﻿November, 
  1907 
  

  

  AMERICAN 
  HOMES 
  AND 
  GARDENS 
  

  

  437 
  

  

  The 
  Interior 
  Woodwork 
  for 
  the 
  House 
  

  

  By 
  George 
  Ethelbert 
  Walsh 
  

  

  HE 
  remarkable 
  advance 
  in 
  the 
  price 
  of 
  lum- 
  

   ber 
  — 
  about 
  fifty 
  per 
  cent, 
  in 
  ten 
  years 
  — 
  has 
  

   had 
  a 
  most 
  important 
  effect 
  upon 
  house- 
  

   building, 
  and 
  the 
  home 
  of 
  the 
  average 
  fam- 
  

   ily 
  is 
  undergoing 
  radical 
  changes 
  that 
  are 
  

   almost 
  revolutionary. 
  Good 
  lumber 
  for 
  

   house 
  construction 
  is 
  becoming 
  more 
  diffi- 
  

   cult 
  to 
  find, 
  and 
  very 
  costly 
  at 
  that, 
  but 
  bricks, 
  concrete, 
  terra 
  

   cotta 
  and 
  stucco 
  are 
  not 
  only 
  cheaper 
  than 
  formerly, 
  but 
  much 
  

   better 
  in 
  quality. 
  Their 
  substitution 
  in 
  the 
  walls 
  and 
  frame- 
  

   work 
  of 
  our 
  houses 
  for 
  wood 
  is 
  developing 
  a 
  new 
  line 
  of 
  

   architecture, 
  and 
  assuring 
  for 
  the 
  owners 
  more 
  substantial 
  

   and 
  durable 
  homes. 
  Architects 
  do 
  not 
  hesitate 
  to 
  say 
  that 
  

   within 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  wood 
  will 
  be 
  too 
  expensive 
  a 
  material 
  for 
  

   house 
  construction, 
  except 
  in 
  favorable 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  coun- 
  

   try, 
  and 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  homes 
  built 
  of 
  this 
  material 
  must 
  

   steadily 
  decrease 
  annually. 
  

  

  But 
  whatever 
  material 
  may 
  ultimately 
  be 
  chosen 
  for 
  build- 
  

   ing 
  the 
  walls, 
  roofs, 
  and 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  houses 
  of 
  the 
  future, 
  

   wood 
  must 
  continue 
  to 
  dominate 
  the 
  finish 
  of 
  the 
  interior. 
  

   There 
  is 
  no 
  apparent 
  substitution 
  for 
  this 
  work. 
  Tile 
  floors 
  

   and 
  walls 
  may 
  be 
  adopted 
  for 
  bathrooms 
  and 
  kitchens 
  for 
  

   sanitary 
  reasons, 
  and 
  marble, 
  concrete, 
  and 
  composition 
  of 
  in- 
  

   combustible 
  materials 
  may 
  even 
  be 
  used 
  for 
  floors; 
  but 
  the 
  

   interior 
  trim 
  — 
  the 
  doors, 
  windows, 
  mantelpieces, 
  base-boards, 
  

   closets, 
  wainscot, 
  and 
  stairways 
  — 
  must 
  be 
  of 
  wood 
  for 
  many 
  

   years 
  to 
  come. 
  The 
  increasing 
  price 
  of 
  lumber 
  has 
  had 
  an 
  

   equally 
  marked 
  effect 
  upon 
  the 
  interior 
  finish 
  of 
  our 
  homes 
  in 
  

   wood 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  the 
  exteriors. 
  This 
  is 
  ap- 
  

   parent 
  both 
  in 
  the 
  greater 
  cost 
  and 
  the 
  inferior 
  woods 
  

   employed. 
  

  

  The 
  beauty 
  of 
  our 
  magnificent 
  old 
  Colonial 
  houses 
  is 
  due 
  

   as 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  careful 
  selection 
  of 
  the 
  wood 
  used 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  

   details 
  of 
  the 
  workmanship 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  excellence 
  of 
  their 
  style. 
  

   The 
  white 
  oak 
  sills 
  of 
  many 
  of 
  these 
  houses 
  are 
  as 
  sound 
  

   to-day 
  as 
  when 
  first 
  laid, 
  and 
  the 
  solid 
  beams 
  of 
  hackmatack 
  

   oak 
  have 
  not 
  rotted 
  or 
  weakened 
  during 
  the 
  century 
  or 
  two 
  

   they 
  have 
  been 
  doing 
  service. 
  A 
  Colonial 
  housebuilder 
  would 
  

   often 
  select 
  his 
  trees 
  in 
  the 
  woods 
  for 
  the 
  important 
  part 
  of 
  

   his 
  structure, 
  and 
  the 
  very 
  choicest 
  lumber 
  thus 
  found 
  its 
  

   way 
  into 
  the 
  homes. 
  The 
  same 
  is 
  true 
  of 
  the 
  interior 
  finish 
  

   and 
  the 
  cabinet 
  work 
  and 
  furniture 
  that 
  went 
  in 
  the 
  houses. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  modern 
  lumber 
  is 
  decreasing 
  in 
  quality 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  increasing 
  in 
  price. 
  This 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  the 
  

   choicest 
  trees 
  have 
  been 
  cut 
  down, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  cases 
  second- 
  

   growth 
  lumber 
  is 
  substituted. 
  Good 
  clear 
  pine 
  of 
  best 
  quality, 
  

   free 
  from 
  knots 
  and 
  fractures, 
  is 
  very 
  expensive 
  and 
  difficult 
  

   to 
  get 
  in 
  some 
  sections, 
  and 
  whitewood, 
  which 
  for 
  the 
  past 
  

   ten 
  years 
  has 
  been 
  used 
  so 
  largely 
  in 
  place 
  of 
  pine 
  for 
  in- 
  

   terior 
  finish, 
  is 
  growing 
  more 
  imperfect 
  in 
  color 
  and 
  quality 
  

   every 
  year. 
  Even 
  oak 
  comes 
  in 
  a 
  much 
  lower 
  grade 
  than 
  it 
  

   did 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  ago. 
  Thus 
  three 
  of 
  our 
  standard 
  woods 
  for 
  

   household 
  purposes 
  do 
  not 
  yield 
  the 
  same 
  effects 
  that 
  they 
  

   did 
  five 
  years 
  ago, 
  and 
  a 
  house 
  "finished 
  off 
  with 
  oak" 
  may 
  

   prove 
  somewhat 
  deceptive. 
  It 
  may 
  not 
  take 
  the 
  bright 
  polish 
  

   and 
  grain 
  effects 
  which 
  most 
  of 
  us 
  are 
  accustomed 
  to 
  associate 
  

   with 
  oak, 
  and 
  the 
  cost 
  will 
  be 
  greater. 
  

  

  The 
  use 
  of 
  cypress 
  for 
  interior 
  finish 
  has 
  grown 
  greatly 
  in 
  

   recent 
  years 
  for 
  the 
  reason 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  no 
  dearer 
  than 
  white- 
  

   wood, 
  and 
  does 
  not 
  shrink 
  so 
  much 
  in 
  use, 
  while 
  it 
  is 
  easily 
  

   treated 
  by 
  stain 
  or 
  natural 
  finish. 
  In 
  selected 
  cypress 
  the 
  

   grain 
  effect 
  is 
  almost 
  as 
  striking 
  as 
  inferior 
  oak, 
  and 
  the 
  cost 
  

   much 
  less. 
  The 
  cypress 
  should 
  be 
  stained, 
  varnished, 
  and 
  

  

  rubbed 
  down 
  to 
  give 
  the 
  best 
  results, 
  and 
  then 
  all 
  effects 
  of 
  

   cheapness 
  are 
  removed. 
  But 
  the 
  drain 
  upon 
  our 
  cypress 
  

   forests 
  is 
  already 
  tremendous, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  unlikely 
  that 
  the 
  

   cost 
  of 
  this 
  will 
  advance 
  rapidly 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  years. 
  

  

  For 
  floors, 
  selected 
  yellow 
  pine 
  in 
  narrow 
  widths 
  is 
  

   probably 
  as 
  good 
  as 
  any 
  wood, 
  except 
  for 
  very 
  expensive 
  

   hardwood 
  floors 
  laid 
  in 
  patterns. 
  The 
  yellow 
  pine 
  floor 
  

   chosen 
  without 
  a 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  difference 
  in 
  quality 
  of 
  

   this 
  lumber 
  will 
  not 
  give 
  satisfaction. 
  Each 
  lot 
  of 
  lumber 
  

   should 
  be 
  carefully 
  selected, 
  and 
  when 
  put 
  down 
  in 
  work- 
  

   manlike 
  manner 
  will 
  outlast 
  an 
  inferior 
  floor 
  many 
  years 
  and 
  

   always 
  give 
  satisfaction. 
  Unless 
  the 
  wood 
  is 
  chosen 
  accord- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  quality 
  wide 
  spaces 
  will 
  appear 
  between 
  the 
  strips, 
  and 
  

   no 
  amount 
  of 
  polishing 
  and 
  finishing 
  can 
  ever 
  make 
  it 
  look 
  

   first 
  class. 
  Whitewood, 
  cypress, 
  and 
  similar 
  soft 
  woods 
  make 
  

   poor 
  floors, 
  and 
  should 
  never 
  be 
  used 
  except 
  where 
  carpets 
  

   are 
  to 
  be 
  spread 
  over 
  them. 
  A 
  painted 
  floor 
  of 
  cypress 
  or 
  

   whitewood 
  gives 
  poor 
  satisfaction, 
  for 
  the 
  wood 
  is 
  too 
  soft 
  

   to 
  withstand 
  the 
  wear 
  and 
  tear, 
  and 
  paint, 
  after 
  all, 
  is 
  to 
  

   protect 
  from 
  weather 
  rather 
  than 
  from 
  friction. 
  Oak, 
  plain 
  

   or 
  quartered, 
  ash, 
  and 
  birch 
  are 
  woods 
  that 
  should 
  never 
  be 
  

   painted. 
  Their 
  grain 
  is 
  too 
  beautiful 
  to 
  be 
  concealed 
  from 
  

   view 
  underneath 
  a 
  coat 
  of 
  paint. 
  

  

  Birch 
  for 
  interior 
  finish 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  woods 
  that 
  has 
  not 
  

   been 
  properly 
  appreciated 
  by 
  all 
  housebuilders, 
  and 
  from 
  

   an 
  architectural 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  wood 
  that 
  has 
  great 
  

   possibilities, 
  but 
  few 
  of 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  realized. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  

   so 
  expensive 
  as 
  oak, 
  ash, 
  and 
  walnut, 
  and 
  its 
  use 
  outside 
  of 
  

   the 
  cabinet 
  trade 
  has 
  always 
  been 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  limited. 
  There 
  

   are 
  three 
  kinds 
  of 
  birch 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  used 
  successfully 
  for 
  

   interior 
  finish 
  — 
  plain 
  white 
  birch, 
  curly 
  birch, 
  and 
  plain 
  red 
  

   birch. 
  For 
  interior 
  decorative 
  effects 
  the 
  red 
  birch 
  has 
  almost 
  

   as 
  great 
  a 
  value 
  as 
  some 
  grades 
  of 
  mahogany. 
  It 
  is 
  rich 
  of 
  

   tone 
  and 
  figure, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  so 
  firm 
  of 
  texture 
  that 
  

   it 
  requires 
  no 
  filler 
  to 
  make 
  it 
  produce 
  a 
  lustrous 
  polish. 
  It 
  

   is 
  a 
  wood 
  that 
  is 
  easily 
  worked 
  by 
  carpenter's 
  tools, 
  and 
  

   when 
  properly 
  dried 
  it 
  does 
  not 
  warp 
  or 
  crack. 
  A 
  good 
  deal 
  

   of 
  the 
  birch 
  cut, 
  however, 
  shows 
  cracks 
  in 
  the 
  tree, 
  and 
  there- 
  

   fore 
  selection 
  is 
  essential 
  to 
  success. 
  Birch 
  lumber 
  is 
  very 
  

   plentiful 
  in 
  New 
  England 
  and 
  the 
  Eastern 
  States, 
  and 
  also 
  

   in 
  Michigan, 
  Minnesota, 
  and 
  Wisconsin. 
  Consequently 
  birch 
  

   is 
  cheaper 
  than 
  plain 
  oak 
  or 
  ash, 
  and 
  about 
  as 
  costly 
  as 
  maple. 
  

   Curly 
  birch, 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  is 
  scarce 
  and 
  its 
  price 
  high. 
  

   Curly 
  birch 
  has 
  a 
  rich 
  chocolate 
  brown 
  finish, 
  and 
  is 
  often 
  

   as 
  effective 
  as 
  mahogany, 
  but 
  white 
  birch 
  has 
  a 
  light 
  finish, 
  

   and 
  plain 
  red 
  birch 
  a 
  darker 
  shade. 
  The 
  white 
  and 
  red 
  used 
  

   in 
  combination 
  produces 
  a 
  quiet 
  and 
  dignified 
  finish 
  that 
  is 
  

   very 
  attractive 
  in 
  a 
  home 
  where 
  mahogany 
  would 
  be 
  out 
  of 
  

   place. 
  The 
  decorative 
  effect 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  shades 
  of 
  the 
  wood 
  

   is 
  as 
  striking 
  as 
  the 
  cheerfulness 
  of 
  the 
  tone. 
  In 
  durability 
  

   birch 
  will 
  hold 
  itself 
  with 
  any 
  wood, 
  often 
  outlasting 
  oak 
  and 
  

   mahogany, 
  and 
  always 
  retaining 
  its 
  colors. 
  In 
  birch 
  panel- 
  

   ing, 
  wainscoting, 
  and 
  doors 
  the 
  effect 
  is 
  always 
  rich 
  and 
  soft. 
  

   When 
  the 
  cost 
  of 
  birch 
  is 
  considered, 
  along 
  with 
  its 
  other 
  

   qualities, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  acknowledged 
  to 
  possess 
  a 
  degree 
  of 
  use- 
  

   fulness 
  not 
  well 
  appreciated 
  to-day. 
  

  

  Spruce 
  and 
  hemlock 
  for 
  interior 
  finish 
  are 
  woods 
  that 
  for 
  

   years 
  have 
  been 
  neglected, 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  increasing 
  cost 
  

   of 
  hard 
  pine 
  and 
  oak 
  they 
  are 
  being 
  employed 
  more 
  and 
  

   more 
  for 
  this 
  purpose- 
  Spruce 
  is 
  susceptible 
  qf 
  a 
  very 
  high 
  

   and 
  beautiful 
  finish, 
  either 
  in 
  natural 
  color 
  or 
  steins. 
  Wash- 
  

   ington 
  spruce 
  in 
  particular 
  has 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  recent 
  years 
  to 
  

   yield 
  desirable 
  results 
  when 
  properly 
  handled. 
  Piano 
  and 
  

  

  