. Houses for town or country. HOUSES FOR TOWN OR COUNTRY RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL CABOT, ESQ., NEAR BOSTON the qualified architect, but an architect who is rarelyin a position to do a completely finished job. He de-signs, of course, the exterior and proportions of theopenings, the disposition and the detail of the vari-ous rooms; but beyond that the decorations and thefurnishings of the dwellings are the work either ofthe head of the house or of some decorating com-pany. As in the latter case the decorating companyadorns and equips the rooms to suit the taste of theclient, the total effect is one w
. Houses for town or country. HOUSES FOR TOWN OR COUNTRY RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL CABOT, ESQ., NEAR BOSTON the qualified architect, but an architect who is rarelyin a position to do a completely finished job. He de-signs, of course, the exterior and proportions of theopenings, the disposition and the detail of the vari-ous rooms; but beyond that the decorations and thefurnishings of the dwellings are the work either ofthe head of the house or of some decorating com-pany. As in the latter case the decorating companyadorns and equips the rooms to suit the taste of theclient, the total effect is one which represents theaverage taste of well-to-do people rather thanthe higher taste of those specially trained. 108 THE HOUSE FOR ALL THE YEAR ^?^. DOORWAY AND APPROACH The total efifect consequently is apt to lack thearchitectural quality, the quality of careful compo-sition, of the subordination of detail to a singledominant idea, and of careful search for stuffs andfurnishings. The impression is too apt to be one ofupholstery—of apartments overcrowded with bigstuffed chairs, heavy, spacious tables, curtains andcoverings that jump out in large flowery patterns,and many other comfortable and commonplacethings; and such is the effect, in spite of the factthat the intention evidently is to do something good. 109 HOUSES FOR TOWN OR COUNTRY Indeed, the rooms, in spite of their homely appear-ance, have also the air not only of trying to beartistic, but of seeking to conform in their artistry tothe latest aesthetic ideas. The result of these con-flicting tendencies is colonial rooms without a traceof the Colonial reticence and distinction, with Colo-nial furniture that is machine-made, too clumsy ortoo cheap and fragile. In spite of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectarchitecturedomestic
