File:American homes and gardens (1912) (17968730938).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar91912newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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October, 1912 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 343 stood so well and with which they wrought so lov- ingly. Brick is particularly inter- esting as a building material because it possesses a certain "human" element. It seems to respond to almost any architectural humor, grave or gay, and is quite as pleasing and beautiful of plain dark red modestly trimmed with white stone at Independence Hall, as when of pale buff with diaper pat- tern subtly suggested by darker headers at Madison Square Garden. This "re- sponsive" quality renders its application to domestic build- ing particularly successful
Text Appearing After Image:
excellent type louse stucco comt of decoration to produce variety of effect. More beau- tiful than all these, however, are the wonderful results ob- tained by combining brick with mosaic, tiles, terra cotta, majolica or the other materials in which bas re- lief or modeled ornament is produced. The building of plaques or panels of ivory- tinted plaster or colored ma- jolica into walls of rough- surfaced brick of a different color produces effects al- most unbelievable. But the advantages of brick as a material of which to construct the house, are not confined to its use in ex- ternal work, for some of the for brick, seems to sustain the note in which the home is most interesting and distinctive uses for brick are for in- set, whether it be the dignified beauty and reticence of teriors. Some particularly beautiful vestibules are being English Tudor or Jacobean, or the more intimate cottage paved, lined and ceiled or vaulted with vari-colored brick, styles of Germany or France. It is particularly adapted and an especially interesting example is found in New York, for building homes in what we call the "Colonial" styles, where the beauty of a wonderful facade of brick in mediaeval for brick was used in all the American colonies where such color effect is repeated and emphasized in the treatment of a expense could be met and excellent examples of such build- large and deep vestibule or hall where the idea of inex- ings are readily recalled, from the Hancock house in Bos- pensive richness worked out in brick is developed in a most ton, to the Dutch architecture of New York with its houses wonderful way. Brick in many forms is used for flooring of brick "brought from Holland," then through Maryland terraces, verandas and pergolas, and it is often used for and Virginia with their stately brick manor houses to the halls, libraries or dining-room, or in other rooms where a French and Spanish buildings of Louisiana. solid and dignified effect is desirable, but even more suc- The texture of the brick made to-day is of great variety, cessful is its use for the facing and lining of fireplaces and and even a greater variety of coloring is obtainable, rang- even for building mantels. There are perhaps no more ing from the palest gray or buff through all the long range successful mantels being made than those which are con- of colors into the deeper browns and greens which shade structed wholly of brick, especially made in suitable design, imperceptibly into black. Between these extremes there size and shape, and merely set in place by the workman. are the most beautiful shades of grays, tans and blues, and The corbels or brackets which support the shelf are of every color imaginable, and the variety in size and shape brick, and the shelf is frequently one very large thin brick, is very nearly as great as the variety in coloring and texture. One might suppose that this would produce a very rough, Besides all this there are many different methods of using crude effect much more suitable for a mountain camp or brick—an endless number of "bonds" adapted or borrowed a bungalow in the woods, than for a suburban or country from antiquity which produce effects of light and shade by home, but just the opposite effect has been secured in sev- projecting or recessing certain courses or even certain units (Continued on page 372)

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