DOI issue:
No. 91 (Septemner, 1904)
DOI article:Emerson, Peter H.: A modern house at Southbourne
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26962#0271
A House at Southbourne
sub-letting, petty landlord tribe and unscrupulous
house-agents.
Finally I determined to be “ the fool and build.”
The first question, then, was the architect. I
wanted, firstly, an honest man ; secondly, an artist;
thirdly, a practical man; and through some artist
friends I was introduced to Mr. G. H. Brewerton,
F.R.I.B.A., of the firm of Messrs. Brewerton &
Shepherd, of Bournemouth. After serving my
time practically as clerk of my own works, I can
honestly say I was fortunate indeed in my choice.
Mr. Brewerton is a disciple of what may be called
the “ Baillie-Scott-Voysey School,” those designers
of well-proportioned small houses finished in real
rough-cast and then limed.
Mr. Brewerton drew out the ground plan;
and as my site was on
deep gravel, with sandy,
peaty loam for top-soil,
I was indeed in clover.
To add to my good for-
tune, the Electric Lighting
Company brought their
cables past the house
whilst we were building,
so I was able to have a
thoroughly good installa-
tion fitted up.
The 9-inch brickwork
round the chimneys gives
them a very solid appear-
ance. The bricks are
h ird pottery bricks, and
the inside ones are soft
red hand-made stock.
Our mortar was blue lias
and sand, and gravel-
screenings to add the
necessary sharpness, as
our local sand is hardly
“sharp” enough for the
purpose. The “ rough-
cast ” is a mixture of best
cement, sand, and gravel-
screenings, thrown on with
a trowel. A common mis-
take with plasterers is that
theythrowit on too coarsely,
and the hollows get dirty
and shelter insects.
As to colour, the tiles
are a beautiful soft red,
the rough-cast a light
buff, and the woodwork
painted green, the front door alone being light
blue.
Whistler’s dictum that the interior of an English
house should be bright at all seasons of the year
is a canon as sound artistically as physiologically
true; and so when the plastering was done and the
leisurely painters appeared, we started painting and
decorating with an eye to artistic effect and economy
of labour for servants.
The front door is a light blue, the vestibule
cream picked out with moss-green, the glazing of
the vestibule window and screen is antique glass of
a pale-green tint, known as “Norman slab,” and
very beautiful it is.
The hall has an oak floor, cream-coloured walls
and panelling, moss-green picture rail, and green
“foxwold,” southbourne: view from g. h. brewerton
SERVING HATCH LOOKING THROUGH DINING ARCHITECT
ROOM AND LOUNGE INTO BILLIARD ROOM
199
sub-letting, petty landlord tribe and unscrupulous
house-agents.
Finally I determined to be “ the fool and build.”
The first question, then, was the architect. I
wanted, firstly, an honest man ; secondly, an artist;
thirdly, a practical man; and through some artist
friends I was introduced to Mr. G. H. Brewerton,
F.R.I.B.A., of the firm of Messrs. Brewerton &
Shepherd, of Bournemouth. After serving my
time practically as clerk of my own works, I can
honestly say I was fortunate indeed in my choice.
Mr. Brewerton is a disciple of what may be called
the “ Baillie-Scott-Voysey School,” those designers
of well-proportioned small houses finished in real
rough-cast and then limed.
Mr. Brewerton drew out the ground plan;
and as my site was on
deep gravel, with sandy,
peaty loam for top-soil,
I was indeed in clover.
To add to my good for-
tune, the Electric Lighting
Company brought their
cables past the house
whilst we were building,
so I was able to have a
thoroughly good installa-
tion fitted up.
The 9-inch brickwork
round the chimneys gives
them a very solid appear-
ance. The bricks are
h ird pottery bricks, and
the inside ones are soft
red hand-made stock.
Our mortar was blue lias
and sand, and gravel-
screenings to add the
necessary sharpness, as
our local sand is hardly
“sharp” enough for the
purpose. The “ rough-
cast ” is a mixture of best
cement, sand, and gravel-
screenings, thrown on with
a trowel. A common mis-
take with plasterers is that
theythrowit on too coarsely,
and the hollows get dirty
and shelter insects.
As to colour, the tiles
are a beautiful soft red,
the rough-cast a light
buff, and the woodwork
painted green, the front door alone being light
blue.
Whistler’s dictum that the interior of an English
house should be bright at all seasons of the year
is a canon as sound artistically as physiologically
true; and so when the plastering was done and the
leisurely painters appeared, we started painting and
decorating with an eye to artistic effect and economy
of labour for servants.
The front door is a light blue, the vestibule
cream picked out with moss-green, the glazing of
the vestibule window and screen is antique glass of
a pale-green tint, known as “Norman slab,” and
very beautiful it is.
The hall has an oak floor, cream-coloured walls
and panelling, moss-green picture rail, and green
“foxwold,” southbourne: view from g. h. brewerton
SERVING HATCH LOOKING THROUGH DINING ARCHITECT
ROOM AND LOUNGE INTO BILLIARD ROOM
199