The addition of an old Dutch door and knocker, trellises for climbing roses and ampelopsis, 
and casement windows in place of the original small lights, transformed the building 
The White Gate Studio 
A SMALL BUILDING TRANSFORMED THAT OFFERS A SUGGESTION FOR ONE WHO IS PLANNING A SUMMER 
COTTAGE — THE POSSIBILITIES IN EFFECTIVE BUT INEXPENSIVE ARRANGEMENTS AND FURNISHING 
T HE White Gate Studio lies nestled 
in its tiny garden, remote from 
.every passerby who does not know 
what charms lie hidden behind the 
wicket gate. To be sure, the studio 
.once was known by the name of 
Pigeon Cote, but the cote was aban¬ 
doned before the time we ever thought 
•of having a studio. The little building 
was severe in outline, but that was a 
feature which had to be left, and the 
only embellishments we could afford 
were casement windows to replace the 
,8 x io lights, an old Dutch door with 
its knocker, a settle, a few trellises and 
.some vines. The selection of vines 
was a subject of much discussion, but 
finally we chose a trumpet vine to grow 
over the dark room, ampelopsis for 
the chimney and roses for each side of 
the door, a Tausendschon to the left 
and a Hiawatha on the right, and Cle¬ 
matis paniculata for the side trellis. 
These have all grown satisfactorily, and 
fiave been pronounced a success. 
The inside of the studio was no less 
Interesting to create, and by the end of 
.one month it was finished. There are two rooms only, one a 
photographic developing or dark room, 7x7, and the other a 
peculiarly shaped room, 10 x 30. The floor is of concrete with 
a surface of red cement, a fireplace the width of the room and a 
red tile hearth 10 x 10 to go between Dutch seats. Then with the 
ever-useful composition board, we covered the walls and ceiling. 
allowing the beams in the ceiling to 
show. The lower portion of the walls 
we papered with a golden brown grass 
cloth paper, tinted the upper portion a 
pretty buff and treated the ceiling in the 
same way. The woodwork we stained a 
dark brown with a simple stain made of 
burnt umber with gasoline. 
Now came the time to move in, and 
rag carpets, gate-legged table, Windsor 
chairs and flowers on the sills of the 
pretty casement windows which open on 
the garden in front and on a field of 
poppies in the rear made the room very 
attractive. 
In exchange for an expenditure of 
four hundred dollars we had a charming 
studio, complete in every detail even to 
electric lights and running water. 
The White Gate Studio soon attained 
a great reputation due to its simplicity 
and charm, and the little extras which 
count for so much were soon contributed. 
A crane and kettle for the old-fashioned 
fireplace were the first gifts, Hessian 
soldier andirons came next, then 
sketches, books, pewter ware, vases, 
brasses, growing plants and dozens of things poured in. The 
principal item is a royal samovar, the gift of a Russian con¬ 
noisseur, which furnishes to perfection the gate-legged table, and 
with it forms a social center in the room. 
There is, however, a spot more potent than the cozy chimney 
corner, and that spot is the garden. 
by Marion S. Ditman 
Photographs by the Author 
The white gate leads to the studio and tiny gar¬ 
den which are so hedged in that absolute pri¬ 
vacy is attained 
( 476 ) 
