In which the distinction and decorum appropriate to gala rooms—such as ball-rooms, saloons, music-rooms, and galleries—are explored with an eye to their historical origins and architectural necessities, emphasising the grandeur and purposeful separation from family living spaces. The text lovingly details Italian and Northern European traditions of ornament, spatial arrangement, and furnishing, while gently critiquing modern American adaptations and offering refined suggestions for harmonious, tasteful design and decoration.