My first idea about a house is that it should be
built to live in. Throughout the house, in all the building of it,
this should be the paramount idea. It must be granted that this idea
is lost sight of by countless persons who build houses apparently for
every purpose under the sun except to live in them.
Perhaps it is because of the practical life I have lived that I
worship utility and have come to believe that utility and beauty
should be one, and that there is no utility that need not be
beautiful. What finer beauty than strength--whether it be airy
steel, or massive masonry, or a woman's hand? A plain black leather
strap is beautiful. It is all strength and all utility, and it is
beautiful. It efficiently performs work in the world, and it is good
to look upon. Perhaps it is because it is useful that it is
beautiful. I do not know. I sometimes wonder.
A boat on the sea is beautiful. Yet it is not built for beauty.
Every graceful line of it is a utility, is designed to perform work.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173