1 they all alike seem to be hampered for want of a good comfortable living-room designed and furnished as such4 ,i want specially to speak of rooms of this class1 in the designing and furnishing of which we are at once brought into touch with the daily life of the household1 and have scope to consider and meet their actual requirements4 ,in such a room1 if they possessed it1 most families would take some at any rate of their meals2 suitable table and seats must therefore be provided1 with something of the nature of a sideboard or dresser to hold the many accessories which are most conveniently kept in the room4 ,the ladies would do their work here and should have cupboards or other provision for their numerous apparatus4 ,a piano and place to keep music will generally need providing2 while book shelves1 cupboards or drawers for newspapers and magazines1 will be required2 and some kind of writing table or bureau properly fitted to contain the household stationery business papers would mostly be a great boon4 ,the room too should have cosy seats1 and something in the way of a sofa or settle as the family will sit and rest here2 and these must be comfortably placed in relation to the fire1 door1 and windows4 ,a place would not uncommonly have to be found for children to spend at any rate part of the day1 which implies a toy drawer and some space for play4 ,it is of course only in the smaller middle-class house--which by the way is numerically far the most important--that the whole of the family life is carried on in one sitting-room3 but the need of a good living-room is none the less felt in many a larger house where the means of the occupants will allow of their having more rooms than one in regular use4 ,in such houses some of the functions of the living room will no doubt be provided for separately4 ,there will be a nursery or play-room for the bairns in one house2 a special room for meals in another3 in one1 afternoon callers will be received in a boudoir2 in another1 a study or library will be set apart for more studious pursuits2 while the tastes of some families may demand a room set apart for music4 ,but whatever rooms may be added1 still1 in the great majority of cases1 there will be needed one to serve as a general living-room4 ,just as in the middle ages the great hall was the centre of the house1 all the other chambers clustering round and being subordinate to it2 so in the modern middle class house a good living room is the first essential1 and all the other rooms should be considered in relation to it4 ,this living room requires furniture and fittings specially suited to its various functions1 and its requirements can no more be met by a suite of dining-room or drawing-room furniture than they could by a set of kitchen things4 ,if we remember that large numbers of such houses as we are speaking of are worked with one servant1 and the majority with not more than two2 it will be obvious that this room1 which in so many cases will be used for an early breakfast1 must be so arranged that it can be easily and quickly cleaned4 ,if we consider further the great number of articles that must be kept handy in such a room1 to say nothing of the people themselves who are to occupy it--for whom after all the room exists1 and as a back-ground for whose life it alone has any reason for being--it will be evident that the furniture cannot well be too simple4 ,if the result is not to become a crowded jumble1 ample allowance must be made1 in considering the decorations and furnishing1 for the life that is to come into the room1 and for the hundred and one articles which we may call the implements of such life4 ,these of themselves must form a large element1 good or bad1 in the decoration of a room2 and could they all be obtained graceful and beautiful1 there would be a liberal supply of ornament4 ,but this is one of the greatest difficulties2 for1 while it is possible to find beautiful plaster-work1 carving1 gesso panels1 and so forth1 it is almost impossible to obtain the necessary implements of life even tolerably elegant4 ,in vain do we seek to make a room look beautiful by the elaboration of its decoration and furniture1 irrespective of all that goes to make up the life that will be lived in it4 ,the successful room is the one which looks well with all the life in it1 not the one which looks its best before it is occupied4 ,it is only by making proper allowance for this life that a living room can be made to look well4 ,great simplicity is needed in the treatment of a room which may so soon become crowded and restless2 but which may also1 if properly treated1 be more charming and homelike than any other1 just because it is so full of life and the evidences of life--a decoration after all by no means to be despised4 ,,raymond ,,unwin4 ,,building ,,natural ,,beauty4 ,around the cottage ,i live in there is a large rookery1 spreading over many trees which form a small wood on the hillside4 ,last year a pair of rooks began to build a nest in a beech-tree that stands by the cottage3 they chose a large bough over-hanging the road1 quite away from the general colony1 and in a very prominent position4 ,this was evidently the cause of great annoyance to the black-coated community1 who again and again destroyed the half-built nest4 ,the enterprising pair maintained their position however2 and after some weeks of contention got the nest completed1 by working in turns1 one mounting guard while the other fetched the twigs4 ,they reared their family without further molestation1 so far as ,i could observe2 but this spring the first thing the rooks did was to destroy the last remnants of the nest left by the winter storms4 ,this interesting little episode of rook life set me musing as to why the community should object to this nest4 ,i could only suppose that its isolated and prominent position offended their sense of the general fitness of things1 and that they wished to guard against the first beginnings of 8,suburban ,villadom40 ,if so1 we must ,i think commend alike their good sense and their good taste4 ,for there is nothing which it seems more hopeless to harmonize with natural scenery than the modern town suburb4 ,we find plenty of cities1 towns1 and villages1 castles1 mansions1 and cottages1 which are a joy in the landscape2 but when a modern town begins to sprawl its squalor or its suburban gentility out into the fields1 what desecration of scenery follows6 ,most people feel this without realising the cause very fully4 ,but if we look for it1 we shall find that modern suburbs specially offend in coming between the town and the country2 so that1 however the city may be fitted to beautify the landscape1 we cannot see it from the fields2 nor can we catch a refreshing glimpse of the cool green hillside from amidst our busy streets4 ,for between lie miles of jerry cottages built in rows1 or acres of ill-assorted villas1 each set in a scrap of so-called landscape garden4 ,in the old towns which we admire when we chance to come on them1 we notice that the country comes up clean and fresh right to the point where the town proper begins3 and it does begin indeed3 honest town1 confessed1 which does not seek to look half-countrified4 ,in the oldest cities we sometimes find a wall with the country coming right up to the gates1 which adds to this effect4 ,in old times all the townspeople lived in the town1 and tried to make it comely as a town2 and when this was done it generally looked pleasing in the landscape4 ,it was possible to get most charming peeps of country from its streets--framed in perhaps with an old gateway1 or with some decent town buildings4 ,of our modern citizens1 all who can afford it live outside the town1 removed from those who work to make them wealthy4 ,hence they lose interest in the town as a dwelling-place1 and we get a great central business quarter1 surrounded by the residential suburbs containing only poor town buildings or nondescript half-country dwellings4 ,it is not however with suburbs only that we spoil scenery2 in isolated buildings1 or groups of buildings1 we very often put up what is offensive to the lover of country2 and it will ,i think be both interesting and useful to enquire a little further why the buildings which our forefathers put up mostly adorn a landscape1 while our own erections so frequently spoil it4 ,much of the charm of old buildings is no doubt due to the kindly hand of ,time1 which not only heals the scars that man makes on the earth1 but tones down the raw surfaces1 and softens the hard lines and colours of anything he may build4 ,but not to ,father ,time can we give all the credit4 ,it will be more than he can do1 ,i think1 to make our modern suburbs look as beautiful1 as fitting in the scenery1 as many an old city or country town does4 ,apart from the question of beauty in the style of building1 which of course is an obvious factor of great influence1 there are a few more easily understood reasons for the difference between old and new4 ,if we take for example their position3 do not old houses and villages generally seem to nestle in a valley1 under a hill1 or by the edge of a wood or copse1 and both by their placing and style convey the idea of shelter and retreat8 ,sometimes this characteristic was carried so far1 that we find houses placed so as to get little or no view4 ,but they were built for busy people who lived mainly out of doors1 and returned to their shelter at night as the rooks come home to roost4 ,too often now we place a building so as to strike a note of defiance with surrounding nature4 ,the thing stands out hard and prominent in the landscape2 shouts at you across the valley2 and through not co-operating with the scene1 fails to convey anything of that sense of nestling in a fitting nook1 or on an appropriate ledge--that sheltering under ,nature's wing as it were--which makes a building look really at home4 ,then1 too1 does not the old building seem almost to grow out of the ground on which it stands8 ,built of the local stone2 roofed with material common to the district--thatch1 stone shingles1 or grey slates1 perhaps2 harmonizing in colour with the rocks and soil2 it is as appropriate to the earth on which it rests1 as the twig built nest of the rook is to the tree top on which it sways so lightly and yet so securely4 ,as we pass from county to county1 rejoicing in the unspoilt bits of old villages and towns1 we cannot but notice how much of the restful quiet beauty is due to the general harmony4 ,we see the grey stone-roofed village of ,yorkshire and ,derbyshire1 so quietly fitting to the country of rocks and stone walls2 the green slate of ,cumberland and ,westmoreland1 that country of bright colouring2 the thatch of ,shropshire or ,somerset1 always cosy and homely looking1 whether on the timber-framed building or on the whitewashed cottage2 or again1 the purple slates of ,north ,wales1 unobtrusive among the dark blue shadows of her towering peaks1 and fitly covering in the cottage whose walls are of rough slabs of the same slate4 ,the red tile1 too1 coloured with the iron which tints the soil1 more widely distributed and in greater variety than any of the roof coverings1 though not exactly a natural product only needs to be clothed with the golden green of the lichen to look as much at home as any of the rest3 we know it well in ,staffordshire1 and to think of ,whitby without its red roofs is to realise at once what beauty it can give to a scene4 ,each of these roof coverings has a special beauty of its own2 some look well almost anywhere2 but we do not always realise how much of roofs we see in a landscape1 or to what extent the restful charm of old places springs from their harmony with surroundings and the general prevalence of one material in the district4 ,our fathers were not tempted as we are in this4 ,they had to use the local material and to stick to it4 ,there were no railways in their time carrying blue slates to ,whitby1 or red tiles to ,north ,wales4 ,now all these materials are brought to our doors1 and the builder chooses each according to his own fad2 and so we get all sorts of materials and colours hopelessly jumbled up together1 with no thought of general harmony4 ,our manufactured materials too are less beautiful4 ,our tiles by perfect machinery are made so true and flat that a modern tile roof looks as though it had been ironed with a polishing iron1 like a shirt front4 ,and both our tiles and bricks tend to become so hard and forbidding that no kindly lichen will clothe them1 no wind and rain soften and tone them4 ,it gives one something of a shock to see the delicate clematis and the clinging ivy struggling with a wall which1 after twenty or thirty years1 still looks as hard and new as the day it was built4 ,the old tiles were a little curled in burning1 and had a surface rough enough to afford lodgment for moss and lichen2 and so the lines were less hard1 and the newness of surface and colour soon mellowed into all sorts of lovely shades4 ,many an old building that has little pretension to fine architecture1 yet adorns a scene of natural beauty by its simple fitness of design1 where a modern one would probably spoil it4 ,such design was the outcome of a natural effort to get the most use and convenience out of materials thoroughly known4 ,hence a general suitability is found between design and material1 and an obvious connection between quaint features and the want that has called them into being4 ,look at the plainest old four-square thatched cottage1 and there will nearly always be some interest in the way the thatch has been coaxed up over a window1 or a ridge worked to avoid a chimney gutter1 which redeems it from baldness4 ,the same skilful handling of tiles is found in all real tile districts2 and so we find many picturesque gables1 which we should miss in a country of slates or stone shingles4 ,there is on all hands evidence of a willingness to give labour without stint2 to do a job well and a bit more2 to linger over it1 and see if a little more work here and there would not improve the look4 ,in fact1 we read in these old buildings1 as in an open book1 of a simple workman who was something of an artist1 one who could take pleasure in his work1 finding joy in the perfection of what he created1 and delight in its comeliness4 ,whenever we again raise up such an army of builders1 working at their trades with the pleasure of artists1 then will all buildings become as beautiful as of old2 then will it be possible for such workmen1 co-operating with a true architect or master builder1 to raise fine architecture1 like our old cathedrals and abbeys4 ,no effort of office-trained architects1 with workmen whose chief interest on the job is to find #8knocking-off time1' can ever take the place of the co-operation between real craftsmen under the leadership of the most able among them3 for it is to this that we owe most of the building that we can truly say adorns our country4 ,,raymond ,,unwin4 ,,co-,,operation ,,in ,,building4 ,as beautiful as an old ,english village40 ,the phrase arrests our attention and calls up many a pleasant picture stored in our minds2 but with the remembered beauty there comes too the associated sadness of something loved that is fast passing away4 ,the picture we recall may be the view down some long wide village street bordered with clusters of cottages1 some opening direct on to the roadside1 some with their bright bits of flower border in front2 here and there a break in the buildings is marked with the dark foliage of trees in a larger garden2 a dignified forecourt with its iron railings reveals an old manor house1 or a gate-way in a high wall overhung by elms leads to the vicarage2 while at the street end where the road turns away is the lich-gate1 leading to the church whose parapetted roof and slender spire rising far above all the surrounding buildings complete the whole group4 ,or maybe we picture to ourselves rather some village green1 with the rows of sunny whitewashed houses1 the barns and haystacks of an occasional farmyard1 the end of an orchard1 and the village school1 that are gathered round it4 ,in such views as these there are houses and buildings of all sizes3 the hut in which the old road-mender lives by himself1 the inn with its ancient sign1 the prosperous yeoman's homestead1 the blacksmith's house and forge1 the squire's hall1 the vicarage1 and the doctor's house1 are all seemingly jumbled together2 and mingled with them are barns and village shops1 wood-yards and wheel-wrights' sheds4 ,yet there is no sense of confusion2 on the contrary the scene gives us that peaceful feeling which comes from the perception of orderly arrangement4 ,this is the more surprising because the order is rather intuitively felt than seen or consciously realised by the beholder4 ,it is due very largely to the beautiful grouping of buildings and roofs1 a grouping which has come so inevitably that it seems as if it would be somewhat difficult to avoid it1 or to utterly spoil it4 ,certainly where many buildings of various characters and sizes are gathered together1 as in a village1 a picturesqueness of grouping is rarely absent even when the individual buildings have in themselves no special beauty2 and very often the introduction of one or two really ugly modern buildings detracts little from this particular charm4 ,the village was the expression of a small corporate life in which all the different units were personally in touch with each other1 conscious of and frankly accepting their relations1 and on the whole content with them4 ,this relationship reveals itself in the feeling of order which the view induces4 ,every building honestly confesses just what it is1 and so falls into its place4 ,the smallest cottage has its share of the village street on to which the manor house also fronts4 ,it is content with that share and with its condition1 and does not try to look like a villa4 ,it is this crystallisation of the elements of the village in accordance with a definitely organized life of mutual relations1 respect or service1 which gives the appearance of being an organic whole1 the home of a community1 to what would otherwise be a mere conglomeration of buildings4 ,this effect is greatly enhanced where the central feature around which the village has clustered1 the church1 castle1 or manor house1 is of sufficient size and architectural interest to challenge comparison with the whole village rather than with the individual houses4 ,the impressive pile of the old ,priory as seen across the valley towering above all the other grey roofed buildings of the little town of ,cartmel1 is a fine example of this4 ,the sense of unity is further increased in most old villages by a general harmony in colour and style of the buildings themselves1 due to the prevalent use of certain materials1 which are usually those found in the district4 ,in the modern building-estate all these elements of beauty are entirely wanting4 ,the land is cut up into little plots all about the same size2 these are sold to a chance collection of people who erect on them houses of any conceivable style1 or lack of style2 each deals with his own plot quite regardless of the others2 and every house seems to be wishing to dissociate itself as much as possible from its neighbours1 to look as distinct and imposing as it can4 ,ground enough not being allowed for each house to stand comfortably within its plot1 such separation as exists only makes it possible for every house to block the view from some other1 and easy for the occupants to over-look their neighbours and realise their near presence all round to a maximum extent4 ,no grouping of buildings is thought of nor any organized arrangement1 beyond occasionally some feeble attempt at laying out streets2 and it is rarely indeed that we seem able to erect a public building of any sort at all in scale with the extent of the surrounding houses4 ,to compensate for the loss of the interest springing from variety of grouping1 a loss specially evident in the old-fashioned four-square suburban villa1 an attempt is now mostly made to introduce some special features into each individual house1 and so to create an artificial picturesqueness4 ,this is not uncommonly done by needlessly cutting up the roof with turrets from which there is no outlook1 or gables which serve no purpose except to provide an excuse for a little black and white half-timber work4 ,a street of such houses is however even less satisfactory than one of the old square box houses1 in that it is more artificial1 and lacks a certain element of dignity which its predecessor often acquired from its very simplicity4 ,in short1 around all our towns are spread patches of villadom of the beauty of which no one can cherish any memories1 but the ugliness of which causes them to be regarded by many with a cordial hatred2 so much so that to the lover of natural scenery the commencement of a new house is regarded as a sure sign of the coming destruction of the old beauty4 ,modern conditions of life and work are not conducive to the production of great architecture1 and it seems probable that we shall have to await some change in these conditions before much that is really fine in building will be accomplished4 ,but in the simpler buildings required for domestic purposes there are marked signs of improvement4 ,already a few architects are meeting our wants without affectation or pedantry1 but with simple directness and honesty of construction1 and are producing individual buildings of great beauty2 but so long as these remain isolated examples1 mere units in a chance collection1 they can do little to help the whole effect4 ,the various buildings must be brought into harmonious relations one with another2 the suburb or settlement must be conceived in some broader spirit and developed in relation to a definite idea of the whole1 if any improvement is to be effected4 ,we cannot of course put back the hands of time1 nor can we re-create the spirit which built the old churches that crown so many villages4 ,the relationships of feudalism have gone1 and democracy has yet to evolve some definite relationships of its own1 which when they come will doubtless be as picturesque as the old forms4 ,but allowing full force to these disadvantages1 we could1 if we really desired it1 even now so arrange a new building site that it should not be an actual eye-sore1 and might manage that it should have some little of the charm of the old village4 ,thanks to the growth of taste among all classes of people there is springing up a demand for something of the kind4 ,in all the large towns are numbers of people who hate the ugly dreary life that they are condemned to live in them1 who love the country and country life1 and who will travel long distances to and from their work that they may be able to enjoy them4 ,these people do not want to live in isolated houses1 out of sight of their neighbours2 they are townspeople of sociable instincts3 but neither do they desire to live in a mere extension of the fringe of the town4 ,what they really want are country villages1 little centres of life large enough and varied enough to give them interesting human society and a few of the more necessary comforts of modern life1 such as a post office1 a railway station1 efficient drainage and water supply4 ,these people have many common interests1 much that all would wish to preserve in a new home1 as1 for example1 fresh air1 and an open view of country that cannot readily be spoilt4 ,just such an amount of associated action as would ensure these advantages for them all1 would suffice to give the sense of cohesion to the whole settlement which is so lamentably wanting when each struggles ineffectually to secure as much as he can of them for himself alone4 ,with some co-operation the maximum of these advantages could be obtained for every individual house1 be it large or small2 without it none but those rich enough to purchase a large tract of country for themselves can be secure of even a limited share of them4 ,within easy reach of large towns1 estates farms are constantly changing hands at prices little above their value as agricultural land4 ,frequently we find the enterprising purchaser takes advantage of the demand for country homes3 he spends a few hundred pounds in developing his purchase as a building estate1 by making roads and laying drains2 then he cuts it up into small plots and sells it at three1 five1 or even ten times the rate at which he bought it4 ,if a few of those who wish to secure a country home were to purchase such an estate or farm among them1 they could get all the advantage of cheap land themselves4 ,if they were then to develop the site on co-operative lines1 they could obtain many other equally solid advantages4 ,the houses could be grouped together and so arranged that each would obtain a sunny aspect and an open outlook2 and portions of the land could be reserved for ever from being built upon to secure these views4 ,sidenote3 ,see plates #aa1 #ch and #ci4 ,the arrangement that should be adopted to obtain the best result1 would depend entirely on the nature of the site4 ,if it were on the ridge of some rising ground1 probably the best plan would be to group the houses at each side of a good broad roadway1 taking the wide village street as the suggestion2 while on a good southern slope1 the most successful plan might be to gather the houses and other buildings on three sides of an open space1 adopting the village green as the model4 ,where the site was large enough1 and the slope sufficient1 a second green with its houses could be arranged1 low enough not to obstruct the view from the upper one2 or where two sides of a valley were included1 villages might be placed on each of the slopes1 leaving the valley below for ever free to afford a pleasant prospect for each village4 ,the particular arrangement to be adopted would be a matter for most careful thought1 and no building should be commenced until some definite conception of what the completed village was to be like had been worked out4 ,the sites for prospective schools1 church1 or other public buildings1 should be reserved from the first1 in accordance with the size to which the available land would allow the community to grow4 ,the houses should be clustered together as much as possible1 not set villa-wise each in the centre of a little plot4 ,some few houses of wealthier members could stand back in larger grounds1 taking advantage of outlying positions or sharing in the common outlook as seemed best3 their gardens and entrances would make pleasant openings in the buildings4 ,but the majority of the houses should be gathered into groups1 which would inevitably acquire picturesqueness from the variety both in size and form of the buildings4 ,a good number of the houses too might be open to the road or green4 ,the unfenced common coming right up to one's doorstep1 always gives a charming sense of openness whether viewed from within or from without2 a sense in no way diminished by the contrast that occasional fenced gardens or forecourts offer where the houses are set back somewhat4 ,all sorts of individual tastes and needs would afford opportunity for obtaining variety3 the one thing to be avoided at all costs would be the producing of anything like a street of detached villas4 ,the common insatiable desire for detachment is very remarkable2 it appears to arise mainly from a resigned acceptance of the jerry builder's party wall as the inevitable one4 ,everyone suspects a party wall1 looks to hear through it his neighbour's child in the dead of night1 or his piano on a ,sunday afternoon4 ,guarantee a sound-proof party wall1 and few will be able to give any valid reason why there should be from ten to fifty feet of useless ground between every two houses4 ,in a properly built house1 one is really much less conscious of one's neighbour1 and much less over-looked by him1 if his house is attached1 than if it is a few yards away4 ,where it is desired1 however1 many minor devices1 such as a highly walled garden or a covered-in yard1 may be used with effect to increase the number of separate houses without destroying the grouping4 ,artistically1 the success of the plan would depend largely on the clustering of the buildings1 the avoidance of mere rows on the one hand and of detached villas on the other4 ,but1 in addition1 some controlling influence must maintain a certain degree of harmony4 ,the use of local materials as far as possible should be encouraged1 and the introduction of discordant colours or styles of building be prevented4 ,the extremest degree of simplicity should be allowed1 but anything pretentious1 showy1 or false1 be rigidly excluded4 ,probably this general control could be best secured by giving to some architect in full sympathy with the scheme powers similar to those usually possessed by the agent of a large ground landlord1 though exercised in the latter case more often to maintain the value of the property than its beauty4 ,the question of design in the individual building is one that cannot be touched on here1 though obviously a matter of vital importance to the degree of beauty attainable2 rather ,i seek to emphasize the great advance which is possible to us by a right use of such taste and designing ability as may be readily commanded to-day4 ,so soon as the desire for some collective beauty in our buildings has been stimulated1 the chief difficulty will have been overcome4 ,if by some little co-operation we can arouse interest and pride in the matter1 time will develop that collective appreciation of what is fitting1 to which we must look for final success4 ,sidenote3 ,see plates #cf and #ch4 ,association for mutual help in various ways is undoubtedly the growing influence which is destined to bring to communities that crystalline structure which was so marked a feature of feudal society1 and the lack of which is so characteristic of our own4 ,when our new settlements begin to feel this influence they will again take on some of the unity which comes from organic growth4 ,and as this influence increases in force1 and interest and thought become more and more centred in the communal institutions and buildings1 so will these begin to grow in beauty2 for the people will wish to adorn them4 ,the beauty of the village and its public buildings will then become a first consideration1 and the pride of the inhabitants will be displayed in these1 not in the aggressive elaboration of their own houses4 ,there is the more hope of this because the practical advantages to be derived from such co-operation as suggested1 are so great and obvious as to form just such a reliable basis of utility as is required for the healthy growth of art4 ,without going fully into this side of the question1 a few of the more obvious directions in which co-operation could help people of limited means1 after they had associated for the purpose of purchasing and developing their settlement1 may be referred to4 ,the improvement and use of the land not required for building purposes1 by draining1 planting of fruit trees1 or the erection of a suitable dairy1 would be one of the first and most important of these2 this would secure a good supply of pure milk and fresh farm produce1 and at the same time allow the open ground to be enjoyed to the full for recreative purposes4 ,a laundry would be another enterprise specially easy to organize on co-operative lines1 and even in a village too small to support a fully staffed laundry1 it would make all the difference if everyone could have the advantage of a well appointed wash-house instead of having to use the ordinary inconvenient cramped scullery with no proper appliances4 ,in a community where several business men daily journeyed to the town1 a co-operative conveyance to and from the station could be arranged in connection with the farm1 as could also the general carriage and cartage requirements4 ,in providing education for the young and recreation for all1 association would be invaluable2 while it could easily be used as a means of buying1 on advantageous terms1 in large quantities1 commodities which cannot economically be obtained in the country in small quantities1 and of securing many valuable services for all which would be out of the reach of individuals4 ,it is of course not necessary that the first steps towards the development of such a building scheme should be taken by the prospective tenants4 ,a landowner might well work on this line2 he would find in it a means of adding greatly to the value of estates which might not be available for an ordinary building scheme4 ,if he would lay out a plot of land and offer to all comers a site of such size as they wanted with sufficient open land between them and any future buildings that might block their view secured by perpetual guarantee1 he would get plenty of applications even in positions that are not the most favourable4 ,he could also1 by building some houses of various sizes and carefully grouping them1 give an example of the sort of building he would encourage1 which would soon be followed4 ,by retaining some control of plans for buildings to be carried out by others on his land1 he would be able to secure a general harmony and a consistent development4 ,he could too enlist the interest of his tenants or purchasers in the growth of the colony1 and foster among them co-operative effort in that direction4 ,on the same lines1 also1 the state or municipal landlord might relieve the over-crowding in towns by developing hamlets and villages in the out-lying districts wherever they had1 or could get1 suitable land4 ,and even in the towns and immediately surrounding suburbs1 much might be done to remove the dreary ugliness of the streets by the use of co-operation in building1 and by the fostering of it in the occupants of the houses4 ,the arrangement would need to be different for a town or suburb1 where land would be costly1 from that suggested for a village4 ,for just as the price of land in the centre of cities regulates to a large extent the height to which it is profitable to carry up the buildings1 so on the outskirts it must determine the area of land that can be allowed to each house4 ,by co-operation it may be secured1 however1 that all the land which can be afforded shall be available to give air and outlook to all alike1 while its actual occupation can be reserved for those who really want a garden4 ,sidenote3 ,see plates #f to #aj1 also #cd and #ce4 ,in the country we have seen how co-operation could give back to us some of the picturesqueness of old villages4 ,in the same way it would add character and dignity to our towns1 even to rows of cottages4 ,what more satisfactory town buildings could one desire than some of the old colleges8 ,yet these consist primarily of rows of small tenements grouped round quadrangles or gardens with certain common rooms attached4 ,the hall1 the chapel1 and the gatehouse1 are prominent features2 while the cloisters1 where such exist1 affording covered ways from the tenements to the common rooms1 help to give a sense of unity to the whole4 ,why should not cottages be grouped into quadrangles1 having all the available land in a square in the centre8 ,some of the space so often wasted in a useless front parlour in each cottage1 could be used to form instead a ,common ,room1 in which a fire might always be burning in an evening1 where comfort for social intercourse1 for reading1 or writing1 could always be found4 ,such a room could be used also for music general recreation1 and might add much colour to the lives of all those who frequented it4 ,to this ,common ,room could be added a laundry and drying-room fitted with a few modern appliances which would not only reduce by half the labour and time occupied in the weekly wash1 but would take the bulky copper and mangle out of each cottage1 and relieve them all of the unpleasantness of the steam and the encumbrance of the drying clothes4 ,in connection with this a bath-room could be arranged for groups of the smallest cottages1 while the growth of co-operation would soon bring the common bakehouse and kitchen4 ,from this to the preparation of meals and the serving of them in the ,common ,room would be only a matter of time2 for the advantage of it is obvious4 ,instead of thirty or forty housewives preparing thirty or forty little scrap dinners1 heating a like number of ovens1 boiling thrice the number of pans cleaning them all up again1 two or three of them retained as cooks by the little settlement would do the whole1 and could give better and cheaper meals into the bargain4 ,it is not only to those who live in cottages that co-operation offers advantages4 ,from another class we hear much of the great servant difficulty4 ,hotels1 boarding houses1 and hydropathics1 are springing up in every direction to accommodate those who are seeking to escape from the worry of servants1 the trouble and expense of jerry-built houses1 and the endless small anxieties that go to the running of a separate establishment4 ,but hotels and boarding houses do not really meet the wants of this class4 ,what they need is some arrangement by which they could retain the privacy and individuality of a separate house1 while gaining the advantage1 which they have in a boarding house1 of properly organized service and skilled cooking4 ,these needs would be admirably met by groups of houses arranged to give ready access to a communal establishment1 where meals would be supplied1 laid either in the common dining room or in the private house as desired2 where the occasional use of commodious rooms could be obtained for entertaining purposes2 and from whence properly trained effective helps could be sent out daily1 for as long or as short a time as might be required1 to do all the domestic work of the separate houses1 or such part of it as the occupants might prefer not to do themselves4 ,such an establishment could readily be built and worked on co-operative lines1 giving many of the advantages of hotel life without entailing its disadvantages or its costliness4 ,the planning of the ,common ,rooms would require much thought and care4 ,on this would depend greatly the success of the co-operative effort4 ,the usual small meeting-room1 high1 four-square1 having a great deal of tawdry decoration1 but lacking anything whatever to give a sense of comfort or to add a bit of interest1 would be fatal4 ,high the rooms should be1 in parts1 sufficient to give air space and promote easy ventilation4 ,but there should be deep recesses or ingles with low ceilings1 places which by the contrast of their special cosiness should attract people to sit there4 ,if there could be a little gallery for the musicians1 a deep balcony overlooking the street or the gardens for the smokers1 these would prove great attractions for which everyone would gladly dispense with the adornments usually thought necessary for public rooms3 though adornments of a more interesting character there well might be1 and undoubtedly would be1 when people came to appreciate their ,common ,rooms4 ,as such co-operative quadrangles multiplied1 the necessary variety to suit different habits of life would arise2 for even those composed of houses of similar size would become differentiated1 somewhat as different colleges in a university acquire a character for hard reading1 for athletics1 or for sport1 and each could choose according to his tastes4 ,the essential thing from the sthetic point of view is that there shall be enough co-operation to secure some grouping of buildings1 some centralising influence on them4 ,how different our streets would look if instead of the rows upon rows of dreary uninteresting cottages and hardly less dreary terraces of larger houses1 we could have blocks such as suggested4 ,some might be adorned with a colonnade facing the street1 and leading to the common rooms at the corner2 some might have a comely arched gateway into the court as a special feature1 through which1 as one passed1 a peep at the quadrangle1 tennis ground1 or garden1 would be obtained4 ,there need be nothing elaborate about such buildings4 ,quite simple cottages or houses1 with some variety of size to suit large and small families1 a little taste in proportioning doors1 windows1 and other details1 a little imagination in welding them into a complete whole--these would suffice to change our dreary streets into something1 the beauty and interest of which would be a constant source of pleasure4 ,architecture has always reflected the condition of the society in which it flourished1 being great in times of organisation1 and deteriorating in times of disintegration4 ,recently it has very clearly represented the inordinate desire for individual independence4 ,one sees terraces of houses1 each painted a different colour to try and emphasize their independence4 ,or one may find the gable end of a porch which is common to two villas1 painted half a bright green to match one house1 half a chocolate red to accord with the other4 ,these may be extreme instances1 but they are very typical of the length to which independence has been carried4 ,society is1 however1 now realising very fast that this independence is no end in itself1 and is only good in that it sets free the individuals to form new relationships based on mutual association4 ,this is already having its effect on architecture1 in that it is now not uncommon for the individual to make some effort to have his buildings made beautiful for the public to look at1 as well as convenient for himself3 the interest of the community in the matter is so far acknowledged4 ,very soon it will seem equally obvious that the relations of the separate buildings to each other should be considered1 and concerted effort be directed to the creation of streets with at least some unity and dignity of effect1 and settlements that1 if they may not have all the charm of the old ,english village1 shall at any rate look at home in their country surroundings4 ,,raymond ,,unwin4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,designing ,,small ,,houses ,,and ,,cottages4 ,by ,barry ,parker and ,raymond ,unwin4 ,a paper read by ,mr4 ,unwin before an audience of ,architects in ,january1 #aija4 ,in the domestic branch of architecture1 each commission presents to us a fresh problem1 full of human interest1 the right solution of which demands that we shall consider it from many points of view4 ,we must look upon the task primarily as the providing of a suitable setting for the life of our client and his family4 ,in this connection1 not only his actual wants but his ideals of life have to be taken thought of2 nor must we overlook our possible influence upon him through his house4 ,again1 each house appeals to us as a new creation of our art4 ,we are in much the same position as the portrait painter3 the likeness1 truly1 is that of the sitter1 but the interpretation of it1 the setting1 and the colour--in short1 the art of the picture--belong to the painter4 ,so1 too1 the house as a habitation belongs to and must satisfy the client1 while as a work of art it belongs to and must satisfy its designer4 ,in this matter we stand as guardians1 alike of our reputation and of the general interest of the public as beholders of the building4 ,the right of the public to be considered is much clearer than many seem to realize4 ,no one who might add to the joy of life by building something comely should add to its gloom by building what is ill-looking4 ,i do not anticipate that these considerations1 or those to which we shall presently come1 are new to you4 ,but it is probable that they would appeal to each one in a different order of relative importance1 so that in no two of us would our attitude towards the problem be exactly alike4 ,in no house can every advantage be obtained2 each must be somewhat of a compromise2 in each there must be a sacrificing of what we deem less important to secure what we esteem of greater value4 ,it follows that the variety of our attitude must produce individuality in the result4 ,when1 therefore1 you did me the honour to suggest that ,i should bring this subject before you1 ,i felt that the best response ,i could make would be to try to give you1 as from one fellow-workman to another1 some account of the way in which we approach our domestic work1 hoping1 that in comparing this1 and the results which we shall show1 with other methods and results1 you might find some little interest4 ,suppose then that we have received a commission for a dwelling house2 that we have made ourselves sufficiently acquainted with our new client's wishes1 his mode of life1 and habits1 by getting him to write to us very fully of everything he would like to be specially considered1 discussing points with him1 or visiting his home1 as circumstances may suggest2 and further1 that we have made full notes of all the instructions and information thus gathered for our own use2 the first thing is to visit the site and devote some time to thinking out the problem on the spot4 ,the site is the most important factor to be considered1 for it usually suggests both the internal arrangement and the external treatment4 ,if the site is a large one the position of the house upon it must first be determined4 ,in past times the house was regarded mainly as a shelter1 and this greatly influenced the choice of its position4 ,but we do not to-day so much build shelters for people who live out of doors1 as dwellings whence they may occasionally go forth4 ,a primary consideration then must be1 to so place the house as to afford its occupants the greatest possible enjoyment of such beauty of adjacent country or grandeur of distant view as the site can command4 ,while doing this1 however1 we must place and design the house in such a way that it shall not stand out as a disturbing excrescence1 but shall look at home in its site1 in harmony with its surroundings4 ,this consideration of the house as a detail in a larger picture will bring us to a determination of its general form1 its treatment and its colouring4 ,some positions demand a lofty building1 while others seem to suggest that it be kept as low as possible4 ,and in the country1 certainly1 the low house is more successful1 more in harmony with the scenery2 perhaps because it is suggestive more of man's dependence upon ,nature1 less of his defiance of her powers4 ,in the choice of materials and colouring1 harmony rather than strong contrast should be sought4 ,there is only one sure way of obtaining this at all generally1 which is1 of course1 to keep to local materials and local ways of using them4 ,at any rate ,i think we may lay it down that strong reasons of use or economy are needed to justify a departure from these4 ,where a departure is made1 let the contrast with what is usual in the district be as slight as may be4 ,we do not enough consider when we introduce for the first time into some valley a bright red roof1 how it will haunt the eye from every point of view1 and may go far towards marring the beauty of the whole scene by destroying its restfulness4 ,we should let the surroundings which are to constitute the picture suggest the colouring as well as the form of the new object we are about to introduce4 ,some definite scheme suitable to the position should be adopted1 and colours of paint and any enrichments made to contribute to it4 ,greatly as must the site influence the external treatment of the house1 its internal arrangement will be even more definitely dictated by it4 ,the position of each room in relation to the points of the compass the outlook should be determined on the spot4 ,it is now pretty generally realised that no sacrifice is too great which is necessary to enable us to bring plenty of sunshine into all the main living rooms4 ,in the ,south of ,england perhaps some moderation must be observed in applying this rule1 there being no inconsiderable number of days on which a too sunny room may become unbearably hot2 and1 where the size of the house will allow of it1 to have an east and west room is often a great boon4 ,but over the greater part of our country1 certainly in the ,midlands and the ,north1 the importance of arranging for the few days when the sun is oppressive is small indeed compared with that of planning to suit the many days when every hour of sunshine is of the utmost value4 ,the general rule1 then1 would seem to be1 so to contrive as to get the sunshine into a room at the time when it is most likely to be occupied4 ,let a study or breakfast-room be east or south-east1 a general living-room or drawing-room south and south-west4 ,a good western window in the room we most occupy during the latter part of the day1 gives us many an extra hour of daylight2 while the opportunity it affords us of habitually seeing the bright colour of sunset is a privilege which is worth some effort to obtain4 ,a kitchen is best north-east or east1 for the first coming down into the fireless house may well have its cheerlessness reduced for the servants by what sunshine is to be had at an early hour2 later in the day1 when the kitchen is hot with cooking1 the heat of the sun should not be added4 ,a bath-room and bedrooms1 too1 are pleasant with an eastern aspect1 though some cannot sleep in a room into which early sunshine can come4 ,next only in importance to such considerations of aspect1 and certainly important enough to modify them somewhat1 is the question of prospect2 for a pleasant outlook is a boon only less great than a sunny aspect4 ,we must not ignore a fine view even when it can only be had to the north1 and much less must we allow any trivial conventions1 like the old commonly accepted idea that the front of the house should be to the road1 to betray us into sacrificing such solid advantages as sunshine and a pleasant view4 ,in fact1 to produce a good plan1 one should go to the site without any preconceived conventions1 but with a quite open mind1 prepared to think out each fresh problem on the spot from the beginning1 and to receive all the suggestions the site can offer4 ,i hope you will pardon me if ,i seem to insist unduly on the importance of so elementary a principle as that of building to suit each site4 ,but one sees the principle so commonly disregarded that it is needful to emphasize it4 ,not only do we find houses perched uncomfortably on the shoulder of a hill1 or thrust into prominence one way or another regardless of their effect on their surroundings2 but1 in arrangement1 the disregard of the site is carried so far that semi-detached houses are even built with their plans just reversed1 so that a plan designed for the north end is made to serve for the south1 or one arranged to suit the east side allowed to pass for the west4 ,before leaving the site one should be able to carry away not only detailed notes of drainage1 water supply1 levels1 fine trees1 views and aspects1 but also a general idea as to the best arrangement of the rooms of the new house1 an ideal plan to be aimed at1 and a sort of mental sketch in block of the general form the new creation should take externally4 ,it would be only tedious to you if ,i were to go through all the items of a house1 trying to deal with them in a general way4 ,i will therefore now take one or two definite examples1 and explain how and why we worked them out as we did1 trusting that the interest which attaches to any actual problem solved may come to my aid and redeem the details from tediousness4 ,we have chosen for the first example a country house designed for a site in ,north ,staffordshire1 partly because this site is not one to very obviously suggest or very imperatively demand a special treatment4 ,the plot of land consists of a small field1 long1 and rather narrow2 it is much the shape of a suburban building plot1 though situated right in the country4 ,the main road runs along the north-east end1 and the ground rises on the far side of this road1 cutting off all view in that direction4 ,the ground falls from the road towards the south-west3 the slope being very slight at the top1 suggests a level terrace on which to place the house4 ,the land continues to fall away to a stream2 across this there is a very pleasant view1 which becomes finest to the south of the plot4 ,sidenote3 ,see plate #a4 ,the client required the house to have a good comfortable living-room for the general family life2 another good room for entertaining guests and callers2 a small den for his own use1 with desk1 safe1 and sample cupboards2 four bedrooms1 one to be a bed-sitting-room for an only son2 and a kitchen with the usual offices4 ,the house was to be arranged to give as much open-air life within as possible4 ,as the site is exposed to the prevailing winds1 and the best prospect is in the direction whence they blow1 some form of court upon which the rooms might open1 suggests itself as a means of obtaining the needful shelter4 ,the stableyard not being very suitable for the purpose1 the house is grouped about a very small central court1 round which a corridor is planned fitted with sliding windows1 so that it can be converted at will into a sort of small open air cloister by sliding the sashes down below the sill4 ,this is roofed over at as low a level as possible1 to avoid anything of the feeling of a well1 which a court1 as small as this needs must be1 might soon produce4 ,the main roof also is made to slope away from the court in all directions1 so that a good deal of sunlight may find its way in4 ,upon this corridor the main rooms open with wide double doors1 and the court being protected against wind on all sides1 it is possible1 except when extremely cold1 to have the living rooms much more open to the fresh air than is usual4 ,a ventilating stove prevents cold draughts in winter4 ,the kitchen1 butler's pantry1 front and side entrances1 and stairs all communicate with the corridor1 but so as not to destroy the privacy of the living rooms by obliging anyone to pass the doors when going from one to the other4 ,pleasing vistas are obtained from the rooms across the court1 and from the corridor into the rooms1 such as it is not often possible to contrive in so small a house4 ,this charm of vista should always be thought of when planning4 ,the living-room1 as the most generally occupied1 and therefore most important room1 is placed at the south corner1 having the double outlook to south-east south-west1 and getting all available sunlight and the best of the prospect4 ,it is not enough to give a room windows in the right direction1 however2 the room must be so arranged that it shall1 so to speak1 turn its face right2 and the windows be so placed that one would naturally look out of them from the most usually occupied parts of the room4 ,for this reason an angle window commanding the pick of the view is thrown out on the south-east side4 ,this brings the sun well into the room1 and at the same time provides a good well-lighted position for the piano1 from whence anyone can easily face to the whole room while singing4 ,for the same reason the fire is put on the north-east wall2 and1 that a thorough sense of cosiness may always be obtainable1 it is placed in a deep recess or ingle4 ,now an ingle affords a very good instance of how easy it is to misuse the old examples which we study1 and that in two manners4 ,for while some neglect altogether the suggestions which they offer1 others copy the old forms without troubling to understand them4 ,to make use of old features legitimately1 of course1 one must first understand the reasons which called them into being1 the difficulties which they were designed to meet3 and when similar reasons or difficulties present themselves to us we may then avail ourselves of the solution which they indicate1 not copying slavishly the details1 but taking the principle and working it out to suit our own particular circumstances4 ,the ingle had two main uses3 the first was to protect a wide open fire from the cross draughts arising from badly fitting or open doors1 shutters and windows2 the second was to afford sheltered seats near the fire1 where the aged and feeble could rest and anyone could keep warm in cold or rough weather4 ,incidentally1 no doubt1 our forefathers appreciated the value of contrast1 the charm of the ruddy fire-lit space glowing red in the grey ill-lighted building1 and the cosiness of the sheltered low recess in the wide and lofty hall4 ,to obtain this charm1 as is often done1 by forming an ingle so small that one cannot sit in it comfortably1 is merely to remove the fire further from the room2 while on the other hand1 to arrange a large ingle1 as is also sometimes done1 with a modern tiled register stove set in a chimney breast1 is to lose the feeling of sitting on the hearth1 and the charm that springs from the fire being able to cast its glow all over the recess and be seen from every part where one can sit4 ,the ingle adapted to modern use1 and justifying the space it occupies in rooms of moderate size1 must be large enough to be comfortable for one to sit in regularly1 a place where one can live1 not merely sit to be roasted4 ,the fire must be so designed as to have something of the feeling of the old fire on the hearth1 and must not be cut off from the recess or in any way allowed to grow into a fireplace within a fireplace4 ,it is generally well to make the whole recess into the hearth1 and we often arrange for the fire to burn in a suitably shaped fire-brick hollow1 which answers all purposes excellently4 ,the ingle must be protected from cross draughts1 otherwise the fire cannot be sufficiently exposed4 ,fenders are best avoided1 and anything like a loose coal-box is a disadvantage4 ,a coal-box can often be contrived in the thickness of the wall4 ,when properly arranged1 and fitted with comfortable low seats1 the ingle always proves to be a favourite part of the room2 the place where people naturally go to sit and rest4 ,but ,i am digressing from the plan1 and must return to the living-room which we are designing4 ,there the ingle is of somewhat special construction1 having several small windows to afford peeps out towards the court and the view1 and to give light conveniently placed for reading2 and also having cupboards for the display of oriental pottery4 ,the seats are made long enough to recline on4 ,sidenote3 ,see also plates #be and #ej4 ,a large sunny bay facing the fire is arranged to be used as a dining recess1 except in very cold weather4 ,such a recess relieves a living room from being uncomfortably blocked up with a meal-table4 ,the bay also gives us a west window through which the evening light will come4 ,in all rooms there is a part by the door where no one willingly sits1 because of a certain lack of comfort2 it is well to keep such part of the room as small as possible4 ,very often a room may be actually improved by being reduced in width just where the door opens1 while the space cut off may be put to valuable use4 ,in this case the sheltered south-west balcony1 which is obtained by narrowing the two rooms opposite the doors1 adds greatly to the amount of open air life it is possible to enjoy1 and makes it easy to have the pleasure of frequently taking meals in the open3 the little window by the sideboard is convenient to hand things through for this purpose4 ,a recessed balcony is1 in our climate1 much more useful than any projecting verandah4 ,it is possible1 owing to the extra shelter1 to sit in such a balcony two or three times as often as in the verandah with open ends4 ,sidenote3 ,see plate #cb4 ,in this room1 a sideboard1 a large cabinet and the other important furniture1 form part of the scheme3 they are thought out and designed with the building4 ,in the treatment of the room advantage is taken of the beams and lintels required for the recesses1 and where these are lacking a deep picture rail carrying line with them is adopted1 under which the sideboard1 cabinet1 and most of the windows are arranged to finish1 leaving an unbroken frieze above1 and giving a sense of order and unity to the whole4 ,this frieze is decorated with a painted suggestion of landscape2 but in simpler treatment1 if whitewashed1 or coloured with the ceiling1 it would be light satisfactory4 ,the lower portion of the walls1 under the decorated frieze1 is finished in plaster tinted to the required shade by mixing colouring matter with the skimming coat2 this forms a good1 plain1 solid-looking background for either pictures1 furniture1 or the people who inhabit the room4 ,where economy is any consideration we may keep rooms as low as possible1 giving additional space outwards1 which is as valuable as space upwards for use as an air reservoir1 and for all other purposes so much more valuable4 ,this house is nine feet from floor to floor4 ,sidenote3 ,see plate #cc4 ,the hall1 or entertaining room1 being intended for less constant as well as more formal use1 takes a somewhat simpler shape4 ,placed at the west corner with windows south-west and north-west it gets all the sunshine during the afternoon and evening1 when most occupied4 ,it is immediately accessible from the entrance1 and opens upon the balcony and garden through a double window4 ,the fire is placed in an ingle contrived under the stairs and half landing1 an arch being used in this case to carry the chimney stack and form the recess4 ,the flue from the fire is brought over on to the arch by means of a copper hood4 ,a little bay1 partly in the porch1 lights this ingle4 ,the messenger's seat in the porch1 a cupboard1 and a coal box complete the utilization of the space under the stairs1 which is thus not only made to add to the convenience1 but also to contribute something to the interest of both the room and the porch4 ,adjacent to the entrance is the small sanctum4 ,here1 again1 something is taken off the square room1 which1 while improving it rather than otherwise by giving a recess for desk and pigeon holes1 enables us to have a small vestibule with cupboard for visitors' hats and cloaks4 ,a comfortable corner between fire and window is left clear for easy chair and reading stand4 ,behind the living-room1 with its fireplace at the back of the living-room fireplace1 is placed the kitchen4 ,it occupies the east corner of the house1 and has its main window to the north-east1 the right aspect for a kitchen4 ,there is a small window to the south-east1 to light the range and make a comfortable place for sewing or reading4 ,one corner between fire and window should always be kept free from doors in a kitchen1 so that there may be a place to sit in2 and a still more comfortable kitchen results1 when it is possible to collect all the doors on one side4 ,the larder has its window in the back porch1 to get a north aspect2 while thorough ventilation is secured by an opening on the south-east under the eaves where the sun cannot reach it4 ,the cellar was added after the preliminary plans were made1 the scullery being re-arranged to allow of it4 ,this latter is shaped to obstruct as little as possible the squint window in the living-room ingle1 and at the same time faces south1 which1 as there is no fireplace1 is a good aspect for it4 ,the staircase rises from the corridor1 and as it is accessible from all parts without passing the doors of the reception rooms1 a back staircase is not needed4 ,where economy is a consideration the back staircase is one of the first things which may be dispensed with1 for it adds so little real comfort in proportion to its cost4 ,sidenote3 ,see plate #b4 ,the bedroom plan follows pretty closely the ground plan1 the bedrooms also leading off a corridor round the inner court4 ,all four bedrooms are arranged so that in addition to being convenient as bedrooms1 they have at least a corner near the fire comfortable to sit in4 ,in small houses to regard a bedroom as a sleeping room only is a mistake4 ,the accommodation is greatly increased when each member of the household can use his or her bedroom as a private den also4 ,the balcony is repeated on the first floor--the bedrooms being as serviceable without the space it occupies--and by reason of the parapet and overhanging eaves1 it is even more sheltered than that on the ground floor2 and it is thus possible in two bedrooms to sleep practically in the open air in almost all weathers4 ,it has special value1 too1 as an addition to the west room1 which is designed for the boy's bedroom and study4 ,here the bed fits in a deep recess out of the way2 a washstand is contrived in the sill of the window of the same recess1 which is slightly bayed to give the needful room2 and a curtain may be drawn across1 cutting off all the special bedroom appliances2 so leaving a good comfortable study4 ,a window is put to bring the south-east sun into bedroom ,no4 #c1 the wide sill of which in the rather narrow room may be used for a dressing table4 ,in bedroom ,no4 #d an over-hanging window recess is carried out on the joists1 to avoid the want of comfort which one always feels on the window side of a room when the door opens right in the corner1 as here4 ,this room has also a little window towards the court to bring in morning sun2 and thus all the bedrooms get through ventilation and plenty of sunshine4 ,of the treatment of the rooms little need be said4 ,the recesses by the chimney breasts are fitted with cupboards and bookshelves1 which are designed to include simple framings or mantels for the fireplaces1 and the cornices of which are arranged to match the cornice over doors and windows and to carry line with a picture rail running round the room4 ,wall papers or other decorations stop at this rail1 all above being taken in with the ceiling4 ,this arrangement enables the ceiling to be broken up by the slopes of the low roofs without giving the ugly odds and ends of papered wall1 which really are the only unpleasing feature about a ceiling broken up in that way4 ,during the whole of the planning the elevations are of course kept in view1 and the block design carried away in the mind from the site constantly exerts a modifying influence4 ,the difficulty usually is to maintain sufficient simplicity2 so many features are suggested by little conveniences of planning that one has continually to cut them out1 never to seek for them merely for the sake of effect4 ,this plan which we have just considered1 representing1 perhaps1 rather a large house to be classed as 8small10 does not quite illustrate one point to which we attach very great importance in the designing of small houses4 ,the second plan shown gives me an opportunity of referring to this4 ,here a special effort was made to obtain one room giving some sense of space in a house not large enough to contain several large rooms4 ,in all small houses much must be sacrificed1 but it seems to us to be infinitely less of a sacrifice to reduce the number of rooms1 than to reduce the size of them all4 ,in every small house it should be a first consideration to secure one room large enough to allow of some interest being worked into the room itself1 and to afford some comfort and dignity of life to its occupants4 ,sidenote3 ,see plates #c1 #fd1 and #fe4 ,in the plan now before us the hall was made into the chief living room2 it is carried up two stories to provide for an organ gallery4 ,the gallery leading to the balcony1 the landing1 and the staircase1 are all thrown into this hall2 the stairs are so arranged as to afford a screen to the fire1 and form a sort of deep ingle with low ceiling under the landing4 ,the low ceiling continues under the organ gallery and the balcony1 the central part of the hall being open to the full height4 ,the sense of cosiness in this ingle is greatly enhanced by contrast with the lofty open space outside2 while the variety in lighting1 whether when the morning sun streams in at the great east window1 or when the ingle glows red in the gathering dusk1 adds a perpetual charm4 ,in the gallery is a second fire1 with a lounge seat by the organ1 under a kind of canopy formed by the half-landing of the second floor stairs4 ,sidenote3 ,see plate #d4 ,to obtain this spacious hall the remainder of the house has been reduced as much as possible4 ,only one other small room1 for den or meal-room1 is provided1 with kitchens1 offices1 and four bedrooms1 two of which are on the second floor4 ,lest you should be inclined to think that only for people living a very exceptional life would it be advantageous to throw so much space into one room1 ,i will next refer to a design drawn for a ,london literary man1 who1 though not able to afford a large house1 still by reason of his position required occasionally to be able to entertain a good many people4 ,here the first consideration has been to obtain a hall which would be at once a comfortable living-room and a dignified entertaining room4 ,the meal-room has been kept as small as would just allow of a little dinner-party being given in it4 ,the fire is placed in one corner1 the sideboard in another2 had it been possible to put the door also in a corner it would have been still more convenient1 for in a small dining-room it is in the corners that there is a little space to spare4 ,the narrow ,hampstead building plot1 having a south-west aspect1 and the best prospect to the south1 dictated the general arrangement of the house and the placing of the best room at the south corner4 ,this room is spanned by two arches to carry the wall of the study over2 within one of them is placed the fire recess with seats and fitment1 thus using up all the space under the stairs to add to the size and character of the room2 while the stairs themselves1 which are shut off from the vestibule by a door1 are also open to the room1 the quarter-landing forming a small gallery overlooking it4 ,the staircase is such an essentially interesting and decorative feature in a house1 and the space under and around it may be made to add so much to a room both in size and individuality1 that it always seems a pity to shut it off in a mere passage4 ,in old houses the charm of some departure from the plain room is well recognised1 for the favourite view1 alike for the artist and the photographer1 is always that which contains some peep of stairs from the hall1 some gallery1 balcony1 ingle1 or deep window recess4 ,when the most is made of such advantages as can be claimed for the bare square room1 they seem but a poor compensation for the loss of character and charm4 ,over the hall in this house are placed the client's study and bedroom1 the two being combined that both may have the benefit of the whole air space3 book cases and curtains screen off the bedroom portion4 ,double doors and double windows are fitted to this room1 for perfect quiet both by day and by night is essential2 and further to secure this1 ventilation is obtained independently of the windows by means of two fireplaces and an air shaft built in one of the stacks4 ,the client's wife1 son and daughter all proposed to make considerable use of their bedrooms in the day time4 ,but ,i must pass on now to cottages1 the second part of our subject4 ,the distinction between a small house and a cottage1 never a very clear one1 has been further obscured by a common affectation of simplicity4 ,the word certainly suggests a simple shelter for a simple form of life1 and for our purposes ,i propose to regard as a cottage any house in which separate accommodation is not provided for servants4 ,provision for domestic help there may be1 but it must be 8as one of the family10 not constituting a separate class to be separately provided for4 ,to cottages1 what has been said about the advantage of securing a good living-room1 even at great sacrifice of other conveniences1 applies with additional force4 ,for not only is the total space at our command usually less1 but the number of functions which the living-room has to provide for is greater1 many of the functions of a kitchen being added to it4 ,to combine the comfort of a living-room with the convenience for work of a kitchen will tax our skill in planning1 and as the space we can give becomes less1 our care in the disposal of it must become greater4 ,sidenote3 ,see plates #e #cg4 ,let us again proceed by way of example1 taking a largish cottage designed for a client who wished to live a quiet simple life1 yet on a scale that would allow of his enjoying the more necessary comforts and refinements4 ,the site is near a small ,derbyshire town1 and consists of a mound caused by the out-crop of some shale grit4 ,on the north runs a stream1 to which the ground falls precipitously2 the road is to the west1 and there is a steep fall here also2 to the east the fall is slight1 while to the south the ground rises gently4 ,there are fine views in all directions1 most interesting to the north1 least so to the south4 ,the client1 however1 desired the main windows of the living-room to be to the west1 having a special liking for the evening light4 ,the site seemed to demand a simple oblong house with plain span-roof kept as low as possible1 forming a sort of crest on the steep-sided mound4 ,the western end of the building becomes the living-room1 having windows with the desired outlook4 ,there is a window to the north to command the best of the view2 another on the south side admits plenty of sun2 and in addition on this side there is the outer door1 placed there that it may be possible to enjoy the charm which a door opening direct from a room upon a sunny garden always gives4 ,such a door must1 however1 be so placed that while the peep out is obtained the comfort of the room is not destroyed4 ,here we have gathered the two doors and the stair foot together in a narrow part of the room out of the way1 leaving all the rest of the space comfortable to occupy4 ,the fire is placed on the north wall1 in a deep recess2 one side of which is devoted to rest1 the other to work4 ,the former is occupied by a comfortable low seat2 in the latter is fixed a plate-rack1 and a working dresser fitted with a small fixed bowl for washing up glass and china4 ,all the kitchen work done in the living-room is thus confined to the one corner handy to the fire for cooking1 and well lighted by the north window4 ,the fireplace is designed to be used as a closed cooking stove or as an open fire to sit round4 ,the floor of the recess is tiled1 which enhances a little the feeling of sitting on the hearth1 and at the same time affords the most easily cleaned surface for the working corner4 ,the arrangement1 though producing a little the effect of a room within a room1 secures at anyrate some of the cosiness of an ingle4 ,we are enabled to get a sheltered garden-seat by reducing the width of the recess to a more comfortable dimension4 ,the ingle is further defined by an archway1 on one side of which is fitted a writing desk1 and on the other the piano is designed to stand1 occupying part of the space under the rising stairs1 the remaining portion being taken up with a store cupboard opening into the kitchen4 ,a second resting place is provided by a wide low window seat in the main window4 ,fixed seats are arranged for two sides of the meal table1 one having a high back to screen it from any draught coming through the outer door4 ,to this one good room is added a kitchen for the more dirty work1 fitted with a small range2 a good cupboard for coats and hats by the entrance2 a coal-place and larder4 ,upstairs are four bedrooms1 necessarily rather small2 one has a bed-recess taken off the largest room to help it1 and as it is over the low ceiling of the ingle1 it gets the advantage of extra height under the sloping roof2 and thus the low ceiling1 which adds so much to the feeling of cosiness in an ingle1 is made to benefit the bedroom over4 ,where some such arrangement as this is not possible1 we sometimes utilize the space between the low ceiling and the floor above as a storage cupboard1 and we often take advantage of it for ventilating purposes1 by bringing fresh air into the room1 slightly warmed by passing behind the fire1 and delivering it over the opening to the recess1 where it is distributed with the least possible draught4 ,where an outlet into a flue is desirable to supplement the exhaust due to the fire1 we find this a very good place to arrange it4 ,in a room with close-fitting iron casements1 sufficiently well built not to leak excessively through floors1 skirting1 and door1 the most frequent cause of a smoky chimney is the want of sufficient air supply1 and some form of inlet is an absolute necessity4 ,for bedrooms this may be successfully arranged in some cases through a hollow fender kerb4 ,all the bedrooms in this cottage are so arranged as to have a fairly comfortable corner between the fire and a window1 where one can sit to read or write4 ,an east aspect is obtained for the bath-room1 and a linen cupboard warmed by the cylinder is provided4 ,of the elevations ,i need only say that local random range stone is used for the ground story1 while for the upper portion the need for obtaining four bedrooms over a house so narrow requires the use of nine inch brick walls which are rough-cast in cement4 ,the roof is covered with local stone slate4 ,it is obvious that the living-room of this cottage could with much less trouble have been made a four-square room with a fire at one end and a door at the other2 and might have been furnished with a mixture of kitchen and parlour furniture4 ,but ,i shall have sadly missed the purpose of this paper should you not now feel1 as we do1 that life would be immensely more comfortable and more dignified in a room such as ,i have been describing1 where each requirement has been considered and provided for1 and which has had just the shape and arrangement given to it that seemed best to meet those requirements2 where1 moreover1 all the furniture has been designed in keeping with its place and its purpose1 so that there is no incongruity between the desk and the dresser1 the piano and the plate-rack4 ,time will not permit me to refer in detail to any smaller cottage plans4 ,but enough has1 ,i hope1 been said to make it quite clear1 that1 whatever the size of the house1 we think it should grow1 both as a utilitarian plan and as an artistic creation1 out of the real needs of the occupants2 and that the art of designing small houses and cottages consists1 not in following any accepted code of conventions1 however useful these may be in their place1 but in working out such a convenient and comely setting for the special life that shall be lived in them as shall enable that life to expand itself to the fullest extent1 not merely unhampered by the building in which it is clothed1 but actually stimulated by a congenial surrounding4 ,illustration ,,list ,,of ,,plates4 ,,plans4 ,plate ,house at ,northwood1 ground floor plan #a first floor plan #b ,house at ,marple1 ,cheshire1 plans #c ,house designed for a ,hampstead site1 plans #d ,cottage designed for a ,derbyshire site1 plans #e ,co-operative ,dwellings1 ,cottage plans #f ,co-operative ,dwellings1 plan of ,common ,rooms #g ,co-operative ,dwellings1 block plan of quadrangle #h ,co-operative ,dwellings1 plans for larger houses #i ,co-operative ,dwellings1 plans of larger ,common ,rooms #aj ,plan for a hamlet #aa ,,line ,,drawings4 7,barry ,parker1 delt47 ,an ,artizan's ,living-room #ab ,a ,living-room #ac ,a ,living-room #ad ,sketch for a ,hall1 near ,derby #ae ,sketch for a corner in a ,hall1 near ,derby #af ,a ,library #ag ,a ,living-room #ah ,a ,study in the roof #ai ,a ,hall in ,buxton #bj ,a ,living-room in ,buxton #ba ,sketch for a ,hall in ,buxton #bb ,sketch for a ,hall in ,marple1 ,cheshire #bc ,corner in a ,hall1 ,church ,stretton #bd ,a ,living-room1 ,church ,stretton #be ,sketch for a ,billiard-room1 ,carrigbyrne1 ,co4 ,wexford #bf ,room to be built on to 8,the ,old ,cottage10 ,tintagel #bg ,sketch for a ,fireplace1 ,westmoreland #bh ,sketch for a ,hall1 ,westmoreland #bi ,a ,hall1 ,montreal1 ,canada #cj ,a ,living-room #ca ,,wash ,,drawings4 7,barry ,parker1 delt47 ,a ,living-room1 ,northwood #cb ,a ,hall1 ,northwood #cc ,design for ,co-operative ,dwellings #cd ,common room in ,co-operative ,dwellings #ce ,village ,common ,room #cf ,a ,cottage interior #cg ,design for a hamlet #ch ,a ,village corner #ci ,,photographs4 ,corner in ,dining-room #dj ,living-room in ,bridgwater1 ,the ,garden ,bay #da ,a ,hall in ,buxton1 view #a #db #b #dc #c #dd ,a ,living-room in ,buxton #de ,a ,hall in ,buxton #df ,a ,house in ,church ,stretton1 the ,hall1 view #a #dg view #b #dh ,the ,living-room ingle #di ,a ,house in ,church ,stretton1 ,dining recess in ,living-room #ej ,a ,house in ,church ,stretton1 a ,bedroom1 view #a #ea ,a ,house in ,church ,stretton1 a ,bedroom1 view #b #eb ,a ,house in ,bradford1 the ,hall #ec ,a ,house in ,bradford1 the ,consulting-room #ed the ,sitting-room1 view #a #ee view #b #ef ,a ,house in ,buxton1 the ,living-room #eg the ,drawing-room #eh the ,balcony #ei ,a ,farmhouse ,sitting-room1 ,derbyshire #fj ,a ,living-room in ,buxton #fa ,a ,living-room in ,croydon #fb ,a ,living-room in ,buxton #fc ,a ,hall in ,marple1 view #a #fd view #b #fe ,a ,hall in ,montreal1 ,canada1 view #a #ff view #b #fg view #c #fh ,illustration3 ,,plate #a4 ,a ,,house ,,at ,,northwood1 ,,staffordshire1 ,,plan ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,see ,,plates #cb ,,and #cc4 ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,illustration3 ,,plate #b4 ,a ,,house ,,at ,,northwood1 ,,staffordshire1 ,,plan ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,illustration3 ,,plate #c4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,marple1 ,,cheshire1 ,,plans ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,see ,,plates #bc1 #fd1 ,,and #fe4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,illustration3 ,,plate #d4 ,a ,,house ,,designed ,,for ,a ,,hampstead ,,site1 ,,plans ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,note2 ,,there ,,are ,,two ,,bedrooms ,,and ,a ,,boxroom ,,on ,,the ,,second ,,floor4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan4 ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,illustration3 ,,plate #e4 ,a ,,cottage ,,designed ,,for ,a ,,derbyshire ,,site1 ,,plans ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,viii4 ,,see ,,plate #cg4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,illustration3 ,,plate #f4 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plates #h ,,and #cd4 ,,second ,,floor ,,plan4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town2 ,,suggested ,,plans ,,for ,,three ,,of ,,the ,,cottages4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #g4 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plates #cd ,,and #ce4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,,second ,,floor ,,plan ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town4 ,,plan ,,of ,,common ,,rooms ,illustration3 ,,plate #h4 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plates #f ,,and #i4 ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town ,,block ,,plan ,,block ,,plan ,,of ,,quadrangle ,,of ,,larger ,,houses ,,and ,,common ,,rooms4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #i4 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plate #h4 ,,second ,,floor ,,plan ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town2 ,,quadrangle ,,of ,,larger ,,houses ,,and ,,common ,,rooms4 ,,suggested ,,plans ,,for ,,two ,,of ,,the ,,cottages4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #aj4 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town2 ,,quadrangle ,,of ,,larger ,,houses ,,common ,,rooms4 ,,plan ,,of ,,common ,,rooms4 ,,first ,,floor ,,plan ,,ground ,,floor ,,plan ,illustration3 ,,plate #aa4 ,,plan ,,for ,a ,,hamlet1 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plate #ch4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ab4 ,,an ,,artizan',s ,,living-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ac4 ,,design ,,for ,,the ,,living-,,room ,,in ,a ,,house ,,containing ,,this ,,room1 ,,sanctum1 ,,scullery1 ,,pantry ,,bedrooms ,,only4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ad4 ,,design ,,for ,,the ,,living-,,room ,,in ,a ,,house ,,to ,,have ,,this ,,room1 ,,sanctum1 ,,kitchens1 ,,offices ,,bedroom ,,accommodation ,,only4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ae4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,hall ,,near ,,derby4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #af4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,corner ,,in ,a ,,hall ,,near ,,derby4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ag4 ,a ,,library4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ah4 ,a ,,living-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ai4 ,a ,,study ,,in ,,the ,,roof4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bj4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,buxton1 ,,derbyshire4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ba4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,living-,,room ,,in ,,buxton1 ,,derbyshire4 ,,see ,,plate #de4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bb4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,buxton1 ,,derbyshire4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bc4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,,the ,,hall ,,in ,a ,,house ,,at ,,marple1 ,,cheshire4 ,,see ,,plates #c1 #fd ,,and #fe4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bd4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,corner ,,in ,a ,,hall1 ,,church ,,stretton1 ,,shropshire4 ,,see ,,plates #dg ,,and #dh4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #be4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,living-,,room1 ,,church ,,stretton1 ,,shropshire4 ,,see ,,plates #di ,,and #ej4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bf4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,billiard-,,room1 ,,carrigbryne1 ,,co4 ,,wexford4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bg4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,of ,a ,,room ,,to ,,be ,,built ,,on ,,to 8,,the ,,old ,,cottage10 ,,tintagel1 ,,cornwall4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bh4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,fireplace1 ,,westmoreland4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #bi4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,hall1 ,,westmoreland4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #cj4 ,a ,,hall1 ,,montreal1 ,,canada4 ,,see ,,plates #ff1 #fg ,,and #fh4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ca4 ,,design ,,for ,,the ,,living-,,room ,,in ,a ,,house ,,having ,,in ,,addition ,,to ,,this ,,room ,a ,,small ,,hall1 ,,kitchen1 ,,bedrooms1 ,,and ,,offices4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #cb4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,living-,,room ,,at ,,northwood1 ,,staffordshire4 ,,see ,,plate #a4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #cc4 ,,preliminary ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,hall ,,at ,,northwood1 ,,staffordshire4 ,,see ,,plate #a4 ,,note3 ,,the ,,chimney-,,stack ,,stands ,,on ,,the ,,arch1 ,,and ,,the ,,flue ,,is ,,brought ,,over ,,to ,,it ,,within ,,the ,,copper ,,hood4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #cd4 ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town4 ,,to ,,illustrate ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plates #f1 #g1 ,,and #h4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ce4 ,,interior ,,of ,,common ,,room ,,in ,,proposed ,,co-,,operative ,,dwellings ,,in ,a ,,yorkshire ,,town4 ,,to ,,illustrate ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plate #g4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #cf4 ,,design ,,for ,,proposed ,,village ,,common ,,room ,,near ,,leeds4 ,,to ,,illustrate ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,note3 ,,the ,,billiard ,,table ,,has ,,been ,,omitted ,,from ,,sketch ,,to ,,show ,,the ,,raised ,,seats ,,which ,,overlook ,,it1 ,,the ,,ingle4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #cg4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,cottage ,,interior4 ,,see ,,plate #e4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ch4 ,,design ,,for ,a ,,hamlet1 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,,see ,,plate #aa4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ci4 ,,sketch ,,for ,a ,,village ,,corner1 ,,illustrating ,,lecture ,,vii4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #dj4 ,,dining-,,room ,,in ,,east ,,derbyshire4 ,,the ,,sideboard ,,corner4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #da4 ,a ,,living-,,room ,,in ,,bridgewater1 ,,somersetshire4 ,,the ,,garden ,,bay4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #db4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,buxton1 ,,view #a4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #dc4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,buxton1 ,,view #b4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #dd4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,buxton1 ,,view #c4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #de4 ,a ,,living-,,room ,,in ,,buxton4 ,,for ,,design ,,see ,,plate #ba4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #df4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,buxton4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #dg4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,church ,,stretton4 ,,the ,,hall1 ,,view #a4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #dh4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,church ,,stretton4 ,,the ,,hall1 ,,view #b4 ,,see ,,plate #bd4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #di4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,church ,,stretton4 ,,the ,,living-,,room4 ,,view #a4 ,,showing ,,ingle4 ,,see ,,plate #be4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ej4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,church ,,stretton4 ,,the ,,living-,,room1 ,,view #b1 ,,showing ,,dining ,,recess4 ,,see ,,plate #be4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ea4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,church ,,stretton1 ,a ,,bedroom1 ,,view #a4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #eb4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,church ,,stretton1 ,a ,,bedroom1 ,,view #b4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ec4 ,a ,,doctor',s ,,house ,,in ,,bradford4 ,,the ,,hall4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ed4 ,a ,,doctor',s ,,house ,,in ,,bradford4 ,,the ,,consulting-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ee4 ,a ,,doctor',s ,,house ,,in ,,bradford4 ,,the ,,sitting-,,room1 ,,view #a4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ef4 ,a ,,doctor',s ,,house ,,in ,,bradford4 ,,the ,,sitting-,,room1 ,,view #b4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #eg4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,buxton4 ,,the ,,living-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #eh4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,buxton4 ,,the ,,drawing-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ei4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,buxton4 ,,the ,,balcony4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fj4 ,a ,,derbyshire ,,farmhouse4 ,,the ,,sitting-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fa4 ,a ,,living-,,room ,,in ,,buxton4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fb4 ,a ,,house ,,in ,,croydon4 ,,the ,,living-,,room4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fc4 ,a ,,living-,,room ,,in ,,buxton4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fd4 ,a ,,hall ,,at ,,marple1 ,,view #a4 ,,see ,,preliminary ,,sketch1 ,,plate #bc4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fe4 ,a ,,hall ,,at ,,marple1 ,,view #b4 ,,for ,,plans1 ,,see ,,plate #c4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ff4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,montreal1 ,,canada1 ,,view #a4 ,,see ,,plate #cj4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fg4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,montreal1 ,,canada1 ,,view #b4 ,,see ,,plate #cj4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #fh4 ,a ,,hall ,,in ,,montreal1 ,,canada1 ,,view #c4 ,,see ,,plate #cj4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,punctuation1 hyphenation1 and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book2 otherwise they were not changed4 ,simple typographical errors were corrected4 ,in the original book1 some sidenotes were positioned mid-paragraph4 ,here1 all sidenotes are positioned at the beginning of the paragraph4 ,transcriber added a page number 7#acf7 to the 8,list of ,plates and ,plates at the end0 entry in the ,table of ,contents4