AND FENCES. 
47 
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- 
