The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-03-20
ENGLISH HOMES.
Where the Englishman Builds His Castle
Dull and Uncheery Decorations and Fur
niture, and the Arrangement OF the
Rooms.

Where the Euglishman Builds His Castle
Dull and Uncheery Decorations and Fur
niture, and the Arrangement of the
Rooms.
The Englishman' house is his castle.
1t is the center of his life and of his in
terestS. His house is usually of red
brick and of two stories, with n high
wall all around it. An Englishman
kcs to be shut in. The sea shuts him
in. and he is therefore born to it. The
best part of his house is at the back.
His drawirg-room and dining-room
front back. In all the houses where
have visited. except, perhaps, two very
modern ones. the front of the house is
taken up with the kitchen or offices OF
the house, such as buffers pantry and
lavatory. Most suburban and country
houses are square, with a central hall
and rooms arranged around it. The
doors are small, and indeed, the wiz
dows and all openings are small. The
rooms are 1arge-larger than in this
country or in France or Germany. In
middle-class houses there would be
drswing-room. dinins-room, sitting
room, and perhaps billlard-room on the
first floor, besides "a large space given
to kitchen and pantries. The outside
of the house is almost uniformly with
out architectural decorations. The
dizziness of the climate is seen
in the sombreness of the furni-
ture and the decorations of the
house. Lean not say admire the in
side of most English houses, for they
are dull and nGheery. 1t is perfectly
true, as the French say, that ..nothing
screams" and it is also perfectly true
that nothing sings" There is no
joy, no light and sweetness" in the
color, form. and expression of the
house. Matters are mending and the
more modern. or rather the quite re-
cent fashions in house decoration. are
of lighter and more brilliant tones
Up to within five years the wood
work was all dark, usually grained in
walnut or very dark oak, and the
furniture was mahogany, of very
heavy and ungainly construction.
This, however, must be said. that the
chairs were for use, and were very
comfortable. There is spirit of COM
fort about an English home that is very
marEed-that is, if one can only disso-
ciate the idea of art from that of COM
fort The sofa is easy and big, and
Just the thing 10 lie down upon. !
There is a soft cush ion and a sofa RUG
or wrap: the cushion is soft and the |
wrap is warm and the whole arrnge-
meat is snug and inviting TO rest and |
ease. Kat the cushion and the wraps |
are almost sure to be offensive to the !
eve of an. The coiors are almost sure !
10 be atyocious. Niae times in ten |
there VIII be dash of lavender and .
of purple fn both. The common peo- !
pie of England have no sense of pro-
portion or OF color. The Weather
classes have more taste. but the ma
ton has mors pronounced merits than
esthetic ones
Ali English houses that l remember
to have seen are papered. The walls
are never painted, as in this country
and on the continent. The papers used
are very dark and of very large pat
terms. The colors used in uphclstering
are dark. and the effect, therefore, of
the room is heavy and, intact. gloomy.
The heavy skies and dull atmosphere
should suggest, one would fancy, light
,olors and CHEEKY decorations, but in {
stead of being masters of the climate
hey are slaves to it. The massiveness
If the furniture is its prime and most {
characteristic. This is par I
iculariy so of the furniture OF the dining
DOM. The side5oard is always a most
normous and unwieldy affair and
lpon it is set the affections and ambi.