Most dining-rooms need color, which may be introduced in a frieze, as here, or by the use of tapestry. Side fixtures, such as these in duplication of old Colonial lamps, may be purchased for six or seven dollars. The center light is of etched glass
It is suggested that the room be wainscoted in oak to a height of seven feet, with rectangular panels formed by very flat rails and stiles, without any panel moldings. A wide plate-rail forms the cap of the wainscot, affording a place to put bits of china and old pieces of pewter or copper. Above the wainscot the plaster is sand-finished, as is also the ceiling, and at the intersection of the ceiling and side walls a cornice is carried around the room. On the north side is a large fireplace, which is a necessity on a rainy day to make breakfast cheerful and the room comfortable. It is built of light gray Caen stone, which has almost the appearance of limestone. It is imported in blocks and is soft enough to be worked into a variety of shapes. The hearth has a curb border, raised an inch or two above the level of the stone hearth in order to retain the ashes better. A heavy carved casing is carried around the stonework of the fireplace, surmounted by a carved shelf supported on heavy brackets.
All the furniture necessary beside the chairs and dining-table is a sideboard and a serving-table. The china closet may be dispensed with if a place for decorative china is made on a plate rail. This china closet matches well and seems part of the room
French doors are an essential feature in the dining-room because they permit it to be shut off from the hall and kept warm, and they prevent interruptions during the dinner hour. As they are of glass, they afford a view into the hall—a very attractive feature, which does away with that feeling of oppressiveness experienced sometimes from being shut up in a room with solid doors of wood. The floor is of oak, filled and given two coats of a finish which has a dull luster and enough elasticity to make it durable. The floor should be of a shade that is not too light or so dark that it readily shows the dust.
Instead of using the separate pieces of dining-room furniture, two sideboards were built in flanking the fireplace and as an extension of its woodwork. A tapestry paper is used above this wainscot