﻿52 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  February, 
  1907 
  

  

  The 
  House 
  of 
  

   Norman 
  Ellison, 
  Esq. 
  

  

  at 
  Merion, 
  Pennsylvania 
  

  

  By 
  Paul 
  Thurston 
  

  

  HE 
  house 
  of 
  Norman 
  Ellison, 
  Esq., 
  at 
  Me- 
  

   rion, 
  Pa., 
  forms 
  an 
  excellent 
  subject 
  for 
  illus- 
  

   tration. 
  The 
  design 
  is 
  simple 
  with 
  Colonial 
  

   effects, 
  and 
  the 
  form, 
  while 
  square 
  in 
  its 
  

   outlines, 
  has 
  many 
  good 
  features, 
  with 
  its 
  

   entrance 
  porch 
  with 
  seats 
  on 
  either 
  side, 
  its 
  

   white-painted 
  wooden 
  shutters 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  

   story, 
  and 
  its 
  combination 
  piazza 
  and 
  pergola 
  ; 
  all 
  of 
  these 
  

   are 
  admirable 
  features, 
  and 
  form 
  the 
  means 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  

   square 
  outlines 
  of 
  the 
  building 
  are 
  lost 
  in 
  its 
  treatment. 
  

  

  The 
  outside 
  walls 
  are 
  built 
  of 
  rock-faced 
  local 
  stone 
  laid 
  in 
  

   white 
  mortar 
  with 
  wide 
  joints. 
  The 
  trimmings 
  are 
  all 
  painted 
  

   white. 
  The 
  roof 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  shingles, 
  and 
  is 
  left 
  to 
  

   weather 
  finish 
  a 
  natural 
  silver-gray 
  color. 
  

  

  The 
  plan 
  is 
  a 
  splendid 
  example 
  of 
  what 
  is 
  termed 
  the 
  mod- 
  

   ern 
  "up-to-date" 
  house, 
  as 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  arrangement 
  will 
  

   reveal. 
  It 
  shows 
  the 
  elimination 
  of 
  the 
  "parlor" 
  by 
  provid- 
  

   ing 
  as 
  a 
  substitute 
  a 
  large 
  living 
  room, 
  a 
  room 
  fitted 
  up, 
  as 
  is 
  

   shown 
  in 
  the 
  photographic 
  illustration, 
  with 
  comfortable 
  

   chairs, 
  attractive 
  tables 
  with 
  lamps, 
  and 
  a 
  large 
  open 
  fireplace, 
  

   the 
  whole 
  present- 
  

   ing 
  a 
  place 
  where 
  

   comfort 
  predomi- 
  

   nates, 
  and 
  which 
  

   all 
  may 
  enjoy. 
  This 
  

   photograph, 
  being 
  

   taken 
  in 
  summer, 
  

   shows 
  the 
  furniture 
  

   covered 
  with 
  

   chintz, 
  which 
  gives 
  

   a 
  bright, 
  cheerful 
  

   tone 
  to 
  the 
  room, 
  

   and 
  yet 
  is 
  cooling 
  

   in 
  its 
  effect, 
  doing 
  

   away 
  with 
  the 
  hot, 
  

   s 
  t 
  u 
  ff 
  y 
  upholstery 
  

   which 
  seems 
  so 
  

   good 
  and 
  comfort- 
  

   able 
  in 
  winter, 
  and 
  

   yet 
  so 
  warm 
  and 
  

   uncomfortable 
  i 
  n 
  

   summer. 
  

  

  This 
  room 
  is 
  

   trimmed 
  with 
  white 
  

  

  The 
  Combination 
  Piazza 
  and 
  Pergol 
  

  

  Life 
  of 
  

  

  pine, 
  treated 
  with 
  ivory-white 
  paint. 
  The 
  large 
  open 
  fireplace 
  

   is 
  built 
  of 
  klinker 
  brick 
  laid 
  with 
  wide 
  mortar 
  joints, 
  and 
  is 
  

   furnished 
  with 
  a 
  large 
  Colonial 
  mantel. 
  At 
  one 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   fireplace 
  a 
  French 
  window 
  opens 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  porch, 
  which 
  is 
  

   isolated 
  from 
  the 
  entrance, 
  and 
  in 
  winter 
  is 
  enclosed 
  with 
  

   glass, 
  forming 
  a 
  sun-room, 
  which 
  is 
  now 
  quite 
  an 
  important 
  

   feature 
  attached 
  to 
  the 
  modern 
  homes 
  of 
  to-day, 
  with 
  their 
  

   increased 
  up-to-date 
  requirements. 
  

  

  Another 
  feature 
  of 
  this 
  plan, 
  which 
  shows 
  a 
  departure 
  from 
  

   the 
  conventional, 
  is 
  the 
  doing 
  away 
  with 
  the 
  hall 
  and 
  its 
  

   usual 
  staircase. 
  The 
  space 
  of 
  a 
  hall, 
  as 
  in 
  this 
  case, 
  is 
  saved, 
  

   and 
  the 
  stairs, 
  while 
  isolated 
  in 
  a 
  way, 
  are 
  conveniently 
  placed. 
  

   They 
  are 
  separated 
  from 
  the 
  living-room 
  by 
  a 
  broad 
  archway, 
  

   and 
  are 
  very 
  attractive 
  in 
  their 
  design, 
  with 
  white-painted 
  bal- 
  

   usters 
  and 
  a 
  mahogany 
  rail. 
  This 
  form 
  of 
  arrangement 
  gives 
  

   the 
  full 
  breadth 
  of 
  the 
  house 
  to 
  the 
  living 
  uses 
  of 
  the 
  owner 
  

   of 
  the 
  house. 
  Off 
  this 
  stair 
  hall 
  is 
  the 
  den, 
  for 
  the 
  man 
  of 
  

   the 
  house, 
  which 
  is 
  trimmed 
  with 
  chestnut 
  and 
  finished 
  in 
  

   Flemish 
  brown. 
  Indian 
  wall 
  paper 
  and 
  mission 
  furniture 
  

   complete 
  this 
  room. 
  The 
  conservatory 
  opens 
  from 
  the 
  den, 
  

  

  and 
  has 
  a 
  cement 
  

   fl 
  o 
  o 
  r 
  connected 
  

   with 
  a 
  drain. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  

   the 
  entrance 
  is 
  the 
  

   dining-room, 
  which 
  

   is 
  furnished 
  with 
  

   white-painted 
  trim, 
  

   yellow 
  wall 
  decora- 
  

   tions; 
  a 
  plate 
  rack 
  

   extends 
  around 
  the 
  

   room, 
  above 
  which 
  

   the 
  wall 
  is 
  finished 
  

   with 
  a 
  heavy 
  mold- 
  

   ing. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  

   fine 
  old 
  china 
  cabi- 
  

   net 
  in 
  the 
  corner 
  of 
  

   the 
  room, 
  and, 
  with 
  

   the 
  other 
  furniture 
  

   of 
  mahogany, 
  

   makes 
  a 
  most 
  at- 
  

   tractive 
  and 
  de- 
  

   lightful 
  room. 
  

   The 
  large 
  but- 
  

  

  a 
  Are 
  Agreeable 
  Parts 
  of 
  the 
  Outdoor 
  

   the 
  House 
  

  

  