m

Yale University Library

39002030234885

ft' sasRS^
,ttmtttc::ttl
iifr c, -c- c r r Et r £k
...r:; j'h '«- , i."^ ' ^'
;tUSj5rir»t.{ i-r-tjjticjL
_,'£¦¦ t r f't t 'e ^
';^jf '-J ,

iSfjjHsii^isa:;;

]RAFTSMAN HOMES
BY GUSTAV STICKLE Y

THE CRAFTSMAN PUBUSfflNG COMPANY
41 WEST 34™ STREET NEWYORKCITY

Copyright, 1909, by
GusTAv Sticklbt

* yjXf^at nations; torite tijetr autohiograplip in
l!P tf)ree manusicripts! : tfje hook of tfjeir toorbsi,
tibe hooh of t^eir httha anb tl^e hooh of
tdeir art. iBtot one of tfie«e hoofeg can he unber=
£(toob unlesisi tue reab ti)e otter ttoo, hut of tfje
tdree, the onlp one quite trusittoortlip tsi tfie lasst.
tEDiie actsi of a nation map he triumpfiant hp itsi
soob fortune, anb its taiorbsi miglitp hp tde
seniufii of a feh) of itse cliilbren, hut its: art can
he fiiupreme onlp hp tfie general sifts^ anb com=
mon spmpatftiesi of ttie race." BTofm i^ufiihin.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

" The Simplification of Life :" By Edward Carpenter  1
"The Art of Building a Home:" By Barry Parker and Raymond Un win  &
A California House Founded on the California Mission Style ....  9
An Old-Fashioned House with the Dining Room and Kitchen in One  12
A Small Cottage that Is Comfortable, Attractive and Inexpensive  15
A Plain House that Will Last for Generations and Need but Few Repairs  16
A Cottage of Cement or Stone that Is Conveniently Arranged for a Small Family .... 19
Suburban House Designed for a Lot Having Wide Frontage but Little Depth  20
A Very Simple and Inexpensive Cottage Built of Battened Boards ......... 23
A Cement House that Shows the Decorative Use of Concrete as a Framework .... 24
Cement House Showing Lavish Use of Half-Timber as a Decoration  28
Cement House Showing Craftsman Idea of Half-Timber Construction  30
A Comfortable and Convenient House for the Suburbs or the Country  32
A Craftsman City House Designed to Accommodate Two Families  36
A Craftsman Farmhouse that Is Comfortable, Homelike and Beautiful  38
House with Court, Pergolas, Outdoor Living Rooms and Sleeping Balconies  43
The Craftsman's House: A Practical Application of Our Theories of Home Building . . 45
A Small Shingled House that Shows Many Interesting Structural Features  50
A Roomy, Inviting Farmhouse, Designed for Pleasant Home Life in the Country ... 52
A Simple, Straightforward Design from which Many Homes Have Been Built .... 64
A Craftsman House in which Tower Construction Has Been Effectively Used .... 56
A Concrete Cottage Designed in the Form of a Greek Cross to Admit More Light ... 60
A Bungalow of Irregular Form and Unusually Interesting Construction  62
A Roomy, Homelike Farmhouse for Lovers of Plain and Wholesome Country Life ... 66
A Plaster House upon which Wood Has Been Liberally Used  68
A Farmhouse Designed with a Long, Unbroken Roof Line at the Back  70
Two Inexpensive but Charming Cottages for Women Who Want Their Own Homes . . 72
A Log House that WUl Serve either as a Summer Camp or a Country Home  74

TABLE OF CONTENTS-Con/mt..^

PAGE

A Pleasant and Homelike Cottage Designed for a Small Family  76
A Country Clubhouse that Is Built like a Log Cabin  79
A Plain Little Cabin that Would Make a Good Summer Home in the Woods . . . . 81
A Bungalow Built around a Courtyard Facing the Water  83
A Rustic Cabin that Is Meant for a Week-end Cottage or a Vacation Home  85
A Bungalow Designed for a Mountain Camp or Summer Home  86
A Convenient Bungalow with Separate Kitchen and Open Air Dining Room  88
A Cottage Planned with a Special Idea to Economical Heating  92
A Cottage that Comes within the Limits of Very Moderate Means  93
A Country House that Was Originally Planned for a Mountain Camp  95
Porches, Pergolas and Terraces: The Charm of Living Out of Doors  97
The Effective Use of Cobblestones as a Link between House and Landscape  102
Beautiful Garden Gates : The Charm that Is Always Found in an Interesting Approach to an
Enclosure  109
The Natural Garden: Some Things that Can Be Done when Nature Is Followed instead of
Thwarted  113
What May Be Done with Water and Rocks in a Little Garden  119
Halls and Stairways: Their Importance in the General Scheme of a Craftsman House . . 125
The Living Room : Its Many Uses and the Possibilities It Has for Comfort and Beauty . . 129
The Dining Room as a Center of Hospitality and Good Cheer  137
A Convenient and Well-Equipped Kitchen that Simphfies the Housework  142
The Treatment of Wall Spaces so that a Room Is in Itself Complete and Satisfying . . . 144
Floors that Complete' the Decorative Scheme of a Room  149
An Outline of Furniture-Making in this Country Showing the Place of Craftsman Furniture
in the Evolution of an American Style  151
Willow Chairs and Settles which Harmonize with the More Severe and Massive Furniture
Made of Oak  160
Craftsman Metal Work: Designed and Made According to the Same Principles that Rule the
Furniture  162
The Kind of Fabrics and Needlework that Harmonize with and Complete the Craftsman
Decorative Scheme  165
Home Training in Cabinet Work  169
Our Native Woods and Their Treatment  18fi
The Craftsman Idea  194

?eautp boesi not consiisit sio mucf) in tfte
t|)inss! repres!enteb, a& in the neeb one
hasi hab of expresisiins tljem; ,anb tfjis!
neeb it is! tofjicfj creates! the besree of force toitfj
tohicll one acquits! oneslelf of tfie hiorh. 0nt
map slap tfjat eherpthins is! beautiful prohibeb
the thins turns! up in its! ohm proper time anb
in its! ohm place; anb contrarih)is!e tfiat notfiins
can he beautiful arrihins inappropriatelp."
Jean Jfrancoisi iWillet.

THE SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFE: " A CHAPTER FROM
EDWARD CARPENTER'S BOOK CALLED "ENGLAND'S
IDEAL" HEN we remember the sincere reformers of the world, do we not
always recall most gladly the simple men amongst them, Savon
arola rather than Tolstoi, Gorky rather than Goethe, and would
it not be difficult to associate this memory of individual effort
for public good with consciously elegant surroundings. Could
we, for instance, picture Savonarola with a life handicapped, per
haps, by eager pursuit of sartorial eccentricities, with a bias for
elaborate cuisine and insistence upon unearned opulence, or the earning of luxury
atfthe sacrifice of other's lives or happiness ? It does not somehow fit into the
frame. In remembering those who have dedicated their lives to the benefit
of their own lands, we inevitably picture them as men of simple ways, who have
asked little and given much, who have freed their shoulders from the burdens
of luxury, who have stripped off from their lives the tight inflexible bandages
of unnecessary formalities, and who have thus been left free for those great essen
tials of honest existence, for courage, for unselfishness, for heroic purpose and,
above all, for the clear vision which means the acceptance of that final good,
honesty of purpose, without which there can be no real meaning in life.
Such right living and clear thinking cannot find abiding place except among
those whose lives bring them back close to Nature's ways, those who are content
to be clad simply and comfortably, to accept from life only just compensation
for useful toil, who prefer to live much in the open, finding in the opportunity
for labor the right to Uve; those who desire to rest from toil in homes built to
meet their individual need of rest and peace and joy, homes which realize a per
sonal standard of comfort and beauty; those who demand honesty in all expres
sion from all friends, and who give in return sincerity and unselfishness, those
who are fearless of sorrow, yet demand joy; those who rank work and rest as
equal means of progress — ^in such lives only may we find the true regeneration
for any nation, for only in such simphcity and sincerity can a nation develop
a condition of permanent and properly equalized welfare.
By simplicity here is not meant any foolish whimsical eccentricity of dress
or manner or architecture, colonized and made conspicuous by useless wealth,
for eccentricity is but an expression of individual egotism and as such must in
evitably be short-lived. And what our formal, artificial world of today needs
is not more of this sort of eccentricity and egotism, but less; not more conscious
posing for picturesque reform, but greater and quieter achievement along lines
of fearless honesty; not less beauty, but infinitely more of a beauty that is real
and lasting because it is born out of use and taste.
From generation to generation every nation has the privilege of nourishing
men and women (but a few) who think and live thus sincerely and beautifully,
and who so far as possible strive to impress upon their own generation the need
of such sincerity and beauty in daily life. One of the rarest and most honest
of these sincere personalities in modern life is Edward Carpenter, an English
man who, though born to wealth and station, has stripped his life of superfluous
social paraphernalia and stepped out of the clumsy burden of tradition, up (not

THE SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFE
down) to the life of the simple, common people, earning his living and that of his
family as a cobbler (and a good one, too) and living in a peaceful fashion in a
home planned and largely constructed by himself. His life and his work are
Avith the people. He knows their point of view, he writes for them, lectures for
them, and though a leader in modern thought in England and a man of genius,
he is one with his daily associates in purpose and general scheme of existence.
In all his present writings the common man and his relation to civilization, is
Mr. Carpenter's theme, and he deals with the great problems of sociology in plain
practical terms and with a straightforward thought born of that surest knowledge
possible, experience.
From the beginning of the endeavor of The Craftsman to aid in the in
terests of better art, better work and a better and more reasonable way of
living, the work of Edward Carpenter has been an inspiration and an ideal, born
out of that sympathy of purpose which makes men of whatever nation brothers
and comrades. We have from time to time in the magazine quoted from Mr.
Carpenter's books at length, feeling that he was expressing our own ideal as no
words of ours could, and particularly have we felt a oneness of purpose with him
in his book called "England's Ideal," in which he publishes a chapter on the
" Simphfication of Life," which with its honesty, sincerity, its high courage and
rare judgment should make clear the pathway for all of those among us who
are honestly interested in readjusting life on a plane of greater usefulness and
higher beauty. In this essay which we purpose here to quote at length, Mr.
Carpenter begins by speaking of his own method of readjusting his life as follows r
IF YOU do not want to be a vampire and a parasite upon others, the great
question of practical life which everyone has to face, is how to carry it on
with as httle labor and effort as may be. No one wants to labor needlessly,
and if you have to earn everything you spend, economy becomes a very personal
question — not necessarily in the pinching sense, but merely as adaptation of
means to the end. When I came some years ago to five with cottagers (earning
say £50 to £60 a year) and share their hfe, I was surprised to find how httle
both in labor and expense their food cost them, who were doing far more work
than I was, or indeed the generahty of the people among whom I had been Hving.
This led me to see that the somewhat luxurious mode of living I had been accus
tomed to was a mere waste, as far as adaptation to any useful end was concerned;.
and afterward I had decided that it had been a positive hindrance, for when I
became habituated to a more simple life and diet, I found that a marked im
provement took place in my powers both of mind and body.
"The difference arising from having a small piece of garden is very great,
and makes one feel how important it is that every cottage should have a plot of
ground attached. A rood of land (quarter acre) is sufficient to grow all potatoes
and other vegetables and some fruit for the year's use, say for a family of five.
Half an acre would be an ample allowance. Such a piece of land may easily
be cultivated by anyone in the odd hours of regular work, and the saving is natur
ally large from not having to go to the shop for everything of this nature that is
needed. "Of course, the current mode of life is so greatly wasteful, and we have come-

THE SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFE
to consider so many things as necessaries — whether in food, furniture, clothing
or what not — which really bring us back next to no profit or pleasure compared
with the labor spent upon them, that it is really difficult to know where the bal
ance of true economy would stand if, so to speak, left to itself. All we can do
is to take the existing mode of life in its simpler forms, somewhat as above, and
work from that as a basis. For though the cottager's way of hving, say in our
rural districts or in the neighborhood of our large towns, is certainly superior
to that of the well-to-do, that does not argue that it is not capable of improve
ment. * * * *
""^^TO doubt immense simplifications of our daily life are possible; but
1^^ this does not seem to be a matter which has been much studied. Rather
¦^ ^ hitherto the tendency has been all the other way, and every additional
ornament to the mantelpiece has been regarded as an acquisition and not as a
nuisance; though one doesn't see any reason, in the nature of things, why it
should be regarded as one more than the other. It cannot be too often remem
bered that every additional object in a house requires additional dusting, clean
ing, repairing; and lucky you are if its requirements stop there. Wnen you
abandon a wnolesome tile or stone floor for a Turkey carpet, you are setting out
on a voyage of which you cannot see the end. The Turkey carpet makes the
old furniture look uncomfortable, and calls for stuffed couches and armchairs;
the couches and armchairs demand a walnut- wood table; the walnut- wood table
requires pohshing, and the polish bottles require shelves; the couches and arm
chairs have casters and springs, which give way and want mending; they have
damask seats, which fade and must be covered; the chintz covers require wash
ing, and when washed they call for antimacassars to keep them clean. The
antimacassars require wool, and the wool requires knitting-needles, and the
knitting-needles require a box, the box demands a side table to stand on and the
side table involves more covers and casters — and so we go on. Meanwhile the
carpet wears out and has to be supplemented by bits of drugget, or eked out with
oilcloth, and beside the daily toil required to keep this mass of rubbish in order,
we have every week or month, instead of the pleasant cleaning-day of old times,
a terrible domestic convulsion and bouleversement of the household.
"It is said by those who have traveled in Arabia that the reason why there
are so many religious enthusiasts in that country, is that in the extreme simphcity
of the hfe and uniformity of the landscape there, heaven — ^in the form of the in
tense blue sky — seems close upon one. One may almost see God. But we
modems guard ourselves effectually against this danger. For beside the smoke
pall which covers our towns, we raise in each household such a dust of trivial
ities that our attention is fairly absorbed, and if this screen subsides for a moment
we are sure to have the daily paper up before our eyes so that if a chariot of fire
were sent to fetch us, ten to one we should not see it.
"However, if this multiplying of the complexity of life is really grateful to
some people, one cannot quarrel with them for pursuing it; and to many it ap
pears to be so. When a sewing machine is introduced into a household the
simple-minded husband thinks that, as it works ten times as quick as the hand,
there will now be only a tenth part of the time spent by his wife and daughter
3?

THE SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFE
in sewing that there was before. But he is ignorant of human nature. To
his surprise he finds that there is no difference in the time. The difference is
in the plaits and flounces — they put ten times as many on their dresses. Thus
we see how httle external reforms avail. If the desire for simphcity is not really
present, no labor-saving appliances will make life simpler.
"As a rule all curtains, hangings, cloths and covers, which are not absolutely
necessary, would be dispensed with. They all create dust and stiffness, and
all entail trouble and recurring expense, and they all tempt the housekeeper
to keep out the air and stinlight — two things of the last and most vital importance.
I like a room which looks its best when the sun streams into it through wide open
doors and windows. If the furnishing of it cannot stand this test — if it looks
uncomfortable under the operation — ^you may be sure there is something un
wholesome about it. As to the question of elegance or adornment, that may
safely be left to itself. The studied effort to make interiors elegant has only
ended — in what we see. After all, if things are in their places they will always
look well. What, by common consent, is more graceful than a ship — ^the sails,
the spars, the rigging, the lines of the hull ? Yet go on board and you will scarce
ly find one thing placed there for the purpose of adornment. An imperious
necessity rules everything; this rope could have no other place than it has, nor
could be less thick or thicker than it is; and it is, in fact, this necessity which
makes the ship beautiful. * * * *
"TTTITH regard to clothing, as with furniture and the other things, it can
W be much simplified if one only desires it so. Probably, however, most
people do not desire it, and of course they are right in keeping to the
comphcations. Who knows but what there is some influence at work for some
ulterior purpose which we do not guess, in causing us to artificiahze our lives to
the extraordinary extent we do in modern times.? Our ancestors wore woad,
and it does not at first sight seem obvious why we should not do the same. With
out, however, entering into the woad question, we may consider some ways in which
clothing may be simplified without departing far from the existing standard.
It seems to be generally admitted now that wool is the most suitable material
as a rule. I find that a good woolen coat, such as is ordinarily worn, feels warmer
when unlined than it does when a layer of silk or cotton is interposed between
the woolen surface and the body. It is also lighter; thus in both ways the sim
plification is a gain. Another advantage is that it washes easier and better, and
is at all times cleaner. No one who has had the curiosity to unpick the Hning
of a tailor-made coat that has been in wear a little time, will, I think, ever wish
to have coats made on the same principle again. The rubbish he will find
inside, the frettings and frayings of the cloth collected in httle dirt-heaps up and
down, the paddings of cotton wool, the odd lots of miscellaneous stuff used as
backings, the quantity of canvas stiffening, the tags and paraphernalia connected
with the pockets, bits of buckram inserted here and there to make the coat "sit"
well — all these things will be a warning to him. * * sh *
"And certainly, nowadays, many folk visibly are in their coffins. Only
the head and hands are out, all the rest of the body clearly sickly with
want of light and air, atrophied, stiff in the joints, strait-waistcoated,

THE SIMPLIFICATION OF LIFE
and partially mummied. Sometimes it seems to me that is the reason why, in our
modem times, the curious intellect is so abnormally developed, the brain and
the tongue waggle so, because these organs alone have a chance, the rest are
shut out from heaven's light and air; the poor human heart grown feeble and
weary in its isolation and imprisonment, the liver diseased and the lungs strait
ened down to mere sighs and conventional disconsolate sounds beneath their
cerements. "There are many other ways in which the details and labor of daily life may
be advantageously reduced, which will occur to anyone who turns practical
attention to the matter. For myself I confess to a great pleasure in witnessing
the Economics of Life — and how seemingly nothing need be wasted; how the
very stones that offend the spade in the garden become invaluable when foot
paths have to be laid out or drains to be made. Hats that are past wear get
cut up into strips for naihng creepers on the wall ; the upper leathers of old shoes
are useful for the same purpose. The under garment that is too far gone for
mending is used for patching another less decrepit of its kind, then it is torn up
into strips for bandages or what not; and when it has served its time thus it de
scends to floor washing, and is scrubbed out of life — useful to the end. When
my coat has worn itself into an affectionate intimacy with my body, when it has
served for Sunday best, and for week days, and got weather-stained out in the
fields with the sun and rain — then faithful, it does not part from me, but getting it
self cut up into shreds and patches descends to form a hearthrug for my feet. After
that, when worn through, it goes into the kennel and keeps my dog warm, and so
after lapse of years, retiring to the manure-heaps and passing out on to the land,
returns to me in the form of potatoes for my dinner; or being pastured by my
sheep, reappears upon their backs as the material of new clothing. Thus it
remains a friend to all time, grateful to me for not having despised and thrown
it away when it first got behind the fashions. And seeing we have been faithful
to each other, my coat and I, for one round or life-period, I do not see why we
should not renew our intimacy — in other metamorphoses — or why we should
ever quite lose touch of each other through the aeons.
"In the above sketch my object has been not so much to put forward any
theory of the conduct of daily life, or to maintain that one method of living is of
itself superior to another, as to try and come at the facts connected with the sub
ject. In the long run every household has to support itself; the benefits and
accommodations it receives from society have to be covered by the labor it ex
pends for society. This cannot be got over. The present effort of a large
number of people to live on interest and dividends, and so in a variety of ways
on the labor of others, is simply an effort to make water run up hill; it cannot
last very long. The balance, then, between the labor that you may consume
and the labor that you expend may be struck in many different ways, but it has
to be struck; and I have been interested to bring together some materials for an
easy solution of the problem."

"THE ART OF BUILDING A HOME": BY BARRY
PARKER AND RAYMOND UNWIN
"^S A nation we do not easily submit to coercion. We want a hand
in the government, national or local. We are pretty direct if
we do not hke a senator or a governor, and express our opinion
!| fully of our ministers and college presidents. In more intimate
' matters of courtship and marriage we regard ourselves as more
independent than any other nation. We marry usually whom
^ we please, and live where we please, and work as we jjlease —
but when it comes to that most vital matter — building a home, individuahty
and independence seem to vanish, and we are browbeaten ahke by architect,
builder, contractor, interior decorator, picture dealer and furniture man. We Uve
in any old house that anyone else has discarded, and we submit to all manner
of tyrannies as to the size, style and finish of our houses, impertinences that we
would not permit in any other detail of hfe. We not only imitate foreign ideals
in our architecture, but we have become artificial and unreal in all the detail
of the finish and fittings of our homes. How many of us would dare to rise up
and assert sufficient individuahty to plan and build a house that exactly suited
our personal ideal of comfort and beauty, and represented our station in hfe ?
And to what extent can we hope for finer ideals in a country that is afraid
to be sincere in that most significant feature of national achievement — the home.
We are a country of self-supporting men and women, and we cannot expect to
develop an honest significant architecture until we build homes that are sirnple,
yet beautiful, that proclaim fine democratic standards and that are essentially
appropriate to busy intelhgent people.
That this same state of affairs prevails somewhat in other lands (though
nowhere to the same extent as in America) we realize from the writing of two
well-known English architects, Barry Parker and Raymond Unwin, who in a
series of lectures published under the title of "The Art of Building a Home"
have entered a plea for greater honesty in architecture and greater sincerity
in decoration which ought to strike a responsive chord in the heart of every
American who has contemplated the foolish, unthinking, artificial structures
which we have vainly called homes.
In the introduction to this vital valuable little book Messrs. Parker and
Unwin take up the question of lack of thought in architecture in so simple,
straightforward and illuminating a fashion that it has seemed wise to present it
to the readers of Craftsman Homes as expressing our creeds and estabhshing
more fully our own ideals!
"'TpHE way we run in ruts is'wonderf ul : our inability to find out the right
I principles upon which to set to work to accomplish what we take in
hand, or to go to the bottom of things, is simply astonishing: while the
resignation with which we accept the Recognized and Usual as the Right and
Inevitable is really beautiful.
"In nothing is this tendency more noticeable than in the art of house-building.
We begin by considering what, in the way of a house, our neighbors have; what
they would expect us to have; what is customary in the rank of hfe to which we
belong; anything, in fact, but what are our actual needs. About the last thing

THE ART OF BUILDING A HOME
we do is to make our home take just that form which will, in the most straight
forward manner, meet our requirements. * * * *
"The planning having been dictated by convention, all the details are worked
out under the same influence. To each house is applied a certain amount of
meaningless mechanical and superficial ornamentation according to some recog
nized standard. No use whatever is made of the decorative properties inherent
in the construction and in the details necessary to the building. These are put
as far as possible out of sight. For example, latches and locks are all let into
the doors leaving visible the knobs only. The hinges are hidden in the rebate
of the door frame, while the real door frame, that which does the work, is covered
up with a strip of flimsy molded board styled the architrave. All constructional
features, wherever possible, are smeared over with a coat of plaster to bring
them up to the same dead level of flat monotony, leaving a clear field for the
erection of the customary abominations in the form of cornices, imitation beams
where no beams are wanted, and plaster brackets which could support, and do
support, nothing. Even with the fire the chief aim seems to be to acknowledge
as few of its properties and characteristics as possible; it is buried as deep m
the wall and as far out of sight and out of the way as may be; it is smothered
up with as much uncongenial and inappropriate "enrichment" as can'be crowded
round it; and, to add the final touch of senseless incongruity, some form of that
massive and apparently very constructional and essential tning we call a man
telpiece is erected, in wood, stone or marble, towering it may be even to the
ceiling. If we were not so accustomed to it, great would be our astonishment
to find that this most prominent feature has really no function whatever, beyond
giving cause for a lot of other things- as useful and beautiful as itself, which exist
only that they may be put upon it, ' to decorate it.' * * * *
"The essence and life of design lies in finding that form for anything which
will, with the maximum of convenience and beauty, fit it for the particular func
tions it has to perform, and adapt it to the special circumstances in which it
must be placed. Perhaps the most fruitful source whence charm of design
arises in anything, is the grace with which it serves its purpose and conforms
to its surroundings. How many of the beautiful features of the work of past
ages, which we now arbitrarily reproduce and copy, arose out of the skilful and
graceful way in which some old artist-craftsman, or chief mason, got over a
difficulty! If, instead of copying these features when and where the cause for
them does not exist, we would rather emulate the spirit in which they were pro
duced, there would be more hope of again seeing life and vigor in our architecture
and design,
"T"TTHEN the architect leaves the house, the subservience to convention
\/\ is not over. After him follow the decorator and the furnisher, who
try toj overcome the lifelessness and vapidity by covering all surfaces
with fugitive decorations and incongruous patterns, and filhng the rooms with
flimsy stereotyped furniture and nick-nacks. To these the mistress of the house
will be incessantly adding, from an instinctive feeling of the incompleteness and
unsatisfactoriness of the whole. Incidentally we see here one reason why the
influence of the architect should not stop at the completion of the four^walls, but

THE ART OF BUILDING A HOME
should extend to the last detail of the furnished house. When his responsibihty
ceases with the erection of the shell, it is natural that he should look very httle
beyond this. There is no inducement for him to work out any definite scheme
for a finished room, for he knows that if he had any aim the decorator and
furnisher would certainly miss it and would fail to complete his creation. If,
when designing a house, the architect were bearing in mind the effect each room
would have when finished and furnished, his conceptions would be influenced
from the very beginning, and his attitude toward the work would tend to under
go an entire change. At present he but too readily accepts the popular idea of
art as a thing quite apart from life, a sort of trimming to be added if funds allow.
"It is this prevalent conception of beauty as a sweetmeat, something rather
nice which may be taken or left according to inclination after the solid meal
has been secured, which largely causes the lack of comeliness we find in our
houses. Before this idea can be dispehed and we can appreciate either the place
which art should hold in our lives or the importance of rightly educating the
appreciation of it, we must realize that beauty is part of the necessary food of
any life worth the name ; that art, which is the expression of beauty as conceived
and created by man, is primarily concerned with the making of the useful gar
ments of life beautiful, not with the trimming of them; and that, moreover, in
its higher branches art is the medium through which the most subtle ideas are
conveyed from man to man.
"Understanding something of the true meaning of art, we may set about
realizing it, at least in the homes which are so much within our control. Let
us have in our houses, rooms where there shall be space to carry on the business
of life freely and with pleasure, with furniture made for use ; rooms where a drop
of water spilled is not fatal ; where the life of a child is not made a burden to it
by unnecessary restraint; plain, simple, and ungarnished if necessary, but honest.
Let us have such ornament as we do have really beautiful and wrought by hand,
carving, wrought metal, embroidery, painting, something which it has given
pleasure to the producer to create, and which shows this in every line — the only
possible work of art. Let us call in the artist, bid him leave his easel pictures,
and paint on our walls and over the chimney corner landscapes and scenes
which shall bring light and life into the room; which shall speak of nature,
purity, and truth; shall become part of the room, of the walls on which they
are painted, and of the lives of us who live beside them; paintings which our
children shall grow up to love, and always connect with scenes of home with that
vividness of a memory from childhood which no time can efface. Then, if
necessary, let the rest of the walls go untouched in all the rich variety of color
and tone, of light and shade, of the naked brickwork. Let the floor go uncar-
peted, and the wood unpainted, that we may have time to think, and money
with which to educate our children to think also. Let us have rooms which
once decorated are always decorated, rooms fit to be homes in the fullest poetry
of the name; in which no artificiality need momentarily force us to feel shame
for things of which we know there is nothing to be ashamed: rooms which can
form backgrounds, fitting and dignified, at the time and in our memories, for
all those little scenes, those acts of kindness and small duties, as well as the scenes
of deep emotion and trial, which make up the drama of our lives at home."

Fiihli.^h^ff i» The Craftsman. October, jon^.

CRAFTSMAN LIVING ROOM SHOWING RECESSED WINDOW-SEAT, OVERHEAD BEAMS AND GIRDERS AND HIGH WAINSCOT BUILT WITH RECESSES TO
HOLD BITS OF METAL OR POTTERY. THE USE OF LANTERNS HANGING FROM THE BEAMS SHOWS THE FAVORITE CRAFTSMAN METHOD OF
LIGHTING A ROOM. THE CRAFTSMAN PIA.Vn EXACTLY CORRESPONDS WITH THE WOODWORK SO THAT IT SEEMS TO BE A PART OF IT.

A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE FOUNDED ON THE CALI
FORNIA MISSION STYLE

V-x\ k.v m\^ have selected for presenta-
^^^^ tion here what we consider
Mgtf^ the best of the houses de-
 /^^^K signed in The Craftsman
Workshops and published
in The Craftsman during
the past five years. Brought
together in this way into a
closely related group, these designs serve to
show the development of the Craftsman idea
of home building, decoration and furnishing,
and to make plain the fundamental principles
which underlie the planning of every Crafts
man house. These principles are simplicity,
durability, fitness for the life that is to be
lived in the house and harmony with its
natural surroundings. Given these things, the
beauty and comfort of the home environment
develops as naturally as a flowering plant from
the root.
As will be seen, these houses range from the
simplest little cottages or bungalows costing
only a few hundred dollars, up to large and
expensive residences. But they are all Crafts
man houses, nevertheless, and all are designed
with regard to the kind of durability that will
insure freedom from the necessity of frequent
repairs ; to the greatest economy of space and
material, and to the securing of plenty of space
and freedom in the interior of the house by
doing away with unnecessary partitions and
the avoidance of any kind of crowding. For
interest, beauty, and the effect of home com
fort and welcome, we depend upon the liberal
use of wood finished in such a way that all its
friendliness is revealed; upon warmth, rich
ness, and variety in the color scheme of walls,
rugs and draperies, and upon the charm of
structural features such as chimneypieces,

window-seats, staircases, fireside nooks, and
built-in furnishings of all kinds, our object
being to have each room so interesting in itself
that it seems complete before a single piece of
furniture is put into it.
Thjis plain cement house has been selected
for presentation at the head of the list chiefly
because it was the first house designed in The
Craftsman Workshops and was published in
The Craftsman for January, 1904, for the
benefit of the newly formed Home Builders'
Club. Therefore it serves to furnish us with
a starting point from which we may judge
whether or not any advance has since been
made in the application of the Craftsman idea
to the planning and furnishing of houses.
It was only natural that our first expression
of this idea should take shape in a house
which, without being exactly founded on the
Mission architecture so much used in Cali
fornia, is nevertheless reminiscent of that
style, this effect being given by the low broad
proportions of the building and the use of
shallow, round arches over the entrance and
the two openings which give light and air to
the recessed porch in front. The thick cement
walls are left rough, a primitive treatment
that produces a quality and texture difficult
to obtain by any other method and to which
time and weather lend additional interest.
The roof, which is low pitched and has a
fairly strong projection, is covered with un-
glazed red Spanish tile ;n the usual lap-roll
pattern with ridge rolls and cresting. The
house, as it stands, is a fair example of the
way in which the problem of the exterior has
been solved by the combination of three fac
tors : simplicity of building materials, em
ployment of constructive features as the only

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1904
A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE BUILT OF CEMENT OR CONCRETE AFTER THE CALIFORNIA MISSION STYLE, WITH LOW-PITCHED TILED ROOF, ROUND ARCHES
AND STRAIGHT MASSIVE WALLS. THE DECORATIVE EFFECT DEPENDS ENTIRELY UPON COLOR, PROPORTIONS AND STRUCTURAL FEATURES.

A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE IN CALIFORNIA MISSION STYLE

decoration, and the recogni
tion of the color element
which is so necessary in
bringing about the neces
sary harmony between the
house and its surroundings.
In this case the walls are

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN

treated with a pigment that gives a soft
warm creamy tone, almost a biscuit color,
and the roof is dull red, — a scheme that
is excellently suited to the prevailing
color in California or in the South, where
yellows, browns and violets abound. For
the colder coloring of the northern or
eastern landscape, the cement walls might
either be left in the natural gray, or given
a tone of dull green, which, applied un
evenly, gives an admirable effect upon
rough cast plaster. Or, for that matter,
the house might be built of brick, stone,
or of any one of the various forms of
concrete construction. And the roof could
be of tile, heavy shingles, or, if given a
steeper pitch, of heavy, rough slate. In
fact, the design as shown here is chiefly
suggestive in its nature, making clear the
fundamental principles of the Craftsman
house and leaving room for such varia
tion of detail as the owner may desire.

It will be noted that the foundation is
not visible and that the turf and shrub
bery around it appear to cling to the
walls of the house, — a circumstance
that ,is apparently slight and yet has a
good deal to do with the linking of a
house to the ground on which it stands.
This effect would be greatly heightened
by a growth of vines over the large
plain wall spaces, which would lend
themselves admirably to a natural
drapery of ivy or ampelopsis.
The treatment of the interior is
based upon the principles already laid
down, the object being to obtain the
maximum effect of beauty and com
fort from materials which are few
in number and comparatively inex
pensive. Although we have not space
here for illustration of the interior
features, a description of the color
scheme employed and of the use made
of woodwork and built-in furnishings
may serve to give some idea of its
character. While the outside of the
house is plain to severity, the inside,
as we have designed it, glows with
color and is rich in suggestion of home
comfort. As in
a 1 1 Craftsman
houses, wood is
abundantly used
in the form of
beams, wainscots
and numerous
built-in furnish
ings.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

11

AN OLD FASHIONED HOUSE WITH THE DINING
ROOM AND KITCHEN IN ONE

Published in The Craftsman, May, IQ05.
VIEW OF HOUSE FROM THE FRONT SHOWING DORMERS, ENTRANCE PORCH AND GROUPING OF WINDOWS.

UPON looking over the plan of this
compact little dwelling, it occurs to us
that possibly some people might like
the general idea of the house and yet
not find it convenient to go into the simple life
to such an extent as to have the dining room

and kitchen in one, as suggested here. Per
sonally we like very much the homely comfort
and good cheer which belongs to the big, old-
fashioned kitchen which is exquisitely kept and
which has in it room for the dining table. But
in order to make such an arrang^ement a suc-

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN,

1'2

AN OLD-FASHIONED HOUSE

.3cici/G

cess, a woman would have to be
the sort of a housekeeper her grand
mother probably was, and take a
personal interest in her cupboard
shelves and the brilliancy of her copper and
brass cooking utensils, which few women
nowadays have time to do.
For those who prefer a separate dining
room and a kitchen proper, we would suggest

"TEHefeAOEl

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

that the pantry and storeroom be
thrown into one and used for a
kitchen. The chimney built for the
range would serve equally well for
a fireplace in the dining room, and the range,
if set in the adjoining corner, could easily be
connected with the same flue. One of the
pleasantest features is the veranda at the back,
which can be enclosed with glass in winter.

RECESSED VERANDA AT THE BACK OF THE HOUSE, WHICH MAY BE USED AS A DINING PORCH IN SUMMER AND
CLASSED IN FOR A CONSERVATORY OR SUN ROOM IN WINTER.

13

AN OLD FASHIONED HOUSE

LIVING ROOM, SHOWING FIREPLACE OF SPLIT BOULDERS; NOOK WITH BUILT-IN BOOKCASES AND WRITING DESK;
DIVISION OF WALL SPACES BY WAINSCOTING, STENCILED PANELS AND FRIEZE, AND EFFECT OF CASEMENTS SET
HIGH IN THE WALL ABOVE THE WAINSCOT.

KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM COMBINED, SHOWING RANGE SET IN A RECESS AND HOODED TO CARRY OFF COOKING
ODORS ; THE DECORATIVE EFFECT OF AN OLD-FASHIONED CUPBOARD BLTILT INTO THE WALL AND THE PLACING OF
THE DINING TABLE BENEATH A GROUP OF FOUR WINDOWS. 14

A SMALL COTTAGE THAT IS COMFORTABLE,
ATTRACTIVE AND INEXPENSIVE

^'»»>to4i.!;.

1  IHMUffi

|i

Pj

tf^^^m^— _-— ^-:S322S^^^

in

H

^g-^ffll

1 ^^^^^SsbSSS^"
!  .  : — '¦"-¦¦ ¦¦^^--

^^S*i

THE-LlVIUfc. KOur^

'^v

n

-'-;

,j

@ i p^

MfflWj
i
^''"P
ill
hHi
m
c\:\,.,_.:
THn- KITCBE.i-1-
t'lrcax - ri-ooK - plah-
CRAFTSMAN
COTTAGE JUNE — 1905
5E1COT1T;' - r-'l.OC^R -PI,._4T1 -
NOTE THE DIVISION OF SPACE SO THAT THE GREATEST AMOUNT OF FREEDOM AND CONVENIENCE IS OBTAINED
WITHIN A SMALL AREA. THE ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE INTERIOR SERVE TO SHOW HOW THE STRUCTURAL FEATURES,
ALTHOUGH SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE, GIVE TO EACH ROOM AN INDIVIDUAL BEAUTY AND CHARM. THE KITCHEN
IS ARRANGED TO SERVE ALSO FOR A DINING ROOM.
15
A PLAIN HOUSE THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERA
TIONS AND NEED BUT FEW REPAIRS

Published in The Craftsman, .hlly, 1905.
EXTERIOR VIEW SHOWING STRUCTURAL USE OF TIMBERS ON UPPER STORY AND EFFECT OF BUNGALOW ROOF.

MOST of the Craftsman houses are
designed for an environment which
admits of plenty of ground or at
least of a large garden around them,
but this one, — while of course at its best in
such surroundings, — would serve admirably
for a dwelling to be built on an ordinary city
lot large enough to accommodate a house thirty
feet square. Seen from the exterior, the house
shows a simplicity and thoroughness of con
struction which makes for the greatest dura
bility and minimizes the necessity for repairs.
Also the rooms on both floors are so arranged
as to utilize to the best advantage every inch
of space and to afford the greatest facility for
communication ; a plan that tends to lighten
by many degrees the burden of housekeeping.
In looking over the plan of the interior, we
would suggest one modification which is more
in accord with the later Craftsman houses. It
will be noticed that the doors leading from
the hall into the living room and dining room
are of the ordinary size. We have found the
feeling of space and freedom throughout the
rooms intended for the common life of the
family so much more attractive than the
shutting off of each room into a separate com

partment, so to speak, that were we to revise
this plan in the light of our later experience,
we would widen these openings so that the
partitions would either be taken out entirely
or else be suggested merely by a panel and post
extending only two or three feet from the wall
and open at the top after the fashion of so
many of the Craftsman interiors. This device
serves to break the space pleasantly by the
introduction of a structural feature which is
always decorative and yet to leave unhampered
the space which should be clear and open.
^'\''hile we advocate the utmost economy of
space and urge simplicity as to furnishing, we
nevertheless make it a point to render im
possible even a passing impression of barren
ness or monotony. As we have said, this is
partly a matter of woodwork, general color
scheme and interesting structural features that
make each room a beautiful thing in itself,
independent of any furnishing. But also we
realize the never ending charm of irregularity
in arrangement, that is, of having the rooms
so placed and nooks and corners so abundant
that the whole cannot be taken in at one glance.
In this case the simple oblong of the living
room is broken by the window seat on one

16

A PLAIN HOUSE THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

side and the alcove with its chimneypiece and'
fireside seats on the other. Just beside the
alcove is a group of casement windows set
high in the wall, so that the sill comes just on
a level with the top of an upright piano. The
same line is carried all around the room, which
is wainscoted preferably with oak or chestnut.

END OF DINING ROOM, SHOWING EFFECT OF BUILT-IN SIDEBOARD, PICTURE WINDOW AND GLASS DOORS.
BUILT-IN CUPBOARD APPEARS AT THE SIDE OF THE ROOM.

17

A PLAIN HOUSE THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS

FIRESIDE NOOK IN THE LIVING ROOM, SHOWING ARRANGEMENT OF SEATS AND THE PLACING OF A CRAFTSMAN
PIANO JUST BELOW A GROUP OF CASEMENTS. THE DECO RATIONS IN THE WALL PANELS ARE STENCILED ON ROUGH
PLASTER IN COLORS THAT ARE MEANT TO ACCENT THE GENERAL COLOR SCHEME.

BEDROOM SHOWING A TYPICAL CRAFTSMAN SCHE.MI: FOR DECOK.Vn.XG AND FURNISHING A SLEEPING ROOM NOTE
THE DIVISION OF WALL SPACES INTO PANELS BY STRIPS OF WOOD. THE PANELS ARE COVERED WITH T^PANESE
CRASS-CLOTH.

18

A COTTAGE OF CEMENT OR STONE THAT IS CON
VENIENTLY ARRANGED FOR A SMALL FAMILY

k
r-..^-;:-;;!

1
J

, »»¦ t t ¦''*- 1

fL|

^

^M^m

SP

8
¦HI
Ii
CRAFTSMAN COTTAGEL
THE, l.IViriG -ROOTI
tWw
:b£^ -'^ac/.M.
-"1 -
J— n ¦
'7-6' K /&'-€>'
TTlRR-ACEi
..^i.
^M^^/./^m^.V.^.^///.'^.i^-.W-./.-..>>.AH.^W>^^^"JJW.~.^.J^J.TECT;ggg^
^.¦/w/>.^-..«.:^..^^y.j^.w/^^^f.,f^y^
Published in The Craftsman, April, 1905.
THE DR.\WING OF THE EXTERIOR SHOWS THE GRACEFUL LINES AND PROPORTIONS OF THE COTTAGE. THE GLIMPSES
GIVEN OF THE INTERIOR SHOW HOW A HOODED RANGE IS PLACED IN A RECESS AND THEREFORE OUT OF THE WAY IN
THE ROOM WHICH SERVES AS KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM, AND ALSO HOW A LIVING ROOM MAY BE MADE INDI
VIDUAL ,^ND CHARMING AT VERY LITTLE COST.
19
SUBURBAN HOUSE DESIGNED FOR A LOT HAVING
WIDE FRONTAGE BUT LITTLE DEPTH

Published in The Craftsman, September^ 190$.
HOW THE HOUSE LOOKS WITH AMPLE GROUNDS AROUND IT AND A SETTING OF TREES FOR A BACKGROUND.

THIS house was designed primarily for
use in the suburbs and the plan was
adapted to a lot with wide frontage,
but no great amount of depth. Of
course, it would be better to have such a
building surrounded by plenty of lawn, trees
and shrubs ; but if ground space were limited,
a great deal could be made even of a meager
allowance for front and back yards.
While the design admits the use of other
materials which may be better suited to a
given locality or considered more desirable by
the owner, our plan was to have the house
built of stone and shingles, the lower story
and chimneys being of split field stone laid
up in dark cement, and the upper story of
cedar or rived cypress shingles, so finished
that they are given a soft gray tone in har
mony with the prevailing color of the stones.
We have suggested that the shingle roof be
stained or painted a soft moss green.
We regard the arrangement of these
verandas as being especially comfortable and
convenient, for although none of them are
large, they serve admirably to supplement the
inner rooms by furnishing what are practi
cally outdoor rooms for general use. The
front veranda, which is partially recessed, is

sheltered from the street by the parapets and
flower boxes. As doors open from this veranda
into the hall, dining room and living room, it
is much more closely connected with the
house proper than is the case with the usual
entrance porch, and is well fitted to serve as
an outdoor sitting room. The veranda at the
back of the house opens from the dining
room and is meant to be used as a dining
porch in summer time. Another door open
ing into the pantry makes it easy to serve
meals out there. In winter this porch can
easily be glassed in and used as a conservatory
or sun room, and if heated, would make a very
pleasant place for the serving of afternoon tea
or for any such use. A third veranda opens
from the kitchen and is meant especially for
the comfort and convenience of the servants-
We would suggest here also that the open
ings from the hall into the dining room and
living room be very much wider — a thing
which could be easily done and which is now a
feature of all the Craftsman houses. A glance
at the floor plan will suggest the charm of such
an arrangement, as it would allow a long vista
from one fireplace to the other and would
add much to the comfort and charm of the
house as a whole. .\s will be noted, the liv-

20

SUBURBAN HOUSE FOR WIDE LOT WITH LITTLE DEPTH

ing room fireplace is flanked
on either side by a built-in
bookcase with a casement
window above, and in the
dining room the same ar
rangement furnishes two
china closets surmounted by
casements set high in the

wall. The chimneypiece in
the living room is tiled and
the mantelpiece is on a level
with the top of the wainscot.
which runs around the room ;
but in the dining room the straight, massive
brick chimneypiece runs to the ceiling, thus
affording a pleasant variation in what other
wise might be too even a balance in the ar
rangement. The most decorative structural
feature in the hall is the staircase, which is
lighted by two casements set high above the
lower landing and having wide
sills, so that they afford an admir
able place for plants.
The hall and dining room are
wainscoted and the wall spaces in
the living room are divided into
panels by broad stiles of wood.
As the woodwork is so essential
in the decorative plan, it should

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

be selected with great
care and finished in a
way to bring out all its
charm of color, texture
and grain. The general
arrangement and style of the house would
seem to demand some strong fibred, richly
marked wood, which always seems best suited
to rooms intended for general use.
The color scheme always is a matter of
individual choice, but a safe rule to follow is
to select some wood of rich and quiet coloring
for the woodwork, and
develop from that the
color of the wall spaces,
STORE.T<t> |_JU« SEiNv/M-iir^ nil rugs and draperies.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

21

SUBURBAN HOUSE FOR WIDE LOT WITH LITTLE DEPTH

PARTLALLY RECESSED ENTRANCE PORCH, SO SHIELDED EY PARAPETS AND FLOWER BOXES THAT IT MAY BE USED
AS AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM.

CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM, SHOWING STRUCTURAL EFFECT OF FIREPLACE AND THE BUILT-IN BOOKCASES SET
FLUSH ON EITHER SIDE SO THAT THE TOPS ARE PRACTICALLY AN EXTENSION OF THE MANTEL.
22

A VERY SIMPLE AND INEXPENSIVE COTTAGE
BUILT OF BATTENED BOARDS

sas^^^ssas

^I

'

la

'^Mja.^^'

Ri

mmMi

iilB

kiJ

^^^

^t

the:-:. K-ITo-ae-.t-^

TJ-in. .XJ-VTI^Q E^oofX

A CRAFTSMAN COTTAGE

Published in The Craftsman, April, 1905.
AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE DECORATIVE POSSIBILITIES OF SIMPLE BATTENED BOARDS. THE INTERIOR VIEWS CONTAIN
ANOTHER SUGGESTION FOR THE ARRANGEMENT OF A COMBINED KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM AND ALSO SHOW HOW
A VERY PLAIN LIVING ROOM MAY BE MADE COMFORTABLE AND HOMELIKE.

23

A CEMENT HOUSE THAT SHOWS THE DECORA
TIVE USE OF CONCRETE AS A FRAMEWORK

Published tn The Craftsman, January, 19OJ.
EXTERIOR VIEW. NOTE EFFECT OF RAISED FRAMEWORK OF CONCRETE AGAINST ROUGH-CAST PANELS.

ONE or the other of the more massive
fomis of construction seems to be
called for by the design of this
house, which was meant to be built
either of concrete or of hollow cement blocks,
and so is planned .especially with a view to
the use of one or the other of these materials.
although the design would be equally well

suited to stone or brick. Believing that a
house built of cement or concrete should be
exceedingly simple in design, with plain
straight lines and unbroken wall surfaces, we
have carried out this idea as consistently as
possible. No timbers are used on the outside of the
house, but the form of the framework is

24

A CEMENT HOUSE FRAMED IN SMOOTH CONCRETE

revealed in the heavy corner-
posts, uprights and horizontal
bands of smooth concrete which
span the walls and break up the
broad plain surfaces. As the
walls are given a rough pebble-
dash finish, this framework of
smooth concrete, which projects
slightly from the surface of the
wall proper, gives a contrasting
eft'ect which adds much to the
interest of the design. The con
crete may either be left in the
natural gray, or the coldness of
this tint may be modified by an
admixture of coloring which will
give it a tone of deeper gray, a
suggestion of green, or one of the
buff or biscuit shades, according
to the color effect that harmonizes
best with the surroundings. If
the house should be built of stone
or brick, the color effect, of
course, would be much more de
cided. The roof is of slate — not the
smooth, thin, lozenge-shaped slates with which
we are so familiar, but a much more interest
ing form of this durable roofing material.
The slates we have in mind are large and as
rough on surface and edge as split paving-
stones. They come in very interesting colors,
dull red and slate-color with green and pur
plish tones which are much like the varied
colorings found in stone. If red slate should
be chosen for the roof, a pleasant repetition
of the color could be obtained by flooring the
verandas with square cement blocks of a dull
brick red, which give the same effect as the
much more expensive Welsh tiles.
Ample provision is made in this house for
the healthful outdoor living that is now re
garded as so necessary. A wide veranda ex
tends across the entire front and at the back
is a large square recessed porch that looks
out over the garden at the rear of the house
and is used as an outdoor living room where
meals can be served if desired. This porch is
exposed to the weather on one side only and
this can easily be glassed in for the severest
days of winter. With a southern exposure,
though, it might be open nearly all winter,
except on inclement days, for a sun room is
pleasant when a room completely walled in
is chilly and gloomy and in this case the

-riP.ST- SXOT<.-Y-T-l-00-FS_--pU,rMS --

warmth of the sun would be supplemented by
the comfort of the open fire, for the veranda
is provided with an outdoor fireplace big
enough to hold a pile of good sized logs.
As this veranda has so much the character of
a living room, the walls are treated in a way
that connects it closely with the interior of
the house. A high wainscot of cypress runs
around all three sides and built-in fireside
seats of the same wood afford a comfortable
place for those who are minded to enjoy the
fresh air and the warmth of the blazing logs
at the same time. A fairly large table placed
out here would serve all requirements for
both living room and dining room out of
doors, and a few comfortable easy chairs
would make it a most inviting lounging place.
The red cement floor would best be covered
by a thick Indian blanket or two, or any rug
of sturdy weave and primitive color and de
sign. The wooden ceiling of the porch is
heavily beamed and from the beams hang
lanterns enough to make the place cheerful
by night as well as by day. The color of the
floor is repeated in the massive fireplace of
hard-burned red brick and the plain mantel
shelf is made of a thick cypress plank.
Just above the sun room is an open-air
sleeping room of the same size and general

A CEMENT HOUSE FRAMED IN SMOOTH CONCRETE

LIVING ROOM, SHOWING FIREPLACE AND BUILT-IN BOOKCASES WITH PANELS ABOVE. THE USE OF SPINDLES
APPEARS IN THE GRILLES AND BALUSTRADE AND THE IDEA IS FURTHER DEVELOPED IN THE FURNITURE.

arrangement, except that it has no fireplace.
On this upper porch the balustrade is replaced
by a solid parapet made of the wall of the
house. Like the sun room, this sleeping porch
can be glassed in when necessary for protection
from driving storms. But under ordinary'
circumstances no protection from the weather
is needed even in winter, as nothing is bet
ter for the average housed-up human being
than sleeping out of doors under plenty of
covers. The plan of the interior is an excellent ex
ample of the Craftsman method of arranging
\he divisions so as to secure at once the great
est possible amount of space, freedom and
convenience within a given area and also to
keep the construction as inexpensive as pos
sible. The only fireplace is in the living room
and is so placed that it may use the same
chimney as the veranda fireplace. The ar

rangement of the rooms, however, is so open
that both dining room and reception hall share
the benefit of the fireplace. Draughts from
the entrance are cut off by a small vestibule
which opens into the reception hall and the
space beside it is occupied by a coat closet
which receives wraps, overshoes and all those
articles which are such a problem to dispose
of in a hall that is part of the living room.
Ceiling beams are used only to indicate the
divisions into rooms, but around the ceiling
angle runs a broad beam and all three rooms
are wainscoted to the height of six feet with
oak paneling. We have suggested oak for
the interior woodwork in this house, as the
effect of it is both rich and restful and the
color mellows with every passing year. Our
idea would be to finish it in a rich nut-brown
tone, which has much to do with giving a
mellow sunny effect to the whole decorative

20

A CEMENT HOUSE FRAMED IN SMOOTH CONCRETE

scheme, for color goes far toward creating
the cheery atmosphere that rightly belongs to
a home. The rough plaster of the shallow
wall spaces above the wainscot might be done
in a warm tawny yellow and the whole deco
rative scheme developed from this founda
tion of walls and woodwork.
The structural feature that is most promi
nent in the living room is the fireplace, with
the bookcase built in on either side. These
bookcases are about four feet in height, so that
the upper panels of the wainscot show above
them. One decorative structural feature that
is seen in all these rooms is the use of spindles
wherever they would be effective. They ap
pear in the balustrade of the staircase, in the
open spaces above the panels, in the little par
titions, in the continuation of these into grilles

above the doors, in the built-in seats and even
in the furniure.
On the second story there are three large
bedrooms in the front of the house and the
open-air bedroom at the back. The staircase
with its well occupies the space at one side
of the sleeping porch, and the bath room is
at the other. The upper hall, though not
large, is so designed as to give a feeling of
open arrangement and free communication,
and the closets are concentrated at the cen
ter, where they are easy of access and do not
interfere with the space required for the
sleeping rooms. The plan of this house, as
well as its decoration and interior arrange
ment, admit of very free interpretation and
may be modified greatly to meet personal
tastes and requirements.

VERANDA THAT IS FITTED UP AS A LIVING ROOM, SHOWING OUTDOOR FIREPLACE, WAINSCOTING, BUILT-IN SEATS AND
USE OF LANTERNS, WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR SUITABLE FURNISHINGS. 27

CEMENT HOUSE SHOWING LAVISH USE OF HALF-
TIMBER AS A DECORATION

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1909.
CRAFTSMAN HOUSE AT NASSAU, LONG ISLAND. NOTE IHE EFFECT OF SLOPING FOUNDATION AND PARAPETS.

THE house illustrated on this page was
not only designed in The Craftsman
Workshops, but built largely under
our own supervision, so that Crafts
man ideas as to plan and construction have
been carried out with only such modifications
as were suggested by the individual tastes and
needs of the owner. It is definitely a sub
urban residence and its site is as desirable as
it well could be for the home of a man who
wishes to have plenty of space and freedom
in his surroundings and yet be within con
venient reach of the city. The owner, a New
York business man, is keenly desirous of mak
ing the part of Long Island which he has
chosen for his home one of the most delightful
places within the immediate neighborhood of
New York : thus his interest has not been
limited merely to the building of a desirable
house, but has extended to the planning of its
surroundings so that the place shall be beau
tiful as a whole.
The site is large enough to allow for ex
tensive grounds, which are being laid out with
direct reference to the plan of the house.
There is a slope of about fifteen feet from
the rear of the lot down to the front. This
slope is terraced at the highest part and the
house is built well to the rear, allowing for a
large lawn and shrubbery in front. The ter
race at the back is used for a vegetable garden

and the rest of the lot is left so far as is pos
sible in its natural shape.
The rising ground upon which the house is
situated affords an extensive view over the
hills and meadows of Long Island. The house
faces directly southeast and at the west end is
a terrace, covered with a pergola, which com
mands a view of the main road, — a busy thor
oughfare that is usually thronged with car
riages and automobiles. At the opposite end
of the house is a porch which looks directly
toward the neighboring golf links. This porch
is connected with the dining room by double
French doors so that in summer it can be
used as an outdoor dining room, especially as
it will be protected all around with screens.
In winter the screens will be replaced with
glass, so that the porch may be used as a sun
room or as a breakfast room on mild days.
The small front porch serves to shelter the
entrance. These porches and the pergola greatly re
lieve the severity of the plan. As the house
is built of cement, the construction naturally
calls for straight lines and massive effects;
but while these are preserved in their entirety,
all sense of coldness or bareness is avoided by
the liberal use of half-timber and by such
structural features as we have just described.
The floors of the pergola, the entrance porch,
the dining porch, and the small kitchen porch

28

CEMENT HOUSE WITH HALF-TIMBER DECORATION

at the rear of the house are all of dull red
cement divided into squares so that they have
more the appearance of Welsh quarries. All
the exterior woodwork is cypress darkened to
a warm tone of brown by the chemical process
which is described fully in the chapter dealing
with wood finishes.
Long shallow dormers on either side of the
house serve to break the straight lines of
the roof. The roof itself has widely
overhanging eaves supported on heavy

square timbers which
project slightly and the
whole upper story over
hangs at the ends of the
house, the weight being supported upon the
projecting timbers. The line of demarcation
between the upper and lower stories is em
phasized by a wide timber which runs com
pletely around the house. Above this are
the smaller timbers which divide the cement
wall into panels.
As the house is intended for a small family
of three, with oflice accommodation for the
owner, the interior arrange
ment is very simple. The
entrance door leads directly
into a central hall that opens
into the dining room on one
side and into the living room
on the other, both openings
being so wide that there is
hardly any sense of division.
The staircase is at the back
of the hall, where a small
coat closet is provided in a
little nook taken off the
space allowed for the but
ler's pantry.
Both living room and din

ing room are closely connected with out of
doors ; the dining room, as we have already
said, opening upon the screened porch and the
living room upon the pergola. Just back of
the living room is the den, which is the owner's
special retreat and work-room. For this
reason, double doors divide it from the living
room instead of the usual broad opening. The
big fireplace in the living room
is so placed that the cheery
glow of the fire is seen from
both the hall and the dining
room, as it forms one end of
a vista which goes straight
through to the dining porch.
The built-in bookcase fills the
space between this fireplace
and the corner on
one side, and on the
other side is the
door leading to the
pergola. The entire
front of the dining
room is taken up
with a built-in side
board, flanked on
either side by a
china closet. Direct
ly over this side
board is the group of three windows which
lights the dining room from the southeast.
The woodwork in the hall, living room and
dining room is all of chestnut, fumed to a rich
brown tone and given the soft dull finish that
makes the surface appear fairly to radiate
color. The fact that the woodwork is alike
throughout these three rooms emphasizes the
close connection between them and makes them
appear almost like different parts of one room
that is furnished harmoniously throughout.

SECOND FLOOR PLAN.

CEMENT HOUSE SHOWING CRAFTSMAN IDEA OF
HALF-TIMBER CONSTRUCTION

" -f^^

Published in The Craftsman, August, ipod.
EXTERIOR VIEW SHOVVING STRUCTURAL USE OF TIMBERS AND THE WAY WINDOWS ARE BANDED TOGETHER.
A house that typifies to rather an unusual recesses or projections on the outside, the
degree the Craftsman idea of con- attractiveness of the exterior depending en-
struction is shown here. It is a per- tirely upon the proportions of mass and
feet square m plan and is designed spacing. It is a building which should attain
with the utmost simplicity. There are no bays, the maximum of durability for cement con-
30

CEMENT HOUSE SHOWING HALF-TIMBER CONSTRUCTION

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

struction, as there is nothing to
invite decay or render repairs
necessary. The walls are built of cement
plaster and metal lath, the half-
timber construction being used
to break up the severely plain
wall spaces into panels that are
more agreeable to the eye. As
originally designed the rough-
finished cement was left in its
natural gray color and the roof of
white cedar shingles was merely
oiled and left to weather to a har
monizing tone of silvery gray. The necessary color accent as well
as the emphasis of form is given by the wood trim, which should
be of cypress so treated that the brown color of the wood is fully
brought out. The rafters of the porch as well as those supporting
the widely overhanging roof are left uncased, carrying out the
effect of solid construction which distinguishes the entire
building and emphasizing the decorative use made of wood.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

CORNER OF LIVING ROOM SHOWING FIREPLACE SET FLUSH WITH THE WALL AND HAVING PANEL OF DULL FINISHED
PICTURE TILE. NOTE THE DECORATIVE EFFECT OF OPENINGS IN THE SPINDLE GRILLE WHICH APPEARS IN THE
HALL, ALSO THE PLACING OF THE SEAT AND THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE STAIRCASE.

31

A COMFORTABLE AND CONVENIENT HOUSE FOR
THE SUBURBS OR THE COUNTRY

Published in The Craftsman, May, 1907.
VIEW OF THE FRONT, GIVING a GOOD IDEA OF THE EFFECT OF BRICK AND CEMENT WALLS WITH TILED ROOF.

BELIEVING as we do that the happiest
and healthiest life is that in the country,
we take especial pleasure in designing
houses that are definitely meant to be
surrounded by large grounds that slope off into
the fields, meadows and orchards all around.
Such a house has always the effect of taking
all the room it needs, and this will be found
important when we come to analyze the
elements that go toward making the restful
charm of a home. The sense of privacy and
freedom from intrtision that is conveyed by
English homes with their ample gardens and
buildings placed well back from the street is
a quality which we badly need in our Amer
ican home life as a relief from the rush and
crowding outside.
Although the form of this house is straight
and square, its rather low, broad proportions
and the contrasting materials used in its con
struction take away all sense of severity. The
walls of the lower story and the chimneys are
of hard-burned red brick and the upper walls
are of Portland cement plaster with half-
timber construction. The foundation, steps

and porch parapets are of split stone laid up
in dark cement and the roof is tiled. Of
course, this is only a suggestion for materials,
as the house would be equally well adapted to
almost any form of construction, from stone
to shingles. The coloring also may be made
rich and warm or cool and subdued, as de
manded by the surroundings. One feature
that is especially in accordance with Crafts
man ideas is the way in which the half-timbers
on the upper story are used. While we like
half-timber construction, it is an article of
faith with us that it should be made entirely
"probable" ; that is, that the timbers should be
so placed that they might easily belong to the
real construction of the house. In a building
that is entirely designed by ourselves we
adhere very strictly to this rule, varying it
only when the taste of the owner requires a
more elaborate use of timbers, such as is
shown in the house illustrated on page 28.
Another feature of typical Craftsman con
struction is well illustrated in the windows
used in this house. It will be noted that they
are double-hung in places where they are ex-

A COMFORTABLE AND CONVENIENT SUBURBAN HOUSE

posed to the weather and that casements are
used when it is possible to hood them or to
place them where they will be sheltered by
the roof of the porch.
The arrangement of the interior of this
house is simplicity itself, as the living room and
dining room, which have merely the sugges
tion of a dividing partition, occupy the whole
of one side. The arrangement of kitchen, hall
and staircase on the other side of the house is
equally practical and convenient, as it utilizes
every inch of space and provides many con
veniences to lighten the work of the house
keeper. The entrance door opens into a small vesti
bule that serves to shut off draughts from the
hall, especially as the entrance from the vesti
bule to the hall is at right angles to the front
door instead of being directly opposite, mak-

Diisiisa-Roon i9-o'Vfeo'-o"

J-lVlMq-KOOM |C)lo"*.2.V-o"

E.b1>lBUL

5E.AT I ¦

l^

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

ing the danger from draughts so small that
this opening might easily be curtained and a
second door dispensed with. The broad land
ing of the staircase is opposite this opening
from the vestibule and in the angle where the
stair runs up a large hall seat is built. The
vestibule jutting into the living room leaves a
deep recess at the front, in which is built a
long window seat just below the triple group
of casements that appears at the front of the
house. The fireplace is in the center of the
room just opposite the hall, and another fire
place in the dining room adds to the comfort
and cheer.
In a recess in the dining room somewhat
similar to that at the front of the living room
the sideboard is built in so that the front of it
is flush with the wall and three casement win
dows are set just above it. The china cup
boards built in on the opposite side are shown
in two ways in the plan and illustration. In
one the cupboard is built straight with the
wall and in the other across the corner. Either
way would be effective and the choice depends
simply upon personal preference and con
venience. The tone of the woodwork would depend
largely upon the position of the house and
consequent exposure of the rooms. If they

33

A COMFORTABLE AND CONVENIENT SUBURBAN HOUSE

DETAIL OF ENTRANCE PORCH SHOWING HEAVY ROUND PILLARS, DECORATIVE USE OF REVEALED CONSTRUCTION IN
THE ROOF, AND THE USE OF FLOWER BOXES.

are bright and sunny nothing could be better
than the rich nut-brown of oak or chestnut
with jts strong sugggestion of green, as this
gives a somewhat grave and subdued effect
that yet wakes into life in a sunshiny room
and shows the play of double tones of green
and brown under a sheen that makes them
seem almost luminous. If the rooms are fairly

well shaded so that the effect of warmth
would be desirable in the color, the woodwork
might be of cypress, as its strong markings
take on deep shades in the softer parts and
beautiful autumn tints in the grain when
treated by the Craftsman process that em
phasizes so strongly the natural quality of the
wood and brings out all its color.

34

A COMFORTABLE AND CONVENIENT SUBURBAN HOUSE

CORNER OF DINING ROOM SHOWING TILED CHIMNEYPIECE WITH COPPER HOOD; BUILT-IN CUPBOARD AND THE
GROUPING OF WINDOWS AT THE SIDE.

<^-

LIVING ROOM WITH HALL BEYOND, SHOWING TYPICAL CRAFTSMAN DIVISION BETWEEN THE TWO ROOMS BY
MEANS OF HEAVY SQUARE POSTS AND PANELS OPEN AT THE TOP.
35

A CRAFTSMAN CITY HOUSE DESIGNED TO ACCOM
MODATE TWO FAMILIES

¦it.. ..sraa-T^ .-

Published in Tlie Craftsman, October, 1907.
VIEW OF FRONT AND SIDE, INDICATING THE SI -JILARITY IN ARRANGEMENT OF UPPER AND LOWER FLOORS.

SOME little time ago a problem was
brought to us which proved interesting,
not only in itself but on account of its
application to a condition which in city
life is almost universal. It was this : A man
living in Brooklyn, who owned a lot thirty
feet wide by a hundred feet deep, desired to
build within this space a Craftsman house
which should not only show a departure from
the usual design of the city house in such
matters as economy of space, arrangement of
rooms, and interesting structural features that
would serve as a basis for interior decorations
and furnishing, but would accommodate two
families who desired to live independently of
one another, as they would in separate houses.
It had often been brought to our attention
by people living in cities that most of our
plans were for detached dwellings in the
country or the suburbs, where the houses

could have the environment of ample grounds
and be given all the room necessary to carry
out any idea of arrangement that might seem
desirable. This method of living in the open
with plenty of room and green growing things
all around has always been so much more in
accordance with the Craftsman idea of a home
environment than any house cramped to fit
the dimensions of a city lot, that our sugges
tions for house building have as a rule nat
urally taken the form of dwellings best fitted
for the country. The number and frequency,
however, of the requests which have come to
us from time to time for city houses made the
problem shown here one that we took much
interest in working out.
As the owner desired a detached house with
a walk on either side it was necessary to bring
the dimensions of our plan within a very
narrow space. Accordingly the width of the

36

A CRAFTSMAN CITY HOUSE DESIGNED FOR TWO FAMILIES

house was fixed at twenty-five feet, with a
depth of sixty-eight feet, including a front
porch nine feet in width. The first story is
occupied by a tenant, the owner reserving the
second floor for himself and his family.
It will be noticed by looking carefully at
the floor plans that only the front porch, the
vestibule and the rear entrance can be used
in common by both families. There is no con
nection between the two apartments. One
door from the vestibule opens to the stairway
which leads to the second story and the other
opens into the hall of the first story. Both
stories are the same in arrangement and are
planned to secure the greatest possible open-

¦BATH \ /

F I R 3T-rL O OR-PLAn

SECOND FLOOR PLAN.
ness and freedom of space in the living rooms.
The large bedrooms at the back of the house
open upon rear porches, which are glassed in
for the winter and screened in summer to
serve as outdoor sleeping rooms.
The floor plans themselves give the best
idea of the arrangement of space in the apart
ments. Both kitchens are provided with gas
stoves and individual boilers for hot water.
A dumbwaiter runs from the cellar to the
attic for the convenience of the upper apart
ment. The cellar contains individual store
rooms and coa], bins, and a big laundry with
a set of three tubs and a stove was installed,
together with a hot water heating system for
the entire house. The attic is divided in a way
that provides two rooms in the dormer for the
servants of both apartments, as well as a large
room facing the front that can be used as a
dry room in inclement weather or as a play
room for children. The cellar walls are of
concrete faced with split field stone.

37

A CRAFTSMAN FARM HOUSE THAT IS COMFORT
ABLE, HOMELIKE AND BEAUTIFUL

'"¦^"'""'^~^-«^-.**^''

¦*..«,,,

• >, '

1*.^ _lii^

^ar^

A-i^'*^

Published in The Craftsman, June, 1906.

VIEW FROM THE FRONT, SHOWING DORMER, GABLE AND RECESSED PORCH. NOTE THE EFFECT OF THE BROAD
LOW PROPORTIONS, THE GROUPING OF WINDOWS AND THE DECORATIVE USE OF TIMBERS.
38

A HOMELIKE AND BEAUTIFUL CRAFTSMAN FARMHOUSE

IF there is any one style of house
that we enjoy planning more than
others, it is a farmhouse, — a home
that shall meet every practical re
quirement of life and work on the
farm, and yet be beautiful, comfort
able and homelike. This is our first
farmhouse and we endeavored to make
it characteristic in design, plan, deco
ration and the materials used for
building. As a rule, we do not advo
cate the use of clapboards for sheath
ing the walls of a frame house, for the
reason that the small, thin, smoothly
planed and painted boards generally
used for this purpose give a flimsy,
unsubstantial effect to the structure
and a characterless surface to the
walls. However, clapboards are often
preferred, especially in building a
farmhouse, and it is quite possible to
use them so that these objections may
be removed. In this building the clap
boards are unusually broad and thick,
giving to the walls a sturdy appear-

SECOND FLOOR PLAN.
ance of permanence. They may be
of pine, cedar, or cypress, and may
be stained or painted according to
individual taste and the character of
the environment. If the house is to
be rather dark and quiet in color,
the boards might be given a thin
stain of moss green or brown ; or a
delightful color eft'ect may be ob
tained by going over the boards with
a wash of much diluted sulphuric
acid. With either one of these
colors a good effect would be ob
tained by painting the timbers of
the framework a light cream so that
the structural features are strongly
accented. We regard this house as having
in a marked degree the comfort
able and inviting appearance which
seems so essentially to belong to
a home, — particularly to a farm
home. It is wide and low, with
rather a shallow pitch to the broad
roof, the line of which is unbroken
by the large dormers set at different

39

A HOMELIKE AND BEAUTIFUL CR.\FTS:SIAN FAR:MH0USE

CORNER OF LIVING ROOM, SHOVVING TREATMENT OF WALL SPACES BY A VERY SIMPLE USE OF THE WOODWORK, WHICH
IS USED TO GIVE THE EFFECT OF A BROAD, PLAIN FRIEZE. NOTE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE WINDOW AND DOOR
FRAMINGS ARE RELATED TO THE LOWER BEAM OF THIS FRIEZE.

heights. The entrance porch, which is of
ample size, is recessed to its full width. The
timbers which accent the construction give
special interest to the interior, as they are so
placed as to add to the apparent width of the
house, and are arranged so as to avoid, by
means of the prominent horizontal lines of the
beams, any possible "spotty" effect which
might result if the vertical lines of the frame
work were not so relieved. This device i'^;
especially apparent in the grouping of the
three windows which light the gable. The
plan of the house makes it necessary that these
be rather far apart, but they are built together
by the beams so as to form a symmetrical
group rather than to give the impression of

three separate windows in a broad wall space.
The same effect is preserved throughout the
lower story by the massive beam which extends
the entire width of the house, not only de
fining the height of the lower story but
serving as a strong connecting line for
the window and door framings which all
spring from the foundation to the height
of this beam.
A small vestibule, which serves to cut off
draughts that might come from the entrance
door, opens into the central hall which forms
a connecting link between the living room on
one side and the library and dining room on
the other. The staircase, which is opposite
the entrance, is placed well toward the back

-10

A HOMELIKE AND BEAUTIFUL CRAFTSMAN FARMHOUSE

*

''.^Xr'^i/.y

CORNER OF DINING ROO.M SHOWING SIDEBOARD BUILT INTO A RECESS, WITH GROUP OF WI.XDOWS AND DISH CUPBOARD.

of the house, giving as much width as possible
to the hall. A small .coat closet occupies a few
feet of space that has been made available
between the vestibule and the living room, so
that the lines of both hall and living room are
uninterrupted. The living room, has the advantage of every
ray of sunshine which strikes that side of the

house, as it is not sheltered by the porch. It
is quite a long room in proportion to its width
and the entire end at the rear is taken up by
the fireplace and the two seats which, extend
ing from it at right angles, give the effect of
a deeply recessed fireside nook. A single chim
ney is made to do service for the entire house,
as it is arranged to accommodate three flues.

41

HOUSE WITH COURT, PERGOLAS, OUTDOOR LIVING
ROOMS AND SLEEPING BALCONIES

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1909.

LIFE in a warm country, where there is
much sunshine and where it i.s pos
sible to be out of doors during the
greater part of the time, was specially
taken into consideration in the designing of
this house, for the plan makes as much ac
count of the terraces, porches and the open
paved court as it does of the rooms within
the walls of the building. Such a plan would
serve admirably for a dwelling in California
or in the Southern States, but would be ad
visable only for specially favored spots in
the North and East, as its comfort and charm
necessarily depend very largely upon the pos
sibility of outdoor life.
As originally planned, the walls of the
lower story are to be built of cement or of
stucco on metal lath. The upper walls are
shingled. The roof is of red tile and the
foundation and parapets are of field stone.
As with all these houses, though, the mate
rials used are entirely optional and can be
varied according to the taste of the owner,
the requirements of the landscape or the
limitations of the amount to be expended, as
the building would look quite as well if con
structed of concrete or of brick, and with
clapboards in the place of shingles. If a

HOUSE DESIGNED FOR OUTDOOR LIFE IN A WARM CLIMATE.
wooden house should be preferred, the walls
from top to bottom could either be shingled
or sheathed with wide clapboards, while the
roof is equally well adapted to tiles, slates or
shingles. The first of the perspective draw
ings gives a view of the whole house as seen
from the rear, showing the pergola at the
back and the design of the roof, which we
consider specially attractive. The second
drawing shows the side of the house instead
of the front, as by taking this view it is pos
sible to include both porch and court and also
show the balcony and outdoor sleeping room
on the upper story. A broad terrace runs
across the front of the house and continues
around the side, where it forms a porch which
is meant to be used as an outdoor living room.
This porch is nearly square in shape and is
either tiled with Welsh quarries or, if a less
expensive flooring be desired, is paved with
red cement marked off into squares that
measure about nine inches each way. This
floor has a close resemblance to one made
of Welsh quarries and is dry and durable.
In flooring a porch of this kind it is always
better to avoid the use of plain brick, as this
porous material gathers and holds moisture
to such an extent that the floor is seldom dry.
¦12

HOUSE WITH COURT, PERGOLAS AND OUTDOOR ROOMS

The entrance door opens from this porch
into the hall, which is separated from the liv
ing room only by two panels open at the top
after the usual Craftsman fashion, the wood
running only a little above the height of the
two bookcases, which may either be built in
or movable, as desired. Directly opposite this
entrance is the large fireplace, which is re
cessed so as to form a fireside nook. Seats
are placed on either side and the tiled hearth
extends the full length of these. Back of
them, in the small recesses left on either side
of the fireplace, are built-in bookcases with
casement windows set above. A square bay
window, below which is a broad window
seat, looks out upon the terrace, and double
glass doors from both living room and hall
bring this part of the house into very close
communication with the outside world ; an
important feature in the planning of a house
intended for life in a warm climate where
there is little rain.
The dining room has every appear
ance of being merely a large square
recess in the living room, as the di
vision between them is only indicated
and the dining room is just large
enough to afford comfortable accom
modation for a good-sized dining ta
ble and the necessary furniture. The
sideboard, which is built in, occupies
the entire end of the room and a group
of three casement windows are set in
the wall just above it.
The floor plan shows the convenient
arrangement of the hall, staircase and
closets, everything being grouped with
in a small compass so that not an inch
of space is wasted. The arrangement
of pantry and kitchen is equally conve
nient and plenty of cupboard room is
provided for dishes and the necessary
kitchen utensils.
The chimney that is used for the
kitchen range has space also for a
flue leading from the fireplace on the
porch outside. We are greatly in fa
vor of these outdoor fireplaces, be
cause there are many days and even
ings when it is almost warm enough
to stay out of doors, and yet without
a fire it is not quite comfortable. Also,
a fire in the open air has always some
thing of the charm of a camp fire.
The placing of this one is peculiarly

desirable, as it not only makes a pleasant sit
ting room of the porch, but also has much of
the charm of a garden, as from the porch one
steps down into the court, which is surrounded
on the outside by a vine-covered pergola and
which may be paved or not, as desired. Even
when these courts are paved they often hold
growing trees or a fountain, so that both
shade and the nearness of green, growing
things are possible, while the court itself seem.s
merely an extension of the porch. The den,
which can be closed off by doors from the
rest of the house in case privacy is desired
for work or reading, has double doors lead
ing to the square entrance porch and also to
the court.
On the second floor there are three large
bedrooms, plenty of closet room and three
baths. One of these is for the exclusive use
of the maids and opens from the maids' room
at the back. The other two are placed so

43

HOUSE WITH COURT, PERGOLAS AND OUTDOOR ROOMS

CORNER
that each one is accessible from two
bedrooms, counting the outdoor sleep
ing room as one. The linen and
clothes closets are so placed that they
occupy the least possible amount of
space. The central hall is more in
the nature of a corridor running
around the four sides of the stair
case well, and at the back is a long
window seat built beneath a group of
windows that look out over the court
and pergola.
The matter of interior woodwork
and general scheme of color and deco
ration would depend very largely
upon the part of the country in which
the house is built. Its design is pri
marily that of a California house and
reflects the spirit which rules the new
architecture that is springing up in
that country. Therefore it would
seem quite in keeping to suggest that
the inside of the house be finished
after the well-known California style,
because no other would be so com
pletely in harmony with the plan of
the exterior.
Living so much out of doors, the
Californians almost instinctively make
the transition between outdoors and
indoors as little marked as possible
by finishing the interior of their
houses in the most natural wav.

SHOWING PERGOLA AND SLEEPING PORCH.

OUT-X)OOT5
31.EirP)NO "ROOM

SECOND 3TO-RY
PLAN.

44

BAl-CONY

.J

THE CRAFTSMAN'S HOUSE: A PRACTICAL APPLI
CATION OF OUR THEORIES OF HOME BUILDING

'in Cj^ £) xrsip S^r\-i

WHILE all the houses illustrated in has found no creative work more absorb
this book are of Craftsman design, ingly delightful than this planning of a home
the dwelling shown here is per
haps the most complete example in
existence of the Craftsman idea, for the rea

son that it is to be built by the founder and
editor of The Craftsman at '"Craftsman
Farms," his estate in New Jersey, and will
be used there as his own home. Therefore
in this case the tastes of the designer are one
with the tastes and needs of the owner, who

which he intends to live in for the rest of
his life. In addition to this it affords- the
opportunity for working out personally, in
every practical detail, all the theories which
have been applied to the houses of other
people. Craftsman Farms was apparently planned
by nature for the site of just such a house.
It has heavily wooded hills, little wandering
brooks, low-lying meadows and
plenty of garden and orchard land ;
and the house will be built on a
natural terrace or plateau half
way up the highest hill. The
building faces toward the south.
overlooking the partially cleared
hillside, which runs down to the
orchard and meadows at the foot
and which needs very little culti
vation to develop it into a beauti
ful sloping greensward with here
and there a clump of trees or a
mass of shrubbery. There is a
friendliness about the natural con
formation of the land which makes
it seem homelike before one stone
is laid upon another or one bit of
underbrush is cleared away, for
the combination of sheltering hills
and woods with a sheltered swale
or meadowland gives interesting

45

CSi

Published in The Craftsman, October, 1908.

FRONT VIEW OF THE HOUSE AT CRAFTSMAN FARMS , SHOWING PERGOLA AND RECESSED ENTRANCE PORCH AND AT THE SIDE THE
OUTDOOR DINING ROOM WITH FIREPLACE AND CHIMNEY BUILT AT THE END. THE PLASTER PANELS BETWEEN THE SEVERAL GROUPS
OF WINDOWS ARE TO BE FILLED WITH LARGE PICTURE TILES SYMBOLIZING FARM LIFE AND INDUSTRIES.

THE CRAFTSMAN'S HOUSE

variety in the immediate surround
ings, while the view of the whole
country from the hilltop through
the gaps in the surrounding hills
does away with any sense of being
shut in.
In designing the house, the first
essential naturally was that it
should be suited exactly to the re
quirements of the life to be lived
in it ; the second, that it should
harmonize with its environment ;
and the third, that it should 'be
built, as far as possible, from the
materials to be had right there on the ground
and left as nearly as possible in the natural
state. Therefore the foundation and lower
walls of the building are of split field stone
and boulders taken from the tumbledown stone
fences and loose-lying rocks on the hillsides.
The timbers are cut from chestnut trees grow
ing on the land, and the lines, proportions and
color of the building are designed with a
special view to the contour of the ground upon

DETAIL OF LIVING ROOM SHOWING PIANO,
PICTURE WINDOW AND BOOKCASES.
which it stands and the background of trees
which rises behind it.
The hiUside site, affording, as it does, well
nigh perfect drainage, makes it possible to
put into effect a favorite Craftsman theory, —
that a house should be built without a cellar
and should, as nearly as possible, rest directly
on the ground with no visible foundation to
separate it from the soil and turf in which
it should almost appear to have taken root.
The house is protected against dampness
by making

OUT-DOOR
BINING ROOM
24X20

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

the excava-
t i on for
the founda-
t i o n down
to clear
hard soil,
filling it in
partly with
the smaller pieces of stone that were re
jected from the walls and placing on this a
thick layer of broken stone leveled off with
an equally thick layer of Portland cement
and concrete, making it level and smooth
like a pavement. All of this foundation is
drain-tiled both inside and out. On the top
of the cement floor is a double layer of
damp-proofing, which extends without a
break up the wall, and a thick layer of tar
and sand, in which the floor timbers are bed
ded. Another layer of waterproof paper
covers this ; and then comes the floor itself — ¦
as completely protected from moisture as if
it were on the top story of the building. The
heating plant and laundry are provided for
in a separate building and the stone storage

47

THE CRAFTSMAN'S HOUSE

END OF LIVING ROOM. ILLUSTRATING HOW THE STAIRCASE WITH ITS LANDING MAY BE MADE THE PROMINENT
STRUCTURAL FEATURE OF A ROOM.

vaults for vegetables and the like are sunk
into the side of the hill.
No effort has been made to give the ap
pearance of a grade line, the ground being
allowed to preserve its natural contour
around the stone walls of the first story. The
upper walls are of plaster and half-timber
construction. The plaster is given a rough
pebble-dash finish and a tone of dull brown
ish green brushed off afterward so that the
color effect varies with the irregularity of the

surface. In each one of the large panels ul
timately picture tiles will be set, symbolizing
the different farm and village industries, —
for example, one will show the blacksmith
at his forge ; another a woman spinning flax ;
others will depict the sower, the plowman
and such typical figures of farm life. These
tiles will be very dull and rough in finish and
colored with dark reds, greens, blues, dull
yellows and other colors which harmonize
with the tints of wood and stone.

DETAIL OF LIVING ROOM SHOWING FIREPLACE, DOORS
INTO SUN ROOM AND ENTRANCE TO VESTIBULE.

48

THE CRAFTSMAN'S HOUSE

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.
The timbers are not applied to the outside
of the house for the purpose of ornamenta
tion, but are a part of the actual construction,
which is thus frankly revealed. They are
peeled chestnut logs squared on either side
and with the face left rounded in the natural
shape of the tree, hewn a little here and there
to keep the lines from being exaggerated in
their unevenness. These timbers are stained
to a grayish brown tone that, from a little
distance, gives the same effect as the bark.
The lines of the red-tiled roof are low and
broad, with an overhang of four feet on the
ends and three feet at the sides.
The pergola is made of peeled cedar logs
left in their natural shape and color, and the
floor, which is almost on a level with the
ground, is a dull red vitrified brick laid in
herring-bone pattern at right angles. Ex
tending from the side of the house is a roofed
pergola, — if such a thing may be, — for while
the timbers and the flooring are those of a
pergola, it has a tiled roof like that of the
house. This is not a part of the construction

DETAIL OF DINING ROOM SHOWING
BUILT-IN SIDEBOARD AND WINDOWS.
proper, but is merely the expression of an
individual fancy for an outdoor dining room.
and a sort of camp cooking place. At the
end is built an outdoor fireplace and a big
rough chimney. The detail of this fireplace,
with its hobs, crane, and two brick ovens^
is given in the first illustration.

THIRD STORY FLOOR PLAN.

49

A SMALL SHINGLED HOUSE THAT SHOWS MANY
INTERESTING STRUCTURAL FEATURES

Published ill The Craftsman. February, T907.

WE have suggested the use of shingles
for the walls of this plain little
cottage because they seem the best
adapted to the peculiarities of its
construction. They should, however, be laid
in double course, the top ones being well ex
posed and the under ones showing not much
over an inch below. This not only gives an
interesting effect of irregularity as to the
wall surface, but adds much to the warmth
of the house. All the lines of the frame
work are simple to a degree, but the plain
ness is relieved by the widely overhanging
eaves and rafters of the roof, the well-pro
portioned porch, which is balanced by the
extension to the rear, the heavy beams which

E.XTERIOR VIEW FROM THE FRONT.
run entirely around the walls with a slight
turn of the shingles above and the effective
grouping of the windows. The little house is

¦ WIUDO^^ -bUKT-lN -LI VI rsc^-PLoor^ -
50

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

A SMALL SHINGLED HOUSE

-iNTi:KioR-z.i-E.VA-r\oN-or-uivir^q' -root^ -
•r-AcmNG|-T-B.or^-r-o'r-Mov£,Ti, -

built to Stand rough weather and this sturd-
iness is the direct cause of the wealth of at
tractive structural features. The roof of the
porch projects two and a half feet, which af
fords protection even in a driving storm. Also
for protection, all the exposed windows are
capped by little shingled hoods which come up
from the walls and which, in addition to their
usefulness, form one of the most charming fea
tures of the whole construction. The eaves of
the main roof project over the front for two
and a half feet, and the weight is supported by
purlins placed at the peak of the roof and
at this connection with each of the side walls.
This widely projecting roof gives a most
comfortable effect of shelter and homelike-
ness, an effect which is heightened by the way

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

in which the quaint little casement windows
on the second story seem to hide under its
wing. The view of the living room shown
in the illustration is that which would be seen
by anyone looking through the triple case
ment on the side wall. The first thing seen
by one entering from the porch would be the
fireplace, which is thrown diagonally across
the corner with a small built-in seat between
it and the landing of the staircase. The fire
place is made of rough red brick, with a stone
mantel-shelf set on a line with the wainscot.

LIVING ROOM SHOWING CORNER FIREPLACE, BUILT-IN SEAT AND STAIR LANDING, WITH A VIEW OF THE ENTRANCE
DOOR AT THE SIDE.

51

A ROOMY, INVITING FARMHOUSE, DESIGNED FOR
PLEASANT HOME LIFE IN THE COUNTRY

Published in The Craftsman, December, 190S.
VIEW SHOWING FRONT PORCH, OUTSIDE KITCHEN AND DORMER.
BELIEVING that no form of dwelling better repays
the thought and care put upon it than does the
farmhouse, we give here a design -for the kind of
house that is meant above all things to furnish
a pleasant, convenient and comfortable environment for
farm life and farm work.
The house is low, broad and comfortable looking in its
proportions and exceedingly simple in design and con
struction. The walls are sheathed with clap
boards and rest upon a foundation of field
stone that is sunk so low as to be hardly per
ceptible, so that the house, while perfectly
sanitary and well drained, seems very close
to the ground. The clapboards are eight or
ten inches wide and should be at least seven-
eighths of an inch thick. Although they are
to be laid like all clapboards, the thickness of
the boards will necessitate a small triangular
strip between each board and the joist to
which it is nailed. This support prevents the
boards from warping or splitting, as they
might do if nailed directly to the joist with
out any support between.
The grouping of the windows is one of

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

52

A ROOMY, INVITING FARMHOUSE

the most attractive features of the house as seen from
the outside. They are all casements made to swing out
ward and are grouped in long horizontal lines that
harmonize admirably with the low-pitched roof and the
wide low look of the house as a whole. The shutters
are made of wide clapboards like those used on the walls,
four boards to each shutter, with a heart-shaped piercing
cut out of the two central boards before they are fitted
together. These shutters are wide enough to cover the
whole window when closed. The windows that give light
to the three front bedrooms upstairs are
grouped into one long dormer, the case
ments being divided by two plaster panels,
behind which come the ends of the parti
tions between the bedrooms. This dormer
adds greatly to the effect of the whole
building, as it breaks the long sweep of
the roof without introducing a false line.
The plan of the interior is simple to a
degree, as the rooms are arranged with a
view to making the work of the household as
light as possible. The greater part of the
lower floor is taken up by the large living
room, which practically includes the dining
room, as the division between them is so
slight as to be hardly more than the sug-

SECONDSTORY
FLOOR PLAN.

gestion of a partition on either side of the
wide opening. The front door opens into an
entry or vestibule which is divided from the
living room by a curtain and, where pro
vision is made, for hanging up hats and coats
and for keeping other outdoor belongings.

LIVING ROOM OF THE FARMHOUSE SHOWING FIREPLACE NOOK WITH BUILT-IN SEATS AND CASEMENT WINDOWS;
THE ENTRY APPEARS AT ONE SIDE OF THE NOOK. 53

A SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD DESIGN FROM
WHICH MANY HOMES HAVE BEEN BUILT

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1909.
EXTERIOR VIEW, SHOWING WELL-BALANCED PROPORTIONS AND SIMPLE TREATMENT OF WINDOWS AND WALL-SPACES.

FIREPLACE IN LIVING ROOM, SHOWING THE BUILT-IN BOOKCASES AND CASEMENTS ON EITHER SIDE.
54

A SIMPLE, STRAIGHTFORWARD DESIGN

THIS has been one of the most popular
of the Craftsman house designs and
as shown here it has been modified
somewhat from the first plan, the
modifications and improvements having been
suggested by the different people who have
built the house, so that they are all valuable
as the outcome of practical experience. Al
though the illustration shows plastered walls
and a foundation of field stone, the design
lends itself quite as readily to walls of brick
or stone, or even to shingles or clapboards,
if a wooden house be desired.

-=:^^c=-

POT3CH .
aV-fo" * s'o"

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.
The outside kitchen at the back is recom
mended only in the event of the house being
built in the country, because in town it would
hardly be needed. In a farmhouse such an
outside kitchen is most convenient as it af
fords an outdoor place for such work as wash
ing and ironing, canning, preserving and other
tasks which are much less wearisome if done
in the open air. The position of the chimney
at the back of the house makes it possible for
a stove to be placed upon this porch for the
use mentioned. The house is so designed that
this outside kitchen may be added to it or
omitted, as desired, without making any dif
ference to the plan as a whole. The plan of
the lower story shows the usual open ar
rangement of the Craftsman house. The en
trance door opens into a small entry screened
from the living room by heavy portieres, so
that no draught from the front door is felt
inside. On the outside wall of the living
room is the arrangement of fireplace and
bookcases, as shown in the illustration. A
large table might be placed in the center, with
a settle back to it and facing the fire.

55

A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE IN WHICH TOWER CON
STRUCTION HAS BEEN EFFECTIVELY USED

Published in The Craftsman, September, 1906.
FRONT VIEW OF HOUSE SHOWING TOWERS AND VERANDAS IN FRONT AND PERGOLA AT THE SIDE.

SOAIETHING of a departure is made
from the usual style of the Craftsman
house in planning this one, which we
regard as one of the most completely
successful house plans ever published in The
Craftsman. It is not a large house, yet
it gives the impression of dignity and spa

ciousness which usually belongs only to a
large building ; it is in no sense an elaborate
house, }'et it is decorative, — possessing a sort
of homely picturesqueness which takes away
all appearance of severity from the straight
lines and massive walls. This is largely due
to the square tower-like construction at the

5G

A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE WITH FOWER CONSTRUCTION

two corners in front and to the
lower verandas, both ample in size
and deeply recessed, which occupy
the whole width of the house be
tween the towers. Of these, one is
the entrance porch and the other
an outdoor sleeping room, — the
latter a very essential part of
every house that is built with
special reference to health and
freedom of living.
-\s suggested here, the house is
of cement and half -timber con
struction with a tiled roof and a
foundation of local field stone
carefully split and fitted.
foundation is carried up
to form the parapets
that shelter the recessed
porches on the lower
story, and the copings are
of gray sandstone. The
walls are of cement plas
ter on metal lath, the plas
ter being given the rough
gravel finish and colored
in yar3dng tones of green.

All the e.xterior wood trim is of cypress
very much darkened by the chemical J>7oc5Ss'
which we use. In this house the
exterior woodwork is especially
satisfying in its structural form,
being decorative in its lines and
the division of wall spaces and
yet obviously an essential part
of the structure. The horizon
tal beams serve to bind together
the lines of the whole framework,
and the uprights are simply cor
ner-posts and continuations of the
window frames. The roof of dull
red tiles gives life and warmth to
the color scheme of the exterior,
and the thick round pillars
painted white lend a sharp
accent that emphasizes the
whole. The entrance door is at
the left end of the porch
which, by this device, is
made to seem less like a
mere entrance and more
like a pleasant gathering
place where outdoor life
may go on. This porch is
illustrated in detail on page
upper and ninety-nine as a typical Craftsman front porch.

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

LMWirVi

SECOND FLOOR PLAN. STOR.AGE-BOOM AND SERVANTS ROOM IN ATTIC.
57

A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE WITH TOWER CONSTRUCTION

ALCOVE IN THE DINING ROOM MADE BY THE TOWER CONSTRUCTION. THIS LITTLE NOOK IS FITTED UP FOR A
SMOKING ROOM OR DEN AND HAS ALL THE ADVANTAGES OF A BAY WINDOW OR SMALL SUN ROOM. AS THE WIN
DOWS ON EITHER SIDE ADMIT FLOODS OF SUNSHINE, PRO\IDED THE HOUSE IS SO PLACED AS TO GIVE THIS TOWER
A SOUTHERN OR WESTERN EXPOSURE. NOTE THE CONSTHi;CTION OF THE OVERHEAD BEAMS.

58

A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE WITH TOWER CONSTRUCTION

A CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM, LOOKING INTO THE DINING ROOM SO THAT THE POST-AND-PANEL CONSTRUCTION
WHICH INDICATES A DIVISION BETWEEN THE TWO ROOMS IS PLAINLY SHOWN. THE CHIMNEYPIECE IS MADE OF
LARGE SQUARE TILES, MATT-FINISHED IN A DULL TONE OF BROWNISH YELLOW AND BOUND AT THE CORNERS WITH
STRIPS OF EITHER COPPER OR IRON. THE FIREPLACE HOOD IS OF COPPER AND THE ANDIRONS OF WROUGHT IRON.
COMBINED WITH THE BROWN OF THE OAK OR CHESTNUT WOODWORK, THIS WOULD FORM THE BASIS OF A RICH AND
QUIET COLOR SCHEME.

A CONCRETE COTTAGE DESIGNED IN THE FORM
OF A GREEK CROSS TO ADMIT MORE LIGHT

¦t^^-^ ,.£

J

Published in The Craftsman, February, 190J.
FRONT VIEW OF THE COTTAGE SHOWING THE TWO SMALL ENTRANCE PORCHES.
CONCRETE or hollow cement block a rough coarse texture that is very interesting.
construction were what we had in The plan of this house is not unlike a Greek
mind in the designing of this cottage. cross, the rooms being so arranged that the
Therefore the form of it is especially greatest possible allowance of space is made
adapted to the use of this mate
rial, although, like the others, the
general plan admits of the use of
brick or stone, clapboards or shin
gles, if desired. As we have
shown it here, the side walls are
broken into panels by raised
bands of concrete, which bind the
corners and also run around the
entire structure at the connection
of the roof and again between the
first and second stories. These
bands are smooth-surfaced, but
the walls are made verv' rough
by the simple process of washing
off the surface \vith a brush and
plenty of water immediately after
the form is removed and while
the material is set but still fri
able. If this is done at e.xacth-
the right time, the washing-brush
can be so applied as to remove
the mortar to a considerable
depth between the blocks, leav
ing them in relief and producing i — i first story floor plan.

(JO

A CONCRETE COTTAGE

available and also an unusual
amount of light and air. The
foundation is of concrete and is
continued upward on a gentle
slant from the ground to a line
at the base of the windows on
the first floor, which gives a con
tinuous horizontal line on a level
with the parapets of the porches
that are placed on either side
of the front wing.
The main entrance porch is at
the right of the house, as shown
in the half-tone illustration, while
the kitchen is entered from the
porch on the left. The rear porch
is recessed and extends the whole
width of the wing, being large
enough to serve as a very com
fortable dining room. For this
style of house we would recom
mend that all the porches be
floored with red cement divided
into squares. As shown in the il
lustration of the interior, the
rooms on the first floor are sep
arated with the open post-and-
panel construction, which merely
indicates a division between them.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

A SECTION OF THE LIVING ROOM, SHOWING ENTRANCE HALL, STAIRWAY, CHIMNEYPIECE, FIRESIDE SEAT AND A
GLIMPSE OF THE DINING ROOM. NOTE THE WAY THE WOODWORK IS USED TO CARRY THE SAME STRUCTURAL IDEA
THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE LOWER FLOOR.

61

A BUNGALOW OF IRREGULAR FORM AND UNUSU
ALLY INTERESTING CONSTRUCTION

r

Published in The Craftsman, .April. 1907
VIEW OF THE BUNGALOW SHOWING COURT AND PERGOLA, DINING PORCH AND SLOPE OF THE HILL.

THE plans and drawings of this bun
galow, while partly our own, are
adapted from rough sketches sent us
by one of our subscribers, Mr. George
D. Rand, of Auburndale, Mass. Mr. Rand
is an architect who has retired from active
work, and these sketches were made for his
own bungalow, which is situated in the moun
tain region of New Hampshire. In sending
us the sketches, Mr. Rand kindly gave us per
mission to use the idea as outlined by him,
with such alterations as seemed best to us.
In accordance with this permission, we make
quite a number of minor modifications in the
original design, and many of the suggestions
for construction are our own.
The house is somewhat irregular in design,
but is so admirably proportioned and planned
that the broken lines impress one as they do

when seen in some old English house that has
grown into its present shape through centuries
of alteration in response to changing needs.
It seems above all things to be a house fitted
to crown a hilltop in the open country, espe
cially \vhere the slope is something the same
as indicated in the site here shown. The line
from the back of the roof down to the boat
landing comes as near to being a perfect
relation of house and ground as is often seen,
and this relation is of the first importance in
the attempt to suit a house to its environment.
The exterior walls and the roof are of
shingles, and the foundations, parapets, col
umns and chimneys are of split stone laid up
in dark cement. The construction of the roof
is admirable and, with all the irregularity,
there is a certain ample graciousness and
dignity in line and proportion. At the front

62

AN UNUSUALLY INTERESTING BUNGALOW

of the house between the two gables is a
recessed court, paved with red cement cut
into squares like tiles and roofed over with a
pergola of which the beautiful construction is
shown in the de
tail given of this
court. The large porch
at the side of the
house is intended
for an outdoor
living and dining
room and corre
sponds closely in
arrangement with
the rooms which
open upon it. Its
construction is the
same as that of
the court, except
that it is sheltered by a wide-
eaved roof instead of a pergola

it is to be exposed to
the weather, the ce
ment floor would be
more durable, as sun

and is so arranged that it can
be easily closed in for cold or
stormy weather. At the end next the living
room there is a large fireplace built of split
stone, which exactly corresponds with the fire
place in the indoor living room. A good fire
of logs on this outdoor hearth gives the same
effect of warmth and cheer as a camp fire.
If casements were placed all around the porch
so that it could be entirely
closed in time of storm and
cold, it might be an excellent
idea to floor it smoothly with
wood for dancing; but if

•5ECOMD -ri-OOR. -A^IND-ROOr -PL.AT-l-

rlR.ST-ri.OOK-FLAM-

and wind soon roughen the best wood floor.
The house is rich in fireplaces, for not only
are there the large chimneypieces, in the liv
ing room and on the porch adjoining, but two
of the bedrooms on the lower floor have corner
fireplaces. As the kitchen is so placed as to
be practically detached from the remainder of
the house, another flue is necessary for the
kitchen range.
From the court the entrance door opens
into a small square hall, which is practically
an alcove of the living room and which
connects by a nar
row passage with
the bedrooms at
the opposite side
of the house. The
bathroom is placed
almost in the cen
ter of the house,
which might be
undesirable if it
were not com-
p 1 e t e 1 y shut off
from the living
rooms by the plan
of the hall and by
the same plan
made easily acces
sible to the three
bedrooms.

ffl

63

.VX UNUSUALLY INTERESTING BUNGALOW

DET.AIL EO.-vES.

OF TH
THE

E COURT, SHOWING CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERGOLA AND THE USE OF VINES,
GLASS DOOR IS THE MAI.\ ENTR.ANCE DOOR OF THE HOUSE.

SHRUBS AND FLOWER

The construction of the living room is very
interesting, as everything is revealed up to
the ridge pole and rafters of the roof. The
roof itself has such a long sweep that there
would be danger of its sagging, were it not
for the trusses that brace it in the center.
These trusses, in addition to their use, add
much to the decorative effect of the structure.
Across the front and down the side of the
living room to the fireplace is a built-in seat
paneled below and backed with a wainscot of
V-jointed boards. If desired, the top of this
seat can be hinged in sections, making the
lower part a place for storing things. The
window above the seat in front gives an
unusually interesting effect, as there is a
group of double casements on what in an
ordinary house would be the lower floor, and
another group of single casements, the cen
ter one higher than the sides, just above the
frieze and beam. Another casement set lii.gh

in the wall is placed opposite the fireplace,
corresponding in position to the door which
opens upon the porch.
Extending to a point half way across the
opening into the hall is the balcony which
forms the upstairs sitting room ; this is
divided from the living room only by a rail
ing. The floor of this balcony forms the ceil
ing of the dining room, which is separated
from the living room only by double cup
boards made to be used as bookcases on one
side and china closets on the other. These
cupboards extend to the same height as the
window-sills and mantel, carrying this line
around the room. The space above is open
and hung with small curtains. This effect
of a small low dining room recessed from a
living room that runs clear to the roof is
delightful in the sense it gives of homelike
comfort, as the effect is that of a snug little
retreat devoted to good cheer.

04

A BUNGALOW OF IRREGULAR FORM

CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM, SHOWING UPPER AND LOWER WINDOWS AT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, THE SEAT
WHICH SERVES BOTH AS WINDOW AND FIRESIDE SEAT AND THE FORM AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIREPLACE.

A PORTION OF THE LIVING ROOM, LOOKING INTO THE DINING ROOM. THE CEILING OF THE LATTER IS FORMED BY THE.
FLOOR OF THE BALCONY ABOVE, SO THAT IT HAS THE APPEARANCE OF A LOW-CEILED RECESS, AND THE BOOKCASES-
MAKE THE PARTITION. THE BALCONY IS USED AS AN UPSTAIRS SITTING ROOM.
65

A ROOMY, HOMELIKE FARMHOUSE FOR LOVERS
OF PLAIN AND WHOLESOME COUNTRY LIFE

The Craftsman, March, 1909.

FRONT VIEW SHOWING PORCH, DORMER AND SLEEPING BALCONY.

BOTH in exterior seeming and in inte
rior arrangement and finish, this
building is essentially a farmhouse, —
not of the comfortless type
that we have been accustomed to of
late years, but one that is reminiscent
of earlier days, when a farmhouse was
in very truth the homestead and as
such was large, substantial, comfort
able and inviting. The design is very
simple, with clapboarded or shingled
walls and a broad sheltering roof, the
straight sweep of which is broken by
a large dormer on either side. The
wide veranda in front is recessed,
forming a sheltered porch that could
be used for much outdoor life. The
windows as suggested here are all
casements, those on the upper story
being protected from the weather by
the broadly overhanging roof and the
lower ones sheltered by hoods. At
the front of the house the dormer is
extended to form a good-sized sleep
ing porch and at the back it accommo
dates the bathroom.
As the general effect of the house
is broad and low, it is fitting that
very little of the foundation should

be visible. A far better effect is given if
no attempt is made to establish too strict a
grade line, as the house seems to fit the

FfRST 3TOT2'T' PL>A^-^

66

A ROOMY, HOMELIKE FARMHOUSE

ground much better if the foundation is
accommodated to the natural irregulari
ties and if the floor of the porch is very
little elevated above the turf.
The interior arrangement, while sim
plicity itself, is very convenient. There
is hardly anything to mark the divisions
between the reception hall, living room
and dining room, so that these names
rather serve to indicate the uses to which
the different parts of this one large room
may be put than to imply that they are
separate rooms. In the very center of
the house is the large fireplace nook
which naturally forms the center of in
terest and attraction, with its ample
chimneypiece of the split field stone and
the comfortable fireside seat beside the
hearth. Were it not for the arrange
ment of this large open space, there
might be a sense of bareness ; but this
is entirely obviated by the shape of the
room, the prominence given to the fire
side nook, and the liberal use of wood in
the form of beams, wainscots, seats and
such built-in fixtures as may be necessary.

SECOND 5TO-RY PL.AN .

FIRESIDE NOOK, GIVING AN IDEA OF THE BROAD CHIMNEYPIECE BUILT OF SPLIT FIELD STONE AND OF THE FIRESIDE
SEAT, WHICH IS MADE OF WIDE BOARDS V-JOINTED. 67

A PLASTER HOUSE UPON WHICH WOOD HAS BEEN
LIBERALLY USED 1

/Published in The Craftsman, December, 190O.
ITidXT OF THE HOUSE, SHOWING EFFECT OF PORCHES WITH WOODEN BALUSTRADES.

WE have always found the combina
tion of rough-finished plaster with
plenty of exterior woodwork to be
very attractive, and this house is a
good example of the way in which we relieve
the severity of the plain plaster. The design
of the house is not as straight and massive as
is usual with the Craftsman cement or plaster

houses, 3ct it is very simple, and the exterior
features are such as to make for great dur
ability. The foundation of the house as shown is
of very hard and rough red brick as to the
visible part. Should this brick not be easily
obtainable or too costly in the local market, a
quarry-faced, broken-joint ashlar or some

68

A PLASTER AND TIMBER HOUSE

darker stone would be very effective with
either gray or green cement. As to the
woodwork, we would suggest cypress, which is
inexpensive, durable and beautiful in color and
grain when finished according to the proces?
we describe elsewhere in this book. The color
under this treatment is a rich warm brown
which, when used for the half-timber con
struction, window framings and balustrades,
would look equally well with plaster either
left in the natural gray or given a tone of bis
cuit color or of dull green.
Some idea of the interior woodwork is given
in the detail drawings. A great deal of wood
is used in the form of wainscoting, grilles and

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.
the like, and the wdiole scheme of decoration
and furnishing naturally is founded on this
use of wood. It would be best to treat the upper
walls and ceilings of the hall, living room and
dining room alike, as the object is to give a
sense of space, dignity and restfulness to the
part of the house that is most lived in and this
eft'ect is best obtained by having no change in
the background. The rooms open into each other
in such a way as to suggest one large room
irregularly shaped and full of recesses, and
any marked difference in the treatment of the
walls is apt to produce an effect of patchiness
as well as the restlessness that comes from
marked variations in our home surroundings.

DETAIL DRAWING SHOWING CONSTRUCTION AND PLACING OF WAINSCOT, DOOR, STAIRCASE AND LANDING.
69

A FARMHOUSE DESIGNED WITH A LONG, UN
BROKEN ROOF LINE AT THE BACK

V ^ Mr ¦**^~"^'^'^i^SiS5Sra^P^

a.; .^1i:-^i*-,.

Publnhcd tn The Ci aflsman January. 1909.
FRONT VIEW, SHOWING RUSTIC PERGOLA AND INTERESTING CONSTRUCTION THAT SUPPORTS THE OVERHANG.

. t It ni 111 ¦:^•?^ ¦ ¦

.^^^m-^^^^^^^i

REAR VIEW SHOWING WIDE SWEEP OF ROOF AT THE BACK IN PLACE OF THE CUSTOM.\RY "lEAN-TO."
70

A FARMHOUSE WITH A LONG ROOF LINE

WE feel that the design for this
farmhouse is one of the most
satisfactory that we have ever
done, not only because the build
ing, simple as it is, is graceful in line and
proportion, but because the interior is so
arranged as to simplify the work of the
household and to give a good deal of room
within a comparatively small area.
The plan is definitely that of a farm
house, and in this frank expression of its
character and use lies the chief charm of
the dwelling. The walls might be covered
with either shingles or clapboards, accord
ing to the taste and means of the owner.
If the beauty of the building were more to
be considered than the expense of con
struction, we should recommend the use
of rived cypress shingles, as these are not
only very durable but have a most inter
esting surface. The only difiiculty is that
they cost about double the price of the
ordinary shingles. As the construction of
the house in front is such that a veranda

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.
would be rather a disfigurement than an
improvement, we have supplied its place by
a terrace covered with a pergola. The ter
race would naturally be of cement or vitri
fied brick and the construction of the per
gola should be rustic in character. One
great advantage of such a pergola is that
the vines that cover it afford sufficient shade
in summer, while in winter there is nothing
to interfere with the air and sunlight, which
should be admitted as freely as possible to
the house. We have allowed the roof to
come dowm in an unbroken sweep toward
the back because of the beauty and unusual-
ness of this long roof line as compared with
the usual square form of a house with the
lower roof of a porch or lean-to at the back.
Furthermore, by this device there is con
siderable space for storage left over the
kitchen and dining room. The entry opens
into the living room at right angles with the
entrance door and this opening might be cur
tained to avoid draughts.

71

TWO INEXPENSIVE BUT CHARMING COTTAGES
FOR WOMEN WHO WANT THEIR OWN HOMES

IT has always seemed to us that if there
is one kind of dwelling that is more
generally needed than another, it is the
small and inexpensive, yet comfortable
and homelike, cottage that can be built almost
for the year's rent of a flat, or even of room
and board in a
boarding house,
and that would
serve as a home
for two or three
people. Especi
ally is this sort
of a house
deeded by wom-
¦en of limited
means, — women
who either work
¦at home or pos
sibly in an office
¦or shop and
who need all
the home com
fort they can
get, instead of
dragging out an
¦existence in a
boarding house or facing the bugbear of rent
day in a flat.
These cottages each would serve to accom
modate a group of three or four and the
number might even be stretched to six in case
¦of very congenial people who did not mind

Published tn Ihe Craftsman, March, IQ04.
STONE COTTAGE WITH RECESSED PORCH AND BUNGALOW ROOF.

sharing their rooms. The houses as repre
sented here are built of field stone, but the
designs would serve equally well for concrete,
— a form of construction that would greatly
lessen the cost, — or for frame houses covered
with shingles, clapboards, or even with plain
boards and bat
tens. In fact,
after the initial
cost of the lot
in some suburb
not too far away
from the place
of employment.
it should be a
very easy mat
ter for two or
three women
who felt that
they would like
to make a home
for themselves
to combine their
resources and
build one of
these little
houses. Even
the cost of the lot might be very greatly les
sened if it were possible to build in a village
near the city or right out in the country. It
is the woman who is stranded in some for
lorn hall bedroom, or who is forced to feel
that she is a superfluous member of some
one else's family, who would most welcome
the dignity and content that would be found

©] roe J

I I'
FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.

TWO INEXPENSIVE BUT CHARMING COTTAGES

in a home of her own, — a home which might be
shared by a relative or close friend in similar
circumstances. The chief value of these little houses lies
in the fact that although they are but the sim
plest of cottages, they nevertheless possess a
beauty and individuality which is lacking in
many a resi
dence that costs
ten times as
much. We feel
that in e.xterior
attractions they
are fitted to take
rank with any of
the houses de
signed in The
Craftsman
Workshops, and
that the interior
arrangement is
compact and
comfortable to a
degree. The
chief difference
between them,
as regards the
exterior, lies in
the fact that in the case of the first one the
porch is recessed and, in the second, is ex
tended to the dimensions of a good-sized
veranda that runs the whole width of the
house. In interior arrangement they are much
alike, the living room in each case occupy
ing the whole of one side of the house and

Published in The Craftsittatt, March, 1904.

STONE COTTAGE WITH VERANDA.
GALOW ROOF AND OF CASEMENT

opening into a dining alcove which takes about
half of the other side. The kitchen occupies
the remaining comer and, if this be fitted with
convenient cupboards, work table and the like,
there would be no necessity for a pantry. Up
stairs also the arrangement of the two cottages
is somewhat similar, as in each case the space
is divided into
three bedrooms
and a bathroom,
with plenty of
closet room
tucked away in
to nooks and
corners. As to the in
terior woodwork
and furnishing,
these need not
be costly in or
der to be attrac
tive. Some in
expensive native
wood, such as
pine, or cypress,
or that grade of
chestnut known
to builders as
"sound wormy," would, if finished properly,
give the most delightful effect when used for
interior trim, built-in seats, cupboards, balus
trades for the stairways, and for wainscoting,
^providing the sum set aside for the house
admitted such a luxury as the last. The re
maining wall spaces and the ceilings could be
left in the rough sand-finished plaster, tinted
in any color desired, and the fireplace would
naturally be of brick or field stone and of the
simplest design. Given such a foundation, the
question of furnishing would adjust itself.

NOTE THE EFFECT OF SQUARE BUN
WINDOWS HIGH UNDER THE EAVES,

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN,

73

A LOG HOUSE THAT WILL SERVE EITHER AS A
SUMMER CAMP OR A COUNTRY HOME

Published in The Craftsmatt, March, J907.
EXTERIOR OF LOG HOUSE, SHOWING DECORATIVE USE OF THE PROJECTING ENDS OF PARTITION LOGS.

SO many people like log houses for sum
mer homes that we give here a design
that wo-uld harmonize with the most
primitive surroundings. At the same
time it is so carefully planned and so well
constructed that it could be used as a regular
dwelling all the year round. While the lines
of the building are simple to a degree, all
the proportions are so calculated and the de
tails of the construction so carefully observed
that, with all this simplicity and freedom
from pretense, there is no suggestion of bare
ness or crudity. It is essentially a log house
for woodland life, and it looks just that; yet
it is a warm, comfortable, roomy building per
fectly drained and ventilated and, with proper
construction, ought to last for many genera
tions. .\s the first step towards securing good
drainage and also saving the lower logs of
the wall from decay, there is an excellent
foundation built of stone or cement, — accord
ing to the material most easily and econom
ically obtained. — and this foundation is quite
as high as it \vould be in any dwelling built
of the conventional materials in the conven
tional way. But as the appearance of such a

foundation would spoil the whole effect of
the house by separating it from the ground
on which it stands, it is almost entirely con
cealed by terracing the soil up to the top of
it and therefore to the level of the porch
floors. The first log of the walls rest directly
upon this foundation and is just far enough
above the ground to prevent rotting. By this
device perfect healthfulness is secured so far
as good drainage is concerned, and at the
same time the wide low house of logs appears
to rest upon the ground in the most primitive
way. The logs used in building should have the
bark stripped oft" and then be stained to a dull
grayish brown that approaches as closely as
possible to the color of the bark that has been
removed. This does away entirely with the
danger of rotting, which is unavoidable when
the bark is left on, and the stain removes the
raw, glaring wdiiteness of the peeled logs and
restores them to a color that harmonizes
with their surroundings. The best logs for
this purpose are from trees of the second
growth, which are easily obtained almost any
where. They should be from nine to twelve
inches in diameter and should be carefully

74

A LOG HOUSE

selected for their straightness and
symmetry. The wide porches that extend all
along both sides of the house afford
plenty of room for outdoor living.
As shown in the picture, one end ot
the porch at the front of the house
is recessed to form a square dining
porch, which opens into the kitchen
and also into the big room. This is
a combined living room and indoor

dining

room, to be used for the
purpose only in chilly or

latterstormy weather, if the house is
meant for a summer camp.
The general effect of this room
is in exact harmony with the ex
terior of the house. The door from
the porch opens into an entry which
on one side gives access to the two
bedrooms at the front of the house
and on the other leads by a wide
opening into the main room. The
walls and partitions are of logs and
the ceiling is beamed with logs flat
tened on the upper side to support
the floor above. The fireplace, like the chim
ney outside, is built of split stone, a material
especially suited to this house, and is in a nook
or recess that is formed, not by the shape

of the room, but by the suggestion of a division
made by the two logs placed one above the
other across the ceiling logs, and the two
posts that form the ends of the fireside seats.

VIEW OF LIVING ROOM, SHOWING THE LOG CONSTRUCTION WHICH SEPARATES THE FIREPL.XCE NOOK FROM THE REST
OF THE ROOM, AND ALSO GIVING AN IDEA OF THE EFFECT TO BE OBTAINED BY THE USE OF LOG PARTITIONS.

A PLEASANT AND HOMELIKE COTTAGE DESIGNED
FOR A SMALL FAMILY

Published in The Craftsman. February, 1905.

VIEW OF COTTAGE FROM THE FRONT.

FIREPLACE AND SEAT IN THE LIVING ROOM, WITH GLIMPSE OF HALL AND STAIRCASE.
76

COTTAGE FOR A SMALL FAMILY

THIS design for a cottage is best suited
for the suburbs or for a village, as the
shape of the building is such that it
needs plenty of ground around it. If
it were built in the open country, it would
look particularly well on a large lot where
there are plenty of trees, as for example the
site of an old apple orchard, as the gnarled
trunks and low spreading branches would
give the ideal setting to a house like this.
In the event of the house being built in a
locality where field stone could easily be ob
tained, it would be advisable to use this ma
terial for the first story, as suggested in the
illustration. The gables and roof are shingled
and an admirable effect could be produced by
using rived cypress shingles darkened by the
application of diluted sulphuric acid. This
brings out all the color in the wood and also
brings it into complete harmony with the stone.
The porch at the front of the house is
eight feet wide, permitting the use of a ham

mock and such rustic furniture as is needed
for veranda life in the summer. The second
and smaller porch at the rear of the house
opens into the dining room and may be used
as an outdoor dining room during the warm
months. The vestibule inside the entrance door is
very small, serving merely to cut off the
draught from the door. This is one of our
earlier plans and has narrower openings be
tween the rooms. Were we to make it over
now, we would suggest that the partition be
tween the hall and the living room on the side

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.
toward the front be taken away as far as the
vestibule, making the hall a part of the living
room. The narrow passage between the fire
side seat and the staircase could remain un
altered, or the post-and-panel construction
might be put across, making a doorway in
which could be hung a portiere. Although
the doorway between the living room and the
dining room is very wide, yet the division is
indicated sufficiently to separate the space in
to two distinct rooms. If this arrangement
should be preferred, the opening could be
left just as it is and either curtained with
heavy portieres, or partially filled with a
large screen which could be spread across or
removed at will. It would, however, be more
in accordance with the later Craftsman ar
rangement to remove even these slight parti
tions, leaving only the chimneypiece to mark
the division between the rooms.

77

-. /:. ^1 ^

'•^.: .."'

,-r-'"''

5

-I

;(f \ '

UJ

¦ ^ . :

H

O

<
>
t
w
M
ti:
III
x
w
,J,
^
1—
S S 5^
> H t^
78
A COUNTRY CLUBHOUSE THAT IS BUILT LIKE A
LOG CABIN

W

E have given the design of
house at Craftsman Farm
use of country clubs that

such a plan desirable.
ourselves, it Avill be the gen
eral assembly house of the
whole colony, so planned that
meals may be served either in
doors or out on a big veranda,
according to the weather, and
wdiere meetings, lectures and
entertainments of all kinds may
be held by the people staying
at the Farms and accommoda
tion provided for guests invit
ed from the outside. For our
own purpose, nO' form of build
ing is so suitable and desirable
as a low, roomy house built of
logs, and we imagine that many
a country club will find that
similar uses and surroundings
seem to demand a building of
this character.
As will be seen by compari
son of the exterior view of the
house with the plan of the
lower floor, there are three

the Club- main divisions in the building, indicated in
s for the the perspective drawing by the projecting ends
find of the logs which form the log partition be-

/Vs we use it tween the reception room and sitting room

f5£:CE.Pr\On COO/A
18-d X 50- b

PO!ZCI-\
14-- o x' SZ o

o

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.
79

SECOND STORY FLOOR PLAN.
and kitchen on the one side,
and serve as the outer wall of
the house on the porch side.
The width of this porch is the
same as the width allowed for
the sitting room and kitchen
and the center of the building
for the whole length is taken
up by the reception room.wdiich
will be used for the assembly
room or the indoor dining
room, as seems necessary. The
porch will be used as an out
door living room or dining
room, as the case may be, and
the little sitting room at the
back is meant for guests who
ma)^ wish some place apart
from the general assembly
room for a C|uiet chat with a
few friends.
The upper floor is divided
into guest rooms, with a com
fortable sitting room for ladies

A COUNTRY CLUBHOUSE

and a dressing room and two bathrooms, so
that there is not only accommodation for
transient guests but room' for a few guests
who may wish accommodation over night or
for several days at a time.
The smoking room and dressing room for
men are placed below the main floor, as in
the case of the building at Craftsman Farms
the ground slopes sufficiently away from the
back of the house to allow ample accommoda
tion for these basement rooms. This slope is
sufficiently steep to expose the stone founda
tion to a depth of seven or eight feet, so that
anyone entering the smoking room from the
outside comes in on a level instead of going
down as into a basement. Flower boxes
placed between the pillars around this end of
the porch will afford some protection where
the slope is most abrupt.
As will be seen, the design of the house is
very simple, the effect of comfort and of
ample spaces depending entirely upon its pro
portions. The big sweep of the low pitched,
widely overhanging roof is broken by the
broad shallow dormers, which not only give
sdfficient additional height to make the greater
part of the upper story habitable, but also
adds much to the structural charm of the

building. As the walls of the upper story are
of plaster, the logs being used after the man
ner of half-timber construction, the ends of
the dormers are also of plaster and plaster
panels divide the groups of casement win
dows. These plaster panels form one of the most
interesting features of the house because they
put into eff'ect our idea of a form of exterior
decoration that shall be symbolic of the house
itself and the environment in which it stands.
Roughly modeled in low relief, are figures
symbolizing the life and industries of the
farm. Dull colored pigments will be used to
emphasize these figures and to add a definite
color accent to the house, but the pigments
will in all cases come into harmony with the
natural tones of wood, stone and earth. These
panels form the sole decoration that exists
purely for the sake of decoration. For the
rest, the beauty of the house depends entire
ly upon structural features ; upon the case
ment windows, which are all uniform in size
and are so arranged as to form long horizon
tal lines ; upon the use of the logs and of
stone in the foundation and the chimneys and
upon the color harmony of the whole in rela
tion to the prevailing tones of the landscape.

UPSTAIRS SITTING ROOM, SHOWING THE WRITING TABLE AND SEATS IN THE DORMER,
SO

A PLAIN LITTLE CABIN THAT WOULD MAKE A
GOOD SUMMER HOME IN THE WOODS

Published in The Craftsmatt, November, 1908.
VIEW OF THE FRONT AND SIDE, SHOWING CASEMENTS HIGH IN THE WALL.

ONE of the features at Craftsman
Farms is the housing of guests,
students and workers in small
bungalows or cabins scattered
here and there through the woods and over
the hillside, standing either singly or in
groups of three and four in small clearings
made in the natural woodland. Therefore
they are designed especially for such sur
roundings and are most desirable for those
who wish to build inexpensive summer or
week-end cottages for holiday and vacation
use. Of course, any one of the plans
would serve perfectly well for a tiny cottage
for two or three people to live in, but the
design and general character of the build
ings is hardly adapted to the ordinary
town lot and would not be so effective in
conventional surroundings as in the open
country. The cottages built at Craftsman Farms
are meant first of all to live in and next to
serve as examples of a variety of practical
plans for small moderately priced dwellings
designed on the general order of the bun
galow. They will be built of stone, brick,
or any one of a number of our native
woods suitable for such construction and
will be as comfortable, beautiful and in
teresting as we can make them, each one
being specially planned for its own use.

POKon
2.5' 0 - 6' 0

O

o

o

o

FLOOR PLAN.

81

l^ublished III 1 he L raftsiiian, July, njO-.f

A BUNGALOW BUILT AROUND A COURTYARD FACING THE W.VTER : VIEW OF THE FRONT, SIM, WING FNTRANCE, TERRVCF \NI, CHIMNEYS VN,
THE RELATION OF THE HOUSE TO ITS SITE.

A BUNGALOW BUILT AROUND
FACING THE WATER

A COURTYARD

OXE of our earliest designs
is shown in this bungalow,
which has proven very pop
ular for summer homes, es-
peciall}- where the)- are built on the
shore of a lake or river; for the
chief characteristic of the design is
an inner court, or patio, wdiich looks
directly out upon the water. The
bungalmv is built around three sides
of thi.s courtyard, — an arrangement
which carries with it a suggestion
of the old ^Mission architecture of
California. The original design \yas for a
house with shingled walls, but the
construction is equally suitable for
stone, brick, or concrete. The ma
terial chosen, of course, would de
pend entirely upon the locality and
the taste of the owner. Were we
designing it now, wc would proba
bly suggest concrete, as the form of
the house, with its straight walls
and simple lines, is well suited to
this material, and also because this
method of construction is comparatively in
expensive as well as substantial and durable.
If the walls were finished with rough plaster
or pebbledash surface, the effect would be ad
mirable, especially for the woods, if a little
dull green pigment were brushed on irregu
larly, giving a general tone of green that yet
is not a solid smooth color.
The central court as shown here is paved
with stone, but this would be only in case of
stone or shingle construction. For either brick
or concrete it would be best to pave the court
with cement colored a dull red and marked
off into squares. This has much the appear
ance of Welsh quarry tiles and is much less
expensive. Provision has been made in the
center of the court for a basin, in the middle
of which a pile of rocks affords opportunity
for a fountain or trickling cascade, while the
pool furnishes an admirable place for the
growth of aquatic plants. The court can either
be paved clear up to the pool as shown in the
picture, or the pavement may stop just outside
the pillars, leaving the center of the courtyard
for turf. In either case the patio is meant to
be furnished for use as an outdoor living room,
such as is so frequently seen in the courtyards

FLOOR PLAN.

of California houses. If the house is built for
a camp in the woods, the pillars around this
courtyard would best be made of peeled logs
left in the natural shape and stained back to
the color of the bark. For more conventional
use, heavy round pillars of concrete or of wood
painted white would naturally be used. These
details, however, are always ruled by the lo-
calit)-, the materials used for building and the
taste of the builder.
The arrangement of the interior is very sim
ple, as from the entrance hall one turns toward
the right into the living room, which occupies
half the front of the building. Ju'^t back of
the living room in the wing is the dining room
and back of this again is the kitchen. Turn
ing to the left from the hall, a small passage
leads to one of the bedrooms, and the other
two bedrooms and the bathroom occupy the
whole length of the wing. .All of these rooms
open out upon a central court and all are
lighted from the outside by casements set high
in the wall. Fireplaces are plentiful, the chim
neys being so arranged that one is allowed for
each bedroom and one for the living room.
This being almost opposite the dining room,
or rather alcove, serves for that room as well.

83

VIEW OF THE COURTYARD LOOKING OUT UPON THE WATER. THIS MIGHT BE USED AS AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM AND FURNISHED WITH TEA
TABLE, CHAIRS, HAMMOCKS AND RUGS. BEING SO COMPLETELY SHELTERED FROM THE WIND IT SHOULD MAKE A VERY PLEASANT AFTERNOON
LOUNGING PLACE IN WARM WEATHER.

A RUSTIC CABIN THAT IS MEANT FOR A WEEK
END COTTAGE OR A VACATION HOME

ilM

U

4g>._  ,-„

Published in The Craftstnan, November, igoS.
FRONT VIEW OF CABIN, SHOWING DECORATIVE USE OF TRUSS IN THE GABLE.

THIS is another example of the cottages
built at Craftsman Farms and is some
what larger than the stone cabin shown
on page 8i, as it con
tains a bathroom and a re
cessed jxjrch which serves
as an open air dining room,
in addition to the living
room, two bedrooms and
kitchen provided in the
smaller cottage.
The walls are sheathed
with boards eight or ten
inches wide and seven-
eighths of an inch thick.
A truss of hewn timber in
each gable, projecting a foot
and a half from the face of
the wall, not only gives add
ed support to the roof, but
forms a decorative feature
that relieves the extreme
simplicity of the construc
tion. The casement win
dows are all hung so they
will swang outward and are
mostly small and set rather
high in the wall. At the
ends of the building these
casements are protected by
simple shutters, each one

made of two wide boards with either heart
shaped or circular piercing. These solid shut
ters provide ample shelter in severe weather.

FLOOR PLAN.

8.5

A BUNGALOW DESIGNED FOR A MOUNTAIN CAMP
OR SUMMER HOME

Published in The Craftsman, March, 1905.
REAR VIEW OF EUNIiALOW, WITH VERANDA LOOKING TOWARD THE WATER.
S this bungalow is meant either for the woods, the moun
tains, or the open country, where the cost of land does
not have to be considered, it spreads over a good deal of
ground. The eastern wing has a frontage of sixty-four
feet and the western of forty-four feet, the verandas being re
spectively twelve and ten feet. Also the probable environment of
such a building determines the character of the exterior. As we
have planned it, this bungalow is built of rugged field stones set
at random, with all the weather stains and accretions of moss and
lichens left to add to the color value. The site suggested here
gives a southern and western exposure to the wide verandas
which front a lake. The building itself faces toward the north
west. Of the two wings, the eastern, containing the bedrooms,
extends into the wooded portion of the land
in order to insure protection and coolness ;
while the west wing looks toward the lake.
The interior of this bungalow is divided
into a Hying room, a kitchen and three bed
rooms. The living room is large and com
fortably arranged, the idea being to give it
a character in harmony with the plan, pur
pose and exterior eft'ect of the building.
The kitchen is planned so that meals may
be served in it in bad weather. Ordinarily
the meals would be served in the sheltered
corner i,f the veranda. The whole eastern
win,!.;- is given up to the bedrooms W'-hich are
all entered from the veranda, and overhead
FLOOR PLAN, i^ a large storage attic.

SO

A MOUNTAIN CAMP OR SUMMER HOME

^.^Krt+ iq.jj

FRONT VIEW OF BUNGALOW, SEEN FROM THE LAND.

CHIMNEYPIECE AND FIRESIDE NOOK IN THE LIVING ROOM. NOTE THE USE OF LOGS FOR OVERHEAD BEAMS ,\ND OF
WIDE y-JOINTED BOARDS FOR THE WALLS AND SEAT.

87

A CONVENIENT BUNGALOW WITH SEPARATE
KITCHEN AND OPEN AIR DINING ROOM 

'^¦ii

Published in the Craftstnan, April, 1906.
FRONT AND REAR VIEWS OF COTTAGE, THE FIRST SHOWING RECESSED ENTRANCE PORCH AND THE SECOND THE OPEN-
AIR DINING ROOM WHICH SEPARATES THE KITCHEN FROM THE MAIN PART OF THE HOUSE.

A BUNGALOW WITH OPEN-AIR DINING ROO.AI

FOR any place, whether mountain or valley, that is
really " in the country," the best form of summer
home is the bungalow. It is a house reduced to
its simplest fonn, where life may be carried on
with the greatest amount of freedom and comfort and
the least amount of effort. It never fails to harmonize
with its surroundings, because its low broad propor
tions and absolute lack of ornamentation give it a char
acter so natural and unaffected that it seems to sink into
and blend with any landscape. It may be built of any
local material and with the aid of such help as local
workmen can afford, so it is never expensive unless
elaborated out of all kinship with its real character of a
primitive dwelling. It is beautiful, because it is planned
and built to meet simple needs in the sim
plest and most direct way ; and it is indi
vidual for the same reason, as no two fami
lies have tastes and needs alike.
The bungalow illustrated here is designed
on the purest Craftsman lines. The material
we have suggested is cedar shingles through
out with a foundation and chimney of rough
gray stone. No cellar is provided, but the
walls have a footing below the frost line
and space under the floor for ventilation.
The building is in the form of a T, the main
portion covering a space twenty-four by
forty feet and the extension at the back
fourteen by thirty-six feet. The low-
pitched, widely overhanging roof gives a
settled, sheltered look to the building, and this
is emphasized even more by the deeply recessed
porch in front, which is meant to be used by
a small outdoor sitting room. The porch be-

FLOOR PLAN.
the kitchen and the main part of the
is really a portion of the extension left
with open sides and is intended for an outdoor
dining room that shall be sufiiciently sheltered

tween house

RECESSED ENTRANCE PORCH, SHOVVING DOOR WITH THUMB LATCH AND HEAVY STRAP HINGES OF WROUGHT IRON;
ALSO THE INTERESTING USE OF HEAVY TIMBERS IN THE DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMING, WHERE THE BEAM ACROSS
THE TOP BINDS THE ENTIRE GROUP INTO A UNIT.

89

A BUNGALOW WITH OPEN-AIR DINING ROOM

-y.iuu^t'-'}

END OF LIVING ROOM, SHOWING BALCONY, FIRESIDE NOOK WITH CHIMNEYPIECE AND ARRANGEMENT OF STAIRCASE.

ARRANGEMENT OF CUPBOARDS, WORK SHELF AND WIN
DOWS IN KITCHEN.

from storms to allow the outdoor life to go on
through any sort of weather.
The living room occupies the whole center of
the house, except for the recessed porch in
front, and it is one of the best examples of the
Craftsman idea of the decorative value that
lies in revealing the actual construction of the
building. Everyone knows the sense of space
and freedom given by a ceiling that follows
the line of the roof. It seems to add materially
to the size of the room and w-hen it is of wood
it gives the keynote for a most friendly and
restful color scheme. In this case the whole
room is of wood, save for the rough gray
plaster of the walls and the stone of the fire
place. A balcony runs across one side, serving
the double purpose of recessing the fireplace

90

A BUNGALOW WITH OPEN-AIR DINING ROOM

OPEN-AIR DINING ROOM : NOTE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROOF AND PROPORTION OF THE SIDE OPENINGS AND PARAPET.

into a comfortable and inviting nook, and of
affording a small retreat whicn may be used
as a study or lounging place, or as an extra
sleeping place in case of an overflow of guests,
or even as a storage place for trunks. Its uses
are many, but its value as an addition to the
beauty of the room is always the same.
The sleeping rooms, four in number, occupy
the two ends of the main building. They are
all of ample size for camp life, and are plas
tered, walls and ceiling. The dining porch
is one of the most distinctive features of the
bungalow. It occupies just half of the exten
sion and completely separates the kitchen from
the main part of the house. The kitchen is
well open to air and light. Instead of a pantry
the whole of one side is occupied by cupboards
amply supplied with shelves and drawers.

AN OPEN FIRE IN ONE OF THE BEDROOMS.

91

A COTTAGE PLANNED WITH A SPECIAL IDEA TO
ECONOMICAL HEATING

^cafW-

Laa

Published tn The Craftsmatt, March, igo^.

NOTE THE USE OF THE BAY WINDOW ON THE LOWER FLOOR AND THE DORMER ABOVE TO ADD TO THE STRUCTURAL
INTEREST OF THIS PLAIN LITTLE DWELLING. THE INTERIOR IS CAREFULLY PLANNED TO GIVE THE MOST CONVENIENT
ARRANGEMENT OF ROOMS AND TO UTILIZE ALL THE SPACE, SO THAT THERE IS MORE ROOM IN THE HOUSE THAN
MIGHT BE EXPECTED FROM THE SPACE OCCUPIED, WHICH IS THIRTY FEET FRONT BY TWENTY-TWO FEET DEEP.

92

A COTTAGE THAT COMES WITHIN THE LIMITS OF
VERY MODERATE MEANS

17 tj Liyms I -«./j-T_

...^.v..^,.-,..v.^.-'.;..A'^.~...^^J-^.M.^..^^.A..^-..A^¦J^¦¦J.A»;^a)J.,^-.u..^.^gBW
Published in The Craftsmatt, March, 1905.
A COTTAGE WITH A FRONTAGE OF THIRTY-FOUR FEET AND A DEPTH OF TWENTY-FOUR FEET. IT IS ARRANGED SO THAT
THE ROOMS ARE A TRIFLE LARGER THAN THOSE IN THE COTTAGE SHOWN ON THE PRECEDING PAGE, AS NO SPACE IS
TAKEN OFF FOR A VERANDA. THE COST OF THE TWO BUILDINGS IS ABOUT THE SAME AND COMES WITHIN VERY
MODERATE MEANS.

93

Published in The Craftsman, July, 1903.
EXTERIOR VIEW OF MOUNTAIN CAMP, SHOWING RELATION TO SURROUNDINGS, USE OF ROUGH TIMBERS AND SLABS FOR CONSTRUCTION WIDE
OVERHANG OF ROOF AND DEEPLY RECESSED LOGGIAS FOR OUTDOOR SLEEPING ROOMS.

A COUNTRY HOUSE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PLAN
NED FOR A MOUNTAIN CAMP

ALTHOUGH this house would serve
anywhere as a country dwelling for
people who like this style of building,
it was originally intended for a
camp in the Adirondacks, the object of the
design being to build a house that would be
permanent, and at the same time would have
the openness and freedom of a tent, where
the family could live out of doors and yet
have immunity from flies, mosquitoes and
kindred pests. Being a camp, it is naturally
not an expensive building, as the plan is
simple and the materials about the site
would naturally be used. Our constant
dwelling upon this point might seem super
fluous, but the fact that not long ago a noted
architect built a house of stone in the clay-
bearing State of Virginia and another of
brick in the granite-ribbed State of Maine.
The word camp is suggestive, causing
the mind instantly to revert to a large par
ade ground, with the orderly arrangement
of kitchens in the rear, the radial axis,
and the sense of order and openness. There
fore the arrangement of this camp has been
made with this in mind ; the great hall serves
for the place of general gathering, —
the place where, when the duties or
pleasures of the day are over, all may

meet on common ground. This, with the
kitchen and dining room in the rear, makes
for convenience, largeness and economy of

2Ei'3«eAjC-£

Lv

FIRST STORY FLOOR PLAN.

SECOND
STORYFLOOR PLAN.
space. There is an upstairs; as sleeping
rooms, if in direct connection with the
rooms and arrangements already mention
ed, would interfere and be interfered with
seriously. Economy also has its part, for
the roof which covers one story will serve
equally well to cover two. In laying out
the floors below, no account has been taken
of privacy for the immediate family. There
fore on the upper floor there is a large room
provided for with the sleeping rooms
grouped about it.
The floor plans give a clear idea of the
arrangement. The dropping back of the
outside walls to form second story balcon
ies or loggias takes up a good deal of the
floor space on the second story, so that the
bedrooms are rather small. This, however,
is hardly to be considered a fault in a
building of this kind, because the loggias
are screened to serve as sleeping porches :
It is ako quite possible to screen or parti
tion each loggia to make four separate out
door sleeping rooms, or they could be
divided in part and the rest used for an
outside sitting room. These screens should
be removable at will, so that they can be
stored during the winter months.

95

I iiHidicd in The Craftsman, July, liji} t. 3 "" "^ -^
GREAT HALL OF MOUNTAIN CAMP, SHOWING RECESSED FIREPLACE ANp LONG FIRESIDE SEAT AND GIVING SOME IDEA OF THE WAY IN
WHICH HEAVY TIMBERS ARE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION,

PORCHES, PERGOLAS AND TERRACES: THE CHARM
OF LIVING OUT OF DOORS

IN these days when the question of light and
air is of so much importance in the plan
ning of the home, the tendency is more
and more toward the provision of ample
room for as much open-air life as possible.
In all the Craftsman houses, as well as in the
best modern dwellings of other styles, the
veranda, whether open in summer or enclosed
for a sun room in winter, is one of the prom
inent features. Partly for convenience in en
closing with glass if clesired, but mainly to in
sure the pleasant sense of privacy that means
such a large part of the comfort of home,
these porches or verandas are usually recessed
so that .they are partially protected by the
walls of the house and are further sheltered
by the copings and flower boxes. In a front
porch which must serve for a sitting room as
well as an entrance, the coping, surmounted by
flower boxes, acts as a screen and, with the aid
of a generous growth of vines, serves as a
very satisfactory ishelter from the street. Where
there is also a garden veranda it can be made
into a charming outdoor living or dining room

both for summer and for mild days in winter
by being so recessed and protected that it is
like a summer house or an outdoor room al-
w^ays open to the sun and air.
Outdoor living and dining rooms, to be
homelike and comfortable, should be equipped
with all that is necessary for daily use so as
to avoid the carrying back and forth of tables,
chairs and the like, as when the veranda is-
used only occasionally. It goes without say
ing that the furniture should be plain and'
substantial, fitted for the rugged outdoor life
and able to stand the weather. Indian rugs-
or Xavajo blankets lend a touch of comfort
and cheer, and the simple designs and primi
tive colors harmonize as well with trees and
vines and the open sky as the}^ do with their
native wigwams. Willow chairs and settles
seem to belong naturally to life in the garden,
and with a few light tables, a book rack or two
and plenty of hammocks, the veranda has all
the sense of peace and permanency that should
belong to a living room, whether indoors or
out, that is habitually used by the family.

Published in The Craftstnan, June, 1905.
COURTYARD AND PERGOLA, SHOWING DECORATIVE EFFECT OF THE CENTRAL SQUARE OF TURF WITH ITS FOUNTAIN,
SHRUBS AND ROCKS ANd' THE COMFORT OF THE VINE-SHADED PORCH WHEN FURNISHED FOR USE AS AN OUTDOOR
LIVING ROOM.

97

PORCHES, PERGOLAS AND TERRACES

Published in The Craftsttiati, November, 1906.
PORCH THAT NOT ONLY SERVES AS A DESIRABLE ENTRANCE BUT GREATLY INCREASES THE STRUCTURAL INTEREST
OF THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE. THE WINDOWS ON EITHER SIDE PROJECT SLIGHTLY FROM THE WALL IN A SHALLOW
BAY AND THE ENTRANCE DOOR WITH ITS CASEMENTS ON EITHER SIDE PROJECTS STILL FARTHER. THE PORCH IS
COMPARATIVELY NARROW AND THE ROOF IS SUPPORTED BY TWO HEAVY PILLARS OF WOOD PAINTED WHITE. WHICH
SERVE TO GIVE ACCENT TO THE DARKER TONES OF THE SHINGLES, EXTERIOR WOODWORK AND STONE FOUNDATION.
THE WALLS ARE SHEATHED WITH CYPRESS SHINGLES THAT ARE OILED AND LEFT TO WEATHER, AND THE WOOD
WORK OF THE ROOF, DOOR AND WINDOW FRAMINGS AND BALUSTRADE IS IN A DARKER TONE OF BROWN. THE USE
OF SPINDLES FOR EXTERIOR WOODWORK IS SHOWN IN THE BALUSTRADE.

98

PORCHES, PERGOLAS AND TERRACES

Published in The Craftsman, September, 1906.
ENTRANCE PORCH FITTED UP FOR AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM. FLOOR OF WELSH QUARRIES COVERED WITH A LARGE
RUG INTENDED TO STAND ROUGH USAGE AND EXPOSURE TO THE WEATHER. THE BEAMED CEILING IS FORMED BY
THE EXPOSED RAFTERS AND THE PORCH IS PARTIALLY SHELTERED BY THE PARAPET.

99

PORCHES, PERGOLAS AND TERRACES

Published in The Craftsman, May, 1906.
ENTRANCE PORCH TO A HOUSE BUILT OF ROUGH CAST CEMENT. THE WOODEN PILLARS ARE PAINTED PURE WHITE
AND ARE VERY THICK AND MASSIVE IN PROPORTION TO THEIR HEIGHT. THE RAFTERS ARE LEFT IN VIEW WHERE
THEY SUPPORT THE ROOF AND A HEAVY BEAM RUNNING THE LENGTH OF THE PORCH SERVES TO UPHOLD THE
RAFTERS. SQUARE MASSIVE CROSS-BEAMS EXTEND FROM THE PILLARS TO THE WALL, WHERE THE ENDS ARE SUNK
IN THE FRAMING OF THE HOUSE. THE FLOOR AND STEPS ARE OF CEMENT COLORED A DARK RED AND MARKED OFF
IN BLOCKS LIKE TILES.

100

PORCHES, PERGOLAS AND TERRACES

Published in The Craftsmatt, November, 1904.
RECESSED PORCH AT REAR OF HOUSE, SHOWING RELATION OF THE PORTION THAT IS SHELTERED TO THE OPEN TERRACE
THAT EXTENDS BEYOND THE ROOF AND GIVES SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM THAT IS PARTLY
OPEN TO THE SKY.

Published in The Craftstnan, August, J903.
RECESSED ENTRANCE PORCH FURNISHED AS AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM THAT IS PARTLY SHELTERED BY THE WALLS
ANB PARTLY SCREENED BY VINES. 101

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF COBBLESTONES AS A LINK
BETWEEN HOUSE AND LANDSCAPE

IN the building of modern country homes
there seems to be no end to the adapta
bility of cobblestones and boulders in
connection with the sturdier kinds of
building material, for, if rightly placed with
regard to the structure and the surroundings,
they can be brought into harmony with nearly
every style of architecture that has about it
any semblance of ruggedness, especially if the
surrounding country be hilly and uneven in
contour and blessed — or cursed — with a plen
tiful crop of stones.

effect of a loose pile of stones. Very few
houses that are possible for modern civilized
life, — outside of the mountain camp — are suf
ficiently rough and primitive in construction
to be exactly in harmony with the use of cob
bles, and always there is a slight sense of
effort when they are brought into close rela
tion with finished structure.
Nevertheless the popularity of cobblestones
and boulders for foundations, pillars, chimneys
and even for such interior use as chimney
pieces, is unquestioned and in many cases the

Published in The Craftsmatt, November, 1908, Hunt & Eager, Architects.

CEMENT PAVED TERRACE OF A CALIFORNIA HOUSE, SHOWING EFFECT OF COBBLESTONES IN WALLS AND PILLARS,
AND THE WAY THEY HARMONIZE WITH THE ROUGH SHINGLE AND TIMBER CONSTRUCTION.

We have never specially advocated the use
of cobblestones in the building of Craftsman
houses, for as a rule we have found that the
best effects from a structural point of view
can be obtained by using the split stones in
stead of the smaller round cobbles. Splitting
the stone brings into prominence all the inter
esting colors that are to be found in field
rubble and it is astonishing what a variety and
richness of coloring is revealed when the stone
is split apart so that the inner markings ap
pear. Also a better structural line can be
obtained when foundation and pillars are clear
ly defined instead of having somewhat the

effect is very interesting. There is growing
up in this country, especially on the Pacific
Coast, a style of house that seems to come
naturally into harmony wdth this sort of stone
.work, and there is no denying that when the
big rough stones and cobbles are used with
taste and discrimination, they not only give
great interest to the construction, but serve
to connect the building very closely with the
surrounding landscape.
The fact that we have found the best ex
amples of this natural use of boulders and
cobbles in California seems to be due largely
to the influence of Japanese architecture over

102

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF COBBLESTONES

Ptiblished itt The Craftsman, November, 1908, Htmt & Eager, Architects.
VERANDA AND TERRACE OF THE SAME HOUSE, GIVING A GOOD IDEA OF THE WAY COBBLESTONES MAY SERVE TO
LINK THE HOUSE WITH THE SURROUNDING LANDSCAPE. THE EFFECT OF THE RUGGED FORM OF PILLARS AND PARAPET
IN CONNECTION WITH THE SHINGLES OF THE WALL AND THE LACY FOLIAGE OF THE TREE IS ESPECIALLY STRIKING.

lO-S

THE EFFECTRE USE OF COBBLESTONES

PublisheJ in The Craftsman. July. !¦>

Gr

.'¦r C)

'cnc,

A CALIFORNIA HOUSE MODELED AFTER THE JAPANESE STYLE, WITH HIGH RE-
TAINI.XG WALL IN WHICH THE USE OF COBBLESTONES H.\S PROVEN ESPECIALLY
DECORATIVE.

SO

the new- building art that is developing
rapidly in the \\'est. In these buildings the
use of stone in this form is as inevitable in
its fitness as the grouping of rocks in a Japan
ese garden, for on the one hand the construc
tion of the house itself is usually of a character
that permits such a use of stone without

danger of incongruity, and
on the other hand the stone
is usuall)' employed in a
w-ay that brings the entire
building into the closest
relationship with its en
vironment. The cobblestones used
for the houses of this kind
are of varying sizes. To
give the best effect they
should be neither too small
nor too large. Stones rang
ing from two and one half
inches in diameter for the
minimum size to six or
seven inches in diameter
for the maximum size are
found to be most generally
suitable. Such stones, which
belong of course to the
limestone variety, and are
irregularly rounded, can
usually be obtained with
out trouble in almost any
locaHty where there are
any stones at all, picked up
from rocky pasture land
or a dry creek bottom. The
tendency of builders is to
select the whitest stones
and the most nearly round
that are obtainable.
This, however, applies
only to the regular cobble
stone construction as we
know it in the East.
In California the designers
are much more daring, for
they are fond of using
large mossy boulders in
connection with both brick
and cobbles. The effect of
this is singularly interest
ing both in color and forra,
for the warm purplish
brown of the brick contrasts delightfully with
the varying tones of the boulders covered
with moss and lichen, and the soft natural
grays and browns of the more or less
primitive wood construction that is almost
invariably used in connection with cobbles
arives the general effect of a structure that

JM

Architect.

104

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF COBBLESTONES

Published in The Craftsman, April, 1908, Grosvenor Alterbury, Architect.
PERGOLA. PORCH AND ENTRANCE OF A COUNTRY HOUSE AT RIDGEFIELD. CONNECTICUT. THE FOUNDATION AND FIRST
STORY OF THE HOUSE ARE OF FIELD RUBBLE SET IN CEMENT, AND THE SECOND STORY IS BUILT OF OVER-BURNED
BRICK WITH HALF-TIMBER CONSTRUCTION, GIVING A DELIGHTFUL COLOR EFFECT. THE HOUSE AND GARDEN ARE SO
LINKED TOGETHER THAT THE FIRST IMPRESSION IS THAT OF PERFECT HARMONY AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIP, AN
IMPRESSION THAT IS GREATLY HEIGHTENED BY THE USE MADE OF THE LOCAL STONE.

105

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF COBBLESTONES

Published in The Craftsman

CONSTRUCTION OF THE PERGOLA AND ESPLANADE LEADING TO THE ENTRANCE OF
A CALIFORNIA HOUSE. NOTE THE COMBINATION OF LARGE MOSSY BOULDERS
WITH HARD-BURNED CLINKER BRICK SET IRREGULARLY IN DARK MORTAR.

has almost grown up out of the ground, so per
fectly does it sink into the landscape around it.
The same effect is being sought more and
more in the East by certain daring and pro
gressive architects who, without regard to style
and precedent, are building houses suited to
the climate, the soil and the needs of life in this
country. .\n excellent example of this is shown lOfi

in the illustration on page
105, where hard-burned
brick and natural wood
are most effectively com
bined with big rugged
boulders and the large
round slabs of stone that
serve as steps. These
stones, by their very con
formation, proclaim
themselves as belonging
to New England, and the
manner in which they are
used is as definitely East
ern as the construction of
the California houses is
Western. The Western method is
admirably illustrated in
the three different views
given of the Cahfornia
house that so strongly re
flects the influence of
Japanese architecture.
Here, instead of sharp-
edged granite, we have
big comfortable looking
boulders with all the
edges and corners worn
oft" during the ages when
they have rolled about in
the mountain torrents,
and the way they are
wedged helter-skelter
among the irregular,
roughly laid bricks of the
walls, pillars and chim
neys is as far from the
conventional use of stone
as is a Japanese garden
from our own trim walks
and flower beds. Such a
combination as in shown
in these pictures almost
demands the suggestion
of Japanese architecture
in the house itself, and
yet the whole thing be
longs entirely to California.
The harmony of this house with its sur
roundings will be understood when we say
that it is situated on high ground overlooking
the wild gorge of the Arroyo Seco and that
the trees close to it are gnarled, hoary oaks,
towering eucalyptus, widespreading cotton-
woods, tall, slim poplars and sycamores.

hitects.

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF COBBLESTONES

Published in The Craftsman, November, 1907.
A HOUSE NEAR PASADENA, CALIFORNIA, SHOWING THE STRIKING EFFECT GAINED BY THE USE OF COBBLESTONES
AND BOULDERS IN THE FOUNDATION, CHIMNEY AND YARD WALL.

Published in The Craftsman, November, 1907.
A CALIFORNIA HOUSE WHERE THE USE OF COBBLESTONES IN THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS REPEATED IN THE LOW
PILLARS THAT MARK THE ENTRANCE OF WALK AND DRIVEWAY AND IN THE GARDEN WALL, THUS DRAWING CLOSER
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HOUSE AND GROUND. 107

THE EFFECTIVE USE OF COBBLESTONES

Published in The Craftsman, July, 1907, Greene & Greette, Architects.
A HOUSE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THAT SHOWS STRONG TRACES OF JAPANESE INFLUENCE, AS EVIDENT IN THE
USE OF COBBLESTONES AND BOULDERS IN COMBINATION WITH BRICK, AS IN THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.

Published in The Craftsman, July, 1907, Greene & Greene, Architects.
AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE RIGHT USE OF COBBLES AND BOULDERS. ANOTHER VIEW OF THE SAME HOUSE,
SHOWING THE WAY IN WHICH THE GRACEFUL LINE OF THE CHIMNEY RISES FROM THE WALL OF BRICK AND STONE,
AND ALSO THE MANNER IN WHICH THE STONE IS CARRIED PART WAY UP THE CHIMNEY SO THAT IT SHOWS
IRREGULARLY HERE AND THERE. 108

BEAUTIFUL GARDEN GATES : THE CHARM THAT
IS ALWAYS FOUND IN AN INTERESTING APPROACH
TO AN ENCLOSURE

FEW people reahze how much depends
upon the approach to any given place.
A pleasant entrance that rouses the in
terest and conveys some impression of
individuality seems an earnest of pleasant
things to come and is always associated in the
memory with the anticipation that came from
that first impression. Especially is this true
of a garden gate, which for most of us holds
a suggestion of sentiment and poetry because
it is in its own way a symbol; it leads out to
greater spaces or inward to more intimate
beauty. Even to the most prosaic it always
holds something of a promise of the peaceful
and pleasant place that lies within. Thus it
seems right that a garden gate should have
a charm and grace all its own ; that it should
be embowered with trailing vines and bloom
ing flowers in summer time and should always
hold forth the inviting suggestion of pleasure
and welcome beyond.
The illustrations given here are all of very
simple garden gateways that are made attrac
tive by the method of construction, by the

placing of vines and flowers or by some grace
ful conceit in outline and relation to the sur
roundings. The hooded gate shown on this
page forms a charming link between garden
and garden. One may rest a moment within
its shade and it seems to bind together the
two plots of green divided by the fence.
The trellised arbor and archway which spans
the flower walk in an English garden is illus
trated here because of the charming suggestion
it contains for making a division between two
parts of the same garden. The "pergola gate"
shown below is illustrated without the vines
that are meant to clothe it, because we desire to
give a clear idea of the construction. The
finely planned proportions of the heavy tim
bers ,and the straight unornamented lines sug
gest an inspiration from Japan. The vine
covered rustic arbor which arches over the
walk leading to the entrance of the house be
yond is hardly a garden gate, yet it comes
within the same class because it furnishes
a most attractive approach to house and
garden.

Pttbhshed in The C t

1908.

A HOODED GATEWAY LEADING FROM ONE GARDEN TO ANOTHER. NOTE INTERESTING CONSTRUCTION OF THE ROOF
AND THE WAY THE IDEA IS CARRIED OUT IN THE GATE AND THE FENCE.

109

Courtesy of John Lane Company.
ARBOR AND FLOWER WALK IN AN ENGLISH GARDEN, AFFORDING NOT ONLY A PLEASANT SUMMER RETREAT BUT
ALSO A MOST ATTRACTIVE VISTA THROUGH THE LARGE GROUNDS.

Fnblished itt The Craftsman, June, 19
GATE WITH PERGOLA CONSTRUCTION OVERHEAD MEANT TO SERVE AS A SUPPORT FOR CLIMBING VINES.
110

Published in The Craftsman, March, 1907.
HOMEMADE RUSTIC ARBOR, COVERED WITH CLIMBING ROSES AND HONEYSUCKLE, PLACED AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE
WALK LEADING TO THE FRONT DOOR. ONE SUCH STRUCTURAL FEATURE AS THIS WOULD SERVE AS THE CENTRAL
POINT OF INTEREST IN AN ENTIRE GARDEN.

Ill

PubU.'^Jicd in The Craftsman, March, 1907.
A VERY SIMPLE RUSTIC GATEWAY MADE OF TWO UPRIGHTS WITH CROSS-PIECES THAT SERVE AS A SUPPORT FOR
riNES, AND A PEAKED HOOD OF THE SAME CONSTRUCTION, THE FENCE AND GATE ARE ALSO OF RUSTIC CONSTRUC
TION. SUCH AN ENTRANCE ADDS A TOUCH OF DIGNITY AS WELL AS PICTURESQUENESS TO THE SIMPLEST GARDEN.

11'2

THE NATURAL GARDEN: SOME THINGS THAT CAN
BE DONE WHEN NATURE IS FOLLOWED INSTEAD
OF THWARTED

MAKING a garden is not unlike build
ing a home, because the first thing
to be considered is the creation of
that indefinable feeling of restful
ness and harmony which alone makes for per
manence. Therefore, in planning a garden
that we mean to live with all our lives, it is
best to let Nature alone just as far as possible,
following her suggestions and helping her to
carry out her plans by adjusting our own to
them, rather than attempting to introduce a
conventional element into the landscape.
We have already explained in detail the im
portance of building a house so that it becomes
a part of its natural surroundings ; of planning
it so that its form harmonizes with the general
contour of the site upon which it stands and
also of the surrounding country, and of using
local materials and natural colors, wherever
it is possible, so that the house may be brought
into the closest relationship with its natural
surroundings. But no matter how well plan
ned the house may be, or how completely in
keeping with the country, the climate and the

life that is to be lived in it, the whole sense
of home peace and comfort is gone if the gar
den is left to the mercy of the average gard
ener, whose chief ambition usually is to
achieve trim walks, faultless flower-beds and
neatly barbered shrubs, and whose apprecia
tion of wild natural beauty is small.
To give a real sense of peace and satisfac
tion a garden must be a place in which we can
wander and lounge, pick flowers at our will
and invite our souls, and we can do none of
these if we have the feeling that trees, shrubs
and flowers were put there arbitrarily and ac
cording to a set, artificial pattern, instead of
being aUowed to grow up as Nature meant
them to do. Therefore, knowing the vital im
portance of the right kind of garden to the
general scheme, we have given here some ex
amples of the natural treatment of moderate-
sized grounds, trusting that they may be sug
gestive to home builders. The house shown in
the illustrations was built by an artist out in a
pasture lot and the garden that has been en
couraged to grow up around it has more of the

Published in The Craftsmatt, January, 1908.
A HOME WHERE THE SURROUNDINGS HAVE BEEN LEFT AS NEARLY NATURAL AS POSSIBLE; THE DWELLING OP
MR. FREDERICK STYMETZ LAMB.

113

Published in The Craftsman, June, 1908.
A FLIGHT OF STEPS WHICH HAVE BEEN CUT OUT FROM THE SIDli OF \ HILL AND REINFORCED WITH HEAVY BOARDS
ROUNDED AT THE EDGE. THE CURVING LINE OF THE STEPS, WHICH CONFORMS TO THE CONTOUR OF THE HILL, AND
THE DRAPERY OF VINES AND NATURAL UNDERGROWTH THAT COVERS THE RUSTIC RAILING ON EITHER SIDE GIVES
TO THIS APPROACH A R.\RE AND COMPELLING CHARM.

114

Published in The Craftstnan, January, 1908.
AN EXAMPLE OF THE EFFECT PRODUCED BY THE LAVISH USE OF VINES UPON A HOUSE WHERE THEY NATURALLY
BELONG. THE CONSTRUCTION OF COBBLESTONE AND ROUGH CEMENT SEEMS TO DEMAND JUST SUCH GRACIOUS
DRAPERY TO BRING IT INTO STILL CLOSER RELATIONSHIP WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS.

115

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1908.
A GARDEN THAT HAS MUCH OF THE SIMPLE CHARM OF A PASTURE LOT. TREES ARE LEFT TO GROW ALMOST AS THEY
WILL. ROCKS LIE ABOUT HERE AND THERE AS ON A HILLSIDE AND THE FLOWERS ARE OF THE RUGGED HARDY
VARIETY THAT ARE QUITE AT HOME IN THIS CLIMATE.

IK)

THE NATURAL GARDEN

feeling of free woods and meadows than of
a primly kept enclosure. The trees were thin
ned out just enough to allow plenty of air and
sunshine and the sense of space that is so
necessary, and, for the rest, were permitted
to grow as they would. As Nature never
makes a mistake in her groupings, the different
varieties of trees fall into the picture in a way
that could never be achieved by the most in
genious planting. Such shrubs and flowers
as have been set out are of the more hardy
varieties that belong to the climate and to the
soil, and the vines that clamber over the low
stone garden walls and curtain the walls of the
house seem more to belong to the wild growths
of the hillside than to have been planted by
man. Where there is a path or a flight of
steps the course of it is ruled by the contour
of the ground so that the whole impression is
that of Nature smoothed down in places and
in others encouraged to do her very best.
These pictures, of course, are only sugges
tive, for in the very nature of things this kind
of a garden cannot be made by rule, as no two
places require or will admit the same treat
ment. The only way to obtain the effect de
sired is to cultivate the feeling of kinship with
the open country and with growing things,
and so to learn gradually to perceive the orig

inal plan. After that, all that is needed is to
let things alone so far as arrangement goes,
and to work in harmony with the thing that
already exists.
Most fortunate is the home builder who can
set his house out in the open where there is
plenty of meadowdand around it and an abund
ance of trees. If the ground happens to be
uneven and hilly, so much the better, for the
gardener has then the best of all possible
foundations to start from and, if he be wise,
he will leave it much as it is, clearing out a
little here and there, planting such flowers and
shrubs as seem to belong to the picture and
allowing the paths to take the directions that
would naturally be given to footpaths across
the meadows or through the woods, — paths
which invariably follow the line of the least
resistance and so adapt themselves perfectly to
the contour of the ground.
In connection with these garden pictures we
give several illustrations of the effect of an
abundant growth of vines over the walls of
the house and around its foundations, and also
show in one picture the result that can be
obtained by allowing a fast growing vine to
form a leafy shade to the porch that is used
as an outdoor living room. The lattice con
struction of the roof admits plenty of sunlight.

Published in The Craftsman, December, 1907.
VINE COVERED PORCH THAT IS USED AS AN OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM AND THAT SEEMS MORE A PART OF THE GARDEN
THAN OF THE HOUSE. 117

I'iilliJied tn The Craft <iman, Ma)ih, igoy

AN OPEN SUMMER HOUSE WITH QUAINT THATCHED ROOF THAT FORMS AN INEXPENSIVE BUT MOST PICTURESQUE FEATURE IN A
LARGE GARDEN, AND ALSO SERVES AS A PLAYHOUSE FOR THE CHILDREN.

WHAT MAY BE DONE WITH WATER AND ROCKS
IN A LITTLE GARDEN

WE have to acknowledge our indebted
ness to the Japanese for more inspi
ration in matters of art and archi
tecture than most of us can realize,
and in no department of art is the realization
of subtle beauty that lies in simple and un
obtrusive things more valuable to us as home
makers than the suggestions they give us as
to the arrangement of our gardens. With
our national impulsiveness, we are too apt to
go a step beyond the inspiration and attempt
direct imitation, which is a pity, because the
inevitable failure that must necessarily attend
such mistaken efforts will do more than any
thing else to discourage people with the idea
of trying to have a Japanese garden. But if
we once get the idea into our heads that the
secret of the whole thing lies in the exquisite
sense of proportion that enables a Japanese to
produce the effect of a whole landscape within
the compass of a small yard, there is some
hope of our being able to do the same thing
in our own country and in our own way.
Our idea of a garden usually includes a
profusion of flowers and ambitious-looking
shrubs, but the Japanese is less obvious. He
loves flowers and has many of them, but the
typical Japanese garden is made up chiefly of
stones, ferns, dwarf trees and above all water.
It may be only a little water, — a tiny, trickling
stream not so large as that which would flow
from a small garden hose. But, given this
little stream, the Japanese gardener, — or the
American gardener who once grasps the Jap
anese idea, — can do wonders. He can take
that little stream, which represents an amount
of water costing at the outside about three
dollars a month, and can so direct it that it
pours over piles of rocks in tiny cascades,
forming pool after pool, and finally shaping
its course through a miniature river into a
clear little lake. If it is a strictly Japanese
garden, both river and lake will be bridged
and the stream will have as many wdndings as
possible, to give a chance for a number of
bridges. Also it will have temple lanterns of
stone, bronze storks and perhaps a tiny image
of Buddha.
But in the American garden we need none
of these things, unless indeed we have space
enough so that a portion of the grounds may
be devoted to a genuine Japanese garden like
the one shown in the illustrations. This in

deed might have been picked up in Japan and
transplanted bodily to America, for it is the
garden of Mr. John S. Bradstreet, of Minne
apolis, who is a lover of all things Japanese
and has been in Japan many times. This
garden occupies a space little more than one
hundred feet in diameter, and yet the two
illustrations we give are only glimpses of its
varied charm. They are chosen chiefly be
cause they illustrate the use that can be made
of a small stream of water so placed that it
trickles over a pile of rocks. The effect pro
duced is that of a mountain glen, and so per
fect are the proportions and so harmonious
the arrangement that there is no sense of in
congruity in the fact that the whole thing is
on such a small scale.
Where people have only a small garden,.
say in the back yard of a city home or in
some nook that can be spared from the front
lawn, an experiment with the possibilities of
rocks, ferns and a small stream of water
would bring rich returns. We need no temple
lanterns or images of Buddha in this country,
but we do need the kind of garden that brings
to our minds the recollection of mountain
brooks, wooded ravines and still lakes, and
while it takes much thought, care and training
of one's power of observation and adjustment
to get it, the question of space is not one that
has to be considered, and the expense is almost
nothing at all.
The thing to be most avoided is imitation
either of the Japanese models from which we
take the suggestion for our own little gardens
or of the scenery of which they are intended
to remind us. It is safest to regard such gar
dens merely as an endeavor on our part to-
create something that will call into life the
emotion or memory we wish to perpetuate.
All these suggestions are for a small garden
such as would naturally belong to a city or
suburban house, but if such effects can be pro
duced here in a corner and by artificial means,.
it is easy to imagine what could be done with
large and naturally irregular grounds, say on
a hillside, or where a natural brook wound its
way through the garden, giving every oppor
tunity for the picturesque effects that could
be created by very simple treatment of the
banks, by a bridge or a pool here and there
and by a little adjustment of the rocks lying;
around.

119

.f'^^aiK^ ^

Courtesy of Country I^ife in .America.
A PART OF A JAPANESE GARDEN OWNED BY MR. JOHN S. BRADSTREET, OF MINNEAPOLIS. AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE
OF HOW ROCKS, DWARF TREES AND A TINY STREAM OF WATER MAY BE USED TO MAKE A HIGHLY DECORATIVE
EFFECT.

120

Courtesy of Country Life in America.
ANOTHER PART OF MR. BRADSTREET's GARDEN, SHOWING BRIDGES MADE OF WATER-WORN TEAKWOOD TAKEN FROM
AN OLD JUNK. THE FOUNTAIN, PILE OF ROCKS AND DWARF TREES ARE SEEN FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

1:1

Courtesy of Country Life in America.
EXAMPLE OF WHAT MAY BE DONE WITH A VERY SMALL SUPPLY OF WATER. THE POOL HERE IS FED SOLELY BY A
TINY STREAM WHICH ISSUES FROM THE DRAGON's MOUTH AND FORMS A SLENDER CASCADE OVER THE ROCKS

122

Courtesy of Country Life in America,
REST HOUSE AND POOL IN MR. BRADSTREET's JAPANESE GARDEN, SHOWING TEMPLE LANTERN, SMALL IMAGE OF
BUDDHA AND THE EFFECT OF ROCKS AROUND THE MARGIN FRAMING THE AQUATIC PLANTS IN THE POOL.

12,'!

Published in The Craftsman, October, 1904.
VIEW OF THE GARDEN ENTIRE, SHOWING WHAT A SMALL SPACE IN THE YARD IS OCCUPIED BY AN ARRANGEMENT WHICH GIVES THE AMAZ
ING EFFECTS SHOWN IN THE PRECEDING ILLUSTRATIONS.

HALLS AND STAIRWAYS: THEIR IMPORTANCE IN
THE GENERAL SCHEME OF A CRAFTSMAN HOUSE

WITH the general adoption of the
simpler and more sensible ideas of
house building that have come to the
front in late years, the hall seems to
be returning to its old-time dignity as one of
the important rooms of the house. Instead of
the small dark passageway, with just room
enough for the hat tree and the stairs, that
we have long been familiar with in American
houses, we have now the large reception hall
with its welcoming fireplace and comfortable
furnishings, — as inviting a room as any in the
house. There is even a suggestion of the
"great hall of the castle," where in bygone
days all indoor life centered, in the ever-
increasing popularity of the plan which throws
hall, living room and dining room into one
large irregular room, divided only by the
decorative post-and-panel construction that we
so frequently use to indicate a partition, or
by large screens that serve temporarily to shut
off one part or another if privacy should be
required. In this main room all guests are re
ceived, all the meals are served and the greater
part of the family life is carried on. Even
where this plan is not adopted and the rooms
of the lower story are completely separated
from one another, the large reception hall is

still counted as one of the principal rooms of
the house, and what used to be considered the
entrance, or stair hall is now either absent
entirely or treated as a vestibule ; generally
curtained off from the reception hall or living
room into which it opens in order to prevent
drafts from the entrance door.
Whether it be a large or small reception
hall, or an entrance only large enough for the
stairs and the passageway from the front door
to the other rooms in the house, the hall is
always worthy of careful consideration as to
structural features and color scheme, for it
gives the first impression of the whole house.
It is the preface to ah the rest and in a well
planned house it strikes the keynote of the
whole scheme of interior decoration. Above
all things, the hall ought to convey the sug
gestion of welcome and repose. In a cold
climate, or if placed on the shady side of the
house, it is worth any pains to have the hall
well lighted and airy and the color scheme
rich and warm. It is the first impression of
a house that influences the visitor and the
sight of a cheerless vista upon entering chills
any appreciation of subsequent effects. With
a sunny exposure, or in a country where heat
has to be reckoned with for the greater part

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1906.
A TYPICAL CRAFTSMAN STAIRWAY WITH LANDING USED AS A STRUCTURAL FEATURE OF THE RECEPTION HALL. THIS
IS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE POST-AND-PANEL CONSTRUCTION WHICH IS SO OFTEN USED TO INDICATE THE
DIVISION BETWEEN TWO ROOMS. 125

HALLS AND STAIRWAYS

Published in The Craftsman, Noi'emhcr, IQOO.
AN UPPER HALL WHICH IS FITTED UP FOR USE AS A SEWINti ROO.M. STUDY, OR PL.-\YROOM, ACCORDING TO THE
USE FOR WHICH IT IS MOST NEEDED. SUCH AN UPSTAIRS RETREAT IS DELIGHTFUL IN A HOUSE WHERE THE
ARRANGEMENT OF THE WHOLE LOWER STORY IS OPEN, AS IT AFFORDS A MORE OR LESS SECLUDED PL.ACE FOR WORK
OR STUDY AND VET HAS THE FREEDOVI AND AIRINESS OF A LARGE SPACE.

120

HALLS AND STAIRWAYS

of the year rather than cold, an effect of
restful shadiness and coolness is quite as in
viting in its way, although it is always safe to
avoid a cold color scheme for a hall, as the
suggestion it conveys is invariably repellent
rather than welcoming.
In England the large hall designed for the
general gathering place of the family is a fea
ture in nearly every moderately large house,
particularly in the country. These English
halls are always roomy and comfortable and
in many cases are both picturesque and sump
tuous in effect, having a certain rich stateli
ness that seems to have descended in direct
line from the great hall of old baronial days.
In this country the hall is more apt to be a
part of the living room, and, while quite as
homelike and inviting, is simpler in style.
The illustration on page 125 shows the part
of a Craftsman reception hall that contains the
stairway. A small den or lounging room is

formed by the deep recess that appears at
one side of the staircase, which is central in
position and is completely masked, excepting
the lower steps and the landing, by the post
construction above the solid wainscot that sur
rounds it. This wainscot turns outward to
the width of a single panel at either side of
the stair, one sheltering the end of the seat
built in at the right side and the other partially
dividing off the recess to the left. So
arranged, the staircase forms an important
part of the decorative treatment of the room.
The second illustration shows an upstairs
hall, which has somew^hat the eft'ect of a gal
lery, as it is open to the stairw^ay except for a
low balustrade. This nook in the upper hall
takes the place of a sewing room or an upstairs
sitting room, and is infinitely more attractive
because of the freedom and openness of the
arrangement. While not in any sense a sep
arate room, it still allows a certain seclusion

Ptiblished in The Craftsman, January. 1906.
A STAIRWAY THAT RUNS DIRECTLY UP FROM THE LIVING ROOM AND IS USED AS A PART OF THE STRUCTURAL DECO-
R.ATION. NOTE THE LAMP ON THE NEWEL POST WHICH GIVES LIGHT TO THE SEAT BELOW AND THE WAY IN WHICH
THE WINDOW ON THE LANDING CARRIES OUT THE LINE OF THE UPPER WALL SPACE.
127

HALLS AND STAIRWAYS

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1906.
RECEPTION HALL AND STAIRCASE WHERE THE LANDING PROJECTS INTO THE ROOM ALMOST DIRECTLY OPPOSITE THE
ENTRANCE DOOR. THIS HALL IN MOST CRAFTSMAN HOUSES IS LITTLE MORE THAN A NOOK IN THE LIVING ROOM.

for anyone who wishes to read, work or study.
The third illustration shows another Crafts
man reception hall in which the staircase is the
prominent structural feature. The double
casements light stair and landing and also add
considerably to the light in the room. Just
below the stair is a comfortable seat with the
radiator hidden below, and a coat closet fills
the space between the seat and the wall.
A larger hall that is emphatically a part of
the living room is seen in the last illustration.
Here there is no vestibule and the wide en
trance door with the small square panes in the
upper part belong to the structural decoration
of the room. Additional light is given from
the same side by the row of casements recessed
to leave a wide ledge for plants. The ceiling
is beamed and the whole construction of the
room is satisfying, although interest at once
centers upon the staircase as the prominent
structural feature. This is in the center of
the room and has a large square landing
approached by three shallow steps. The stairs
run up toward the right at the turn and the
space between steps and ceiling is filled with

slim square uprights, two on each step, which
give the effect of a grille, very open and very
decorative. Opposite the stair on the landing
is a railing about the height of a wainscot
with posts above. Treated in this manner, the
staircase seems intended as much for beauty
as for utility, and so fulfills its manifest
destiny in the Craftsman decorative scheme.
In a small house there are often many con
siderations which prevent the use of the hall
as a living room. Many people object to the
draughts and waste of heat entailed by the
open stairway and prefer a living room quite
separate from the entrance to the house. In
this case it is better to omit the reception hall
and to have merely a small entrance hall,
rather than the compromise that contains no
possibility of comfort and yet is crammed with
all the features that belong in the larger hall
intended for general use. An entrance hall of
this kind may be made very attractive and
inviting by the wise selection of the woodwork
and color scheme and by care in the designing
of the stairway, which of course is the prin
cipal structural feature in any hall.

128

fuolistiea tn The Craft.^man, October, 1905.

CRAFTSMAN LIVING ROOM SEEN FROM THE RECEPTION HALL. THIS IS RATHER A PRONOUNCED EXAMPLE OF THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA OF
ROOMS DIVIDED ONLY BY POSTS AND PARTIAL PARTITIONS WHICH SERVE AS A BASIS FOR SEATS, BOOKCASES OR PLAIN PANELING. IN THIS
CASE THE LIVING ROOM IS TWO STEPS LOWER THAN THE LEVEL OF THE HALL,

THE LIVING ROOM: ITS MANY USES AND THE
POSSIBILITIES IT HAS FOR COMFORT AND BEAUTY

UNQUESTIONABLY the most impor
tant room in the house is the living
room, and in a small or medium sized
dwelling this room, with the addition
of a small hall or vestibule and a well-planned
kitchen, is all that is needed on the first floor.
A large and simply furnished living room,
where the business of home life may be car
ried on freely and with pleasure, may well
occupy all the space that is ordinarily par
titioned into small rooms conventionally
planned to meet supposed requirements. It
is the executive chamber of the household,
where the family life centers and from which
radiates that indefinable home influence that
shapes at last the character of the nation and
the age. In the living room of the home.

more than in almost any other place, is felt
the infiuence of material things. It is a place
where work is to be done and it is also the
haven of rest for the worker. It is the place
where children grow and thrive and gain their
first impressions of life and of the world. It
is the place to which a man comes home when
his day's work is done and where he expects
to find himself comfortable and at ease in
surroundings that are in harmony with his
daily life, thought and pursuits.
In creating a home atmosphere, the thing;
that pays and pays well is honesty. A house
should be the outward and visible expression
of the life, work and thought of its inmates.
In its planning and furnishing, the station in
life of its owner should be expressed in a

" Published tn The Craftsman, April, 1907.

CHIMNEYPIECE AND FIRESIDE SEATS IN A TYPICAL CRAFTSMAN LIVING ROOM. THE CHIMNEYPIECE IS PANELED
WITH DULL-FINISHED GRUEBY TILES BANDED WITH WROUGHT IRON HELD IN PLACE BY COPPER RIVETS. THE FIRE
PLACE HOOD IS OF COPPER AND THE PANELING OF SEATS AND WAINSCOT IS IN FUMED OAK.
129

Piibhslcd m The Liaftsman, Dacinbei, 1905.
A LIVING ROOM WHICH IS ALSO USED FOR LIBRARY AND WORK ROOM. NOTE THE WAY IN WHICH THE DESK WITH ITS DRAWERS
AND PIGEON HOLES IS BUILT INTO THE \\'ALL SO THAT IT FORMS A PART OF THE BOOKCASE. THE LONG ROW OF CASEMENTS WITH
THE WINDOW SEAT BELOW NOT ONLY FLOODS THE ROOM WITH LIGHT BUT FORMS A HECOR \T1VE FEATURE OF THE CONSTRUCTION

THE LIVING ROOM

Published in The Craftsman, December, 1905.
A FIRESIDE NOOK THAT IS DEEPLY RECESSED FROM THE LIVING ROOM. THE CEILING OF THE NOOK IS MUCH LOWER
THAN THAT OF THE MAIN ROOM, GIVING AN EFFECT OF COMFORT THAT IS HARD TO OBTAIN IN ANY OTHER WAY.

dignified manner, not disguised. If servants
cannot be afforded without too heavy a tax
upon the family finances, build the house so
that it is convenient to get along without them.
It is astonishing how- easy the care of a house
can be made by the simple process of elimi
nating unnecessary things. The right kind of
a home does not drag out all that there is in
a man to keep it going, nor is the care of it
too heavy a burden upon a woman. It should

be so planned that it meets, in the most
straightforward manner, the actual require
ments of those who live in it, and so furnished
that the work of keeping it in order is reduced
to a minimum.
It is the first conception of a room that
decides whether it is to be a failure or a suc
cess as a place to live in, for in this lies the
character that is to be uniquely its own. In
every house, howe\'er, modest, there can be a

Published in The Craftsman, December, 1905.
CORNER OF A LIVING ROOM THAT IS ALSO USED AS A WORK ROOM. THE PANELING ON EITHER SIDE OF THE CHIM
NEYPIECE EXTENDS TO THE CEILING SO THAT THE ENTIRE WALL SPACE IS LINED WITH WOOD.
131

STRUCTURAL FEATURES ARE ALSO SEVERELY SIMPLE IN CHARACTER.

SHADOWY AND THE

THE LIVING ROOM

living room that shows an
individuality possessed by
no other, an individuality
that is actually a part ofthe
place, if the room be plan
ned to meet the real needs
of those who are to live in
it and to turn to the best
advantage the conditions
surrounding it. These con
ditions are as many as
there are rooms. The
situation and surroundings
of the plot of ground on
which a house is built has
much to do with the posi
tion of the living room in
the plan of that house. As
it is the principal room, it should have an ex
posure which insures plenty of sunlight for the
greater part of the day and also the pleasant
est outlook possible to the situation. Both of
these considerations, as well as the best ar
rangement of wall spaces, govern the placing
of the windows and of outside doors, which
may open into the veranda, the sun room, or
the garden.
. The structural variations of the living room
are endless, as they are dominated by the
tastes and needs of each separate family, it

Published in The Craftsman, February, 1902.
A RECESSED WINDOW SEAT THAT WOULD SERVE FOR ANY ROOM IN THE HOUSE.
the room is to be a permanently satisfying
place to live in, nothing short of the exercise
of individual thought and care in its arrange
ment win give the result. But one thing must
be kept in mind if the room is to be satisfac
tory as a whole, and that is, to provide a
central point of interest around which the
entire place is built, decorated and furnished,
for it gives the keynote both as to structure
and color scheme. It may be a well planned
fireplace, either recessed or built in the ordi
nary manner, with fireside seats, bookcases,

Published in The Craftsman, October, mi. PANELED WALL
A RECESSED FIREPLACE NOOK IN A ROOM WHERE THE -°--RK IS LIGHT AND NE AND THE PANELE
SPACES ARE COVERED WITH SOME FABRIC SUCH AS SILK, CANVAS. OR JAPANESE GRASS CLOTH.
133

THE LIVING ROOM

Published in The Craftsman, February, 1907.
A CHARACTERISTIC CRAFTSMAN INTERIOR, SH0WI.\tG THE E.\TRA.\CE HALL, STAIRCASE AND LANDING AND A PART
OF THE LIVING ROOM. NOTE THE WAY IN WHICH THE LINE OF THE MANTEL SHELF IS CARRIED THE WHOLE
LENGTH OF THE WALL BY THE TOPS OF THE BUILT-IN BOOKCASES AND HOW IT IS FINISHED BY THE BALUSTRADE
OF THE STAIR LANDING. ALSO NOTE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE ENTRANCE HALL IS DIVIDED FROM THE LIVING
ROOM SO THAT ITS SEPARATENESS IS INDIC.«lTED WITHOUT DESTROYING THE SENSE OF SPACE WHICH MEANS SO-
MUCH TO THE BEAUTY OF THE MAIN ROOM.

Published in The Craftsman, November, 1905.

RUILT-IN CHINA CLOSETS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE FIREPLACE IN A LIVING ROOM WHICH IS ALSO USED AS A DINING
ROOM. BY A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE IN ARRANGEMENT THE CUPBOARDS ABOVE COULD BE MADE TO SERVE AS BOOKCASES
.-.ND THOSE BELOW AS STORAGE PLACES FOR PAPERS, MAGAZINES AND THE LIKE,
134

THE LIMXG ROOM

cupboards, shelves, or high casement windows
so arranged as to be an integral part of the
structure. The chimneypiece strikes a rich
color-note with its bricks or tiles and glowing
copper hood, and the woodwork, wall spaces
and decorative scheme are naturally brought
into harmony with it. Or perhaps the domi
nant feature may be the staircase, with its
broad landing and well-designed balustrade ;
or it may be a group of windows so placed
that it makes possible just the right arrange
ment of the wall spaces and commands the
best of the view. Or if living room and
dining room are practically one, the main
point of interest may be a sideboard, either
built into a recess or, with its cupboards on
either side and a row of casement windows
above, occupying the entire end of the room.
Any commanding feature in the structure

of the room itself will naturally take its place
as this center of interest; if there are several,
the question of relative importance will be
easily settled, for there can be only one domi
nant point in a well planned room. The Eng
lish thoroughly understand the importance of
this and the charm of their houses depends
largely upon the skilful arrangement of inter
esting structural features around one center
of attention to which everything else is sub
ordinate. Also the English understand the
charm of the recess in a large room. Their
feeling regarding it is well expressed by a
prominent English architect of the new school
w-ho writes: "Many people have a feeling that
there is a certain cosiness in a small room
entirely unattainable in a large room; this is
a mistake altogether; quite the reverse has
been my experience, which is, that such a sense

Published in The Craftsman, April, 1907.
FIREPLACE IN A LIVING ROOM. THE SQUARE MASSIVE CHIMNEYPIECE IS BUILT OF HARD-BURNED RED BRICK LAID
UP IN DARK MORTAR WITH WIDE JOINTS. THE MANTEL SHELF AS ILLUSTRATED HERE IS OF RED CEMENT, BUT A
THICK OAK PLANK WOULD BE EQUALLY EFFECTIVE. THE HOOD IS OF COPPER AND THE FIREPLACE IS BANDED WITH
WROUGHT IRON. THE PANELING ABOVE THE BOOKCASES GIVES AN INTERESTING DIVISION OF THE WALL SPACES.
135

THE LIVING ROOM

•of cosiness as can be got in the recesses of a
large room can never be attained in a small
one. But if your big room is to be comfort-
.able, it must have recesses. There is a great
charm in a room broken up in plan, where
that slight feeling of mystery is given to it
which arises when you cannot see the whole
room from any one place in which you are
likely to sit ; when there is always something
around the corner."
Where it is possible, the structural feat
ures that actually exist in the framework
should be shown and made ornamental, for
a room that is structurally interesting and
in which the woodwork and color scheme are
good has a satisfying quality that is not
¦dependent upon pictures or bric-a-brac and
needs but little in the way of furnishings.

Only such furniture as is absolutely necessary
should be permitted in such a room, and that
should be simple in character and made to
harmonize with the woodwork in color and
finish. From first to last the room should be
treated as a whole. Such furniture as is
needed for constant use may be so placed that
it leaves plenty of free space in the room and
when once placed it should be left alone.
Nothing so much disturbs the much desired
home atmosphere as to make frequent changes
in the disposition of the furniture so that the
general aspect of the room is undergoing con
tinual alteration. If the room is right in the
first place, it cannot be as satisfactorily ar
ranged in any other way. Everything in it
should fall into place as if it had grown there
before the room is pronounced complete.

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1906.
WINDOW SEAT IN A LIVING ROOM. THE GROUP OF WINDOWS WITH THE SEAT BELOW EXTENDS ACROSS THE ENTIRE
END OF THE ROOM AND THE TWO ENDS OF THE SEAT ARE FORMED BY THE SMALL SQUARE BOOKCASES BUILT INTO
THE CORNERS.

136

Published in U he Craftsman, November, 1903.
SUGGESTED COLOR SCHEME FOR A DINING ROOM WITH RECESSED SIDEBOARD AND PICTURE WINDOW ON ONE SIDE
AND A GROUP OF SMALL-PANED CASEMENTS ON THE OTHER. THE TABLE SHOWS THE FAVORITE CRAFTSMAN AR
RANGEMENT OF CROSSED SCARFS.

THE DINING ROOM AS A CENTER OF HOSPI
TALITY AND GOOD CHEER

NEXT to the living room the most im
portant division of the lower floor of
a house is the dining room. The liv
ing room is the gathering place of the
household, the place for work as well as for
pleasure and rest ; but the dining room is the
center of hospitality and good cheer, the place

for in a carefully planned house the work of
the household is made as easy as possible.
Hence it goes without saying that the dining
room should be placed in such relation to the
kitchen that the work of serving meals goes
on with no friction and with as few steps as
possible. A noiseless and w-efl fitted swing

Published in The Craftsman, January, 1906.
CRAFTSMAN DINING ROOM WITH SIDEBOARD BUILT INTO A RECESS AND SUR.MOUNTED BY FOUR C.VSEMENT WINDOWS.
NOTE HOW THE GROUPING OF THE WINDOWS IS REPEATED AT THE END OF THE ROOM.

that should hold a special welcome for guests
and home folk alike. Instead of being planned
to fulfil manifold functions like the living
room, it has one definite use and purpose and
no disturbing element should be allowed to
creep in.
In planning a dining room two consider
ations take eqLial rank, — convenience and
cheerfulness. Convenience must come first.

door serves as a complete bar against sounds
and odors from the kitchen, even if the con
nection be direct. If a butler's pantry should
be preferred for convenience in serving, it
would naturally be placed between the kitchen
and the dining room. Much time and many
steps are saved also if the principal china cup
board is built in the wall between the dining
room and kitchen or butler's pantry, with

1;

THE DINING ROOM

Published in The Craftsman, October, 1905.
DINING ROOM WITH DISH CUPBOARD BUILT INTO THE WALL SO THAT THE DOORS ARE FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE
THE SIDEBOARD IN THIS CASE IS MOVABLE AND THE REMAINDER OF THE WALL SPACE BELOW THE FRIEZE IS TAKEX
UP BY A PICTURE WINDOW IN WHICH ARE ACCENTED THE COLORS THAT PREVAIL TN THE DECORATION OF THE ROOM.

Published in The Craftsman. November, 1905.
RECESSED WINDOW AND SEAT IN i\ DINING ROOM. AN UNUSUALLY nV \INT EFFECT IS GIVEN BY THE SMALL LEADED
PANES OF GLASS AND THE BROAD WINDOW LEDGE FOR HOLDING PLANTS.

138

THE DINING ROOM

Published in The Craftsman, December, 1905.
SIDEBOARD BUILT INTO A RECESS WITH DISH CUPBOARDS ON EITHER SIDE. Snr,\RE M.\-rT-FI N IS H ED TILES ARE USED
TO FILL IN THE PANELS ABOVE THESE CUPBOARDS AND THE SPACE BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE SIDEBOARD AND THE
WINDOW LEDGE.

Published ill The Craftsman, November, 1905.
WINDOW E.KTENDING THE WHOLE WIDTH OF A DINING ROO.M AND INTENDED FOR AN EXPOSURE WHERE THERE IS
AN ESPECIALLY FINE VIEW. i;!9

THE DINING ROOM

doors opening on both sides so that dishes may
be put away after washing without the neces
sity of carrying them into^ the dining room.
Such an arrangement results in a great saving
of broken china as well as in added conven
ience. This kind of a china cupboard may be
made very decorative by putting small-paned
or leaded glass doors on the dining room side
and treating the wooden doors at the back like
the wood trim of the room, which makes an
effective setting for the china.

of cheerfulness may be given by the warmth
of color in the room. A richness and decision
of wall coloring that would grow wearisome in
a room lived in all the time has all the pleasant
and enlivening effects of a change when seen
occasionally in a dining room. If the dining
room is to be a part of the living room, it is
^vell to plan it as one would a large recess.
In that case the color scheme should, of course,
be in close harmony -with that of the living
room ; but even then it may strike a stronger

ANOTHER FORM OF BUILT-IN SIDEBOARD WITH LINEN DRAWERS ON EITHER SIDE. THIS IS INTENDED TO FILL THE
WHOLE SPACE ACROSS THE END OF THE DINING ROO.M,

If possible, the dining room should have an
exposure that gives it plenty of light as w-ell
as air. The windows play such an important
part in the decoration of a room that a pleas
ant outlook is greatly to be desired. The
brilliance of a sunny exposure may always be
tempered by a cool and restful color scheme
in walls and woodwork. On the other hand,
if the room has a shady exposure and threat
ens to be somber on dark days, an atmosphere

and more vivid note in the walls, while the
woodwork remains uniform throughout. A
large screen placed in the opening of the recess
ma}- be made very decorative if it serve as a
link in the color scheme as well as the leading
element in that pleasant little sense of mystery
that always accompanies a glimpse of some
thing partially unseen.
Nowhere more than in the dining room is
evidenced the value of structural features.

140

THE DINING ROOM

Almost all the decorative quality of the room
depends upon them. In addition to wainscot
and ceiling beams, — or instead of them if the
room be differently planned, — the charm of
well placed windows, large and small; of
built-in cupboards, sideboards and cabinets for
choice treasures of rare china or cut glass ; of
shelves and plate rack ; of window ledge and
window seat ; and above all of a big cheery
fireplace, is as never-ending as the ingenuity
which gives to each really beautiful room ex
actly what it needs. And always it should be
remembered that, in the dining room as in the

living room, there should be one central struc
tural feature which dominates all the rest.
Some examples of these ruling features are
given in the accompanying illustrations. In
one there is the wide sideboard built into a
recess surmounted by three casement windows
and flanked by a small china cupboard on
either side. In another a wide window is re
cessed, giving a broad ledge for the growing
things that always add beauty and life to a
room. Still another recessed window shows
a row of small-paned casements with plant
leds:e and a well cushioned seat below.

Published in The Craftsman, July, 1906.
A GROUP OF CRAFTSMAN SHOWER LIGHTS SWINGING FROM A BEAM OVER A LONG DINING TABLE. THIS IS ONE OF
THE MOST EFFECTIVE METHODS WE HAVE FOUND OF MANAGING THE LIGHTS IN A DINING ROOM.
141

A CONVENIENT AND WELL-EQUIPPED KITCHEN
THAT SIMPLIFIES THE HOUSEWORK

EACH room in the house has its distinct
and separate function in the domestic
economy. Therefore it should be re
membered that before any room can
attain its own distinctive individuality every
thing put into it must be there for some rea
son and must serve a definite purpose in the
life that is to be lived and the work that is
to be done in that room. Take for example
the kitchen, where the food for the house
hold must be prepared and where a large part
of the work of the house must be done. This
is the room where the housewife or the serv
ant maid must be for the greater part of her

good fortune to associate such a room with
their earliest recollections of home. No child
ever lived who could resist the attraction of
such a room, for a child has, in all its purity,
the primitive instinct for living that ruled the
simpler and more wholesome customs of other
da^s. In these times of more elaborate sur
roundings the home life of the family is hid
den behind a screen and the tendency is to
belittle that part of the household -work by re-
,garding- it as a necessary evil. Even in a small
house the tendency too often is to make the
kitchen the dump heap of the whole house
hold, a place in wdiich to do w-hat cooking and

Published in The Craftsman, September, t^u^.
CORNER OF THE KITCHEN SHOWING BUILT-IN CUPBOARD AND SINK.

time day after day, and the very first requisites
are that it should be large enough for com
fort, well ventilated and full of sunshine, and
that the equipment for the work that is to be
done should be ample, of good qualit)- and,
above all, intelligently selected. We all know
the pleasure of working with good tools and
in congenial surroundings ; no more things
than are neces.sary should be tolerated in the
kitchen and no fewer should be required.
We cannot imagine a more homelike room
than the old New England kitchen, the special
realm of the housewife and the living room of
the w-hole family. Its spotless cleanliness and
homely cheer are remembered as long as life
lasts by men and women who have had the

dishwashing must be done and to get out of
as soon as possible. In such a house there is
invariably a small, cheap and often stuffy din
ing room, as cramped and comfortless as the
kitchen and yet regarded as an absolute neces-
sit\' in the household economy. Such an ar
rangement is the result of sacrificing the old-
time comfort for a false idea of elegance and
its natural consequence is the loss of both.
In the farmhouse and the cottage of the
workingman. w-here the domestic machinery
is comparatively simple, cheerful and home
like, the kitchen, — which is also the dining
room of the family and one of its pleasantest
gathering places, — should be restored to all
its old-time comfort and convenience. In

142

A CONVENIENT AND WELL-EQUIPPED KITCHEN

planning such a house it should come in for
the first thought instead of the last and its use
as a dining room as well as a kitchen should
be carefully considered. The hooded range
should be so devised that all odors of cooking
are carried off and the arrangement and ven
tilation should be such that this is one of the
best aired and sunniest of all the rooms in the
house. Where social relations and the demands of
a more complex life make it impossible for the
house mistress to do her own work and the
kitchen is necessarily more separated from
the rest of the household, it may easily be
planned to meet the requirements of the
case without losing any of its comfort, conven
ience, or suitability for the work that is to
be done in it. Modern science has made the
task very easy by the provision of electric
lights, open plumlDing, laundry conveniences,
and hot and cold running water, so that the
luxuries of the properly arranged modern
kitchen would have been almost unbelievable
a generation ago. Even if the kitchen is for
the servant only, it should be a place in which
she may take some personal pride. It is
hardly going too far to say that the solution
of the problem of the properly arranged kitch
en would come near to being the solution also
of the domestic problem.
The properly planned kitchen should be as
open as possible to prevent the accumulation
of dirt. Without the customary "glory holes"
that sink and other closets often become, gen-

FLOOR PLAN.

nine cleanliness is much easier to preserve
and the appearance of outside order is not at
all lessened. In no part of the house does the
good old saying, "a place for everything and
everything in its place," apply with more force
than in the kitchen. Ample cupboard space
for all china should be provided near the sink
to do away with unnecessary handling ,and the
same cupboard, which should be an actual
structural feature of the kitchen, should con
tain drawers for table linen, cutlery and
smaller utensils, as well as a broad shelf which
provides a convenient place for serving. The
floor should be of cement and the same ma
terial may be used in tiled pattern for a high
wainscot, giving a cleanly and pleasant effect.

Published in The Craftsman, September, 190}.
RANGE SET IN A RECESS TO BE OUT OF THE WAY AND WORK TABLE PLACED JUST BELOW A GROUP OF WINDOWS.
143

THE TREATMENT OF WALL SPACES SO THAT A
ROOM IS IN ITSELF COMPLETE AND SATISFYING

So much of the success of any scheme of
interior decoration or furnishing de
pends upon the right treatment of the
\yall spaces that we deem it best to take
up this subject more in detail than it has been
possible to do in the general descriptions of
the houses or even of the separate rooms.
It goes without saying that we like the
friendly presence of much wood and are very

practical value in the life of the household, as
such furnishings mean great convenience,
economy of space and the doing away with
many pieces of furniture which might other
wise be really needed, but which might give
the appearance of crowding that is so disturb
ing to the restfulness of a room.
When the walls are rightly treated, it is
amazing how little furniture and how few or-

Published in The Craftsmatt, October, 1904.
A HIGH WAINSCOT MADE WITH RECESSES TO HOLD CHOICE BITS OF METAL OR EARTHENWARE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY
BEAUTIFUL IF CARRIED OUT IN CHESTNUT OR GUMWOOL TREATED IN THE CRAFTSMAN MANNER.

sensible of the charm of beams, wainscots and
built-in furnishings which are a part of the
house itself and so serve to link it closer to
the needs of daily life. Bare wall spaces, or
those covered with pictures and draperies
which are put there merely for the purpose of
covering them, are very hard to live with.
But wall spaces that provide bookcases, cup
boards, built-in seats for windows, fireside and
other nooks are used in a way that not only
gives to them the kind of beauty and interest
which is theirs by right, but makes them of

naments and pictures are required to make a
room seem comfortable and homelike. The
treatment of wall spaces in itself may seem
but a detail, yet it is the keynote not only of
the whole character of the house but of the
people who live in it. We hear much criti
cism of the changing and remodeling which
is deemed necessary every year or two because
a house must be "brought up to date" or be
cause the owners "grow so tired of seeing one
thing all the time." Yet both of these reasons
are absolutely valid so far as they go, for the

144

Published

he Craftsman, October, 1905,

CHIMNEYPIECE IN A CRAFTSMAN LIVING ROOM. NOTE HOW THE SEATS AND CASEMENTS ON EITHER SIDE BRING THE WHOLE END OF THE
ROOM INTO DIRECT RELATION WITH THE CHIMNEYPIECE IN THE MIDDLE AND ALSO HOW THE LINE IS CARRIED AROUND BY THE BOOK
CASE AND CASEMENT AT THE RIGHT STOE AND THE PIANO AT THE LEFT. ALSO NOTE THE DIVISION OF THE WALL SPACES BY THE WAIN
SCOT, THE SPACE PLAIN PLASTERED ABOVE AND THE FRIEZE WHICH CARRIES A DECORATION IN STENCIL.

THE TREATMENT OF WALL SPACES

majority of houses are in themselves so unin
teresting that it is little wonder that the peo
ple who live in them have always a sense of
restlessness and discontent, and that they are
always doing something different in the hope
that eventually they may find the thing which
satisfies them.
We believe that the time to put thought
into the decoration of a home is when we
first begin to draw up the plans, and that the
first consideration in each room should be the
adjustment of the wall spaces so that there
is not a foot of barren or ill-proportioned
Space in the entire room. It is true that utility
and the limitations of the plan are necessarily
the first considerations ; that the ceilings of
all the rooms on one story must be of uniform
height in a house where the expense of con
struction is a thing to be considered ; that
windows must be placed where they will admit
the most light and that doors are meant to
serve as means of communication between
rooms or with the outer world. Yet working
strictly within these limitations, it is quite
possible to adjust the height of each room so

Published in The Craftsman, June, 1905.
WALL DIVIDED INTO PANELS BY STRIPS OF WOOD.
that, no matter what may be its floor space,
to all appearances its proportions are entirely
harmonious ; to place doors and windows so
that, instead of being mere holes in the wall,
they become a part of the whole structural
scheme, and to see that in shape and propor
tions as well as in position they come into en
tire harmony with the rest of the room.

.,V9f^l

FTT^

Published in J he Craftsman, October, 1907.

LOW WAINSCOT WITH BROAD PANELS. NOTE THE PLACING OF THE WINDOW SO THAT IT REALLY FORMS A DECORA
TIVE PANEL IN THE WALL SPACE ABOVE.

145

THE TREATMENT OF WALL SPACES

iismUMlMI

Published in The Craftsman, June, 1905.
ATTE.-VCTIVE TREATMENT OF WALLS IN A BEDROOM OR
woman's SITTING ROOM.
Naturally, in considering the treatment of
the wall spaces, the most important feature is
the woodwork, especially if the room is to be
wainscoted. Where this is possible, we would
always recommend it, particularly for the liv
ing rooms of a house, as no other treatment
of the walls gives such a sense of friendliness,
mellowness and permanence as does a gener
ous quantity of woodw^ork. The larger illustra

tions reproduced here give some idea of what
we mean and of -what may be done with wall
spaces when it is possible to use much wood in
the shape of wainscot and beams. It will be
noted that in each case the wall is of the same
height; yet owing to thetreatmentofthespaces,
each one appears to be different. Also note the
way in which windows, doors and fireplace
form an integral part of the structural scheme
and how they are balanced by the wall spaces
around them so that the whole effect is rather
that of a well planned scheme of structural
decoration than of the introduction of a purely
utilitarian feature.
When we speak of the friendliness of wood
work, however, we mean woodwork that is so
finished that the friendly quality is apparent,
— which is never the case when it is painted
or stained in some solid color that is foreign
to the wood itself, or is given a smooth glassy
polish that reflects the light. When this is
done the peculiar quality of woodiness, upon
which all the charm of interior woodwork de
pends, is entirely destroyed and any other ma
terial might as well be used in the place of it.
In a later chapter we purpose to deal more

I^iiblished in The L raftsman, October, 1907.
TREAT.MENT OF WAINSCOTED WALL IN A LIVING ROOM WHERE THE PANELING IS REPEATED IN THE FRIEZE AND
THE FIREPLACE IS PERFECTLY PROPORTIONED IN RELATION TO THE WALL SP,\CES ON EITHER SIDE.

146

THE TREATMENT OF WALL SPACES

fully with the question of finishing interior
woodwork so that all its natural qualities of
color, texture and grain are brought out by a
process which ripens and mellows the wood
as if by age without changing its character at
all. Here it is sufficient to say that any of our
native woods that have open texture, strong
grain and decided figure, — such as oak, chest
nut, cypress, ash, elm or the redwood so much
used on the Pacific coast, — are entirely suitable
for the woodwork of rooms in general use, and
that each one of them may be so finished that
its inherent color quality is brought out and
its surface made pleasantly smooth without
sacrificing the woody quality that comes from
frankly revealing its natural texture.
The first illustration (page 144) shows a
wainscot that is peculiarly Craftsman in de
sign. The panels are very broad and what
would be the stiles in ordinary paneling are
even broader. At the top of each panel is a
niche in which may be set some choice bit of
pottery or metal work that is shown to the
best advantage by the w-ood behind it and
that serves to give the accents or high lights
to the whole color scheme of the room. The

Published in The Craftsman, June, 1903.
TREATMENT OF PLAIN WALLS WITH LANDSCAPE FRIEZE.
wall space above is of plain sand-finished
plaster that may either be left in the natural
gray or treated with a coat of shellac or wax
which carries the color desired. The rough
texture of the plaster has the eft'ect of seem
ing to radiate color, while it absorbs the light
instead of reflecting it as from a smoothly
polished surface, and when the color is put on
lightly enough to be a trifle uneven instead of
a dead solid hue without variation of any sort,
there is a chance for the sparkle and play of
light which at once adds life and interest.

Published in The Craftsman, October, 1907.
^NAIA. WITH A HIGH WAINSCOT IN WHICH THE DOOR AND WINDOW ARE MADE A PART OF THE STRUCTURAL
DECORATION. THE LEADED PANELS IN WINDOW AND DOOR ADD MUCH TO THE BEAUTY OF THE ROOM.
147

THE TREATMENT OF WALL SPACES

Published in The Craftsman, Augnst, 1905.

TREATMENT OF WALLS IN A NURSERY. PLAIN ROUGH PLASTER BELOW AND A SHADOWY SUGGESTION OF A FOREST
IN THE FRIEZE. BY THIS ARRANGEMENT THE SURFACE OF THE LOWER WALL IS EASILY KEPT CLEAN AND YET ALL
APPEARANCE OF BARRENNESS IS AVOIDED.

Published in The Craftsman, August, 1905.

ANOTHER SUGGESTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF NURSERY WALLS, SHOWING A PICTURE DADO ILLUSTRATING NURSERY
TALES AND A BLACKBOARD BUILT INTO THE WAINSCOT WITHIN EASY REACH OF THE LITTLE ONES.
148

FLOORS THAT COMPLETE
SCHEME OF A ROOM

THE DECORATIVE

ONE of the most important elements in
the success of a room designed to be
beautiful as a whole in structure and
color scheme, is the floor. Whether
it be a more or less elaborate parquet floor or
one made simply of plain boards, it must be in
harmony with the color chosen for the wood
trim of the room. Also it should invariably
be at least as dark as the woodwork, if the
effect of restfulness is to be preserved. A
floor that strikes a higher note of color than
the woodwork above it, even if it be otherwise
harmonious in tone, gives the room a top-
heavy, glaring effect that no furniture or dec
oration will remove.
Full directions for finishing floors will be
given later in the chapter on wood finishes.
While the Craftsman method of finishing
woodwork differs widely from others, it does
not apply so much to the floor, for here a
filler should be used for precisely the same rea
son that it should be avoided in the treatment
of furniture and woodwork, as it destroys the
texture of the wood by covering it with a
glassy, smooth and impervious surface. Text
ure is not needed in the wood of a floor, which

should be entirely smooth and non-absorbent.
The first of the three floors illustrated here
is meant to complete the color scheme of a
room in which the woodwork is of silver-gray
maple and the furniture and decorations are
in delicate tones such as would naturally har
monize with gray. The floor is very simple
in design, having a plain center of silver-gray
maple that is finished exactly like the wood
work of the room. Around the edge is a wide
border of "mahajua," a beautiful Cuban hard
wood, close and smooth in grain and left in
its natural color, which is a greenish gray
slightly darker than the finish of the maple.
The second floor is made of quartered oak
in the natural color, and the boards are bound
together -wdth keys of vulcanized oak. Where
the floor is stained to match the woodwork in
tone, the color value of boards and keys -^vill
remain the same, as the vulcanized oak keys
will simply show a darker shade of whatever
color is given the boards of plain oak. The
last illustration shows a floor of quartered oak
in the natural color combined with vulcanized
oak and wdiite maple to form a border in
which a primitive Indian design appears.

Published in The Craftsman, October, 1903.

A FLOOR OF SILVER-GRAY MAPLE AND MAHAJUA.

149

-I-

J

Published in Tlic Craftsman , October, jg~>^. FLOOR OF NATURAL OA IC INLAID WITH KEYS OF VULCANIZED OAK,

^asiHtaPiKS*^

P^PUM

Pul-hslic.l III Th,- I r.ifl

FLOOR OF OAK INLAID WITH .MAPLE. BORDER IN INDIAN DESIGN.

AN OUTLINE OF FURNITURE-MAKING IN THIS COUN
TRY: SHOWING THE PLACE OF CRAFTSMAN FURNI
TURE IN THE EVOLUTION OF AN AMERICAN STYLE

THIS book is meant to give a compre
hensive idea of the elements that go to
make up the typical Craftsman home.
Therefore at least one chapter must be
devoted to Craftsman furniture, for in the
making of this we first gave form to the idea
of home building and furnishing which we
have endeavored to set forth. For this
reason, and because the furniture has so far
remained the clearest concrete expression of
the Craftsman idea, we are here illustrating
a few of the most characteristic pieces that

scope of their experience, for, after the first
primitive days of the Pilgrim Fathers in New
England and the earliest settlers in the South,
the life of the Colonists was modeled closely
upon that of the old country and this life
naturally found expression in their dwellings
and household belongings. Therefore the
Colonial st}le was so* close to the prevailing
style of the eighteenth centur}' that it may
be regarded as practically the same thing.
After the end of the Colonial period, and
during the swift expansion that followed the

ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST MASSIVE OF THE CR.\FTSM.\N SETTLES; MADE OF FUMED OAK; SOFT LEATHER SE.'^T.

serve to show all the essential qualities of the
style. In order that the reader may understand
clearly the reasons which led to the making
of Craftsman furniture, and its place in the
evolution of a distinctively American st^le
that bids fair eventually to govern the great
majority of our dwellings and household be
longings, we will first briefly review the his
tory of furniture making in this countr}-.
With the older styles, such as the English and
the Dutch Colonial, we have little to do. They
were importations from older civilizations, as
were the Colonists themselves, and they ex
pressed the life of the mother country rather
than that of the new. When w-e first began
to make furniture in this countr)-, the cabinet
makers naturally followed their old traditions
and made the kind of furniture w-hich most
appealed to them and which came within the

Revolution, there was inevitably a return to
the primitive. Importations from the old
world were no longer popular and while the
houses of the w-ealthy were still furnished
with the graceful spindle-legged mahogany
pieces of earlier days, most of the people were
forced to content themselves with much plain
er and more substantial belongings. Little
chair factories sprang up here and there, es
pecially in Maine, Vermont and Massachu
setts, and these supplied the great demand
for the plain wooden chairs that we now call
kitchen chairs, and the cane-seated chairs
wdiich were usually reserved for use in the
best room. As the demand increased with
the increasing population, the alert and re
sourceful New Englander began to invent
machinery \yhicli would increase his output.
.\s a consequence, the business of chair mak
ing made rapid growth, but the primitive

1.51

FURNITURE ?^IAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

AN ARM-CHAIR .\ND ROCKER THAT ARE BUILT FOR
COMFORT AS WELL .\S DURABILITY.
beauty of the hand-made pieces was lost.
The Windsor chairs, with their perfect
proportions, subtle modeling and slender
legs shaped with the turning lathe, be
came a thing of the past, for in the
factories it was necessary from a busi
ness point of view to eft'ect the utmost
savings in material and also to consider
the limitations of the machinery of that
day. The object of the manufacturer
naturally was to turn out the greatest
possible quantity of goods with the least
possible amount of labor and expense,
and the result was so many modifications
of the original form that the factory-
made chairs soon become commonplace.
When machines were invented to take
the place of hand turning and carving.
it was inevitable that vulgarity should
be added to the commonplaceness, be

cause it is so easy to disguise bad lines with
cheap ornamentation.
Side by side with these chair factories
another furniture industry -was springing
up, mainly in the Middle West because that
was the black walnut country and black
walnut was the material most in demand
for the more elaborate furniture. At the
same time that the New Englander was
evolving from the artisan
his work with the aid of a
to a manufacturer who
factory run by machinery, a number of
German cabinetmakers who had -settled in
Indiana and the neighboring states were ac
cumulating, by means of industry and
thrift, enough means to set up general

who carried on
little water mill,
owned a chair

LARGE CRAFTSMAN LOUNGING CHAIR.

LARGE OCTAGONAL TABLE, TOP COVERED WITH HARD LEATHER.
DESIGNED FOR LIBRARY OR LIVING ROOM.
furniture factories, which supplied the country
^-dth black walnut "parlor suits," upholstered
with haircloth, repps or plush, while the New
Englander remained content to furnish it with
dining room and kitchen chairs.
This period in our furniture corresponds
with the architectural phase in this country
which has aptly been termed the "reign of
terror," but we are in some measure consoled
for the hideous bad taste of it all by the re
flection that it was contemporary w-ith the
early and mid-Victorian period in England,
a term that everywhere stands for all that is
ugly, artificial and commonplace in household
art. It was succeeded by the first of the Grand
Rapids furniture, which was in some measure
a change for the better. Tempted by the
success of the German furniture makers, the

1.52

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

shrewd New England
manufacturers, with
their superior knowl
edge of machinery,
managed to plant
themselves in the
Middle West and to
distance their com
petitors. The center
of these new manu
facturing interests
was then in Grand
Rapids, Michigan, so
that the new style of
furniture which was
produced came to be
known as Grand
Rapids furniture. It

was plainer than the black walnut furniture
and was fashioned more after the Colonial
models, but the best features were speedily
lost in the ornamentation with which it was
overlaid, as well as in the modification and
adaptation of the earlier forms by a new gen
eration of designers, who had studied foreign
furniture and so gained a smattering of the
traditional styles which they proceeded to
apply to the creation of "novelties." About
this time the large department stores sprang
up and, as they very soon became the principal
retailers, they naturally assumed control of
the furniture that was made. The demand
for novelties was unceasing and the designer
was at the beck and call of the traveling sales
man, who in his turn was compelled to supply
a ceaseless stream of new attractions to the
head of the furniture department, — whose
business it was constantly to whet the public

-appetite for further
novelties. The greater part
of the demand thus
created was satisfied
by the Grand Rapids
furniture, but as
wealth and culture
increased, and peo
ple became more and
more familiar with
European homes and
European luxuries.
the new vogue for
the "period" furniture
low rocker and DROP-LEAF SEWING TABLE WITH THREE Sprang Up amOUg the
drawers; the upper one having a SLIDING tray MADE richcr class and
some of the factor
ies turned their attention to endeavoring to
duplicate the several styles of French and Eng
lish furniture of the seventeenth and eight
eenth centuries. These factories are still
running, some of them being employed in
turning out the closest imitation they can make
of the "period" furniture and others in re
producing Colonial models.
While we were doing these things in Amer
ica, Ruskin and Morris had been endeavor
ing to establish in England a return to handi
crafts as a means of individual expression
along the several lines of the fine and indus-

OF cedar with COMPARTMENTS FOR SPOOLS.

trial arts. This gave rise over there to the
Arts and Crafts movement, which was based
chiefly upon the expression of untrammeled
individualism. Much furniture was made, —
some of it good, but a great deal of it show
ing the eccentricities of personal fancy un-

EOUND TABLE THAT IS WELL AD.\PTED TO GENERAL USE.

CHESS OR CHECKER TABLE HAVING TOP COVERED WITH
HARD LEATHER MARKED OFF INTO SQUARES FOR THE
BOARD.

153

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

A BOOKCASE THAT IS A GOOD E.KAMPLE OF THE DECORA
TIVE USE OF PURELY S'IRUCTURAL FEATURES.
modified by any settled standards. It was a
move in the right direction because it meant
a return to healthy individual effort and a
revolt from the dead level established by the
machines. But the Arts and Crafts workers
have not succeeded in establishing- another

permanent style in English furniture for the
reason that they have striven for a definite
and intentional expression of art that was
largely for art's sake and had little to do with
satisfying the plain needs of the people. Al
though the founders of the movement held
and preached the doctrine that all vital art
necessarily springs from the life of the people,
it is nevertheless recognized even by their
followers that in practice such expression as
they advocate belongs to the artist alone and
that the people care very little about it.

A LIGHT WRITING TABLE FOR
SMALL SITTING ROOM.

A LIVING ROOM OR

RUSH SEATED CHAIR AND DROP LEAF TABLE WITH SEPARATE
WRITING C.\BINET.

It was during this same period that the
movement called L'Art Nouvcaii sprang up
in France and for a time attained quite a
vogue under the leadership of Bing. Bel
gium followed suit with a rather heavier
and more pronounced interpretation of the
distinctive features of this style and for
a few years the plant forms and swirling
lines that distinguished L'Art Nouveau pro
ductions were very popular. In Germany
and Austria the art students and others of
the more restless spirits who were constant
ly in revolt from the established styles de
termined to outdo the French and accor
dingly established government schools for
the teaching of a definite style, which was
called New Art or Secessionist and which

154

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

contained some of the features of L'Art
Nouveau and others that were borrowed
from the English Arts and Crafts and
also from ancient Egyptian forms of
art. The French school has already
failed in the efforts to establish a per
manent style, and the indications are
that the efforts of the German and Aus
trian Secessionists will prove equally
futile, because in both cases the work
ers have merely attempted to do some
thing different ; to evolve a new thing
by combining the features of the old.
In other words, they began at the top
instead of beginning at the bottom and
allowing the style to develop naturally

A TYPICAL CRAFTSMAN LOUNGING
CHAIR.

\ L.\RGE WRITING DESK FOR THE LIBRARY OR WORKROOM.
from the sure foundation of real utility. The leaders succeed
ed in making things that, \vhatever their relative merits, were
a new departure; but this once made, it stood as a completed
achievement that might be imitated, but could hardly be de
veloped, as it lacked the beginnings of healthy growth.
But during the same period in this country things were on a
different basis. Out of the chaos of ideals and standards
wdiich had naturally resulted from the rapid growth of the
young nation, a vigorous and coherent national spirit was be
ing developed, and amid the general turmoil ancl restlessness
attendant upon swift progress and expansion, it became ap
parent that we were evolving a type of people distinct from

A LARGE OAKEN SETTLE UPHOLSTERED WITH CRAFTSMAN SOFT LEATHER.
STILL SOFTER AND MORE FLE.XIBLE SHEEPSKIN.

THE PILLOWS ARE COVERED WITH THE

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

all others, — a type essentially American. And
the distinguishing characteristic of this type
is the power to assimilate so swiftly the kind
of culture which leads to the making of per
manent standards of life and art that it is
hardly to be compared with what might seem
to be the corresponding class in other coun
tries. Such Americans have fundamental in
telligence and the power of discrimination,
and the direct thinking that results from these
qualities inevitably produces ,a certain open
ness of mind that responds very quickly to

ness alone. In this country, where we have
no monarchs and no aristocracy, the life of
the plain people is the life of the nation;
therefore, the art of the age must necessarily
be the art of the people. Our phases of im
itation and of vulgar desire for show are only
a part of the crudity of youth. We have not
yet outgrown them and will not for many
years; but as we grow older and begin to
stand on our own feet and to cherish our own
standards of life and of work and therefore
of art, we show an unmistakable tendency to

A GROUP OF CRAFTSMAN SPINDLE FURNITURE. THIS IS QUITE AS STRONG AND DURABLE AS THE MORE MASSIVE
PIECES BUT IS A LITTLE LIGHTER IN APPEARANCE.

anything which seems to have a real and per
manent value.
This quality was shown in the immediate
recognition and welcome accorded to Crafts
man furniture when we first introduced it ten
years ago. Like the Arts and Crafts furni
ture in England, it represented a revolt from
the machine-made thing. But there was this
difference: The Arts and Crafts furniture
was primarily intended to be an expression of
individuality, and the Craftsman furniture
was founded on a return to the sturdy and
primitive forms that w-ere meant for useful-

get awa}' from shams and to demand the real
thing. And to an American the real thing is some
thing that he needs and understands. The
showroom quality is all very well when it
comes to proving how much money he has or
to establishing a reputation for owning things
that are just as good as his neighbor's. But
for use he wants the things that belong to
him, — the things that are comfortable to"" live
with ; that represent a good investment of his
money and have no nonsense about them.
Furthermore the true American likes to know

156

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

how things are done. His interest and sym
pathy are immediately aroused when he sees
something that he really likes and knows to
be a good thing, if he is able to feel that, if
he wanted it and had the time, he could make
one like it himself.
So strong is this national characteristic that
it is hardly overstating the case to say that
in America any style in architecture or furni
ture would have to possess the essential qual
ities of simplicity, durability, comfort and con
venience and to be made in such a way that

SMALL WRITING DESK FOR A WOMAN S SITTING
ROOM OR FOR THE LIVING ROOM
the details of its construction can be
readily grasped, before it could hope
to become permanent. We are not so
many generations removed from our pio
neer forefathers that we have grown
entirely out of their way of getting at
things. We may not always stop to
think about them, but when we do our
thought is apt to be fairly sound and
direct. The prevalence of cheap, showy,
machine-made things in our houses is
due chiefly to the lack of thought that

A BIG DEEP CHAIR THAT MEANS COMFORT TO A TIRED
MAN WHEN HE COMES HOME AFTER THE DAy'S WORK.
takes on trust the word of the dealers, and
every year brings us more abundant proof
that they do not in any way represent the
real tastes and standards of the people. All
machine-made imitations of furniture which
belonged to another country and another age
and represented the lif" of a totally differ
ent people, are alike lo the average Amer
ican. If he can get them cheap, he has at
least the satisfaction of feeling that they make
a pretty good otuward show for the money;
if they are expensive, there is something in
being able to afford them and to know that
his house has in it rooms which are fairly

NO BETTER EXAMPLES OF THE CRAFTSMAN STYLE CAN BE
FOUND THAN ARE SHOWN IN THIS CHAIR AND ROCKER.
157

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

CRAFTSMAN S1DEB0.\RD WHERE WROUGHT IRON PULLS ANl
HIN(,ES ARE USED IN A DECORATIVE WAY.
successful imitations of the rooms in French
or English palaces two or three hundred years
ago. But in all this there is no real thought
and nothing that approaches it. It is only
when a thing has the honest primitive quality
that reveals just ^yhat it is, how it is made
and what it is made for, that it comes home
to us as something which possesses an in
dividuality of its own. It is not an elaborate
finished thing made by machinery with intri
cate processes which we cannot understand and
about wdiich we do not care in the least ; it

is something that we might make with
our own hands. Therefore it is some
thing that sets us to thinking and estab
lishes a point of contact from which
springs the essentially human qualities
of interest and affection. Understand
ing just how it is made, we are in a
position to appreciate exactly what the
artisan has done and how well he has
done it. From this understanding
comes the personal interest in good
work that alone gives the vital quahty
which we know as art.
Many people misunderstand the mean
ing of the word primitiveness, mistaking
it for crudeness, but the word is used
here to express the directness of a thing
that is radical instead of derived. In
our understanding of the term, the
primitive form of construction is that
which would naturally suggest itself to
a workman as embodying the main
essentials of ,a piece of furniture, of
which the first is the straightforward pro
vision for practical need. Also we hold that
the structural idea should be made prominent
because lines which clearly define their pur
pose appeal to the mind with the same force
,as does a clear concise statement of fact.
This principle is the basis from -wdiich the
Craftsman style of furniture has been devel
oped. In the beginning there was no thought
of creating a new style, only a recognition
of the fact that we should have in our homes
something better suited to our needs and

CEAFTS.MAN DINING TABLE AND TWO OF THE MORE MASSIVE DINING CHAIRS, ONE UPHOLSTERED IN HARD LE.-\THER
STUDDED WITH DULL BRASS N.MLS AND -THE OTHER MADE OF PLAIN OAK WITH A HARD LEATHER SEAT.

158

FURNITURE MAKING IN THIS COUNTRY

SERVING TABLE AND TWO OF THE LIGHTER DINING CHAIRS, SUITABLE FOR A DINING ROOM TOO SMALL TO TAKE THE
MORE MASSIVE FURNITURE: UPHOLSTERED WITH LEATHER.

more expressive of our character as a people
than imitations of the traditional styles, and
a conviction that the best way to get some
thing better was to go directly back to plain
principles of construction and apply them to
the making of simple, strong, comfortable
furniture that would meet adequately every
thing that could be required of it.
Because Craftsman furniture expresses so
clearly the fundamental sturdi-
ness and directness of the true
American point of view, it fol
lows that in no other country
and under no other conditions
could it have been produced
at the present day. The his
tory of art shows us that a
new form of expression never
develops from the top ,and that
nothing permanent is ever built
upon tradition. When a style
is found to be original and vital
it is a certainty that it has
sprung from the needs of the
plain people and that it is based
upon the simplest and most
direct principles of construction.
This is always the beginning
and a style that has in it suffi
cient vitality to endure, will
grow naturally as one worker
after another feels that he has
something further to express.
In making Craftsman furniture
we went back to the beginning.

seeking the inspiration of the same law of
direct answer to need that animated the
craftsmen of ,an earlier day, for it was sug
gested by the primitive human necessity of
the common folk. It is absolutely plain and
unornamented, the severity of the style mark
ing a point of departure from which we
believe that a rational development of the
decorative idea will ultimately take place.

LARGE SIDEBOARD THAT IS USUALLY MADE IN OAK FINISHED IN A VERY
LIGHT TONE OF BROWN, WITH PULLS AND HINGES IN DULL, BROWNISH
COPPER, FORMING A DECORATIVE EFFECT.
159

WILLOW CHAIRS AND SETTLES WHICH HARMO
NIZE WITH THE MORE SEVERE AND MASSIVE FUR
NITURE MADE OF OAK

AN ARM CHAIR OF WOVEN WILLOW.

THE opinion is frequently
with regard to Craftsman
that it is all very well for the library,
den or dining room, but that an
entire house furnished with it would be apt
to appear too severe and monotonous in its
general effect. While naturally we feel that
Craftsman furniture
is equally suitable
for every room in
the house, we are
aware that there is
precisely the same
element of truth in
this criticism that it
holds when applied
to any kind of furni
ture. The point is
that too much of any
one thing is apt to
be monotonous, and
the way we avoid
that fault in a Crafts
man house is to make
the furniture entire
ly a secondary thing
and keep it as little
obtrusive as possi
ble, so that each
piece sinks into its
place in the picture
and becomes merely

a part of the general impression, instead of standing out
as a separate article.
In the Craftsman houses we do away with a great
deal of the movable furniture by the use in its place of
built-in fittings, which are made a part of the structure
of the house. As these include window seats, fireside
seats, settles, bookcases, desks, sideboards, china cup
boards and many other things, it will easily be seen that
their presence not only adds to the structural interest and
beauty of the room itself, but makes it possible to dis
pense with much of the furniture which would otherwise
be needed. For the rest, we use Craftsman furniture
where it is necessary to have pieces of wood construction,
but we relieve any possible severity of effect by a liberal
use of willow settles and chairs which afford the best
possible foil to the austere lines, massive forms and sober
coloring of the oak. We select willow for this use rather
than rattan, because, while all such furniture is necessarily
handmade, the rattan pieces are usually patterned after the
elaborate effects that we have learned to associate with
machine-made goods, and so have none of the
natural interest that is a part of something
which grows under the hand and is shaped as
simply as possible to meet the purpose for
which it is intended.
The charm of willow is that it is purely
a handicraft, and obviously so. A rattan
chair or settle may be twisted into any fan-

expressed furniture

A HIGH-BACK SETTLE OF WILLOW THAT HARMONIZES
ERAL CHARACTER OF CRAFTSMAN FURNITURE.

ADMIRABLY WITH THE GEN-

160

WILLOW CHAIRS AND SETTLES

tastic form, but willow furniture is essentially of basket
construction. Our idea in making the kind' of willow
furniture illustrated here was to gain something based
upon the same principles of construction that charac
terize our oak furniture; that is, to secure a form that
should ^ suggest the simplest basket work and the
flexibility of lithe willow branches and yet be as dur
able as any of the heavy oak furniture which is em
phatically of wood construction.
Consequently these pieces are basketry pure and
simple and have an elastic spring under the pressure
of the body that suggests the flexibility of baskets such
as are woven by the fireside or on the back porch at
the edge of the garden. The making of willow furni
ture as a handicraft is rather a hobby with us, for
willow is a material beloved of the craftsman and the
work is very interesting and comparatively easy to do.
The trouble is that so many people are inclined to
overdo it and to make out of woven willow the kind
of furniture that demands wood construction. Seat
furniture alone is permissible in willow and yet we
frequently see tables, racks and stands of various kinds,
and even the front of a bureau or a dresser, made of
this material. Such misuse is a pity, the
more that it tends to create a prejudice
again against willow furniture as a whole.
The pieces shown here hold in their beauty
of form and color evidences of the personal
interest of the worker. The willow has
been so finished that the surface has the
sparkle seen in the thin branches of the
growing tree as it becomes lustrous with
the first stirring of the sap. This natural
sparkle on the surface of willow has all

WILLOW CHAIR MADE ON A LOWER AND
BROADER MODEL.

the intangible silvery shimmer of
water in moonlight. This is lost
absolutely when the furniture made of
it is covered with the usual opaque en
amel, -which not only hides the luster of the-
surface but gives the effect of a stiff uncom
promising construction in which the pliable-
ness of the basket weave is entirely oblit
erated and all the possible interesting varia
tions of tone are lost under the smooth surface.
We finish our willow furniture in two
colors ; one gives the general impression of
green, but it is-
really a variation
of soft wood
tones, brown and
green, light and
dark, as the tex-
ture of the
withes has been
smooth or rough.
In this way the
silvery luster of
the willow is left
undisturbed and
the color beneath
is like that of
fresh young bark.
The other color
is golden brown
in which there is
also a suggestion
VERY LARGE WILLOW SETTLE MADE AFTER A DESIGN THAT WE HAVE FOUND MOST SATIS- of Spriug-Hke
FACTORY IN RELATION TO THE REGULAR CRAFTSMAN FURNITURE OF OAK. gray and grCCn.
161

CRAFTSMAN METAL WORK : DESIGNED AND MADE
ACCORDING TO THE SAME PRINCIPLES THAT RULE
THE FURNITURE

IN a room decorated according to Craftsman
ideas, — especially if it be furnished with
Craftsman furniture, — it is of the utmost
importance that the metal accessories
should be of a character that fits into the pic
ture. We found out very soon after we began
to make the plain oak furniture that even the
best of the usual machine-made and highly
polished metal trim was absurdly out of place,
and that in order to get the right thing it
was necessary to establish a metal-work de
partment in the Craftsman Workshops where
articles of wrought metal in plain rugged de
signs and possessing the same structural and
simple quality as the furniture could be made.
We began with such simple and necessary
things as drawer and door pulls, hinges and
escutcheons, but with a work so interesting
and so full of possibilities as this one thing
inevitably leads to another, and our metal
workers were soon making in hand-wrought
iron, copper and brass all kinds of household
fittings, such as lighting fixtures, fire sets, and
other articles that were decorative as well as

I!

COPPER-FRAMED LANTERN THAT IS INTENDED TO HANG
FROM A BRACKET ATTACHED TO THE WALL.

LARGE LANTERN THAT IS BEST FITTED FOR USE IN AN
ENTRANCE HALL OR VERANDA.
useful, and that showed the same essential
qualities as the furniture.
Since then we have not only made all man
ner of metal furnishings ourselves, but
through the pages of The Craftsman we
have warmly encouraged amateur workers to
do the same thing and have given for their
use a number of models as well as full direc
tions regarding methods of working and the
necessary equipment for doing all kinds of sim
ple metal work at home. Under the inspiration
of these suggestions and directions, a number
of readers of The Craftsman have set up
little home workshops and have succeeded in
making many pieces that show originality and
merit. In fact, metal work is one of the most
interesting of the crafts to the home worker
who possesses skill and taste and, above all,
a genuine interest in making for himself the
things that are needed either for use or orna
ment at home, and anyone who takes it up
and discovers its possibilities is likely to go
on with it indefinitely. Instruction in the tech
nicalities is easily obtained from any black
smith wdio can teach the rudiments of hand
ling iron, or from any working jeweler or
coppersmith who is able to give the necessary
personal supervision to the first efforts of a
worker in brass or copper. Given even a
little ingenuity and handiness with tools, it

im

T

SMALL SQUARE LAN
TERN MEANT TO HANG
FROM THE CEILING OR
AN OVERHEAD BEAM.

CRAFTSMAN METAL WORK
might be possible to dispense even with this instruction and
to work out each problem as it comes up; learning by doing,
111 the simple way of the handicraftsman of old.
It ought to be possible for such home workers to make
everything necessary for the fireplace, including shovels and
tongs, andirons, fenders, coal buckets and even fireplace hoods,
although the last named might be a fairly ambitious under
taking for an amateur. One needs but little imagination to
calize the interest and charm that would attach to a com
fortable fireside nook that had been furnished in this
and the same principle applies to every one of the
smaller articles of furniture in the home. For ex
ample, it is not at all hard to make from either brass
or copper a tray or an umbrella stand, a simple vase
or metal jug
niere, and the
quality of
really w-on-
is, if the
care to con-
to simp

possible the need for which the
just as wefl as he can, keepin-
mon to metal workers of artifi-
wrought" effect by putting ham-
business to be, leaving the
exaggerating into crudity the
if rightly used, give to a
terest and charm. Much of
way the metal is finished.
wrought-iron w o r k is

SQUARE LANTERN WITH
AN UNUSUALLY DECO
RATIVE COPPER FRAME.

or a jardi-
decorative
such things is
derful ; that
WI irker takes
fine himself
good designs that meet as directly as
article is made, and then makes it
free from the temptation so com-
cially heightening the "hand-
mer dents where they have no
edges rough and generally
traces of workmanship which,
piece such a human in-
the effect depends upon the
For example, all of our
finished in a w-av that has

ELECTROLIER IN FUMED OAK AND HAMMERED COP
PER, ESPECI.\LLY DESIGNED FOR HANGING RATHER
LOW OVER A DINING TABLE.

long been known in England as "armor bright." This
is a very old process used by the English armorers,
whence it derives its name, and its peculiar value is that
it finishes the surface is a w-ay that brings out all the
black, gray and silvery tones that naturally belong to
iron, and also prevents it from rusting. This method
applies to both wrought iron and sheet iron and is the
only thing we know that accomplishes the desired result.
ONE OF THE LITTLE The proccss itself is very simple. After the iron is ham-
LANTERNs THAT IS mercd it should be polished on an emery belt; or if this
FREQUENTLY USED j^ ^_^^^ ^^ j^^^^j ^^^^ -^ j^ ^^^ convenieut to borrow the use
LIGHTS. of one in some thoroughly equipped metal shop, emery

ELECTRIC LANTERN DE
SIGNED AS A FINIAL TO
A NEWEL POST.

163

CRAFTSMAN METAL WORK

cloth — about Number O — may be used in
polishing the surface by hand.
Then the iron must be smoked over a forge
or in a fireplace, care being taken to avoid
heating it to any extent during this process,
as the object is merely to smoke it thoroughly.
It should then be allowed to cool naturally and
the surface rubbed well with a soft cloth
dipped in oil. Naturally, the more the iron
is polished the brighter it will be, especially
in the higher parts of an uneven surface,
which take on almost the look of dull silver.
After this the piece must be well wiped off
so that the oil is thoroughly removed, and the
surface lacquered with a special iron lacquer.
To give the copper the deep mellow brown
ish glow that brings it into such perfect har
mony with the fumed oak, the finished piece
should be rubbed thoroughly with a soft cloth
dipped in powdered pumice stone, and then
left to age naturally. If a darker tone is de
sired, it should be held over a fire or torch
and heated until the right color appears. Care
should be taken that it is not heated too long,
as copper under too great heat is apt to turn
black. We use no lacquer on either copper or
brass, age and exposure being the only agents
required to produce beauty and variety of tone.
All our brass work is made of the natural
unfinished metal, which has a beautiful green
ish tone and a soft dull surface that harmo
nizes admirably with the natural wood. Like
copper, it darkens and mellows with age.

CHARACTERISTIC CRAFTSMAN HINGES, DOOR AND DRAWER PULLS, KNOCKERS AND COAT HOOKS, ALL DESIGNED TO
HARMONIZE WITH CRAFTSMAN FURNITURK

164

THE KIND OF FABRICS AND NEEDLEWORK THAT
HARMONIZE WITH AND COMPLETE THE CRAFTS
MAN DECORATIVE SCHEME

WE have traced in this book the de
velopment of the Craftsman scheme
of building and interior decoration,
beginning with the house as a whole
and thence working back to an analysis of
the different rooms, the wall spaces, struc-

PORTIERE OF CRAFTSMAN CANVAS WITH PINE CONE
CESIGN IN APPLIQUE.
tural features, furnishings and metal work,
all of which must be considered separately as
essential parts of the complete structure, in
cluding the decorative scheme. In doing this
we have reversed the process by which we
worked out the idea in the first place, for we
began ten years ago with the furniture; the
metal work followed as a matter of course
because it was the next thing needed ; then
the dressing of leathers to harmonize with the
style of the furniture and the wood of which
it was made. Then came the finding of suit

able fabrics and the kind of decoration most
in keeping with them, and from all these
parts was naturally developed the idea of the
Craftsman house as a whole.
_ At first it was very difficult to find just the
right kind of fabric to harmonize with the
Craftsman furniture and metal work. It was
not so much a question of color, although of
course a great deal of the effect depended
upon perfect color harmony, as it was a ques
tion of the texture and character of the
fabric. Silks, plushes and tapestries, in fact
delicate and perishable fabrics of all kinds,
were utterly out of keeping with Craftsman
furniture. What we needed were fabrics
that possessed sturdiness and durability; that
were made of materials that possessed a certain
rugged and straightforward character of fiber,
weave and texture, — such a character as

PORTIERE OF CRAFTS.MAN CANVAS WITH CHECKERBERRY
DESIGN IN APPLIQUE.

165

CRAFTSMAN FABRICS AND NEEDLEWORK

SASH CURTAIN OF TE.\-COLORED NET DARNED IN AN
OPEN PATTERN WITH SILVER-WHITE FLOSS.
would bring- them into the same class as
the sturdy oak and Avrought iron and
copper of the other furnishings. Yet tliey
could not be coarse or crude, for that would
have taken them as far away from the quality
of the furniture on the one side, as plushes
and brocades were on the other.
For upholstering the furniture itself we
had found leather more satisfying than any
thing else, especially as by constant experi
menting ^^¦e had succeeded in developing a
method of dressing that preserved all the
leathery quality in much the same w-ay that
we were able to preserve the woody quality
of the oak, so that the leather maintained its
own sturdy individuality, at the same time
possessing a softness and flexibility and a sub-

SASH CUKT,\TN OF C.VSE.MENT LINEN WITH FRETW ORK
DESIGN IN SOLID DARNED WORK.
tlet}- of coloring that proved wonderfully at-
tracti\-e. This was especially the case with
sheepskin, which we finished in all the subtle
shades of brown, biscuit, yellow, gray, green,
and fawn, but always with the leathery
cpiality predominant under the light surface
tone. These leathers accorded so well with
the plain oak furniture and metal work that
for a time they became almost too popular,
for the}- were used by many people for table
covers, portieres and the like, in rooms where
rugged effects were considered desirable. In
fact, the fad ran to such lengths that it for
tunately w-ore itself out and leather was al
lowed to return to its proper uses.
This was made easier by the discovery of
certain fabrics that harmonize as completely
as leather with the general Craftsman scheme.
These are mostly woven of flax left in the
natural color or given some one of the nature
hues. There are also certain roughlv-woven,
dull-finished silks that fit into the picture as

SCARF OF HAND-WOVEN LINEN WITH PINE CONE
DESIGN IN DARNED WORK.

SASH CURT.MN OF CASEMENT LINEN WITH ANOTHER
FORM OF PINE CONE DESIGN DONE IN DARNED WORK.

166

CRAFTSMAN FABRICS AND NEEDLEWORK

TABLE SCARF OF UNBLEACHED HAND-WOVEN LINEN
WITH DRAGONFLY DESIGN DARNED IN PERSIAN COLORS.
well as linen, and for window curtains we
use nets and crepes of the same general char
acter. A material that we use more than
almost any other for portieres, pillowfs, chair
cushions, — indeed in all places were stout
wearing quality and a certain pleasant un-
obtrusiveness are required — is a canvas
woven of loosely twisted threads of jute and
flax and dyed in the piece, — a method which
gives an unevenness in color that amounts
almost to a two-toned effect because of the
way in which the different threads tal<e the
dye. This unevenness is increased by the
. roughness of the texture, which is not unlike
that of a firmly woven burlap. The colors of

-TABLE SCARF WITH GINKGO DESIGN IN APPLIQUE OF
DEEP LEAF GREEN UPON HOMESPUN LINEN.
the canvas are delightful. For example,
there ^re three tones of wood brown, — one
almost exactly the color of old weather-beat
en oak ; another that shows a sunny yellowish
tone ; and a third that comes close to a dark
russet. The greens are the foliage hues, —
one dark and brownish like rusty pine need
les, another a deep leaf-green; the third an
intense green like damp grass in the shade ;
and a fourth a very gray-green with a bluish
tinge like the eucalyptus leaf.
Our usual method of decorating this canvas
is the application of some bold and simple
design in which the solid parts are of linen
applique in some contrasting shade and the
connecting lines are done in heavy outline
stitch or couching with linen floss. This sim-

TABLE SCARF OF HOMESPUN LINEN WITH PINE CONE PILLOW COVERED WITH CRAFTSMAN CANVAS AND ORNA-
DESIGN IN APPLIQUE. "^'ENTED WITH PINE CONE DESIGN IN APPLIQUE.
167

CRAFTSMAN FABRICS AND NEEDLEWORK

» A

TABLE SCARF FOR A BEDROOM, WITH POPPY DESIGN IN
DARNED WORK.
phcity is characteristic of all the Craftsman
needlework, which is bold and plain to a de
gree. We use applique in a great many forms,
especially for large pieces such as portieres,
couch covers, pillows and the larger table
covers. For scarfs, window curtains and
table furnishings of all kinds we are apt to
use the simple darning stitch, as this gives
a delightful sparkle to any mass of color.
For the rest we use the satin stitch very
occasionally when a snap of solid color is
needed for accenting now and then a bit of
plain hem-stitching or drawn work. It is the
kind of needlework that any woman can do
and, given the power of discrimination and

'J«*A '¦'^ -"^

¦^

.W"-^ f,-Si

j-^

- ¦_,---iL^\-- -i

_

POPPY DESIGN CARRIED OUT IN APPLIQUE TO ORNAMENT
THE CORNER OF A COUCH COVER.

taste in the selection of materials, designs
and color combinations, there is no reason
why any woman should not, with compara
tively little time and labor, make her home
interesting with beautiful and characteristic
needlework that is as far removed from the
"fancy work" which too often takes the place
of it, as any genuine and useful thing is
removed from things that are unnecessary.
For scarfs, table squares, luncheon and
dinner sets and the like, we find that the
most suitable fabrics in connection with the
Craftsman furnishings are the linens, mostly
in the natural colors and the rougher weaves.

SAME POPPY DESIGN AS APPLIED TO A BEDSPREAD OF
HOMESPUN LINEN.
We use hand-woven and homespun linens in
many weights and weaves, and a beautiful
fabric called Flemish linen, which has a matt
finish and is very soft and pliable to the
touch. Some of these come in the cream or
ivory shades and all of them in the tones of
cream gray and warm pale brown natural
to the unbleached linen. We find, as a rule,
that the finer and more delicate white linens
do not belong in a Craftsman room any more
than silks, plushes and tapestries in delicate
colorings belong with the Craftsman furni
ture. The whole scheme demands a more
robust sort of beauty, — something that pri
marily exists from use and that fulfils every
requirement. The charm that it possesses
arises from the completeness with which it
answers all these demands and the honesty
w-hich allows its natural quality to show.

168

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS AND STU
DENTS WHO WISH TO LEARN THE FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES OF CONSTRUCTION

IN the brief sketch we have already given
of furniture making in this country we
made the statement that one of the chief
elements of interest in Craftsman furni
ture is the fact that its construction is so
simple and direct and so dearly revealed that
any one possessing even a rudimentary knowl
edge of tools and of drawing and some
natural skill of hand could easily make for
himself many pieces of furniture in this
style. Believing this thoroughly, and also
realizing fully the interest that cabinetwork
holds for most people and the means it
affords of developing the constructive and
creative faculties, we have given in The
Craftsman a number of designs solely for
the benefit of home workers. For a year
or two we published, in connection with these
designs, full working drawings and also mill
bills for the necessary lumber; but we were
forced to abandon that on account of lack
of space and to give only the drawings show
ing the finished pieces, for which the work
ing drawings and mill bills were easily
obtainable upon application.
We illustrate here a number of these de
signs, most of which are for pieces that are
fairly easy to make and that have a definite
use as household furnishings. While the de
signs of course show the exact models of the
pieces they represent, we intend them to have
also a suggestive value and to stimulate
thought and experiment along the lines of
designing and making plain substantial fur
niture. It has been proven beyond question
that the most
powerful stimu
lus to well-de-
fi n e d construc
tive thought is
found in the di
rection of the
mind to some
form of creative
work. Therefore
if a man or a
boy has any ap-
t i t u d e along
these lines, it is
a foregone con
clusion that he
will not have

S

FIGURE TWO.-
TABOURET.

FIGURE ONE. — SQUARE TABOURET.

made many pieces
after given models
before he begins to
think for himself and
to mjike or modify
designs to meet his
own demands and to
afford an opportunity
for working out his
own problems. Fur
thermore, as his ex
perience grows, he
will naturally dis
cover new ways of
doing things that
may be better for
him to follow than
any of the stereo
typed rules. We ap
prove thoroughly of
the freedom of spirit
that leads to such ex
perimenting, for, al
though we originated
the Craftsman furni
ture, it is just such interest and work on the
part of other people that will ultimately de
velop it into a national style. One warning,
however, we would like to give to all amateur
workers: that is, that one's own whims must
no more be followed than the whims of other
people. We will find plenty of interest and
occupation in making things that are actually
needed and plenty of exercise for all our
creative power in designing them to fulfil as
adequately as possible the purpose for which
they are intended. So long as this is done
there is no danger of the work degenerating
into a fad; instead, it is likely not only to
give much pleasure and profit to individuals,
but to grow until the whole nation once more
reaps the benefit that comes from the intelli
gent exercise of the creative powers in some
interesting form of handicraft.
Every one knows the relief to brain work
ers and to professional men that is found
in this kind of work. It not only affords a
wholesome change of occupation but brings
into play a different set of faculties and so
proves both restful and stimulating. A pro
fessional or business man who can find relief
from his regular work in some such pursuit.

169

CABINET WORK FOE HOME WORKERS

FIGURE
Which he takes up as a recreation, does better
work in his own vocation because he is a
healthier and better balanced man and his
inteSt in his home grows more ymd ^d
oersonal with every article of furniture that
Te makes with his own hands and according
'°As%°^"t?/"eans of education ' afforded
by this kind of work, we have no tetter proof
than is shown by the widespread be lef m the
efficacy of manual traimng m our pubhc
schools, although to a practical craf»
there would seem to be plenty of ^^^^^h

improvement, both
as to methods of
teaching and the
quality of work
manship that is re-
quired from the
students. Whe re
manual training is
taken up purely on
account of the men
tal development it
affords, there is a
tendency to make it
entirely academic.
The teachers for
the most part rely
almost wholly upon
theory and have
very little practical
knowledge of the
thing they teach.
The result is that a
boy is encouraged
to "express his own
individuality" in de-
„„„ „n..^n..'. o„» ^,if ;!|„f ,£f' ^
BOOKCASE.

peals to him instead of
being taught sound prin
ciples of design and con
struction and so guided
by a competent worker
that all his own work is
based upon these prin
ciples and is thoroughly
done. If the work is
merely regarded as
play, the theoretical at
titude toward the ex-
- pression of in-
fH-d^asi^^^ dividuality is
.. T.S^^NCH^^cHEST. all right; but
THREE.— HALL BENCH wiiii .^ .^ .^ regard
ed as a preparation for the serious business
of later Hfe: the result shows that it unfits
?he student for real work in just such mea
sure as he shows an aptitude for play work
'"^m introduction of the Craftsman st|le
has oractically revolutionized manual train-
Tne S ou? public schools, because it has
okced at the disposal of the teachers designs
of such simplicity and clearness of construc-
Son that the work of teaching has been made
Teh fasier and the field of manudtrajn-
ine has been greatly broadened Before tne
nfroduction of Craftsman furniture, manual
trS in the schools rested chiefly upon
sSydl^hich was confined to the niaking of
:Un' articles entirely for the s^^^^ ^

small articles entirely iv^i ^ K,r the intelli-
mental development afforded by the mteui
^4t use of the hands. Now, however, the
Sdents of manual training are learning to

FIGURE FIVE.— CHESS OR CHECKER TABLE.

170

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

make furniture after such models
as we show here and the very nec
essary element of usefulness is
added to the things they make. The
only diflficulty is that the craft itself
is not well enough understood by
the teachers to be imparted to the
students in such a way that they
derive any permanent benefit from
it. The teaching is, as we have said,
largely theoretical and the object
of the whole training is mental development
along general lines rather than the moral
development that comes from learning to do
useful work thoroughly and well. As cabinet
work is handled in the manual training de
partments of the schools, it is distinctly a
side issue, and exhibitions of the work to
which public attention is frequently invited
show ambitious pieces of furniture that are
¦wrongly proportioned, badly put together
and finished in a slovenly way, thus produc
ing exactly the opposite effect upon the pupil
from what is intended. If the State or munic
ipal authorities would see to it that manual
training in the form of wood-working of all
kinds, and especially the making of furni
ture, were placed under the charge of thor
oughly skilled craftsmen who understood
and were able to teach all the principles of
construction, the moral and educational effect
of such work would be almost incalculable.
In order to make the training of any real
value, it is absolutely necessary that the stu
dent begin simultaneously with mechanical
drawing and the application of its principles

FIGITRE SIX. — PIANO BENCH, STRONGLY MADE WITH SOLID ENDS.

FIGURE SEVEN.  PORTABLE CABINET FOR WRITING TABLE.
to his work as he goes along. If he began
with simple models to which could be applied
the elementary lessons in mechanical drawing,
the laying out of plans, the reading of detail
drawings and the like, and would also afford
a chance to demonstrate lessons in the use
of the square, the level, the saw and the
plane; — a good foundation would be laid not
only for the understanding of right prin
ciples of construction but for the accurate
use of tools. A boy trained in this way
would be able in future years to put his
knowledge to almost any use that was need
ed. Instead of this the students endeavor to
make something that is interesting and that
shows well at home or in an exhibition. In
fact, the situation now is very much as it
would be if a student of music were to take
two or three lessons in the rudiments and
then endeavor to play a more or less elab
orate composition. There is no question as
to the benefit that boys, and girls too, derive
from being taught to work with their hands;
but it is better not to teach them at all than
to give them the wrong teaching. No one
expects a schoolboy or an
amateur worker of any age to
make elaborate furniture that
would equal similar pieces
made by a trained cabinet
maker. But if the student be
taught to make small and sim
ple things and to make each
one so that it would pass
muster anywhere, he leams
fromi the start the fundamental
principles of design and pro
portion and so comes natu
rally to understand what is
meant by thorough workman-
slup. There is no objection
to any worker, however
inexperienced, attempt-
to express his own

171

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

FIGURE EIGHT.  CHILD S WRITING DESK.
individuality, but the natural thing would
be for him to express it in more or less prim
itive forms of construction that are, so far
as they go, correct, instead of attempting
something that, when it is finished, is all
wrong because the student has not under
stood what he was about. Unquestionably
there are certain principles and rules as to
design, proportion and form that are as
fundamental in their nature as are the tables
of addition, subtraction, division and multi
plication, with relation to mathematics, or as
the alphabet is as a basis to literature, but
they are not yet formulated for general use.
The trained worker learns these things by
experience and comes to have a sort of sixth
sense with regard to their application,
but this takes strong direct thinking,
keen observation and the power of
initiative that is possessed only by the
very exceptional and highly skilled
workman. Nevertheless it surely is as easy to
begin work in the right way as in the
wrong way. It would be better if all
our teaching of manual training were
based upon some text book carefully
compiled by a master workman and kept
within certain well defined limits. After
the student had thoroughly learned all
that lay within these limits and was
grounded in the principles of design 172

and construction as carefully as he
would be grounded in mathematics or
classical literature, he might safely
be trusted to produce something that
would express his own individuality,
for then, if ever, he would have de
veloped an individuality that was
worth while. And this principle ap
plies as well to amateur workers of
all kinds as it does to the students
in the public schools, for it is the
basis of all work that is worthy to
endure. One great advantage of taking up
cabinetmaking at home as well as in
the schools, is that it could be made
not only a means of amusement or
mental development to the individual,
but could be expanded into a home or
neighborhood handicraft that might
be carried on in connection with
small farming, upon a basis that
would insure a reasonable financial
success. Handicrafts, as practiced Jby
individual arts and crafts workers in the
studio, do not afford a sufficient living to
craft workers as a class, but that is largely
because these very principles of sound con
struction and thorough workmanship are not
always observed or even comprehended, so
that it is difficult for the individual worker to
produce anything that has a definite and per
manent commercial value. This kind of furni
ture, on the contrary, has a very well defined
and thoroughly established commercial value,
as our own experience has proven ; and yet it
is so simple in design and construction that it
can be made at home or on the farm during
the idle months of winter or by a group of

FIGURE NINE.  bride's CHEST.

CABINET WORK FOR^pOME WORKERS

FIGURE TEN. — BOOK CABINET.

workers in a village, — in fact under almost
any conditions where it would seem advan
tageous to do such work, especially under the
guidance of a competent cabinetmaker.
Whether regarded as one of the forms of
a profitable handicraft that might be de
pended upon as a means of support, — or at
least of adding to the income obtained from
a small farm, — or whether regarded merely
as a means of recreation for a busy man dur
ing his leisure hours at home, cabinetmak
ing is likely to prove a most interesting pur
suit. One distinct advantage is that furniture
made in this way, if well done, would be
better than any that could possibly be made
in a factory, because the work would natural
ly be more carefully done. Also the interest
that attaches to the right use of wood could
be developed to a much greater degree than
is possible where the work is done on a large
scale, because judgment and discrimination
could be applied to the selection of lumber
that is without any special market value ac
cording to commercial standards, but that
has in it certain flaws and irregularities that
make it far more interesting than the costlier
lumber necessary for purely commercial
work. This one item would be a great ad
vantage as lumber grows scarcer and harder
to obtain. Also, the furniture itself

have much more individual interest because
of this very feature, for then it would be
possible to select certain pieces of wood for
special uses and to develop to the utmost all
the natural qualities of color and grain that
might prove interesting when rightly used
and in the right place. It is by these very
methods and under similar conditions that the
Japanese have gained such world-wide fame
as discriminating users of very simple and
inexpensive woods. A Japanese regards a
piece of wood as he might a picture and his
one idea is to do something with it that will
show it to the very best advantage, as well
as gain from it the utmost measure of use
fulness. Among the cabinet woods native to this
country and easily obtained are white oak,
brown ash, rock elm, birch, beech and maple.
Chestnut, cypress, pine, redwood and gum-
wood, while all excellent for interior trim,

would FIGURE ELEVEN. — BOOKCASE WITH ADJUSTABLE SHELVES.

173

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

are not hard
enough to give
satisfactory re
sults when used
for the making
of furniture. Of
'those first men
tioned, white oak
is unquestionably
the best for cab
inetmaking and,
indeed, it is a
wood as well
suited to the
Craftsman style
of furniture as
the Spanish
mahogany was to
the French, Eng
lish and 'Colonial
.furniture of the
eighteenth cen
tury. Spanish
FIGURE TWELVE.-SMALL STAND ^ahogany is vcfy
FOR USE IN A BEDROOM. ^S*"*/ "•"'¦'
rare now and the
modem mahogany, or baywood, is very little
harder than whitewood and so cannot be con
sidered particularly desirable as a cabinet
wood. The old mahogany was a hard, close-
grained, fine-textured wood that lent itself
naturally to the slender lines, graceful curves
and delicate modeling of the eighteenth cen
tury styles. In addition to this the wood
itself was So treated as to ripen to the ut
most the quality of rich and mellow color
ing, which was one of its distinctive charac
teristics. The boards were kept for months,
and some of them for years, in the court
yards of the cabinet shops, where sun and
rain could give them the mellowness of age.
Then the finished pieces were treated with
linseed oil and again put out into the sun
shine to oxidize, this process being repeated
until the wood gained just the required depth
of color and perfection of finish. The slow
ness of this process and the care and skill
required to produce the results that were
aimed at makes fine mahogany furniture al
most an impossibility today, except to the
craftsman who may be able to afford selected
pieces of this rare and almost extinct wood,
and who has sufficient leisure and love of the
work to treat it according to the methods of
the old cabinetmakers. Even then it is not
suitable for the plain massive furniture that

we show here as models for home workers.
The severely plain structural forms that we
are considering now demand a wood of
strong fiber and markings, rich in color, and
possessing a sturdy friendly quality that
seems to invite use and wear. The strong
straight lines and plain surfaces of the furni
ture follow and emphasize the grain and
growth of the wood, drawing attention to
instead of destroying the natural character
that belonged to the growing tree. As the
use of oak would naturally demand a form
that is strong and primitive, the harmony
that exists between the form and construc
tion of the furniture and the wood of which
it is made is complete and satisfying.
We will then assume that oak is the wood
that would naturally be selected by the home
cabinetmaker and for large surfaces such as
table-tops and large panels, quarter-sawn oak
is deemed preferable to plain-sawn, as the first
method, which makes the cut parallel with
the medullary rays that form the peculiar
wavy lines seen in quarter-sawn oak, not only
brings out all the natural beauty of the mark
ings, but makes the wood structurally strong
er, finer in grain and less liable to check and
warp than when it is straight-sawn. Care
should then be taken to see that the wood
is thoroughly dried, otherwise the best work
might easily be ruined by the checking, warp
ing, or splitting of the lumber. Quarter-
sawn oak is the hardest of all woods to dry
and requires the longest time, so that it
would hardly be advisable for the amateur
cabinetmaker to attempt to use other than
selected kiln-dried wood that is ready for the
saw and plane.

FIGURE THIRTEEN. — ROUND TABLE.

174

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

FIGURE FOURTEEN.  WRITING DESK WITH WILLOW
WASTE BASKET.
The work of construction must all
be done before the wood is given its
final finish; but in this connection
we will outline briefly the best
method of finishing oak, as the
sturdy wooden quality of the furni
ture depends entirely upon the ability
of the worker to treat the wood so
that there is Httle evidence of an
applied finish. Oak should be ripen
ed as the old mahogany was ripened
by oil and sunshine, and this can
be done only by a process that, with
out altering or disguising the nature
of the wood, gives it the appearance
of having been mellowed by age and
use. This process is merely fuming
with ammonia, which has a certain
affinity with the tannic acid that
exists in the wood, and it is the only
one known to us that acts upon the
glossy hard rays as well as the softer
parts of the wood, coloring all to
gether in an even tone so that the

figure is marked only by its difference in
texture. This result is not so good when
stains are used instead of fuming, as stain
ing leaves the soft part of the wood dark
and the markings light and prominent.
The fuming is not an especially difficult
process, but it requires a good deal of care,
for the piece must be put into an air-tight
box or closet, on the floor of which has been
placed shallow dishes containing aqua am
monia (26 per cent). The length of time
required to fume oak to a good color depends
largely upon the tightness of the compart
ment, but as a rule forty-eight hours is
enough. When fuming is not practicable, as
in the case of a piece too large for any avail
able compartment or one that is built into the
room, a fairly good result may be obtained
by applying the strong ammonia directly to
the wood with a sponge or brush. In either
case the wood must be in its natural con
dition when treated, as any previous applica
tion of oil or stain would keep the ammonia
from taking effect. After the wood so treat
ed is thoroughly dry from the first applica
tion it should be sandpapered carefully with
fine sandpaper, then a second coat of ammo
nia applied, followed by a second careful
sandpapering. Some pieces fume much darker than others,
according to the amount of tannin left free
to attract the ammonia after the wood has

FIGURE FIFTEEN.  ^TABLE DESK.

175

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

FIGURE SIXTEEN. — LIBRARY TABLE.

been kiln-dried. Where any sap wood has
been left on, that part will be found unaffect
ed by the fumes. There is apt also to be a
slight difference in tone when the piece is not
all made from the same log, because some
trees contain more tannic acid than others.
To meet these conditions it is necessary to
make a "touch-up" to even the color. This is
done by mixing a brown aniline dye (that will
dissolve in alcohol) with German lacquer, com
monly known as "banana liquid." The mix
ture may be thinned with wood alcohol to
the right consistency before using. In touch
ing up the lighter portions of the wood the
stain may be smoothly blended with the dark
er tint of the perfectly fumed parts, by rub
bing along the line where they join with a piece
of soft dry cheese-cloth, closely following the
brush. If the stain should dry too fast and
the color is left uneven, dampen the cloth
very slightly
with alcohol.
After fuming,
sandpapering and
touching up a piece of
furniture, apply a coat
of lacquer, made of
one-third white shellac
and two-thirds German
lacquer. If the fum
ing process has resuh-
ed in a shade dark
enough to be satisfac
tory, this lacquer may
be applied clear; if
not, it may be dark- 176

ened by the addition of a
small quantity of the stain
used in touching up. Care must be
taken, however, to carry on the color
so lightly that it will not grow muddy
under the brush of an inexperienced
worker. The danger of this makes
it often more advisable to apply two
coats of lacquer, each containing a
very little color. If this is done,
sandpaper each coat with very fine
sandpaper after it is thoroughly dried
and then apply one or more coats
of prepared floor wax. These direc
tions, if carefully followed, should
give the same effects that character
ize the Craftsman furniture.
Sometimes a home cabinetworker
does not find it practicable or desir
able to fume the oak. In such a
case there are a number of good stains on
the market that could be used on oak as
well as on other woods.
Oak and chestnut alone are susceptible to
the action of ammonia fumes, but in other
ways the oak, chestnut, ash and elm come
into one class as regards treatment, for the
reason that they all have a strong, well-de
fined grain and are so alike in nature that
they are affected in much the same way by
the same method of finishing. For any one
of these woods a water stain should never
be used, as it raises the grain to such an
extent that in sandpapering to make it smooth
again, the color is sanded off with the grain,
leaving an unevenly stained and very un
pleasant surface. The most satisfactory
method we know, especially for workers who
have had but little experience, is to use a
small amount of color carried on in very thin

FIGURE SEVENTEEN. — LARGE LIBRARY TABLE.

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

shellac. If the commercial cut
shellac is used it should be re
duced with alcohol in the pro
portion of one part of shellac
to three of alcohol. This is be
cause shellac, as it is ordinarily
cut for commercial purposes, is
mixed in the proportion of four
pounds to a gallon of alcohol,
so that in order to make it thin
enough it is necessary to add
sufficient alcohol to obtain a
mixture of one pound of shellac
to a gallon of alcohol. If
the worker does his own cut
ting he will naturally use the
proportion last mentioned, —
one pound of shellac to a gallon of alcohol.
When the piece is ready for the final finish,
apply a coat of thin shellac, adding a little
color if necessary; sandpaper carefully and
then apply one or more coats of liquid wax.
These directions are entirely for the use of
home workers. The method we use in the
Craftsman Workshops differs in many ways,
for we naturally have much greater facilities
for obtaining any desired effect than would be
possible with the equipment of a home worker.
For lighter pieces of furniture suitable for
a bedroom or a woman's sitting room, where
dainty effects are desirable, we find maple the
most satisfactory, in both color and texture,
of our native woods, for the reason that it is

«i«i»jpi

FIGURE EIGHTEEN.-

FIGURE NINETEEN.  PLATE RACK TO BE PLACED OVER A SIDEBOARD.
hard enough to be used for all kinds of furni
ture. Gumwood is equally beautiful, but is
not hard enough for chairs. For built-in fur
niture, however, and for tables, dressers and
the like, gumwood is one of the most beauti
ful woods we have, as it takes on a soft, satin
like texture with variable color effects not un
like those seen in the finest Circassian walnut.
We find that the best effect in both maple and
gumwood is obtained by treating the wood
with a solution of iron-rust made by throwing
iron filings or any small pieces of iron into
acid vinegar or a weak solution of acetic acid.
After forty-eight hours the solution is drained
off and diluted with water until the desired
color is obtained. The wood is merely brushed
over with this solution, — wetting it thor
oughly, — and left to dry. This is a process
that requires much experimenting with
small pieces of wood before attempting to
treat the furniture, as the color does not
show until the application is completely
dry. By this treatment maple is given a
beautiful tone of pale silvery gray and the
gumwood takes on a soft pale grayish
brown, both of which colors harmonize
admirably with dull blue, old rose, straw
color, or any of the more delicate shades
so often used in furnishing a bedroom or
a woman's sitting room.
As to the actual construction of the
pieces shown here, it is in most cases very
simple. By a careful study of the different
models it will be noted that the only at
tempt at decoration lies in the emphasiz
ing of the actual structural features, such
as posts, panels, tenons with or without
-SMALL sroEBOARD. thc kcy, the dovetail joint and the key as
177

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

it is used to strengthen and emphasize the
joining of two boards. For the rest, the
beauty of each piece depends wholly upon the
care with which the wood is selected, the pro
portions and workmanship of the piece, and
the attention that is given to the delicate details
of construction and to the finish of the wood.
In Figures i and 2 we illustrate two of the
simplest models we have ever offered for the
use of home cabinetworkers. They are two
designs for small tabourets and were selected
to illustrate the first article on home training
in cabinetwork, published in The Craftsman
in April, 1905. Therefore from the point of
view of their precedence in the series, no less
than their fitness as models for the beginner,
they have been chosen to head the illustrations
for this article. In the case of both of them
the construction shows for itself. The tenons
of the legs are visible through the top of the
table, where they are firmly wedged and then
planed flush with the top. This not only
strengthens the table very considerably, but
the difference in the grain of the wood gives
the effect of four small square inlays in each
table top. Also it is well to note that, in cut
ting the mortises for the stretchers of the
square tabouret, there is half an inch differ
ence in the heights of the two stretchers. A
dowel pin three-eighths of an inch in diameter

FIGURE TWENTY.  COMBINATION TABLE AND ENCYCLOPEDIA 178

FIGURE TWENTY-ONE. — SMALL LETTER AND PAPER FILE.
runs all the way through the legs and holds
firm the tenons of the stretchers, making it
practically impossible for the table to rack
apart. These pins are planed off flush with
the sides of the legs.
Figures 3 and 6 illustrate companion pieces,
the first being a hall bench and the second a
piano bench. Both are simple to a degree, yet
the proportions are so contrived that the effect
of each is individual and decorative. The out
ward slope of the solid end pieces gives an
appearance of great strength that does full
justice to the real strength of both benches.
The severity of these end pieces is rather
lightened by the curved opening at the bottom
and by the openings at the top, meant in each
case for convenience in moving the bench.
These openings, with the slight projections of
the tenons at the ends, form the only decora
tion. In the case of the hall bench, a shallow
box takes the place of the curved brace that
appears under the seat in the
piano bench. This box can be
used to hold all sorts of things that
ordinarily accumulate in the hall and
the hinged seat lifts like a lid over it.
The bench can be made in any desired
length to fit any wall space without
interfering with its construction or
proportions. Figure 4 shows a small open book
case that is intended for the use of
children. All housewives know that
one of the greatest difficulties in keep
ing a tidy nursery often arises because
there is no place where children can
easily put things away themselves.
Closet doors are hard to open and the
shelves too high to be of use, while
shelves and brackets are usually pur
posely out of reach and the nursery
table is apt to be full. This little book
case is planned especially to meet just
such a nursery problem. There are no
BOOKCASE, doors and the shelves are broad and

gABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

low enough to be within the reach of very
little children. The shelves are not adjustable
but are put in stoutly with tenon and key so
that they are never out of place and never
need attention.
Figure 5 shows a small table that would
prove a convenient piece of furniture in a
household where either chess or checkers hap
pens to be a favorite game. The legs are
slightly tapering, sloped outward and are made
firm with bracket supports so that the usual
cross supports below, which would interfere
with the comfort of the players sitting at the
table, are not needed. The rails under the top
are tenoned to the legs. In a case like this,
where two or more rails meet vdth the ends
opposite each other, short tenons must be used
with two dowel pins in each one to hold it in
place. These pins are placed near the edge of
the table legs so that they may not interfere
with the tenoning of the side rails. It is a
good plan to dowel the bracket supports first
to the legs and then to the top of the table, in
addition to the glue which holds them in place.
The small drawer is made in the regular way,
being hung from the top instead of running
on a center guide as do most of the wider
drawers in Craftsman furniture. The checks
on the table top may
be burned into the
wood or a dye or stain
may be used for the
dark checks.
Figure 7 shows a
small portable cabinet
that may be placed on
the top of any writing
table. It is provided
with little compartments
which are protected by
doors with flat key locks
and with a shelf and
pigeon-holes for papers
and books. The piece is
perfectly plain except
for the slight decorative
touch given by the dove
tailing at the end, but if
the wood is well chosen
and the cabinet carefully
finished, it will be found
an attractive as well as
a convenient bit of fur
niture. Figure 8 illustrates a
child's desk, the making

FIGURE TWENTY-TWO. — SMALL REVOLVING BOOK-RACK.
of which would be an especially pleasant
piece of work for the home craftsman, be
cause there is no article of miniature furni
ture which affords the children so much de
light as a desk where they can work like
grown-up folks and have pads and pencils
never to be loaned or lost. This little desk is
so simple that the small members of the family
might even help to make it and so gain some
understanding of the pleasure of making their
own belongings. The construction has the
same general features that have already been
described and the only touch of decoration is
the projection of the two back posts above
the small upper shelf.
Figure 9 suggests a useful and desirable
present for a bride, for it is a cedar-lined chest

FIGURE TWENTY-THREE. — COMBINATION BOOKCASE AND CUPBOARD.
179

L

^CABINET , WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

intended for the stor
ing of linen and cloth
ing, — just the same
sort of chest as the
German maidens use
for storing away the
linen they weave dur
ing their girlhood. In
making the chest the
legs are first built
up, then the front
and back fastened in;
the ends and bottom
are put in at the
same time, fitting in
grooves. The top is
simply made, with
two panels divided by
a broad stile which
affords support for
the iron strap-hinge
that extends down the
side to be fastened
with hasp and pad
lock. The inside of
the chest is lined
with cedar boards, so
desirable for their
pleasant aromatic
odor and for their
moth preventing
properties. This lining
should be put in after the chest is made. The
iron work can be made by any blacksmith
from the drawing, or even made at home if
the amateur cabinetworker also possesses a
forge. Figure lO shows a book cabinet which would
be convenient in a workroom, where it might
stand near the desk or table of the worker
and provide a place for the few books of ref
erence that are in constant use, as well as for
papers, drawings and so forth, that might
otherwise be mislaid or scattered in confusion
about the room. The cabinet is easy to make
and is very satisfying in line and proportion.
The shelf that covers half the top offers room
for a small paper rack or any of the many
things that have to be within reach and yet
not in the way.
Figure ii gives a model for a bookcase
having two drawers below for papers or
magazines and three adjustable shelves that
can be moved to any height simply by chang
ing the position of the pegs that support the

FIGURE TWENTY-FOUR. — A
HALL CLOCK.

shelves. If the books are small, an additional
shelf might be put in if required. The frame
of the bookcase is left plain, the smooth sur
face of the sides being broken only by the
slightly projecting tenons at the top and bot
tom. The edges . of these tenons are cham
fered off and carefully sandpapered so that
they have a smooth rounded look. Inside the
ends of the bookcase holes about half an inch
in diameter are bored about halfway through
the thickness of the plank, affording places for
the pegs that hold the adjustable shelves.
Figure I2 shows a small table primarily
chosen for use in a bedroom, to stand near the
bed and hold a lamp or candle and one or two
books, but it is convenient in any place where
a small stand is needed. The top of the back
is to be doweled in place with three half-inch
dowel pins and the top itself is fastened to the
sides by table fasteners placed under a wide
overhang. The drawers should be dovetailed
together at the corners and all edges slightly
softened by careful sandpapering.
Figure 13. The round table shown here em
bodies in its construction
the same general fea
tures as the large square
library table shown in
Figure 17, only modified
to such a degree that the
effect is light rather than
massive. The braces, top
and bottom, are crossed
and the four legs are
wide and flat, with open
ings following the lines
of the outside. The
tenons, which have a
bold projection and are
fastened with wooden
keys, are used as a dis
tinctively decorative fea
ture. Figure 14 gives a very
good idea of a desk
which looks hard to
make but is not so dif
ficult as might appear at
the first glance. The lid
can be made first, then
the sides and shelves
carefully fitted and a
quarter-inch iron pin in
serted between the sides
and the lid so that all

FIGURE TWENTY-FIVE. —
A HALL CLOCK.

180

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

FIGURE TWENTY-SIX. — CHILD S
HIGH CHAHt.

are fastened together at
once. Then the back is
put in and is held in
place by small blued
oval - headed
screws. After
this the letter
and blotter
rack may be
sprung into
place and, with
a little button at
the top under
which is a leath
er washer, the
desk is complete
except for the
basket, which
should be woven
of willow withes
to fit the shelf.
Figure 15
shows a simple
desk or writing
table for the li
brary or living
room. The two little upper drawers
with the letter file between give a very
convenient arrangement for stowing
away letters, writing paper, etc. This
is a piece which might easily be made
crude and hea-vy, by just a little awk
wardness in getting the right propor
tions and lack of skill in the use of
tools; but if carefully made and well
finished it possesses a sturdy attractive
ness that is very interesting.
Figure 16. This design for a library
table should not be attempted until ex
perience in woodwork has taught the
worker how to use his tools and ma
terials well. Everything depends upon
care both in construction and finishing
and especial attention should be given
toward maintaining in their integrity all
the fines and proportions, as these de
tails have everything to do with making
or marring the design. The end pieces,
while massive in effect, are relieved
from over-heaviness by the use of slats
and the shaping of the broad strips on
the outside. The top of the table is
fastened firmly with table irons so that
it is quite solid. Where the shelf tenons
come through the end pieces there is a

projection of three-sixteenths of an inch and
the edges are chamfered off to give a smooth
rounded effect. The tenon itself should be
wedged and glued so that it cannot be pulled
out. The dovetailing on the drawer may need
a little practice before it is successfully
executed, but if it is well done it will be a
satisfactory evidence of the cleverness of the
worker. Figure 17 shows a large library table that
is practically a companion piece to the round
table illustrated in Figure 13. In this case,
however, the natural massiveness of the con
struction is emphasized rather than modified,
although the severity of the solid ends is soft
ened by the curved lines and open spaces
which serve to take away all appearance of
clumsiness. The projecting tenons and keys
form a suitable structural decoration and add
to the strength of the piece. A strong brace
just beneath the top keeps the ends firm while
the lower shelf acts as another brace.
Figure 18. The lines and proportions of
this small sideboard make it an unusually satis
fying piece for the home worker to try his
skill on because, if it is well made, it is a piece

FIGURE TWENTY-SEVEN. — PORTABLE SCREEN.

181

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

TWENTY-EIGHT.- WITH SLAB TOP.

-RUSTIC

of furniture that would add
much to the beauty of a
dining room. The construction, though on a
larger scale and in some ways more compli
cated than in any of the preceding pieces, is
no more difficult and no trouble will be found
in putting it together. The back is to be
screwed into place and is put on last. The top
can be doweled on or fastened with table irons.
The latter will be safer if there is any doubt
as to the thorough seasoning of the wood, as
the irons will admit of a slight shrinkage or
swelling without cracking the wood. All the
edges should be slightly softened with sand
paper just before the finish is applied.
Figure 19. This plate rack is meant to be
hung by chains, cords, or heavy picture wire
just above the sideboard, although it also
serves as a stein rack for a den. The con
struction speaks for itself and is so simple
that nothing need be said about it except that
the brackets are fastened with screws from the
back. If chains
are used to hang
it from the rail
above, it would
be better to have them
fairly heavy. Plain round
link chains can be
bought ready made, to
gether with the hooks,
or they can be made to
order by any blacksmith.
Figure 20 shows a
combination table and
encyclopedia bookcase
designed especially for
the student who wishes

books near at hand. It
is meant to hold a com
plete set of books, with
additional space for a
dictionary. The plans
are so simple that they
can be understood and
applied by a beginner in
cabinetwork and the use
fulness of the piece is
such as to make it one
of the most interesting
models we have ever de
signed for the use of home workers.
Figures 21 and 22 show two most conveni
ent little pieces for a library table. The first
is a small letter file with four compartments
for note paper, envelopes and letters, making
it very useful for the home bookkeeper. The
second is a small revolving book rack, made
in the form of a swastika, which revolves upon
a flat round stand that raises it about an inch
from the table. It is meant to hold small
books that are needed for constant reference.
Both these pieces show to the best advantage
the decorative use of the dovetail as a joint
This bit of structural decoration is a favorite
with us because we consider the hand-made
dovetail to be one of the most interesting
structural features used in joinery, as well as
the strongest joint. This, of course, applies
only to pieces where the strength of the struc
ture depends upon the strength of the corner,
for it is purely a corner joint. For example,
in the case of this little book-rack the use of
the dovetail is almost inevitable, for without it
the corners would not only be less perfectly

to have his reference

FIGURE TVraNTY-NINE.— RUSTIC TABLE THAT CAN BE TAKEN APART AT WILL.
182

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

joined as regards strength, but the piece would
lose its greatest claim to structural interest.
Figure 23 shows a combination bookcase
and cupboard with an open shelf in the middle
for such books as are most used. The sides
have small-paned glass doors and are shelved
for books; the central cupboard with the
wooden doors is meant to hold papers, maga
zines and the like.
Figures 24 and 25 show two hall clocks, of
the type usually known as the "grandfather's
clock." Given a moderate skill in the handhng
of tools, the home worker can easily make a
clock that will prove a quaint and satisfactory

FIGURE THnry-ONE. — ^RUSTIC BED FOR LOG

FIGURE THIRTY. — ^RUSTIC SWING SEAT.
bit of furnishing and will have all the charm
of an individual piece of handicraft made for
the place it is to fill. Oak is the most appro
priate wood for the cases of both these clocks,
and the construction is very simple. The face
may be made of wood with the figures burned
in, or of a twelve-inch plate of brass with
figures of copper. If the latter is used, holes
should be drilled in the plate to receive the
pins which rivet on the figures. These pins
are simply bent over after the figures are in
place. In both cases the door at the back
should have a silk panel in it so that the sound
may easily pass through.
Figure 26 shows a child's high-chair de
signed in the typical Craftsman style. In
building this chair put everything together
except the arms and when the glue is dry
the arm dowels are
fitted and the back
ones shoved into
place. Then by pres
sure the front will
spring into its proper
position. All the
dowels should be well
glued. Care should
be used in the join
ing of the seat rails
and it should also be
noted that three-
eighths of an inch is
cut from the bottom
of the back post after
the thair is put to-

•f/HOi

CABIN OR MOUNTAIN CAMP.

183

CABINET WORK FOR HOME WORKERS

FIGURE THIRTY-TWO.-
RUSTIC CHAIR.

gether. This makes a little slant back to the
seat and gives a comfortable position to the
sitter. The back slats of the chair are slightly
curved — a thing that can be done by thorough
ly wetting or steaming the wood and
pressing it into shape and then allowing
it to dry. The arms of the adjustable tray
are cut from a single piece of wood and
the back ends are splined by sawing straight in
to a point beyond the curve and inserting in
the opening made by the saw a piece of wood
cut with the grain and well glued. This device
gives strength to a point that otherwise would
be very weak.
Figure 27 shows a screen which is very
easy to make, yet most decorative, owing to the
proportion of
the leaves, the
curving of the
top and the use
of keys to hold
together the
broad V-joint
ed boards of
tlie lower part.
The upper part
may be of silk,
leather, or any
material that is
preferred. Figures 2 8
and 29 show a
rustic bench
and table

meant for a log cabin or mountain camp.
The legs cf the bench are made of small
logs whicli are hewn or planed at four an
gles, leaving the round surface and the wane,
so that the piece has in it some of the irregu
larity of the trunk of the growing tree. The
top of the bench is made of a split log planed
only at the upper side, the under side being
stripped of its bark and left in the natural
shape. The horses for the table are made in
the same way as the legs of the bench. The
table top is in two pieces, the wide thick planks
of which it is made being finished as carefully
as for any well-made table. These table
boards are locked together underneath so that
there is no danger of their parting when in
use and they can easily be taken apart when
it is necessary to move or set aside the table.
The great convenience of this table is that it
can be taken to pieces and used anywhere, in
doors or out.
Figures 30, 31, 32 and 33 show some sub
stantial pieces of rustic furniture designed for
country or camp life or for outdoor use. The
first is a swinging seat for the veranda or
lawn; the second, a bedstead for use in a log
cabin or camp; the third is a rustic chair and
the fourth a rustic couch for outdoor use. The
value of this rustic furniture is not wholly
that it is durable and capable of weathering
sun and rain alike, but that it makes a special
appeal to the amateur carpenter, as its rough
exterior hides defects in joining and there is
not the special need of well seasoned and care
fully prepared lumber that is so essential to
the success of the finer pieces.

FIGURE THIRTY-THREE.— COUCH FOR VERANDA OR LAWN.

184

OUR NATIVE WOODS AND THE CRAFTSMAN
METHOD OF FINISHING THEM
So much of the success of the whole
Craftsman scheme of building and deco
ration depends upon the right selection
and treatment of the woodwork, which
forms such an important part of the structural
and also of the decorative scheme, that we
have considered it worth while to devote an
entire chapter to such information and instruc
tion as we are able to give concerning some of
our native woods that we consider most desir
able for this purpose. We are taking up only
the woods that are native to this country, for
the reason that they are nearest at hand and
because, when finished by our method, they
reveal the beauty of color and grain that forms
the basis of the whole Craftsman idea of
interior decoration. These vary widely, as
each wood possesses strongly marked charac
teristics as to color, texture and grain ; but all
the woods we mention here are desirable for
interior trim and the use of them is much more
in accordance with the Craftsman scheme of
decoration than are the elaborate and more or
less exotic effects obtained by the use of
expensive foreign woods. This does not mean
that we claim greater beauty for the native
woods, but merely that, when properly treated,
they are quite as interesting as any of the more
costly woods imported from other countries
and have the great advantage of being easily
obtainable at moderate cost.
We need not dwell upon the importance of
using a generous amount of woodwork to give
an effect of permanence, homelikeness and
rich warm color in a room. Anyone who has
ever entered a house in which the friendly
natural wood is used in the form of wainscot
ing, beams and structural features of all kinds,
has only to contrast the impression given by
such an interior with that which we receive
when we go into the average house, where the
plain walls are covered with plaster and paper
and the conventional door and window frames
are of painted or varnished wood, in order to
realize the difference made by giving to the
woodwork its full value in the decorative
scheme. No care bestowed on decoration, or
expense lavished on- draperies or furniture,
can make up for the absence of wood in the
interior of a house. This is a truth that has
long been understood and applied in the older
countries, especially in England, whose mellow
friendly old houses are the delight and despair
of Americans ; but it is only a few years since

we began to apply it to the building and fur
nishing of our own homes. With us the reali
zation of the possibilities of natural wood
when used as a basis for interior decoration
first took root in the West, particularly on the
Pacific Coast, where the delightful atmosphere
of rooms that were wainscoted, ceiled and
beamed with California redwood gave rise to
a new departure in the finishing and decora
tion of our homes, and stirred the East to
follow suit.
In recommending the generous use of wood
work, however, we would have it clearly
understood that we mean the use of wood so
finished that its individual qualities of grain,
texture and color are preserved so far as pos
sible, and such treatment of wall spaces and
structural features that they are not made
unduly prominent, but rather sink quietly into
the background and become a part of the room
itself, forming a friendly unobtrusive setting
for the furniture, draperies and ornaments,
instead of coming into competition with them.
To this end the woodwork should be so
finished that its inherent color quality is deep
ened and mellowed as if by time and its sur
face made pleasantly smooth without sacri
ficing the woody quality that comes from
frankly revealing its natural texture. When
this is done, the little sparkling irregularity of
the grain allows a play of light over the sur
face that seems to give it almost a soft radi
ance, — a quality that we lose entirely in wood
work that is filled, stained to a solid color,
varnished and polished so that the light is
reflected from a hard unsympathetic surface.
It is interesting also to note how much the
character of a room depends upon the kind of
wood we use in it. For example, the impres
sion given by oak is strong, austere and dig
nified, suggesting stability and permanence
such as would naturally belong to a house
built to last for generations. It is a robust,
manly sort of wood and is most at home in
large rooms which are meant for constant use,
such as the living room, reception hall, library
or dining room. Chestnut, ash and elm, —
although each one has an individual quality
of color and grain that differentiates it from
all the others, — all come into the same class
as oak, in that they are strong-fibered, open-
textured woods that find their best use in the
rooms in which the general life of the house
hold is carried on. The finer-textured woods,

185

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

such as maple, beech, birch and gumwood, are
more suitable for the woodwork in smaller and
more daintily furnished rooms that are not
so roughly used, such as bedrooms or small
private sitting rooms. Aside from this general
classification, the choice of wood for interior
woodwork naturally must depend upon the
taste of the home-builder, the requirements of
the decorative scheme planned for the house
as a whole, and the ease with which a par
ticular kind of wood may be obtained.
In considering the relative value of our
native woods for interior woodwork, we are
inclined to give first place to the American
white oak, which possesses not only strength
of fiber and beauty of color and markings, but
great durability, as its sturdiness and the hard
ness of its texture enables it to withstand
almost any amount of wear. In this respect
it is far superior to the other woods, such as
chestnut, ash and elm, which we have men
tioned as being in the same general class of
open-textured, strong-fibered woods ; although
these, under the right treatment, possess a
color quality finer than that of oak, in that
they show a greater degree of that mellow
radiance which counts so much in the atmos
phere of a room. This is especially true of
chestnut, which is so rich in color that it fairly
glows. But in addition to its dignity and dura
bility, there is something about oak that stirs
the imagination. Not only is it suggestive of
the rich somber time-mellowed rooms of old
English houses which have seen generation
after generation live and die in them, but it is
the wood we are accustomed to associate with
nearly all the magnificent carved work of
earlier days. In fact, oak has come to stand
as a symbol of strength and permanence, and
a great part of our affection for it comes from
the romance and the rare old associations with
which its very name is surrounded.
There are many varieties of oak in this
country, but of these the white oak is by far
the most desirable, both for cabinetmaking and
for interior woodwork. One reason for this
is the deep, ripened color it takes on under
the process we use for finishing it, — a process
which gives the appearance of age and mellow
ness without in any way altering the character
of the wood. We refer to the fuming with
ammonia, which we have already described in
the preceding chapter. The fact that ammonia
fumes will darken new oak was discovered by
accident. Some oak boards stored in a stable

in England were found after a time to have
taken on a beautiful mellow brown tone and
on investigation this change in color was dis
covered to be due to the ammonia fumes that
naturally are present in stables. This ripen
ing, so essential to the beauty of oak wood
work, takes a long time when left to the un
aided action of air and sunlight, and the fact
that the wood darkened very quickly when it
was stored in a stable led to experimenting
with the effect of ammonia fumes upon various
kinds of oak. The reason for this effect -was
at first unknown and, to the best of our belief,
it was not discovered until the experiments
with fuming made in The Craftsman Work
shops established the fact that the darkening
of the wood was due to the chemical affinity
existing between ammonia and tannic acid, of
which there is a large percentage present in
white oak. This being established, prepara
tions were at once made for using ammonia
fumes in a practical way, which we have
already described in a preceding chapter. The
process mentioned there, however, is prac
ticable only when furniture is to be fumed,
as it is quite possible to construct an air-tight
compartment sufficiently large to hold one or
more pieces of furniture, but when it comes
to fuming the woodwork of a whole room
it is not so easy. The fuming boxes we use
in The Craftsman Workshops are made of
tarred canvas stretched tightly over large light
wooden frames which are padded heavily
around the bottom so that no air can creep in
between the box and the floor. The box is
drawn to the ceiling by means of a rope and
pulley; the furniture is piled directly below
and shallow dishes are set around the edges
inside the line that marks the limits of the com
partment. The box is then lowered almost to
the floor; very strong aqua ammonia (26 per
cent.) is quickly poured into the dishes and
the box dropped at once to the floor. The
strength of the ammonia used for this pur
pose may be appreciated when one remembers
that the ordinary ammonia retailed for house
hold use is about 5 per cent.
Of course, for fuming interior woodwork,
the air-tight compartment is hardly practi
cable ; but a fairly good substitute for it may
be obtained by shutting up the room in which
the woodwork is to be fumed, stuffing up all
the crevices as if for fumigating with sulphur
and then setting around on the floor a liberal
number of dishes into which the ammonia is

186

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

poured last of all. It is hardly necessary to
say that the person to whom the pouring of
the ammonia is entrusted will get out of the
room as quickly as possible after the fumes
are released.
Another way of treating oak with ammonia
is to brush the liquid directly on the wood, but
owing to the strength of the fumes this is not
a very comfortable process for the worker
and it is rather less satisfactory in its results.
The ammonia being in the nature of water, it
naturally raises the grain of the wood. There
fore, after the application, it should be allowed
to dry over night and the grain carefully sand
papered down the next day. As this is apt to
leave the color somewhat uneven, the wood
should again be brushed over with the am
monia and sandpapered a second time after it
is thoroughly dry. This method of getting rid
of the grain is by no means undesirable, for
the wood has a much more beautiful surface
after all the loose grain has been raised and
then sandpapered off. Where paint or varnish
is used there is no necessity for getting rid of
the grain, as it is held down by them. But
with our finish, which leaves the wood very
nearly in its natural state, it is best to dispose
of the loose grain once for all and obtain a
natural surface that will remain permanently
smooth. We find the finest white oak in the Middle
West and Southwest, especially in Indiana,
which has furnished large quantities of the
best grade of this valuable wood. Like so
many of our natural resources, the once bounti
ful supply of our white oak has been so
depleted by reckless use that it is probable
that ten or fifteen years more will see the end
of quartered oak, and possibly of the best
grades of plain-sawn oak as well. The popu
larity of quarter-sawn oak, — a very wasteful
process of manufacture, — is one of the causes
of the rapid depletion of our oak forests. We
append a small cut showing the cross-section
of a tree trunk marked with the lines made
by quarter-sawing. As will be seen, the trunk
is first cut into quarters and then each quarter
is sawn diagonally from the outside to the
center, naturally making the boards narrower
and increasing the waste. There is some hope
to be derived from the fact that great stretches
of oak timberland are now being reforested
by the Government, but at best it will be a
generation or two before these slow-grovnng
trees are large enough to furnish the best

quality of lumber. There is no question as to
the greater durability of quarter-sawn oak for
uses which demand hard wear and also where
the finer effects are desired, as in furniture,
but for interior woodwork plain-sawn oak is
not only much less expensive than quarter-
sawn but is quite as desirable in every way.
The markings are stronger and more interest
ing, the difference between the hard and soft
parts of the grain is better defined, and the
openness of texture gives the wood a mellower
color quality than it has when quarter-sawn.
The distinguishing characteristic of quarter-
sawn oak is the presence of the glassy rays, —
technically called medullary rays, — which bind
the perpendicular fibers together and give the
oak tree its amazing strength. In quarter-
sawing, the cut is made parallel with these

Cross-section ol tree-trunk, showing method of quartcr-sawmg
medullary rays instead of across them, as is
done in straight sawing, so that they show
prominently, forming the peculiar wavy lines
that distinguish quartei^sawn oak. Thc pres
ervation of the binding properties of these
rays gives remarkable structural strength to
the wood, which is much less liable to crack,
check or warp than when it is plain-sawn.
This, of course, makes a difference when it
comes to making large panels, table tops, or
anything else that shows a large plain surface,
and for these uses quarter-sawn oak is pref
erable merely because it "stands" better. But
for the woodwork of a room, we much prefer
the plain-sawn oak on account of its friendli
ness and the delightful play of light and shade
that is given by the boldness and color varia
tion of the grain. When quarter-sawn oak is
used for large stretches of woodwork, the
effect is duller and more austere because the

187

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

color of the wood is colder and more uniform
and it shows a much harder and closer texture.
In the final finishing of oak woodwork, the
method that we find most practicable differs
somewhat from that described in the direc
tions we have already given for finishing fur
niture. As the woodwork in a room is not
called upon to stand the hard wear that is
necessarily given to the furniture, we do not
need the shellac, and after the right tone has
been obtained by fuming, the wood may be
given several coats of prepared floor wax and
then rubbed until the surface is satin smooth.
If, however, a darker shade of brown is
desired, the fumed wood may be given one or
more coats of thin shellac, with a little color
carried on in each coat, and then finished with
wax after the manner described in the direc
tions given for finishing furniture. This
method of finishing is one that we have
adopted after years of experimenting and it
has become so identified with the Craftsman
use of oak that it has been very generally
taken up by other makers of this style of fur
niture and by decorators who advocate the
Craftsman treatment of interior woodwork.
Next in rank to oak for use in large rooms
comes chestnut, which is equally attractive in
fiber and markings, has a color quality that is
even better, and is plentiful, easily obtained
and very reasonable as to cost. While it lacks
something of the stateliness and durability of
oak, chestnut is even more friendly because of
the mellowness and richness of its color, which
under very simple treatment takes on a lumi
nous quality that seems to fill the whole room
with a soft glow like that of the misty color
that is radiated from trees in autumn. Chest
nut takes even more kindly than oak to the
fuming process, because it contains a greater
percentage of tannin and the texture of the
wood itself is softer and more open. But
unless a deep tone of brown is desired, fuming
may be dispensed with, because the wood is
so much richer in the elements from which
color can be produced that a delightful effect
may be obtained merely by applying a light
stain of nut brown or soft gray, under which
the natural color of the wood appears as an
undertone. The staining is very easy to do,
but care should be taken to have only a very
little color in each coat because the wood takes
the stain so readily that a mere trifle of super
fluous color will give a thick muddy effect that
destroys the clear luminous quality which is

the chief charm. In the case of our Crafts
man houses, we find it easier to fume chestnut
woodwork than to stain it, and this process is
the more to be recommended because chestnut
takes the fumes of ammonia very quickly and
easily. Also because of this, the ammonia
should never be brushed directly on the wood,
which is so porous that the moisture is sure
to raise the grain to such an extent that the
amount of sanding required to smooth it down
again destroys the natural surface. One great
advantage of chestnut, — aside from its charm
of color, texture and markings, — is that it is
very easy to work, stays in place readily and
is so easy to dry that the chances of getting
thoroughly dry lumber are much greater than
they would be if oak were used.
Next to chestnut, in our opinion, comes
rock elm, — a wood that is fairly abundant, not
expensive, and easily obtainable, especially in
the East. Rock elm is not affected by the
fumes of ammonia and, so far as our experi
ments go, we have never been able to obtain
the right color effect by the use of chemicals.
Therefore, in order to get a good color, this
wood has to be stained. The colors which are
most in harmony with its natural color are
brown, green, and gray, particularly in the
lighter shades. The distinguishing peculiarity
of rock elm is its jagged or feathery grain.
Also, the difference in color between the hard
and softs parts of the wood is very marked,
giving, under the right treatment, a charming
variation of tone. If one has the patience
to experiment with stains on small pieces of
rock elm, some unexpectedly good effects may
be obtained. Care must be taken, however,
that the stain is light enough to show merely
as an over-tone that modifies the natural color
of the wood, as the interplay of colors in the
grain is hidden by too strong a surface tone.
Elm is excellent for interior woodwork where
the color effect desired is lighter than that
given by either oak or chestnut and also it is
hard enough to make pretty good furniture.
This last is a decided advantage, especially in
a room containing many built-in pieces which
naturally form a part of the woodwork. In
the earlier days of our experimenting with
Craftsman furniture we made a good many
pieces of elm and found them, on the whole,
very satisfactory.
Brown ash comes into the same class with
rock elm, as it is good for furniture as well as
interior woodwork. It has a texture and color

188

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

very similar to elm and should be treated in
the same way with a very light stain of either
brown, gray or green, aU of which blend per
fectly with the color quality inherent in the
wood. Unfortunately, however, brown ash is
no longer plentiful, having been wasted in the
same reckless way that we have wasted other
excellent woods. Some years ago it was used
in immense quantities for making cheap furni
ture, agricultural implements and the like, and
as it was used not only freely but wastefully,
the supply is today very nearly exhausted.
In considering all these woods in connection
with interior woodwork, it is well to keep in
mind that each one of them harmonizes
admirably with all the others while retaining,
to the full, its own individuality. Therefore,
in finishing the rooms on the first floor of a
house, it is merely a matter of personal choice
as to whether or not the same wood should be
used throughout, or each room finished in a
different wood. We have often recommended
that one wood be used because in a Craftsman
house there are practically no divisions or par
titions between the rooms, and in this case the
effect is so much like that of one large room
with many nooks and corners that it would
seem the natural thing to use one kind of
wood for the interior woodwork throughout.
However, if a variation should be desired, —
and especially if the separation between the
rooms were a little more clearly defined, — the
use in different rooms of the different woods
we have mentioned would be most interesting,
as by this means variety in the woodwork
could be obtained without any loss of harmony.
In buildings where it seems desirable to
show in the woodwork the bold, strikingly
artistic effects such as we associate with Jap
anese woods, we can heartily recommend
cypress, which is plentiful, easily obtained
and not expensive. For bungalows, mountain
camps, seaside cottages, country clubs and the
like, where strong and somewhat unusual
effects afe sought for, cypress will be found
eminently satisfactory, as it is strong and bril
liant as to markings and possesses most inter
esting possibilities in the way of color. Cypress
is a soft wood belonging to the pine family
and we get most of it from the cypress swamps
in the Southern States. It is very like the
famous Japanese cypress, which gives such
a wonderful charm to many of the Japanese
buildings and which is so identified with the
Japanese use of woods. Over there they bury

it for a time in order to get the color quality
that is most desired, — a soft gray-brown
against which the markings stand out strongly
and show varying tones. This method, how
ever, did not seem expedient in connection
with our own use of the wood and after long
experimenting we discovered that we could
get much the same effect by treating it with
sulphuric acid.
This process is very simple, as it is merely
the application of diluted sulphuric acid
directly to the surface of the wood. The
commercial sulphuric acid should be used
rather than the chemically pure, as the first
is much cheaper and is quite as good for this
purpose. Generally speaking, the acid should
be reduced with water in the proportion of
one part of acid to five parts of water, but
the amount of dilution depends largely upon
the temperature in which the work is done.
Conditions are best when the thermometer
registers seventy-five degrees or more. If it
is above that, the sulphuric acid will stand
considerably more dilution than it will take if
the air is cooler. Of course, in the case of
interior woodwork, it is possible to keep the
room at exactly the right temperature by
means of artificial heat, but when exterior
woodwork or shingles are given the sulphuric
acid treatment, it is most important to take
into consideration the temperature and state of
the weather. Exposure to the direct rays of
the sun darkens the wood so swiftly that a
much weaker solution is required than when
the work is done in the shade. In any case,
it is best to do a good deal of experimenting
upon small pieces of wood before attempting
to put the acid on the woodwork itself, as it
is only by this means that the exact degree of
strength required to -produce the best effect
can be determined. After the application of
the acid the wood should be allowed to dry
perfectly before putting on the final finish.
For interior woodwork this last finish is given
by applying one or two coats of wax ; for the
exterior, one or two coats of raw linseed oil
may be used. If the wood threatens to become
too dark under the action of the acid, the burn
ing process can be stopped instantly by an
application of either oil or wax, so that the
degree of corrosion is largely under the con
trol of the worker. A white hog's-bristle
brush should be used for applying the acid,
as any other kind of brush would be eaten up
within a short time. Also great care should

189

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

be taken to avoid getting acid on the face,
hands, or clothing.
In connection with the subject of cypress
for interior woodwork, we desire to say some
thing concerning its desirability for outside
use, such as half-timbering and other exterior
woodwork. It is one of the most attractive
of all our woods for such use because of its
color quality and markings and it has the
further advantage of "standing" well, without
either shrinking or swelling. Naturally the
sulphuric acid treatment that we have just
described applies to this wood whether it is
used indoors or out.
Another use of cypress is found in the rived
cypress shingle which give us some of the
most interesting effects in exterior wall sur
faces. These shingles are the product of one
of our few remaining handicrafts, and our
sole source of supply depends upon the negroes
in the Southern swamps. These negroes are
adepts at splitting or riving shingles, and when
they get the time or need a little extra money,
they split up a few cypress logs into shingles
and carry them to a lumber merchant in the
nearest town. Consequently, the quantity that
is available in the market varies, as no mer
chant has any great or steady supply of rived
shingles and has to accumulate them by degrees
and store them, in order to be able to fill any
large order. Being hand-rived, these shingles
cost about twice as much as the machine-sawn
shingles, but they are well worth the extra
outlay if one desires a house that is beautiful,
individual and durable. The sawn shingle,
unless oiled or stained in the beginning, is apt
to get a dingy, weather-beaten look under the
action of sun and rain and to require renew
ing early and often. But the rived shingle has
exactly the surface of the growing tree from
which the bark has been stripped; or, to be
more exact, it shows the split surface of a
tree trunk from which a bough has been torn,
leaving the wood exposed. This surface,
while full of irregularities, preserves the
smooth natural fiber of the tree, and this takes
on a beautiful color quality under the action
of the weather, as the color of the wood ripens
and shows as an undertone below the smooth
silvery sheen of the surface, — an effect which
is entirely lost when this natural glint is cov
ered with the "fuzz" left by the saw. These
rived shingles are also made of juniper, which
is as good in color as cypress and has proven
itself even more durable.

All cypress woodwork, whether interior or
exterior, takes stain well; and if staining is
preferred to the sulphuric acid treatment, very
good effects may be gained in this way. We
wish, however, to repeat the caution against
using too strong a stain, as the effect is always
much better if a very little color is carried on
in each coat. We cannot too strongly urge the
necessity of preliminary experimenting with
small pieces of wood in order to gain the best
color effects, and we also recommend that in
finishing the woodwork of the room itself a
very light color be put on at first, to be dark
ened if a deeper color is found necessary to
give the desired effect. The reason for this
is that a color which may be considered perfect
upon a small piece of wood that is examined
closely and held to the light, may prove either
too strong or too weak when it is seen on the
woodwork as a whole. Much of the effect
depends upon the lighting of the room, and
therefore it is best to go slowly and "work up"
the finish of the woodwork until exactly the
right effect is gained. After staining cypress
woodwork it should be given either a coat of
shellac or wax, or of wax alone, if the amount
of wear does not necessitate shellac.
California redwood, when used for interior
woodwork, gives an effect as interesting as
that obtained by the use of cypress ; but red
wood does not respond well to the sulphuric
acid treatment, which darkens and destroys its
beautiful cool pinkish tone. In fact, redwood
is best when left in its natural state and rubbed
down with wax, as it then keeps in its purity
the color quality that naturally belongs to it.
Except for this slight finish and protection to
the surface, it is a good wood to let alone, as
either oil or varnish gives it a hot red look that
is disquieting to live with and does not har
monize with any cool tones in the furniture;
stains disguise the charm of its natural color
and the chemical treatment brings out a
purplish tone and gives a darkened and rather
muddy effect.
While hard pine is fairly plentiful and lends
itself well either to the sulphuric acid treat
ment or to simple staining, we do not recom
mend it for interior woodwork, as it costs no
less than other woods we have mentioned and
is less interesting in color and grain. But if
it should be preferred, we would recommend
that it be treated with the sulphuric acid, which
gives a soft gray tone to the softer parts of

190

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

the vvood and a good deal of brilliancy to the
markings. In considering the woods that are most
desirable for woodwork in rooms where light
colors and dainty furnishings are used, birch
comes first on the list, as it is nearest in char
acter to the open-textured woods we have just
described. Of the several varieties, red birch
is best for interior woodwork. It is easily
obtained all over the East, the Middle West
and the South and costs considerably less than
the other woods we have mentioned. When
left in its natural state and treated with sul-
phiiric acid, red birch makes really beautiful
interior woodwork, as the acid deepens its
natural color and gives it a mellowness that is
as fine in its way as the mellowness produced
in oak or chestnut by fuming. Some such
treatment is absolutely necessary, for if red
birch is left in its natural state, its color fades
instead of ripening, so that it gets more and
more of a washed-out look as time goes on.
In using the acid on birch it is necessary to
have a stronger solution than is required in the
case of cypress ; one part of acid to three parts
of water should give it about the required
strength. One advantage of birch is its hard
ness, for after the acid treatment it needs only
waxing and rubbing to give it the final finish.
The good qualities of birch, treated in this way
and used for interior woodwork, are very little
known, because it is the wood which has been
used more than any other to imitate mahogany.
The grain of birch is very similar to that of the
more expensive wood, and when it has been
given a red water stain and finished with
shellac and varnish it bears a close resemblance
to mahogany finished in the modern way, —
which is by no means to be confused with the
rare old Spanish mahogany of the eighteenth
century. Another excellent wood for use in a room
that should have comparatively fine and deli
cate woodwork is maple, which can either be
left in its natural color or finished in a tone of
clear silver gray. As is well known, the nat
ural maple takes on with use and wear a tone
of clear pale yellow. This is not considered
generally desirable, but if it should be needed
to complete some special color scheme, it can
be given to new maple by the careful use of
aqua fortis, which should be diluted with
water and used like sulphuric acid. The same
precautions should be observed in using it, as
it is a strong corrosive. Maple is generally

considered much more beautiful when finished
in the gray tone, as this harmonizes admirably
with the colors most often used in a daintily
furnished room, — such as dull blue, old rose,
pale straw color, reseda green and old ivory.
It is not at all difficult to obtain this gray
finish, for all that is needed is to brush a weak
solution of iron rust on the wood. This solu
tion is not made by using oxide of iron, —
which is commonly but erroneously supposed
to mean the same thing as iron rust, — but is
obtained by throwing iron filings, rusty nails
or any small pieces of iron into acid vinegar
or a weak solution of acetic acid. After a
couple of days the solution should be strained
off and diluted with water until it is of the
strength needed to get the desired color upon
the wood. It is absolutely necessary in the
case of this treatment to experiment first with
small pieces of wood before the solution is
applied to the woodwork as a whole, because
otherwise it would be impossible to judge as
to the strength of solution needed to give the
desired effect. The color does not show at all
until the application is thoroughly dry. If it
is too weak, the wood will not be gray enough,
and if it is too strong, it will be dark and
muddy looking, sometimes almost black. After
the woodwork so treated is perfectly dry and
has been carefully sandpapered with very fine
sandpaper, it should be given a coat of thin
shellac that has been slightly darkened by put
ting in a few drops of black aniline (the kind
that is soluble in alcohol) ; then it is given the
final finish by rubbing with wax. These are
the only methods we know that give good
results on maple. We have tried the sulphuric
acid treatment upon this wood, but have not
found it satisfactory.
Beech, which is a little darker than maple
and of a similar texture and grain, is equally
desirable for the same uses. It may be treated
either with iron rust or aqua fortis, following
the same directions given in the case of maple.
This wood is cheap and abundant and is
usually found in the same regions which pro
duce birch and maple. Poplar also does very
well for the woodwork in a room that is not
subjected to hard wear, as it is a very soft
wood and will not stand hard usage. The best
finish is simply a brown or green stain thin
enough to allow the natural color of the wood
to show through it. This natural color has in
it a strong suggestion of green, so that it

191

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

affiliates with the green stain and modifies the
brown. One wood that hitherto has been very little
known, but that is coming more and more into
prominence for the finer sorts of interior
woodwork, is gumwood, which is obtained
from the red gum that grows so abundantly
in the Southern States and on the Pacific
Coast. It is a pity that this beautiful wood
should have been so little used that most people
are unfamiliar with it, because for woodwork
where fine texture, smooth surface and delicate
coloring are required, quarter-sawn gumwood
stands unsurpassed among our native woods.
The best effects are obtained from gumwood
by treating it with the iron-rust solution used
in the way already described in connection
with maple; but much more diluted, as the
color of gumwood needs only the slightest
possible mellowing and toning to make it per
fect. When treated with a very weak iron-
rust solution it bears a close resemblance to
Circassian walnut, and the surface, which is
smooth and lustrous as satin, shows a delight
ful play of light and shade. Sulphuric acid
may be used on gumwood, but should be much
more diluted than for any other wood, the
proportion of acid being not more than one
part to eight parts of water. This treatment
gives a pinkish cast to the natural gray-brown
tone of the wood, and while this does not har
monize as readily with most colors as does the
pure gray-brown, it is very effective with cer
tain decorative schemes.
Other woods that are valuable for interior
woodwork, although much less plentiful than
those we have named, are black walnut, butter
nut, quartered sycamore and several other
woods that come naturally into the same class.
Our American black walnut, although one of
the standard woods in Europe, has been in a
great measure spoiled for us because of its
abuse during what we now speak of as the
"black walnut period," which has come to mean
over-ornamentation, distorted shapes and gen
eral bad taste. We have no forests of black
walnut left, but there are still single trees, so
that if this wood is especially desired, it may
be obtained without much difficulty. The
characteristics of butternut are much the same
as those of black walnut, but it is rather lighter
in color and not so hard.
Many people prefer white enameled wood
work for daintily furnished rooms. When this
is used, the best kinds of wood for the purpose

are poplar and basswood, preferably poplar.
One thing should be remembered in connection
with white woodwork, and that is that it should
be treated in an entirely different way from
the typical Craftsman woodwork, which de
pends for its effect upon the beauty of color
and grain and therefore emphasizes these by
means of simple forms, straight lines and plain
surfaces. When white enameled woodwork is
used, the style of it should be more elaborate,
as all the interest that naturally belongs to the
wood is hidden, and the only way to obtain the
play of light and shade necessary to break up
the monotony of the white surface is to use
moldings, headings and similar ornamentation,
after what is called the Adam style, which we
find in the best of our Colonial houses.
In considering interior woodwork one point
should not be forgotten; that is the great
interest that may be obtained by the right use
of what, from a commercial point of view, is
faulty wood. We all know the interest and
charm of paneling and other woodwork that
displays irregularities in the grain, such as
knots, knurls and all sorts of queer twists.
One of the best examples is found in the
"curly" redwood, which is so greatly sought
after in Cahfornia. While the use of such
pieces adds greatly to the beauty of a room,
the selection of them requires much taste and
judgment and absolutely demands that the per
sonal attention of the owner or decorator be
given to the work. It is never safe to trust
the selection of faulty wood to the lumber
merchant or its placing to the carpenter. The
necessity of this care is rather an advantage
than otherwise, because it is upon just such
touches as these that much of the individuality
of a decorative scheme depends.
We have treated fully the selection and
coloring of the wood, but one practical detail
that should be remembered by all who desire
beautiful woodwork is that particular atten
tion should be paid to having all the wood
thoroughly kiln-dried. Even more important
is the necessity of having the house free from
dampness before the woodwork is put in,
because no wood, however dry and well
seasoned, will stand against the dampness of
a newly plastered house. In fact, the effect
upon the woodwork in such a case is almost
worse than when the wood itself is not thor
oughly seasoned, for in the latter case it will
merely shrink, while dampness in the house
will cause it to swell and bulge. The drying

192

WOODS AND HOW WE FINISH THEM

of wood not only needs close attention but the
aid of some experienced person, as kiln-dried
lumber is very apt to be uneven, and there is
need of very careful watching while the wood
is in the kiln to insure the even drying of all
the boards, or the woodwork will be ruined.
Another thing that is worth watching is the
final smoothing of the wood before it is put
into place. After it leaves the planing machines
in the mill it has to be made still smoother,
and so most mills that furnish interior trim
have installed sandpapering machines. These
are convenient and labor-saving, but give a
result that is very undesirable for fine wood
work, as the rotary sanding "fuzzes" the grain
and, under the light finish we use, it is apt to
be raised and roughened by moisture absorbed
from the atmosphere. This does not matter
when the woodwork is varnished, because the
varnish holds it down, but where the natural
surface of the wood is preserved great care
should be used in the treatment of the grain.
The popularity of Craftsman furniture and
interior woodwork has created a demand for
a surface that shows the sheen of the knife
rather than the fuzz of the sanding machine,
and some mills have met this demand by put
ting in scraping machines. These give better
results than the sanding machines, but nothing
equals the surface that is obtained by smooth
ing the wood by hand just before it is put into
place. For this we use the hand scraper and
a smoothing plane that is kept very sharp, as
by this method the fiber is cut clean instead of
being "cottoned out" and the sheen that nat
urally belongs to the wood is unimpaired.
Although this means hand work, it_ is not
very expensive because of the inconsiderable
quantity of wood that is used in a house. Also
the Craftsman method of finishing afterward
costs so little that the slight extra care and
expense incurred in obaining just the right
surface is well worth while.
In connection with the woodwork jn a house
it is necessary to give some attention to the
floors, which come into close relation with the

treatment of the walls. The best wood for
flooring is quartered oak, which all lumber
merchants keep in stock in narrow widths,
tongued and grooved. We find, however, that
a more interesting floor can be made by using
wider boards of uneven width, as this gives
an effect of strength and bigness to the room.
These wide boards need not be tongued and
grooved, but may be put together with butt
joints and the boards nailed through the top
by using brad-head nails that can be counter
sunk and the holes puttied up so that they are
almost invisible. When very wide boards are
used it is best to build the floor in "three ply,"
like paneling. Plain-sawn oak is also good for
flooring, but it is more likely to warp and
sliver than quartered oak and it does not lie
so flat. An oak floor, whether plain or
quarter-sawn, must always be filled with a
silex wood filler so that its surface is made
smooth and non-absorbent. The color should
be made the same as that of the woodwork,
or a little darker ; and after the stain is applied,
the floor should be given one coat of shellac
and then waxed. In rooms where the color
schemes permit a slightly reddish tone in the
floor, we would suggest that either birch or
beech be used for flooring, as these may be
finished by the sulphuric acid process, — a
method which is better than stain because it
darkens the wood itself and therefore does not
wear off with use. If a gray floor should be
desired, we would suggest maple treated with
the iron-rust solution. In either case a coat
of thin shellac should be applied after the
chemical has been thoroughly dried, — say
twenty-four hours after the first application, —
and then waxed in the regular way. For ordi
nary floors a good wood to use is comb-
grained pine, which receives its name from the
method of sawing that leaves the grain in
straight lines, not unlike the. teeth of a comb.
This does not warp or sliver and is very
durable ; it may be treated with stain and then
given the regular finish of shellac and wax.

193

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA OF THE KIND OF HOME
ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD RESULT FROM MORE
NATURAL STANDARDS OF LIFE AND WORK
JN this book we have endeavored to set forth as fully as possible the
several parts which, taken together, go to make up the Craftsman
idea of the kind of home environment that tends to result in
wholesome living. We have shown the gradual growth of this
idea, from the making of the first pieces of Craftsman furniture
to the completed house which has in it all the elements of a per
manently satisfying home. But we have left until the last the
question of the right setting for such a home and the conditions under which the
life that is lived in it could form the foundation for the fullest individual and
social development.
There is no question now as to the reality of the world-wide movement in the
direction of better things. We see everywhere efforts to reform social, political
and industrial conditions; the desire to bring about better opportunities for all
and to find some way of adjusting economic conditions so that the heart-breaking
inequalities of our modern civilized life shall in some measure be done away with.
But while we take the greatest interest in all eflforts toward reform in any direct
tion, we remain firm in the conviction that the root of all reform lies in the indi
vidual and that the life of the individual is shaped mainly by home surroundings
and influences and by the kind of education that goes to make real men and
women instead of grist for the commercial miU.
That the influence of the home is of the flrst importance in the shaping of
character is a fact too well understood and too generally admitted to be offered
here as a new idea. One need only turn to the pages of history to find abundant
proof of the unerring action of Nature's law, for without exception the people
whose lives are lived simply and wholesomely, in the open, and who have in a
high degree the sense of the sacredness of the home, are the people who have
made the greatest strides in the development of the race. When luxury enters
in and a thousand artificial requirements come to be regarded as real needs, the
nation is on the brink of degeneration. So often has the story repeated itself
that he who runs may read its deep significance. In our own country, to which
has fallen the heritage of all the older civilizations, the course has been swift, for
we are yet close to the memory of the primitive pioneer days when the nation was
building, and we have still the crudity as well as the vigor of youth. But so
rapid and easy has been our development and so great our prosperity that even
now we are in some respects very nearly in the same state as the older peoples
who have passed the zenith of their power and are beginning to decline. In our
own case, however, the saving grace lies in the fact that our taste for luxury and
artificiality is not as yet deeply ingrained. We are intensely commercial, fond
of all the good things of life, proud of our ability to "get there," and we yield the
palm to none in the matter of owning anything that money can buy. But,
fortunately, our pioneer days are not ended even now and we still have a goodly
number of men and women who are helping to develop the country and make
history merely by hving simple natural lives close to the soil and full of the interest
and pleasure which come from kinship with Nature and the kind of work that
194

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
calls forth all their resources in the way of self-reliance and the power of initiative.
Even in the rush and hurry of life in our busy cities we remember well the quaUty
given to the growing nation by such men and women a generation or two ago and,
in spite of the chaotic conditions brought about by our passion for money-getting,
extravagance and show, we have still reason to believe that the dominant char
acteristics of the pioneer yet shape what are the saUent quahties in American life. ^
To preserve these characteristics and to bring back to individual life and \
work the vigorous constructive spirit which during the last half-century has
spent its activities in commercial and industrial expansion, is, in a nut-shell, the
Craftsman idea. We need to straighten out our standards and to get rid of a
lot of rubbish that we have accumulated along with our wealth and commer
cial supremacy. It is not that we are too energetic, but that in many ways we
have wasted and misused our energy precisely as we have wasted and misused
so many of our wonderful natural resources. All we really need is a change
in our point of view toward life and a keener perception regarding the things
that count and the things which merely burden us. This being the case, it would
seem obvious that the place to begin a readjustment is in the home, for it is only
natural that the relief from friction which would follow the ordering of our hves
along more simple and reasonable lines would not only assure greater comfort,
and therefore greater eflSciency, to the workers of the nation, but would give
the children a chance to grow up under conditions which would be conducive
to a higher degree of mental, moral and physical efficiency.
THEREFORE we regard it as at least a step in the direction of bringing
about better conditions when we try to plan and build houses which will
simphfy the work of home life and add to its wholesome joy and comfort.
We have already made it plain to our readers that we do not believe in large
houses with many rooms elaborately decorated and furnished, for the reason
that these seem so essentially an outcome of the artificial conditions that lay
such harassing burdens upon modern life and form such a serious menace to
our ethical standards. Breeding as it does the spirit of extravagance and of
discontent which in the end destroys all the sweetness of home hfe, the desire
for luxury and show not only burdens beyond his strength the man who is am
bitious to provide for his wife and children surroundings which are as good as
the best, but taxes to the utmost the woman who is trying to keep up the appear
ances which she believes should belong to her station in life. Worst of all, it
starts the children with standards which, in nine cases out of ten, utterly pre
clude the possibihty of their beginning life on their own account in a simple and
sensible way. Boys who are brought up in such homes are taught, by the silent
influence of their early surroundings, to take it for granted that they must not
marry until they are able to keep up an establishment of equal pretensions, and
girls also take it as a matter of course that marriage must mean something quite
as luxurious as the home of their childhood or it is not a paying investment for
their youth and beauty. Everyone who thinks at all deplores the kind of life
that marks a man's face with the haggard fines of anxiety and makes him sharp
and often unscrupulous in business, with no ambition beyond large profits and
a rapid rise in the business world. Also we all realize regretfully the extrava-
195

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
gance and uselessness of many of our women and admit that one of the gravest
evils of our times is the light touch-and-go attitude toward marriage, which breaks
up so many homes and makes the divorce courts in America a by- word to the
world. But when we think into it a little more deeply, we have to acknowledge
that such conditions are the logical outcome of our standards of living and that
these standards are always shaped in the home.
That is why we have from the first planned houses that are based on the big
fundamental principles of honesty, simplicity and usefulness, — the kind of houses
that children will rejoice all their hves to remember as "home," and that give
a sense of peace and comfort to the tired men who go back to them when the
day's work is done. Because we believe that the healthiest and happiest life
is that which maintains the closest relationship with oul-of-doors, we have
planned our houses with outdoor living rooms, dining rooms and sleeping rooms,
and many windows to let in plenty of air and sunlight. The most cursory ex
amination of the floor plans given in this book will show that we have put into
practical effect our conviction that a house, whatever its dimensions, should
have plenty of free space unencumbered by unnecessary partitions or over-much
furniture. Therefore we have made the general living rooms as large as pos
sible and not too much separated one from the other. It seems to us much more
friendly, homelike and comfortable to have one big hving room into which one
steps directly from the entrance door, — or from a small vestibule if the climate
demands such a protection, — and to have this living room the place where all
the business and pleasure of the common family life may be carried on. And
we like it to have pleasant nooks and corners which give a comfortable sense of
semi-privacy and yet are not in any way shut off from the larger life of the room.
Such an arrangement has always seemed to us symbolic of the ideal conditions
of social life. The big hospitable fireplace is almost a necessity, for the hearth
stone is always the center of true home life, and the very spirit of home seems
to be lacking when a register or radiator tries ineffectually to take the place of
a glowing grate or a crackling leaping fire of logs.
Then too we believe that the staircase, instead of being hidden away in a
small hall or treated as a necessary evil, should be made one of the most beauti
ful and prominent features of the room, because it forms a link between the
social part of the house and the upper regions which belong to the inner and
individual part of the family life. Equally symbohc is our purpose in making
the dining room either almost or wholly a part of the living room, for to us it is a
constant expression of the fine spirit of hospitality to have the dining room, in
a way, open to all comers. Furthermore, such an arrangement is a strong and
subtle influence in the direction of simpler living because entertainment under
such conditions naturally grows less elaborate and more friendly, — ^less ahen
to the regular life of the family and less a matter of social formaHty.
Take a house planned in this way, with a big Hving room made comfortable
and homehke and beautiful with its great fireplace, open staircase, casement
windows, built-in seats, cupboards, bookcases, sideboard and perhaps French
doors opening out upon a porch which links the house with the garden; fill this
room with soft rich restful color, based upon the mellow radiance of the wood
tones and sparkling into the jeweled high lights given forth by copper, brass,
196

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
or embroideries; then contrast it in your own mind with a house which is cut up
into vestibule, hall, reception room, parior, hbraiy, dining room and den,—
each one a separate room, each one overcrowded with furniture, pictures and
bnc-a- brae,— and judge for yourself whether or not home surroundings have
any power to influence the family hfe and the development of character. If
you will exanime carefully the houses shown in this book, you will see that they
all form varying expressions of the central idea we have just explained, although
each one is modified to suit the individual taste and requirements of the owner.
This is as it should be, for a house expresses character quite as vividly as does
dress and the more intimate personal belongings, and no man or woman can
stej) into a dweUing ready made and decorated according to some other per
son's tastes and preferences without feehng a sense of strangeness that must
be overcome before the house can be called a real home.
It will also be noticed in examining the plans of the Craftsman houses that
we have paid particular attention to the convenient arrangement of the kitchen.
In these days of difficulties with servants and of inadequate, inexperienced help,
more and more women are, perforce, learning to depend upon themselves to
keep the household machinery running smoothly. It is good that this should be
so, for woman is above all things the home maker and our grandmothers were
not far wrong when they taught their daughters that a woman who could not
keep house, and do it well, was not making of her hfe the success that could
reasonably be expected of her, nor was she doing her whole duty by her family.
The idea that housekeeping means drudgery is partly due to our fussy, artificial,
overcrowded way of living and partly to our elaborate houses and to incon
venient arrangements. We believe in having the kitchen small, so that extra
steps may be avoided, and fitted with every kind of convenience and comfort;
with plenty of shelves and cupboards, open plumbing, the hooded range which
carries off all odors of cooking, the refrigerator which can be filled from the out
side, — ^in fact, everything that tends to save time, strength and worry. In these
days the cook is an uncertain quantity always and maids come and go like the
seasons, so the wise woman keeps herself fully equipped to take up the work of
her own house at a moment's notice, by being in such close touch with it all the
time that she never lays down the reins of personal government. The Craftsman
house is built for this kind of a woman and we claim that it is in itself an incen
tive to the daughters of the house to take a genuine and pleasurable interest
in household work and affairs, so that they in their turn will be fairly equipped
as home makers when the time comes for them to take up the more serious
duties of life.
T X 7E HAVE set forth the principles that rule the planm'ng of the Craftsman
V/V/ house and have hinted at the kind of life that would naturally result
from such an environment. But now comes one of the most important
elements of the whole question, — the surroundings of the home. We need
hardly say that a house of the kind we have described belongs either in the open
country or in a small village or town, where the dwellings do not elbow or crowd
one another any more than the people do. We have planned houses for country /
living because we firmly believe that the country is the only place to live in. ^
197

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
The city is all very well for business, for amusement and some formal entertain
ment, — in fact for anything and everything that, by its nature, must be carried
on outside of the home. But the home itself should be in some place where
there is peace and quiet, plenty of room and the chance to establish a sense of
intimate relationship with the hills and valleys, trees and brooks and all the
things which tend to lessen the strain and worry of modern life by reminding us that
after all we are one with Nature.
Also it is a fact that the type of mind which appreciates the value of having
the right kind of a home, and recognizes the right of growing children to the
most natural and wholesome surroundings, is almost sure to feel the need of hfe
in the open, where all the conditions of daily life may so easily be made sane and
constructive instead of artificial and disintegrating. People who think enough
about the influence of environment to put interest and care into the planning of
a dwelling which shall express all that the word "home" means to them, are
usually the people who like to have a personal acquaintance with every animal,
tree and flower on the place. They appreciate the interest of planting things
and seeing them grow, and enjoy to the fullest the exhilarating anxiety about
crops that comes only to the man who planted them and means to use them to
the best advantage. Then again, such people feel that half the zest of hfe would
be gone if they were to miss the fulness of joy that each returning spring brings
to those who watch eagerly for the new green of the grass and the blossoming of
the trees. They feel that no summer resort can offer pleasures equal to that
which they find in watching the full flowering of the year; in seeing how their
own agricultural experiments turn out, and in triumphing over each success and
each addition to the beauty of the place that is their own. Few of these people,
too, would care to miss the sense of peace and fulfilment in autumn days, when
the waning beauty of the year comes into such close kinship with the mellow
ripeness of a well-spent life that has borne full fruit. And what child is there
in the world who would spend the winter in the city when there are ice-covered
brooks to skate on, the comfort of jolly evenings by the fire and the never-ending
wonder of the snow ? And all the year round there are the dumb creatures for
whom we have no room or time in the city, — the younger brothers of humanity
who submit so humbly to man's dominion and look so placidly to him for protec
tion and sustenance.
THANK heaven, though, we are not so far away from our natural environ
ment that it needs much to take us back to it. We have many evidences
of the turning of the tide of home life from the city toward the country.
Even workers in the city are coming more and more to realize that it is quite
possible to maintain their place in the business world and yet give their children
a chance to grow up in the country. Also the economic advantage of building
a permanent home instead of paying rent year after year is gaining an eve^r-
increasing recognition, so that in a few years the American people may cease to
deserve the reproach of being a nation of flat-dwellers and sojourners in family
hotels. The instinct for home and for some tie that connects us with the land
is stronger than any passing fashion, and although we have in our national hfe
phases of artificiality that are demoralizing they affect only a small percentage
198

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
of the whole people, and when their day is over they will be forgotten as com
pletely as if they had never existed. Psychologists talk learnecfly of "Ameri-
canitis" as being almost a national malady, so widespread is our restlessness
and feverish activity; but it is safe to predict that, with the growing taste for
wholesome country life, it will not be more than a generation or two before our
far-famed nervous tension is referred to with wonder as an evidence of past
ignorance concerning the most important things of hfe.
And when we have turned once more to natural hving instead of setting up
our puny affairs and feverish ambitions to oppose the quiet, irresistible course
of Nature's law, we will not need to turn hungrily to books for stories of a by
gone Golden Age, nor will we need to deplore the vanishing of art and beauty
from our lives, for when the day comes that we have sufficient courage and per
ception to throw aside the innumerable petty superfluities that hamper us now
at every turn and the honesty to realize what Nature holds for all who turn to
her with a reverent spirit and an open mind, we will find that art is once more a
part of our daily hfe and that the impulse to do beautiful and vital creative work
is as natural as the impulse to breathe.
Therefore it is not idle theorizing to prophesy that, when healthful and natural
conditions are restored to our lives, handicrafts will once more become a part
of them, because two powerful influences will be working in this direction as they
have worked ever since the earliest dawn of civilization. One is the imperative
need for self-expression in some form of creative work that always comes when
the conditions of life are such as to allow full development and joyous vigor of
body and mind. The other is that which closer relationship with Nature seems
to bring; a craving for greater intimacy with the things we own and use. Ma
chine-made standards fall away of themselves as we get away from artificial
conditions. It is as if wholesome living brought with it not only quickened per
ceptions but also a sense of personal affection for all the famihar surroundings
of our daily hfe. It is from such feehng that we get the treasured heirlooms
which are handed down from generation to generation because of their associa
tions and what they represent.
Naturally the primitive conditions of pioneer life in any nation include handi
crafts as a matter of course, from the simple fact that people had to make for
themselves what they needed or go without. We reahze that in this age of in
vention and of labor-saving machinery it is neither possible nor desirable to re
turn to such conditions, but we beheve that it is quite possible for a higher form
of handicrafts to exist under the most advanced modern conditions and that
achievements as great as those of the old craftsmen who made famous the Me
diaeval guilds are by no means out of the reach of modern workers when they
once reahze the possibilities that he in this direction. Our theory is that modern
improvements and conveniences afford a most welcome and necessary relief
from the routine drudgery of household and farm work by disposing quickly
and easily of what might much better be done by machinery than by hand, and
that therefore there should be sufficient leisure left for the enjoyment of life and
for the doing of work that is really worth while, which are among the things most
essential to all-round mental and moral development. Almost the greatest
drawback to farm life as it is today is the lack of interest and of mental alertness.
199

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
Especially is this the case during the winter months, when work on the farm
is slack and much time is left to be spent in idleness or in some trifling occupation.
Consider what the effect would be if it were made possible at such times to take
up some form of creative work that would not only bring into play every atom
of interest and abihty, but would also serve a practical purpose by adding con
siderably to the family income!
WE HAVE given a great deal of consideration to the practical side of such
a combination of handicrafts and farming, and we realize of course that
the great difficulty in the way of making such a thing possible by making
it profitable is the question of obtaining a steady market for the products of such
crafts as might be practiced in connection with countiy life. It is often urged
as an argument against handicrafts that hand-made goods could not possibly
compete with factory-made goods, and that it would be absurd for people to
waste time in making things for which there would be no sale. This does not
seem to us to be the case, for the reason that there is no competition between the
products of handicrafts and factory-made goods, because they are not measured
by the same standard of value nor do they appeal to the same class of consumer.
Hand-made articles have a certain intrinsic value of their own that sets them
entirely apart from machine-made goods. This value depends, not upon the
fact that the article is made entirely by hand or with appropriate tools, — that
is not the point, — but upon the skill of the workman, his power to appreciate
his own work sufficiently to give it the quality that appeals to the cultivated
taste and the care that he gives to every detail of workmanship, from the prep
aration of the raw material to the final finish of the piece. We are not urging
that handicrafts be cultivated in connection with farming for the purpose of
competing with the factories for the same class of trade, for, with the demand
that necessitates the immense production of goods of all kinds, the labor-saving
machinery and efficient methods of the factories are absolutely essential, just
as they are essential in the general economic scheme because they furnish em
ployment to thousands of workers who ask nothing better than to be allowed to
tend a machine with a certainty of so much a day coming to them at the end of
the week. The place of home and village industries on the economic side, is to
supplement the factories by producing a grade of goods which it is impossible
to duplicate by machinery, — and which command a ready market when they
can be found, — and to give to the better class of workers a chance not only to
develop what individual ability they may possess, but to reap the direct reward
of their own energy and industry in the feeling that they are free of the wage
system with all its uncertainties and that what they make goes to maintain a
home that is their own, to educate their children and to lay up a sufficient pro
vision against old age.
We do not deny that handicrafts, as practiced by individual arts and crafts
workers in studios, fall very short of affording a sufficient living to craft workers
as a class, and also we do not deny that small farming as carried on in our thinly
populated districts is neither interesting, pleasant, nor profitable. But we do
assert that it is possible to connect the two and to carry them on upon a basis
that will insure not only peace and comfort in living, and a form of industry
200

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
that affords the greatest opportunity for all-round development, but also a per
manent competence. To bring about such a condition is the end and aim of the
whole Craftsman idea. We call it by that name because we have been the first
to formulate it in this country. But it is in the air everywhere. It is taking
shape in several of the European countries in the form of government appro
priations for the reestabhshment and encouragement of handicrafts among the
people, government schools for the teaching of various crafts, and government
exchanges to look after the question of a steady market. In Great Britain and
Ireland the same thing is being done by private enterprise, partly as a matter
of social reform and partly as an effort of philanthropy. But in this country
conditions are different. We have no peasant class and almost the only people
in need of social reform, or of philanthropic efforts in their behalf are the vast
hordes of immigrants who pour into the country each year and too often find
it difficult to adjust their lives to American conditions.
THE people to whom the Craftsman idea makes its appeal are the better
class farmers who own their farms, workers in the city who are able to get
together a little place in the country and build up a permanent home, and
the better class of artisans who desire to escape from the routine of factory work.
That such people are taking a keen interest in the question of life in the country
and that farming is rapidly being restored to its former status as a desirable occu
pation is evidenced by the encouragement given to the widespread activities of
the Department of Agriculture, which is doing so much to bring about better
and more economical methods of cultivating the soil. We have plenty of proof
that these efforts do not fall short in the matter of results, for all over the country
there is a ffrowins; appreciation of the possibilities that lie in intensive agriculture
and a desire to learn something of modern scientific farming. We most heartily
endorse all that is being done along these lines ; but we go a step farther because
we maintain that the whole standard of living must be changed before there can
be a return of natural conditions to our lives. For example, we have been ac
customed of late years to an artificial scale of income and expenditure, and the
prices of the most ordinary necessities of life have risen so high that it takes all
the average man can do to make ends meet. This is both wrong and unneces
sary, but a natural consequence of artificial conditions, and we maintain that the
only way to correct it is to put ourselves in a position to realize that, in permitting
our lives to be ruled by false standards and inflated values, we have lost sight of
the principle that economy means wealth. When we regain this simple and
reasonable point of view, we will flnd no difficulty in admitting that comfort and
happiness in living do not depend upon the amount of money we can make and
spend, but upon pleasant surroundings and freedom from the pressure of want
and apprehension; and when this truth is brought home to the affairs of daily
life, the work of establishing natural standards is done.
Therefore we advocate a return to cultivating the soil as a means of obtaining
the actual living, — that is, of looking to garden, grain-patch, orchard, chicken
yard and pasture for the vegetables, fruits, cereals, eggs and meat consumed by
the family. If properly cared for and cultivated according to the modern methods
that are now everybody's for the learning, a little farm of five or ten acres can be
201

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
made not only to yield a living for its owner and his family but a handsome sur
plus for the markets, thus serving the double purpose of stopping the outflow
and adding to the income of actual money as well as providing home comfort
and healthful working surroundings. The farm home once established, its
owner is free of any steady expense save for taxes and repairs, so that every
thing that is done is constructive and cumulative in its effects.
This, in brief, is the whole idea of the Craftsman home, — a pleasant com
fortable dwelling situated on a piece of ground large enough to yield, under proper
cultivation, a great part of the food supply for the famil;^. Such a home, by
its very nature, would be permanent and, with the right kind of education and
healthful occupation for the children, would do much to stop the flow of popu
lation into the great commercial centers and to insure a more even division of
^ prosperity throughout the land. In many instances the home is an established
fact, but the education and the occupation are yet to come. It is with a view to
solving this problem that we advocate individual handicrafts in the home and
I industries to be carried on upon a more extended scale in the neighborhood or
the village. • The very fact of a thorough training in any useful craft would in
sure to a boy or girl the right groundwork for an education, so that the solution
' of one problem is practically a solution of both.
Naturally, the greatest field for home handicrafts lies in the making of house
hold furnishings, wearing apparel and articles of daily use. For example, there
is a large and steady demand for hand-woven, hooked and hand-tufted rugs in
good designs and harmonious colorings, especially when they can be had at
reasonable prices. That there would be a market for good hand-made rugs
in this countiy is shown by the demand for similar rugs that are made abroad
by peasant labor. This is, of course, much cheaper than any class of labor in
this country. Nevertheless, the same grade of rugs could be made here by home
and farm workers and sold at a profit at the same price that must be demanded
for the imported rugs, after the high import duty on this class of goods has been
added to the original cost. Also cabinetmaking, considered as a handicraft,
opens a field of unusually wide and varied interest, as the making of things so
closely associated with our daily life and surroundings is a form of work that is
both delightful and profitable. Iron work is equally interesting, and a prelim
inary training in good hard blacksmithing not only offers an excellent founda
tion for the doing of good things in structural iron work and articles for house
hold use, but it equals wood work in developing any creative power that may be
latent in the worker. Weaving and needlework come into the first rank of in
teresting and profitable crafts, and among the lighter industries that offer a
chance for individual expression and at the same time pay pretty well, are basketry,
block printing, dyeing, lace making, bookbinding and the like.
EVER since its first publication in nineteen hundred and one. The Crafts
man Magazine has, in one form or another, been advocating this idea ; and
we have most satisfactory proof in the growth and standing of the maga
zine that a great many people in this country are thinking along the same lines.
When The Craftsman was founded it was with the intention of making
it a magazine devoted almost solely to the encouragement of handicrafts in this
202

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
country. We beheved, then, as we beheve now, in the immense influence for
good in the development of character that is exerted merely by learning to use
the hands. One needs only to look at any part of the history of handicrafts
to realize how much strength, sincerity and genuine creative thought went into
the work of the old craftsmen who were also such sohd and substantial citizens.
We have always felt that it is not the making of things that is important, but
the making of strong men and women through the agency of the sound develop
ment that begins when the child learns to use its hands for shaping to the best
of its ability something which is really needed either for its own play or for the com
fort and convenience of others in the home. It is going back in spirit to the primi
tive beginning of handicrafts, — which marks the oeginning of civilization, and is
so important a factor in the growth of character that upon it depends nearly every
quahty of heart and brain that goes into what we may caU the craftsmanship
of life. But, as The Craftsman grew and step by step attained a wider out
look, the question of the study of handicrafts as an end in itself gradually
sunk to a position of minor importance in the policy of the magazine. Our
belief that in it lay the foundation of all growth was no less, but the field was so
broad that the record and discussion of all constructive work in the larger affairs
of life came gradually to take first place.
As we began to design houses and to shape the idea of the Craftsman country
home as we have here tried to describe it, we took up the subjects of architecture and
interior decoration, doing our best to promote the establishment of the right stand
ards and to offer all the aid in our power toward the development of a national
spirit in our architecture. This naturally led to other forms of art, and The
Craftsman became a magazine for painters and sculptors as well as for ar
chitects, interior decorators and craftsmen. Along these lines it has always
been progressive and rather radical, aiming always to discover and bring to the
front any notable achievement that seemed to indicate the blazing of a new trail.
The magazine has also taken the deepest interest in all social, industrial and
political reforms and in the question of industrial education along practical
lines that would fit any boy or girl to earn a living under any and all circum
stances. In fact, taken altogether. The Craftsman has been the outward
and visible expression of the more philosophic side of the Craftsman idea, just
as the houses and their furnishings have put into form its more concrete phases.
We have also paid a good deal of attention to agriculture in The Crafts
man, taking it up along very general lines. But we nave felt that this is a field
which required much more exhaustive treatment than we are able to give it in
the pages of a magazine of this character. So to meet this need, we are about
to establish a second magazine that will be ^called "The Yeoman" and that
will be devoted entirely to the interests of farming, the possibihties of life in
rural communities and to the handicrafts that might profitably be carried on in
connection with agriculture.
THE time has come, however, to test out all the principles we have been
advocating and give them the most practical and comprehensive demon
stration within our power. Therefore we are jhisjear opening a country
place, where everything we have said can be put to the test of practical experience.
203

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
This place is called "Craftsman Farms" and it serves as a most complete
exposition of the Craftsman idea as a whole. "Craftsman Farms" is situated
in the hill country of New Jersey, and our intention is to make it a summer home
and school for students of farming and handicrafts. While grown people are
welcome, the chief object of the school's existence is to provide an opportunity
for the instruction of boys and girls whose parents desire for them a method of
traimng that will enable them to earn a living in whatever circumstances they
may happen to be placed. In other words, we purpose to teach them to work
with their hands,— not to hoe, dig, plow, or chop wood in a mechanical way, —
but to do the kind of constructive work which requires direct thought and which
will train them to cope with all the practical problems of life. In fact, the plan
of the school is not only a return to the old system of apprenticeship, where the
student learned his trade by mastering its difficulties one by one under the guid
ance of a master craftsman, but it is apprenticeship on improved lines because,
instead of working for the benefit of the master, the student acquires by working
solely for the sake of his own thorough training and the development in himself
not merely skill but initiative and self-reliance.
The instruction will be in the form of lectures and informal talks from the
teachers, who wdll not only give in this way such theoretical knowledge as seems
to be required but will answer all questions and respond to all suggestions, so
that the student's brain is necessarily made alert by his being forced to take an
active part in his own training. The method of instruction will be the same
throughout, whether the subject be agriculture, landscape gardening, house
building, designing, or any one of the handicrafts. In the latter, students will
work side by side with experienced craftsmen, so that every lesson will be the
solving of some problem and the doing of actual work according to the methods
employed by the best workmen.
For example, every man, sooner or later, hopes or intends to build himself
a home. Imagine what that home might be if, as a boy, he had been trained to
have a practical working knowledge of dravdng, of construction, of the quality
and use of different woods, of finishing these woods so that their full value would
be brought out and of laying out the grounds surrounding his house so that the
most harmonious environment would be a matter of course. As the thing stands
now, most men hire some one else to do this sort of thing, which practically
amounts to hiring some one else to think for them in matters that most intimately
concern their personal life and surroundings.
It is now being very generally acknowledged that our present methods of
education fail to a serious degree in the vital work of educating boys and girls
toward the larger business of life, — toward the understanding of how to do, and
the abihty to do, those things upon which our physical existence depends. It
does not by any means follow that training along hues of practical work will con
fine the future activities of the boy to manual labor or to the necessity of doing
things for himself. He may use his abihties in as many other directions as he
can, but we beheve that learning to do the actual work of daily hfe in the country
gives him a kind of abihty that may be applied to any form of work, mental or
manual, with the best effect, and also that any one possessing it may at any
time get back to first principles and start afresh. It has always seemed to us that
204

THE CRAFTSMAN IDEA
the great disintegrating force in our modern way of living hes in the system by
whicn|everything is done by rote, — and largely by machinery, — and where labor
of all kinds is so specially divided that a man, whether he be workman or director,
has very little^chance to cope with problems outside of his own particular line
of work. The great purpose in life and work is the development of character and
it naturally follows that true development can come only by the training and use
of all the faculties in coping with all the problems that may come up in the
ordinary course of life.
In addition to the instruction given at "Craftsman Farms," the conditions
of life there will be such as to carry out the same idea. The students, whether
young or old, will be housed in small hamlets scattered about the neighborhood
in places chosen on account of their fitness for the several things to be done.
Each group of cottages will be under the care of a house mother and an instructor
and the student will go from hamlet to hamlet until, at the end of the course,
he is not only master of the trade he has chosen to learn but also has a general
knowledge of related trades and of farming. For example, most of the cottages
in which the students live will be designed and built with their active assistance,
as the students will be invited to use their own brains and creative ability in
designing houses and cottages that they would like to live in or that seem suited
to the place. In doing this, of course, they will work directly with the corps of
architects that has in charge the designing of the cottages, and in the actual build
ing the students will be allowed to work side by side with experienced carpenters,
stone masons, wood finishers, cabinetmakers, blacksmiths and coppersmiths,
so that every lesson will be the doing of actual work in the way it is done by com
petent workmen.
Aside from the educational feature of this enterprise, one of the main objects
in carrying it out along the lines indicated is to put to a practical test our favorite
theory of a farming community grouped around a central settlement where all
social interchange and recreation are as full and convenient as they would be in
the city and where every house is within easy reach of the farm lands that belong
to it. If the experiment should prove a success, we confidently look to see it put into
practice by many other people; and if it should not, at least we shall have dis
covered its weak points and have learned something by experience. In any
case, the school is meant to complete the work begun by the magazine and to give
to the world the result of aU the experience we have gained since the first incep
tion of the Craftsman idea ten years ago. If it should have ever so httle in
fluence in bringing about the development of our national life along the lines
laid down by the men who founded the Republic, it will have fulfilled its mission,
because a truth which one man finds courage to utter today is echoed and applied
by thousands tomorrow.

205

Art & firchitecture Library
£9 JfiN 1997 10:53 PM ftfllS
Item 3 9002 030 £34 835
To 146 48 0550 d
Due 31 JflN 1997 03:45 flW
Jatl5+909S
Craftsman Homes (Stickley,
Gustav) 1909

3 9002

E^'r

¦-:m