“Whirriestone” 15 Broadhalgh Avenue Bamford near Rochdale

This house is one for which the architect (Mr Barry Parker, of London and Letchworth) designed all the furniture, fittings, and decorations, down to the very smallest details, such as cupboard turns and fire-irons, as well as the house and gardens: there is not so much as a knob on a coal-box or a latch on a gate which has been selected from catalogues; all of which was done in the endeavour to secure a perfectly harmonious and “thought-out” effect. Local materials were preferred to any which came from a distance for every purpose for which they were procurable. The stone for the mason's work was quarried not far from the site, and all fireplaces are built up in it. The roof is covered with Yorkshire stone slates characteristic of the old buildings in the neighbourhood. it should be pointed out that the addition of a motor house, engine, generating and billiard rooms was decided on when the shell of the main building was practically complete, so that they had to be put up as separate buildings, connected with the main block only by means of the verandah added for this purpose and the pergolas on each side of the gateway. The mason's work, brickwork, drainage, etc, was carried out by Messrs. Timothy Ashworth and Sons, the joiner's and carpenter's work by Mr T. Wilkinson, the plumbing and sanitary work by Mr H Tattersall, the plasterer's work by Mr F S Ross, and the stone slating by Mr. John Whitworth — all local; while Messrs. Henry Hope and Sons, of Birmingham, supplied steel casements and plain leaded lights, and Messrs William Hilliar of Birmingham, the stained leaded lights. The decorative plasterwork was done by Mr. William Bryan Binns, of Bournville. [Recent English Domestic Architecture (4)  1911]

Before passing on to other themes I am going to sum up what has been said in previous articles of this series in regard to houses designed for occupation by their owners. And in order to do this as graphically as possible, by means of illustrations rather than by abstract theories, I have chosen "Whirriestone," near Rochdale, Lancashire, as the type of home which exemplifies, more than any other I can call to mind, the application of those qualities and principles of architecture and furnishing for which I have been contending.   "Whirriestone" is, before all else, an expression of its owner's own taste and personality. The disposition and arrangement of the rooms and their accommodation are all her own planning, while the sizes of the rooms are in each instance of her own determining, within a very few inches. Every detail of the house and its furnishing has been designed to realize her own clear image of what she wished it to be. Almost the only item for which she had made no suggestion, when the work was drawing to a close, and about the only one I had not designed, was a coal-box handle. I selected one already on the market and submitted it. She pointed out some distinct improvements which might be made in its design and asked me to make a drawing embodying these, and have it carried out. And it was in this spirit of intense personal interest and thoughtfulness that all the work was planned and executed.   In the designs for this house I followed my usual custom, preparing slight sketches or perspective drawings for everything before making any working drawings. A few of these sketches are reproduced here to show the method of working. It seems to me that architects would be materially helped in the realization of what will be the effect of their work in the end, and in their grasp of the final result and feeling of the whole, if they more frequently designed in perspective. The mental effort of taking flat elevations and constructing from them in imagination the finished product, is by no means an easy task; whereas if they could see the ideas realized first "in the round” this strain on their imagination would be greatly reduced, the final aspect of their designs would be clearer and easier to understand and criticize, and their minds would be freer to receive other impressions. At present, however, the usual custom, when perspective drawings are made at all, is to execute them after the working drawings are completed. Would not many buildings have been improved if their architects had designed them first in perspective, using as a basis for this the  merest pencil elements of working drawings, and then afterward, with the necessary changes, made the complete set?

But to return to "Whirriestone." It will be seen from the plans which appear here that the one good living room or "house place" (which every house should have, however much or little else it has) is especially large. Whatever light there may be during the day will find its way into this room, with the exception of the early morning rays which will come into the study. Further, it will be seen that all the traffic through this room is across one corner of it only, so that a visitor could at any time be shown into the study without disturbing any members of the family who might be using the living room, particularly if the curtains indicated were drawn. And another feature that helps to insure comfort consists in placing the staircase so that any cold air descending will not chill those parts of the room in which one would be most likely to sit.  As the accompanying photographs show, the rooms of this house have the advantage of not being too high. In comparatively small houses, if the rooms are very high there is always apt to be a feeling that their height is too great to be pleasant in proportion to their width and length. It will be noticed that this danger has been avoided in the present instance by carrying the higher part of the living room up two stories of running galleries which look down into it along two sides.

Another cheerful characteristic of "Whirriestone" is the fact that as one enters at the front door a pleasant vista through the house and away to the south is opened up. This arrangement gives a first impression very different from the oppressive, inhospitable feeling produced by the blank wall or dark recesses of a hall which usually confront one upon entering the average home. All the other views and vistas in the house have been contrived with this idea in mind, and in some cases to avoid the objection just mentioned they have been lengthened by means of a window, or terminated by something of interest.  As the pleasantest view is toward the south, the two principal rooms have been given a southward "trend" or "direction." That is, the whole arrangement of each room is such that its occupants enjoy the best available prospect from those portions of the room which they will most frequently use and those positions which they will most naturally assume. The principal rooms look away from the road because this southern aspect affords the most pleasant view; but no outside elevation of the house is less agreeable to look upon than any other, and certainly no visitor could determine which to call the back of the house.

It should be noticed in this connection that above all the elevations are the natural outcome and expression of the internal planning. Some points, of course, are pure ornament, but these unmistakably proclaim themselves as such and could not be mistaken for construction, their claim to respect resting solely on the ground of their own beauty. But soundness of construction has never been sacrificed to ornament, and it will be observed that the attempt throughout has been to so beautify the useful and necessary things that they might become objects of interest and decoration instead of being put out of sight and other things substituted. Most of the interest, in fact, comes from construction frankly shown and decoratively treated, the elements and textures belonging to the construction, and the materials used being made the basis for whatever ornament was desired. It should be pointed out that, as far as possible, local building traditions have been observed and local building materials used. All the fireplaces are built of stone from the country side; the simple roof Is covered with the stone roofing slates characteristic of the locality, and all the stone for the walls, paving steps and   hearths was quarried not far from the site. 

The house as originally built is shown in black on the accompanying plan. The parts hatched on that plan are later additions, comprising the billiard room, motor house, engine and generative rooms, and the covered way connecting them with the house, together with the gateway and pergolas. The general construction and details of "Whirriestone' are unmistakably, it will be seen, the result of careful thought and individual treatment, all along the most practical lines possible. In fact in all of the houses which I have recently described, the criticism will probably be made that common-sense has been placed before everything else. This would be a somewhat exaggerated accusation, but in a sense it is true. For I do, in a way, put common-sense before everything, believing that the truly artistic is ever the most practical, and that, in architecture as well as other things, if we are not first sensible we can never be artistic, or anything else worthwhile.

One of the most noticeable characteristics of the "Whirriestone" interior is the use of "built-in" furniture. The handy bookshelves, the cosy corner seats and lounges, the cupboards, sideboard, desk,- all of these seem and in fact are integral parts of the construction. Not only does this type of furniture achieve a maximum of convenience and space economy with a minimum of housekeeping labor,  but it gives to each room a sense of comfort, a home-like quality which the usual movable piece of furniture, no matter how good, can somehow never quite attain. The care and forethought required in the initial planning and executing of each object imply such personal interest, such exercise of individual taste, such ingenuity, and in many cases such originality, that the result can hardly be other than sincere.

People are slowly beginning to appreciate once more the value of ' built-in" furnishings. And it is encouraging to find increasing evidences of this use, for it shows that we are getting to realize the futility of that most wasteful and nerve-racking habit - patronage of the moving van - and growing to want, instead of mere houses, real homes where durability and  permanence may dwell side by side with comfort and beauty.  And not least among the advantages underlying the use of "built-in" furnishings, is the equally interesting, if unconscious, development of self that keeps pace with the material side of the work. For it is impossible to plan and build and contrive and develop all the possibilities of a home interior without at the same time building up one's inner personality, enlarging one's own field of vision and experience, drawing out unlooked for talents and capacities, and discovering all sorts of novel and delightful channels for self-expression. And there is such unlimited chance for real enjoyment in this kind of work, that it seems a marvel, when one stops to think, that we have been so long in awakening to the fact. Surely anyone with even a small endowment of the "home instinct" would derive a genuine satisfaction from having at least a share in the planning of those surroundings and the choice of those things amongst which a goodly portion of existence must perforce be spent. For the right adjustment of all those intimate little details might make of any dwelling, no matter how humble or how small, a place where every task is pleasant and every corner full of interest, so that housework, instead of being a burden or drudgery, might be a cheerful labor.

Reference           Modern Country Homes in England: The Arts and Crafts Architecture of Barry Parker, Cambridge, 1986 see Dean Hawkes (ed.),
Reference           Modern Country Homes In England: Number Fifteen: By Barry Parker. The Craftsman Volume XX No 4 July 1911 pages 394-405

Illustrations
Garden And Ground Plan of " Whirriestone," showing relation of House to Grounds. page 394
“Whirriestone,” second floor plan  Page 401

View Of South And West. Page 395
Detail of Entrance To "Whirriestone," showing stone foundation, and window grouping. Page395
The South And Garden Side of " Whirriestone," showing graceful roof lines.
Main Entrance: Gateway and Pergola, at "Whirriestone." Page 396
The forecourt and entrance to pergola at "Whirriestone."
Entrance door and foot of stairway, with an interesting, though simple, use of wood. Page 397

Living room ar "Whirriestone," with a glimpse of the fireplace.
Looking from living room into study through archway, page 398
Living room at "Whirriestone," with nearer view of fireplace.
Living room at "Whirriestone," showing some of the furniture designed for the room. Page 399

Study, with fireplace and cosy arrangement of seats and bookshelves.
Bedroom at "Whirriestone," with some suggestions for furniture making. Page 400

Sketch for Working Desk in Living Room. Page 401
Sketch for Owners' Bedroom Wardrobes. Page 402
Sketch for Dressing Table and Fireplace bookshelves for Owner’s Bedroom page 403
Revised Design For South End Of Study, Page 404
Sketch for Living Room Chair page 405