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THE HOUSE IN GOOD TASTE
Their spacious, uncrowded interiors were usually beau-
tiful. Houses and furniture fulfilled their uses, and if
an object fulfils its mission the chances are that it is
beautiful.
It is all very well to plan our ideal house or apart-
ment, our individual castle in Spain, but it is n't nec-
'essary to live among intolerable furnishings just be-
cause we cannot realize our castle. There never was
a house so bad that it could n't be made over into some-
thing worth while. We shall all be very much happier
when we learn to transform the things we have into a
semblance of our ideal.
How, then, may we go about accomplishing our
ideal i
By letting it go!
By forgetting this vaguely pleasing dream, this evi-
dence of our smug vanity, and making ourselves ready
for a new ideal.
By considering the body of material from which it
is good sense to choose when we have a house to deco-
rate.
By studying the development of the modern house,
its romantic tradition and architectural history.
By taking upon ourselves the duty of self-taught
lessons of sincerity and common sense, and suitability.
By learning what is meant by color and form and
line, harmony and contrast and proportion.
When we are on familiar terms with our tools, and
feel our vague ideas clearing into definite inspiration,
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