September, 1910 
HOUSE AND GARDEN [ 
165 
been made that in the country it 
is inappropriate to use any large 
display of colored glass because 
the vines, the brilliant flowers of 
the garden, the chromatic masses 
of the landscape or the ever 
changing sea furnish in them¬ 
selves all the color that is desir¬ 
able. The argument contains 
truth to this extent, that atten¬ 
tion should be given, in adapting 
glass to the average country 
house, mainly to an attractive 
design and arrangement of lead¬ 
ing. Harmony, not competition 
with outside nature, should be 
sought. This treatment gives 
scale and a sense of finish in the 
windows, appreciated both from 
within and without the house; 
it does not in any way defeat 
the prime functions of the country house, which is built to satisfy 
the craving of its owners for sunlight and fresh air after the 
wintry gloom of the town house. 
In some cases, even in the country, 
there may be an ugly building or unpleas¬ 
ant view which it is desirable to shut out. 
This can be done, and the light retained, 
by use of obscure glasses, of which an 
almost numberless variety is made with¬ 
out color in the United States, to say 
nothing of the English and German an¬ 
tique glasses, which range from a heavy 
smoke to a dazzling white. These “an¬ 
tiques’’ are particularly interesting in the 
sheet, in which they vary from thick to 
thin, from dark to light. They are full 
of tiny bubbles or blisters caused while 
the molten glass is cooling on the table — 
highly desirable defects which are techni¬ 
cally termed “seeds.” It is always well 
in purchasing light tints or whites to ask 
to have the glass very “seedy.” 
With these glasses for material the 
designer is unhampered by problems of 
color. His best thought should be turned 
toward a beautiful arrangement of black 
and white lines, in doing which his powers and his deficiencies 
may stand as clearly revealed as in the designing of a cathedral 
window. Harmonious rather than assertive expression of artis¬ 
tic vigor is the keynote to his success. If the home, for example, 
is such that it calls for reserve in architectural style, the de¬ 
signer has but to observe the canons of that style to complement 
the character of the building. 
With the design well in hand 
the next point for the designer 
to consider should be the leads 
which he is to use. As a general 
principle, the greater the variety 
of sizes he permits himself the 
more interesting the outcome 
will be — a generalization which 
applies almost equally whether 
he has worked in the style of 
the Elizabethan manor, the 
French chateau or the Colonial 
plantation house, or has been 
beguiled by the up-to-date spirit 
of l’Art Nouveau which appears 
in most European glass of do¬ 
mestic character at the present 
day. 
Without going too far into 
the fascinating possibilities for 
stained glass in the larger and more palatial country house, let 
us see what the mission of stained glass may be in the dwelling 
of the average well-to-do. While, as 
stated, the very low-priced glass is artis¬ 
tically impossible, there are varieties of 
good leaded glass which are not neces¬ 
sarily highly expensive, nor beyond the 
means of people who appreciate that it 
often means a little sacrifice of luxuries 
or amusements to obtain a beautiful 
home. The introduction even of small 
and simple features in glass will often 
greatly heighten the charm of a har¬ 
monious interior. 
The bungalow type of house, which 
is now so popular, is in particular ren¬ 
dered more livable by a judicious use of 
leaded glass. Here the designer need 
not be hampered by too close attention 
to style. He can profitably work for 
character, suggestion, surprise. The 
front door, for instance, if it has an 
opening for glass, is the very eye of the 
home. In it something of the light of 
the owner’s personality should play. If 
the interior needs illumination from the 
outside, and if the owner at the same time seeks a measure of 
privacy for the interior, the obscure glass already referred to 
should be used in the background, with some stronger color in 
the central feature. So on throughout the house. No matter 
how simple the nature of the work, little touches of quaintness 
and personal interest may be added to give the house that elusive 
There can always be found 
some emblem significant of 
the owner’s personality 
Of an entirely different character is this 
design, in which opalescent glass has been 
used throughout. Tiffany Studios 
For the library windows in 
the home of a metallurgist. 
Walter Janes Studios 
Kif~ 
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11 
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FIN 
1 
Where there is a pleasing view, the stained glass is frequently confined to the transoms or upper panels of a group of windows, as here, 
where the idea has been to carry out some of the old printer’s marks for a library. Designed by Nicola d’Ascenzo 
