Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-14
Mr.. STEVENS RESIDENCE.
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.

REAL ESTATE GOSSIP.
The Practical Side of the Problem Of House
Building.
THE Use OF BUFF BRICK IN DOMESTIC ARcHr.
ARE NOW BEING EREcrED-orHER MATTERS OF
INTEREST.
THE AVERAGE MAN WHO PROPOSES TO
Il build house and has $4,000 or $4,000
to spend has not the slightest idea what
kind OF house his money will procure
for him. He has some idea Of the sort
OF house he wants and he can form a
pretty clear mental picture Of how the house
will look from the exterior and what kind of
interior effects 1t will have. But until the plans
are made and estimates are prepared he is all
in the dark as to exactly what his money will do
for him. The results of the estimates are some
times surprising, and he Is reluctantly COM
PEELED to abandon one pet idea after another
and give up this feature and then that until
the house that he actually decides to
build seems to have been stripped Of
nearly all the pretty picturesque fancies which
he originally intended should adorn it. What
he does build is very much like the houses
erected BY his neighbors instead of being. as he
II,
secures a comfortable home and continues to
enjoy life as every one else does who is not
able to carry ont his ideals The modern STYLE
of house decoration and finish has become SO
elaborate that what might be termed the Incl
dents of house building actually cost more
then the essentials Nowadays house interiors
are decked out with a great display of hard
woods finely carved and the walls are covered
with silk hangings or handsomely painted in
oils. The decoration of ceiling in one room
the erection of small house. The effect of
such interiors is not always suggestive
Of the cost of the work. 1t is
more apt to be the case that
an apparently simple decoration is costly. 1t
is artistic and original and that generally is
the result of a large outlay of money. In
much the same fashion ladies who appear to
the masculine eve to be simply and plainly
dressed have probably paid more for their cos
tunes than those who are pronounced by the
same fallible authorities to be richly attired.
An amusing instance OF the cost OF some feat
u-es of q modern house was mentioned the
other day by all architect who was asked to
prepare designs for n house which q client of
his proposed to erect Special stress was laid
upon the mantels and the plumbing, and the
architect set to work to get up sketches and
plans for these particular features. When he
finished the designs they were approved by
the client, and then the latter thought of
asking what the work would probably cost. An
estimate Was given. The client found to his
CONSERVATION that after these expenditures had
been provided for that he would only have
few thousand dollars left of the amount which
he intended to expend in the erection of the
house. As the architect laconically remarked,
when the discovery was made Of the discrep-
ancy between his clients bank account and his
ideas Of what kind of q house he wanted, they
began at the wrong end.
YELLOW II THE COLOR.
The use of buff brick i'm house architecture is
likely to be more general this year than ever
before. 1t is comparatively new freak, if it
might be SO termed. in architecture in this
city. and like every other novelty it makes way
rather slowly. The residences Of Mrs. Chand-
lee and Mr.. Henry Strong on K street. Of Mrs.
Barney and Mrs. Hornsby on Rhode Island ave-
nue., Of Capt Tyler on 1 street, Mr.. Stevens on
10th street and Mr.. Fraser's at Goth and
streets are some Of the large residences with
fronts built In whole or in part of this kind of
brick. All these houses are now in course of
completion or have been recently built and so
the fashion Ii a comparatively recent one. The
residence of Mr.. Boomer on n street was the
pioneer in this direction, and If during the COM
ing year the same material continues to be
popular there will be quite . number Of these
studies in yellow to contrast with the red
brick which heretofore has been the principal
material used in domestic architecture. Stone,
OF course, continues In favor, and there is
sufficient variety in the color of the building
stone to vary the monotony which would re-
suit if all houses were built of red brick. In
the latter case, however. it would be monotony
Of color only. There has never been the same
ness observable here that comes from building
up long rows of houses. each one precisely like
its neighbor. The method of individual build
ing prevails in this city, and the consequence
is that the house architecture displays that
diversity of treatment which il wanting where
speculative building ON an extensive scale is
kolv fbof xr,u h..
limited use Of buff brick in the business Sec
tons of the city in the construction of business
and Office buildings. The business building that
Is to be erected at the northwest corner Of 18th
and streets is to be built mainly of buff brick
The stone that will be used will be a light color
to harmonic with the brick.
LIEUT.. pAvKSPoRT's nousx.
Plans are being prepared for . residence
which Lieut.. Davenport, U.SN., intends to
have erected on 18th street between Massa-
chusetts avenue and 18th street. This house if
built viii be al attractive addition to the fine
residences which now adorn that locality 1t will
adjoin the house of Mrs. sherman, which is
one of the unique homes Of the city
1t Is proposed to erect good-eized building
at the northeast corner of Sd and G streets. CD.
posite the census office. The first story viii be
used for busin ess purposes and the upper floors
will be arranged for apartments. The building
viii be four stories in height and viii be 2ox75
feet.
MRS. sAwYKR's COTTAGE.
cottage viii be built for MIRA. Mary z. Saw
yer on Randolph street, in lexington. The
foundation viii be stone and the superstructure
Of frame. The three floors will be finished
with high-pitched roof covered with shingles
There will be large, roomy porch extending
around two sides and providing the facilities
for life out Doors which il desirable in a SUI
burbau home. The first Aoof viii contain the
fs.xx,h hall IL, a.
There will be three chambers and bath room
on the second floor and two chambers and
store room on the third floor. The house will
be lighted with electricity and supplied with
water and sewer facilities. The architect Il N.
7. Halter.
TWO uEW HouBD8.
A comfortable house i being built for Mr.
John W. PHILIPPE on East Capitol street be-
tween 10th and llth streets. Il will be an
Engiish basement house, the main entrance
being marked BY . stone arch. The Arst story
viii be built of brown stone and the upper