102 
House & Garden 
PRACTICAL 
LUXURIES 
any homes count among 
their treasures pieces of 
linen, hallowed by age 
and association, that are 
as lustrous and useful as on the 
joyous occasion when they first 
came into possession. 
Of such are Fleur-De-Lis Irish 
Hand Woven Linen Damask 
tablecloths and napkins, fit to 
grace the tables of monarchs and 
yet the most serviceable of all 
household necessaries, priced so 
that they are a practical luxury. 
The handloom weavers of Ire¬ 
land mark these linens so that 
each tablecloth and napkin tells 
you by the simplest method that 
it is genuine. When buying linen 
tablecloths and napkins look for 
the Fleur-de-Lis emblem and the 
legend: Irish Hand Woven Linen 
Damask, woven into the margin 
of every piece. The signature of 
the handloom craft makes this 
linen a luxury; the Fleur-De-Lis 
emblem, guaranteeing its lasting 
durability, proves it an economy. 
Sold at the better stores in the 
larger cities of the United States 
and Canada. 
IRELAND BROS. 
INCORPORATED 
MAKERS OF THE FLEUR-DE-LIS LINENS 
BELFAST 
NEW YORK 
102 Franklin Street 
LONDON 
A Book of Designs, containing full informa¬ 
tion regarding sizes, if not obtainable in your 
locality, may be had upon request. 
For fine use also are Fleur de Lis LinenTowels, 
Linen Sheets and Pillow Cases. 
.19X2 
Designed for Ireland Bros, by J alien Elfenbein.froA VIDh Century Irish MSS. 
THE TRUTH ABOUT TEXTURE 
(Continued from page 75) 
the natural textures and characteristics and these should be seen as a sort of 
of building materials were better than warning to such architects and pro- 
any artificial “textures” or faked “char- spective builders as entertain the belief 
acteristics” which could be arbitrarily that if rough woodwork is good, muti- 
apphed to them, and all about our lated woodwork is better, 
countrysides began to appear houses From which observations I do not 
which seemed to possess a kind of in- by any means want it to be supposed 
trinsic merit which would last. that texture in building materials is 
Any idea, however, in building or not an admirable and highly desirable 
anything else, is susceptible to the thing. The illustrations of this article 
abuse of exaggeration, and it is against have been chosen with considerable 
this that we must guard in the matter care to show good expressions of tex- 
of textures. “Rock-faced” masonry is ture in several commonly used ma- 
an example of bad art in the form of terials, and to show, in several in- 
an artificial imitation of a natural stances, the limit to which the texture 
effect, or at least of what was believed should be developed, 
to be a natural effect. Considering 
here certain materials commonly used handling stone 
in the exterior construction of houses, 
instances are not far to seek wherein Texture in stone masonry is a par- 
the architect, or artisan, or both have ticularly delicate matter, because a 
shown^ too much zeal in the “back to stone wall combines nature and artifice, 
nature” swing of the architectural pen- The stones themselves are natural, the 
dU D I ^'i i • mortar jointing is artifice, and ’ this 
Brickwork in which rough brick- should always be very sympathetically 
ends are deliberately projected two done. Few natural stones are suitable 
inches or so from the face of the wall for building in their natural state, and 
is on the danger line of affectation, must be “rough dressed,” which means 
It undeniably produces an effect of in some cases having merely their ends 
texture, but by means too self-conscious roughly squared up and in others, the 
and insistent. The architect may say rough splitting of the stones as well. 
“I got rather an amusing effect here The amount and color of the mortar 
with the brickwork”—and the expres- used depends upon the effect desired, 
sion which he means to sound pleas- In one illustration the horizontal shapes 
antly blase comes nearer to being lit- of the stones are so pleasing that the 
erally true. architect has emphasized the stones as 
units by means of white mortar joints. 
stucco and wood In another example, where the edges 
of the stones are not so precise, a 
I here are even more affectations in unity has been given to the wall by 
stucco finishes. Texture is all very the use of more mortar, and little con- 
well, and even a variety of more or trast in color between mortar and 
less tricky kinds of trowel work, but stone. 
the kind of stucco finish which looks In stucco finishes there is a good 
as though it had been thrown on in deal of latitude, because stucco is a 
handfuls is as bad, in its way, as the mixed material, with no prototype or 
stucco coat which is troweled as precedent in nature to tell us what 
smooth as a piece of sheet metal. “The its natural texture should be. Common 
mark of the tool,” the fetich of all sense and good taste ought to help in 
the ardent believers in the gospel ac- determining the best stucco texture in 
cording to William Morris is all very any given instance, but unfortunately 
well, if the tool is used in a normal these aids are frequently absent 
and natural manner. There can be no general rule, because 
If a piece of wood is roughed to a good and effective finish for one 
shape with an adze, the marks of this house might be atrocious on another, 
tool unquestionably add a pleasing Certainly the addition of coloring mat- 
hand-wrought character which greatly ter and the development of troweled 
aids the expression of ruggedness and or rough-cast finishes can add greatly 
vigor in half-timber work, or in the to the picturesque effect of this ma- 
jambs and lintel of a doorway in the terial, and so long as the treatment is 
informal type of house. But a distinct a means and not an end, unusual 
degree of insincerity is reached when stucco effects can safely remain on the 
a piece of mill lumber, which has right side of undue exaggeration, 
never seen an adze, is deliberately 
roughed up with a plane or a broad brick texture 
gouge so that it has an effect of being 
scalloped or even marcelled. The mark Texture in brickwork has been aided, 
of the tool is there, but it is the mark if not entirely recreated by the enlight- 
of the wrong tool, wrongly used. enment of the manufacturers in provid- 
The rough slate roof has added mg face brick in a wide range of ex- 
greatly to the vocabulary of our coun- cellent natural colors and textures, 
try house architects—but it, too, is The only way in which these modern 
susceptible to abuse and exaggeration, bricks can be spoiled is in the man- 
It is well enough, and admirably pic- ner in which they are laid up. Three 
turesque when it is in scale and char- things, here, must be right: the color 
acter with its house, but it becomes of the mortar, the width of the mor- 
grotesque when it is made to look as tar joint and the kind of mortar joint, 
though it had been laid by the Druids, Attractive brickwork has been done 
after they got through building Stone- with white mortar, used in wide flush 
henge. joints. There is less emphasis of the 
pattern formed by the individual bricks 
dangerous emphasis as units when neutral colored mortar 
is used, and perhaps the most effec- 
So much for the danger of exagger- tive (and the safest) method of brick 
ation and insincerity in over-empha- building is with neutral colored mortar, 
sizing textures in materials. It is a in a raked joint of medium width— 
real danger, and one which might go not more than three eighths of an inch, 
far toward discrediting a number of The slight shadow cast by each brick 
excellent and honest materials; it might sufficiently emphasizes the fundamental 
even give the pendulum a push back- identity of the brick as a unit, and 
ward to the point where textures were produces a pleasant and not exagger- 
ignored and disguised. There are ated effect of texture in the whole 
plenty of examples of greatly exagger- wall. Even common brick, laid up in 
ated textures in motion picture “sets”, (Continued on page 104) 
