Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/1042

 1018 COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. for the rings to pass free) is a common French curtain-rod, on which runs a very fine but plain muslin sun-curtain, edged with crimson cherry fringe. The cords for drawing the curtains, instead of being concealed, are made very conspicuous, and contribute much to the general effect. They arc about the thickness of half an inch, of plaited worsted cord^ with handsome terminations. They run on sheaves of 6 inches in diameter, let into the knobs at the extremities of the poles, and are long enough to admit the ends to be reached by the hand in the extreme positions of the curtains, when, o. course, one is shortened and the otlier lengthened to the extent of the width which the curtain has traversed. The long end is then looped upon the bracket which confines the curtain. The idea of this arrangement was suggested to me by an old picture. The whole of the crimson in the room is, as near as practicable with the different materials, of the same hue ; the lake for the walls having been first procured, and the silk and worsted dyed to match it. From this circumstance, and from its being contrasted by the green, and relieved by the white and gold, it has no more of a predominant hue in the arrangement than is perfectly agreeable ; while it gives great distinctness to the pictures, and a general air of warmth and comfort, without appearing glaring or gaudy. In the design and construction of every thing in the room, the aim has been, to avoid harbourage for dust, and to reduce to a minimum the time required for keeping it in order. If this principle were kept in view by cabinetmakers and upholsterers, we should be spared the sight of such a variety of meaningless draperies and dirty finery as are constantly exhibited ; and which, although often of flimsy and com- mon materials, are made to cost more than properly made furniture, of materials of the best and most lasting description. The room your correspondent, Selim, mentions at Earlstoke must have been delightful. Titian could not have produced more harmonious colouring ; the drawingroom proposed with bright blue hangings would be difficult to carry through ; as the tints which would be required to make a regular optical harmony by daylight would show quite different by artificial light, which has so little of the yellow part of the spectrum in it, that even orange (the contrasting colour to the blue of the spectrum,) would appear a dirty white by candlelight, while the blue would retain all its clearness. I suspect it is from feeling this, that, in arrangements where delicate blue is introduced as a principal colour, the contrast is generally sought in pure white and gold." Sect. III. Of the Fixtures and Fittings-7ip of Villas. 2028. The Fixtures and Fittings-up of villas include many articles already described when treating of the fittings-up, &c., of cottages, farmhouses, and inns; never- theless, there are a few articles remaining to be noticed, which we shall include in two subsections. SuBSECT. 1 . Of the Fixtures and Fittings-up of Villa Offices. 2029. TJie Kitchen. In the neighbourhood of Leamington, in Warwickshire, we are informed, open fireplaces are entirely laid aside in the kitchens of a number of villas. Instead of them, a fire is made in a furnace in the middle of a raised hearth or brick bench : it is covered with a cast-iron plate, having an opening of al)out nine inches in diameter, into which a lid is fitted. This lid is taken off when broiling is to be performed, but at all other times it is kept on. Two flues pass from the furnace, one to the right and the other to the left, and there is a damper to each flue, so that at any time the whole of the heat can be turned into any one of the flues. There is also a third flue, which communicates directly with the upright chimney, into which the whole of the smoke and heat can be at any time thrown. To the right of the central fireplace, and next to the fire, there is an oven, projjcrly arranged for roasting meat ; beyond it, there is another arranged for baking ; and farther on, a third, serving as a closet for keeping articles hot. The fire, afler having passed round these ovens, returns to the central chimney in a flue with a cast-iron cover ; on which cover stewing may be carried on in different saucepans. The flue which passes out of the furnace to the left has a cast-iron cover, which can be rendered sufficiently hot to boil articles, and here both boiling and stewing can be performed. In returning, this flue passes round a boiler, which contains a perpetual reservoir of hot water, and roinid a second oven for roasting meat. We have been informed by a gentleman who has paid great attention to subjects of this kind, that, in kitchens thus fitted up, there is a great saving of fuel and labour ; and that the heat of the apartment is much less than in kitchens having open fireplaces. 2030. A Kitchen and its Appendnqes, as designed hy Mr. Mallet. In fig. 1819, A is the entrance to the kitchen from the dining-room, and from the two corridors, m m, running parallel to it, and communicating with the housekeeper's, steward's, and butler's rooms, and other servants' offices ; U, the entrance to the scullery from the kitchen court ; C, tlie kitchen, twenty-five feet by thirty feet ; D, the scullery, thirty feet by sixteen feet ;