Placido Columbani published _A New Book of Ornaments_, in 1775; and _A Variety of Capitals, Friezes, Cornices and Chimney-pieces_, in 1776. These are designs for the interior decoration of rooms, chiefly of panels to be made in wood, or stucco, or painting.
John Crunden was another. He issued _Designs for Ceilings_, in 1765; _Convenient and Ornamental Architecture_, in 1768; _The Joiner and Cabinet-Maker’s Darling_, in 1770; and, with Thomas Milton and Placido Columbani, _The Chimney-Piece Maker’s Daily Assistant_, or a _Treasury of New Designs for Chimney-Pieces_.
N. Wallis published, in 1771, _A Book of Ornaments in the Palmyrene Taste_, which was followed by _The Carpenter’s Treasure_ and _The Complete Modern Joiner_, which contain designs for ceilings, panels, pateras, mouldings, chimney-pieces, door-cases, friezes, tablets for the centre ornaments, chimney-pieces, and door-cases and ornaments for pilasters, bases and sub-bases. The greater number were of allegorical subjects. Wallis was fond of the “Raffle” leaf (indented foliage, such as the acanthus). J. Carter was another designer in the Adam taste. His ceilings greatly resembled Richardson’s. The latter describes one of his own chimney-pieces as follows: “The plain ground round the pilasters and architrave may be of jasper, or antique green; and the ornaments of the frieze and pilasters might be done of _scagliola_,[21] and should be executed in wood; the ornaments will produce a fine effect if painted in the Etruscan manner—in various colours.” A _Triumph of Venus_ is a tablet of another chimney-piece, “suitable for an elegant gallery or Drawing-room. She is sitting in a shell drawn by Dolphins guided by Cupid, in the air and accompanied by a Triton blowing his shell trumpet, and holding Neptune’s trident. The plain ground round the pilasters with termes may be of variegated colours, but all the rest should be of plain white marble.” Of the ceiling for a dressing-room he says: “The oval picture represents Diana bathing attended by her Nymphs. The small circles contain figures representing hunting-pieces and sacrifices, which may be painted in _chiaro-oscuro_, or executed in stucco in the manner of antique bas-reliefs.” A chimney-piece, suitable for a Parlour or Dining-room, is thus described: “The ornaments of the frieze may be of white marble, laid on dark grounds. If the cornice, with the frieze and back pilasters, be carved in wood, the moldings of the architraves in marble, might be quite plain.”