have seen
a white-carpeted floor in a room with a painted ceiling of considerable
depth of colour. Imagine the effect where this rule of gradation or
ascending scale is reversed. A tinted floor of cream colour, or even
white, and a ceiling as deep in colour as a landscape. One feels as if
they themselves were reversed, and standing upon their heads. Certainly
if we ignore this law we lose our sense of base or foundation, and
although we may not know exactly why, we shall miss the restfulness of a
properly constructed scheme of decoration.

The rule of gradation includes also that of massing of colour. In all
simple treatment of interiors, whatever colour is chosen should be
allowed space enough to establish its influence, broadly and freely, and
here again we get a lesson from nature in the massing of colour. It
should not be broken into patches and neutralised by divisions, but used
in large enough spaces to dominate, or bring into itself or its own
influence all that is placed in the room. If this rule is disregarded
every piece of furniture unrelated to the whole becomes a spot, it has
no real connection with the room, and the room itself, instead of a
harmonious and delightful influence, akin to that of a sun-flushed dawn
or a sunset sky, is like a picture where there is no composition, or a
book where incident is jumbled together without relation to the story.
In short, placing of colour in large uniform masses used in gradation is
the groundwork of all artistic effect in interiors. As I have said, it
is the same rule that governs pictures, the general tone may be green or
blue, or a division of each, but to be a perfect and harmonious view,
every detail must relate to one or both of these tints.

In formulating thus far the rules for use of colour in rooms, we have
touched upon three principles which are equally binding in interiors,
whether of a cottage or a palace; the first is that of colour in
relation to light, the second of colour in gradation, and the third of
colour in masses.

A house in which walls and ceilings are simply well coloured or covered,
has advanced very far toward the home which is the rightful endowment of
every human being. The variations of treatment, which pertain to more
costly houses, the application of design in borders and frieze spaces,
walls, wainscots, and ceilings, are details which will probably call for
artistic advice and professional knowledge, since in these things it is
e