Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-11-28
HOUSE ARCHITECTURE.
The influence of the Woman In Its
Planning and Construction.

/ have Just been reading in an Eng
lish newspaper" said Pittsburg ar
chitect, that it is the woman Of the
house and not the man who should be
studied by architects whose aim it is
to evolve the ideal home. That may
do in England, where there are so
many suffragettes but it would never
quite fill the bill in America.
While ] have always found the man
in Pittsburg ready to yield in all
things to his wife in the building of a
house with that part of the dwelling
which is exclusively under her domin-
ion, the man insists on having a some
what authoritative word in relation to
the remainder of the domiciIe While
he may yield entirely in matters per-
tanning 20 the pantry he comes in with
the nursery and continues throughout
the remainder of the house.
I'm England, you know, the man
lives more at his club than he does at
home The Englishman who does not
have his club, or two or three of them.
is not in the swim. and though he
may dine at home, en- famille, or have
friends With him. he makes for his
club soon after dining if he does not
have the theater for the evening, and
even then he does not feel that he has
made a day of it if he fails to see his
friends of the club before he turns in
for the night.
I'VE are a far more domestic people
than the English. AS a general thing
we do not yet leave our wives to he
|entertained without our company. We
are so fond of our children that we
really get acquainted with them
Therefore it is that the building of a
home is mutual affair and the ar
chitect is consulted equally by the
husband and the wife; and if he be a
wise architect he will take the advice
of one as much as the other. OF
course, l am speaking of persons IN
such circumstances as enables them to
build a good home. The lesser dwell
lings, those that are built merely Tor
cheap rentals, are usually devised by
the builder and the persons who are
to occupy it have no choice.
For those who are building homes
with the expectation of occupying
them for the rest of their lives, and to
whom race suicide is phrase without
meaning. there is nothing so fine as
for the husband and wife to consult
with their architect in regard to every
feature To them it should be work
of art in architecture, with all the
poetry of art that should pervade the
atmosphere of home with children,
and no house is quite home without
children The wife must have all that
| is convenient in kitchen and pantry.
The dining-room must be perfect ac-
cording to her taste, for she is respon-
sible for the successes of the dining
room. The husband may have his
ideas about these preeints, but the
wife's ideas are paramount
after that, when it comes to rooms
jof entertainment, rooms for sleep,
rooms for rest, a den which shall be
as exclusive for the husband as the
boudoir is for the wife, the opinion Of
| the husbands taste is to be consulted
with that of the wife or consulted
solely in regard to that Which almost
exclusively concerns him.
| with such taste and such collabor-
alton the work of the architect has a
| fascination beyond and above that OF
| the mere mechanical designer. Even
small house may be made work OF
real art. 1t may have in miniature all
of the variety and detail of the great
mansion. odd corners, alcoves, the
masculine den and the feminine bou-
DOR; and If there be sufficient lot space
| to permit of exclusive surroundings
however so meager, the artistic arch
itect may make a masterpiece of 9
little bungalow or cottage. To con-
suit the wife only, as is suggested BY
this English architect, would be to in
vite forever the growing of the nus
band when something has gone JUS
La little wrong in business and wher
1.-THE crouch is on; and. vice versa, the
husband must not have too mighty
much to say in the matter. Pitts
iburg Dispatch. gaifs