The Livable House 



stone would be poorly suited to a formal garden of the size and 

 character of "Weld." The garden is tied to the house and made 

 a part of it, or alienated from it as much by the materials used in 

 construction work as by any other one factor, and those of the 

 house should at least be recalled in some way in the garden. 

 The retaining wall of the terrace at the Knickerbocker Country 

 Club is a continuation of the foundation wall of the house con- 

 structed of native sandstone, whitewashed; and the marble treads 

 and brick risers of the steps are similar to those of the porch. In- 

 cidently, this offers an example of a happy combination of several 

 materials. 



In a country like the blue stone regions of Pennsylvania or the 

 granite hills of New England, stone suggests itself as the natural 

 material for walls, although even where it is so plentiful it is un- 

 happily not always the cheapest material. A stretch of Long Is- 

 land coast land, on the other hand, with sand or gravel ready to 

 hand makes concrete almost imperative. Unfortunately, the sur- 

 face of a concrete wall is difficult to treat interestingly, for it has 

 a natural flatness of tone that is almost impossible to enliven. 

 Leaving the surface unfinished with the marks of the molds upon 

 it, plus a generous planting of vines and bushes, constitute the best 

 treatment for this kind of wall. A very pleasing surface may be 

 got by the application of a coat of stucco, but this brings the cost 

 up very nearly, if not entirely, to that of brick. Stucco over hol- 

 low tile, where the construction of the house is similar, is a good 

 choice of materials. But any stucco or concrete wall needs to be 

 combined with some other material such as brick or tile to make 



[42] 



