92 INTERIOR DECORATION OF VESSELS. 



them with notable success and things seem to be improving in this respect. There 

 are so many periods of decorative styles so suitable to be selected from for a vessel's 

 interior, most of them not expensive to reproduce, that it seems anything else should 

 be discarded. 



In working out a successful design for an interior a great many things should 

 be considered, and care should be exercised not to have the decoration of adjoining 

 public rooms so one will shock the other. All should blend together like one com- 

 plete thing and yet not be alike. Other things to be considered are: First always, 

 meaning; followed by balance of line, light and shade, repetition, variety of sur- 

 face, choice of material, contrast and harmony of color and suitability for the trade 

 the vessel is to engage in. 



Exquisite form and proportion must be gained by extreme simplicity of beauty 

 of line in the division of a wall surface into a series of panels, borders and mould- 

 ings, separated by pilasters, columns and other architectural forms. 



Simple designs well proportioned are an attraction in themselves, and an ex- 

 cess of elaboration should be carefully avoided. Mixture of styles does not always 

 secure the best results. Ornaments, if used, should not attract the eye to the ex- 

 clusion of the background as if it were an entirely separate part, but should be sub- 

 servient to the general effect. 



Furniture, upholstering, draperies, etc., should be carefully selected to har- 

 monize with the style of the room. Too often is this neglected and a truly beauti- 

 ful room spoiled by unsuitable furnishings. The designer of the decoration, if he 

 knows his profession, can be and should be consulted in regard to all details, as he 

 can picture in his mind what such things should be as he progresses with his work. 



The interior decoration of a vessel is very often unsuited for the climate she 

 is to trade in. The writer was once called upon to look over a steamer engaged in 

 tropical service to see what could be done to improve her. I found the smoking 

 room "a Black Hole" — everything dark, gloomy and hot looking. The other pub- 

 lic rooms were not much better — mahogany everywhere. Why is it so many ship- 

 owners insist on mahogany or oak-panelled walls when we can get so much better 

 results from delicate tints? In the first place hardwood walls kill the furniture; 

 they absorb the artificial light also, for no matter how brilliantly a vessel may be 

 lighted there are always deep shadows and dark corners. Light colors are cheer- 

 ful; they reflect the artificial light and make a good setting for rich furniture be- 

 sides. Of course there are cases where light tints would not answer. A smoking 

 room, as we all know, would not do to be decorated like a ball room, yet we need 

 not have it dark and gloomy like the vessel just referred to. 



While we do not want dark, hot-looking rooms for tropical climates, but some- 

 thing cool and airy, just the reverse may be said for vessels engaged in the colder re- 

 gions. Here we want to feel warm and comfortable. A theater which I occasion- 

 ally visit is decorated in light green and French white in stiff Grecian style. For 

 appearance nothing could be more inappropriate. It gives one a chill on a cold 



