36 
HOUSE & GARDEN 
The original house, of simple, Colonial style, appears rather stiff and uncom¬ 
promising. We wish to transform it into the rambling modern country house 
which sits comfortably on the ground and affords more room 
THE GROWING COUNTRY HOUSE 
A Scheme for 
of the Usua 
the Enlargement 
Colonial S 
t y 1 
HOWARD R. WELD 
I F our needs demand more room and our 
tastes have outgrown the old house on 
the country place, we usually call in the 
carpenter jobber to whom we tell our 
troubles, believing that with little lumber 
and a few days’ work he can give us the 
needed alterations and tell us how it should 
be done. This is like having the druggist 
prescribe for us, because he sells medicine, 
when really the doctor should be consulted. 
It takes planning and good designing to 
change a simple peeked roof house into a 
picturesque building which blends with its 
surroundings and appears to have a part 
in the general landscape. 
The house in the accompanying sketches 
is typical of just the conditions many of us 
face. The old house usually has many vir¬ 
tues of which we are hardly aware. The 
timbers and siding are often of a far 
superior lumber than we can buy to-day 
at any price. The workmanship, too, is 
reminiscent of a time when men cared for 
their work and built for all time instead 
of throwing the material together so that 
it will stay just long enough for them to 
collect their money and get away. 
Remodeling the Colonial 
The house under consideration is of a 
simple Colonial type, but appears rather 
stiff and uncompromising in its setting of 
trees and shrubbery. We wish to trans¬ 
form it into the rambling modern country 
house of to-day which seems rather to sit 
comfortably on the ground, as if it were 
part of the great scheme, not a mere cover¬ 
ing to protect man from the elements. 
As the exterior of a house alone gives 
that touch on approaching it, we consider 
our problem from that aspect. The ele¬ 
ments to be considered are: whether the 
surrounding country is flat, plain, or hilly; 
whether we desire to have a compact scheme 
or elongate the effect of the house. 
The landscape about this house is of a 
gently rolling character so that we may not 
go to either extreme in our plans. As the 
house is definitely upright in ap¬ 
pearance, we must soften that 
element by long, horizontal lines 
which are obtained by bringing 
the roof line down on the addi¬ 
tion and tying the old and the 
new parts together by carrying 
the porch roof part way across 
the end of the old structure, 
forming a pleasing hood over the 
first floor windows. This we have repeated 
in intent over the second story windows, 
thus bringing some of the new detail into 
the old structure and blending the two. 
The terrace and wall help this horizontal 
effect; the wall by its long line and the 
terrace by its artificial flooring of flag 
stones, which seems to prepare the eye for 
the sudden raising of tbe house out of the 
ground, thus modifying the quick transi¬ 
tion from ground to house wall. 
In recognition of the necessity for soft¬ 
ening elements we find the need of modify¬ 
ing our entrance, which in itself very pos¬ 
sibly was well designed. In this instance 
we may use a pergola scheme, with digni¬ 
fied white columns and simple trellis over¬ 
head, upon which the soft green of climb¬ 
ing vines and flash of brilliant blossoms 
makes a charming spot of interest against 
the otherwise plain faqade. It is safe to 
say that such a scheme should only be used 
in a suburban or country house. 
Our next thought might be to secure 
deep shadows of large area near the base 
of the structure to show coolness and depth, 
which are very inviting in warm, summer 
days, and in this case may be shut in by 
glass in winter, giving us a pleasant sunny 
place to sit. The long sweep of the new roof 
is a pleasing contrast to the short, sharp 
pitch of the original building, and when 
broken up by the dormer, secures that most 
simple though effective decorative element, 
the contrast of small intricate detail against 
a large plain surface. The wide overhang¬ 
ing eaves lend their part to the beauty of 
the whole by giving the definite though 
The roof plan includes the addition to the rear 
and the porte cochere on the farther side, together 
with a terrace which the original house lacked 
lesser shadows under the roof, which af¬ 
fords the feeling of substantiality, and like¬ 
wise defines the shape of the house against 
the background of skyline. 
Silhouetting and Softening 
It is well also to plan the addition, if 
possible, so that it silhouettes against a 
dark mass of foliage. This gives a sense 
of coolness and lovely restfulness in sum¬ 
mer, and a feeling of massiveness in win¬ 
ter, when the house is seen against the 
wonderful delicate tracery of the bare 
branches of the trees. 
The chimney also may have a part to 
play in the scheme. We may falsely en¬ 
large it so that its mass and color surmount¬ 
ing the whole structure will give pleasure 
to the eye from every angle. 
Architecture is never more beautiful than 
when partly hidden or softened by foliage. 
Shrubbery should be placed so that it 
breaks the monotony of the long hard lines 
we so often find in even well designed 
houses of all types. 
The arrangement of walks and drive¬ 
ways plays an important part in such 
changes, and should be given careful 
thought so as to utilize the existing natural 
beauties of the building lot. 
We find upon summing up our work that 
we have a house nearly doubled in size 
which has been given that indefinable some¬ 
thing which has changed it from a rather 
bleak, stiff structure, into a place one loves 
to look upon and feels the desire to ex¬ 
plore to find new wonders on every side. 
And this is what makes for success. 
