Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/1059

 FITTINGS-UP OF VI I. LA DWELLING-ROOMS. 1035 idea. Fig. 1847 is a chimney-piece and 1847 ficent designs might be formed from thi grate, furnislied by Mr. Lamb ; the object of which, he says, is " to show what can be done in the adaptation of ancient forms to modern customs. This grate represents as nearly as possible the andirons and creepers (terms for the dogs, or fire- irons, for supporting logs of wood in open chimney-pieces) used for burning wood in former times ; and it, at the saine time, possesses all the requisites for burning coals." Fig. 1S48 is a Design for a chimney-piece in the style of Louis XI fitted up with one of Sylvester's Jfc)4t5 open grates, and with one of the front screens re- quired for those grates, in the same style. It will be seen that this grate differs in some respects from that shown in fig. 1344, and that two of the luffer-plates are removed. This rich Design is by IMr. Lamb. Some hundreds of marble chim- ney-pieces in this style, and in that ^ of Francis I. (which difTersfrom that of Louis XIV. chiefly in giving greater elevation to the chimney openings), have been lately imported by Nixon and Son, Great Portland Street, London. These upholsterers more particularly devote themselves to furnishing in the style of Louis XIV. ; a style which, though unsuitable for persons in moderate circumstances, yet, could we indiilge in it, we would display in one room, as we would all the other distinctive styles in so many difterent apartments. Our beau ideal of an amateur Architect's house is, a display of all the styles of Domestic Architecture, that have ever existed, in distinctive masses on the exterior ; and of all the styles of furnishing, that have ever existed, in separate rooms in the interior. This would be to the Architect such a practical school of his art, as the representative system of the whole vegetable kingdom, which we have in our small garden at Bayswater, is of botany to the horticulturist. There are few or no Architects, however, in the world, that could afford to indulge in such a school ; but the idea may afford a useful hint to some wealthy citizen of America, who may wish to leave a sort of architectural museum to his native town. We mention America, because such a museum would be a much greater curiosity there than in Europe ; and we suggest the idea of leaving it to a town, to prevent the risk of dispersion in a country where, happily for the inhabitants, there are no laws either of entail or primogeniture. 2064. The Ventilation of Rootns Is equally imperfect with the usual mode of heating them ; because the air, being carried off by the chimney, can never be much changed higher than the chinmey breast. The whole of the stratum above this height must remain, when fires are used, comparatively unchanged. To ren.edy this evil, it is requisite to have ventilators, concealed in the cornice or ceiling, communicating with