A WALL space 
has either one 
of two functions 
to fulfill. It should 
be frankly deco¬ 
rative, and so 
treated that it be¬ 
comes a distinctly 
recognized fea¬ 
ture in determin¬ 
ing the character 
of a room, or else 
it should be re¬ 
garded as a back¬ 
ground and kept 
quiet and incon¬ 
spicuous to serve 
as a foil for 
whatever may be 
hung upon it or 
set against it. In 
either case a wall 
should never be 
allowed to ob¬ 
trude itself upon 
the eye or be¬ 
come oppressive 
to the occupants 
of the room. It 
is a mistake to 
try to combine the 
“decorative” and “background” func¬ 
tions, for no middle ground between 
these two extremes of treatment can 
be really successful or satisfying, 
and an attempt to carry out such a 
combination—an attempt oftentimes 
unconsciously or thoughtlessly made 
—is primarily responsible for many 
of the failures in wall management 
that we see all too frequently. 
Having realized clearly the several 
functions of a wall and having de¬ 
termined which treatment is prefer¬ 
able for any particular case under 
consideration, it remains to choose 
the manner of making from a num¬ 
ber of possibilities about to be 
enumerated. It is important to de¬ 
cide the “decorative” or “back¬ 
ground” question first; for some wall 
surfaces, once made and appropri¬ 
ately furnished, do not readily lend 
themselves to being changed from 
one classification to the other. 
Walls may be wainscoted or cov¬ 
ered with wood either wholly or in 
part, and this wood casing may be 
either plain or paneled. In the same 
way walls may be tiled either partly 
or over their 
whole surface. 
Last of all, they 
may be plastered 
either in part or 
in their full ex¬ 
tent. The combi¬ 
nations and diver¬ 
sities that may be 
derived from 
these basal meth¬ 
ods of treatment 
yield a wide va¬ 
riety of rich and 
interesting possi¬ 
bilities. 
Nothing is 
more suitable for 
walls, nothing is 
more fit for 
their adornment, 
nothing affords a 
greater or more 
agreeable variety 
for their treat¬ 
ment. than wood. 
Whether the man¬ 
ner of execution 
be exceedingly 
simple or highly 
ornate, the natu¬ 
ral beauty of wood, imparted by 
color and grain, makes it a material 
always desirable for interior finish. 
Even when the wood is entirely cov¬ 
ered with paint its wholesomeness 
of surface and texture can still be 
seen and felt. Wood, furthermore, 
possesses the advantage of being 
easily worked and readily adaptable 
to a diversity of treatments. 
If a wall is to be wainscoted its 
full height from floor to ceiling 
there is no occasion for plastering it 
first, if it be a partition. The studs 
on which the laths would be nailed 
for a plastered wall will serve as a 
supporting framework or backing 
for the wainscot, which will be 
nailed directly to it. Just how close 
together the studs must be will de¬ 
pend on the character of the wain¬ 
scot and the size of the panels used, 
but in any case they should be close 
enough—two or two and a half feet' 
apart — to make the work thoroughly 
stiff and rigid. If the wall is an out¬ 
side wall, however, it should be first" 
plastered, with the brown and 
scratch coats laid on lathing nailed 
If tinted in a color harmonizing with the woodwork, the plastered 
wall needs little decoration. Here the lines of the windows and 
the stair add sufficient interest 
Three elements are represented here: a plastered wall, papered in a neutral tone, a paneled wainscot, and a 
ceiling-high paneling over the fireplace end of the room—an effective treatment, decorative in itself 
Structure and Decoration of Walls 
PANELING—PLASTER—CONCRETE—TILE—BURLAP—HOW EACH IS 
MOST EFFECTIVELY USED—THE COSTS—PICTURE MOULDING AND 
PLATE RAILS 
Harold Donaldson Eberlein 
20 
