, . ta Wat , d ’ A evs ae > ot = ea - Sobek Cen So nk Mes 7 BOOKS of interest to Painters, Decorators and Designers By F. N. Vanderwalker Interior Wall Decoration The Mixing of Colors and Paints Automobile Painting Estimates, Costs and Profits New Stencils and Their Use By F. H. Atkinson The Art of Sign Painting A Show at Sho’ Cards Scene Painting and Bulletin Art By C. J. and L. 8S. Strong Strong’s Bock of Designs The Art of Show Card Writing By F. Maire Modern Painter’s Cyclopedia By F. Delamotte The Signist’s Book of Alphabets - The Amateur Artist By Bart Chalk Talk and Crayon Presentation FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. PUBLISHERS *susKul- 94} UJIM UL POyYJOAA SEM 94N}YX9L Sy "2U0JGS USED YOUsIy YIM POWWIdL UIE 91}SP[q & JO BSF 2}eUUIO ANZA VY INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Practical Working Methods for Plain and Decorative Finishes, New and Standard Treatments The New Artistic and the Novelty Finishes; Color Stippling ; Glaze Colors, Tiffany Blending and Mot- tling ; Spatter Work; Plaster Staining; Sand Float; Sponge-Stipple; Spanish Palm Finish; Roman Travertine; Old English; Holland; French Caen Stone; Italian Plaster and Other Artistic Rough Textures ; Decorative Wall Panels Plain Painting Jobs and Calcimining Methods; Preparing the Surfaces; Hanging Wall Fabrics BY F. N. VANDERWALKER Graduate in Commercec3, Northwestern University Hditor, American Painter & Decorator AUtioOreoLe bhe Mixins of Colors and Paints”; “Estimates, Costs and Profits’; “New Stencils and Their Use’; “Automobile Painting” ILLUSTRATED CHICAGO FREDERICK J. DRAKE & CO. PUBLISHERS CopyRIGHT, 1924 BY FREDERICK J. DRAKE & Co. PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA THE GETTY CENTER LIBRARY PREFACE There has been a genuine need for presentation of the general and inspirational phases of interior decora- tion. It is being well done. . The author believes it is now vitally Goporomt that specific information be recorded about definite working methods in everyday use by decorators. It is one thing to paint word pictures of beautiful interiors and en- thuse about the obvious need for more artistic handling of the interior decorations in our homes and public buildings, but it is quite another to provide essential information in such form as will teach those who are young in experience how actually to produce-the more artistic interiors so much desired by all. The love of the beautiful is inherently a part of all human natures. To gain self expression in an artistic manner is a slow: process, but much more rapid progress will be noted when more definite information in an easily understood form is available. The shelves of our book stores offer numerous excel- lent works of great interest on various phases of in- terior decoration—books on period furniture, rugs, drapes, accessories, architecture of interiors, grouping and arrangement of furnishings, color treatment and textures for wall decoration, but none with which the author has come in contact leaves the sphere of gener- alities to become specific in presenting definite informa- tion about methods, materials and tools essential to pro- duce artistic, decorative wall treatments. | Now it is always much safer and easier to write in terms of generalities. When one becomes specific it . 9 10 PREFACE opens up opportunities without number for criticism, because what is true about one particular job may not be true about others. However, if the author has succeeded in this work in his plan to give all necessary detailed information about a few jobs, the student decorator will gain a foundation knowledge which will carry him on to ereative work on his own account. For that reason actual jobs have been described and illustrated, jobs done by decorators in the field today and for which customers have paid current prices. The information recorded in this book, it is hoped, will be of practical use to artists and craftsmen; to interior decorators who know the esthetic phase of their profession but need more of the practical; to practical decorators and house painters who wish to extend the scope of their work, and to all who know . the many beautiful decorative wall treatments, new and standard, but who lack information about methods, materials and tools needed to produce them. It is hoped, also, that this book will be of interest to householders who are building new homes, or econsid- ering the redecoration of their present homes, because so many of the decorative textures and color effects presented here are in the hands of professional decora- tors, but not printed and illustrated elsewhere. F. N. VANDERWALKER CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE The Appeal of Artistic Wall Treatments.—The Market for Simple, Colorful Textures.—The Market for Novelty and are OR ee ie i iu Che wis od aide e ob aes Sele eee e's CHAPTER II RELATION OF WALLS TO FURNISHINGS:—Walls Furnish a Background. — Correlating Walls, Floors, Trim and Ceiling.—Colors and Textures.—Color Schemes.......... CHAPTER III PROCEDURE IN DEcoRATING:—Cleaning Up the Place.—Drop Cloths.—Scaffold and Equipment.—Procedure for Coating- rpm i oye oy es vk ole 0 bate a wise ele B ucslle sie gels CHAPTER IV PREPARATION OF SuRFACES:—New Smooth Finish Plaster.— Old Smooth Finish Plaster.—New Rough Finish Plas- ter.—Old Rough Finish Plaster—New Wall Board Walls.—Old Wall Board Walls.—Old Painted Walls.— Concrete and Brick Walls—Washing Walls.—Removing Old Wall Paper.—Removing Old Calcimine.—Removing Gloss Oil Size-—Scaling Paint.—Pasting Back Fabrics.— Cleaning, Cutting Out Cracks and Holes in Plaster Walls.—Filling Cracks and Holes.—Putty Mixing and Use.—Filling Wall Board Joints.—Covering Surface Seratches and Fire Cracks.—Stains and Discolorations.. CHAPTER V WALL Sizinac MAtTrrIALs:—FPrepared Sizes.—Glue Size.— Varnish Size.—Soap, Glue and Oil Size.—Sugar Size.... CHAPTER VI PLAIN PAINTING AND FENAMELING:—Prepared Materials.— Mixing Proportions.—Correct Brushing Methods for Flat Paints and Enamels.—Stippling Paint.—Gloss and Flat Patches.—Starch Coating Walls.—Enameling on Plaster and Canvas.—Ground Coats.—Under Coats.—Flat, Semi- Flat and Gloss.—Tinting and Colored Enamels.......... il 25 55 59 81 12 CONTENTS CHAPTER VII PAGE CALCIMINE METHODS AND MATERIALS:—Prepared Materials.— Calcimine Pigments, Binders and Colors.—Mixing Calci- mine.—Brushing Calcimine.—Calcimine on New Walls.— Calcimine on Old Walls.—Topping Over Calcimine....... Ly CHAPTER VIII RADIATOR PAINTING AND DeEcorATING:—Cleaning.—Plain Painting.—Bronzing.—Glazing, Mottling and Blending... .133 CHAPTER IX STaintnc RovucH PLASTER WALLS:—Materials Needed.— Tools.—Methods: . .. 2... s:« die wie «wo udp een Cannan ee eae 141 CHAPTER X TIFFANY GLAZING, MoTTLING AND BLENDING: —Effects Wanted.—_Materials Needed.—Tools Used.—Ground Coats.—Stipplinge.—Stencil Outline.—Glazing lLiquids.— Simple Two-Color Schemes.—Three-Color Glazing.— Graduated Blend.—The Finishing Touches.—When Glaze Color Runs.—When Glaze Color Sets Before Blending.— Suggested Color Schemes.—Silk Glazed Effects.......... 143 CHAPTER XI Sanpd-FLoAT FintsH:—Where Used.—Texture Wanted.— Materials.——_Tools,—Methods.—- Color, Treatmentena. asus 193 CHAPTER XII SPONGE-STIPPLE WALL FINISHES:—Effect Wanted.—Done with Caleimine.—Done with Oil Paint.—Tools.—Methods. 205 CHAPTER XIII SPATTER WALL FIntsH: —Effect Wanted.—Materials.— Tools.—Methods | . x... se: ce o's im oo cree © Se aenne nena 219 CHAPTER XIV BroNnZE VERNIS MARTIN AND METALLIC FINISHES:—Effect Wanted.—Materials.—Tools and Equipment.—Methods. .233 CHAPTER XV Historic AND New RoveH Wart Trextures:—Decorative Wall Finishes in Historv.—Textone.—Craftex.—Decorite. —Compostip!|—Stippaleen.—Stuc-O-Tint.—Morene.—Flat Wall Paints.—Swedish Putty.—Italian Gesso.—Holland Plaster Wall Finish.—French Caen Stone.—Old English Plaster.—Early Colonial Plaster.—Spanish Palm Finish. —Wickham Palm Finish.—Roman Travertine.—Italian Plaster Finish.—Roman Tile Finish.—Combed Texture Finishes.—Sponge Stippled Roush Finish Textures.— Finger Rough Textures.—Materials.—Tools.—Methods. ..241 CONTENTS 13 CHAPTER XVI PAGE LACE STENCIL WALL FINISH:—Effect Wanted.—Materials.— Colors.—Tools.—Methods ......... RA ise tat ie ee ecco ao tn CHAPTER XVII SPRAY-GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES:—Materials.—Handling the Air Gun.—Effects Wanted.......... AS bP eee es Seek CHAPTER XVIII HANGING AND PAINTING WALL Fasrics:—Descriptions of Fabrics.—Preparing Surfaces.—Tools Needed.—Mixing the Paste—Placing the Fabric in Place.—Butted or Trimmed Edges.—Filling.—Painting.—Staining.—Repair- aM ATOR P sry ss. se pew Sco ee cc sade selene bes sOO0 CHAPTER XIX DECORATIVE Watt Panrrts: — Moulding Shapes. — Tools Needed.—Fastening to Wall.—Corners and Joints.— Laying-Out.—Proportion and Balance—Decorative Treatment of Panel Centers......... Ht ee ee eee AO CHAPTER XX . LINING AND STRIPING:—Tools Needed.—Materials.—Meth- ods.—Striping and Stencil Wheels......................443 ear a ee ie ca. s give 0 4 js s,0.0 4 G's eo vn ewes Cate oes 44d An Ornate Texture Done with Plastic Paint Manipulated with the Fingers and a Brush 3 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FRONTISPIECE.—A Very Ornate Use of a Plastic Paint Trimmed with French Caen Stone. The Texture Was Worked In with the Fingers. PLATE PAGE 1 Trestles, Ordinary Plank and Extension Plank........ 57 Pee outing Outea, Piaster Hole and: Filling.............. 70 Oo) Paint Strainers’ ......67.. er Om nvr rey ae, var tetris 93 Peon ee Watliecberush, Metal-Bound...:.5.....sc0cesceees 95 Peevestier-Mound Stucco Brush.........ccclc ce ccccccacs 95 Gee ine. correct Way to Hold’ a Brush.....:........6.e- 98 DAme mevier correct Way to Hold’ a Brush.............; 100 Greely Olin the brush into the Paint..5.......00 60 66 ae% 101 i the Stippline Brush and How It Is Used.....-%77... 104 foweepray Cun Paintine Plain Surfaces. wets dlcle les, pale bate eee a ele 179 ieee nesCraciated blend’ Winished.........c86.e800d 0680 181 19 The Type of Diaper Stencil Used for an All-Over CDDSVSEGIy 2 Th re erbclp ae aa ae en 191 POmneicand- i loat Binished’ Wall: .. osc... i dak wee dees nome 195 21 +#£=xA Close-Up View of the Sand-Float Texture.......... 197 22 Tools Used for Sand-Float Finishing”... .........c0005 199 23. The Sand-Float Job Showing Two Different Textures. 203 24 A Sponge-Stipple Finish Done with a Sea-Wool eae RE Ce AL tc wierd widterwiere wise alee cum mete, oe 207 25 The Tools Used for Making Sponge-Stipple Wall Heer satta te MEME eae ee i OL cag ils utara) Sere Rome abe 209 26 The Type of Sea-Wool Sponge Used for Wall Finish. .213 27 The Vari-Tone Sponge Roller Used for Wall Finishes.214 15 16 PLATE 28 29 30 31 32 33 60 61 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE A Spatter Finish Produced with a Spray Gun. Alu- minum Bronze on Top of a Flat Black Ground... .221 . A Spatter Finish with Several Colors Put On with a Spray Gurr 2. .:c ok wie eles 6 6 wiele ee canner ne 223 A Spatter Finish in Four Colors Done by Hand with a Four-Inch Flat.Wall Brush sii22.-n eee 225 The Same Spatter Finish as Is Shown in Plate 30, but with Only One Color on the Light-Colored Ground. .229 The Method of Holding and Using the Brush with a Stick for Producing Spatter Finiehesss, eens 231 Tools Used for Producing Rough Texture Wall Fin- ISHES 246 0 cc sie wot biwie ae sle'eince Gun cle « cuRieU geen tee nent nnn 267 A General View of Holland Plaster Wall Texture. ...269 A Close-Up View of the Texture of the Holland Plas- ter Shown -in. Plate 34....7 4 2 ae eee ya Close-Up View of French Caen Stone Finish.......... Sis A General View of French Caen Stone Finish Marked Off in. Blocks, (0.050 s:$ e\,s.« wo 5-5 oe 275 Old English Plaster Finish as Reproduced with Plastic MS: 6 0) SP OR A 257 Early Colonial Plaster Produced with Plastic Paint...279 Spanish Palm Finish Done with Plastic Paint....... 283 A Palm Finish Produced with Hand Brust... ee 285 ‘Close-Up View of Wickham Palm Finish............ 287 A General View of Wickham Palm Finish Used for Panel Centers: ... .0. 5 «cue ance siete ale een teie enn 290 Roman Travertine Finish Marked Off in Blocks...... 291 Close-Up View of Roman Travertine Texture........205 ‘General View of Italian Plaster Texture.............. 295 Close-Up View of Italian Plaster Textures... ee ee 297 Roman Tile Finish Done with Plastic Paint.......... 299 A Brush Texture Done in Plastic Paint Over a Brick Wall. A Sand-Float Finish Was Put On First......301 A Close-Up View of the Texture Shown on Plate 49. .303 A Brushed and Smoothed Texture Produced with Plas- tie’ Paint. so... 6. dv csvele Qe ack Skecae eee Rea 305 A Very Rugged Texture Produced with Plastic Paint Manipulated with a Brush... 222, «2:55 307 An Exceedingly Rough Texture Produced with a Plas- tic Paint on a Smooth Plaster Wall... ...6)) seo eeeee 311 A Close-Up View of the Rough Texture Shown in Plate’..53. 4 iandvaek oe pee re ee 313 A Vertical Line Rough Texture Produced with Plastic Paint and a Steel Wire Brush. .)) 551-3 eee OLD A Close-Up View of the Texture Shown on Plate 55. .317 A Rough Vertical Texture Produced with Plastic Paint Using a. Whiskbroom. .. .«.. scsi .cie eee 319 A Conventional Rough Stipple Texture Produced with Plastic Paint and an Ordinary Stippling Brush... .321 A Rough Texture Representing the Gothic Period, Produced with Plastic Paint. Texture Worked In with -a Whiskbroom. .3 5a... «ss nage selene 323 An Interesting Texture Produced by Stippling a Rough Coat of Plastic Paint with an Ordinary Sponge... .325 A Novelty Texture Produced by, Making Finger Prints in a Heavy Coat of Plastic Paint................+:- bat PLATE 62 63 63.4 64 67A 67B TTA 77B TIC 77D 78 79 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 17 PAGE An Exceptionally Beautiful Rough Texture Produced by Manipulating a Very Heavy Coat of Plastic Ree EL GA HIN Ser. fiw ls fe sale oe ce se cae alee ees 329 A Lace-Curtain Stencil Stretched on q Wood Frame Bagel eine eoated with Shellac. i... 0... vee ev ceees 333 A lLace-Curtain Stencil Transferred in a Moderately Dark Color on, a Light-Colored Ground Coat..:..... 335 Showing the Method of Using a Stippling Brush or a Round Pound Brush for Transferring a Lace Stencil Me NPD JOT. soar. cs sce cies cen cas ve e’epeece ones 337 Another Lace-Curtain Stencil Design Suitable for Wall ent Me etch As dk bck bc ke cok dems oe So bie os . 809 Large lLace-Curtain Stencils May Be Rolled While emer Ceomoerrec to the Walls ...... 5 ccc cceceseass 341 The DeVilbiss Spray Gun Showing Round and Fan- Siapemeoprays of Material. ...... 0.0. ccc cae we scves 346 The Paasche Air Brush N. F. 8 (Left). The Willard Weeiteacn ir rush A=Lo. oe. fi ce ewe ee acaes 347 The Binks Spray Gun No. 105 (Left). The Spray ‘Engineering Company Gun No. P-6.........e0004- 049 Mmecnmictosworay Gtin Outfit. 2.62.5 occa dlecee veces 351 A Beautiful Decorative Finish Produced with a Spray “OPM Sawa awa CRAP Ue oe te ee eee 357 A Novelty Wall Finish ‘Produced with Lacquer frameset On with ao Spray Gun. .......es. scenes 359 An Unusually Beautiful Novelty Texture Suitable for Wall Panels, Put On with a Spray Gun............ 363 An Interesting Wall Finish Produced with a Spray eee HO PAS ICMETAITIL. 0c cee ewe cs ds siwnt cease levee 365 A Rough Texture Put On with a Spray Gun, Using ieee NY Se Ts os ci se eles ca cele dewews ccc 367 A Very Fine-Grained Stipple Texture, Put On with a Beeline RAN gto TGh. e's, cvs oo, woo s8e oaedicicccled ewe geoue 369 ‘An Unusual Rough Texture Done in Brown, Green and Gold. The Plastic Paint Was Sprayed On..... 371 A Rather Massive and Rugged Texture Produced with Piasticsbaint Put, On with a Spray Gun............ ole A Reproduction of the Stucco Finish Commonly Done with Portland Cement. Produced with Thick Flat Waieraint,fut.On with a Spray Gun... ... 6c. ee see 375 ‘A Rough Texture with an Interesting Pattern Made Deeeoravings on Plat WallPaint....5.4 65... cb. ee... 379 An Interesting Fabric Texture Produced by Spraying Color onto a Smooth Surface and Blending It Out MM ALLA os oy sce oc a oy aly oe we os oe Oe 381 A Finish Similar to 77A, Except That the Color Was Blended One Way, Instead of Both Ways.......... 383 A Spray Gun Finish Produced with Plastic Paint. A Rather Conventional Texture Useful for Panel Cen- ters and Wall Surfaces Below Chair Rails and Plate CSET 5 on le Ee CRS plata pet eg a 385 A Finish Similar to That Shown on Plate 77C, but eee egmET NOP OGKLUPC sees es 6 ei cnc Ce need ccs SP OSG The Tools Needed for Hanging Wall Fabrics.......... 393 Showing How a Plumb-Bob and Line Are Used to Mark a Vertical Line on the Wall..... SAE nannies 395 87A 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE The Straightedge and How It Is Used......scsseceese-s 396 Hanging a Strip of Canvas... ... tao Se .62.5 a 3 Oe ea Peat 40.0 es ..60.0 By 4} ** 5S 42.5 oy i a . 44 ‘ yo 45.0 #e «200.0 A AT a: be ts AT7T.5 ms . =) “pr | ) oOo aes: 2 Els pte add ~\ Vd. 4 “Ngrew Aerie m7 "oN ne ( wae a Vasa AN BeOS RN COA a am SW Se ON So Ses Bee y, lee AS % “Xe ete, Fae » az % gy ND AS f oF Fee 2b OT ORS, = EHP ee SSI eebtess day-l aie} A aint. SKSarag's 4} eva , av, LL Feces icee te"! : a Cog ne ~ RC % s } CY a NG 4 or ( me ENN NNO E7 RPA gE: US fa QT eae Noo AG SO eg QP wyago Sis Sie a 0@ Wes% sae a ese Pus gldNe ee Fy, NAS SE Day Ay, ‘Weg 2 SoC Se. ¢: Pe: SPKe Wes > TSC ese eet aiZoe NN (g HK 6 iZy “7 Ae ~ aoe Pr PNY CIA ERO FS! SE aD oS, re Qaajties RON as CORE ASH es Vas nls ~@ SOU (AGEN es SiS yaw 4% Al~™ 4 we) eek aw a Nee. MSO ra S < { 7) ED aa @ a%z75 ‘ (“7% N_ota%ae ¢ ToS ST a Na 22 ¥ EOS Bid Fal" ER Gated hd SIO ce mT, % Sv ZO CRC IESE 2 ht A ie Wb S7OEREY. 7, , 3 wea, ae.7. (7) Syensen igre 4 an oy ¢e | is eH a ~ CO's ssting “ps2. CO's ao Fe Se Behe" N\ >. v 4°). i a Say KU we ne 287 SPA, VPS NS See Plate 19. The silk effect is gained by light reflections upon the what is called an all-over pattern, a diaper stencil which gloss surface of the ground coat. ferring a stencil design to cover the whole surface— prints a floral, geometric or classic design similar to Plate 19.—The Type of Diaper Stencil Used for an All-Over Design. some wall paper patterns. GHaAPT HRS SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH For two reasons this new finish lays claim to decora- tors’ interest. In the first place it-is the most simple, quickest and cheapest way to treat smooth or rough plaster walls which have become considerably damaged with eracks and holes. And in the second place rough textured walls, such as are produced with sand-float, are far more artistic than smooth walls as a decorative background for the furnishings of a room. Furthermore, the masses of the great middle classes of people have come to appreciate the greater beauty of rough textured walls. To describe the sand-float process in a few words, it may be called simply a wall paint with sand in it. Where to Use This Finish.—Sand-float finish may be used on any surface which can be painted. It may be put on in one coat for fine textured finishes or in two or three coats for very rough textures. It is so suc- cessful in hiding imperfect surfaces that even the mor- tar joints in brick surfaces can be completely covered up. Sand-float finish is commonly put on over canvas cov- ered walls and then makes an exceptionally tough and serviceable decorative coating. In this finish, in fact, is produced a coating which will withstand the hard knocks of furniture and general treatment better than 193 194 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION rough plaster or any other coating, except portland ce- ment surfaces. The appearance of sand-float finish is identical with that of rough plaster finishes and the pattern or tex- ture can be varied to suit. Plates 20 and 21 give a fair idea of the rough texture of one kind of sand-float. Sand-float finish with paint was originated by decora- tors who were called upon to finish old smooth finish plaster walls to match new rough sand finished walls. Many of the characteristics of mottled, blended and glazed walls are possessed by rough textured surfaces like sand-float. The lght and dark color effects, the mellow appearance and interesting variations of light and shadow all go to make rough textures more beauti- ful and consequently more artistic than plain, smooth, colored walls. And rough walls when they have accu- mulated more or less dust and smoke often look better than when new. In addition to the use on interior walls of all kinds, sand-float may also be used on temporary outside sur- faces, park buildings, county fair structures, ete. Many years ago sand-float finishes were popular for use on ex- terior metal roof cornices and it was used on brick and stone surfaces as well as on wood. There is some rea- son, however, to doubt the wisdom of using it on any exterior surfaces, except temporary buildings to stand only a few months. Weather and temperature extremes may cause cracking and sealing. But on interior sur- faces no such defect is likely to occur when the finish is carefully applied. THE WORKING METHOD The Ground Coat.—The first coat on new plaster, smooth or rough, should be one of first class paint mixed with about two- finds linseed oil and one- third turpen- tine. Old surfaces which have been painted before, and SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH Plate 20.—A Sand-Float Finished Wall. SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH 197 upon which the old paint is firmly attached, should also have one coat of paint, but less oil and more turpentine are needed to make the paint dry with a semi-flat. No glue or other size coat is needed on either new or old walls. | Cracks and holes ought, of course, to be filled and the surface, generally prepared as per the directions Plate 21.—A Close-Up View of the Sand-Float Texture. given in Chapter IV. Canvas or other fabrics may be put on if desired as per Chapter XVIII. Walls covered with calecimine should be washed free of all such material and if they were coated with gloss oil size, it is especially necessary to apply a coat of white lead thinned with turpentine and tinted to suit. Wallpaper on walls to be coated with sand-float should 198 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION be stripped off clean to remove all paper before the ground coat of paint is brushed on. The ground coat of paint ought to be tinted the same color as the sand-float coat which follows. next. Mixing the Rough Coat.—The mixing of this coat is done in the ordinary manner and with materials in com- mon use among painters. Here is the formula: 14 gal. outside gloss white prepared paint or | 14 gal. white lead paint thinned to stout brushing consistency with half boiled linseed oil and half turpentine 14, gal. inside prepared flat wall paint, or one quart of any good interior varnish or enamel to make the paint sticky. Mix the white paint and the flat wall paint (or enamel or varnish) well and then add tinting colors to suit: Ivory white, cream color, light gray, yellow, blue or any color wanted. Strain the paint after mixing, Next secure a bucket full of torpedo sand or bank sand. Fine beach sand is not suitable. Work the sand through a piece of fly screen to eliminate the very fine sand. Then work what sand is left through a coarse screen. The sand which goes through the coarse screen is the material to use in the paint or, for a texture not so coarse, use the sand which sifted through the fly screen. Mix into the paint enough of the sand to make a stiff mass. But the paint should not be too stiff to be daubed on to the surface with an old flat wall brush. It is important to mix this paint until every particle of sand is completely coated with paint. . To gain a very coarse, rugged texture it is best to use the finer sand which goes through a fly screen and put on two or three coats. Let each coat dry hard. 199 SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH Plate 22, —Tools Used for Sand-Float Finishing. SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH OL Tools Used.—The tools needed for sand-float finishing are those pictured in Plate 22. The tools are an old flat wall brush, four or four and one-half inches wide. A brush with the bristles worn to half their original length is best because it is stiffer, A regular stippling brush is needed and an old one will serve better than a new one because it is stiffer. A stiff scrub brush is sometimes used in place of a stipple brush. A square mortar board, about eighteen inches square, made of light wood such as the plasterer uses is also needed to catch such paint as falls off the ceiling as it is being brushed on. ‘Plenty of drop cloths are essential to this work, because it is impossible to prevent dropping some paint from the brush. Brushing On the Paint.—The success you have in this work will be governed largely by two things—you must mix the sand and paint thoroughly, using enough but not too much sand, and you must make the paint sticky enough with flat wall paint, enamel or varnish. Noth- ing but mixing experience and experimenting will teach you this point. But some of the material will drop off your brush and off the wall and ceiling even when the work is correctly done. Brush on the rough sand paint in the ordinary man- ner. When some drops off put on some more. And after coating in about one yard stipple the paint with the stippling brush. That will give a more uniform coating. In your brushing work the brush around in a circu- lar manner—not with straight brushing strokes. That gives an interesting texture. When the paint drops off in parts and will not stick when put. back, allow the surface to set a few minutes while you coat 1n some other stretch. The paint on the surface will then become more sticky and you can make additional material stick. If the paint shows a tendency to lift off when stip- 202 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION pling allow it to set a few minutes. Also increase the ventilation. The proper texture effect to produce for sand-float is that which results from regular rough sand finished plaster. A rough, irregular, mottled suface is wanted, one which is.rougher in some places than others and one which shows plainly the circular tool marks in an irregular manner. It is possible, however, to produce many different tex- tures by using various tools. See Chapter XV for more on this subject. Color Treatment.—This finish may be given no other color than that put into the rough coat of paint. The very roughness of the surface will cast shadows and highlights, making a two-toned effect. The color treatment, however, is usually done by glazing over a light, rough-coat color with a darker glaze color or two, the same as for Tiffany glazing, mottling and blending, outlined in Chapter X. For instance, an interesting combination is an ivory or eream colored rough-coat with a burnt umber or Van- dyke brown glaze‘coat to finish. A light gray rough- coat color with a glaze color of raw umber and Prus- sian blue gives a very interesting old blue effect. Novelty and bizarre effects may easily be produced by using hght or white rough-coat colors and clear brilliant reds, blues, greens, browns and yellows for glaze coats. Also bronze powders may be brushed on to the rough surface when dry. Then brilliant glaze colors may be used on top of the bronze for striking effects on window displays, tea room walls, theaters, ete. Note Plate 23 for the general texture and appearance of a sand-float wall. This wall is in the living room of an average home in Chicago. It is an old smooth finish plaster surface which was covered with wall paper. The paper was stripped off. The ceiline sand-float texture is not so coarse as the side walls. 203 SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH Plate 2 3 —The Sand Float Job Showing Two Different Textures. @ Oe ee Ad A ae OE SPONGE-STIPPLE WALL FINISHES In this decorative process we have the means of pro- ducing some highly artistic effects. The method is ex- ceedingly simple, requiring only ordinary care and good judgement as ‘to fitting the strength of pattern and colors to the room being decorated. Sponge-stipple finishes are versatile to a considerable degree. With them a skillful decorator readily pro- duces effects in color and pattern which are restrained, delicate and sufficiently conventional to be used in al- most any room. And yet, where strength of color and bold pattern are needed for very large surfaces viewed from a distance, where novelty and bizarre treatments are called for, sponge-stipple is also equal to the occasion. Sponge-stipple decorations justly claim many prac- tical advantages in addition to artistic merit. The cost of applying this finish is a little less if anything than plain painted walls because the stipple coat can be put on more rapidly than a coat of paint. With this wall finish old walls which show cracks. and patches look far better than with plain colors in flat paint. Such defects are completely covered in some instances and when not covered they are difficult to find in a sponge-stipple finish. The Decorative Effect Wanted.—As with most artistic finishes the effect aimed at is sort of a carefully careless 205 206 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION treatment. In other words you must avoid the regular- ity of machine-like repetitions of patterns. Producing just the right pattern is quite like the problem encoun- tered by the landscape architect when planting trees. If he plants them in geometrical shapes an artificial and uninteresting effect results. If he tries to arrange them to look natural he doesn’t always succeed. But if he takes several stones in hand and carelessly throws them out on the ground he quickly secures a natural grouping of the trees or shrubs when he plants them where the stones fall. So it is with any decorative wall finish. Don’t fuss with the pattern when it is natural in appearance. Knowing when to quit is most important. Plate 24 gives some idea of the pattern wanted, although it is greatly inadequate without the color values of the finish. Suitable for Various Surfaces.——Sponge-stipple fin- ishes can be used on any surface where paint and eal- cimine are used. They are commonly done in oil paint, flat paint and calcimine.- They are equally suitable for smooth and rough plaster, wall board, canvas and bur- lap covered surfaces. Whole wall areas may be given this finish, or it may be confined to panels. For novelty effects it is also used on wood trim. Materials Needed.—Beautiful finishes are commonly done with prepared flat wall paints, with white lead paints and with caleimine. This is true for the stipple coats and the ground coats. | Tools Requred—One large sponge selected for hav- ing one flat side with many rough edges, rather than a fairly smooth surface, is the first requirement. The sponge may be one of natural growth or it may be an artificial rubber sponge, which costs less money and works very well. It is customary among some decorators to cut their sponges used for wall stipples with a knife to produce SAND-FLOAT WALL FINISH 207 Plate 24.—A Sponge-Stipple Finish Done with a Sea-Wool Sponge. 209 SPONGE-STIPPLE WALL FINISHES Plate 25.—The Tools Used for Making Sponge-Stipple Wall Finishes. SPONGE-STIPPLE WALL FINISHES 7A a flat side. This is done by first soaking the sponge in water then when hard dry any large sharp knife will cut through one portion of the sponge to make one flat side. All types of sponges are used for this decorative work, but the deep sea wool sponge is better than the commor grass sponge It has a good pattern for wall textures, is tough and more durable than others. The rubber sponge makes a more interesting pattern than natural sponges. The other tools needed are only the necessary pots for ground colors, stipple colors and one for benzine to wash out the sponge with occasionally. ‘ G ee . -¢ s ° iS des é , a he oy ‘ f s Rhy 7 » " < 1 Sas b- iad + 4 . 4 = * , F : “i 4 ‘ ; : é E - HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 297 Materials and Tools—AI] plastic materials mentioned ean be used to produce this effect. The material is brushed on in the ordinary manner with a wall or eal- cimine brush. Next it is stippled, but not uniformly all over, with the regular stippling brush shown on Plate 33 with the other tools. The material is now allowed to set up a few minutes r Plate 47.—Close-Up View of Italian Plaster Texture. to get a bit sticky. Next, an old, short bristied wall brush is used in all directions and moving in a semi- circular manner. The material is piled up here and there by the brush. Allow this texture to set a few minutes so it will hold its shape, then with a plasterer’s steel trowel lehtly skim over the high places. Light 298 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION touches with the tool will be sufficient to produce the smooth areas. The ground coat, the plastic material, on this finish is tinted ivory white with raw sienna or yellow ochre. When the texture is dry the surface is glazed over with a glaze stain of a bright yellow color. The stain may be mixed from raw sienna with a touch of ver- milion or orange chrome yellow. When the stain has set a little wipe over it gently with a cloth to remove the stain from the high ridges and allow the ivory ground color to show through. Roman Tile Finsh.—Plate 48. Clay tile was used by the Romans for interiors as well as for exteriors. The finish of such tile was produced by drawing the fingers down through the wet clay. This texture has but limited use today, obviously, because it has principally a novelty appeal. To produce such a texture it is only necessary to brush the plastic material on thick, allow it to set a few min- utes to become sticky and then drag three fingers down through the material. Brushed and Smoothed Textures.——Plates 49, 50, 51 and 52: There appears to be no limit to the variety of textures possible of production by manipulating brushes. The sun parlor pictured on Plate 49 shows what has been done under difficult wall surface conditions. The large wall in this picture is yellow pressed brick and, yet, see how completely the mortar joints have been covered with a Swedish putty plastic material mixed by the decorator on the job, George Wickham, Chicago. Two coats were needed. ‘The first coat was a sand-float finish done with the same plastic putty and sand as described in Chapter XI. ) The second coat on this job was a Swedish putty mixed thick without sand as previously described. The material was tinted cream color and brushed on with HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 299 Plate 48.—Roman Tile Finish Done with Plastic Paint. “TEM au0g en}xeL_ Uusnug W—'6b 23¥8Id "3SuJ4J UO INdg SEM YSIUI4 }eo]4-pues vy Mog & aAQ Uled 9/}S¥Id U! BUA MIM OSV DID _uxlavis HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES fe 301 ee Wy 2 . HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 303 a flat wall brush. The material was allowed to set until it became sticky and was then worked into the texture pictured on Plates 49 and 50 with an old short bristled, flat wall brush. The surface was worked over using the brush in a Plate 50.—A Close-Up View of the Texture Shown on Plate 49. semi-circular manner. Later when the material had set more a plasterer’s wood trowel was used to put on the finishing touches. The wood trowel was pressed into the heavy coat of plastic paint, pulled off straight a little and then shifted down or to one side or other to 304 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION drag the material as indicated. The material is easily drawn out into sharp points with a wood trowel. After the plastic coat became dry it was glazed over with a stain coat of dark brown, burnt umber or Van- dyke brown. The stain was wiped off judiciously here and there to give a clouded or antique effect. See Chapter X for glazing method. Plate 51 pictures another similar finish. It can be produced by brushing on the plastic material as usual with a flat wall or ecalecimine brush. Rather a thick coating is needed. When the material has set a few minutes and is get- ting stiff stipple it all over with a whiskbroom or old wall stipple brush. Make the surface just as rough as possible. When the material has set considerably and is very sticky it can be drawn up to sharp, rough projections with a stippling brush or a _ plasterer’s trowel. Then with the trowel skim over the surface to smooth down the roughness in places for the finish. The rough coat is colored light as a rule and is glazed over when dry with a dark stain coat which is wiped out to mottle it. Plate 52. In this fect we a: one which is very rugged and which is suitable only for large rooms. The texture is very contrasty. This finish is produced by coating the surface with the plastic material, using a flat wall brush or calcimine brush. When the material has set a little stipple it all over with the stippling brush (Plate 33). Next take an old stiff wall brush or whiskbroom and use it in half circles as indicated by the picture. Let the brush plow up a pile of material at the end of each stroke. Draw this pile to sharp points by pulling the brush straight away from the surface at the end of each stroke. Let the material dry in this texture. Then with a piece of No. 1 sandpaper on a block of wood rub HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 305 Plate 51.—A Brushed and Smoothed Texture Produced with Plastic Paint. alls. 4 i BS 1 1 a % ‘ ’ - vw HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 307 Plate 52.—A Very Rugged Texture Produced with Plastic Paint Manipulated with a Brush, HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 309 down the high projecting points just enough to smooth them off a little. Plate 53 shows the refinished wall and staircase of an average home. The wood staircase was dark golden oak before being refinished. The old varnish, stain and filles were stripped off; the wood was bleached, stained gray, shellaced and filled with white filler. The final finish was very light colored varnish on the stair treads and wax on the balance of the wood. The walls are smooth plaster from which the old wall paper was stripped. After repairs to cracks and holes a coat of plastic Swedish putty material was brushed on, stippled with a brush and worked up as rough as possible with an old short flat wall brush. Then it was allowed to dry thoroughly. A second coat of plastic putty was next brushed on thick and a plasterer’s trowel was used to produce the rough texture indicated in Plate 54. When the coating was quite sticky, after being on the wall a few minutes, the trowel was pressed into the coating and pulled straight out again, thus drawing the material to the sharp rough points noted. This wall was glaze-coated in brown over the cream colored rough coat. Combed Texture Finishes—Plates 55, 56 and 57. These textures have rather a novel appeal and also serve to apparently increase the height of a ceiling. It is rather too rugged for small rooms but is very attrac- tive for large rooms, especially where a new and rad- ieally different treatment is wanted. The plastic wall finishing material is brushed on as usual with a flat wall or caleimine brush. When the material has set a wire brush, large comb or whiskbroom is dragged through as nearly verticle as possible to line up with the corners of the room. That is all there is to doing this texture, except coloring the plastic ground coat and glazing on top of it or not as preferred. 310 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Plates 55 and 56 show finishes done with a wire clean- ing brush. Plate 57 shows a similar finish done with a whiskbroom. Brushed Rough Wall Textures—Plates 58 and 59. These are the most simple of rough wall textures done with plastic materials. The material is brushed on with the flat wall or calecimine brush and allowed to set a few minutes. Then the texture is brushed in. Plate 58 was simply stippled evenly all over with a stippling brush. Note Chapter VI for the stippling method. Plate 59 shows a texture produced in the same way except that a whiskbroom was used with short strokes in all directions as indicated in the picture. Sponge -Stippled Rough Textures. — Plate 60. This very rough texture looks like embossed leather when the ground rough coat is colored ivory and a elaze stain of dark Vandyke brown is used to finish. Sometimes also the surface is coated with gold or copper bronze before the brown glaze is brushed on. That makes a novel and interesting finish for panel centers, dados and other limited areas. | This texture is produced by brushing on a thick, smooth coat of plastic wall material with a flat wall or caleimine brush. When the coating has set a few minutes it is stippled with a large sea wool sponge. The sponge should be soaked in water to fluff it up before using. | ‘Linger Rough Textures——Plates 61 and 62. When- ever a call comes for a novelty or bizarre wall treat- ment the texture pictured by Plate 61 should be seri- ously considered. It is not suited to large surfaces as the stippling proceedy slowly. . This texture, and that in Plate 62, is started by brush- ing on a heavy coat of plastic material, using a flat wall brush or a calcimine brush. When the material las set alittle the texture in Plate 61 is produced by HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 311 Plate £3.—An Exceedingly Rough Texture Produced with a Plastic Paint on a Smooth Plaster Wall. © ‘ HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 313 Plate 54.—A Close-Up View of the Rough Texture Shown in Plate 53. ‘ % ; : ; - : 7 ( * = x a b ae ar ae = . fo. a e be . , A ‘ « + ’ ne ¥ . = a : n 5 . a , ie C ‘ me ee ‘ : 2 > ne > ae os : ret . 315 HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES Line Rough Texture Produced with Plasti Brush. Paint and a Steel Wire b Plate 55.—A Vertical ' ; ~o 4 ry . r +2 .~ - - ta . ' i i" t ee = 7 - c ‘. e i Ane 4 : + * - we > ‘ “5 ° ~ - . 7 Pe 4 " HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 317 making prints of the index finger in the surface as indicated. The texture of Plate 62 was also produced by using all the fingers of one hand in a circular manner as indicated. Plate 56.—A Close-Up View of the Texture Shown on Plate 55. Plate 61 makes a strikingly beautiful effect when used for panel centers and when coated with aluminum bronze. Over top of the bronze a glaze coat of peacock blue may be brushed and stippled with a wad of cheese cloth. HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES Plate 57.—A Rough Vertical Texture Produced with Plastic Using a Whiskbroom. Paint 321 HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES Rough Stipple Texture Produced with an Ordinary Stippling Brush. —A Conventional Plastic Paint and Plate 58 ~. * ote HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES Plate 59.—A Rough Texture Representing the Gothic Produced with Plastic Paint. Texture Worked In a Whiskbroom. Period with HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES Plate 60.—An Interesting Texture Produced by Stippling a Rough Coat of Plastic Paint with an Ordinary Sponge. = : = : reefs - wt . . ; 2 7 ere he . ee 1 oe »* $ “a , : . : a : ; . - “2 : £5 ; F : . y i - J ’ a - \s a ; 4 i ’ : ; *. , in “ . a . 4 ‘ * ; a : : i t . ps ‘ ~ * y “ ba : a E . : t ' A >, é ‘ a : lone cS, 4 = ‘ . c : 4 ; ? ; . * mrt . — ’ ¢ 4 . ee Toe > y * : a % « i ae 5 » ahs f Toa hie fey - rons - * r 2 = - i. _ ‘ i" k 3 L +6 . ‘a ; ; - - te ' ¥ * 7 ; : ; ; 7 = ‘. . é : Ui “aH “> : . ete fe x 3 : x : > ‘ . " ‘ . 2h te - : ; | ox | . oN <4 = %*% : 4 rs ~ . ‘ “s ¥ e 7 J “2 : ¥ : - . wa bat 4 Ls : Om * , ; - ts : f : : E marae ; 4 a é ae > —] es 6 J ‘4 q . “St ¥ 5 < ; ca | | ; : : ; ; ‘i ; : :, ‘ F rs . ‘ ' * “pS we . - - —— oe f ; eee ae me — i x * > Sled = Hh + a - - ”~ ; 4 ‘ * a \ j - HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES 327 Plate 61.—A Novelty Texture Produced by Making Finger Prints in a Heavy Coat of Plastic Paint. 329 HISTORIC AND NEW ROUGH WALL TEXTURES Plate 62.—An Exceptionally Beautiful Rough Texture Produced by Manipulating a Very Heavy Coat of Plastic Paint with the Fingers. ae oy CHAPTER XVI LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES At several periods in the history of decoration sten- eiled wall patterns have enjoyed considerable popular- ity. The cycle of popular interest undoubtedly is again sweeping on from severely plain painted surfaces to those which are more colorful and which show artistic textures and patterns. And it is quite likely that stenciled wall decreas sta may be much more employed during the next few years. There never has been a period, of course, when stencils have not been employed to some extent both as frieze bands, spot designs and for all-over patterns to com- pletely cover the wall surfaces of a room. During the last few years stencil decoration employing diaper sten- cils for all-over patterns have been rather strictly lim- ited to theaters and other large public buildings, along with some of the higher-priced residences. In the hands of decorators of good taste and discrim- ination stencils are capable of producing distinctive, artistic and unusual decorative effects. The decorators’ craft today is indebted to S. T. Bal- linger, a master painter, and The New Jersey Zine Co., for whom he developed an improvement in stenciling certain conventional and tapestry designs on walls. Mr. Ballinger has perfected a method which employs lace curtain materials as stencils for producing very effec- tive and artistic wall decorations. 331 332 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION By the use of lace curtain material for stencils it is possible to transfer more delicate and intricate conven- tional designs than are commonly used with paper stencils, except those produced by Japanese decorators. And the lace stencils can be made in much larger sizes. A lace stencil is more durable, naturally, than a paper one. The limitations of this method are those of variety of designs. In paper stencil designs of a great many kinds are adapted, while in this new method the decora- tor is limited to such designs as are found in lace; con- ventional classic and tapestry motifs. These are numer- ous, however, in detailed differences, although all are confined to two or three types of design. THE WORKING METHOD Tools.—Lace curtain materials can be purchased by the yard. The laces and nets come in rolls of many yards and in varying widths from 30 to 40 inches. Some such laces are expensive, but it is not necessary to use high priced materials; the market affords almost unlim- ited patterns of conventional and classic tapestry pat- terns in inexpensive lace curtain materials. Prices range from 20¢ per yard to two and three times that much. Other tools needed are a stencil brush which may be of the regular type, or a round or oval pound brush of such a kind as has long been used for painting large surfaces. A plumb bob and line and some glass push pins together with mixing pots for color complete the list of tools needed. Selection of Designs.—Choosing laces for stencils ac- cording to character of designs wanted is largely a mat- ter of personal preference, yet some patterns are much better than others for use as stencils. In Plates 63, LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES 333 638A, 64, 64A and 65 are shown several suitable lace patterns which give an idea of what should be used. Making the Stencil_—The size of the stencil will vary, depending upon the size of the lace design and how much of the design should be included in the stencil. Where the pattern breaks conveniently ought to be con- Plate 63.—A Lace-Curtain Stencil Stretched on a Wood Frame and Being Coated with Shellac. sidered also in cutting the lace and deciding on the size of the stencil. Also the size of the wall, panel or frieze to be decorated has a bearing, not only on the size of the stencil made, but on the size of the design or motif selected. | The first step in making the stencil after selecting the 334 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION lace design is to make a wood frame upon which to tack the lace for stretching before giving it a coat of shellac. Ordinary carpet tacks may be used for this, or the glass push pins sold by art stores for use in hanging pictures on a wall are much more convenient to work with. The frame upon which to tack the stencil may be made from what the lumber yards eall screen stoek— 11g x 2 inches for fly screens. This is straight and light weight. Make the frame a little larger than the stencil design, of course, an inch or two is enough. Simply butt the corners of the lumber and nail with ten penny finishing nails. The frame may be as long as the sten- ceil as a rule, but some stencils may be so long that it is best to use them without the frame in transferring. Then when shellacing a frame half, one-third or one- fourth as long may be used; planning to shellac the stencil in two, three or four operations, one part at a time. | Having the frame made, to fasten the stencil to it is the next operation. ‘Tack down all four edges of the lace; or better yet, secure them with glass push pins. The lace should be fastened to the frame first and cut off around the outside edges later. The design ought to come well inside of the. wood frame. The lace should be stretched so that the design is not distorted ; that is, the pattern ought to run square and parallel with the frame and the frame should be square. Ob- ‘viously no sags or wrinkles must be permitted in the lace. The next step is to brush on one heavy coat of orange shellac to each side of the lace. Be very eareful to brush the shellac so that no holes in the lace are filled or bridged over with shellac. This is very important to assure the transfer of a continuous and complete pattern with the stencil. When the shellac is dry and hard the stencil is ready for use. The shellac makes 335 LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES = ee = seeiessies seater. Moderately ina Dark Color onto a Light-Colored Ground Coat. Transferred Plate 63A.—A Lace-Curtain Stencil 337 LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES wo bse afte fis ing Brush or a Ipp Round Pound Brush for Transferring a Lace Stencil to a St ing a the Method of Usi ing .—Showi Plate 64 Wall in Color. te Pra LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES af oe ee th p44: aT 83k aE Kaos DOSE: Sy ce eH by 4: a aa oe 3 ie : ry PERE mses iti H dat ats» Design Suitable for Wall in Stencil Curta .—Another Lace te 64A Pla Panels © LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES 341 the design sufficiently rigid and holds it in shape, yet the stencil as a whole is flexible and can be rolled up on a broom stick. The shellac also protects the lace from injury. Plate 65.—Large Lace-Curtain Stencils May Be Rolled While Being Transferred to the Wall. The stencil when completed may be used while fast- ened to the frame, or it may be removed from the frame. After the edges are all trimmed neatly and square it may be fastened to the wall with push pins while the design is being transferred to the wall. When the sten- cil is used off the frame it may be rolled up on a broom stick or window shade roller for convenience in handling and for protection when not in use. 342 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION The ability to use the stencil unattached to the frame is a great convenience, since it permits the decorator to work the pattern up close into corners, next to mould- ings and on irregular surfaces. Preparatory and Ground Colors.—lLace stencils be- cause of their intricate and delicate designs are most useful on smooth plaster walls and on other smooth sur- faces. The patterns of some of the bolder designs may be transferred to rough sand finished walls. The wall to be decorated with stencil pattern should be built up the same as any painted wall. All prepara- tory work on cracks and holes must be done as described in Chapter IV. On new walls two coats of paint with a size coat be- tween are essential for best results. Old painted walls in hight colors may be made ready for stencil treatment with one coat of paint. The ground color may be any color wanted. It may be very light for transferring a stencil pattern in darker colors; or it may be dark for transferring a stencil pat- tern in light colors. The ground color may be mixed to dry flat for gloss stencil color. or flat stencil color. Also the ground color may be gloss paint or gloss enamel upon which the stencil is transferred in flat color, thus producing a silk effect because the light reflects on the ground coat. All flat and semi-flat ground colors ought to be stip- pled as described in Chapter VI. Pure white, ivory white, cream, light blue, gray, pink and green are ground colors commonly used. Stencil Colors.—The color to use for transferring the stencil to the surface may be opaque, one which hides the surface like any paint, or transparent like glazing colors. The stencil color may be mixed to dry flat on a flat ground or it may be flat to go on a glosg ground, but never gloss for a gloss ground. LACE STENCIL WALL FINISHES 343 Bronze powders mixed with the usual bronzing liquids may be used for the stencil color on flat paint grounds. Opaque colors may be any flat or gloss paint mixed rather thick. Transparent colors are those used for glazing, such as Prussian, cobalt and ultramarine blues, chrome green, raw and burnt sienna, raw and burnt umber and all the colors listed as glaze colors in Chapter X. Such glaze colors are to be thinned with turpentine only for stencil use as flat color and with one-fourth turpentine and three-fourths linseed oil or interior var- nish for gloss stencil color. The color should not be mixed too thin—a little stouter than ordinary brushing consistency is correct. Transferring the Stencil—tThe first step is to meas- ure out your surface to see that the stencil is going to begin and end to look well from the standpoint of com- pleteness of the stencil pattern. This can usually be manipulated by dividing the total run of surface in inches by the length of the stencil in inches. Having determined where to start the stencil the next step is to mark guide lines on the wall to be sure the stencil can be made to run straight and parallel to the floor or picture moulding in the case of frieze band and other band stencils; or that the stencil will be run vertical and plumb with the corners, door and window casings. | A chalk-line stretched in a horizontal position will give you the guide lines to be marked with chalk or a pencil. A plumb bob and line will enable you to run the ver- tical lines true. But check your corners carefully. They are supposed to be plumb, but they are not al- ways so. You may have to gain or give a little off the plumb line to make your stencil vertical lines look well with the corners. 344 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION For marking off panels a six foot straight-edge de- seribed in Chapter XVIII is useful. With all guide lines marked the stencil may be se- curely fastened in place with push pins or ordinary pins. Now assuming that the stencil color has been mixed, dip the stencil brush into it about half an inch only. Wipe out the color from the brush as much as possible. This is very important. None but a comparatively dry brush will transfer the stencil color so as to avoid blots and runs. Some decorators never dip the brush into the eolor, but rather run the color on to a flat board with aaaien brush and then pick ue color on the stencil brush from the board. To transfer the stencil pound it with the brush, using the brush like a hammer at first. With a litle ex- perience you can use the brush in a semicircular man- ner and make faster progress, but that may get a new hand into trouble with too much color and runs of color if he doesn’t take care. If the stencil used doesn’t reach from corner to ecor- ner of the wall, or from picture mould to baseboard on vertical stretches, it will have to be lifted one or more times to continue the design. Then great care must be taken not alone to keep the second setting of the sten- eil on a straight line but also to make each setting join up perfectly with the previous pattern transferred to the wall. A stencil may be transferred in only one color, or several glaze colors may be used in the same manner as to stippling as was described in Chapter X; that is, by blending two or more colors together. The colors are first put on with a stencil brush for each color, and when all colors are on, a wall stippling brush is used to blend the colors together. CHAPTER XVII SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES The working methods essential to the production of Tiffany blending, mottling and glazing were given in Chapter X. As described there these finishes are ac- complished by hand stipple methods. Similar blends and mottles can be done with the spray gun, and done much more rapidly on smooth or rough surfaces using the same glaze color. Notes Plates 13, 13E and 16 in Chapter X. Opaque colors also may be used in the spray gun to produce mottles and blends. And in Chapter XV a number of rough textures pro- duced on smooth and rough walls with plastic paint compositions were described. Some of these artistic rough textures can be reproduced with spray guns using exactly the same plastic paint compositions. Further- more, a great variety of other textures can be produced with spray guns. Such rough textures done with spray guns range all the way from simple formal grain stipples, such as are produced with a stippling brush, to very rugged coarse textures suitable for large rooms. One of the remark- able facts about decorative finishes done with a spray gun is that they are done many times faster than hand work. Much time and labor cost are thus saved. Spray gun textures of many other types may be produced. Beautiful spatter finishes similar to those described in Chapter XIII are produced with a spray 345 346 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION eun in one or several colors in a remarkably short time using the same paints and colors as are employed in hand brush spatter work. Plates 28 and 29, Chapter XIII, illustrate interesting spatter finishes. Still another type of spray gun decorative finishes may be called novelty treatments. They are useful sectional views Plate 66.—The DeVilbiss Spray Gun Showing Round and Fan-Shaped Sprays of Material. principally for window display back grounds, theater stage scenery, display cards, picture mat boards, panel center decorations on walls, walls of sales rooms, con- vention booths, retail shops, cafe and restaurant walls, 347 HES CORATIVE FINIS E 1 SPRAY GUN D Plate 67 .—The Paasche Air Brush N Fe 3) (eft). The Willard C. Beach Air Brush A-1. 349 SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES PERO, Plate 67A.—The Binks Spray Gun No. 105 (Left). T he Spray Engineering Company Gun No. P-6 (Right). SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES . 351 Plate 67B.—A Complete Spray Gun Outfit Suitable for Plain and Decorative Wall Finishing, Furniture Finishing, Enameling and Automobile Painting. The Equipment Includes on the Truck, the Air Compressor, the Air Storage Tank, the Electric Motor. Above Are Shown the Material Tank, Pressure Regu- lator, Material Hose and Airline Hose, the Spray Gun, and to the Right, a One-Quart Size Material Tank Which Can Be Attached to the Gun When Small Amounts of Color Are Used and Frequent Changes of Color Are Made. aa \ SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 353 tea rooms and many similar surfaces which need a novy- elty or bizarre treatment more striking than the for- mal and informal decorative treatments preferred for homes and dignified public buildings. Such novelty treatments are similar to those pictured in Plates 68, 69, 70 and 75 sprayed on with a Binks No. 100 Spray Gun. Plates 71 and 74, sprayed with the same gun, are of the more restrained, informal type suitable for walls in homes. Pidteata, io, (6,17, (7A, and 77B are finishes sprayed on with a DeVilbiss gun. All are of the con- servative character of finishes suitable for walls in homes and public buildings alike. Plates 77C and 77D are sprayed-on finishes done - with the plastic material called Compostipl, described in Chapter XV. Materials Used—For producing Tiffany glazed, mot- tled and blended wall treatments using spray guns the essential materials are the glaze colors described in Chapter X. There is no need, however, to use a glaz- ing liquid.. The colors may be thinned with benzine or turpentine and very little oil is needed. The ground color coats are sprayed or brushed on and mixed to dry flat. The glazing color may be mixed quite thick or thin—different effects result from each mixing. The color is put into the material container of the spray gun and you are ready to apply the color coat. The manufacturers of each kind of spray gun issue instructions for using their tools and these should be carefully followed. The manufacturers will also gladly give you any special instruction or information needed to produce standard painted, enameled, var- nished, stained or lacquered finishes, for the use of other materials or the production of novelty finishes. Materials needed for producing rough textured and stippled decorative wall finishes. are those described in 354 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Chapter XV. Other materials used for temporary dec- orating as on window display backgrounds in retail stores, theater stage scenery, show cards and similar surfaces are these: —mixtures of cheap glue and water; —ymixtures of glue, water and whiting; —mixtures of glue, water and dry rosin; —mixtures of glue, water, rosin and whiting; —clear lacquers ; —lacquer enamels. Tools Used.—There are on the market a number of high class spray guns which are capable of producing beautiful decorative wall textures, glazing, mottling and blending of colors. Space is too limited to illustrate all such equipment so only one or two are pictured to give some idea of the type of spray gun used. The author recommends that those who are not familiar with spray gun tools make a eareful study of all such equipment on the market before making a selection. Spray guns as a class are vastly improved over their state of de- velopment a few years ago and the equipment put out by reliable manufacturers performs with a high degree of efficiency today. Plates 66 and 67 illustrate the types of spray guns used for wall finishes. The guns having detachable pint and quart metal material cups—or, ordinary glass mason jar material containers are best suited for finishing furniture, automobiles and many items of merchandise to be decorated with paints, enamels, varnishes, lacquers, bronzing materials, stains, fillers, ete., also for wall finishes where a small area of surface is to be coated or where many changes of color occur. The cup type of gun may have a siphon feed of material or pressure feed. Siphon feed is best only where a very fine atomi- zation of material is wanted; it will not draw up more material than it can atomize. SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 355 The plastic paint materials used are often mixed nearly as thick as putty to produce very rough textures. This very thick material will flow through the material hose used in connection with large material tanks hold- ing several gallons, but, obviously, more air pressure is needed on the material in the tank than for thin paint or varnish, Such tanks are used with air pressure on the material with spray gun outfits suitable for spray- ing large plain surfaces with paint, stain, mill whites or calcimine on exterior and interior house painting, the decorating of factory brick and cement walls ete. This heavy plastic wall paint material will not flow through the gravity material supply tanks used so much in furniture factories and other industrial plants where the spray gun is used for painting, enameling, _ varnishing, lacquering, filling and staining all manner of merchandise from automobiles to ladies’ hats, from sewing machines to caskets. The spray guns with pressure feed material tanks holding several gallons of material can be efficiently used for decorative wall finishes where materials of any consistency are used, and, indeed, they are essen- tial for finishing surfaces of large area. The spray gun equipment needed for producing dec- orative wall textures consists of a spray gun, one or several quart size material cups or larger pressure ma- terial tank, air compressor, air storage tank and motor or engine power unit, pressure regulator and sufficient rubber air hose to enable you to reach the walls of a room conveniently. Some decorators purchase these units mounted on skids on a small automobile truck. That makes trans- portation easy. Sufficient air hose is needed to reach from the street into all rooms to be decorated. All manufacturers of spray guns also furnish small trucks with wheels upon which the motor or engine, compressor, air storage tank and oil and water separa- 356 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION tor, ete., are mounted. This truck is carried to the job by wheeling it into the truck. It is then unloaded and earried into the building or used outside of the build- ing nearby. Working Methods.—The methods to pursue for pro- ducing decorative wall finishes and the materials used are practically the same for all spray guns. There are, however, some differences to be noted in the adjustment of various guns. For this information the decorator must rely strictly upon the instructions issued by the manufacturer of the particular spray gun he is using. The various decorative wall textures are produced by using different kinds of plastic materials, by mixing these materials thick for some textures and thin for others, by using a low atomizing pressure for some tex- tures and high pressures for others. The amount of air pressure on the material tank and the height of the gun above the material tank also influence the tex- ture produced. The air pressure on the material may vary from a few ounces to many pounds, depending upon the consistency of the material and how high above: the material tank the gun is being used. Then the distance the gun is held from the surface and the manipulation of the trigger on the spray gun also in- fluence the character of the texture produced. A round spray is used for some textures while a flat fan-shape spray produces others. The most important points to remember are that variations in textures are made by (a) changing the atomizing pressure at the nozzle, (b) changing the air pressure in the material tank. By way of illustration—a thick mixture of material sprayed with a low atomizing pressure of from 25 lbs. to 40 lbs. will spray the material out in gobs or clods, forming texture similar to Plates 69 and 70. A high pressure—from 50 lbs. to 65 Ibs., will spray. the same thick mixture and a thinner one to produce a finer texture similar to Plates 71 and 73. SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 357 Plate 68.—A Beautiful Decorative Finish Produced with a Spray Gun. SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES Plate 69.—A Novelty Wall Finish Produced with Lacquer Enamel Put on with a Spray Gun. x ‘ SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 361 Plate 68. This finish was sprayed on using glue and water to produce the rough texture. Then dry alum- inum bronze was sprayed on and the composition plaster east border was glued in place. The flowers on the border were then touched up with a little dull red and blue-green glaze color; then a thin flat black was sprayed on and the highlights were wiped out with a cloth, leav- ing the black only in the deep depressions. This finish ean be produced better for wall surfaces with plastic paint compositions. Plate 69. A dull red flat ground color coat was sprayed on to this surface. Then the material container of the spray gun was filled with an ivory colored lacquer enamel. The lacquer was sprayed with a low pressure, giving the interesting pattern noted in this picture. A novel and serviceable finish suitable for some special purposes. Plate 70. as 2 Ses or a ¥ 52 - : if t é a z a ‘ dn ts s ‘ ¥ ee Pe es a t = \ x a ’ . ? » 4 < 4 1 - SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 375 Plate 76.—A Reproduction of the Stucco Finish Commonly Done with Portland Cement. Produced with Thick Flat Wall Paint Put on with a Spray Gun. SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 377 darker hue. al P ~ ' a = + - I 95 ee LA A — =} Ul ae . a % < =o se | , ay he Rs ho é aa SPRAY GUN DECORATIVE FINISHES 387 Plate 77D.—A Finish Similar to That Shown on Plate 77C but with a Finer Texture. CHAPTER XVIII HANGING AND PAINTING WALL FABRICS The covering of smooth plaster walls with such fab- rics aS canvas, muslin and burlap is a practice of long standing, especially when the walls are to be given expensive decorative treatments. Fabrics can also be used on wall board: walls, but not on rough plaster, obviously. Smooth plaster walls are bound to show settlement eracks and also more or less cracks and holes from fur- niture bruises, ete. After a wall has been patched in everal such places and, indeed, if patched by any but the most careful and skillful workmen, it is quite im- possible to do a good job of decorating on it, at least a job which will not reveal the cracks and holes in un- sightly ridges or depressions. Some walls also show a tendency to chip off because the plaster was not properly mixed. The most satisfactory treatments for such walls are two. They may be covered with a fabric which may be painted and decorated or stained. Or the walls may be given one of the rough texture treatments without covering with a fabric—such treatments as are de- scribed in Chapters XI and XV. Preparatory Work.—All holes and eracks should be as carefully filled as if the walls were not going to be covered with a fabric. Ridges, high and rough spots , 889 390 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION should be sandpapered down level and smooth, or they may show through the fabric. Chapter IV presents the working methods essential to these operations. Walls covered with calcimine should be washed to remove all of this old material. Likewise walls covered with wall paper ought to be scraped to remove all paper before the fabric is put in place. A painted wall having a gloss finish ought to be washed with warm water containing a little sal soda to eut the gloss and remove any greasy smoke accumu- lations. Otherwise the fabric may fail to stick to the wall and bag in places. When a wall has been coated with gloss oil size, suc- tion or sealing varnish before calcimining no wall fabric will adhere to the surface very long unless a coat of flat drying paint is first put on. When the flat paint is dry a coat of sugar size should next be spread before the fabric is pasted in place. See Chapter V for in- formation about sugar size. Fabries are often put on to new walls immediately they are dry, but there is no doubt that it is better to wait until after the first winter to apply the fabric. Every building settles some and the heat of the boiler or furnace promotes cracking of plaster in the corners to some extent. If, however, the corners were covered with wire cloth before plastering there is likely to be little or no trouble from the wrinkling or bagging of the fabrie. Ground Coats and. Size—New and old walls, espe- cially when the plaster is quite soft, ought really to be given a coat of paint mixed to dry flat and a coat of glue size as per Chapter V to assure the stopping of suction and a first class, permanent job. It is true, however, that some edition put on only the glue size and some no preliminary coating at all. Paste Mixing.—There are some excellent prepared pastes on the market for use in attaching fabrics to the HANGING AND PAINTING WALL FABRICS 39) walls. They are convenient and in some instances most economical to use. When the decorator wishes to mix paste for this pur- pose the below formula will prove reliable: 2 quarts warm water (not hot) Wheat or rye flour, enough to make a thick paste 1 tablespoonful of powdered alum Add the dry flour to the water and stir; add the alum and stir; put on the fire and add enough boiling water, a little at a time, to make a stiff paste. Put in no more water. Beat up the paste thoroughly to make certain that there are no lumps left in it. Stir until the paste has thoroughly boiled a few minutes. Next, dissolve one pound of high quality glue in two quarts of warm water. It is well to let the glue soak in the water for a while, over night if possible. Mix the dissolved glue into the paste well and strain the paste through fly screen or a paint strainer to remove any lumps. Two tablespoonfuls of Venice turpentine and a little brown sugar or molasses are added to the paste by some decorators who believe that these ingredients increase the adhesiveness of the paste. These are not necessary as a rule, unless difficulty has been experienced in mak- ing a fabric stick to the wall. A eareful decorator will test the adhesiveness of his paste on each wall to be covered. A small piece of the fabric a square foot or so is pasted on to the wall while preliminary work is being done. When it is dry the fabric is ripped off to see how firmly it was attached. Fabric Materials Used.—The wall fabrics used com- monly are those under private brand names and those under common trade class names. The latter are these, which come in rolls fifty yards long: Dyed or Colored Burlaps, 36 inches wide Interwoven Fabrics, plain and patterns, 30 inches wide No. 2 Filled Burlap, 36 inches wide 392 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Prepared Burlaps, 36 inches wide Sanitary Oil Painted Burlap, 36 inches wide No.. 12 Prepared Sheeting, 30 yard rolls, 82 inches wide No. 12 Prepared Sheeting, 50 yard rolls, 99 inches wide Prepared Canvas, 36 inches wide Tools Needed—tIn Plate 78 are illustrated the tools commonly used for hanging fabrics. There are some variations in styles of such tools, but these are the essentials : Paperhanger’s Knife Seam Roller Smoothing Brush Straightedge Pasteboard and Trestles Paperhangers Shears, 14 inch Plumb Bob and Line Paste or Calcimine Brush Stepladder Paste Bucket Pe ped pe pe pa pe Pe Pe Putting Fabrics i Place-—The principal probleim in doing this work is to make one strip of fabrie join up neatly with the previous strip. It is not considered necessary, nor is it possible, to so join one piece with the other so that the seam will not be visible, but there is a great difference between a neat, well made joint and a sloppy, ill-fitting joint. One decorator will trim and butt his fabrics to make a-neat joint and succeed, while others use a different method which laps the fabrics and then trims through the lapped edges. Both methods are good and both are described as follows. | Trimmed and Butted Seams.—To make butted joints carefully measure the wall from moulding to baseboard. Cut off enough strips of fabric to cover one wall. Cut each strip an inch or so too long, to allow for trim- ming later when pasted on the wall. HANGING AND PAINTING WALL FABRICS 393 — = — — -— = -— — -— — i} — = = — = — — J — — — — —— — — -— = — — — t— —— — = — -— = — = — [-4 E = = = = = = Sn ee _—— : — ————— > SS un Plate 78.—The Tools Needed for Hanginy Wall Fabrics. 394 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Next place each piece of fabric on the paste board, lay the straightedge on one side and cut the fabric clean and straight with the knife. Now trim the other side edge the same way, but not the top and bottom ends. Trim each strip of fabric the same way. If your knife is very sharp no difficulty will be encountered to do this trimming correctly, provided the straightedge is held firmly in place. Having all strips trimmed pick out one, lay it on the © paste board again and take the exact measure of the width. Mark this width on the wall at the top, but do- not start exactly in the left hand corner—let the fabric oo around the corner half an inch or so. Now take a plumb bob and line, place the line on the pencil mark and when the line hangs still mark the bottom of the wall with a pencil. See Plate 79. Take the straight- edge now and run a straight pencil line from top of the wall on your first mark down to the mark at bottom of the wall. A vertical line perfectly plumb is the ob- ject to attain. See Plate 80. Having the wall marked where the first joint is to come, you are ready to paste up the fabric. Lay the fabric on the paste board with rough, unfilled side up. Brush on the paste with a regular paste or calcimine brush. The paste should be a little thicker than is used on wall paper. Brush on the paste freely and spread it out evenly. When the whole strip is pasted, fold it in the middle with pasted sides in together. Where walls are smooth and in good condition, it is not necessary to paste both the walls and strips of ean- vas, especially when the narrower grades of canvas are being hung. it is best to paste about three strips of canvas and fold them over, then go back to the first strip and apply a second coat of paste. This will per- mit the canvas to soften and become pliable. When the first strip is hung, paste the second strip again and hang it. Then treat the third strip in the same way. HANGING AND PAINTING WALL FABRICS 395 3 me) Ul) im NX ¢ / \ I - i} \, \\\\ h \ \ HL ! i Bas) | th, 2 \ We Plate 79.—Showing How a Plumb-Bob and Line Are Used to Mark a Vertical Line on the Wall. When all three strips are hung, paste three more, past- ing each strip twice before hanging. If canvas is hung this way, you will have no trouble with blisters or wrin- kles. When the very wide grades of canvas are to be hung, it is best to paste both the walls and the canvas, 396 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION —$————— HA, <5 MOY 9 Plate 80.—The Straightedge and How It Is Used. allowing the canves to become soft before applying it. The point of beginning to hang canvas may be either in the right hand or left hand corner. It is well to begin in the corner next to the window and work pro- gressively away from the light. | HANGING AND PAINTING WALL FABRICS 397 Plate 81.—Hanging a Strip of Canvas. Carry the pasted fabric to the wall and with a step ladder get into position to unfold and drop the folded half of the fabric down. Note- Plate 81. Hold it with the right hand and peel off the back half of the fabric with the left hand. Having the fab- 398 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION ric unfolded begin by pressing the top edge to the wall close to the picture moulding so there will be a little edge to trim from the top—about one-quarter inch. Be careful to locate the left hand edge of the fabric exactly on the vertical pencil mark made on the wall in the corner. See Plate 81. The fabric may be pressed against the wall with your hands to get a start and then having it in position use a regular paperhanger’s smoothing brush with strokes from side to side and up and down, being careful always to have the edge of the fabric follow the pencil line on the left exactly. Brush out all of the bubbles, bumps and wrinkles and you may have to use the brush lke a hammer to do this in some places. If any wrinkles are formed on the fabric you must pull the cloth loose and smooth it down again. Ordinarily no paste is put upon the wall itself, but when the wall is unusually rough or absorbent a thin coat of paste should be brushed on to the wall in addi- tion to the paste which is put on to the fabric. When you have finished making the first strip smooth, it will lap over the picture moulding at the top and the baseboard at the bottom about a half inch or so. The next step is to paste up the second strip of fabric in the same manner as the first one. Now measure carefully the width of the second strip of fabric at the top and bottom and mark this measure on the wall with a pencil and straightedge just as you - did the first line, in order that you may have a per- fectly straight line to which to paste the right hand edge of the fabric. After you have had quite some ex- perience you will not have to place more than the first line on the wall. Place the second strip in position on the wall in ex- actly the same manner as the first strip, being careful to butt the left hand edge of the second fabric to the right hand edge of the first fabric. With your fingers HANGING AND PAINTING WALL FABRICS 399 you can work the cloth into a perfect joint. Now smooth the second strip of fabric with the brush as before and when it is all in place take a seam roller such as is indicated in the Plate 78 and roll down the edges of both strips. If the fabric seems to have parted at the joint you ean work it together with the fingers and by pound- ing it with the smoothing brush. Your third piece of fabric should be handled in ex- actly the same manner, first marking the line on the wall because you will need it. More than likely you will have stretched the wet fabric a little and that will make an uneven edge on the right side unless you have the pencil line to follow as a guide. When all strips have been placed on the wall, smoothed up in good shape and the joints butted firmly into place, take the paperhanger’s knife, shown in Plate 78, and trim off the excess fabric at the top and bottom of the wall so that it will fit neatly close up to the mouldings. If any wrinkles occur after you have smoothed the fabric out once they can be worked out smooth with a sponge dampened in water and with the smoothing brush. Any paste which has been smeared on to the fabric or wood trim should now be washed off and loose threads from ravels should be cut off. After the paste has be- come dry, if any of the seams have opened up they should be filled with putty made by mixing a little white lead in oil paste with dry whiting and Japan drier. When the putty has been inserted and made smooth it is a good plan to stipple it with a brush to give it a rough texture like the fabric. It is worth while to carefully inspect a fabric covered wall after the paste has become dry. Fp 273) 2 Dp & 72 Cree » 428 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION ii lit 7 Plate 96.—Another Arrangement of Panels on Living Room Walls. *wooy BHUIAI7] & UI Sud}UadD usdedjeAA Pue sHulpjnoy,j UFIM peonpoudg sjaued HEM $0 3NOACT BHul}seuazU, UW—"Z6 932d DECORATIVE WALL PANELS Beis Wom Goin Sie SUA, ww Aties Ope sc 429 430 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Plate 98.—A Layout for the Handling. of Wall Panels in a Second-Story Bedroom ‘sBulpjnoW JO eS UsapoW Ad3dA W666 3¥ld Oly MOJJO4 puke IBY JIEYD 9y} SAOGY sd!U40D 9Yy} MOjag 3SNF ps}ze907 lul4 ey sbulpjnow eu ‘sBuliseg 4wooq 24} pun pue wojop y4ueq AusA eS Ul pays DECORATIVE WALL PANELS I = _ CUS || —— a 431 432 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Correct Incorrect Plate 100.—Indicating Some Correct nak Incorrect Layouts for Panel Mouldings DECORATIVE WALL PANELS 433 a nail so the line will exactly cover each mark and one at a time make a mark at the top of the wall to corre- spond with the bottom mark. See Plate 79, Chapter XVIII, for the use of this tool. With two sets of marks—top and Ene nee the wall take a straightedge and run straight lines from top marks to bottom marks. See Plate 80, Chapter XVIII, for the use of the straightedge. To locate the top moulding measure down from the ceiling or bottom of the cornice, cove or picture mould eight inches. Mark both ends this way and have sev- eral marks in between so you can run straight lines with the straight edge on top of such marks. To locate the bottom margin make your marks in the same way eight inches above the baseboard and run a straight line with your straightedge as before. Attaching the Mouldings——With the panels accu- rately marked off in pencil the cutting of mouldings comes next. The three things necessary to the Sate of perfect corners are a sharp saw, an accurate miter box and great care in the use of these tools to assure clean, sharp and accurate miters. Have a sharp pencil with an ordinary size lead—not the thick lead. Take a piece of moulding, lay it flat in the miter box. Hold it firmly in the corner and saw it off after placing the miter to make a 45-degree cut near the end of the moulding. Note Plate 101. After the first cut place the moulding itself on the wall and accurately mark the length from top line to bottom line. Make your cut on the other end, being certain to cut so that the outside of the moulding is the long side. If the first moulding is right in length, cut five more exactly like it. It is well now to put a four penny finishing nail in each end of each moulding and tack them all in place firmly enough to remain there. 434 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Now cut one end of another moulding clean and make your measure on it for the top position. Better allow it to cut a trifle too long than too short—a second cut can be taken to just shave off a little wood if the first eut doesn’t fit. When you have made a perfect top moulding cut five more just like it in length. Tack all in place and Iie Plate 101.—The Miter Box Being Used to Miter the Corner of a Moulding. as rapidly as each corner can be made to join up per- feectly drive the nails home, taking care not to hit and bruise the moulding with the hammer. After all mouldings are securely fastened by a four- penny nail every foot or so, go over the mouldings again and drive all nail heads a little below the surface with a hammer and nail set. . If the miter and saw have been correctly and care- DECORATIVE WALL PANELS 435 fully handled the joints will fit perfectly. Slight burrs or imperfections may be trimmed off with a sharp wood chisel, sandpaper or a file. Having all mouldings nailed securely in place, pro- ceed to repair any holes, cracks and bruises in the plaster as per Chapter IV. Then spread on a coat of paint, taking care to work the paint well into nail holes, corner joints and all openings. When the paint is dry putty up all holes and cracks and let the putty dry. The margins between and around panels are now usually covered with canvas as per Chapter XVIII. After the canvas the moulding and canvas are painted or enameled. In some cases the moulding is stained and varnished or enameled before being attached to the wall because it may be handled much more quickly without the necessity for cutting sharp edges as when staining after erection. Sometimes the mouldings are painted one or two coats with the canvas and then are given a coat of gold, silver, copper or other bronze. Glazing and Highlighting —Whether the moulding is painted, enameled or gilded with bronze, the finishing touch given usually is a thin coat of glazing color as described in Chapter X. This transparent color is brushed on and stippled with a brush, wad of cloth, wad of newspaper or a sponge; then while the glaze is still wet a small wad of clean cloth is rubbed over the moulding to wipe out high lights or give an antique effect. The glaze color is thus removed from the high surfaces and allowed to remain in the low or depressed eracks and crevices. The Antique Finish—When the glaze coat has been wiped and is dry, a further antique finish is sometimes added by brushing on a coat of rottenstone mixed thin with turpentine. This coat, too, is wiped off all except the depressions and crevices. 436 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Polychrome Finish._—The glazing with bright colors and antique finish over bronze ground coats is very effective. This is, of course, what is popularly called polychrome finish. The bronze grounds are made from bronze powders mixed with bronzing liquid as per Chap- ter XIV. The glazing colors to go over the bronze geround are deseribed in Chapter X and used in the same manner as there described for glazing, mottling and blending. Panel Centers.—Often the centers of the panels are given identically the same treatment as the margins between panels and the mouldings. When this is true the entire wall is covered with canvas as a rule before the mouldings are put in place. Then the painting or enameling proceeds as for any unpaneled wall. A popular decorative treatment for panel centers is the use of one of the colorful glazed, mottled, blended, sponge stippled or spatter finishes described in Chapters X; XI, XT, XU AV 1 and: 2a Another effective treatment for panel centers is the use of one of the artistic rough textures the methods for which were given in Chapters XV. Note Plates 88 and 89. Wallpaper is often used with striking affechs in panel centers when just the right color note and suitable pat- tern are selected. Note Plate 90. Fabrice or paper tapestry patterns are, indeed, suit- able for panel centers. Color Schemes.—The handling of wall panel color schemes is an integral part of the color treatment of the room as a whole. And while panel centers can easily carry both stronger, brighter colors and patterns and textures of more contrast, these must be used with great discretion and as part of the whole color scheme. A restrained and subdued treatment as to color, pattern and texture is most likely to prove per- manently satisfactory. DECORATIVE WALL PANELS 437 GA | of G \ re ret S re rea ed yet (PSS os es wey yal He IC ®@) S| a IN ze fA rN & (hd al 7 ie I\| v Al ie Ie rt © tS II 3 VA ey o 6 ied} Ah vay ~ AN NS Wass S1) Sas | ‘ be: » >) NA | 2 ' an (Aq es Vi ‘i Q Nas . t) i) = | Ne ro TA OO RN SS 4 Wh) ihe Ba Fee oe vag we/~ 3 tine . PAL DN BPRS ae ‘ pe | 7 AS BPs SO OS 909 weed: QAGRES Heeeeenueaeey Plate 102.—Classic Stencil Design Which May Be Used to Form Wall Panels. INTERIOR WALL DECORATION aD 438 <> | (@ Sse 2 a@ eer \& isc rte She ( ale dd WE (* & Ne. ( tp * dprr>4 see Ob2- ey % BE ee Ope 4. 442° S2%@ “s Agen Res vig 4 f . te> as “ay AE “% as Be Classic and Conventionalized Flower Designs Suitable for Wall Panels. : ‘Plate 103. DECORATIVE WALL PANELS 439 Painted-On Panels —Without the use of mouldings panels are sometimes laid out and painted on the sur- face in one or more colors. In all respects the layouts for this type of panels re- semble those done with mouldings. The essential differ- ence is that the ability to do lining and striping with a brush is required. See Chapter XX for instruction about lining. Stencil Border Panels—In place of raised wood mouldings or flat painted lines certain appropriate sten- cil border and band designs are used to form panels. — The layout of panels and the preparatory ground work are the same as for stencil panels as for others. The designs are transferred from regular paper stencils and in all respects this is a stencil job.* In Plates 102, 103 and 104 are shown suitable designs and panel effects. Dado, Filling and Frieze-—Walls generally have been divided for convenience in designating different areas as. follows: . The Dado, meaning the lower section between the chair rail and baseboard or plate rail and baseboard. The Filling, meaning the section between the plate rail and the picture mould or the Frieze (sometimes called the upper third or upper side wall). The Frieze, meaning the section between the picture mould and the eeiling. When this latter section is tinted the same as the ceiling it is not called the frieze but rather a drop ceiling. The Dado rail or plate rail undoubtedly comes from the English Victorian or pre-Victorian period while the picture mould is of much later date. The picture mould has a sound, practical reason for existence. When the use of a frieze appears desirable and its * Stenciling is too extensive a subject to be covered here. It is presented in considerable detail fully illustrated in the author’s book, ‘‘New Stencils and Their Use.’’ 440 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION BEST Ole ee (Ray Cal (a Wigermm ONG aie? | ww NY (fz Nal. PTE ng Na S 2 OS | ae , LO & & Kg oF 4 tes NON ce ~ PAN ng | 8 Wy i [ : /\/ ' ; Ny 4 WAIT WW INXS ‘a OO RR) any : | " is : Plate 104.—Stencil Designs Suggested for Use in Forming Wall Panels. ae DECORATIVE WALL PANELS 441 depth is not already fixed by a picture mould it is well to start from some fixed point already present in the building—the tops of the door casings are among the first to use in this manner. A frieze coming as low as that will be deeper than usual and, of course, is desir- able only with a comparatively high ceiling. With such a deep frieze a dado would be out of place; it is only SS =— FILLING PICTURE MOULD FILLING Plate 105.—Common Names Used to Designate Various Wall Areas for the Purpose of Decoration. in a room with an unusually heigh ceiling that both a frieze and dado can be used with good effect. Such a deep frieze should be lightly handled as to color and design. If the color is too strong and the design heavy it will apparently lower the heighth of the ceiling. Use an extremely light stencil pattern lightly colored and leave a large part of the frieze plain. Note Plate 105. CHAPTER XX LINING AND STRIPING To learn how to paint a straight line on walls or other surfaces is not at all difficult, but it requires quite a little practice, the correct tools and especially the correct hold on the brush. Tools Needed.—The brushes used are called fresco angle lining brushes. They come in various sizes, but for practice the 14-inch and 44-inch sizes are suitable. These are illustrated on Plate 106. The other tools needed are a light-weight straight- edge about three feet long and a plumb line and bob. Plate 79, Chapter XVIII. Materials Used.—Ordinary paint or tinting colors eround in linseed oil are suitable for this lining. Thin the colors with turpentine mostly, but add enough Iin- seed oil to cause the color to flow freely from the brush. If the lines are to dry flat and you have difficulty with colors thinned entirely with turpentine, use flatting oil with the color in place of linseed oil which will make a gloss finish, if used in considerable quantity. The Method to Follow—Hold the brush at the ex- treme end between the thumb and first two fingers. This is the only way to draw straight lines. Note this posi- tion in Plate 106. Mark guide lines on the wall as instructed in Chapter XIX, using the plumb line and straightedge. To run a straight line place your short straightedge 443 A444 INTERIOR WALL DECORATION Lipp (j I ia Mailer Y Plate 106.—(a) The Correct Way to Hold an Angle Lining Brush. (b) The Angle Liner and Straightedge in Position to Run a Line. (c) Fresco Angle Liners. (d) A Gilding Wheel. (e) A Striping and Stencil Wheel. (f) The Character of Stripes, Stencil and the Wheels Which Are Used to Make Them with a Striping Wheel. LINING AND STRIPING 445 on the guide lines and after working your brush well into the color take the correct hold on the handle and draw your line from top to bottom. Allow the metal ferrule of the brush to slide down in contact with the side of the straightedge as shown on Plate 106. Striping and Stencil Wheels.—There is on the market a tool which is used for making single straight lines . from about one-sixteenth of an inch wide to about one- quarter of an inch wide. Such a tool is pictured on Plate 106. 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