98 INTERIOR DECORATION OP VESSELS. 



appearance, in no case should the tread be more than 12 inches wide or the risers 

 less than 6 inches high. 



As the staircase in most vessels is generally a principal feature, care should be 

 taken to have it of a good design with balusters or grille railing corresponding to 

 the design of the surrounding joiner work. 



Built-in seats for public rooms are abominable. They are generally uncom- 

 fortable to sit upon by not having the proper arm rests and should be done away 

 with where comfort is desired, and chairs of the lounging type substituted. 

 Then, too, in case of damage it is cheaper to renew a chair than a long cushion 

 seat. Chairs and settees corresponding to the style of the room also add to the fine 

 effect. 



Painting for period design always looks much better flat finish or at the most 

 a slight egg-shell gloss. Very glossy surfaces throw off glints of high light that is 

 very trying to the eyes. Too many colors should be avoided. The different 

 shades of a color show the better taste. 



As artificial lighting has more than ever become a strong decorative feature 

 since the advent of electric lighting, a few remarks made here would not be out of 

 place. Soft lighting effects are the cry of the present age and the light bulbs if 

 covered with globes of the many artistic designs manufactured (keeping in mind, 

 of course, the style of the room), will produce this effect. As a vessel's saloons 

 are rarely high enough to successfully have indirect lighting, the wall bracket cart 

 be used to a great advantage. The wall brackets, properly designed, have a rich 

 effect and work in well with most architectural designs and are not hidden behind 

 beams and girders, producing shadows like ceiling lights would, that is, when the 

 ceiling is not hung or made flush. 



When ornamental glass panels are fitted at the ceiling level of skylights or in 

 dome skylights, the lighting of the room is always greatly improved if lights are 

 fitted behind them. Otherwise the skylight makes a black patch at night and puts 

 the whole middle of the room in shadow. The writer believes that the light should 

 come from the same direction by night as by day. 



In presenting this paper to the Society, the writer does not wish it to be 

 understood that he has especially taken the American coastwise steamers to task to 

 unduly criticize them. Many of the steamers have cost a good sum to build and 

 cater to a representative class of travelers. I only wish to show what could be ac- 

 complished by a little forethought and a comprehensive working out of the plan 

 at the start. It is usually too late to work out a good decorative scheme after the 

 vessel is half built, but it should be taken in hand at the very beginning and the 

 decorative design of the different rooms worked out along with the structure of 

 the vessel. This will often prevent a door here or a window or column some- 

 where else that will spoil the balance of the design when it could just as well have 

 been placed to suit the architectural effect had it been taken up in time. 



It is to be regretted that in this country so few really fine passenger vessels 

 are built, when a correct artistic interior is demanded, that a firm of decorators 



