New-York tribune., 1922-01-08
By Fl. n. Hobart
Cwtis Compnmics, Inc.

One Of the most interesting chapters
Of "Succcssful Houses and How to
Build Them" by Charles =. White ir.,
a member Of the American Institute Of
Architects, deals with the Importance
Of such exterior details Of the house az
doors and windows as they affect the
style of the house. Nowhere, he says,
is the style (or SCHOOL, to which a
house belongs more in evidence than in
the holdings, doors, windows, porch
columns and such things, which u5u-
ally stamp the house nnm'stakably as
belonging to this or that style. OF
coursc, other characteristic count,
such as shape and inclination of the
roof and amount Of overhang at the
caves, the position and character Of
bay windows and grouping Of vindow~
but the proportion and arrangement Of
doors, windows, nodded work. and vail
surfaces make the house Of good dc
sign or bad.
Usually the first part Of the house 10
be noticed by the casual observer Is
tho entrance door, and it il usually &
key to the taste Of the house owner
Without examination of any other part
of TIC building ono may sec here at a
bouse An entrance simple and re
fined speaks for something worth while
and true within.
Old Colonial doorways, which within
The last year or 50 have hecn repro
duced by woodwork factories az 5tocs
tens, have n quaint charm that is r
rcsistiblc. They seem to invite one TO
enter and thcy make ono feel the charm
of hospitality upon first glance. Il
ccpt in old Southern houses, with the lr
two story verandas, old houses rarely
had a large front porch, which is ono
reason Why front entrances ia Old
houses are so attractive.
As a usual thing vcranda extend
! ing across the front cf house is not
tho most desirable Arrangement. Very
often it can be placed at one end, lcav-
ing the vicu of the front entrance un-
obstructcd snd jnsuring moro privacy
for this outdoor living room. Tie old
types arc worthy Of emulation and na y
b combined with modern Colonial de-
tails to bring about most charming E
compositions. Some modern adapta-
tons of old entrances are ruitc as
beautiful as tho originals from which
they we're taken. a Colonial entrance
or any other, for that natter-should
be kept as close to the ground as pos
siblc.
Simple Design Best
AS for the door itself, renen Der that
! it is sign of the environment you Gre
ate for your family-the badge of your
taste. Let it then be simple in design
For many houses large panel Of plain
plsteglass is attractive in an oak door
in which the wood is finished to bring
out its beautiful grain. -Four or five
coats of spar varnish applied and
rubbed to a dull gloss mako it weather
resistant.
In Colonial work. smaller pane5 of
glass should be substituted fer the
single large panel. Such design is
especially adapted for pine doors, most
attractive when painted white. There
is sweet. neat look to white door,
almost impossible to get in any other.
Elaborate, over-ornanented entrance
doors are, of course, cschewed by pco-
pie of refined taste.
Nothing can be prettier than the en-
frances Of old houses. consisting of
wooden doors of six or eight panels.
with small-paned sidelights and tran
some to light the hall. Sometimes the
two tiny panels at the top of the door
were OF glass, like pair Of eyes. All
these types are now produced as stock
designs also.
An entrance door should always be