The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1925-07-02
RepIicas and
Variations Found in In
dianapolis Homes; Crom-
wells Hearth in Castle
Furnishes Motif for One.
BY Molly Elliott

The choice Of fireplace in keeping
. with the architectural design Of the
house in which it is used has re-
suited in the use of two very in
teresting terra-cotta reproductions of
old English f1replaces in Indian
apolis homes of the English type.
One. of these, in washington Blvd.
home in which the living room is
panelled ceiling high in. dark oak and
the windows are diamond-paned case
ments, is reproduction of the fire.
place in the English castle that was
the home of Cromwell at the time
he was treasurer of the realm. The
Cromwell coat of arms, with the
full~ money-bags symbolical OF the
treasurer's Office, are repeated as
frieze in low relief above the Crate
opening. Another fireplace in an
even more interesting house Of Eng
Ishe type shows a procession OF
quantity costumed figures that look
as II they might have stepped from
onevof Chaucer's Canterbury tales.
aas Limestone Is Useful
Next to terra-cotta, Bedford lime
stone lends itself best to individ-
ualadesigns, and a home Of GRECO
rians design has such fireplace
carved with plump Cupids and or
namented with graceful wreaths cut
in relief. Native boulders have
used with excellent effect in cor
nerssfreplace in a sacial room, the
varying tones of the smooth rocks
making a lovely bit of color in the
room In the new fish hatcheries
bungalow north Of Riverside Park
rough cut stones streaked with yell
low clay have been used for a fire
place III keeping with the rustic de-
sign of thee building, while a rough
plaster fireplace inset with round
boulders forms an interesting CEN
ter for basement social room.
Brick fireplaces are, OF course,
thesnost generally used, with bun
brick or tapestry brick in darker
tones about equally popular. One
charming fireplace in a room mn
ished in buff plastered walls was
economically constructed of the large
yel1owish bricks usually used only
for CRATE Innings. These, set to-
gether with dark gray mortar, were
unusually effective and the result
as satisfactory as it was saving upon
the. building budget.
Contrasts Obtained
Dark bricks in combination with
a white or ivory-toned mantel intro
duce note of pleasing color con-
trast in a. room where the walls and
woodwork are light, and in rooms in
which the popular walnut woodwork
is used the mantel is of the same
wood combined, frequently, with
buff7brfck. One walnut-bordered fire
place showed square dull-surfaced
gray brown tile set around the crate
opening, a dnabove the mantel, inset
likena painting built into the room,
was. a wide and beautifully grained
walnut panel reaching to the height
of the ceiling.
Tile-front f1replaces also have their
admirers, but the tiles are not the
shiny green and brown affairs or
quarter century ago. The modern
fireplace tile has a dull surface and
shows an unusually beautiful range
of coloring, from which one may Sc
lects tones in complete harmony
with the walls.
The fireplace that is fiat with the
wall, with only a border Of brick,
stone or painted wood Quilting the
CRATE opening and the fireplace that
shows no mantle but slopes back
ward and upward until it merges
with the wall at the ceiling height
are4also used effectively in modern
homes, and the builder has only to
look. about him to find wealth OF
suggestions for this most attractive
feature of the living room.