Only after World War II did we became phobic about the use of pattern in our wall, ceiling, and floor treatments. Wallpaper and paint are both suitable for the Classically inspired interior. If walls are to be painted colors, pale organic hues such as stone, fawn, light yellow, and pale salmon lend an airy feel. Of course in rooms with a more masculine feel, the deeper tones, such as terra cotta or empire blues, will convey the desired aura. Wallpapers for Classical interiors are widely available through design centers as well as several independent manufacturers with unique offerings, such as J. R. Burrows & Co.'s (Rockland, Mass.) "Phillimore Wreath" and "Kensington"; Bradbury & Bradbury (Benicia, Calif.) creates a "Neo-Classical Roomset." Companies like these provide personal service and will gladly custom-color their papers to fit the clients' requirements. Interestingly, the ceiling papers that were so popular just a moment earlier in time plummeted from fashion. A few were still hung, but simple painted ceilings with some applied moldings were the new standard, which seems to have continued to this day.

Floorcovering choices and preferences have evolved throughout the centuries as well. Hardwood floors were not popular until the later part of the 19th century, and wall-to-wall carpets in the public rooms of dwellings were the standard until this point in time. (Somehow this revelation never seems to send the curators of house museums scurrying towards their best parlors to toss out the ratty oriental rugs that have been moldering there since the 1920s. Far too many folks entrusted with the care of our heritage are under the mistaken impression that the filthy Bokhara was there from Dolley Madison's time.) With the advent of the Colonial Revival, the hardwood-floor/oriental-rug craze held forth, catalyzed by Charles Locke Eastlake's earlier diatribes against wall-to-wall carpeting. The preference for area rugs remains to this day, but while not actually saying that oriental rugs have absolutely no place in a Classical interior (well, certainly not in an 1830s application), at least ask your client to look at rugs or carpets with Classical motifs instead of oriental ones. There are many wonderful and appropriate floorcovering choices available today, both in area rugs and wall to wall. Langhorne Carpet of Penndel, Pa., and J. R. Burrows & Co. offer a large selection of premium-quality Wilton and Brussels carpets. Family Heir-Loom Weavers of Red Lion, Pa., offers many ingrain carpets that are also perfect for historically inspired settings.

Applied ornamentation, when coupled with taste, is often what lends the Classically inspired interior its grandeur. The operative word here is restraint. If brackets placed every three feet look wonderful, this does not mean that placing them every eighteen inches will look doubly wonderful. Crown moldings tend to be a very common offense. If the room you are designing has 8-ft. ceilings, do not specify 12-in. crown moldings with an additional 4-in. dentil frieze. It's going to look goofy, no matter what your client thinks; it will look top-heavy and out of proportion to the vertical scale of the room. This publication refers to many excellent purveyors of classical products, both structural and ornamental. Peter LaBau cites Schwerd's, Chadsworth's, and Dixie-Pacific as his choice for columns, and Decorator's Supply of Chicago for applied ornament.

Choosing appropriate lighting for the Classical interior is not difficult. The Colonial Revival/Neo-Classicism adheres to the tenet of a central chandelier often augmented by sconces. Interior electrical lighting was still in its infancy at this point, and many fixtures were dual gas and electric, as the latter's reliability had yet to be proven. Today, many companies provide lighting fixtures in keeping with this style, as it may be the most consistently popular of all types. Bear in mind how critical it is to have the appropriate massing of lighting fixtures. Strive to find pieces that are substantive and which "fill" the space to be lit without being either wimpy or grotesquely large.

It's worth repeating that the key to creating a successful Neo-Classical interior is to respect the time-honored fundamentals that were divined by the ancient Greeks. The amount of ornamentation may vary from client to client, and the interpretation of historical accuracy may or may not be of grave concern to them. Stylistic trends evolve, but basic architectural proportions as they relate to the human form have not changed since their conception.

Dan Cooper is a designer of historic interiors and the business manager of J.R. Burrows & Company in Rockland, Mass. He is also an antiques dealer, specializing in the Aesthetic Movement. He contributes regularly to several magazines on the subjects of antiques, decoration, and architecture.