International studio (55.1915)

The Home Spirit

note, and all the decoration has been so ar-
ranged that they are at once the centre of
interest and yet so much a harmonious part of the
general plan that they are not conspicuous, but
lend themselves to enhancing and beautifying the
life that goes on within the room, thus properly
fulfilling the function of mural paintings. This,
as I have said before, is the spirit of each room in
the house, the worth-while, individual expression
of a true artist, then from that development of the

Entering the spacious breakfast porch, you find
there a mood of joyousness that would drive away
the most dismal of early risers’ “grumps.” The
soft grey background, the draperies of just a tone
deeper, crossed and re-crossed with bands of red,
with tiny roses sprinkled in between the narrow
stripes; the graceful lines of furniture banded
with indigo and crimson; the two great palms be-
tween the windows, and beside them two large,
round bird cages—in one a German linnet, in the

room as a unity.”
Here a natural ques-
tion arises. If a group
of ten artists is brought
together and each is
working for individual
expression and from a
personal artistic view-
point, would they not
produce a haphazard re-
sult? Undoubtedly they
would if the artists had
not been chosen by some
one with a very definite
idea of just the kind of
workers which are to be
grouped about him.
As you turn from illus-
tration to illustration of
this article, you get a
very definite and a very
different personality
from each, and yet one
cannot but feel the influ-
ence of an over-judgment
which has made the unity
of the group its own.
Here is the secret of
Mr. Robertson’s success
as a decorator. He allows

SHOWING A PANEL IN PLACE


other a brilliant yellow
canary. “This room has
not been decorated,” you
say, “this room is a
mood. Some one was
happy and this is what
that happiness has given
us.”
Again,in thebedrooms
we find delicate touches,
calm dignity, preciseness
or a love of ease. Each
has its key-note, its mood.
Perhaps one charms you
with its delicate thoughts
in the dainty panels
where Burgess Stafford
has given his free spirit
expression in bits of flow-
ering branch; another,
perhaps, gives you that
satisfied feeling of nice-
ness as your eye runs over
the clean Adam detail
and the pastel shades of
ivory, green, blue and
rose; while another, the
modernized Louis XVI
room, may appeal to your
love of luxury, with soft

every artist in his studio to work as freely and as
joyously as the artist would if he were absolutely
independent of a guiding hand. Mr. Robertson
has the ability of picking artists who will work in
harmony with his thought and the personal
power of thought worth working in harmony with.
As you wander through the Gates mansion, all
of this becomes more and more apparent, and if
you are a lover of individual spirit and its free,
honest expression, it makes you glad to know that
there are men who can develope such harmony of
effect about themselves.

cushions, silken panels, deep, sensuous lines, and
pearly colourings. But whatever it is that
attracts your particular attention, the one great
charm of the whole idea is that home spirit, that
grouping of individual moods, that touch of the
loving hand that makes the humblest and crudest
attempts of the peasant housewife in her cottage
beautiful, and without which the work of the
greatest artist is but clever draughtsmanship.
Through that ineffable influence of individual
thought a spirit of home has been breathed into
Mr. Gates’ million-dollar structure.

XL