Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-06
THE DUTCH COTTAGE
A Fine Model for the Sum
mer Home.
FISHER FOLKS HOMES
DETAILS OF THE LIVING AND
BED ROOMS.
The Dutch Vrow Loves Best of All the
Chimney Piece-Hints
in Copying.
FISHER FOLKS HOMES

fury fiat. there are few keener pleasures
than choosing it's contents. selecting this
piece of furniture that and deciding on
each individual niche for the household
gods. Old married people who seem to
have outgrown most other sentiments will
speak with absolutely pathetic pride about
their first" furnishing venture. The con-
tents of a gilded palace acquired later in
life often seem insignificant compared with
the tender memories of the first home.
There is a particular fascination about
the furnishing Of the summer home. for
ones artistic fancies may find full scope
In the arrangement of quaint little cot
tage or an odd bungalow. This year the
array OF artistic draperies comfortable
and attractive furniture and things both
useful and ornamental with which to make
the summer home beautiful really embar-
erything is so charming 1t Is difficult to
decide. But Dame Fashion has made a
decision for those who have the time and
patience to carry out her dictates. She
has declared that the smart summer cot
tage must be, If not on the exterior, at least
in It's interior decorations, a faithful copy
of the homes of the fisher folk of Holland.
Within the last few months there has been
a perfect craze for Dutch effects. These
quaint people are represented on sofa cush-
have had exhibitions of Dutch antiquities
during the past winter, and there Is a
rumOr that play on Dutch fisher life is
to be produced next fall. That Dutch eff
delightfully."- restful and quaint will be the
cottage whose furnishings have been in
fiuenced by these Dutch models.
Copying Dutch Homes.
Few of the thousands who buy articles
Into c,,hi
thing about the originals or realize that
the homes of the fisher folk Of Holland are
unique and have indescribable air of
comfort and even luxury. The homes which
are being so successfully copied for the
American womans summer lodge are on
the island of Marker, tongue of land on
the margin of the Zuyder Zee. which Is so
little above the level Of the water that the
clusters of houses are built on mounds
connected by bridges Nearly every house
has It's own little moat and it's boat moored
near the door to be handy in case of flood.
This exciting provision will not have to be
provided for in our summer building plans
The cottages, which are painted blue,
green or black, have pointed gables and
are rooted with red tiles They have only
ground floor and are built of wood on
high piles. These characteristics open up
charming possibilities for the clever Ameri-
can architect, and the owner at the same
time may boast summer home both mex
A Fisherman's Hut
A house Of the Dutch fisher variety will
necessarily be an affair of only a few
rooms. Although the furnishings may be
Of old Dutch carved cabinets brass hinged
chest. chairs with carved backs tables with
carved legs, tall clocks and hanging time
pieces with brass faces, the general effect
should be one OF simplicity. Barring all
TOM thn she y-l-z
productions of less expensive Dutch fur
niture which will be within the reach of the
average person who has not had the ad-
vantage of visit to Holland where these
things are to be picked up. or to the an
tiQue shop, which is even a more expensive
journey.
The living room of the Marker fishing
cottage Ii paneled in wood. and the floor
is Of sturdy oak riveted. with immense dull
brass nails. The ceiling Is cross beamed
as one would expect, with rafters of oak
Around the walls and on the odd. high
carved dresser are blue and white delft
plates and brass warming pans and candle
sticks polished until they look like gold
Pewter, silver and delft tankards are
among the decorations of the apartment.
but the tankards evidently appeal solely to
the artistic instinct of these thrifty Dutch
people. for the men are nearly all tee
totalers. their drink being weak tea or cof-
fee. which they take several times a day
and seem to thrive upon wonderfully WELL
as they are splendid race physically.
Her Special Pride.
The chimney piece is an especial object
of pride to the Dutch vrow. 1t is built Of
blue and white tiles, and at the top Is run
what we would call a plate shelf, which the
Holland housewife hangs with short frill
of blue and white chintz and displays her
very best china upon. The bed, which is
the most curious article of furniture in the
= 81 nj he
somewhat in the manner of a berth on
shipboard Two curtains are drawn across
II night and day. Several of these berths
might be put in different parts of the
Americanized Dutch room, and in case of
full house" which often happens where
the host or hostess is popular these hunks
would come in very conveniently.
In former times the interiors of these
Marker cottages were veritable museums Of
Dutch antiquity, and nothing approaching
them was to be seen among the peasantry
of Europe. Now, fortunately for collectors
the dealers have bought up many of the
treasures, and they are scattered all over
Europe and America. These simple house
wives have chests of embroidered bed and
table linen done in open work resembling
guipure lace. which would be notable adj
ditionS to the summer entertainers linen
closet.
We are indebted to the Dutch for much
of our finest furniture, the exquisite mar
Quetry and lacquered work being especially
sought AFTER by lovers or the antique. In
the middle of the eighteenth century
when this oriental lacquer became the rage
among connosseurs. the supply was not
equal to the demand, so cabinet makers
hit upon a plan of sending out their wood
in prepared state to Japan and China
These pieces were lacquered. and when re-
turned required merely to be mounted
The difficulty delay and expense connected
with this method induced woodworkers to
try to invent a similar lacquered finish.
The first to succeed was a Dutch cabinet
maker named Huygens. His preparation
was perfect. and he and his successors
have been able to initiate oriental LACQUER
so well that the old European work may
only be distinguished from that OF the east
by certain small differences in the dress
and figures on the pieces of furniture not
strictly oriental in character
High-Priced Stuff
Although a depression from the Dutch
treatment of decorative art and the summer
cottage, 1t Is interesting to note the effect
this Dutch invention had in the manufac-
ture of the French Vernis- Martin furnl-
ture. The Martin family of Paris had for
generations been the leading Partisan cabi-
net makers. and, inspired by Huygens' sue
cess. they invented a varnish which they
applied to a certain class of ornamental