Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/1087

 GHECIAN AND MODERN VIJ-LA FURNITUHE. I 0(^.3 of the Designs alluded to, are most richly ornamented, and the decorations in general are judiciously applied ; that is, they appear as if they resulted from the construction ; yet the hind legs are as bald as those of the hall chairs, or of any chair which could be constructed for the humblest cottage. A very little reflection will convince any ore 1936 that this cannot be in good taste. The Designs, fig. 1 928 to fig. 1 935, do not show so great a discrepancy between the front legs and the back ones ; and to us they are, on that account, much more satisfactory. There are none of these chairs, however, entirely to our mind ; because there is scarcely one of them in which there is perfect harmony in the direction of the lines. Not one of these chairs can have been designed by an Architect, or other artist ; they are much more like the efforts of a mechanic in search of novelty. Fig. 1937 is not bad, with the exception of the hind legs. 2109. The Polishing of Chairs and other Furniture is a matter which should not be lost sight of by a purchaser. In large towns, such as London and Edinburgh, where the art of polishing furniture forms a distinct occupation, what is called the French polish is by far the best for bringing out the beauties of the wood, and giving it a bright- ness and richness of colour which nothing else hitherto invented can produce. An important advantage of the French polish is, that it is not liable to crack or show scratches, like varnish. Wherever, therefore, the French mode of polishing is practised, we would recommend its adoption at least for all drawingroom furniture, and for the finer articles of libraries and dressing-rooms. For dining-tables, Mr. Dalziel states that by far the best polish for the tops is cold-drawn linseed oil alone, rubbing them