HOUSE AND GARDEN 
Au 
gust, igji 
whit e-Shearer in 
their best specimens 
are structural and 
logical. While not 
without ornamenta¬ 
tion, there is in the 
latter no interfer¬ 
ence with line or 
strength; the best 
phase of the mission 
would seem to be 
without ornament. 
They are essentially 
straight-line styles. 
The one is construc¬ 
tion-showing in its 
makeup the other al¬ 
most modern in its 
joinery. 
The new phase, 
however, has none* 
of the vagaries of 
the evolution of the 
mission and its con¬ 
temporaries, or the inconsistencies of the conglomerates and 
“adaptations” of eighteenth century designs foisted upon the 
American home-maker as “colonial.” Its designing and construc¬ 
tion are the result of thought and skill. It has the certain firm¬ 
ness of the mission, as well as much of the grace of the Ilepple- 
white-Shearer. 
Furniture has seldom borne so close a relation to interior 
architecture as the purist would desire. In America in our day 
this is particularly the case. But comparatively few American in¬ 
teriors have architectural quality. One reason is that the archi¬ 
tect was for long an unknown quality in the designing of in¬ 
teriors, and the upholsterer took his place. The result has been 
the reduction to neutrality of most modern interiors; not to speak 
of the efifeminization of the general rooms of the house. This is 
now being remedied in buildings of importance, and effort is be¬ 
ing made to change conditions in dwellings of moderate cost. 
Successful furniture, however, is not architectural in the sense 
generally understood by the layman, but structural. Corinthian 
columns are not suitable as legs of sofas, nor broken pediments 
for the backs of chairs. It is not enough to stick a few pressed- 
wood bowknots on a piece of furniture to make it fit a French 
period of architecture. True harmony in spirit and structure 
must there be to effect a proper relationship. Architectural 
quality may be se¬ 
cured in pieces by 
reliance not upon 
motives of decora¬ 
tion, but upon pro¬ 
portion. Such furni¬ 
ture has been suc¬ 
cessfully designed 
by architects simul¬ 
taneously with the 
construction of 
buildings for cor¬ 
poration uses, nota¬ 
bly banks, and for 
mansions. But the 
latter for the most 
part are furnished 
with reproductions 
and genuine old 
pieces; often, it is to 
be regretted, with 
too great freedom in 
the use of styles, but 
oft e n, also, with 
great charm, where the scheme is carried out to the smallest detail. 
Many of those who care greatly for it. do not advisedly become 
collectors of old furniture, if they are true to what they care for. 
One great difficulty in furnishing with the historic styles is that 
many require an environment in perfect sympathy with their 
design and construction in order to be successfully placed. The 
majority of those styles are non-suited, as being too individually 
marked, to the interiors of today. In truth they have no relation 
to the life of today, often, indeed, they may be classed among 
curiosities of a past age. They are therefore undesirable to hosts 
of lovers of good furniture. 
Great numbers of Americans live in apartments or narrow city 
houses — so they would better have furniture which, while large 
enough for comfort, is yet compact in design and without pro¬ 
tuberances in shape or excrescences in carving. Modern carving 
on anything hut the highest class of productions is a delusion. 
Whatever one pays for in furnishing that is not either useful or 
at least truly decorative is apt to be wasted. 
The new phase fulfills the requirements above indicated. The 
wood chosen is of handsomely figured mahogany, soft-finished in 
the best work. The pieces are individuals, with much handwork 
upon them, and excellent upholstery. The latter is often of the 
loose-cushion kind, with or without springs. It has long been un- 
Here is a rocker happily exemplifying one 
of the varieties of the new phase. Note 
the use of curves and the comfortable, 
loose cushion 
Y? 
This delightful chair, the square-legged 
variety of the new phase, fits snugly into 
a space that a smaller curve-line chair 
would overlap 
Beautiful in proportions, this sofa is deep-seated and high- 
backed. Some of these pieces have companion chairs. 
Only the best upholstery should be used 
The davenport has won its way into the modern home. Observe the severe 
design relieved by the beautiful shoulders. Large, but comparatively easy to 
place in the room 
