M.vkch 4. 
COUNTRY GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
414 
That tlie reader may benefit as mnch as possible, by being 
shown what to avoid, Pig. 2, illustrafing the arrangement of 
the best modern houses, is added for comparison. 
Another example of the want of a proper connection 
between a residence and its gardens occuis to me. I allude 
to it, because tlie inconvenience complained of might readily 
have been avoided wiien the liouse was designed ; and the 
example may, perhaps, furnish a timely warning to some 
reader of The Cottage GAiinENEU contemplating an essay 
in brick and mortar. The residence in question is placed 
on the edge of a steep glen, facing whicli is .the principal 
front; the aspect soutli. A terrace very properly extends 
the whole length of this front, connecting the ornamental 
grounds, which are right and left of the residence; the main 
portion being on the left or east side. In fact, that is%the 
only position in which, from the nature of the surface, the 
main portion could be placed. This was, of course, known 
: when tlie house was built; but how was it taken advantage 
of? Why! by placing the entrance-door in that direction, 
j and, of course, wholly destroying the private communication 
I between the house and gardens. Certainly, the connection 
is in a measure preserved by the terrace-walk, but as that is 
I entirelj' open to the coach-ring, and from which it cannot, 
without augmenting the existing evil, be screened, no degree 
of privacy can be retained in the garden near the house, 
the coach-road entirely separating the one from the other. 
A coach-road to a residence is, of course, a necessary 
appendage, but it ought not to form part of, or to terminate 
in, the llower-garden. The result of such an arrangement is 
in the highest degree inconvenient. Nevertheless, gardens 
so circumstanced are by no means rare. To add still more 
to the tin pleasantness of the example in question, one of the 
drawing-room windows is fully exposed to tlie coach-ring, 
rendering the interior of the room public to every one 
ari'iving at the front-door. That should always be avoided. 
Placing tbe windows of the more private apartments on the 
entrance front is a very common error, especially in the 
smaller villa residences. Such an arrangement is always a 
bar to the proper disposition of the grounds, and the architect 
sliould ever be induced to avoid it in his design ; few in¬ 
stances ivill occur in which it cannot be effected. But Avhile 
houses continue to bo built without any consideration beyond 
that of securing a liandsome front, so long will the thousand 
inconveniencies pertaining to residences in general have to be 
endured. A handsome, convenient house is the philosoiiber’s 
stone of architecture—happy the man Avho iinds it. 
Fig. 3. 
Fig. 3 illustrates the last example. 
Again, houses are frequently found in positions where, 
although the privacy of the gardens may not be broken in 
upon by the coach-road, there are no means of access to the 
kitchen entrance and offices except by passing the front 
j door. Such an arrangement ought never to occur; and, 
! however limited the space, or irregular the ground, it can 
be avoided by exercising proper forethought when the 
house is built. Those who reside under such conditions 
i knoAV too Avell hoAv many inconveniencies and unpleasant 
I circumstances arise therefrom ; and, independent ot other 
considerations, it is impossible to retain, immediately about 
the entrance of the house, that degree of neatness so essen¬ 
tial to, and, at the same time, so characteristic of, a well- 
I kept villa residence. 
i If, for the sake of clearness, we imagine the plan of a 
house to be simply a square, or paralellogram, two of its 
sides, in connection with each other, should be directly in 
communication with the pleasure-ground and flower-gardens, 
another devoted to the entrance-front, and the remaining 
one to the offices. As regards the positions of the rooms 
on the ground-floor, the more private should, of course, 
look out on the garden fronts. The drawing-room, being 
the principal, ought invariably to have its window's there, 
and never on the entrance side. The most appropriate 
rooms to place there are the dining and breakfast rooms, 
because they will be used during periods ot the day Avhen 
i their privacy is little likely to be Ijroken iii upon. When it 
I is desirable to introduce the semblance oi windows, where, 
I in reality, they are not required, blank glazed ones can be 
employed with excellent efiect; all painted imitation should 
be rigorously avoided. 
It is, I conceive, a mistaken idea that parts of a residence 
should be invariably concealed. Every room w'ould, if 
judiciously blended in the composition, assist in the general 
effect as a Avhole. Every offensive object would, of course, 
be hidden, and due prominence given to the principal fronts; 
but to give an elaborate character to one part, and reduce 
the other to the meanness of a barn, or a union workhouse, 
appears to me to be highly objectionable on the score of 
good taste. Yet such a style of building is every day adopted, 
and houses that would otherwise be conspicuous and beautiful 
objects, both in themselves and as accessories to the sur¬ 
rounding scenery, are deformed by being made up of what 
never can be artistically combined—meairness and ornament. 
Every proprietor has the laudable desire to render his resi¬ 
dence as imposing as its size pnd style w'ill allow. But the 
easiest way to defeat that object is to give, or attempt to 
give, undue importance to one part at the expense of the 
other; or, in other w'ords, to join a mean-looking building 
to a highly ornamental one, under the idea that the result of 
the combination will be a handsome house. 
To design and place a residence in a position where it 
shall afford its inmates all the advantages of the locality, 
with feAvest of its inconveniencies, and, at the same time, 
afford ample facility for embellishment in the grounds sur¬ 
rounding it, demands much consideration, and its accomplish¬ 
ment is Avorthy of praise. The difficulties in the way of its 
realization must always render its complete attainment a rare 
occurrence. Even Avhere great forethpught is exercised, 
T 
