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House & Garden 
HOW PANELING IS DESIGNED 
'V-. • V- . 
Proportiwi^ Repetition and Subordination Are the Three Rules to 
‘Follow In Planning the Panels On a Wall 
RANDOLPH W. SEXTON 
Fig. 1. The first step in planning the panels is to draw out the jour 
walls of the room to scale and mark the existing doors, windows, 
fireplace and any projections 
T he fundamental rules of 
architecture should Ije given 
as much consideration in inte¬ 
rior decorating as in architec¬ 
ture; for interior decorating is 
“the architectural treatment with¬ 
in a building”,—while architec¬ 
ture is “the art of designing 
buildings”. 
It is just as necessary, for ex¬ 
ample, that the width of a pilaster 
or the diameter of a column be in 
correct proportion to the height of 
the pilaster or column whether it 
is in a room or on the exterior of 
a building. This seems to be an 
obvious conclusion but it is often 
overlooked. Often one says that 
a cornice should be one-sixteenth 
the height of the room, or a 
wainscot one-quarter the height 
of the room. However, these 
arbitrary standards do not work 
out to best artistic advantage. In 
the case of two walls of a room 
being very long and two being very short, as 
in a long narrow room,—a cornice that might 
seem to be in good proportion on the two long 
walls, would not be suitable at all on the two 
short walls. Consequently a cornice must be 
designed which will be proper on both. 
Architecture and interior decorating both 
have the underlying principles of art—namely, 
line, dark and light, color. These elements 
are just as important in the composition of a 
building or the walls of a room as in the 
creating and painting of a masterjiiece. 
The principles of design are: 
(1) proportion, 
(2) repetition, 
(3) subordination. 
I am attempting to show how these prin- 
in the originating of a design for 
wall paneling. 
^^'e will take a room as a model, 
decorate the walls step by step, 
and see the reason for each step. 
We first consider the principle of 
proportion in relation to line in 
the design of the walls. This de¬ 
sign can best be determined by 
laying out the four walls and plan 
of the room to a scale (Fig. 1) 
and here applying the principles 
of design. This will be the fa¬ 
miliar mechanical drawing, made 
with T square, triangle, showing 
shadows cast at 45 degrees over 
the left shoulder. The cornice— 
a cap molding of the room,— 
which softens the sharp angle 
made by the walls and ceiling 
meeting—^must be in good pro¬ 
portion to each wall. Similarly 
the height of the baseboard, 
which serves to merge the wall 
surface into the floor. In order 
to plan the wall space for panels, we run a 
chair rail, or dado molding, all around the 
room. This seems appropriate to a room of 
the proportion of our model. Were the ceiling 
lower no chair rail would be required. If it 
were higher, the placing of the chair rail fur¬ 
ther from the floor would be better. In Fig. 
2 door and window trim, or architrave, is 
{Continued on page 68) 
:iples should be applied to interior decoration 
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Fig. 2. Next draw in the 
window and door trim, the 
baseboard, chair rail and the 
cornice. The depth of the 
last three will depend on the 
height of the ceiling from the 
floor 
Fig. 3. The third step finds 
the panels drawn in accord¬ 
ing to the wall spaces and 
repeating the panel arrange¬ 
ment of the opposite wall. 
The overmantel panel and 
fireplace should dominate 
Fig. 4. The projection of the 
molding will determine the 
depth of shadow cast. This 
is an important feature, as 
it gives the wall light and 
shade and further pronounces 
the fireplace 
