Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/1060

 103(i COTTAGE, FARM, AND VILLA ARCHITECTURE. flues adjoining tlie smoke flues, in order to create a draught : a valuable addition to this plan would be, to have the fires principally supplied with air from tubes descending to the basement story, and opening there into a large air drain ; such tubes, of course, having regulating cocks. The nearest approach to this arrangement seems to be that of Mr. Sylvester's open fireplace ; in which combustion is supplied from a thin stratum of the heaviest air of the room, which slides along the floor. With Mr. Sylvester's open fireplaces', and concealed openings for ventilation in the cornices or ceilings, connected with flues, so placed alongside of other flues as to create a draught, the system of venti- jg^n lation might, we think, be rendered as perfect as could be reasonably desired. This, we know, was the opinion of the late eminent Mr. Tredgold, with whom we have had much conversation on the subject. ( Walk. Rem. ) 2065. The Wainscoting of Rooms in the Gothic style is a source of very great beauty, and might af!brd ex- cellent opportunities for admitting fresh air, and with- drawing that contaminated by respiration. In sojiie cases, pipes of steam or hot water are concealed behind the wainscoting, and clothed with other tubes, in order to heat the room, without showing the ajjpa- ratus, by creating on the surface of the inner tube a current of heated air, on the prin- ciple of Mr. Per- kins's lining to his steam boiler. When the pipes are clothed, this mode is very effective, but not so, as TIr. Mallet has observed, when they are left naked. On the whole, we pi-efer an imitalion of wainscoting in plaster, painted to resemble oak, elm, 1850 1851 maple, or other wood, and introducing the heat in ornamental vases or other vessels, as also suggested by Mr. Mallet, and practised by him and others. Fig. 1849 is an ornamental panel, supplied to us by Mr. Lamb, similar to those sometimes found in old English mansions, which may be easily executed either in plaster or wood. Fig. 1850 is an angle for a panel for a dado, or door, &c., of oak ; a very neat manner of finishing in use among ancient joiners. This has also been furnished to us by Mr. Lamb. 2066. Windows. ]Much of the comfort as well as the beauty of a room de- pends on the manner in which light is admitted to it. Whenever the main object is to display pictures, the windows should never be continued down to the floor ; because the light, when reflected ui)wards on the picture, is at the same time reflected on the eye of the sjiectator, and pre- vents him from seeing it to advantage. On the other hand, in the case of rooms on the ground floor, where it is desirable that the windows should open, so as to admit of going out 1852