Conservation Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes Forew ord Summary of Conservation This series of booklets has been produced by Principles the Department of the Environment to • Research prior to planning work increase awareness of the value of our • Minimum intervention - repair rather architectural heritage and to provide than replace information on the basic principles and • Respect the setting. methods of conservation and restoration. The titles in the series are listed on the back Summary of Conservation of each booklet. Procedur e • Research and analyse history of building These texts are not intended to be • Survey building and identify original comprehensive technical or legal guides. The material main aim is to assist architects, builders, • Plan work according to conservation owners and others,in understanding the principles guiding principles of conservation and • Use experts where necessary restoration. They will facilitate the • Record all work identification of the most common problems • Install maintenance procedures. encountered in heritage buildings,and indicate the best solutions. It should be appreciated that specialised aspects of conservation and restoration will require professional expertise and more detailed information. The Department acknowledges,with appreciation,the efforts of the authors of the individual booklets,the Irish Georgian Society who coordinated their production,the Conservation Advisory Panel established under the Operational Programme for Local Urban and Rural Development and all others involved. 1 Conservation Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes Introduction subservient to the overall scheme and This booklet deals with the interior complemented the architecture of the room. decoration,normally found in rooms from 1700 - 1900,both in public and domestic Whereas relatively few rooms from this er a buildings,in Ireland. have survived intact,particularly good examples are the House of Lords in the Old At its simplest,interior decoration consists of Parliament Building,College Green, Dublin, painting. However, in most instances the and the entrance hall in the King House, following have to be considered and Boyle, Co. Roscommon and also Bellamont specified,approximately in the following Forest,Co. Cavan, and,on a smaller scale, the order: Still Room,Strokestown Park,Co. • floor finishes and floor coverings Roscommon. • light fittings • wall coverings,in particular wallpapers Three paintings which illustrate rooms of this • window curtains and bed hangings period are, 'The State Ball at Dublin Castle', • items of furniture including mirrors and 1731,attributed to William Van Der Hagen, paintings. and the more intimate domestic interior, 'Conversation Piece',circa 1750,possibly Brief Histor y showing the members of the Corbally family In order to comprehend why rooms were and attributed to Philip Hussey, in the decorated and fitted out,in a specific manner, National Gallery of Ireland,or the equally it is important to understand how they were instructive painting of 'The Bateson Family', originally intended to be used.Mark Girouard circa 1740,again attributed to Philip Hussey, in his Life in the English Country House, and in the Ulster Museum. Peter Thornton in Authentic Decor, are among the contemporary historians who have studied the evolution and decoration of historic rooms. The interior from 1700 to 1740 In the early 18th centur y, public and domestic rooms of consequence were used in a formal and rigid manner. This was reflected in their decoration where the architectural embellishments formed the most prominent element of the room,and a limited amount of furniture and fittings was formally arranged Attributed to Philip Hussey ‘Conversation Piece’,possibly around the room. All of these items were members of the Corbally family. 2 Conservation Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes The interior from 1740 to 1760 The neo-classical interior from By the middle of the 18th century, the rigid 1760 to 1800 formality of domestic rooms was gradually With the completion of Charlemont House declining,and this is partly reflected in a and the Casino at Marino circa 1760,the lighter form of architectural treatment. neo-classical form of decoration, was introduced to Ireland, by Sir William Again,it is also reflected in the manner Chambers, for his patron Lord Charlemont. in which the rooms’architectural embellishments become less imposing and The main characteristic of these rooms is the more enriched. Thus,in place of timber use of a shallower form of ornament, panelling from floor to ceiling,wainscotting is together with the introduction of carefully used on the lower walls,in order to permit designed furniture, such as pier tables and the upper part to be painted,or hung with mirrors,together with suites of chair hand blocked wallpaper and,in very imposing furniture. rooms,with a silk damask. Among the surviving examples from this era The greater use of textiles, both for carp e t s are the Green and Red Drawing Rooms,at and curt a i n s ,c o n t ri buted to an added sense Castletown House, together with the work of comfo rt . In addition, m a ny more pieces of Robert Adam at Headfort House, Co. of furniture were introduced which we r e Meath. In the case of Headfort House, both less imposing and genera l ly more the rooms and the original architect's c o m fo rt a bl e. drawings survive, the latter in the Mellon Collection at Yale University. In public buildings and in the grander Somewhat later, is the work of James Wyatt domestic interiors,the more formal approach and his circle, and the most complete was still retained. Nonetheless,it is from this surviving example of this era is the interior of era that the fine cut glass chandeliers,gilt Castlecoole, Enniskillen,Co. Fermanagh. For tables and mirrors originate. the most part,however, the furniture and fittings at Castlecoole are from the first Good examples from this era are to be quarter of the 19th century. found in the rooms in No 85 St.Stephen’s Green,and the Provost’s House,Trinity From this era too, the fine interio r s of the then College, Dublin. For rooms of a somewhat newly built terraced houses have survived in smaller scale, Newbridge House, Co. Dublin, Dublin,Cork and Limerick,usually with well together with the nearby Malahide Castle, or executed plaster work by such practitioners Belvedere House, Co.Westmeath,contain as Michael Stapleton,in a style greatly important and intact interiors. influenced by the work of Robert Adam. 3 Conservation Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes A painting (shown on the cover of this Bellevue, Co.Wicklow and Marlay Grange, booklet) that captures the very essence of Co. Dublin. They capture the interiors of a this age is ‘Mrs.Congreve and her daughters ‘, gentry household,at the moment when mass by Phillip Reinagle, circa 1780 (National production had ensured that many varieties Gallery of Ireland). of fabrics and items of furniture were available to give a greater sense of comfort. The late neo-classical or romantic There are many good examples of surviving interior from 1800 to 1830 intact interiors,from the late 18th century By 1800,the fitting out and decoration of rooms both at public and domestic scale were becoming heavier, and this was greatly influenced by the mass production of items such as plaster decoration and the manufacture of many more varieties of fabrics,and trimmings. There was also a much wider selection of items such as wallpapers,mirrors,furniture and musical instruments. The two main architectural practitioners Drawing room of Marlay Grange by Maria La Touche during this era were Francis Johnston and Sir Richard Morrison. Both architects practised terraced houses to be found in Dublin,Cork, in a number of styles,creating interiors of the Limerick and Waterford,in particular the highest quality. Townley Hall,Co. Louth,is the somewhat heavier detailing to the joiner y masterpiece of Francis Johnston in the and plaster work. classical style, while Charleville Castle, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, is his masterpiece in the The Victorian interior from gothic style. circa 1830 to 1900 By this date the industrial revolution ensured Likewise Sir Richard Morrisson, assisted by his that mass production could supply a large son William Vitruvius,was responsible for variety of paints and paint finishes,together highly elaborate interiors for the most part in with fabrics and furniture. the classical style, in such houses as Fota, Co. Cork, Baronscourt,Co.Tyrone and Comfort and the irregular arrangement of Ballyfin,Co. Laois. furniture within the rooms are the hallmarks of this era,together with more sombre Of particular interest are the drawings by colour schemes and the over use of Maria La Touche, recording the interiors of trimmings to curtains and upholstery. 4 Conservation Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes Whereas there are many examples of public rare instances, walls were hung with a fabric, and private buildings from this era,and in such as silk damask. many instances there are documents,such as architects’drawings,inventories and There was a greater use of wallpapers by the photographs,the rigid discipline and overall late 18th century, together with a more control of design had disappeared,except in restrained use of pattern. In the most the case of the larger residence or public imposing rooms, specific colour schemes buildings. were created by architects,such as Robert Adam, for Headfort House, Kells,Co. Meath. By the late 19th centur y, well established decorating firms,such as Sibthorpe’s,of By 1800, a larger variety of paints and paint Molesworth Street Dublin,had emerged and finishes,was available together with a more opulent style of decoration was wallpapers and matching borders. In introduced,using stencil work,with a more addition,colour schemes became more controlled approach to the design. complicated,and there was a greater use of gilding to architectural enrichments.