American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-05-25

In the old days of wainscots. when
every room of any pretensions to elegance
was banded with light or dark wood to
a height of three or four feet from the
base, it was far easier to effectively
ornament the portion of wall left I'M
covered, than it is when an unbroken
surface sweeps, as now, from floor to
ceiling.
Ii the pattern which covers this surface
be large and positive the effect is to lessen
the apparent size of the room, and CON
fuse with vulgar repetition. If, on the
contrary, it is small and inconspicuous,
there is wearisome effect of monotony,
displeasing to a trained eye. Even if the
paper be of plain tint, and intented merely
as background for pictures, etc, the
effect is enhanced by contrast and breaks
in surface. There are various methods to
produce this result as for instance:
n space corresponding to the ancient
waiuscot is left to the height of three or
four feet above the floor, and filled in
with paint or paper of solid color, har-
monizing or contrasting with that which
is used on the upper part of the wall
This is usually topped with a wooden
moulding to serve as Il chairing," above
which the lower tint of plain gray, pearl,
green, is repeated in subdued pattern,
the surface being broken at top and bot
tom by narrow band of contrasting
color.
Or again: the paper, which is of any
quiet shade, is relieved above and below
by a broad band of velvet paper in rich,
deep color, which, running also up the
corners of the room, frames the paler tint,
us it were, into a number of large panels
This plan is sometimes carried out very
effectively.
Another way is to paper in three hori-
zontal bands, the lower being of dark
brown, Stimulating wainscot, the next of
plain green or fawn, as background for a
line of pictures, and the upper of deli
cate, fanciful pattern, finished at the cor
nice by soft fresco tints.
OF these three plans we should recon-
mend the first to people of moderate
means and tastes. 1t costs no more to
paper the lower part of wall with plain
paper than with figured, the strip of
moulding at the top adds little to the ex-
pense, and the prettiness and effect of
the whole is infinitely enhanced by the
use of cheap and simple method
Paint rers'fs Paper is point on which
rival housekeepers disagree. Very beau
tiful results can certainly be attained by
paint, but the really beautiful ones are
laborious and usually expensive. Kalso-
mine, which is a process of water-color-
ing. gives extremely pretty effects, and
! for ceilings, cOrnices, or any place not
exposed to much rubbing and scraping, is
sufficiently permanent. The process of
s07ading paint and painting over the sand
produces a depth and richness of color
only equaled by velvet paper, and far
superior to that in durability.
Stenciling on wood, on rough plaster
and on paint is SO cheap and excellent a
method of decoration that we wonder it
is not more often resorted to. A row of
encaustic tiles are often set, in England
as a finish at top of wainscoting. These
tiles, which are but little used among us,
are susceptible of many graceful applica-
tions to the enumeration of houses, and
we hope the time will come for their
fuller Introduction on this side of the
ocean.
The tone of the ceiling should be
lighter than that of the wall, and the tone
of the wall lighter than that of the floor
Attention to this simble law would obvi-
ate the distressing effect occasionally pro-
duced in modern houses, when, by reason
of the lightness of the carpet and the
heaviness of the fresco, the room seems
in danger of fallingin upon itself and it's
nhabilants.-''H0me and Society,"" Serb
ner's TOR Nay.