Haste seems the greatest obstacle to success in all these departments of ornamentation, well-seasoned wood and perfectly dried and settled walls being- the prime necessity for durable effect.
Gilding,.—In gilding, gold-leaf is the most successful application, though many of the gold paints are useful in some situations. In using the leaf, a coat of japan gold-size is first applied and allowed to become nearly dry, when the metal is laid on and pressed into place with a tuft of cottouwool. When applied to bare wood, the gold-leaf is filially coated with pale copal varnish. When gilded in oil, the wood, after being smoothed, is coated with a gold-size composed of yellow ochre and linseed oil, and the leaf applied. All metallic sheetings are thus fixed, and silver leaf, when finished with transparent yellow varnish, has the appearance of gold. Castings, mouldings, and carvings are treated in the same manner.
is simply the pasting of paper upon walls—is an art intimately connected with personal and domestic comfort. The convenience of removal and renewal puts it under easy control as a ready, economic, and immediate alteration upon au interior, while the immense variety of styles furnishes the means of making a thorough chang-e in the entire tone and aspect of the house. The removal of wall-paper may ob viate the danger of contagion, and its renewal substitute cleanliness as well as an absolutely new scheme of color and form, producing, almost unlimited variations of effect. Taste is here absolutely dominant, as uo rules can be given suited to the size, purpose, or proportions of the several apart ments, which are further inoclified by exposure to light and air, with the multitude of other accidents which give each room, especially in a dwell ing--house, a particular individuality. The progress in this art has kept step with the rapid development of domestic architecture, and styles are offered as adaptations of almost every school of art and every national taste, with an unlimited opportunity for amateur or sentimental expres sion on the part of the individual customer. New walls are frequently allowed to remain uncovered until well seasoned or until they become soiled before the paper is affixed. To secure neatness as well as permanence to the new covering, former paper should be thoroughly removed by scraping and washing. As a preparation, the walls should receive a coating of a size.made of a weak solution of glue and water. Upon this the paper is placed, being first thoroughly covered on its under surface with a paste made of wheaten flour moistened with cold water and then diluted to a con venient consistency by stirring in boiling water. A small quantity of alum
is added, and the paste is used when cold.
Wirll-paper.—The qualities and grades of papering may be said to be innumerable, varying as they do from an article which can ,be placed upon the wall at the cost of two and a half cents for a running yard of IS inches' width to the favorite Lincrusta Walton, which may cost ten dol lars for the same amount. The lower orders of machine-printed papers are placed on the market at twelve cents for a piece of eight yards' length and width of 18 inches, the hangers charging, usually, twelve cents for applying it; but there are cheaper papers placed on the wall for an entire cost of twenty cents for the piece of eight yards. Papers printed by hand bear exceptional prices, according to the freaks of fashion, and can be fur nished by the yard according to order. The old satin papers with brilliant white ground and burnished gold figures, and the gorgeous velvet papers, have been superseded by quiet effects, or by the sombre richness of the varied bronzes. For the present, it may be said that the prevailing fashion demands plain side walls with decorated ceilings, the ceilings being also papered of one uniform tint, with fresco added upon the top of the paper with fine effect. The new felt papers are almost as thick and soft as the fabric from which they are named, and in plain tint give excellent relief to the elegantly ornamented friezes.
Various styles of the higher grades of paper resemble mouldings tinted with metallic liistres. Cork paper is hig-hly embossed, and what is called " lining paper" imitates a gilt or bronzed relief, and is very durable. These expensive grades, with the Lincrusta Walton, are used, in turn, as back grounds upon which the decorative artist places further ornaments in high relief in bronzes and g;old suited to the special architectural features of the buildings to be adorned. Some of the most usual present styles, begin ning with the cheapest, are known as " white blank," " flats," " bronze," " embossed bronze," " silk paper," and " silk finish." The flock or velvet paper once used so largely is now more sparingly introduced for its rich ness and depth of tint. Japanese leather papers, cartridge, and many others, are in use with waterproof qualities, and with others already varnished.