Our homes, and how to beautify them . FIG. 41. CHII\tNEV-riECE IN OAK. himself. The speculative builder, who is responsible for a very large proportion?of our dwelling houses, does not as a rule, lay himself out for artistic chimney-pieces ; [nor indeed does he, or his architect, always consider how far, ii at all,the chimney-piece chosen is appropriate to the room in which it is fitted. 79 OUR HOMES,. KIG. 42. ADAMS IN IAINTEU Still, the mantel-piecesof to-day, even the kindvouchsafed by the specu-lative builder, are a greatimprovement on thoseof thirty or forty yearsago. The hideousre
Our homes, and how to beautify them . FIG. 41. CHII\tNEV-riECE IN OAK. himself. The speculative builder, who is responsible for a very large proportion?of our dwelling houses, does not as a rule, lay himself out for artistic chimney-pieces ; [nor indeed does he, or his architect, always consider how far, ii at all,the chimney-piece chosen is appropriate to the room in which it is fitted. 79 OUR HOMES,. KIG. 42. ADAMS IN IAINTEU Still, the mantel-piecesof to-day, even the kindvouchsafed by the specu-lative builder, are a greatimprovement on thoseof thirty or forty yearsago. The hideousregister grate, with acold formal polishedmarble architrave, wasin general use, and thefireplace, instead ofbeing the expression ofa generous artisticcomfort, was the veryreverse. The prettytiled hearth had becomealmost obsolete. The h i s t o r \ ofthe c h i m n e y-p i e c e,especial!) if it were wellillustrated with goodexamples, should be auseful work. I n oldtimes the a m o u n tof skilled labour andartistic feeling employedin a house of impor-tance on the carving ofa chimney-piece was ameasure of the domesticsentiment which attach-ed to it. Jhis was tosome extent the caseon the (Continent, aswell as here, and there
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectinterio, bookyear1902
