31 
September, 1917 
large, uniformly and unobtrusively 
framed and so spaced in the hang¬ 
ing that the set would occupy the 
whole lineal extent of wall that is 
to be decorated. 
As for the general subjects suit¬ 
able for such a set of pictures, there 
is a wide diversity to choose from. 
For instance, a set of colored prints 
of the old clipper ships and 18th 
Century men-o’-war forms not only 
an admirable decoration but a per¬ 
ennial source of refreshing inter¬ 
est. Or, again, there are the Roman 
architectural prints of Piranesi. In¬ 
cidentally, Piranesi prints are being 
reproduced, and at an extremely 
reasonable figure. One might also 
suggest sets of colored prints or en¬ 
gravings of the early and historical 
buildings of our older cities. Then, 
too, there are vastly interesting old 
maps, full of decorative character; 
samplers or quaint bits of 18th 
Century pictorial embroidery; series 
of'allegorical classic subjects; sets 
of mellow old Japanese prints for 
houses of a certain type. ... In 
short, there can always be found 
something that will be suitable to 
appeal to every taste. 
One of the simplest modes of re¬ 
deeming a bald stair wall that needs 
something to carry the eye away 
from a banal banister is to run a flat 
molding about 3' above the base¬ 
board, fill in the space between with 
the canvas especially prepared for 
walls, and paint it some color to 
contrast harmoniously with the wall 
above the molding. An even simpler 
expedient, perhaps, and of greater 
decorative interest and diversity, is 
to use one of the old-fashioned 
glazed gray hall papers, divided 
like a running-bond brick wall into 
broken-joint oblong sections, with a 
small, shaded, self-toned classic or 
rustic subject repeated in each ob¬ 
long. Such a paper, or even a sim¬ 
ilar but plainer paper of architec¬ 
tural character, without the classic 
device and merely the broad divid¬ 
ing lines, will be enough decoration 
to save a stair wall from utterly re¬ 
pellent aridity. Paneling has not 
been suggested as suitable for the 
characterless, nondescript sort of 
stair wall for which the foregoing 
remedies have been mentioned for 
the reason that paneling, however 
simple, by its very nature conveys 
some notion of formality, and it 
would neither help nor be helped 
by a poor banister and mediocre 
(Continued on page 66) 
In a French or Italian Renaissance hall 
the wrought iron railing is often suffi¬ 
cient decoration. But if the hall is large 
with an extended wall space, interest 
can he given by hanging tapestries 
which are of an inherently formal and 
stately character. This was the prin¬ 
ciple worked out in the stair wall of the 
Lewisohn residence in New York. (See 
pages 24, 25 and 37 for other views.) 
Suitably paneled, the stair wall becomes 
a background. Pictures on the wall 
shown below would be superfluous and 
in poor taste. The window on the 
landing, a glimpse of which can be 
seen, is an architectural variation. The 
curtains add an enlivening touch of 
color and action. This view is from a 
house at Bruxhurne, Herts, England. 
Gcofjery Lucas was the architect 
Wallace 
The Georgian stairway 
with well-proportioned 
spindles, mahogany 
treads and hand rails 
and paneled walls forms 
a decorative composi¬ 
tion requiring no fur¬ 
ther elaboration. Here 
the severity of the 
panels is relieved by the 
mahogany rail along the 
wall and the window on 
the landing. A chair 
might be stood in the 
corner of this landing, 
but even that is not 
necessary. Good archi¬ 
tecture makes further 
decoration quite unnec¬ 
essary 
The three ascending 
windows on this stair 
wall space. Further re¬ 
lief could be added 
lief could be added 
either by running a flat 
molding about 3' above 
the baseboard and fill¬ 
ing in the space vjiih 
painted canvas, or by 
covering the wall with 
one of the old-fashioned 
glazed gray papers, 
divided like running- 
bond brick into broken- 
joint oblong sections 
with a small classic or 
rustic subject in each 
oblong. Lord & Hew- 
litt, architects 
Gillies 
