Cottages: Hints on Economical Building
9781465671912
213 pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
During the past few years our conception of what a country house should be, has entirely changed. Simplicity, elegance and refinement of design are demanded, and outward display, overloading with cheap ornamentation, is no longer in favor. Naturally the more expensive houses were the first to get the benefit of the architectural inspiration drawn largely from England. But now that English gables and dormers have spread so widely, now that we realize the beauty of our own colonial architecture, and that the Queen Anne craze is subsiding, so that only its best features remain, the less ambitious dwellings must not be left to the mercy of those builders whose ideas of beauty are limited to scroll-saw brackets and French roofs. It is our intention, in presenting a number of designs for country houses, to show what can be done with simple means, and to give sketches of cottages that may meet the wants of many who desire inexpensive homes which shall be at the same time cosy and picturesque. It must be stated, however, that all we can hope to do in the compass of this little volume is to give some hints on building and offer a few suggestions and ideas which may be of value to those about to build. It is by no means claimed that the drawings here given are sufficient for constructing the houses. Proper working drawings are a much more serious affair, and should in all cases be prepared by an architect. This is as important for a cottage as for a mansion. It seems hardly necessary to enlarge upon the importance of an architect’s services, since that is now generally recognized. Sensible people, when they are ill, consult a physician and not an apothecary; and when they wish to plan a house, they take the advice of an architect and not a builder. Both apothecary and builder are of course necessary, but they must be wisely directed or they may be dangerous indeed. In this “intensely new world,” as Matthew Arnold calls it, we have not yet had time to pay much attention to our simpler kind of dwellings. One can say but little for the majority of our cottages beyond that they give us shelter from the sun, rain and wind. The quaint interest, the great beauty of old European towns, are so marked, that we would do well to remember that each of the houses in their picturesque old streets was evidently built to suit the special tastes and requirements of its owner. At present, the fashion is set; and, while it lasts, all cottages are built to suit. The fashion changes and the next batch of cottages must come up to the new standard. Now, ready-made houses, like ready-made clothes, may fit, but the conditions of house-planning are complex and the requirements are many and varied. The house in which we live should have some individuality, and not be a mere duplicate of our neighbor’s dwelling. We do not care to confess that we are exactly like other people. Of course we are not. We may not wish to be considered eccentric or “funny,” but we do flatter ourselves that we have some ideas of our own; so our home, if it is to be a home, must be planned just to suit our habits. Regarding the exterior appearance, that, to a certain extent at least, will proclaim both the disposition of the interior and its inmates.
