Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/825

 BEAU IDEAL OF AN ENGLISH VILLA. 801 large leather easy chairs. A washhig-stand which sliuts up would be also required hero occasionally, and a neat wardrobe also, if the gentleman used it as a dressing-room, which is sometimes the case. 1688. Principal Staircase. Having now gone through the principal apartments on the ground floor, the next thing to be considered is the great staircase, which will lead us to the bed-rooms. I have already supposed the staircase to be in a separate tower, built out behind the centre of the gallery, from which you approach it under a broad handsome arch. When you are witiiin the arch, on the right and left, under the landing of tile stairs, are the doors of the gentlemen's water-closets ; those for the ladies are above, and are approached from the landing-place over. The staircase is an important con- venience in every house, and it should always be a striking feature in a mansion of any elegance. The tower, which I suppose to contain the staircase, would be square as high as the ceiling of the upper floor, where it would take a sort of octagon form ; the roof coved, and ending in a lantern : in the centre of the lantern a boss would support a lamp. In the side, opposite to the arch by which you enter, would be a tall mullioncd window, filled with stained glass. Advancing a few steps, you would roach the first fliglit in the middle of the tower, and ascend to the first landing-place ; you would find a flight of stairs on the right and left leading to the second landing, in the centre of which is the upper gallery-door, immediately over the arch below. As the house is to be in the old English style, the stairs might be either -of oak or stone ; but the balusters must be of oak handsomely carved, and rather heavy. They might begin at the foot of the stairs with a richly carved sort of pedestal, and the same at each corner as they ascend. In old staircases, there was frequently an animal of some sort sculptured in wood, supporting the family arms placed on these pedestals, especially at the foot of the stairs ; or the animal had a substitute in a ball or pine-apple. The centre part of the stairs might be cai-peted or not ; the walls of the tower might be painted like the lower gallery, and on the right and left walls a large picture on any subject would be very ornamental : for instance, a large scripture piece on each of the side walls would be well lighted from the lantern above. 1689. The Upper Gallery. From the upper landing, an arched doorway would admit you to the upper gallery, of the same dimensions as the one below, but not so high. The windows should be on the same side as the staircase, and the wall opposite should have doors leading to the bed-rooms and dressing-rooms. The walls should be );ainted like the lower gallery ; and as there would be little space for pictures, a collec- tion of glazed prints might be arranged upon the vacant spaces in the walls. I should carpet the floor ; and a few side-tables and settees would be all the furniture required, except lamps suspended from the ceiling, to light the gallery at night. There might be also crimson cloth window-curtains, on large brass rods, without drapery. The col- lection of fossils, or old china, might be placed in glass cases between the windows. This gallery, besides its use as an entrance to the bed-rooms, would be a promenade, or place of recreation, for the ladies and young people in wet weather. As there would be a great many doors in the gallery, it would be convenient to have them numbered : the number on a brass or japanned circle over each. I have known strangers much plagued to find their rooms in large houses, for want of a proper mark upon the doors. 1690. Bed-rooms and Dressing-rooms. The doors of most of the bed-rooms and dressing-rooms should open into the upper gallery, or communicate with it. Generally speaking, I would not have the bed-rooms of a very large size. Twenty or eighteen feet square is a comfortable size for a room to contain a large four-post bed ; sixteen feet square is sufficient for a bed-room for a single person. A dressing-room shoidd be attached to all the principal bed-rooms ; I believe modern luxury, in great houses, requires two : this would not be necessary in a villa of the second class ; but even in this I would have two dressing-rooms to the state bedchamber, as, occasionally, persons accustomed to such luxuries might visit at the house. Generally, however, one dressing-room would be sufficient for the company-rooms ; but if the gentleman of the house did not dress in liis private apartment, I would have two dressing-rooms to his bed-room, that for the lady rather large and elegant, as she would probably use it occasionally as her private sitting-room. The family bedchambers might be at that end of the house where the offices are situated ; those for company over the principal apartments. In lai-ge houses, the master and mistress frequently have their bed and dressing-rooms upon the ground floor ; but I should prefer the floor above, as being more airy and quiet. A bedcham- ber should be an airy, cheerful-looking apartment, rather elegantly furnished, but in a plainer style than the living-rooms. The walls look best when papered ; the doors and woodwork painted to suit the paper ; the ceiling plain ; the chimney-piece rather plain, of marble or stone ; and the grates such as are easily cleaned. I should prefer a floor that coidd be washed ; that is, not a polished oak floor, and would not have the whole covered with carpet. In all the company rooms I would have four-post beds, double 4 z