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192
The House in Good Taste
·
Elsie De Wolfe
191
THE
CHARM
OF
INDOOR
FOUNTAINS.
Wall
fountains
as
we
know
them
are
introduced
into
our
modern
houses
for
their
decorative
interest
and
for
the
joy
they
give
us,
the
joyous
sound
and
color
of
falling
water.
We
use
them
because
they
are
beautiful
and
cheerful,
but
originally
they
had
a
most
definite
purpose.
They
were
built
into
the
walls
of
the
dining-halls
in
medieval
times,
and
used
for
washing
the
precious
plate.
If
you
look
into
the
history
of
any
objet
d'art
you
will
find
that
it
was
first
used
for
a
purpose.
All
the
superb
masterly
things
that
have
come
to
us
had
logical
beginnings.
It
has
remained
for
the
thoughtless
designer
of
our
times
to
produce
things
of
no
use
and
no
meaning.
The
old
designers
decorated
the
small
objects
of
daily
use
as
faithfully
as
they
decorated
the
greater
things,
the
wall
spaces
and
ceilings
and
great
pieces
of
furniture,
and
so
this
little
wall
basin
which
began
in
such
a
homely
way
soon
became
a
beautiful
thing.
Europe
has
countless
small
fountains
built
for
interior
walls
and
for
small
alcoves
and
indoor
conservatories,
but
we
are
just
beginning
to
use
them
in
America.
American
sculptors
are
doing
such
notable
work,
however,
that
we
shall
soon
plan
our
indoor
fountains
as
carefully
as
we
plan
our
fireplaces.
The
fact
that
our
houses
are
heated
mechanically
has
not
lessened
our
appreciation
of
an
open
fire,
and
running
water
brought
indoors
has
the
same
animate
charm.
I
am
showing
a
picture
of
the
wall
fountain
in
the
entrance
hall
of
my
own
New
York
house
in
East
Fifty-fifth
Street.
I
have
had
this
wall
fountain
built
as
part
of
the
architectural
detail
of
the
room,
with
a
background
of
paneled
mirrors.
It
spills
over
into
a
marble
curbed
pool
where
fat
orange-colored
goldfish
live.
I
keep
the
fountain
banked
with
flowers.
You
can
imagine
the
pleasure
of
leaving
the
dusty
city
streets
and
entering
this
cool,
pleasant
entrance
hall.
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