The Studio yearbook of decorative art (1916)

COTTAGE INTERIORS AND DECORATION
by. But if seats cannot be fitted
within our narrow modern walls,
similar features can be secured by
the exercise of a little ingenuity on
the part of the designer. A window
and seat, set back in a recess, are
exemplified on page 8. Another
convenient form of window-seat,
in this case attached to the space
below the window, is included in
the living-room interior (p. 9). A
certain poetic sentiment is asso-
ciated with the subject of the fire-
place. Fireplaces have always been
regarded as centres round which
the home-life circled. Our fore-
fathers took pains to render them important and worthy. Consequently
they afford some of the most picturesque features of internal decoration
that have been bequeathed to us from former times, and the open fire-
places are outstanding. Originally they were of enormous size, and deep
in their recesses on a winter’s night the country people sat when their
daily toil was over. The fire burned on an open hearth, and the smoke
was carried through a great chimney that ran straight upwards to the
open air. Unfortunately the method of construction that was employed
was particularly favourable for down draughts, and history does not re-
cord how often the occupants of the ingle were smoked out of their
retreat. Therefore, although the utmost advantage may be taken of the
picturesque suggestion that the old open fireplace offers, it is important
that the chimney shall not
smoke. Large fireplace open-
ings are always attended
with certain elements of risk
in this respect. It is conse-
quently wisest to keep the
openings reasonably small in
size when they are built in
inexpensive cottages. The
drawing on page 13 illus-
trates an open fireplace de-
signed somewhat in the spirit
of the old examples, and so
constructed that the smoke
danger has been overcome
without detracting from the
H




SIMPLE BRICK AND TILE FIREPLACE