E N G L I s 
sketchb 
A Study i,| jj,. 
(Below) Created by R. & J. Adam, 
the dignified classicism of this style 
of paneling produced a deep im¬ 
pression on the English interior. It 
might be said to be its final develop¬ 
ment. The proportions of the panel¬ 
ing, the details of the moldings and 
carved ornaments are always refined. 
Among the distinguishing features is 
the elimination of wood wainscot 
and stiles. The wood molding was 
applied directly to the plaster. No 
panels were shown below the chair 
rail. Although seemingly wide, mold¬ 
ings are low in relief and conse¬ 
quently do not appear heavy. The 
door surrounds take various forms, 
always markedly architectural in 
character 
The carved and paneled woodwork was a highly 
important item in the decoration of early Georgian 
rooms. This fifth stage in English panel develop¬ 
ment witnessed the passing of oak for panelifig and 
the substitution of pine and deal painted. The colors 
used were white, gray, gray green, and sometimes 
blue, brown or yellow. The general proportions are 
bold, and the details of the molding, while bold, are 
simple. A molded chair rail often separates the base 
panels from the upper paneling. The door sur¬ 
rounds were frequently graced by superimposed pedi¬ 
ments, either straight or interrupted by a central 
urn or bust, the same motif often being echoed in 
the chimney piece. Base, surbase, panels and cornice 
7vere often enriched with ornaments 
In Elizabethan paneling oak was 
used principally and the panels were 
small, being separated by broad stiles 
and rails. Not infrequently the top 
row of panels had a different shape 
and proportion from the others. 
many instances the paneling ran only 
to waitiscot height with the plaster 
wall above. At the top of the panel¬ 
ing was often a carved and molded 
frieze. The ceilings were either 
beamed or molded in geometrical 
patterns. Door frames and pilasters 
were carved in low relief. Door¬ 
ways and fireplaces were often ob¬ 
jects of rich ornamentation, in the 
shape of pilasters and, at the toP, 
elaborate carving and molding. Win¬ 
dow openings were large 
Ifay’ 
1920 
63 
L ^ E L I N G 
feNDOlPH W. SEXTON 
■j, Homes /n Good Taste 
fhe Jacobean followed the Eliza¬ 
bethan. It covers the years 1603 to 
1688 . It consists of rows of small 
panels surmounted by cap moldings. 
The feature of the detail is the bevel 
molding at the bottom of the panel 
and the molding of the side and top 
of panel stopping against the bevel 
section. In low studded rooms the 
panels were carried to the ceiling, 
but sometimes, as shown, a cove 
surface connected the ceiling and 
wall frieze into one, giving a low 
ceiling effect. In the frieze and cap 
moldings there was often some crude 
carving. While oak was still ex¬ 
tensively used, pine, deal, Scotch fir 
and even cedar were beginning to 
appear 
The William and Mary style is generally classed as 
the third in the development of English paneling. 
It is a simple arrangement of one large panel above 
a low wainscot. The feature of the detail is the 
fact that the molding forming the panel is so shaped 
that the line of the panel is considerably in front 
of the line of the stile. The main emphasis of this 
period is placed on large panels, moldings of bold, 
vigorotis profile, and rich carving. The architectural 
influence of the walls on furniture design begin to 
be pronounced in the William and Mary contours. 
This relation between architecture and furniture is 
the real basis for successful decoration. Designs even 
so simple as William and Mary are better for being 
placed against walls of their own period 
English paneling is generally divided 
into six period expressions — Eliza¬ 
bethan, Jacobean, William and Mary, 
Queen Anne, Georgian and Adam. 
The outlines and general features of 
each are pictured here, taking the 
problem of a doorway and its panels 
in each period. To the right is a 
study in Queen Anne, the fourth 
mode. A small panel is placed above 
the large wall panel, about the same 
size as the small one in the wainscot. 
The detail of the molding is soft and 
round, with a raised panel in the 
center of each molding. The carv¬ 
ings were rich, as in William and 
Mary times, the doorway and man¬ 
telpieces receiving the especial en¬ 
richment of carved and molded 
ornamentation 
