The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-03-08
Modifying the Proportions Of a Room.

MOuliying the proportions OF n kOOms
In most rooms, as we find them, some
treatment is necessary TO modify de-
feet in proportion, because even where
the question has been well considered
in the building, the floor joists must be
set on one level, and this is determined
by the most important rooms on each
floor leaving the other rooms in faulty
proportion of length and width to
height. The most universally recog-
nized rule for determining the height of
a room is the sum OF half the width and
| the square root of the length. The
adoption of this rule results in bringing
the angle formed by the ceiling and
wall just within the angle of vision of
person standing in the center of the
room without raising the eyes; but of
course the rule can only be strictly OBJ
served in one room on each floor, unless
n double tier of ioists is set above the
smaller rooms, or unless it is possible TO
have the floors of rooms in the same story
on different levels, either course involv-
ing difficulty and expense. There is no
defect in proportion that can not be
modified in more than one way; that is
to say, to assert that room is too high
is equivalent to saying that it is either
not wide enough or not long enough, or
both; so that in treating a room with a
view of modifying its apparent proper
ton, the treatment that is most con-
venient may be made to answer the pur
pose in almost any instance; to appar-
emily shorten q room being the same as
to apparently increase its width and
| height, to apparently widen it being the
same as decreasing the length and height,
and so on.
To make o room appear higher the
| plane surface of the ceiling should be de-
creased by the holdings of the cornice,
| by panels, or in the absence of these, by
bands of color performing the same of
flee. A vertical system of line should
be adopted in mural de coration, and the
mantel should be lower
To make a room appear lolOer exactly
| the opposite treatment should be adopt
ed; that is, to increase the plane ceiling.
adopt horizontal system OF mural dec
| Grafton, with dado and high mantel.
To make room appear Wider is &C
| complished to a certain extent by max
ing it appear lower; but where this is
undesirable, or where it is insufficient,
the effect can be reached by adopting n
mural decoration on a graduated scale
| of form, decreasing upward, SO that two
| or more patterns at the top similar to
| those at the foot are found to occupy
the same space as one at the foot, aud
| this effect can be much increased by q
| graduation of color upward from dark to
light.
To make room appear ndrroUer is
| accomplished to a certain extent by
l-incr n bi ol,a lint ,or th lie
| is undesirable or insufficient the effect
can be obtained by adopting a strongly
| drawn large pattern in strong color for
mural decoration.
To make room appear longer is to
an extent accomplished by making it
appear lower and narrower; but where
these are undesirable or insufficient the
effect may be obtained by decreasing
the scale and strength of color of the
mural decoration adopted at the ends.
To make room appear shorter is ac-
companied to an extent by making it
appear wider and higher; but the effect
can be achieved by increasing the
scale and strength of color of the
mural decoration adopted at the ends.
Any of these effects can be modified
or increased by the treatment of the
floor surface, whether by carpets, rugs,
painted boards, or by parquet flooring,
lines running across a room, or rugs
laid down at intervals, having the effect
of shortening, and, consequently, to an
extent Of heightening and widening, a
room. Lines running in the length in
crease this dimension, and, to an eX-
tent, reduce the height and width. A
polished floor increases the apparent
height of an apartment by rejecting
all vertical lines and prolonging them.
These are the main devices for modi-
flying proportion without actual altera-
ton, and the extent to which any
should be used must depend upon the
degree of the defect. In many in.
stances serious defects may be cured by
a little judicious carpentry, such as in
creasing or decreasing the height OIL
width of doors or windows. Where
the windows are too high, or where il
is desirable to continue an unbroker
horizontal line, transom bar may be-
introduced in the window-fr frame, afford
ing an opportunity for stained glas:
lights above, and the usual sashes OF
easements below.
The panelling of doors may be alsC
made to assist any scheme, long un
broken panels having the effect of in
creasing the height OF the door, and {
number of horizontal panels having
the opposite effect. ~. +. Oakey, II
HdTper'S MGgazine.
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