November, 1911 
house spend her money for the 
stone chimney of her dreams and 
economize on—well, on something 
else! So this chimney with its big 
studio fireplace was built of stone 
rather than of brick, just to fill the 
owner’s sense of fitness for its 
place. The studio fireplace is big 
enough to take logs as they come 
from the woods, and both firre- 
places are supplied with the old- 
fashioned cranes and_ hangers 
which the village blacksmith was 
found clever enough to make. The 
attic of a farmhouse supplied a 
fine pair of andirons, discarded 
along with fireplaces many years 
ao: also a big iron kettle. ~A 
small corner fireplace was also constructed in the living- 
room below, the flue being carried up in one side of the big 
chimney. This small open fire adds its cheer during the 
cool days of spring and autumn, besides being of great prac- 
tical utility on the culinary side of things, which is some- 
thing even the most impractical artist does not always over- 
look! 
The studio-room of “Laurel Lodge” was found to be still 
quite large enough for any ordinary work, even though a 
bedroom was later partitioned off in the corner near the 
winding, well-lighted stairway descending to the lower floor. 
The corner opposite this bedroom contained a somewhat 
larger space, about which movable screen partitions were 
placed, together with curtains which may be drawn aside 
when the added space is desired in the studio, or closed for 
a little workroom, or even utilized as a bedroom when 
demanded by an occasional guest. 
The problem of lighting the studio from the big dormer 
window received particular attention on the part of the 
artist when drawing the plans. A good, steady, north light, 
high enough to light the whole studio, with no bothersome 
cross lights from other windows, was, of course, a studio 
necessity to the owner. [he smaller windows were placed 
low in the wall, the vistas from which disclosed -a never 
tiresome panorama of Nature’s ever-changing delights. 
These window openings were made wide rather than 
high, with the old-time sliding sash of our Dutch forbears. 
Instead of the regulation upright window having pulleys 
The plate-rack in the living-room. ‘The stairway 
leads to the studio-room, just above it 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 395 
and weights to raise the sash, these 
were built to slide back into the 
wall at either side. When open, 
these windows frame in bits of 
landscape that are veritable pic- 
tures in themselves. The smal] 
windows in the gable ends of the 
house were designed for the pur- 
pose of ventilation during the hot 
months of the year. The walls of 
the studio-room were covered with 
golden brown grasscloth as far as 
the rafters overhead, which rafters 
were left unfinished like the gable 
ends, except for a coat of gray 
stain added to subdue the disagree- 
able yellow of new pine. The floor 
also received a tone of gray stain 
before it was finished in hard varnish, and the shelves and 
studio fittings were all made gray as far as possible. 
The possibility of monotony in such a color scheme was 
avoided by the selection of rugs of skins and rag carpet on 
the floor and the numerous copper and Japanese pottery 
jars lending definite contrasting color notes, while the various 
bits of bric-a-brac and objets d’art, dear to the artist soul, 
found ample space for the display of their individual charms 
against the plain walls and gray stone chimney. 
The door opening in the central space below the north 
dormer window was made in two sections like the old- 
fashioned Dutch door, and it was arranged to furnish a 
window space when its upper section is thrown back. 
From this studio-room, one may look out toward the 
mountains. The “Minister’s Face” of bare rock showing 
above the trees on the right, just over the old stone quarry, 
where workmen still obtain stone for local building and 
road-making purposes. Below this old quarry a road crosses 
the wide stretches of pasture land, leading the eye gently 
down from the steep wilderness above. Not a house is 
visible in this direction to break the perfect picture of prim- 
itive nature, where the Wild Fern, the Mountain Laurel, 
and the Azalea bloom among the rocks. 
The balcony added to the western end of “Laurel Lodge” 
opens from the studio, and serves as an outdoor sleeping- 
room. Doors lead from this into the studio, swinging back. 
This balcony has a pent roof and is enclosed high enough 
to conceal the couch bench. The window-sash, the doors 
The dining table corner of the living-room 
Lower fireplace across the living-room corner 
