FOREWORD BY
PAUL J. CHESNEY
Founder and Chairman of Chesney’s
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DRAWINGS
BY R. WADDINGHAM
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY HUGH KELLY
PERIOD WATERCOLOURS
COURTESY
OF ANTIQUE-PRINTS.DE
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THIRD EDITION
PRINTED
MMVII
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FIRST EDITION
PRINTED
MM
SECOND EDITION
PRINTED
MMIII
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Chesney’s Limited, 194-200 Battersea Park Road, London SW11 4ND, England
chesney’s
D I R E C T O RY of
CHIMNEYPIECES
II
t h e
w o r l d ’ s
m o s t b e a u t i f u l
f i r e p l a c e s
Chesney’s brochure – September 2007
Collection of over 60 chimneypiece designs,
Register Grates, Fire Baskets and Andirons.
Featuring designs by Jasper Conran, Jane
Churchill and Sir John Soane.
Chesney’s website – www.chesneys.co.uk
Our complete collection of chimneypieces, CAD
drawings, other services offered by Chesney’s
and the full Bespoke Gallery.
Chesney’s @ Sir John Soane’s Museum
A collection of nearly 200 chimneypiece
designs from the drawing archive of Sir John
Soane’s Museum.
Designed and produced by Sheppard Day
Printed & bound in China by Everbest Printing Co. Ltd
III
FOREWORD
ur aim in developing The Chesney’s Directory was to create the definitive
contemporary manual for anyone wishing to design an architecturally correct
period chimneypiece. It is intended to continue the rich tradition of architectural
pattern books established during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and
exemplified by works such as “The Chimneypiece maker’s Daily Assistant” by John
Crunden, published in 1766.
In aspiring to this, The Directory draws together the most popular and attractive
designs from the Palladian, Neo-classical, Regency and Louis XVI periods and provides
the opportunity to enhance these with a wealth of authentic carved ornament in an
easy to use format.
The most accomplished of architects have all recognised the significance of the
chimneypiece within a room. Palladio, Adam and Soane all attached great importance
to their designs for chimneypieces.
We hope that The Directory will help perpetuate the unique contribution that these
beautifully crafted and elegant compositions can make to the architecture of any room.
PAUL
J. CHESNEY
IV
CONTENTS
page
FOREWORD
III
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
VI
I
PALLADIAN
II
NEO-CLASSICAL
19
III
REGENCY
43
IV
FRENCH
63
IV
BESPOKE
91
VI
LIST OF PLATES
110
VII
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
.
114
VI
ARCHITECTURAL FORM
THE DIRECTORY contains architectural drawings
or ‘Patterns’ for the most elegant and popular
Chimneypiece designs of the 18th and 19th centuries.
The ‘anatomy’ of each design is clearly labelled so
as to enable the specifier to consult the appropriate
section of THE DIRECTORY and select the detail for
each component and the material from which it is
to be carved, veneered, inlaid or otherwise constructed.
Once the basic pattern has been chosen, the individual
components that will form the Chimneypiece can be selected.
CARVED DETAIL
There are a number of elements common to all Chimneypiece designs that are
embellished with carved or architecturally decorative detail. For example, many
patterns specify a central carved frieze
tablet of some description. The specifier
who selects such a design will find
illustrations of numerous different carved
tablets from which to choose in the relevant
sections of THE DIRECTORY.
The Chesney’s Directory presents a unique opportunity to specify a Chimneypiece
once again in the traditional manner. By offering a wide range of architectural
designs and a wealth of carved detail that can be executed in a selection of
authentic materials, The Directory combines the elements that are required
to create a truly bespoke fire surround.
Introduction to
THE DI RECTORY
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CHESNEY’S DIRECTORY
As with all the other categories of carved component offered in THE DIRECTORY,
each tablet has been copied from a precision mould taken from an original 18th
or 19th century Chimneypiece that has at some time been part of Chesney’s antique
stock. This technique guarantees total authenticity of detail as the carver is not
being asked to interpret an illustration but rather to exactly replicate the original
from a working model. Every carving is entirely hand produced without the use
of any copying machinery, and polished and waxed to an antique finish.
VENEERED
AND INLAY DETAIL
Whilst many Chimneypieces were constructed entirely from Italian white statuary
marble, virtually all designs allowed the option of incorporating panels, slips
or intricately inlaid patterns of coloured marble in combination with white statuary.
The use of coloured marble in this way was generally as an adjunct to carved
detail to be found elsewhere in the Chimneypiece. THE DIRECTORY illustrates the
most popular applications of this device and the materials that can be used to create
this striking polychrome effect.
THE MATERIALS
Only the finest materials are used
by Chesney’s in the carving and
construction of their bespoke
Chimneypieces. In addition to the
use of the finest white marble for
all architectural mouldings and
carved elements, a selection of
historically appropriate coloured
marbles such as Spanish Brocatella,
Siena and Verde Antico are
available for incorporation in any
design, whether as inlay or in the
form of simple coloured panels.
Various domestically quarried
limestones can also be used as
an alternative to marble. These
different materials are illustrated
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CHESNEY’S DIRECTORY
in THE DIRECTORY, but as shade and striation can
vary substantially, materials will always need to be
inspected and approved.
SELECTION
OF COMPONENTS
Each design is accompanied by a list of those
components from within the range which can
be satisfactorily combined to form a Chimneypiece
of that particular design.
DRAWING
Finally, when the specification process is complete,
a working drawing is prepared for approval.
DIMENSIONS
The size of any Chimneypiece will be governed by the particular combination
of components that are selected and certain architectural rules. Exact dimensions
should always be confirmed with Chesney’s, however
it is possible to follow the simple formulae set out
below as a means of establishing approximate overall
dimensions of each design.
1. Mantel shelf length.
This is calculated by adding together the various
widths of the components that comprise each frieze
and adding a further measurement to take account of
the additional width created by the overhang of the
mantel shelf. It should be noted that where the frieze
panels are not of a fixed size, these should be taken
to be approximately the same size as the centre tablet they accompany, subject
to an increase or decrease of 15% depending on the overall size sought.
2. Overall height.
This is calculated by adding the height of the jamb panel (and where appropriate,
the corner blocks) to a further measurement that takes account of the plinth blocks,
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CHESNEY’S DIRECTORY
mouldings and mantel shelf thickness. Alternatively, where the jamb panel is not
of a fixed size, the height of the Chimneypiece should be calculated as a percentage
of the length of the mantel shelf.
INTERACTIVE PROGRAM
THE DIRECTORY is also available as an interactive program online at
http://www.chesneys.co.uk/directory.asp. The programme enables the specifier
to experiment with the various choices of carved and inlaid component that can
be used with each pattern and see these incorporated in a working visual on screen.
The programme will also calculate a typical set of overall dimensions for every
combination specified.
Our sales team are on-hand to provide you with assistance and guidance should you
have any questions. Please call UK +44 (0) 20 7627 1410 – US +1 (0) 646 840 0609.