Living, and Other Rooms 161 



The ballroom has little claim upon the country house, although perhaps more 

 than the salon. It is only fair, however, to give it some notice. 



The same general treatment should be applied as to the salon; it should by 

 all means look like a ballroom, and not like a chapel. It may be designed to run 

 two stories, with a balcony or gallery at the second story for spectators. It can be 

 treated with a vaulted ceiling, frescoes or mural decorations, but the decorations 

 should be permanent in whatever style they be handled, as the wall picture and 

 print have no place here. As the character of the room is rather more vigorous 

 than that of the salon, the introduction of niches containing marbles, and tapestries 

 and trophies may add much to the general effect, and the swing and movement 

 of the dance, which effect the treatment of the room should carry out. 



It is not a bad arrangement to have a platform, raised one step above the floor 

 (after the manner suggested for the billiard room), on which permanent benches 

 or sofas can be arranged. This device will obviate the possibility of stepping 

 on the toes of those not dancing, and thus contribute to the general comfort of the 

 ball. The loose chair is not a very desirable bit of furniture in a ballroom 

 owing to its liability of being caught and overturned by the swinging skirt. It 

 may perhaps answer with the platform arrangement, but it is best that it should 

 not be set on the floor. 



Where it is possible, as in the case of the high or two-story ballroom, the 

 musicians' stand should be in a balcony, clear of the heads of the dancers. The 

 old-fashioned pulpits of both the Continent and the Colonial period, with their 

 decorative overhanging sounding boards, offer excellent suggestions for the music 

 balcony of the ballroom. 



The music room is more closely linked to the every-day life of the family than 

 either the salon or the ballroom. Although distinctly a gala room in its primal 

 intention, there is no reason why a moderate-sized music room should not become 

 a part of the living suite. Thus the music room can be treated in two ways, ;hat 

 of the formal entertainer and that of the home entertainer. As a gala room its 

 treatment follows on the lines of the ballroom as to general style, but in any case 

 it should be devoid of heavy hangings or projecting wall ornaments liable to 

 disturb or deaden the sound waves. It is also better for the same reason that the 

 ceiling be domed or vaulted, rather than made flat. The walls offer an excellent 

 chance for decoration. They should be light in tone, but not as vigorous or high 

 in key as those of either the salon or ballroom. A too formal treatment places a 

 sort of restraint on the quiet and ease of the room. Music suggests peace, atten- 

 tion and emotion; the formal is surely not in accord with this. 



The music-room furniture should partake of the general sense of the room 

 itself. Chairs^' sofas or divans should be comfortable without being too luxurious. 

 Upholstered or cushioned furniture is preferable to wood; music suggests relaxa- 

 tion, and one cannot relax into a wooden chair. If you are sceptical as to this, 

 try it. The early pianos were considered in the light of furniture, and, as such, 

 attention was given to their design. The modern article is a disgrace, generally 

 speaking, as far as looks are concerned. There is no excuse for the manufacturer, 

 as the public would be more than glad to get a decent-looking instrument, even 

 at the expense of a slight sacrifice in tone. These designs have been so bad that 



