COLOUR OVERHEAD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19443, 31 October 1925, Page 22 (Supplement)

COLOUR OVERHEAD

CEILINGS OF TO-DAY. ELABORATION OUT OF FAVOUR. Not ro long ago all ceilings were treated much alike. In ordinary dwellings they were distempered white or cream; for statelier dwelings there was an elaborate ornamentation of piasterwork, and this, with gilding, painting, sky effects, and so forth, provided the stock decorations, all well within the limit, too, of an established convention. To-day in the reaction from the taste of a former generation, plaster-work—-good, bad and indifferent —is being done away with. The Victorian “rose.” fiom which a chandelier or gaselier invariably depended, is no longer wanted; the bride-cake cornice is nearly extinct, and the beautiful ceilings of the Adams brothers, and the Abraham Swan type, are only seen in houses of that period. Plaster-worn, when it is wanted, is specially designed and sparingly used; and, given the right type of house, the effect is exceedingly good, in “the grand style.’’ In the ordinary home, colour has replaced elaboration. Instead of white ceilings we have subtle or striking colours, just hr coloured paint-work has taken the place so long occupied by white and cream. The all-white or black and white scheme may need a white ceiling, and, in low, cottagey rooms where oak abounds, white or a deep cream, like old plaster, is the best choice, and there are other occasions for it, but, on the whole colour overhead is the rule to-day.

For the majority of rooms a plaincoloured ceiling is the best choice. With a jasper paper in buff colour on the walls, let the ceiling be coloured to match distemper. Many decorators are afraid of a strong colour for ceilings, and are inclined to modify the suggestion, acording to the old rule that ceilings must be lighter than their wails. No such convention prevails today, bright colour, subtle harmonies and contrasts, mark the present vogue for independence.

Tone is the point that must be considered; you cannot get a good harmony or a satisfying contrast without care in this -matter. For example, if we have walls of a pale apple green, a primrose or a golden yellow ceiling will bo charming, provided that the tints are equal in tone. Too pale, the yellow would be merely ineffective; too deep, it would spoil the delicate green of the walls. Sometimes these contrasting schemes are improved by picking out a member or two in the cornice, or a moulding in the skirting, in paint or distemper, to match the ceiling. Where there is a frieze, it should be similarly tinted, but the frieze, like many another decorative feature of bygone times, is more often absent than present to-day. On the whole, warm colours overhead suit tho majority of rooms better than cold shades, which are apt to cast rather sombre reflections. Yet a room full of bright broken colour will be steadied and consolidated by a ceiling of grey, black or bronze. Rules are made to be broken.

When something more imaginative than a plain colour is wanted, ceilings are papered, painted and divided up as fancy dictates. The satiny ceiling paper, with stereotyped, geometric patterns, is quite demode, and so are the raised lincrustas which outlasted their time and were excedingly hard to remove. The best ceiling papers now are very simple in design and rich in colour. Deep blues, evenly and thickly dotted with gold, or sparsely powdered with gold or silver stars; a trellis of little gold flowers and stars on an emerald ground; a vague meander of scarlet or lilac; among these and their like it is easy to make a good choice. Besides these there are the wallpapers to choose from, and practically any wallpaper will answer the purpose so long as the design is a flat all-over one without any up or down. There are many such, and amongst them are some of the newest and best.

For gloomy, dark rooms, a shiny surface has considerable value overhead; it catches and reflects the light, both natural and artificial, as r dull paper or distemper cannot do. This can be achieved by using one of the shiny lacquer papers, or by varnishing a dull one, or by painting and afterwards varnishing the ceiling. All these answer the purpose excellently. For those who like a black ceiling, but dislike the amount of light it absorbs, there are shiny black papers—plain or powdered all over, with little gold florets —and these, to a great extent remove the objection. A gold ceiling gives the most wonderful reflections of all, and, when it is appropriate, nothing is more beautiful. But obviously, its application is limited; without the splendour and dignity which justifies such a treatment, a gold ceiling may look pretentious—even a little vulgar. Unimportant upstairs rooms, where wall and ceiling meet without moulding or cornice, gain considerably it a band of colour be run round the flat of the ceiling instead. But it must be a bold band, not merely a thin edging. The colour may be a shade deeper than the ceiling, or in a slight contrast, or it may repeat a dominant note ot the wallpaper. This takes away the bare, unfinished look; and in that capacity replaces the printed border which had its day and is “resting. “Building Nows."