House and Garden 
ceived and built—how no other thing than 
this could spring from such a source as its 
designer’s deep and refined feeling which was 
expressed by his casual remark that “all life 
is emotion.” 
Scarcely less successful than his own house 
are those he has built for his neighbors. 
These structures distinguish the whole 
countryside in which they are built, while 
the purely suburban houses, erected nearer 
the city by the same architect, have raised 
vines and natural growth, were it not com¬ 
pared with the slightlv older “ Garth 
H ouse ” for Mr. Heaton in Edgbaston 
Park Road. The value of harmonious 
surroundings is seen at “ The Dene ” and 
“ Woodside,” both at Four Oaks, and which 
are older still. Their present state is a re¬ 
sponse to the architect’s plea that natural 
growths, the disposition of the land, the 
design and materials of the garden, the 
position of old trees and landmarks,—in a 
THE DINING-ROOM MR. YATES’ HOUSE 
the suburbs of Birmingham into architec¬ 
tural prominence second only to London’s 
environs. Mr. Bidlake is a comparatively 
young man, and for this reason the age of 
his work can contribute but little to its 
charm. Its fine qualities are all inherent 
in the buildings themselves; and from the 
moment of their completion, they are to be 
admired for their dignity, simplicity, color 
and above all their repose. His newest 
house for Mr. Yates at Four Oaks would 
seem complete in itself, needing nothing of 
word all the surroundings of the house,—be¬ 
come a part of the home and should govern 
to a large extent the design of the building. 
The house should suit the site and not 
the site made to suit the house, he would 
say. 
'This idea grows in strength with Mr. 
Bidlake’s love of local traditions in building 
such as are exemplified in England in an 
infinite number of old buildings erected 
long ago by unschooled workmen and to-day 
unappreciated except by a very few who seek 
