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of it. That new, or rather unfamiliar old styles are constantly being 

 made known to us by beautiful photographic prints and engravings 

 of the most remarkable existing architecture, is certainly cause 

 for congratulation ; but the misfortune is that we use them as if 

 their mere novelty, in whatever form adopted, and the fact of their 

 being the latest mode, were alone sufficient evidence of their fitness 

 and tastefulness. We forget the vast difference there is between 

 obeying the behests of fashion in those things which pertain to 

 articles of apparel that are usually worn out by the time the fashion 

 changes, and building houses that must stand for many years, and 

 which, if not designed so as to be truly and pleasingly adapted to 

 the use intended, without any reference to the prevailing mode, will 

 remain objects of ridicule for all the period of their duration after 

 their style has ceased to be fashionable. 



There is no style the mere adoption of which will secure a taste- 

 ful house ; while a truly competent architect may design admirable 

 houses with entire disregard of the formulas of established styles, 

 as well as by the careful study and adaptation of them. The style 

 should be in the brain and culture of the designer, and not in the 

 age or associations of certain imported forms, which he may be re- 

 quested to duplicate. But architects usually have their preferences 

 in styles. They will be likely to succeed best in those which they 

 like best. One will study Gothic more thoroughly than Italian 

 forms, and will therefore design more tastefully in the spirit of the 

 former. Another will excel in Italian, or classic forms ; and 

 another still, with more cosmopolitan culture and creative art, with 

 the taste to produce harmonious proportions, and with care to make 

 a thorough adaptation of the means to the end, may develop most 

 tasteful and appropriate designs with little reference to set forms. 



The persons for whom a house is to be designed are usually the 

 best judges of their own domestic wants, and will generally furnish 

 an architect with the rough floor plans of what they desire. Good 

 architects will studiously conform to their wishes pertaining to the 

 distribution of interior comforts, in such plans ; but when it comes 

 to the matter of choosing a style, they should be as little trammeled 

 as possible, save in its expense. That architects occasionally mislead 

 those who are about to build, by lower estimates of the cost of ex- 



