473. When the hangings are white, or of an extremely feeble tone of colour, and the border does not stand out very strongly by its colour, we may make a harmony of tone or of hue with the tint of the wainscoting. For example, white, or nearly white hangings, with a gilt or brass border, harmonize well with a wainscoting which differs only by some tones more from the colour of the hangings.
Cornice of the Ceiling.
474. The cornice of a white ceiling must be of light colours, and but little varied; not according with those of the hangings, but of the wainscoting. White parts, which may be confounded with the ceiling, must be carefully avoided, as must also whatever will cause too much difference between the parts of the whole. When the hangings are white, or of a very pale grey, with a gilt or brass border, the cornice may present ornaments of the same material, and in this case they may stand upon a white or upon a grey, a little deeper than that of the hangings.
Chairs, Sofas, &c., placed in front
of the
Wainscoting or Hangings.
475. The colour of the covering of chairs should be complementary to that of the hangings, properly so called, or, more generally, the same as that of the border, because this may be different from its complementary, and contrast, nevertheless, with the tint of the hangings. We see, then, that the chairs should contrast with the hangings, as may also the wainscoting; but the colour of the chairs being pure, it will also be purified by that of the wainscoting, which, for this reason, we have advised to be deadened.
1. The case of clearest contrast—i.e., when the colours of the hangings and the chairs are complementary—is the most favourable to distinct vision, as well as to successive contrast, whenever we observe first the hangings separately, and afterwards the chairs separately, and vice versâ.
2. When the colour of the hangings and of the chairs contrast without being complementary, we must take into consideration the degree of light in the colour of the hangings. For example, if they are blue, and the border is yellow, the covering of the furniture being a yellow, more golden than citron, this stuff must be of a much higher tone than the blue tone of the hangings; and the tone of the wood of the chairs, &c., must be still higher than the yellow, to avoid a dull appearance.
3. We may border the stuff at the parts contiguous to the wood, either with well-assorted dark colours, or with the same colour as the hangings, but of a higher tone; there is also a means of harmonizing the hangings and the furniture, in uniting the same colours, but in inverse proportion.
4. When, instead of sofas, arm and other chairs, there is a divan which entirely conceals the wainscoting, we must use the complementary colour of the hangings, when it is more advantageous for the colour of the border to form a contrast of scale or of hue with the hangings. In this case, yellow hangings bordered with brass in relief with a violet-coloured divan, will produce an excellent effect, at least by daylight; for we must not forget that yellow and violet lose in artificial light.
5. We regard as a harmony of contrast of colour light hangings of a pure colour with furniture of a grey, tinted with the complementary to that of the hangings.
476. Rooms differing in dimensions, according as they belong to the lively or grave harmonies, will be adapted to very different purposes.
1. In small rooms—such, for example, as boudoirs, where the hangings are bright—a harmony of contrast of hue, of scale, or a harmony of analogy, is generally preferable to a harmony of contrast of colour, if the hangings are uniform, or have a dominant colour. If they have a decided colour allied to white, or if they present patterns of various colours, such as chintzes, the furniture most suitable will be a divan of the same material as the hangings; and it is conformable with the object of boudoirs, or of similar places, to diminish their apparent extent to the eye, by employing only one material for the hangings and the chairs, instead of seeking to fix the eye upon distinct objects.
2. In large rooms there is an arrangement of good effect—viz., white, or very light grey hangings, with furniture of a pure colour, such as red, yellow, green, blue, and violet. When we employ these pure colours, we must heighten the tone only so much as to avoid a faded appearance. Sky-blue is the most suitable for this arrangement; crimson, which is also employed, is too harsh, especially if the room is neither very large nor well lighted.
477. Grave Assortments are adapted to places devoted to quiet meetings, such as libraries, museums, studies, &c. In general, the smaller the place, or the less space there is to receive the hangings, the more the assortment must be that of a harmony of analogy.
The hangings or the pictures must present only normal grey, or a grey of a colour more or less broken; the chairs must be black or of a dark grey, either normal or coloured; and in this case we can take a grey tinted with the complementary of the colour of the grey of the hangings. If more contrast is desired, we can have recourse to the brown tones of this complementary of the colour, which tints the grey of the hangings.
478. Window and Bed-curtains should be similar to each other.
When the Chairs have a decided Colour—such as Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, or Violet—the hangings should be of a pure colour, contrasting favourably with that of the chairs.
The curtains should generally be of the colour of the chairs, and their borders of the colour of the hangings, or of the colour of the hangings bordered with the colour of the chairs.
The Chairs being Grey, or of a very subdued Colour, and the hangings of a decided colour, the curtains should be either,—1. Of the colour of the chairs, with a border of the colour of the hangings: or, 2. Of the complementary of the hangings, or contrasting favourably with them; the colour of the border should be that of the hangings.
The Hangings being of a Grey Colour, or White, the curtains should be,—1. Of the colour of the chairs: or, 2. Of a pure colour, complementary to the grey of the hangings, if the latter do not belong to the scale of normal grey.
479. Doors.—Doors being, by their use, size, and position, relatively to the plane of the wall, absolutely distinct from the wainscoting, should be distinguished from it by their colour, notwithstanding the contrary practice of painters, who make them the same. Their different parts might be painted in many low tones of the same, or of approximating scales, and always according to the harmony of analogy, as the parts of one object are concerned. The colour of the doors should be of normal grey, or of a grey tinged with the colour of the hangings or of its complementary, which will thus always unite with the hangings, either by harmony of analogy, or by harmony of contrast. The door frames should be darker than the door itself.
480. Window Frames should be like the doors, according to a rule which has long been generally observed. The fastenings must be black, bronzed, or of brass.
Carpets.
481. Whatever may be the dominant colours of the subjects represented in their central part, with regard to brilliancy and contrast, they should always be separated from the chairs by a sufficient interval to prevent discord with the colour of the latter.
1. The more numerous and vivid the colours are, the more we must control their brilliancy; and the carpet most suitable will be one of simple colours and pattern. In many cases, an assortment of green and black will have a good effect.
2. If the furniture is of a single colour, or of many tones, either of the same colour or of approximating scales, we can, without disadvantage, employ a carpet of brilliant colours, and thus establish a harmony of contrast between them and the dominant tint of the furniture.
482. But if the furniture is of mahogany, and we wish to bring out its colour, then we must not have either red, scarlet, or orange as a dominant colour in the carpet.
In short, to get the best effect of the colours of the furniture, in the first case, the colours of the carpet, more or less sombre, must enter into the harmonies of analogy; while in the second, where harmony of contrast of colour does not exist in the furniture, we can, if we choose, have recourse to this harmony in the carpet without ill effect.
Pictures
(See 453).
483. Whenever pictures are placed on hangings, the latter must be of a single colour, or of two very similar colours or tones of the same scale. The pattern of these hangings must be as simple as possible. Whenever a picture is placed on coloured hangings, we must always take care that the dominant colour of the hangings be complementary to the dominant colour of the picture.
Engravings and plain lithographs must never be placed beside oil paintings, or even coloured drawings.
Pearl grey, or rather deep normal grey, is a good tint to receive engravings and plain lithographs in gilt or yellow wood frames.
484. Yellow hangings can receive with advantage landscapes, in which green grass, and leaves, and a blue sky predominate. The most suitable frames in this case are those of violet ebony, or wood painted grey or black. Gilt frames have not a bad effect on the picture; but the gold of the frame and the yellow of the hangings do not contrast sufficiently to most eyes.
485. Oil-paintings in gilt frames have a good effect on hangings of olive-grey more or less deep, according to the tone of the picture. Carnations and the gold assort well on a similar ground. Papers of a deep green, and even of a deep blue, may also be advantageously employed in many cases.
Panelled Interiors.
486. Notwithstanding the present taste for decorations, which it is so easy to satisfy by means of paper-hangings, woven fabrics, and other accessories, I think there are in large suites of apartments two rooms for which a paneling more or less finished is very suitable; these are the dining and the billiard rooms; the scene being, as it were, concentrated on the dining or billiard tables, there is no reason to distract the attention by clothing the walls with ornaments. Where an interior is paneled, the floor should be in parquetry; a pavement of tiles, stones, or marbles would be out of keeping.
487. The colour of the curtains, for paneled interiors, must be chosen conformably to the preceding principles. For example—
White curtains will heighten the tone of the woodwork;
Blue curtains will bring out the golden tint of many woods, especially of polished oak.
Interiors covered with Marbles.
488. We can arrange marbles together on the principle of harmony of contrast or of harmony of analogy. Bronze adapts itself to them very well. If granite and porphyry are to be added, the lower courses must be composed of the latter.
Blinds are preferable to curtains, which are not suited to marbles.
Interiors covered with Wood
painted of several Colours.
489. The painting on a wainscot which is not beautiful enough to be seen uncovered has for its object the imitation—1. Of hangings; 2. Of wood more or less costly; 3. Of marble.
490. When we decorate walls of a pale grey ground, which require to be warmed with arabesques, we must endeavour to imitate pictures rather than mosaics.
491. The more carefully arabesques are executed, the more variety they will present in their forms and colours, and the less they should resemble the draperies, with which they are associated. Thus, white curtains with a simple and ample border, or curtains of a slightly-elevated tone of colour, or of an extremely simple design, should have the preference to curtains which are related to arabesques by their vivid colours, their varied patterns, or striking colour; in short, the colour of the curtain, if it has any, must be sacrificed to that of the arabesques.