Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/235

 COTTAGE DWELLINGS IN VARIOUS STYLES. ^211 for such a climate, the chimney tops are too conspicuous. They are very well calculated for Britain or North America; but, for either of these climates, there ought to have been at least one additional window to each room. In the engraving, we have shown the tiles of the roof much more distinctly than they were seen in the drawing sent by our contributor. When the covering of a roof is (like thatch, plain tiles, or slate) neither ribbed nor definitely marked, except by its great outlines, indistinctness is no defect; but a roof marked, in consequence of its construction, by distinct lines and strong shadows, should have the parts as definitely made out in the picture as in the reality. Whoever will examine the published works of the Italian Architects, or the views of Italian buildings taken by British Architects or artists, will find that much of their beauty depends on the minvite details of the roof, and especially of the projections of the eaves; and of the ridge pieces, as well of the hips as of the main roof. Design LXVII. — A Cottage Dwelling of Five Rootns, in Two Floors. 423. Accommodation. The ground plan contains an entrance lobby and staircase, a; parlour, b; another parlour, or best bed-room, c; kitchen, d; back kitchen, e; closet, /; root-cellar, g; dusthole, h; privy, i; and pantry, k. The chamber floor contains two good bed-rooms, I and n; with a dressing-closet, o : the weU-hole of the stair is shown at /n. 424. Construction. The walls are shown of such a thickness as to admit of their being built of rubble-work. The roof is covered with slates, and the guttering, which is of cast iron, is calculated to serve as a cornice to the eaves. 425. General Estimate. Cubic contents, 29,044 feet; at 6d. per foot, £126: Is.; at 'id., £484 : Is. : 4t/.; and at 3rf., i:363 : Os. : 6d. 426. Remarks. The chief merit of this building is, that it contains five good-sized rooms; for size is very desirable, both in a cold climate and a warm one. Air in large bodies is much more slowly either heated or cooled by the mere contact of hot or cold air, and it is also less liable to be traveised by currents of air, than when in a smaller volume. No one could sit in a small room with doors and windows on all sides, with- out experiencing what is commonly called a draught; but, in a very large room, doors and windows on all sides wiU occasion no such inconvenience. We object to the position of the recesses for cupboard closets in b and c; because they occupy the proper places for a sofa in the one room, and for a bookcase in the other : they also seem to divide the side of the room into two parts, and thus take away from the idea of a whole. If these rooms were to be handsomely finished, the doors in question woidd be highly objection- able, on the latter account. The closets in question ought to have been placed, one in both b and c exactly opposite the entrance door; and another, in each room, between the fireplaces and the side walls in which they are now placed. So large a dwelling, we think, ought to have had a porch; but that may be matter of economy on the part of the proprietor. There is a poverty about the elevation, which requires to be removed by architraves to all the windows, by sills to those of the chamber story; and l)y other means, which are by this time become familiar to our readers. We need not say that we object to the truncated pediments, which give a tame lumpish character to this dwelling, hardly in accordance with the bold and handsome chimney tops. Design LXVIII. — A Dwelling of Four Rooms, with other Conveniences. 427. Accommodation. The door is protected by a far-projecting roof, and enters at once into the kitchen and living-room, a, in which is a staircase to the bed-chamber, with a closet under it, b: from this we have a room with a bed in a recess, c; and another of the same description, d: there are a back kitchen, e; privy,/; root-cellar and fuel place, g; and dusthole, h. There is a good bed-closet in the chamber story; and on the ground floor there is another closet, k, which may serve as a pantry, and a third, i, which may be used as an office, or place for books, &c., according to the occupation of the inhabitant. 428. Construction. The walls may be of brick, hollow, and the roof slated; but the building would have the best effect, if the walls were covered with cement or plaster, and coloured of a mellow tint. We say they would have the best effect; because the beauty of this dwelling depends on the contrast between its perpendicular and horizontal lines; and between its bright lights and dark shadows : and both lines and shadows are more conspicuous in light-coloured walls than in any other. 429. General Estimate. Cubic contents, 1 1 890 feet, at 6d. per foot, jf 297 : 5s.; at 4d., i:i98 : 3s. : 4d.; and Sd., .£143 : 12s. : 6d. 430. Ret/iarks. There is something pleasing in the contrast of the lines and of the lights and shadows, in this dwelling; but it has not much of the expression of a cottage.