Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/936

 9l!2 COTTAGE, FAKM, AND VILLA AllCHlTECTUUE. 15i>7 1853. A Conservatory would also form a very desirable screen between the garden and the kitchen-court below. This extension of the original limits of the plan is shown in fig. 1597, where it will be seen that the bay of the window is made somewhat deeper than before, in order to obtain sufficient space for a door leading to the conservatory, a; and opposite to that is another, opening into a small closet, b, for papers, &c. These additional doors, however, would occasion no alteration in the room itself, but leave just as much wall as before for book-shelves. The only other change this alteration would occasion would be, that, instead of folding back, the shutters must be drawn up from a box made to receive them below ; which, as there are no windows bencatli the bay, would be easily accomplished, and for a mullioned window such shutters would be rather more convenient than not ; since, instead of the wliole shutters being drawn up before the window, which, owing to tiie width, would be troublesome, each compart- ment would have its separate shutter to slide up in a groove in the mullions. By this means each would be securely fixed, beyond the possibility of its being removed, when a bolt was put in it below, to prevent its being pushed down again. In order to give suf- ficient width to the conservatory, and yet not to bring it so far forward as to seem to shut up the library too much between two buildings, the south-west angle is cut oft'; which would be rather favourable than otherwise in regard to its elevation ; and decidedly so as catching the sun earlier in the day. Should, however, any deviation from the original Design be adopted at all, I would not stop here, but would suggest that a considerable improvement should be effected, by throwing out another bay or oriel towards the kitchen- court, though not so as to look into it ; for, although it would have a window, it wcwld be about seven feet or more from the floor ; and there would be a book-case under it. The window itself would be of ftained and ground glass, thereby occasioning, together with the expanse produced by the oriel itself (which might be raised a single step above the level of the floor, and also carried up higher than the ceiling of the room), a very beauti- ful effect as viewed from the opposite entrance. The dotted lines at c, in the plan, show the situation and extent of this oriel. Should this plan be adopted, the door leading into the conservatory would be made in the oriel, as affording a better entrance than that from the bay ; and it might be covered with the backs of sham books, as the side facing it would have book-shelves. The whole room might be rendered more symme- trical and beautiful by making a shallow or blank recess on the chimney side of the room, corresponding with the other three sides, and placing the chimney-piece in it ; thus con- fining the slielves to the spaces entirely on each side of these four ardies ; and as we have already provided for shutters without having any occasion for them in the bay, there might be shelves in the sides of that also, as well as in the oriel. A still more important improvement here suggests itself to me, which is, to extend this bay, or rather to make it a second but not a separate room, by advancing it as far as the dotted lines, d, leaving the arch of the present bay, which would ojjen into a space about tliirteen feet by twenty-four. Were the wall, e e, removed, not only would all symmetry, and even regu- larity, be utterly destroyed, but the room itself would appear much too low for its extent ; to say nothing of the loss of space for book-shelves against both sides of the piers or walls, e e. Neither need we be apprehensive that, owing to this division in the room, and the distance of the window from the fireplace side, the part of the library where this latter is situated would be dark and gloomy, because we have already obtained a spacious window in the oriel. Taken altogether, this apartment would thus be rendered a most delightful one : full of contrast and effect from every point of view ; complex, yet full of order ; irregular, yet abounding in symmetries. Tliis extension of the library would afford additional accommodation on the floor above, as there might be a chamber over this second or western division of the library, a ])assage to it being cut oflT from the other, the window of which must then be placed on the north side. That this is ex- ceedingly practicable, will be instantly seen by referring to the plan of the chamber floor, fig. 1592. With regard to the conservatory itself, while it would be a material recom- mendation to have it immediately connected with the house, nothuig would, certainly, be detracted from the value of its effect, by its appearing externally a separate building, as