November, 1905 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



297 



The openings are large, round arches, as in the adjoining 

 house wall ; arches perfectly plain and without ornament, 

 and standing under an entablature carried on plain Ionic 

 columns. 



The ornamental character of this front is derived solely 

 from its architectural parts. That is to say, it depends 

 primarily on the proportions of the house, on the massing 

 of the parts, on their relationship to each other. The orna- 

 mental features are architectural features : the applied colon- 

 nade in the center, the arcade of the porches, the detail of 

 the cornices. The actual ornament is reduced to a minimum — 

 there is no loss and no sense of loss ; yet there is nothing 

 here but the simplest of architectural forms. Were it not for 

 the enormous skill with which this front is composed there 

 could scarce escape a sense of barrenness. The keystones 

 of the three central windows of the lower story, and similar 

 keystones over the square openings at the ends of the arcades 

 are embedded in simple conventional foliage. The key- 

 stones of all the other windows in the center are emphasized, 

 but there is no other detail of any description in this front 

 save that of the cornices, the cornices of the arcade, of the 

 central colonnade and of the main roof. All of these are 

 very delicately detailed, and being of the same material and 

 color as the walls, are not unduly prominent. 



Of the minor points of interest here, mention should be 

 made of the balustrades and plants. Both are essential to 

 the character of this front. The semicircular porches are 

 surmounted with iron balustrades, inclosures of the same 

 material and pattern being placed below the windows of the 



second story; a separate inclosure in the ends, a continuous 

 railing in the center. A stucco balustrade surmounts the 

 center of the house. These railings are dark blue black, and 

 constitute the single external note of color in the exterior, 

 save the awnings of white and yellow ocher stripes. Lofty 

 pyramids of bay trees are stood against the house at needed 

 points of emphasis : one on each side of the large window in 

 the pavilion ends, and one again on each side of a flat-topped 

 opening at the end of the arcade. The deep green leaves 

 form an agreeable contrast with the white walls, and enter 

 intimately into the color scheme of the front. The same 

 might be said of the orange trees, planted in square boxes, 

 which are stood on the terrace in a symmetrical manner. 

 Four great marble vases standing on the terrace balustrade 

 and a couple of low marble benches complete the furnishings 

 of the terrace, whose graveled paths surround sections of 

 well grown grass. 



So much splendor, of a very simple but highly effective 

 sort, has gone into the making of the exterior of the house 

 that quite the same quality is to be looked for within. Even 

 the more somber entrance front suggests the palatial in- 

 terior, and one enters it with a mind keyed for sumptuous 

 impressions. The entrance doorway leads immediately into 

 the hall. This is a spacious room, ample enough for a 

 dozen purposes, but apparently used only for exactly what 

 it is, the entrance hall to a great house. It is a long rect- 

 angle, with steps at either end leading to a higher level. 

 All across the longer side is a raised platform or corridor, 

 completely cut off from the entrance space, with Roman 



The Living-Room 



