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shades where the mouldings and enrichments are deli-
cate. The treatment as to the division of the walls will
depend on the height of the ceiling, but generally speak-
ing it is good to put a frieze under the cornice, and it is
useful to have a dado here, and in the staircase following
the rake of the handrail. The dado and wall space
should be
separated by a wooden moulded rail. The
dado should be highly varnished, so as to allow of wash-
ing and dusting without the risk of soiling. The color
of the walls should be pleasantly warm,
such as terra-
cotta, or even Pompeian red, the dado in deeper shades
of the wall
color; soft olive green is also good for stair-
case walls. Blue, unless it is of the peacock shade, or
approaching a
grey green,
had better be avoided here.
The steps of stairs, if of wood, should be stained a deep
walnut color, or if they be of stone, they may be painted
a deep shade of the dado color, and varnished to allow
of cleaning frequently. The hall and staircase walls
may be papered—-there are special designs made for the
purpose that look very well indeed, having friezes and
dadoes specially colored to match. The hall is a good
place to hang etchings, autotypes, and engravings, in
quiet oak or black moulded frames; and when they form
a special feature of the decoration, the walls should be
painted a quiet shade, as a florid patterned paper detracts
from the value of the pictures. The
carpets and por-
tieres should be in strict harmony with the decorator’s
work, and should be chosen by him or the architect. I
have often seen the whole harmony of coloring in a house
destroyed by the unskillful selection of the
carpets and
hangings. The woodwork should he painted in one or
more shades of maroon or other rich brown colors and
varnished ; all graining should be avoided. I must con-
fine myself to broad principles as I proceed, as I could
multiply varieties of treatment without end. The din-
ing-room should be sombre in
tone, the ceiling a vellum
color in depth to suit the walls. It
may
be divided by
wood mouldings into geometrical panelling, and these
panels filled with Tynecastle tapestry or Anaglypta, the
effect of this is as if it were executed in low-relief plaster
work. The designs manufactured now are very
beauti-
ful. If the ceiling is treated in this manner the walls
may
also be decorated with the same materials, for there
are friezes and wall
hangings made of the same stuffs.
The paintings and gilding on those surfaces can be as
simple or as grand as may be demanded; they are capable
of
many
and varied beautiful treatments. Immediately
under the frieze'should be fixed a moulded
picture rail;
this is much better than a metal rod, as it
goes
round the
entire room as the cornice does; its distance from the
cornice will depend upon the height of the walls. The
advantages of lowering the picture rail is that it affords
greater ease in hanging the
pictures, and prevents the
unsightly cords being seen to the same extent as when
going to the
cornice; by shortening the cords, too, pictures
hang steadier and the chances of
breakage are lessened.
This moulding can be colored to be in harmony with the
walls and rendered almost invisible, or it
may
be
gilt
solid so as to form a marked boundary to the frieze. The
coloring of the walls should have reference to the pict-
ures, and should not be too light in
tone; experience
has discovered that dark reds or old gold color, not unlike
rich brown paper or dull tones of green, either cool and
grey, or warm and
brown, are the best for showing pict-
ures to advantage. I painted the dining-rooms of two
of the
Royal Academicans in London, J. Pettie’sand Mc-
Whirter’s, and in both cases the color selected was a dark
grey-green;
both artists found the full value of the color-
ing of their pictures brought out to the fullest extent on
this dark background. The Royal Academy Avails are
colored a dark Indian red, and so also are the Avails of
the British National Gallery. As chairs are placed round
the Avails of the dining-room, it is good to put a chair-rail
at the height of the chair-backs; this
prevents the chairs
from breaking the plaster. The dado should be colored
in relation to the Avails above, and a good many
shades
darker; the dark dado takes from the bareness of a large
room, and gives a coziness and furnished appearance
which does not exist Avhen
you can see each piece of
furniture clearly defined against the walls. The Avood-
Avork should be painted good solid colors of Indian red
or walnut shades, or black and resembling ebony. Ido
not recommend decorating the panels Avith any
kind of
natural floAver designs ; thin flat hand-painted ornament
in ivory color, resembling but not imitating inlaid-work,
is chaste and beautiful. If the Avood is of good quality
the panels may be decorated Avith various stains in full
and rich designs. I have decorated the saloons of many
of the
great ocean steamships in this manner. It is best
to French
polish surfaces decorated in this
Avay.
As
yet I have dealt with the ceilings and walls as
covered with embossed materials, either in low or high
relief. The ceilings, where dust cannot settle, may safely
have tire designs in high relief, but those in low relief
are more suited to the walls. The walls themselves
may
be formed into well proportioned panels, not so small as
to interfere with the placing of the furniture or the hang-
ing of the pictures. The panels should be divided by
wood mouldings and there should be a style round each
treated in flat tints of such a kind as to show the panel
coloring to the
greatest advantage. The French are par-
tial to this mode of treatment, and I think it a very good
one; it gives a rich furnished
appearance to the walls.
Both ceilings and walls may again be oil-paintecl and
decorated in a hundred ways; I have painted many of
the finest houses in Scotland in this
way,
the ceilings
being entirely decorated by hand with figures, wreaths
and ornamental compositions, the walls also being deco-
rated with the like specially designed and hand-painted
ornament. This is the most artistic manner, and no two
houses are ever painted in the same way
Of course
ordinary wall papers may
be applied here as everywhere
else in the house, and if chosen by an
expert, very fine
effects
may
be obtained in this manner. I don’t think
there is a wiser way of spending money
than in making
the home beautiful. Our wives and families spend most
of their lives at home, and the enjoyment derived from
beautiful surroundings is beyond estimate, besides the
refining influence it has on our children. There is no
pleasure so constant, so soothing, so lasting and elevating
as that afforded
by a lovely home; it is the most unself-
ish pleasure, too, as all our friends
may
share it. In a
room where there is heavy furniture it is good to have
a margin of say 30 inches round the floor uncarpeted, so
as to allow of the carpet being frequently taken
up
and
shaken. This margin may
be painted in some dark shade
agreeing with the carpet and dado, or if the floors are
new they may be stained to a dark oak or walnut color,
and in both cases varnished. AVax varnish is most
artistic in effect, but is more liable to soil and takes
much more labor to keep in good order, and
parquet
flooring is better than either of the former, but is more
expensive.
The drawing-room is the ladies’ special room, and
should be bright and cheerful. It is difficult to deal with
a subject like color to make you realize effects from mere
description, and to describe in detail the many ways I
could treat a drawing-room would merely confuse
you,
237
THE SOUTHERN ARCHITECT.

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