The San Francisco call. [volume], February 24, 1907, Page 12, Image 12

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
THE MOST
ARTISTICALLY
DECORATED MANSION
IN CALIFORNIA
INTERIOR, o* ™&^~^'
<£EORGI> N WHAM/
- ON PACIFIC ,/B/JPtTOE
SAN PI^ANCI-SOO
Enos Brown
IT is rare. Indeed, that the architect
and designer Is permitted the unre
stricted opportunity to carry out
plans of construction or renovation
so ej to realize the full scope of his
conceptions and produce effects which
ripe experience and an artistic sense
of proportion and fitness seem to him
requisite. In the mansion of George
W. Newhall, on Pacific avenue, In this
city, from which the views here pre
sented are taken, the designer was re
stricted by no economical considera
tion* in pursuit of certain calculated
results. After having submitted his
desijT.s and received the approval of
tfca, owner of the mansion,- the ? way
was open to proceed \u25a0with the restora
tions and continue uninterruptedly to
a conclusion. The great house, one of
the largest and most splendid .known
to former generations, . was recently
removed to a commanding site on Pa-
cific avenue, where an extended rlew
of San« Francisco Bay and the ocean is
to be had, 'with environments which
r^ake the locality the chosen seat
where wealth and culture find oor.gen
ial and sympathetic companionship.
After removal the mansion was en
\u25a0
larged and modernized to an extent that
made "it the mest spacious In San
Francisco.ilf not in the State. Its ex
terior was greatly Improved, all the un
doubted beauties of the older type of
architecture being retained with such
extensions and additions as were sug
gested by professional knowledge and
the owners cultl%-ated taste. The re
«ulf of the visible improvements are
; noticeably harmonious, correct and
'Impressive. IT the outward changes In
the mansion are necessarily of con-
* • _\u25a0
\u25a0ventional order, not so with those of
• \u25a0 -,
the Interior, where the architect had
.tull scope and unlimited sway. The
.prodigious dimensions of the apart-
Itaents, which are fourteen feet'^ in
beiirht and proportionately large In
otter measurements, permitted ampl*
opportunity for a perfect realization
of the most extended scheme. Tha plan
aCor»ttu combines various forms of the
renaissance, in. harmony with the ap
pearance of th« exterior, and this form
\u25a0prat faithfully inhered to throughout.
Entrance from the street 1« gained
through a. door of bronze and jjltte
glass, of elaborate design and Parisian
conception, a beautiful example of mod
em French art at its very best
The great hall is .of splendid dimen
sions and decorated in magnificent
taste. The coloring is old gold and the
effect under artificial light moat bril
liant. The group of columns at the
.... \u25a0' -
foot of the stairway is finely propor
tioned, and aids. the Impression of dig
nity which the euperb decorations and
huge dimensions of the apartment
naturally convey. With the . exception
of the capitals, their color Is'lvory
TrhlU. The light standards are of
. carred wood, gilded, and are" master
pieces In design and workmanship. The
\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0\u25a0/.
globes are of cut glass, made by manu
facturers In France. The decorative
work, in panel, ceiling and border. Is
of a character to excite admiration from
the most critical artist or enthusiastic
layman whose knowledge of the plastic
art and its possibilities when applied to
Interior decorations Is no more than
perfunctory.
The expression with, which the
Artist who executed the work has en
dowed every curve and lin« . Imparts -.
life and animation to the somewhat dif
ficult substance In which the. decora-:
tlons are executed, and the result is in
a high degree successful. The. great
hall relies upon Its fine .proportions
as much as its adornment ". for the*- ef- ;
fects produced. It furnishings are of
extreme but well Judged ; simplicity. /
The mantel and its flowing decorations
as well as the C elaborate /celling"; and ,-'
paneling are subjects of extended artis
tic appreciation. . All Is 'worked ,;out *
with the. conscientiousness of i the: true
artist intent ' upon endowing. his handl- ._
work with intelligence and executing ;
the designs. of the architect with the
utmost,truth-and fidelity. The dlnlng-V
room of the > mansion is an ' apartment .
considerably larger in : dimenslonsTeyen \,
than the great hall and quite ' equal ; to v
the most exigent; demands which th« i
widely extended .-reputation; 'of : the "
owner ' for gracious hospitality. "canY
make upon it, Every '^detail' of /this.
room has- been subordinated .so s as ;to"
create certain effects and ; to bring, in to •
prominence. those' features whlch'are" iiuV
tended to .dominate.* The celling; Is a
superb example . of renaissance ..and ? is '
divided into panels, In which\every de- \
tail,, no/' matter -how i mlnute.v'has been
'worked. up' wlth'consuraraate skili.^ Th'el
beams of the celling are heavy.i'enough :
todo the workof carrying<that which
is 'above them, being -big : enough In
section to give the richness /and'-dig
nity # whlch they would not have if they
were; shams.- The* fireplace,, with : Mts
border ;of embossed ;', brass i and ''richly
designed furniture,l is a. feature
able for. elegance and. beauty. ; V
i The; special -and crowning feature
of; the , dining-room is ; the ' large mantel
occupying, the: space 'of ; at small-sized
apartment, and, in designing, the archi
tect /"incorporated certain \u25a0 . theories
claimed by him to be. truer -to'ahcient'
custom in construction than now ac
cepted by the', majority of 'architects.
The /mantel, , it'; will be noted, ;: Is' car
ried.to the -celling, a ; detail seldom ; ob
served in J the most costly 'examples/ but
hearer" to practice, of the ancient
builders /who originated and planned
those'beautiful examples found in"; pal*
aces and , mansions of \u25a0\u25a0the « renaissance
period. -..-; Like every architectural', feat
ure which;- the j masters 'retained -and
beautified, .the; towering '* mantel "had* a
utilitarian purpose, " r namely, V to* "act i'as
a-; smoke; chamber.' through^ which > the
smoke; arising ;from^ the : flreplacej could
be conveyed to the; upper alriV : The
propriety, of : extending^, the \ mantel : to
the ' roof ; Is ' thus demonstrated r at ; a
glance : and !-the*jbelief "{that V. the- giant
mantel*. Is , nbthing^ but v an \ architectural
adornment . is thought -to-be ; a .mistake.
: . ' instead :. of the J towering^ sideboard,
carved 4 tables'- are introduced' with; ap
propriate"., effect and} the 'glaring | light
f rom_ without- Is '. mitigated I by 1 narrow'
-.windows / : draped % in V velvet V curtains
\u25a0 planned "!_s6; as . tc - permit 'Just Venough
•1 \u25a0„ ' ' \u25a0 . \u25a0. - >•-» \u25a0; r---.v-:-. • .:•.--;•'•'-•••
\u25a0-na no more .llgtitithanlnecessary^to;
i enter.'v'_;;" -u. v-- \u25a0 r? : «""vV'v»,.-^ : ; . \u25a0 " *".'>'^" .::-i J ? .'-•;•'
• Th ? i ** reach room r and the rllbrary" r are •
| eacn and ; decorated i In^a^'style 5
t equally.]' elabbrate^ibut^ I re
' gard ; for * convention /and * purpos^' 1 and \u25a0
s call"* for ; no \ special though
; the ,;due 'regard Jfor -harnjony {through!-'
out'ls^ maintained. it**";.;! '
'Ihft SaL-EraacißCQ Sundaj. CalL
- ,_ - Th .«_ air chltects who designed; and «xo
' cut ed'th* decorations to-'*-*. Mayteek A
-vWnrts.
iV \u25a0\u25a0 i or \u25a0 . - •