Theory and Practice 205 



room; formerly, the best room in the house was opened 

 only a few days in each year, where the guests sat in 

 a formal circle, but now the largest and best room 

 in a gentleman's house is that most frequented and 

 inhabited: it is filled with books, musical instruments, 

 tables of every description, and whatever can contribute 

 to the comfort or amusement of the guests, who 

 form themselves into groups at different parts of the 

 room ; and in winter, by the help of two fireplaces, 

 the restraint and formality of the circle is done away. 



This has been often happily effected in old houses 

 by laying two rooms together, preserving the fireplaces 

 in their original situations, without regard to correspond- 

 ence in size or place. But two fires not being wanted in 

 summer, a provision is made in this villa to preserve 

 an additional window towards the fine prospect at that 

 season of the year; and the panel which ornaments the 

 end of the room may be removed in winter, when the 

 window will be less desirable than a fireplace ; thus the 

 same room will preserve, in every season, its advant- 

 ages of aspects and of views, while its elegance may be 

 retained without increasing the number of rooms for 

 different purposes. This attention to the wants of dif- 

 ferent seasons has been too little studied in this country, 

 whilst in France almost every large house has its gar- 

 fon tapissier, whose business it is to change the furniture 

 of the apartments for summer and winter. Those who 

 have compared the fitting-up of rooms in France with 

 that of any other country of Europe must, doubtless, 

 give the preference to French taste, as far as it relates 

 to the union of internal magnificence and comfort ; but 

 those architects who copy both the inside and outside 

 of Italian houses should at least provide for such occa- 

 sional alterations as our climate may require. 



