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so I will be general in
my
remarks. All the materials
described for the dining-room treatment would be appli-
cable for the drawing-room. The dado is not so neces-
sary here, as the chairs are not usually placed against the
walls, and instead of the sombre hues suited to the din-
ing-room, soft, quiet and light effects are best—say cream
or soft duck-egg shell blue or French grey for ceilings, the
walls fawn color or a richer French
grey or a deeper grey
blue, approaching peacock shade. All these are good for
showing ladies’ complexions and dress to the best advant-
age, and that is a consideration not to be overlooked.
Water-color drawings will also look well on these grounds.
The woodwork may
be cream-white finished with enamel
varnish; this gives a beautiful smooth and fresh effect. I
think the judicious application of gilding in this room
very advantageous, but the same remark applies to all
the public rooms and hall. I think it is better to gild
the small enrichment of cornices solid than to break up
the ornament of the large enrichments with points of
gold—what is technically called

hatching

or

pick-
ing out.” The round, the concave and small ogee mould-
ings always look well gilded, as their rounded surfaces
catch the light from all points. The wall should be deco-
rated with water-color drawings or etchings tastefully
arranged. Choice pieces of Oriental and Doulton
pot-
tery are beautiful and very decorative. I have fitted a
narrow moulded shelf, supported on neat brackets, all
round the walls—except where occupied by cabinets—
about four feet high from the floor; this shelf has a
groove on the upper surface for holding plates and pho-
tos —this is to prevent them from sliding—and is a very
pretty arrangement, as between the photos pretty pieces
of
pottery and statuettes may be placed. Above this
shelf should be hung the water-color drawings, etchings
and engravings; or,
instead of this narrow shelf, dwarf
book cases rising three feet high may be
put round the
room, and on the top of those the photos and ornaments
may be placed. Books in themselves are very decorative
in effect, besides the delight of sitting in rooms supplied
with plenty of them. I think there should be
many
books in the drawing-room ; it is the general sitting-room
and no one need ever be weary or suffer ennui who loves
good books.
The morning-room I will not describe further than to
say
it should be light and cheerful and cool in tone
French greys and light hues are good. It may be painted
entirely and decorated in a simple manner, or any of the
wall coverings may
be u
Q ed here quite fitly.
The library is better to be subdued in
tone, but not
gloomy. The wall should be the background for rare
prints and etchings, so should be painted or, if paper,
some old rich leather effect is good with a pattern not
over conspicuous, the ceiling and cornice colored to match
and the woodwork as in the dining-room, dark and deco-
rated with thin lines and ornaments. The books should
be easily accessible, and low bookcases not more than
five feet high or lower look very well. I think it is
better to have no glass in front of the books, except to
protect the rarest of
very valuable ones. I have observed
that those placed beyond reach of the hand are rarely
opened. The floor should be stained or painted all
round, say one foot in front of the book cases, so that
carpet or rug may be lifted without disturbing the book-
cases.
The bedrooms should be dealt with as to color accord-
ing to
aspect; those getting much sunshine should be
cool, and those in the shade warm in tone. I think it
good to paint the
ceilings and walls of bedrooms. The
walls
may
be finished with a dull gloss, the paint being
partly mixed with varnish; this allows of their being
washed down without injury to thepaint, and insures that
they be always fresh and clean. Walls painted in this
manner will last a lifetime. The walls and ceilings may
be perfectly plain, but there is no reason why the ceil-
ings may not be decorated in a simple way with lines,
borders and corner ornaments, or even in a fuller man-
ner. In the children’s rooms it is as well to have dadoes
that
may be fully varnished ;
of course the walls may
be
papered without
any
breach in the fitness of things, and
lovely papers are to be had in jdenty, and some are made
purposely to allow of sponging down. They are called
sanitary papers; they are quiet in color and
very serv-
iceable. The woodwork should be painted to suit the
walls, generally in light tones, and if varnished, so much
the better; it lasts much longer and all finger marks can
be easily wiped from it. I think it is best to oil paint
the ceiling in all
cases;
itlasts for
many years
and iseasily
cleaned, and if renewed can be done without causing
the dirt and mess that distemper always produces, when
washed off. The
margins of floors should in all cases be
stained or painted and varnished, so that the
carpets
may be frequently shaken; freshness and cleanness in
bedrooms is of the utmost importance. For thesame rea-
sons the kitchens and offices should be oil painted, and
not distempered; the paint can so easily be washed down
by the
servants, and it lasts so much longer than dis-
temper, that the difference in the first cost is soon made
up. Here the woodwork should be varnished, and the
walls for five feet
up
the same ; a simple line should be
drawn at the top of the dado.
For the outside of cemented houses there is no treat-
ment that so effectually resists the entry of rain as to
paint the walls thoroughly, and when applying the last
coat to powder them with fine dry sand. When
dry this
makes so hard a surface that water cannot
penetrate it;
it is more costly than ordinary painting, but it is practi-
cally imperishable, and so cheaper in the end. As to the
best colors for outside painting, I don’t feel that
any hard
and fast rule can be laid down. All tones of stone-color,
from cream yellow to terra-cotta and dark chocolate, may
be used. I would avoid shades of
green and blue on the
cement, except they be very neutral in
tone; from white
through yellow tones to dark red and brown are the most
suitable shades. When the walls are painted dark colors,
then the windows sashes and verandah should be made
very light, say white tinted with yellow, green or blue or
even pure white; on the other hand, if the walls are
painted in light colors, the window sashes and other out-
side woodwork may most fitly be
painted in dark shades,
say
olive
green,
Indian red or dark peacock-blue.
The above is a very general survey of the
house, but,
perhaps, as much as can be profitably introduced into an
hour’s lecture such as this. It is impossible to do more
than treat the subject on the broadest lines. I am em-
barrassed with too much matter rather than with too
little, for practically there is no limit to the modes of
treatment for every part of the house. I am far from
thinking there is only one good way of painting houses •
there are many.
For instance, if character is
wanted,
the house could be treated in purely Greek
design—-
or full of refined designing and affording scope for full
harmonious coloring. The Renaissance is founded on
the Classic, but treated with abundant freedom and
grace
by the Italians and other European nations. The various
French developments of the Renaissance have their own
beauties. Louis Quinze and Louis Seize are full of char-
238 THE SOUTHERN ARCHITECT.

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