Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/807

 1869.] Descriptions. 651 deep closets ; and a diagonal Passage N gives access, on the right, to the Water-Closet, and, on the left, to the Bath-Room, which contains a lavatory. If a third story were desired, it could be arranged for four, or even five, snug Bed-Rooms, under a Mansard Roof. According to the style of Roof, and, the finish of the upper stories, this very comfortable little Residence would vary in cost, from $3,500, to $4,000. For the convenience of our readers, longing to obtain a Land-Hold and a Homestead, we shall return to this gen- eral theme repeatedly, until they are well grounded in the simple Elements of Design, as Applicable to the Erection of Neat Little Homes. BRACKETS. THE Modern Domestic Style is greatly enhanced in effect by the use of Cantilevers and Brackets. The latter, especially, often appear be- neath eaves, balconies and door and window pediments. Both embody the idea of support, but the first is ostensi- bly better adapted to light weights and the last to heavy ones. From their common main principle, Cantilevers and Brackets should always be composed in easy flowing lines, sug- gesting elastic strength. Although costing the practical workman more trouble, both in drawing and execution, these curves will have a much finer effect, if comprised in harmoniously united portions of ellipses than parts of circles. It is herein that the creative artist will ever be distinguished from the merely imitative artisan. To brackets belong all those beautiful effects which nature gives us in the flowers. In fact, the leaves of the bracket are as much intended to represent the graceful curls and curvatures of leaves, as are the same in the Corinthian capi- tal. It is, therefore, to be kept in view by the designer of the bracket, that those carvings which present the forms he desires to produce, are typical of the leaves which cling around the supporter of the cornice. Bearing this in mind, then, it becomes necessary to imitate nature as nearly as possible, and should the bracket come so near to the observ- er's eyes as to warrant a representa- tion of the veining, it would add much to the general effect to carve them in. But if they are too distant to be easily discernible, of course, they would be labor thrown away. The thickness of the bracket should so agree with its other dimensions as to give it an unquestionable appearance of strength as a support ; and, at its springing point, it should be so arranged as to look as though it came forth from some other member, and still had its chief reliance there. This starting-place should be a string-course continued across the breadth of the building hav- ing the brackets ; as all of these are in- tended alike to sustain one common object, they should, accordingly, all spring from the same continuous level. Sometimes this string-course is de- signed as a binder, and is carried around the bottom part of the brackets a little above the springing-point ; and sometimes the string-course is itself supported by blocks, which corning ex- actly under the locations of the brackets, give the effect of being part of them. The usual mode of making brackets, or cantilevers, of large size, is to cut them separately out of stuff of the neces- sary thickness, and to nail them to- gether. Thus, suppose six inches to be the thickness called for — then, two out- side pieces of one and a half inch, and two of less projection, each also one and a half inch in thickness, (making three inches,) would complete the required amount of stuff. And each piece being sawed out according to pattern, will fit exactly into its place, and when all are secured together, the bracket is formed, and will only require a little planing