42 
HOUSE & GARDEN 
Quarried from the Riviera district, this blanche-violet mantel 
adds a pleasing note of brightness to a somewhat massive 
room. The decorative border above is of fruits and flowers 
T HE style of an ideal residence 
should unite elements of mas¬ 
culine strength and feminine grace. 
In finding such a combination it is 
hardly surprising to learn that the 
inspiration is drawn from two dif¬ 
ferent sources; indeed, from two 
different nations. For contributing 
grace of line, the Italian school is 
preeminently qualified; while ele¬ 
ments of strength and dignity may 
well be derived from English 
models. Thus we have what may 
be called, informally, an English- 
Italian style of architecture. It 
was this interesting combination 
that gave rise to what is technically 
known as Georgian. And when 
this same style with certain modi¬ 
fications was transplanted in Amer¬ 
ica, the form evolved took the name 
of Colonial. Thus it comes that 
in a Georgian house we are apt to 
find touches that have become fa¬ 
miliar to us under the name of 
Colonial. The principles we have 
briefly outlined are clearly em¬ 
bodied in the residence selected for 
present consideration. 
In the setting of “Oak Knoll" 
one observes two important fea¬ 
tures : elevation and space. The 
former commands an outlook across 
a broad, undulating sweep of valley. On 
the far horizon, if the day is clear, the 
towers of New York may seem like shafts 
of light. As to space, the grounds com¬ 
prise about five acres, with a frontage of 
450' on Mountain avenue and 500' on Union 
street, Montclair, N. J. Plenty of elbow 
room is essential to a structure of this 
character. The inclusion of grounds and 
the relation of buildings to them, are in¬ 
tegral parts of the general plan. In fact, 
it is only when nature is an accessory that 
residential architecture can be seen at its 
best. 
The house itself covers an area of about 
137' x 70'. Generous as these dimensions 
are, a certain conservatism and restraint in 
the avoidance of over elaboration impart 
to the whole an atmosphere of re¬ 
fined simplicity; and this constitutes 
one of the most pleasing features. 
The felicitous arrangement of win¬ 
dows and arches cannot fail to be 
noticed. A genial note is furnished 
by the roof done in varied red Italian 
tiles, showing warm against the con¬ 
trasting coolness of the green trees 
and blue sky. 
It happens that these notes were 
made after the trees had shed their 
leaves, to allow for better photo¬ 
graphic opportunities. In summer 
the grounds are treated with due re¬ 
gard to the approaches to the house 
and to landscape and garden effects. 
There is little to note about the 
garage, stables and other outbuild¬ 
ings, except to say that they are so 
studied and executed as not to be 
obtrusive and to be in subdued har¬ 
mony with the main structure. 
“Oak Knoll’’ is found to be as 
consistently Georgian inside as out. 
There are portions of it, indeed, 
which appear to be English models 
transplanted bodily. But before pro¬ 
ceeding further there are impressive 
features in the main hall which com¬ 
mand attention. 
Any good hall has something of 
the effect of welcome; it is a sort of 
architectural handshake; and, more than 
that, it is a silent but persuasive invitation 
to penetrate into the rooms beyond. This 
last impression has been very skilfully cre¬ 
ated by the architect in the present instance, i 
A noble entrance to the rooms has been 
provided. A long hall is generally rather 
difficult to plan satisfactorily. The prob¬ 
lem here is well solved. The length is 
Its unusual size gives the dining-room a note of dignity, aside from the paneled walls. The motif of the decorative border, shown in detail in the 
picture above, is continued in the cornice. Hanging above the sideboard is a Khiva Bokhara rug in Turkoman weave of the Seventeenth Century 
