The House Desirable

Front matter

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Introduction

Yr | “AHIS is a book about small houses, for they are the homes of the present generation, the homes which most of us own or wish to own. Few, even among

the wealthier classes, desire great mansions, for, in these

days of cars and world travel the range of our interests has widened. The home may be the centre of those interests,

but not the boundary. We are conscious that there is a

world beyond, a world to be explored and enjoyed, and

therefore we do not covet establishments the upkeep of which would absorb the greater portions of our overtaxed incomes.

There are people who love to compare unfavourably our own times with those of our forefathers, and many of these tell us that the arts and crafts of homemaking which were fostered by the great landowners of former times are dead or dying. They think that the raids which have been made upon accumulated and inherited wealth have caused the disappearance of those stately mansions which were once the glory of England. There are few wealthy families to-day, they tell us; consequently, few fine homes.

Obviously, this is a fallacy, for there are more millionaires to-day than at any previous period. The truth is that even millionaires do not desire town palaces and vast country seats with armies of retainers. If they wished for such magnified homes, there are many to be purchased at breaking-up prices.

To our womenkind we must look for the explanation, and they will tell us that great establishments, which involve the employment of many servants, are responsibilities without any compensating advantages. The interests of women are

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no longer bounded by their homes, and they do not wish them to be so bounded. The snobbish idea that the size of a_residence and the number of servants are criteria of social position is as dead as Queen Anne. The wealthy woman of to-day does not desire a palace; she prefers a service flat somewhere in W.1; also a small country house, for preference old, but rendered comfortable by the installation of electric lighting, central heating, modern bathroom and kitchen. She will furnish a house throughout with genuine antiques, for such is the fashion to-day. Little, but good, is her ideal. She may lavish a fortune upon treasures for the possession of which she will bid against the connoisseurs of Europe, and she may ransack Britain and the Continent, gaining much knowledge thereby, in the search for the antiques which she loves. Her charming home she will describe, very modestly, as her ‘cottage’, for there is something lovable about that term.

In addition, she may desire a villa, somewhere on the Mediterranean ; but this, like her other residences, will be small, for preference, so that it may be managed easily and locked up at any time when its owner wishes to be free to travel.

The young wife of to-day who is not blessed, or cursed, with wealth does not pine for a double-fronted house larger than that of her neighbours. Her ideal may be described, according to the taste and fancy of the describer, as: a cottage and a car; a bungalow anda Baby Austin, or a maisonette and a Morris Minor. If she live in the country, she has no desire for three acres and a cow; she would much prefer a quarter acre and a Cowley. :

I have never completely comprehended the phrase : ‘ Fools build houses, and wise men live in them’; but, if it were paraphrased thus: ‘ Fools build big houses and wise women refuse to live in them,’ it would to-day be true. The tide of feminine opinion flows irresistibly, and he who would try to check it has a harder task than that of King Canute.

Having realized these facts, it would appear to be an easy matter to provide the homes that are required. It might be .— supposed that almost any competent architect could design - small or medium-sized houses, convenient, ‘ labour saving ’

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INTRODUCTION 3

—to use the favourite description of the Estate Agents—and possessing the indefinable quality of charm.

Unfortunately, we have only to look at England to-day in order to realize that the task is not so easy as it seems. Everywhere, we see new houses which can only be described as hideous. Everywhere, our once beautiful country is being disfigured. Everywhere, fine old English homes are being demolished, and estates are being cut up into tiny plots upon which are erected modern villas and bungalows which are ill proportioned, often badly built, and so ugly that strangers might suppose us to be a nation of barbarians totally lacking the sense of beauty. :

Such a supposition would be entirely untrue, for, as a nation, we love our homes—our small homes—and desire that, within and without, they should possess charm and dignity. If it were otherwise, we should not hear so frequently complaints that our country is being spoiled by the modern builder. We do hear complaints, but, in spite of all ‘the protests that are made by the home-buying public, and by the many Societies which are interested in the preservation of the natural beauty of our land, the work of destruction continues. Beautiful old buildings disappear, and are replaced by modern villas which have no architectural merit whatever.

Every motorist knows this, so, as most of my readers are motorists, I presume, there is no need to labour the point. We are agreed that we want better homes, more beautiful homes, homes that will adorn, not mar, our towns and countryside, homes of our own that we can love.

What can we do in order to raise the general standard of domestic architecture in this country ?

Many people think that, if municipal authorities exercised greater control over the design of new houses, the disfigurement of England would be stayed. This sounds plausible until we look critically at the County Council cottages which have been erected in all parts of the country since the war. In most cases, though there are exceptions, these are the most hideous of all buildings erected within the memory of man. ay

Asa rule, all that municipal authorities care about is control with regard to such matters as sanitation. They a

4 THE JHOUSE —DESLKABUE make by-laws, and appoint Surveyors to ensure that these laws are observed. To all rules there are exceptions, but it must be understood that a Surveyor may be an engineer rather than an artist. Even if he wished to control design, in the hope of improving the esthetic standard of buildings, he would not have the power.

Since the war, many of us think that there has been too much control of private enterprise in England, and we do not wish for more; but, if we did admit the principle that municipal authorities should have wider powers, then, I think, they should be compelled to appoint one or more architects of proved ability to give advice when plans for new buildings were submitted.

Another suggestion made from time to time is that only qualified architects should be allowed to design houses, as it is supposed that all bad work is to be attributed to speculative builders who are not directed by duly accredited professional men. It is possible, I think probable, that considerable improvement might be made if trained architects only were permitted to design, but I see objections. I have the greatest admiration for British architects as a body, but it would be absurd to suppose that they are all artists. Many would be far better described as capable engineers with the ability to design watertight, enduring, and, perhaps, convenient houses, but entirely lacking the esthetic sense, even though they have had training which would have developed that quality if, rudimentarily, it had been inborn.

By saying this, I do not think I shall cause offence to members of an honourable profession amongst whom I have many good friends. Like all other professional men, they criticize each other freely in the privacy of their offices or homes, and-every one of them knows that some architects have appreciation of beauty and the genius and training which enable them to raise one of the oldest crafts to the status of high art, but that there are others who are better employed upon the design of buildings of purely utilitarian character. Technical skill and the magic touch of genius are sometimes linked, but they may exist apart. |

That trained professional and impartial men should have — some control over the building of houses upon which, to agreat

INTRODUCTION 5 extent, the national health depends, is right ; but, though many may disagree with me, I do not think that we should necessarily make England beautiful if, by legislative action, we made it impossible for any persons, other than those having professional qualifications, to show taste and originality in design. Neither do I think that we should improve the standard of English poetry, literature, painting, sculpture and music, if the practice of these arts were confined to those who had gained admission to strictly guarded professionalism.

After all, we must remember that many of the beautiful houses and cottages of England—those which we regard as standards of beauty, and with which we compare unfavourably the houses of to-day—were designed and built long before there was a sharp division between architects and builders. The master builders of old times followed their own traditions, or their own fancies, built with materials which were nearest to hand, and evolved local styles which suited their surroundings so well that the homes they made seemed to become natural features of the landscape.

We have many present-day architects who have the warmest admiration of the work of old-time builders who evolved local styles, and, by studying the older buildings in various districts, they are able to design new houses which harmonize with their surroundings.

There are still a few builders in England who have had no architectural training, and know little about the classical styles, but, by following their local traditions, design and erect homes which are in every way admirable. About the work of some such builders I shall have much to say later. One whom I shall mention saved a beautiful English village from the fate which has befallen so many by designing and erecting new buildings which so closely resemble the old that it is difficult to distinguish between the modern and the ancient. Another builder, whose cottages I admire greatly, has created an entirely new village in one of the most beautiful parts of Southern England. He is an artist who loves his work.

I regret to say that such artists as these are rare. I fear there are very few builders in England to-day who can be

7 iy, trusted to provide beautiful homes without the assistance of architects, so it must not be thought that I recommend any reader to dispense with the services of the trained professional man. I wish only to prove that we cannot blame fairly either architects or builders en masse when we try to find out why England is being disfigured by so many ugly houses.

Rather, I think, we should blame many of our people who show so little interest in the beauty of their country that they buy ugly houses which are already built rather than take the trouble to search out designers who have talent, and commission them to plan good houses. If more of us would take this trouble—which should be pleasure—we should soon make England beautiful again.

I have the strongest sympathy with good architects, who are artists in their profession. At the present time they are hampered at every turn by economic conditions, for the cost of building has increased so greatly since the war that plans over which they have spent loving toil are rejected because they cannot be translated into bricks and mortar at the prices their clients are willing to pay. For anyone of the artistic temperament, I am afraid that architecture is a thankless profession. Often, in their drawing offices, I have found friends of mine almost tearful over plans which they are forced to revise because their clients wish to save a few pounds by the elimination of features which would give distinction to the work.

Those who would blame modern architects for lack of art should remember the conditions in which they work. Other artists are not forced to think constantly of the cost of the materials they use. The painter of pictures may produce good or bad work according to his ability, but he is not forced to paint bad ones because the canvas and colours _ would cost more if he attempted better work. An author does not have to consider the price of ink or paper, but the unfortunate architect is always hampered by sordid consideration of the cost of translating his paper plans into tangible buildings. Even the great Wren, we are told, was often driven to despair because he was forced to revise and curtail his plans, and I have read that he applied money from his own ridiculously small salary to the work of building when

INTRODUCTION 7 he found that his masterpiece was endangered by the cheeseparing policy of those who would limit the cost.

On succeeding pages I shall endeavour to show how some architects, some builders, and many private home-seekers have solved the various problems I have mentioned. I shall endeavour to prove that beautiful homes need not necessarily cost more than those which are ugly. I shall give appreciation where it is due. Architects by the rules of their profession are not allowed to advertise, so much good work which is being done to-day is unknown to the general public, and, as good work is swamped by so much that is bad, many think that all modern work is poor.

With this view I do not agree. I think there is a revival of good taste in England, and that we are at the beginning of an era in which appreciation of beautiful homes will become keener than it has ever been before.

In the production of this volume, which has occupied my spare time for some years, my methods have, perhaps, been somewhat unusual. I have not written to a large number of distinguished architects for photographic examples of their work. Instead, I have motored a great many thousands of miles about the country, and wherever I have seen a cottage or house which has impressed me as having charm, or any unusual features, I have stopped to study it, and, in many cases, to photograph it. ;

When I have found homes that have appeared to me to be of especial interest, I have walked boldly to the front doors, and have asked to see the owners. After passing a few compliments, I have found almost invariably that the owners have treated my intrusions with the utmost courtesy, and have, in fact, seemed pleased and flattered that their homes should be admired. In general, I have come to the conclusion that owners of charming houses are always charming people. I will leave philosophers to decide which is cause and which effect.

Many of the owners have allowed me to spend laborious but very happy days photographing the interiors of their homes, their treasures and their gardens. Many of them have become my firm friends.

I have seen hundreds of these English homes, and admired them long before I have known the names of their designers, — therefore my choice of subjects has been entirely impartial. Very frequently, I have found that houses which I have seen by chance, and have admired, were planned by architects who are justly famous; but, in many cases, I have found that they are the work of local architects quite unknown outside their own districts, or of local builders who have been guided by tradition and their own taste. Sometimes I have found that owners have designed their own houses.

I give as much prominence to the work of an unknown © man as to that of a distinguished architect, so I cannot be accused of prejudice.

Many will question my taste, of course; but I think the photographs here reproduced, selected from many thousands, fairly represent the work of many men who are striving

with more or less success to improve the standard of English homes of to-day. ws 5a

Part One Chapter <i

NOT READY-MADE HOUSES, BUT HOUSES MADE TO MEASURE your first impression may be that most of the houses were built many years ago, and, if you are a homeseeker, some of the pictures may make you wish that you

| F you glance hurriedly at the illustrations in this volume, could own one of the many charming cottages or small country residences which are depicted.

“Why cannot such homes be built to-day’, you may ask as you compare them with the thousands of somewhat crudely designed new villas which you see all over England at the present time.

At the outset, I wish to correct this first impression. Nearly all the homes here shown are new, and, with a few exceptions, they have been built since the war. You may own a cottage or house similar to any one of those shown, and my task is to tell you how it may be obtained.

This book is not intended to tantalize you with visions of delightful homes which are unattainable, but to show you, in the plainest and most practical manner possible, how you - may realize your dream of owning a truly charming residence in any part of the country in which you may live or desire to live.

I presume that you are not to be numbered among the

_ people who buy their clothes ready made. You prefer to be measured, and to show your individuality by your choice of

materials, colours and cut. Why then, if you dislike ready-

made clothes, should you tolerate ready-made houses ? Why not be measured for your home? |

It is as easy to go to an architect as to pay a visit to 9

~~ ae your tailor or couturiére. The home designer may show you many styles which may be adapted to your requirements, or he may take your instructions regarding the style and the price which you are prepared to pay, and then plan a house which for you and your family will be a perfect fit.

By making the suggestion that you should be fitted, I hope it will not be supposed that I refer only to size. Some modern houses fit rather too closely for comfort. I mean that your temperament and your taste should be fitted. Ii the building of houses to measure were merely a matter of supplying accommodation for a given number of persons, we might be guided by the example of a Norfolk gentleman of the old school whose lady presented him with ten children. When the younger ones grew to such age that they were entitled to seats at the ancestral dining-table, it was found that there was no room in the house large enough to accommodate them all, so the old gentleman, being of a practical nature, called in an architect. He then placed on the lawn twelve chairs, ten for the children and two for his lady and himself, and four spare ones for prospective guests, and requested the architect to take the necessary measurements and plan a new dining-room in which he could sit in patriarchal state with his family and chosen friends.

This story has been told to me as being true, and I have seen the room, which is a very handsome apartment, but it must not be taken as an example of the sort of fitting I mean. Clothes may fit and yet be unbecoming. We want houses that will become their owners, which will give some indication to their characters, and to their estate in life, and, above all else, which shall be beautiful. — =

Therefore, it is not about ready-made houses that I shall write, but about homes which may be designed and built especially for those who will inhabit them. Step by step, I propose to deal with such matters as the choice of sites, planning, the selection of architects and builders, the choice of materials, and the designing of such additional buildings as garages which, instead of being unsightly, as is so often the case, shall harmonize with houses and add something to their charm. I shall have something to say on the laying out of gardens, and much on the very important matter of a ee eee

A newly built cottage with a roof of thatch at West Chiltington Common, near Pulborough, a beautiful district in which many delightful little homes, such as this, have been erected within the last few years.

building costs, and the methods by which these may be ascertained with precision before contracts are signed. I shall endeavour to show how ‘ extras’ may be avoided, for I know by hard experience that these additional charges, often due to changes made in plans and specifications after contracts have been signed, or to the fact that certain essential matters have not been mentioned in the specifications, are the cause of many quarrels between architects, clients and builders. I know, also, that many people who hear of these unfortunate disputes fear to have houses built for them and prefer to purchase outright, for definite sums, such houses as are already completed, even though they are not in every way desirable.

I shall hope to prove that, providing a little foresight is exercised, a house made to measure need cost.no more than one which is ready made, and may, possibly, cost less. Also, I will show that the exact cost of a building, complete in every detail, may be determined before the work is begun, so there need be no fear of disputes.

Now, there are to-day many people, most of them motorists, who desire cottages or small houses, in the country or by the sea, to be used, not as permanent residences, but as quiet week-end and holiday homes to which their owners can retire from the noise of our modern cities. Many of these cottages built during the last few years are truly charming, and I propose to devote considerable space to them. Some are on a miniature scale, but others, though described by their owners as week-end cottages, and used as such, are of such size that they would make pleasing permanent residences for the comparatively small families of to-day.

After reviewing such homes as these, I will picture and describe some which have been planned on a larger scale. All general remarks regarding the choice of sites, planning, the making of contracts, etc., will apply equally to large and small houses ; so, to deal with these matters in proper order, - it will be well to begin with the choice of a site.

CHAPTER IT

THE CHOICE OF A SITE FOR THE HOUSE DESIRABLE

HEN you have decided to build the house of your dreams, you must first choose the site it is to occupy. It is not correct-to have a house planned

before having shown the architect the land upon which it is to stand, because a building can never be seen to its greatest advantage unless it is in harmony with its surroundings.

I know this sounds quite obvious, but, unfortunately, it is a fact that many people choose a plan, or see a house which they admire, and decide to have one like it, long before they have determined where it is to be built. To this we may attribute some of the terribly incongruous effects we so often see. For example, I have seen a charmingly designed house of the half-timbered style built upon a bare plot surrounded by ugly modern villas, or bungalows of asbestos sheeting.

In these days of the rapid ‘ development’ of building land, it is necessary to remember that, although a site may appear now to be a charming one, it may, within a year or two, be denuded of all its natural beauty and disfigured by the proximity of new buildings of poor design.

My experience of those people who develop estates may _ be unfortunate, but it leads me to believe that the usual plan is to begin by chopping down all the trees. If the land which is to be ‘improved’ should happen to have been the well-timbered private park of the former owner, the speculators who purchase it have a glorious time, for every day they can watch giant oaks and elms falling and can calculate how much per ‘foot frontage’ they will gain at every crash.

The next proceeding is to rule parallel roads across the ghastly plain and to divide the land into rectangular plots.

The roads must be straight because curves may have beauty, and, with regard to beauty, some land speculators have views similar to those of the actor who damned all art.

Some people who propose to build houses appear to think that it is only on such estates that they can secure suitable building land. To misquote the old proverb: they needs must go where the developer drives.

Fortunately, our choice is not limited to such estates. There are others which have been laid out by far-seeing men who have realized that the natural beauty of land may be a commercial asset, and, within recent times, I have been pleased to note that, in many cases, those who have appreciated this fact have been very richly rewarded. On some estates winding avenues remain as they have been for centuries. One house may be built in 4 spinney, another on a sunny slope sheltered from the north and east winds by pine trees, and yet another on the summit of a hill which commands views over miles of open country.

Such well-managed estates may be. found by all who will take the trouble to look for them. There are many in the vicinity of London, and I am certain that a few of them are to be found in every county in England, or, for that matter, anywhere in the stretch of land which lies (as an American speaker said recently at a public meeting) between ‘ John’s End and Lan’ o’ Groats’.

Owners of these estates will sell building plots only upon the condition that plans of houses to be erected are to be submitted to them, or to their appointed architects who have power to reject any design they consider unworthy of the estate as a whole. Frequently, there are other conditions. In some agreements I have seen clauses which prohibit the felling of, trees on purchasers’ own land without the consent of the sellers. Other clauses often govern the erection of garden walls and fences, the design of gates, garages, and other outbuildings. The effect of such control is usually good, and purchasers of building land should not regard restrictions as annoyances, but remember that they are made for the good of the community. When a house of pleasing design has been built, it is well that the owner should be

_ assured that its effect will not be marred by the erection of 3

Ah a “ neighbouring buildings of a vulgar type.

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The great bay window of ‘ Ellens’, Rudgewick. The house was built within recent years, but, largely owing to the use of old materials, it appears to have been standing for centuries.

Frequently, land is sold on condition that houses to be erected upon it shall cost not less than a stated sum. The reason for this is that the sellers of building sites wish to set a certain standard, because they know that, if many small and cheap houses or bungalows are built, the district will cease to attract people who wish to erect more costly homes. This condition is better than none at all, but, from the purchaser’s point of view, it is not altogether satisfactory, as on his own land he may build a delightful little Tudor homestead, and find presently that the purchaser of the adjoining land is erecting some hybrid type of building which appears to be a cross between a Chinese pagoda and a Scottish castle. If money and good taste always appertained to the same persons, the price standard would be satisfactory, but we all know wealthy people whose homes are grotesquely ugly, and poorer folk whose cottages are little works of art.

In most residential districts in which land is for sale, the vendors stipulate that the buildings to be erected shall not be used for business purposes. This would, probably, exclude a scientist who wished to experiment with high explosives, but might not apply to a teacher of singing, or a person who makes the breeding of Sealyhams a profitable hobby. As generally understood, the restriction means only that shops or factories may not be erected on a residential estate.

I have so far mentioned only such building sites as may be found by studying advertisements, or by making inquiries at the offices of Estate Agents. There are, however, other methods. Any person who owns a car may spend many pleasant week-ends touring the district or the county in which he hopes to find the ideal site.

When I was a boy, I remember that I often wondered why people should herd in certain areas and leave the broad expanses of country apparently uninhabited. It had not occurred to me then that the factors which foster the herding instinct are such products of civilization as railway stations, roads, gas, water and electric mains, sanitation, and the proximity of business and shopping centres. So long as we regard these as necessities of modern life, we must huddle