,,the ,,art ,,of ,,interior ,,decoration ,,plate ,i ,there is something unusually exquisite about this composition4 ,you will discover at a glance perfect balance1 repose--line1 everywhere1 yet with it infinite grace and a winning charm4 ,one can imagine a tea tray brought in1 a table placed and those two attractive chairs drawn together so that my lady and a friend may chat over the tea cups4 ,the mirror is an ,italian ,louis ,,xvi4 ,the sconces1 table and chairs1 ,french4 ,the vases1 ,italian1 all antiques4 ,a becoming mellow light comes through the shade of deep cream ,italian parchment paper with ,louis ,,xvi decorations4 ,it should be said that the vases are ,italian medicine jars--literally that4 ,they were once used by the ,italian chemists1 for their drugs1 and some are of astonishing workmanship and have great intrinsic value1 as well as the added value of age and uniqueness4 ,the colour scheme is as attractive as the lines4 ,the walls are grey1 curtains of green and grey1 antique taffeta being used1 while the chairs have green silk on their seats and the table is of green and faded gold4 ,the green used is a wonderfully beautiful shade4 ,illustration3 ,portion of a ,drawing ,room1 ,perfect in ,composition and ,detail ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,interior ,,decoration ,,by ,,grace ,,wood ,,and ,,emily ,,burbank ,,illustrated ,,new ,,york ,,dodd1 ,,mead ,,and ,,company #aiag ,,dedicated ,,to ,a4,m4,m4 ,at the age of eighty1 an inspiration to all who meet her1 because she is the embodiment of what this book stands for2 namely1 fidelity to the principles of ,classic ,art and watchfulness for the vital new note struck in the cause of the ,beautiful4 ,,foreword ,if you would have your rooms interesting as well as beautiful1 make them say something1 give them a spinal column by keeping all ornamentation subservient to line4 ,before you buy anything1 try to imagine how you want each room to look when completed2 get the picture well in your mind1 as a painter would2 think out the main features1 for the details all depend upon these and will quickly suggest themselves4 ,this is1 in the long run1 the quickest and the most economical method of furnishing4 ,there is a theory that no room can be created all at once1 that it must grow gradually4 ,in a sense this is a fact1 so far as it refers to the amateur4 ,the professional is always occupied with creating and recreating rooms and can instantly summon to mind complete schemes of decoration4 ,the amateur can also learn to mentally furnish rooms4 ,it is a fascinating pastime when one gets the knack of it4 ,beautiful things can be obtained anywhere and for the minimum price1 if one has a feeling for line and colour1 or for either4 ,if the lover of the beautiful was not born with this art instinct1 it may be quickly acquired4 ,a decorator creates or rearranges one room2 the owner does the next1 alone1 or with assistance1 and in a season or two has spread his or her own wings and worked out legitimate schemes1 teeming with individuality4 ,one observes1 is pleased with results and asks oneself why4 ,this is the birth of ,good ,taste4 ,next1 one experiments1 makes mistakes1 rights them1 masters a period1 outgrows or wearies of it1 and takes up another4 ,progress is rapid and certain in this fascinating amusement1--study--call it what you will1 if a few of the laws underlying all successful interior decoration are kept in mind4 ,these are3 ,,harmony in line and colour scheme2 ,,simplicity in decoration and number of objects in room1 which is to be dictated by usefulness of said objects2 and insistence upon ,,spaces which1 like rests in music1 have as much value as the objects dispersed about the room4 ,treat your rooms like still life1 see to it that each group1 such as a table1 sofa1 and one or two chairs make a composition1 suggesting comfort as well as beauty4 ,never have an isolated chair1 unless it is placed against the wall1 as part of the decorative scheme4 ,in preparing this book the chief aim has been clearness and brevity1 the slogan of our day6 ,we give a broad outline of the historical periods in furnishing1 with a view to quick reference work4 ,the thirty-two illustrations will be analysed for the practical instruction of the reader who may want to furnish a house and is in search of definite ideas as to lines of furniture1 colour schemes for upholstery and hangings1 and the placing of furniture and ornaments in such a way as to make the composition of rooms appear harmonious from the artist's point of view4 ,the index will render possible a quick reference to illustrations and explanatory text1 so that the book may be a guide for those ambitious to try their hand at the art of interior decoration4 ,the manner of presentation is consciously didactic1 the authors believing that this is the simplest method by which such a book can offer clear1 terse suggestions4 ,they have aimed at keeping near to the bone of fact and when the brief statements of the fundamental laws of interior decoration give way to narrative1 it is with the hope of opening up vistas of personal application to embryo collectors or students of periods4 ,,contents ,,foreword ,,chapter ,i4 ,,how ,,to ,,rearrange ,a ,,room ,method of procedure4--,inherited eyesores4--,line4--,colour4--,treatment of small rooms and suites4--,old ceilings4--,old floors4--,to paint brass bedsteads4--,hangings4--,owning two or three antique pieces of furniture1 how proceed4--,appropriateness to setting4--,how to give your home a personal quality4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,how ,,to ,,create ,a ,,room ,mere comfort4--,period rooms4--,starting a collection of antique furniture4--,reproductions4--,painted furniture4--,order of procedure in creating a room4--,how to decide upon colour scheme4--,study values4--,period ballroom4--,a distinguished room4--,each room a stage set4--,background4--,flowers as decoration4--,placing ornaments4--,tapestry4--,tendency to antique tempered by vivid ,bakst colours4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,how ,,to ,,determine ,,character ,,of ,,hangings ,,and ,,furniture-,,covering ,,for ,a ,,given ,,room ,silk1 velvet1 corduroy1 rep1 leather1 use of antique silks1 chintz4--,when and how used4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,textiles ,materials woven by hand and machine1 embroidered1 or the combination of the two known as ,tapestry4--,painted tapestry4--,art fostered by the ,church4--,decorated walls and ceilings1 #acth century1 ,england4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,candlesticks1 ,,lamps1 ,,fixtures ,,for ,,gas ,,and ,,electricity1 ,,and ,,shades ,fixtures1 as well as mantelpiece1 must follow architect's scheme4--,plan wall space for furniture4--,shades for lights4--,important as to line and colour4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,window ,,shades ,,and ,,awnings ,coloured gauze sash-curtains4--,window shades of glazed linen1 with design in colours4--,striped canvas awnings4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,pictures ,,and ,,picture ,,frames ,selecting pictures4--,pictures as pure decoration4--,staring a picture4--,restraint necessary in hanging pictures4--,hanging miniatures4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,piano ,,cases ,where interest centres abound piano4--,where piano is part of ensemble4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,dining-,,room ,,buffets ,,and ,,dressing-,,tables ,articles placed upon them4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,work ,,tables1 ,,bird ,,cages1 ,,dog ,,baskets1 ,,and ,,fish ,,globes ,value as colour notes4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,fireplaces ,proportions1 tiles1 andirons1 grates4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,bathrooms ,a man's bathroom4--,a woman's bathroom4--,bathroom fixtures4--,bathroom glassware4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,period ,,rooms ,chiselling of metals4--,ormoulu4--,chippendale4--,colo nial4--,victorian4--,the art of furniture making4--,how to hang a mirror4--,appropriate furniture4--,a home must have human quality1 a personal note4--,mrs4 ,john ,l4 ,gardner's ,italian ,palace in ,boston4--,the study of colour schemes4--,tapestries4--,a narrow hall4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,periods ,,in ,,furniture ,the story of the evolution of periods4-- ,assyria4--,egypt4--,greece4--,rome4--,f rance4 --,england4--,america4--,epoch-making styles4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,continuation ,,of ,,periods ,,in ,,furniture ,greece4--,rome4--,byzantium4--,dark ,ages4--,middle ,ages4--,gothic4--,moorish4--,spanish4-- ,anglo-,saxon4--,csar's ,table4--,charlemagne's ,chair4--,venice4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,the ,,gothic ,,period ,interior decoration of ,feudal ,castle4--,tapestry4--,hallmarks of ,gothic oak carving4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,the ,,renaissance ,italy4--,the ,medici4--,great architects1 painters1 designers1 and workers in metals4--,marvellous pottery4--,furniture inlaying4--,hallmarks of ,renaissance4--,oak carving4--,metal work4--,renaissance in ,germany and ,spain4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,french ,,furniture ,renaissance of classic period4--,francis ,i1 ,henry ,,ii1 and the ,louis4--,architecture1 mural decoration1 tapestry1 furniture1 wrought metals1 ormoulu1 silks1 velvets1 porcelains4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,the ,,periods ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,louis ,how to distinguish them4--,louis ,,xiv4--,louis ,,xv4--,louis ,,xvi4--,outline4--,decoration4--,colour ing4--,mural ,decoration4--,tapestry4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,charts ,,showing ,,historical ,,evolution ,,of ,,furniture ,french and ,english4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,mahogany ,,period ,chippendale4--,heppelwhite4--,sheraton4 --,the ,adam ,brothers4--,characteristics of these and the preceding ,english periods2 ,gothic1 ,elizabethan1 ,jacobean1 ,william and ,mary1 ,queen ,anne4--,william ,morris4--,pre-,raphaelites4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,colonial ,,period ,furniture4--,landscape paper4--,the story of the evolution of wall decoration4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,revival ,,of ,,directoire ,,and ,,empire ,,furniture ,shown in modern painted furniture4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,victorian ,,period ,architecture and interior decoration become unrelated4--,machine-made furniture4--,victorian cross-stitch1 beadwork1 wax and linen flowers4--,bristol glass4--,value to-day as notes of variety4 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,painted ,,furniture ,including mission furniture4--,treatment of an unplastered cottage4--,furniture1 colour-scheme4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,treatment ,,of ,,an ,,inexpensive ,,bedroom ,factory furniture4--,chintz4--,the cheapest mirrors4--,floors4--,walls4--,pictures4- -,treatment of old floors4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,guest ,,room ,where economy is not a matter of importance4--,panelled walls4--,louis ,,xv painted furniture4--,taffeta curtains and bed-cover4--,chintz chair-covers4--,cream net sash-curtains4--,figured linen window-shades4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,a ,,modern ,,house ,,in ,,which ,,genuine ,,jacobean ,,furniture ,is ,,appropriately ,,set ,traditional colour-scheme of crimson and gold4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,unconventional ,,breakfast-,,rooms ,,and ,,sports ,,balconies ,porch-rooms4--,appropriate furnishings4--,colour schemes4 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,sun-,,rooms ,colour schemes according to climate and season4--,a small1 cheap1 summer house converted into one of some pretentions by altering vital details4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,woman',s ,,dressing-,,room ,solving problems of the toilet4--,shoe cabinets4--,jewel cabinets4--,dressing tables4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,treatment ,,of ,,closets ,variety of closets4--,colour scheme4--,chintz covered boxes4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,narrow ,,hall ,furniture4--,device for breaking length of hall4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv4 ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,very ,,shaded ,,living-,,room ,in a warm climate4--,in a cool climate4--,warm and cold colours4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv4 ,,servants' ,,rooms ,practical and suitable attractiveness4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi4 ,,table ,,decoration ,appropriateness the keynote4--,tableware4--,linen1 lace1 and flowers4--,japanese simplicity4--,background4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii4 ,,what ,,to ,,avoid ,,in ,,interior ,,decoration3 ,,rules ,,for ,,beginners ,appropriateness4--,intelligent elimination4--,furnishings4--,colour scheme4--,small suites4--,background4--,placing rugs and hangings4--,treatment of long wall-space4--,men's rooms4--,table decoration4--,tea table4--,how to train the taste1 eye1 and judgment4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii4 ,,fads ,,in ,,collecting ,a panier fleuri collection4--,a typical experience in collecting4--,a find in an obscure ,american junk-shop4--,getting on the track of some ,italian pottery4--,collections used as decoration4--,a find in ,spain4 ,,chapter ,,xxxix4 ,,wedgwood ,,pottery1 ,,old ,,and ,,modern ,the history of ,wedgwood4--,josiah ,wedgwood1 the founder4 ,,chapter ,,xl4 ,,italian ,,pottery ,statuettes4 ,,chapter ,,xli4 ,,venetian ,,glass1 ,,old ,,and ,,modern ,murano ,museum collection4--,table-gardens in ,venetian glass4 ,,in ,,conclusion ,four ,fundamental ,principles of ,interior ,decoration ,re-stated4 ,,illustrations ,,plate ,i ,portion of a ,drawing-room1 ,perfect in ,composition and ,detail4 ,,plate ,,ii ,bedroom in ,country ,house4 ,modern ,painted ,furniture4 ,,plate ,,iii ,suggestion for ,treatment of a ,very ,small ,bedroom4 ,,plate ,,iv ,a ,man's ,office in ,wall ,street4 ,,plate ,v ,a ,corner of the ,same ,office4 ,,plate ,,vi ,another ,view of the ,same ,office4 ,,plate ,,vii ,corner of a ,room1 ,showing ,painted ,furniture1 ,antique and ,modern4 ,,plate ,,viii ,example of a ,perfect ,mantel1 ,ornaments and ,mirror4 ,,plate ,,ix ,dining-room in ,country ,house1 ,showing ,modern ,painted ,furniture4 ,,plate ,x ,dining-room ,furniture1 ,italian ,renaissance1 ,antique4 ,,plate ,,xi ,corner of ,dining-room in ,new ,york ,apartment1 ,showing ,section of ,italian ,refectory ,table and ,italian ,chairs1 both ,antique and ,renaissance in ,style4 ,,plate ,,xii ,an ,italian ,louis ,,xvi ,salon in a ,new ,york ,apartment4 ,,plate ,,xiii ,another ,side of the ,same ,italian ,louis ,,xvi ,salon4 ,,plate ,,xiv ,a ,narrow ,hall ,where ,effect of ,width is ,attained by ,use of ,tapestry with ,vista4 ,,plate ,,xv ,venetian ,glass1 ,antique and ,modern4 ,,plate ,,xvi ,corner of a ,room in a ,small ,empire ,suite4 ,,plate ,,xvii ,an ,example of ,perfect ,balance and ,beauty in ,mantel ,arrangement4 ,,plate ,,xviii ,corner of a ,drawing-room1 ,furniture ,showing ,directoire ,influence4 ,,plate ,,xix ,entrance ,hall in ,new ,york ,duplex ,apartment4 ,italian ,furniture4 ,,plate ,,xx ,combination of ,studio and ,living-room in ,new ,york ,duplex ,apartment4 ,,plate ,,xxi ,part of a ,victorian ,parlour in ,one of the ,few ,remaining ,new ,york ,victorian ,mansions4 ,,plate ,,xxii ,two ,styles of ,day-beds1 ,modern ,painted4 ,,plate ,,xxiii ,boudoir in ,new ,york ,apartment4 ,painted ,furniture1 ,antique and ,reproductions4 ,,plate ,,xxiv ,example of ,lack of ,balance in ,mantel ,arrangement4 ,,plate ,,xxv ,treatment of ,ground ,lying ,between ,house and ,much ,travelled ,country ,road4 ,,plate ,,xxvi ,an ,extension ,roof in ,new ,york ,converted into a ,balcony4 ,,plate ,,xxvii ,a ,common-place ,barn ,made ,interesting4 ,,plate ,,xxviii ,narrow ,entrance ,hall of a ,new ,york ,antique ,shop4 ,,plate ,,xxix ,example of a ,charming ,hall ,spoiled by ,too ,pronounced a ,rug4 ,,plate ,,xxx ,a ,man's ,library4 ,,plate ,,xxxi ,a ,collection of ,empire ,furniture1 ,ornaments1 and ,china4 ,,plate ,,xxxii ,italian ,reproductions in ,pottery ,after ,classic ,models4 ,those who duly consider the influence of the fine-arts on the human mind1 will not think it a small benefit to the world1 to diffuse their productions as wide1 and preserve them as long as possible4 ,the multiplying of copies of fine work1 in beautiful and durable materials1 must obviously have the same effect in respect to the arts as the invention of printing has upon literature and the sciences3 by their means the principal productions of both kinds will be forever preserved1 and will effectually prevent the return of ignorant and barbarous ages4 ,,josiah ,,wedgwood3 ,catalogue of #aghg4 ,one of the most joyful obligations in life should be the planning and executing of ,,beautiful ,,homes1 keeping ever in mind that distinction is not a matter of scale1 since a vast palace may find its rival in the smallest group of rooms1 provided the latter obeys the law of good line1 correct proportions1 harmonious colour scheme and appropriateness3 a law insisting that all useful things be beautiful things4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,interior ,,decoration ,,chapter ,i ,,how ,,to ,,rearrange ,a ,,room ,lucky is the man or woman of taste who has no inherited eyesores which1 because of association1 must not be banished6 ,when these exist in large numbers one thing only remains to be done3 look them over1 see to what period the majority belong1 and proceed as if you wanted a mid-,victorian1 late ,colonial or brass-bedstead room4 ,to rearrange a room successfully1 begin by taking everything out of it 7in reality or in your mind71 then decide how you want it to look1 or how1 owing to what you own and must retain1 you are obliged to have it look4 ,design and colour of wall decorations1 hangings1 carpets1 lighting fixtures1 lamps and ornaments on mantel1 depend upon the character of your furniture4 ,it is the mantel and its arrangement of ornaments that sound the keynote upon first entering a room4 ,conventional simplicity in number and arrangement of ornaments gives balance and repose1 hence dignity4 ,dignity once established1 one can afford to be individual1 and introduce a riot of colours1 provided they are all in the same key4 ,luxurious cushions1 soft rugs and a hundred and one feminine touches will create atmosphere and knit together the austere scheme of line--the anatomy of your room4 ,colour and textiles are the flesh of interior decoration4 ,in furnishing a small room you can add greatly to its apparent size by using plain paper and making the woodwork the same colour1 or slightly darker in tone4 ,if you cannot find wall paper of exactly the colour and shade you wish1 it is often possible to use the wrong side of a paper and produce exactly the desired effect4 ,in repapering old rooms with imperfect ceilings it is easy to disguise this by using a paper with a small design in the same tone4 ,a perfectly plain ceiling paper will show every defect in the surface of the ceiling4 ,if your house or flat is small you can gain a great effect of space by keeping the same colour scheme throughout--that is1 the same colour or related colours4 ,to make a small hall and each of several small rooms on the same floor different in any pronounced way1 is to cut up your home into a restless1 unmeaning checkerboard1 where one feels conscious of the walls and all limitations4 ,the effect of restful spaciousness may be obtained by taking the same small suite and treating its walls1 floors and draperies1 as has been suggested1 in the same colour scheme or a scheme of related keys in colour4 ,that is1 wood browns1 beiges and yellows2 violets1 mauves and pinks2 different tones of greys2 different tones of yellows1 greens and blues4 ,now having established your suite and hall all in one key1 so that there is absolutely no jarring note as one passes from room to room1 you may be sure of having achieved that most desirable of all qualities in interior decoration--repose4 ,we have seen the idea here suggested carried out in small summer homes with most successful results2 the same colour used on walls and furniture1 while exactly the same chintz was employed in every bedroom1 opening out of one hall4 ,by this means it was possible to give to a small1 unimportant cottage1 a note of distinction otherwise quite impossible4 ,here1 however1 let us say that1 if the same chintz is to be used in every room1 it must be neutral in colour--a chintz in which the colour scheme is1 say1 yellows in different tones1 browns in different tones1 or greens or greys4 ,to vary the character of each room1 introduce different colours in the furniture covers1 the sofa-cushions and lamp-shades4 ,our point is to urge the repetition of a main background in a small group of rooms2 but to escape monotony by planning that the accessories in each room shall strike individual notes of decorative1 contrasting colour4 ,,plate ,,ii ,a room with modern painted furniture is shown here4 ,lines and decorations ,empire4 ,note the lyre backs of chairs and head board in day-bed4 ,treatment of this bed is that suggested where twin beds are used and room affords wall space for but one of them4 ,illustration3 ,bedroom in ,country ,house4 ,modern ,painted ,furniture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,what to do with old floors is a question many of us have faced4 ,if your house has been built with floors of wide1 common boards which have become rough and separated by age1 in some cases allowing dust to sift through from the cellar1 and you do not wish to go to the expense of all-over carpets1 you have the choice of several methods4 ,the simplest and least expensive is to paint or stain the floors4 ,in this case employ a floor painter and begin by removing all old paint4 ,paint removers come for the purpose4 ,then have the floors planed to make them even4 ,next1 fill the cracks with putty4 ,the most practical method is to stain the floors some dark colour2 mahogany1 walnut1 weathered oak1 black1 green or any colour you may prefer1 and then wax them4 ,this protects the colour4 ,in a room where daintiness is desired1 and economy is not important1 as for instance in a room with white painted furniture1 you may have white floors and a square carpet rug of some plain dark toned velvet2 or1 if preferred1 the painted border may be in come delicate colour to match the wall paper4 ,to resume1 if you like a dull finish1 have the wax rubbed in at intervals1 but if you like a glossy background for rugs1 use a heavy varnish after the floors are coloured4 ,this treatment we suggest for more or less formal rooms4 ,in bedrooms1 put down an inexpensive filling as a background for rugs1 or should yours be a summer home1 use straw matting4 ,for halls and dining-rooms a plain dark-coloured linoleum1 costing not less than two dollars a yard makes and inexpensive floor covering4 ,if it is waxed it becomes not only very durable but1 also1 extremely effective1 suggesting the dark tiles in ,italian houses4 ,we do not advise the purchase of the linoleums which represent inlaid floors1 as they are invariably unsuccessful imitations4 ,if it is necessary to economise and your brass bedstead must be used even though you dislike it1 you can have it painted the colour of your walls4 ,it requires a number of coats4 ,a soft pearl grey is good4 ,then use a colour1 or colours1 in your silk or chintz bedspread4 ,sun-proof material in a solid colour makes an attractive cover1 with a narrow fringe in several colours straight around the edges and also1 forming a circle or square on the top of the bed-cover4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if your gas or electric fixtures are ugly and you cannot afford more attractive ones1 buy very cheap1 perfectly plain1 ones and paint them to match the walls1 giving decorative value to them with coloured silk shades4 ,,plate ,,iii ,shows one end of a very small bedroom with modern painted furniture1 so simple in line and decoration that it would be equally appropriate either for a young man or for a young woman4 ,we say young1 because there is something charmingly fresh and youthful about this type of furniture4 ,the colour is pale pistache green1 with mulberry lines1 the same combination of colours being repeated in painting the walls which have a grey background lined with mulberry--the broad stripe--and a narrow green line4 ,the bed cover is mulberry1 the lamp shade is green with mulberry and grey in the fringe4 ,on the walls are delightful old prints framed in black glass with gold lines1 and a narrow moulding of gilded oak1 an old style revived4 ,a square of antique silk covers the night table1 and the floor is polished hard wood4 ,here is your hall bedroom1 the wee guest room in a flat1 or the extra guest room under the eaves of your country house1 made equally beguiling4 ,the result of this artistic simplicity is a restful sense of space4 ,illustration3 ,suggestion for ,treatment of a ,very ,small ,bedroom ,if you wish to use twin beds and have not wall space for them1 treat one like a couch or day-bed4 ,see ,plate ,,ii4 ,your cabinet-maker can remove the footboard1 then draw the bed out into the room1 place in a position convenient to the light either by day or night1 after which put a cover of cretonne or silk over it and cushions of the same4 ,never put a spotted material on a spotted material4 ,if your couch or sofa is done in a figured material of different colours1 make your sofa cushions of plain material to tone down the sofa4 ,if the sofa is a plain colour1 then tone it up--make it more decorative by using cushions of several colours4 ,if you like your room1 but find it cold in atmosphere1 try deep cream gauze for sash curtains4 ,they are wonderful atmosphere producers4 ,the advantage of two tiers of sash curtains 7see ,plate ,,ix7 is that one can part and push back one tier for air1 light or looking out1 and still use the other tier to modify the light in the room4 ,another way to produce atmosphere in a cold room is to use a tone-on-tone paper4 ,that is1 a paper striped in two depths of the same colour4 ,in choosing any wall paper it is imperative that you try a large sample of it in the room for which it is intended1 as the reflection from a nearby building or brick wall can entirely change a beautiful yellow into a thick mustard colour4 ,how a wall paper looks in the shop is no criterion4 ,as stated sometimes the wrong side of wall paper gives you the tone you desire4 ,when rearranging your room do not desecrate the few good antiques you happen to own by the use of a too modern colour scheme4 ,have the necessary modern pieces you have bought to supplement your treasures stained or painted in a dull1 dark colour in harmony with the antiques1 and then use subdued colours in the floor coverings1 curtains and cushions4 ,if you own no good old ornaments1 try to get a few good shapes and colours in inexpensive reproductions of the desired period4 ,if your room is small1 and the bathroom opens out of it1 add to the size of the room by using the same colour scheme in the bathroom1 and conceal the plumbing and fixtures by a low screen4 ,if the connecting door is kept open1 the effect is to enlarge greatly the appearance of the small bedroom1 whereas if the bedroom decorations are dark and the bathroom has a light floor and walls1 it abruptly cuts itself off and emphasises the smallness of the bedroom4 ,everything depends upon the appropriateness of the furniture to its setting4 ,we recall some much admired dining-room chairs in the home of the ,maclaines of ,lochbuie in ,argyleshire1 west coast of ,scotland4 ,the chairs in question are covered with sealskin from the seals caught off that rugged coast4 ,they are quite delightful in a remote country house2 but they would not be tolerated in ,london4 ,the question of placing photographs is not one to be treated lightly4 ,remember1 intimate photographs should be placed in intimate rooms1 while photographs of artists and all celebrities are appropriate for the living room or library4 ,it is extremely seldom that a photograph unless of public interest is not out of place in a formal room4 ,to repeat1 never forget that your house or flat is your home1 and1 that to have any charm whatever of a personal sort1 it must suggest you--not simply the taste of a professional decorator4 ,so work with your decorator 7if you prefer to employ one7 by giving your personal attention to styles and colours1 and selecting those most sympathetic to your own nature4 ,your architect will be grateful if you will show the same interest in the details of building your home1 rather than assuming the attitude that you have engaged him in order to rid yourself of such bother4 ,if you are building a pretentious house and decide upon some clearly defined period of architecture1 let us say1 ,georgian 7,english eighteenth century7 we would advise keeping your first floor mainly in that period as to furniture and hangings1 but upstairs let yourself go1 that is1 make your rooms any style you like4 ,go in for a gay riot of colour1 such combinations as are known as ,bakst colouring1--if that happens to be your fancy4 ,this ,russian painter and designer was fortunate in having the theatre in which to demonstrate his experiments in vivid colour combinations1 and sometimes we quite forget that he was but one of many who have used sunset palettes4 ,,plate ,,iv ,here we have a man's office in ,wall ,street1 ,new ,york1 showing how a lawyer with large interests surrounds himself with necessities which contribute to his comfort1 sense of beauty and art instincts4 ,the desk is big1 solid and commodious1 yet artistically unusual4 ,illustration3 ,a ,man's ,office in ,wall ,street ,recently the fair butterfly daughters of a mother whose taste has grown sophisticated1 complained--,but1 ,mother1 we dislike periods1 and here you are building a ,tudor house6 forgetting1 by the way1 that the so-called ,bakst interiors1 adored by them1 are equally a period4 ,this home1 a very wonderful one1 is being worked out on the plan suggested1 that is1 the first floor is decorated in the period of the exterior of the house1 while the personal rooms on the upper floors reflect1 to a certain extent1 the personality of their occupants4 ,remember there must always be a certain relationship between all the rooms in one suite1 the relationship indicated by lines and a background of the same1 or a harmonising colour-scheme4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,how ,,to ,,create ,a ,,room ,one so often hears the complaint1 ,i could not possibly set out alone to furnish a room6 ,i don't know anything about periods4 ,why1 a ,louis ,,xvi chair and an ,empire chair are quite the same to me4 ,then the question of antiques and reproductions--why any one could mislead me6 ,if you have absolutely no interest in the arranging or rearranging of your rooms1 house or houses1 of course1 leave it to a decorator and give your attention to whatever does interest you4 ,on the other hand1 as with bridge1 if you really want to play the game1 you can learn it4 ,the first rule is to determine the actual use to which you intend putting the room4 ,is it to be a bedroom merely1 or a combination of bedroom and boudoir8 ,is it to be a formal reception-room1 or a living-room8 ,is it to be a family library1 or a man's study8 ,if it is a small flat1 do you aim at absolute comfort1 artistically achieved1 or do you aim at formality at the expense of comfort8 ,if you lean toward both comfort and formality1 and own a country house and a city abode1 there will be no difficulty in solving the problem4 ,formality may be left to the town house or flat1 while during week-ends1 holidays and summers you can revel in supreme comfort4 ,every man or woman is capable of creating comfort4 ,it is a question of those deep chairs with wide seats and backs1 soft springs1 thick1 downy cushions1 of tables and bookcases conveniently placed1 lights where you want them1 beds to the individual taste1--double1 single1 or twins6 ,the getting together of a period room1 one period or periods in combination1 is difficult1 especially if you are entirely ignorant of the subject4 ,however1 here is your cue4 ,let us suppose you need1 or want1 a desk--an antique desk4 ,go about from one dealer to the other until you find the very piece you have dreamed of2 one that gives pleasure to you1 as well as to the dealer4 ,then take an experienced friend to look at it4 ,if you have every reason to suppose that the desk is genuine1 buy it4 ,next1 read up on the furniture of the particular period to which your desk belongs1 in as serious a manner as you do when you buy a prize dog at the show4 ,now you have made an intelligent beginning as a collector4 ,reading informs you1 but you must buy old furniture to be educated on that subject4 ,be eternally on the lookout2 the really good pieces1 veritable antiques1 are rare2 most of them are in museums1 in private collections or in the hands of the most expensive dealers4 ,i refer to those unique pieces1 many of them signed by the maker and in perfect condition because during all their existence they have been jealously preserved1 often by the very family and in the very house for which they were made4 ,our chances for picking up antiques are reduced to pieces which on account of reversed circumstances have been turned out of house and home1 and1 as with human wanderers1 much jolting about has told upon them4 ,most of these are fortified in various directions1 but they are treasures all the same1 and have a beauty value in line colour and workmanship and a wonderful fitness for the purposes for which they were intended4 ,surely we are many men of many minds6 ,,plate ,v ,the sofa large1 strong and luxuriously comfortable2 the curtains simple1 durable and masculine in gender4 ,the tapestry and architectural picture1 decorative and appropriately impersonal1 as the wall decorations should be in a room used merely for transacting business4 ,illustration3 ,a ,corner of the ,same ,office ,some prefer antiques a bit dilapidated2 a missing detail serving as a hallmark to calm doubts2 others insist upon completeness to the eye and solidity for use2 while the connoisseur1 with unlimited means1 recognises nothing less than signed sofas and chairs1 and other objets d'art4 ,to repeat3--be always on the lookout1 remembering that it is the man who knows the points of a good dog1 horse or car who can pick a winner4 ,wonderful reproductions are made in ,new ,york ,city and other cities1 and thousands bought every day4 ,they are beautiful and desirable pieces of furniture1 ornaments or silks2 but the lover of the vrai antique learns to detect1 almost at a glance1 the lack of that quality which a fine old piece has4 ,it is not alone that the materials must be old4 ,there is a certain quality gained from the long association of its parts4 ,one knows when a piece has found itself1 as ,kipling would put it4 ,time gives an inimitable finish to any surface4 ,if you are young in years1 immature in taste1 and limited as to bank account1 you will doubtless go in for a frankly modern room1 with cheerful painted furniture1 gay or soft-toned chintzes1 and inexpensive smart floor coverings4 ,to begin this way and gradually to collect what you want1 piece by piece1 is to get the most amusement possible out of furnishing4 ,when you have the essential pieces for any one room1 you can undertake an ensemble4 ,some of the rarest collections have been got together in this way1 and1 if one's fortune expands instead of contracting1 old pieces may be always replaced by those still more desirable1 more rare1 more in keeping with your original scheme4 ,to buy expensive furnishings in haste and without knowledge1 and within a year or two discover everything to be in bad taste1 is a tragedy to a person with an instinctive aversion to waste4 ,antique or modern1 every beautiful thing bought is a cherished heirloom in embryo4 ,remember1 we may inherit a good antique or objet d'art1 buy one1 or bequeath one4 ,let us never be guilty of the reverse1--a bar-sinister piece of furniture6 ,sympathy with unborn posterity should make us careful4 ,it is always excusable to retain an ugly1 inartistic thing--if it is useful2 but an ornament must be beautiful in line or in colour1 or it belies its name4 ,practise that genuine1 obvious loyalty which hides away on a safe1 but invisible shelf1 the bad taste of our ancestors and friends4 ,having settled upon a type of furniture1 turn your attention to the walls4 ,always let the location of your room decide the colour of its walls4 ,the room with a sunny exposure may have any colour you like1 warm or cold1 but your north room or any room more or less sunless1 requires the warm1 sun-producing yellows1 pinks1 apple-greens1 beige and wood-colours1 never the cold colours1 such as greys1 mauves1 violets and blues1 unless in combination with the warm tones4 ,if it is your intention to hang pictures on the walls1 use plain papers4 ,remember you must never put a spot on a spot6 ,the colour of your walls once established1 keep in mind two things3 that to be agreeable to the artistic eye your ceilings must be lighter than your sidewalls1 and your floors darker4 ,broadly speaking1 it is ,nature's own arrangement1 green trees and hillsides1 the sky above1 and the dark earth beneath our feet4 ,a ceiling1 if lighter in tone than the walls1 gives a sense of airiness to a room4 ,floors1 whether of exposed wood1 completely carpeted1 or covered by rugs1 must be enough darker than your sidewalls to hold down your room1 as the decorators say4 ,if colour is to play a conspicuous part1 brightly figured silks and cretonnes being used for hangings and upholstery1 the floor covering should be indefinite both as to colour and design4 ,on the other hand1 when rugs or carpets are of a definite design in pronounced colours1 particularly if you are arranging a living-room1 make your walls1 draperies and chair-covers plain1 and observe great restraint in the use of colour4 ,those who work with them know that there is no such thing as an ugly colour1 for all colours are beautiful4 ,whether a colour makes a beautiful or an ugly effect depends entirely upon its juxtaposition to other tones4 ,how well ,french milliners and dressmakers understand this6 ,to make the point quite clear1 let us take magenta4 ,used alone1 nothing has more style1 more beautiful distinction1 but in wrong combination magenta can be amazingly1 depressingly ugly4 ,magenta with blue is ravishing1 beautiful in the subtle way old tapestries are3 it touches the imagination whenever that combination is found4 ,,plate ,,vi ,the table is modern1 but made on the lines of a refectory table1 well suited in length1 width and solidity for board meetings1 etc4 ,the chairs are ,italian in style4 ,illustration3 ,another ,view of the ,same ,office ,we grow up to1 into1 and out of colour schemes4 ,each of the ,seven ,ages of ,man has its appropriate setting in colour as in line4 ,one learns the dexterous manipulation of colour from furnishing1 as an artist learns from painting4 ,refuse to accept a colour scheme1 unless it appeals to your individual taste--no matter who suggests it4 ,to one not very sensitive to colour here is a valuable suggestion4 ,find a bit of beautiful old silk brocade1 or a cretonne you especially like1 and use its colour combinations for your room--a usual device of decorators4 ,let us suppose your silk or cretonne to have a deep-cream background1 and scattered on it green foliage1 faded salmon-pink roses and little1 fine blue flowers4 ,use its prevailing colour1 the deep cream1 for walls and possibly woodwork2 make the draperies of taffeta or rep in soft apple-greens2 use the same colour for upholstery1 make shades for lamp and electric lights of salmon-pink1 then bring in a touch of blue in a sofa cushion1 a footstool or small chair1 or in a beautiful vase which charms by its shape as well by reproducing the exact tone of blue you desire4 ,there are some who insist no room is complete without its note of blue4 ,many a room has been built up around some highly prized treasure1--lovely vase or an old ,japanese print4 ,a thing always to be avoided is monotony in colour4 ,who can not recall barren rooms1 without a spark of attraction despite priceless treasures1 dispersed in a meaningless way8 ,that sort of setting puts a blight on any gathering4 ,well1 you will ask1 given the task of converting such a sterile stretch of monotony into a blooming joy1 how should one begin8 ,it is quite simple4 ,picture to yourself how the room would look if you scattered flowers about it1 roses1 tulips1 mignonette1 flowers of yellow and blue1 in the pell-mell confusion of a blooming garden4 ,now imitate the flower colours by objets d'art so judiciously placed that in a trice you will admire what you once found cold4 ,as if by magic1 a white1 cream1 beige or grey room may be transformed into a smiling bower1 teeming with personality1 a room where wit and wisdom are spontaneously let loose4 ,if your taste be for chintzes and figured silks1 take it as a safe rule1 that given a material with a light background1 it should be the same in tone as your walls2 the idea being that by this method you get the full decorative value of the pattern on chintz or silk4 ,figured materials can increase or diminish the size of a room1 open up vistas1 push back your walls1 or block the vision4 ,for this reason it is unsafe to buy material before trying the effect of it in its destined abode4 ,remember that the matter of background is of the greatest importance when arranging your furniture and ornaments4 ,see that your piano is so placed that the pianist has an unbroken background1 of wall1 tapestry1 a large piece of rare old sills1 or a mirror4 ,clyde ,fitch1 past-master at interior decoration1 placed his piano in front of broad windows1 across which at night were drawn crimson damask curtains4 ,some of us will never forget ,geraldine ,farrar1 as she sat against that background wearing a dull1 clinging blue-green gown1 going over the score1--from memory1--of ,salom4 ,the aim is to make the performer at the piano the object of interest1 therefore place no diverting objects1 such as pictures or ornaments1 on a line with the listener's eye1 except as a vague background4 ,there can be no more becoming setting for a group of people dining by candle or electric light1 than walls panelled with dark wood to the ceiling1 or a high wainscoting4 ,a beautiful sitting-room1 not to be forgotten1 had light violet walls1 dull-gold frames on the furniture which was covered in deep-cream brocades1 bits of old purple velvets and violet silks on the tables1 under large bowls of ,benares bronze filled with violets4 ,the grand piano was protected by a piece of old brocade in faded yellows1 and our hostess1 a well-known singer1 usually wore a simple ,florentine tea-gown of soft violet velvet1 which together with the lighter violet walls1 set off her fair skin and black hair to beautiful advantage4 ,put a figured1 many-coloured sofa cushion behind the head of a pretty woman1 and if the dominating colour is becoming to her1 she is still pretty1 but change it to a solid black1 purple or dull-gold and see how instantly the degree of her beauty is enhanced by being thrown into relief4 ,,plate ,,vii ,gives attractive corner by a window1 the heavy silk brocade curtains of which are drawn4 ,a standard electric lamp lights the desk1 both modern-painted pieces1 and the beautiful old flower picture1 black background with a profusion of colours in lovely soft tones1 is framed by a dull-gold moulding and gives immense distinction4 ,the chair is ,venetian ,louis ,,xv1 the same period as desk in style4 ,not to be ignored in this picture is a tin scrap basket beautifully proportioned and painted a vivid emerald green2 a valuable addition a note of cheerful colour4 ,the desk and wooden standard of lamp are painted a deep blue-plum colour1 touched with gold1 and the silk curtains are soft mulberry1 in two tones4 ,illustration3 ,corner of ,room1 ,showing ,painted ,furniture1 ,antique and ,modern ,study values--just why and how much any decorative article decorates1 and remember in furnishing a room1 decorating a wall or dining-room table1 it is not the intrinsic value or individual beauty of any one article which counts4 ,each picture on the wall1 each piece of furniture1 each bit of silver1 glass1 china1 linen or lace1 each yard of chintz or silk1 every carpet or rug must be beautiful and effective in relation to the others used1 for the art of interior decoration lies in this subtle1 or obvious1 relationship of furnishings4 ,we acknowledge as legitimate all schemes of interior decoration and insist that what makes any scheme good or bad1 successful1 or unsuccessful presuming a knowledge of the fundamentals of the art1 is the fact that it is planned in reference to the type of man or woman who is to live in it4 ,a new note has been struck of late in the arranging of bizarre1 delightful rooms which on entering we pronounce very amusing4 ,original they certainly are1 in colour combinations1 tropical in the impression they make1--or should we say ,oriental8 ,they have come to us via ,russia1 ,bakst1 ,munich and ,martine of ,paris4 ,like ,rheinhardt's staging of ,sumurun1 because these blazing interiors strike us at an unaccustomed angle1 some are merely astonished1 others charmed as well4 ,there are temperaments ideally set in these interiors1 and there are houses where they are in place4 ,we cannot regard them as epoch-making1 but granted that there is no attempt to conform to two of the rules for furnishing1--appropriateness and practicality1 the results are refreshingly new and entertaining4 ,this is one of the instances where exaggeration has served as a healthy antidote to the tendency toward extreme dinginess rampant about ten years ago1 resulting from an obsession to antique everything4 ,the reaction from this1 a flaming rainbow of colours1 struck a blow to the artistic sense1 drew attention back to the value of colour and started the creative impulse along the line of a happy medium4 ,whether it be a furnished porch1 personal suite 7as bedroom1 boudoir and bath71 a family living-room1 dining-room1 formal reception-room1 or period ballroom1 never allow members of your household or servants to destroy the effect you have achieved with careful thought and outlay of money1 by ruthlessly moving chairs and tables from one room to another4 ,keep your wicker furniture on the porch1 for which it was intended4 ,if it strays into the adjacent living-room1 done in quite another scheme1 it will absolutely thwart your efforts at harmony1 while your porch-room done in wicker and gay chintzes1 striped awnings and geranium rail-boxes1 cries out against the intrusion of a chair dragged out from the house4 ,remember that should you intend using your period ballroom from time to time as an audience room for concerts and lectures1 you must provide a complete equipment of small1 very light 7so as to be quickly moved7 chairs1 in your period1 as a necessary part of your decoration4 ,the current idea that a distinguished room remains distinguished because costly tapestries and old masters hang on its walls1 even when the floor is strewn with vulgar1 hired chairs1 is an absurd mistake4 ,each room from kitchen to ballroom is a stage set1--a harmonious background for certain scenes in life's drama4 ,it is the man or woman who grasps this principle of a distinguished home who can create an interior which endures1 one which will hold its own despite the ebb and flow of fashion4 ,imposing dimensions and great outlay of money do not necessarily imply distinction1 a quality depending upon unerring good taste in the minutest details1 one which may be achieved equally in a stately mansion1 in a city flat1 or in a cottage by the sea4 ,the question of background is absorbingly interesting4 ,a vase1 with or without flowers1 to add to the composition of your room1 that is1 to make a good picture1 must be placed so that its background sets it off4 ,let the ,venetian glass vase holding one rose stand in such a position that your green curtain is its background1 and not a photograph or other picture4 ,one flower1 carefully placed in a room1 will have more real decorative value than dozens of costly roses strewn about in the wrong vases1 against mottled1 line-destroying backgrounds4 ,flowers are always more beautiful in a plain vase1 whether of glass1 pottery1 porcelain or silver4 ,if a vase chances to have a decoration in colour1 then make a point of having the flowers it holds accord in colour1 if not in shade1 with the colour or colours in the vase4 ,there is a general rule that no ornament should ever be placed in front of a picture4 ,the exception to this rule occurs when the picture is one of the large1 architectural variety1 whose purpose is primarily mural decoration1--an intentional background1 as tapestries often are1 serving its purpose as nature does when a vase or statue is placed in a park or garden4 ,one sees in portraits by some of the old masters this idea of landscape used as background4 ,bear in mind1 however1 that if there is a central design--a definite composition in the picture1 or tapestry1 no ornament should ever be so placed as to interfere with it4 ,if you happen to own a tapestry which is not large enough for your space by one1 two or three feet1 frame it with a plain border of velvet or velveteen1 to match the dominating colour1 and a shade darker than it appears in the tapestry4 ,this expedient heightens the decorative effect of the tapestry4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,how ,,to ,,determine ,,character ,,of ,,hangings ,,and ,,furniture-,,covering ,,for ,a ,,given ,,room ,in a measure1 the materials for hangings and furniture-coverings are determined more or less by the amount one wishes to spend in this direction4 ,for choice1 one would say silk or velvet for formal rooms2 velvets1 corduroys or chintz for living-rooms2 leather and corduroy with rep hangings for a man's study or smoking-room2 thin silks and chintz for bedrooms2 chintz for nurseries1 breakfast-rooms and porches4 ,in ,england1 slip-covers of chintz 7glazed cretonne7 appear1 also1 in formal rooms2 but are removed when the owner is entertaining4 ,if the permanent upholstery is of chintz1 then at once your room becomes informal4 ,if you are planning the living-room for a small house or apartment1 which must serve as reception-room during the winter months1 far more dignity1 and some elegance can be obtained for the same expenditure1 by using plain velveteen1 modern silk brocades in one colour1 or some of the modern reps to be had in very smart shades of all colours4 ,if your furniture is choice1 rarely beautiful in quality1 line and colour1 hangings and covers must accord4 ,genuine antiques demand antique silks for hangings and table covers2 but no decorator1 if at all practical1 will cover a chair or sofa in the frail old silks1 for they go to pieces almost in the mounting4 ,waive sentiment in this case1 for the modern reproductions are satisfactory to the eye and improve in tone with age4 ,if you own only a small piece of antique silk1 make a square of it for the centre of the table1 or cleverly combine several small bits1 if these are all you have1 into an interesting cover or cushion4 ,nothing in the world gives such a note of distinction to a room as the use of rare1 old silks1 properly placed4 ,the fashion for cretonne and chintz has led to their indiscriminate use by professionals as well as amateurs1 and this craze has caused a prejudice against them4 ,chintz used with judgment can be most attractive4 ,in ,america the term chintz includes cretonne and stamped linen4 ,if you are planning for them1 put together1 for consideration1 all your bright coloured chintz1 and in quite another part of your room1 or decorator's shop1 the chintz of dull1 faded colours1 as they require different treatment4 ,a general rule for this material--bright or dull--is that if you would have your chintz decorate1 be careful not to use it too lavishly4 ,if it is intended for curtains1 then cover only one chair with it and cover the rest in a solid colour4 ,if you want chintz for all of your chairs and sofa1 make your curtains1 sofa cushions and lamp shades of a solid colour1 and be sure that you take one of the leading colours in the chintz4 ,next indicate your intention at harmony1 by bringing together the plain curtains or chairs1 and your chintz1 with a narrow fringe or border of still another colour1 which figures in the chintz4 ,let us suppose chintz to be black with a design in greens1 mulberry and buff4 ,make your curtains plain mulberry1 edged with narrow pale green fringe with black and buff in it1 or should your chintz be grey with a design in faded blues and violets and a touch of black1 make curtains of the chintz1 and cover one large chair1 keeping the sofa and the remaining chairs grey1 with the bordering fringe1 or gimp1 in one or two of the other shades1 sofa cushions and the lamp shades in blues and violets 7lining lamp shades with thin pink silk71 and use a little black in the bordering fringe4 ,,plate ,,viii ,shows an ideal mantel arrangement1 faultless as a composition and beautiful and rare in detail4 ,the exquisite white marble mantel is ,italian1 not ,french1 of the time of ,louis ,,xvi4 ,though the designs of this period are almost identical1 one quickly learns to detect the difference in feeling between the work of the two countries4 ,the ,italians are freer1 broader in their treatment1 show more movement and in a way more grace1 where the ,french work is more detailed and precise1 hence at times1 by contrast1 seems stilted and rigid4 ,enchantingly graceful are the two candelabra1 also ,louis ,,xvi1 while the central ornament is ideally chosen for size and design4 ,the dull gold frame of the mirror is very beautiful1 and the painting above the glass interesting and unusual as to subject and execution4 ,the chair is a good example of ,italian ,louis ,,xv4 ,illustration3 ,example of a ,perfect ,mantel1 ,ornaments and ,mirror ,if you decide upon a very brilliant chintz use it only in one chair1 a screen1 or in a valance over plain curtains with straps to hold them back1 or perhaps a sofa cushion4 ,whether a chintz is bright or dull1 its pattern is important4 ,as with silks1 brocaded in different colours1 therefore never use chintz where a chair or sofa calls for tufting4 ,a tufted piece of furniture always looks best done in plain materials4 ,in using a chintz in which both colour and design are indefinite1 the kind which gives more or less an impression of faded tapestry1 you will find that the very indefiniteness of the pattern makes it possible to use the chintz with more freedom1 being always sure of a harmonious background4 ,the one thing to guard against is that on entering a room you must not be conscious either of several colours1 or of any set design4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,textiles ,the story of the evolution of textiles 7any woven material7 is fascinating1 and like the history of every art1 runs parallel with the history of culture and progress in the art of living1--physical1 mental and spiritual4 ,to those who feel they would enjoy an exhaustive history of textiles we recommend a descriptive catalogue relating to the collection of textiles in the ,south ,kensington ,museum1 prepared by the ,very ,rev4 ,daniel ,rock1 ,d4,d4 7#ahgj74 ,in the introduction to that catalogue one gets the story of woven linens1 cottons1 silks1 paper1 gold and silver threads1 interspersed with precious jewels and glass beads--all materials woven by hand or machine4 ,the story of textiles includes3 #ast1 woven materials2 #bnd1 embroidered materials2 #crd1 a combination of the two1 known as tapestry4 ,if one reads their wonderful story1 starting in ,assyria1 then progressing to ,egypt1 the ,orient1 ,greece1 ,rome and ,western ,europe1 in any history of textiles1 one may obtain quickly and easily a clear idea of this department of interior decoration from the very earliest times4 ,the first ,european silk is said to have been in the form of transparent gauze1 dyed lovely tones for women of the ,greek islands1 a form of costume later condemned by ,greek philosophers4 ,we know that embroidery was an art three thousand years ago1 in fact the figured garments seen on the ,assyrian and ,egyptian bas-reliefs are supposed to represent materials with embroidered figures--not woven patterns--whereas in the ,bible1 when we read of embroidery1 according to the translators1 this sometimes means woven stripes4 ,,plate ,,ix ,an ideal dining-room of its kind1 modern painted furniture1 ,empire in design4 ,in this case yellow with decoration in white4 ,curtains1 thin yellow silk4 ,note the ,empire electric light fixtures in hand-carved gilded wood1 reproductions of an antique silver applique4 ,even the steam radiators are here cleverly concealed by wooden cases made after ,empire designs4 ,the walls are white and panelled in wood also white4 ,illustration3 ,dining-room in ,country ,house1 ,showing ,modern ,painted ,furniture4 ,style ,directoire4 ,the earliest garments of ,egypt were of cotton and hemp1 or mallow1 resembling flax4 ,the older ,egyptians never knew silks in any form1 nor did the ,israelites1 nor any of the ancients4 ,the earliest account of this material is given by ,aristotle 7fourth century74 ,it was brought into ,western ,europe from ,china1 via ,india1 the ,red ,sea and ,persia1 and the first to weave it outside the ,orient was a maiden on the ,isle of ,cos1 off the coast of ,asia ,minor1 producing a thin gauze-like tissue worn by herself and companions1 the material resembling the ,seven ,veils of ,salome4 ,to-day those tiny bits of gauze one sees laid in between the leaves of old manuscript to protect the illuminations1 as our publishers use sheets of tissue paper1 are said to be examples of this earliest form of woven silk4 ,the ,romans used silk at first only for their women1 as it was considered not a masculine material1 but gradually they adopted it for the festival robes of men1 ,titus and ,vespasian being among those said to have worn it4 ,the first silk looms were set up in the royal palaces of the ,roman kings in the year #ecc ,a4,d4 ,the raw material was brought from the ,east for a long time but in the sixth century two ,greek monks1 while in ,china1 studied the method of rearing silk worms and obtaining the silk1 and on their departure are said to have concealed the eggs of silk worms in their staves4 ,they are accredited with introducing the manufacture of silk into ,greece and hence into ,western ,europe4 ,after that ,greece1 ,persia and ,asia ,minor made this material1 and ,byzantium was famed for its silks1 the actual making of which got into the hands of the ,jews and was for a long time controlled by them4 ,metals 7gold1 silver and copper7 were flattened out and cut into narrow strips for winding around cotton twists4 ,these were the gold and silver threads used in weaving4 ,the ,moors and ,spaniards instead of metals used strips of gilded parchment for weaving with the silk4 ,we know that ,england was weaving silk in the thirteenth century1 and velvets seem to have been used at a very early date4 ,the introduction of silk and velvet into different countries had an immediate and much-needed influence in civilising the manners of society4 ,it is hard to realise that in the thirteenth century when ,edward ,i married ,eleanor of ,castile1 the highest nobles of ,england when resting at their ease1 stretched at full length on the straw-covered floors of baronial halls1 and jeered at the ,spanish courtiers who hung the walls and stretched the floors of ,edward's castle with silks in preparation for his ,spanish bride4 ,the progress of art and culture was always from the ,east and moved slowly4 ,do not go so far back as the thirteenth century4 ,james ,i of ,england owned no stockings when he was ,james ,,vi of ,scotland1 and had to borrow a pair in which to receive the ,english ambassador4 ,in the eleventh century ,italy manufactured her own silks1 and into them were woven precious stones1 corals1 seed pearls and coloured glass beads which were made in ,greece and ,venice1 as well as gold and silver spangles 7twelfth and thirteenth centuries74 ,here is an item on interior decorations from ,proverbs vii1 #af2 ,i have woven my bed with cords1 ,i have covered it with painted tapestry brought from ,egypt4 ,there were painted tapestries made in ,western ,europe at a very early date1 and collectors eagerly seek them 7see ,plate ,,xiv74 ,in the fourteenth century these painted tapestries were referred to as ,stained ,cloth4 ,embroidery as an art1 as we have already seen1 antedates silk weaving4 ,the youngest of the three arts is tapestry4 ,the oldest embroidery stitches are3 the feather stitch1 so called because they all took one direction1 the stitches over-lapping1 like the feathers of a bird2 and cross-stitch or cushion style1 because used on church cushions1 made for kneeling when at prayer or to hold the ,mass book4 ,hand-woven tapestries are called comb-wrought because the instrument used in weaving was comb-like4 ,cut-work is embroidery that is cut out and appliqued1 or sewed on another material4 ,carpets which were used in ,western ,europe in the ,middle ,ages are seldom seen4 ,the ,kensington ,museum owns two specimens1 both of them ,spanish1 one of the fourteenth and one of the fifteenth century4 ,in speaking of ,gothic art we called attention to the fostering of art by the ,church during the ,dark ,ages4 ,this continued1 and we find that in ,henry ,,viii's time those who visited monasteries and afterward wrote accounts of them call attention to the fact that each monk was occupied either with painting1 carving1 modelling1 embroidering or writing4 ,they worked primarily for the ,church1 decorating it for the glory of ,god1 but the homes of the rich and powerful laity1 even so early as the reign of ,henry ,,iii 7#abaf-abgb71 boasted some very beautiful interior decorations1 tapestries1 painted ceilings and stained glass1 as well as carved panelling4 ,bostwick ,castle1 ,scotland1 had its vaulted ceiling painted with towers1 battlements and pinnacles1 a style of mural decoration which one sees in the oldest castles of ,germany4 ,it recalls the illumination in old manuscripts4 ,,chapter ,v ,,candlesticks1 ,,lamps1 ,,fixtures ,,for ,,gas ,,and ,,electricity1 ,,and ,,shades ,candlesticks1 lamps1 and fixtures for gas and electricity must accord with the lines of your architecture and furniture4 ,the mantelpiece is the connecting link between the architecture and the furnishing of a room4 ,it is the architect's contribution to the furnishing1 and for this reason the keynote for the decorator4 ,in the same way lighting fixtures are links between the construction and decoration of a room1 and can contribute to1 or seriously divert from1 the decorator's design4 ,it is important that fixtures be so placed as to appear a part of the decoration and not merely to illuminate conveniently a corner of the room1 a writing-desk1 table or piano4 ,,plate ,x ,the dining-room of this apartment is ,italian ,renaissance--oak1 almost black from age1 and carved4 ,the seat pads and lambrequin over window are of deep red velvet4 ,the walls are stretched with dull red brocotello 7a combination of silk and linen71 very old and valuable4 ,the chandelier is ,italian carved wood1 gilded4 ,attention is called to the treatment of the windows4 ,no curtains are used1 instead1 boxes are planted with ivy which is trained to climb the green lattice and helps to temper the light1 while the window shades themselves are of a fascinating glazed linen1 having a soft yellow background and design of fruit and vines in brilliant colours4 ,illustration3 ,dining-room ,furniture1 ,italian ,renaissance ,in planning your house after arranging for proper wall space for your various articles of furniture1 keep in mind always that lights will be needed and must be at the same time conveniently placed and distinctly decorative4 ,one is astonished to see how often the actual balance of a room is upset by the careless placing of electric fixtures4 ,therefore keep in mind when deciding upon the lighting of a room the following points3 first1 fixtures must follow in line style of architecture and furniture2 second1 the position of fixtures on walls must carry out the architect's scheme of proportion1 line and balance2 third1 the material used in fixtures--brass1 gilded wood1 glass or wrought iron--must contribute to the decorator's scheme of line and colour2 fourth1 as a contribution to colour scheme the fixtures must be in harmony with the colour of the side walls1 so as not to cut them up1 and the shade should be a light note of colour1 not one of the dark notes when illuminated4 ,this brings us to the question of shades4 ,the selecting of shapes and colours for shading the lights in your rooms is of the greatest importance1 for the shades are one of the harmonics for striking important colour notes1 and their value must be equal by day and by night2 that is1 equally great1 even if different4 ,some shades1 beautiful and decorative by daylight1 when illuminated1 lose their colour and become meaningless blots in a room4 ,we have in mind a large silk lamp shade of faded sage green1 mauve1 faun and a dull blue1 the same combination appearing in the fringe--a combination not only beautiful1 but harmonising perfectly with the old ,gothic tapestry on the nearby wall4 ,nothing could be more decorative in this particular room during the day than the shade described2 but were it not for the shell-pink lining1 gleaming through the silk of the shade when lighted1 it would have no decorative value at all at night4 ,in ordering or making shades1 be sure that you select colours and materials which produce a diffused light4 ,a soft thin pink silk as a lining for a silk or cretonne shade is always successful1 and if a delicate pink1 never clashes with the colours on the outside4 ,a white silk lining is cold and unbecoming4 ,a dark shade unlined1 or a light coloured shade unlined1 even if pink1 unless the silk is shirred very full1 will not give a diffused1 yellow light4 ,it is because ,italian parchment-paper produces the desired glow of light that it has become so popular for making shades1 and1 coming as it does in deep soft cream1 it gives a lovely background for decorations which in line and colour can carry out the style of your room4 ,figured ,italian papers are equally popular for shades1 but their characteristic is to decorate the room by daylight only1 and to impart no quality to the light which they shade4 ,unless in pale colours1 they stop the light1 absolutely1 throwing it down1 if on a lamp1 and back against the wall1 if on side brackets4 ,therefore decorators now cut out the lovely designs on these figured papers and use them as appliques on a deep cream parchment background4 ,when you decide upon the shape of your shades do not forget that successful results depend upon absolutely correct proportions4 ,almost any shape1 if well proportioned as to height and width1 can be made beautiful1 and the variety and effect desired1 may be secured by varying the colours1 the design of decoration1 if any1 or the texture or the length of fringe4 ,the umbrella shades with long chiffon curtains reaching to the table1 not unlike a woman's hat with loose-hanging veil1 make a charming and practical lamp shade for a boudoir or a woman's summer sitting-room1 especially if furnished in lacquer or wicker4 ,it is a light to rest or talk by1 not for reading nor writing4 ,the greatest care is required in selecting shades for side-wall lights1 because they quickly catch the eye upon entering a room and materially contribute to its appearance or detract from it4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,window ,,shades ,,and ,,awnings ,the first thing to consider in selecting window shades when furnishing a house1 is whether their colour harmonises with the exterior4 ,keeping this point in mind1 further limit your selection to those colours and tones which harmonise with your colour schemes for the interior4 ,if you use white net or scrim1 your shades must be white1 and if ecru net1 your shades must be ecru4 ,if the outside of your house calls for one colour in shades and the interior calls for another1 use two sets4 ,your dark-green sun shades never interfere1 as they can always be covered by the inner set4 ,sometimes the dark green harmonises with the colouring of the rooms4 ,a room often needs1 for sake of balance1 to be weighted by colour on the window sides more than your heavy curtains 7silk or cretonne7 contribute when drawn back2 in such a case decorators use coloured gauze for sash curtains in one1 two or three shades and layers1 which are so filmy and delicate both in texture and colouring that they allow air and light to pass through them1 the effect being charming4 ,another way to obtain the required colour value at your windows is the revival of glazed linens1 with beautiful coloured designs1 made up into shades4 ,these are very attractive in a sunny room where the strong light brings out the design of flowers1 fruits or foliage4 ,plate ,x shows a room in which this style of shade is used with great success4 ,it is to be especially commended in such a case as ,plate ,x1 where no curtains are used at windows4 ,here the figured linen shade is a deliberate contribution to the decorative scheme of the room and completes it as no other material could4 ,awnings can make or mar a house1 give it style or keep it in the class of the commonplace4 ,so choose carefully with reference to the colour of your house4 ,the fact that awnings show up at a great distance and never in the hand1 as it were1 argues in favour of clear stripes1 in two colours and of even size1 with as few extra threads of other colours as possible4 ,,plate ,,xi ,shows a part of a fine1 old ,italian refectory table1 and one of the chairs1 also antiques1 which are beautifully proportioned and made comfortable with cushions of dark red velvet1 in colour like curtains at window1 which are of silk brocade4 ,the standard electric lamps throw the light up only4 ,there are four1 one in each corner of the room1 and candles light the table4 ,the wall decoration here is a flower picture4 ,illustration3 ,corner of ,dining-room in ,new ,york ,apartment1 ,showing ,section of ,italian ,refectory ,table and ,italian ,chairs1 ,both ,antique and ,renaissance ,all awnings fade1 even in one season2 green is1 perhaps1 the least durable in the sun1 yellows and browns look well the longest4 ,fortunately an awning1 a discouraging sight when taken down and in a collapsed mass of faded canvas1 will often look well when up and stretched1 because the strong light brings out the fresh colour of the inside4 ,hence one finds these rather expensive necessities of summer homes may be used for several seasons4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,treatment ,,of ,,pictures ,,and ,,picture ,,frames ,strive to have the subject of your pictures appropriate to the room in which they are to be hung4 ,it is impossible to state a rule for this1 however1 because while there are many styles of pictures which all are able to classify1 such as old paintings which are antique in colouring1 method and subject1 portraits1 figure pictures1 architectural pictures1 flower and fruit pictures1 modern oil paintings of various subjects 7modern in subject1 method and colouring71 water colours1 etchings1 sporting prints1 fashion prints1 etc41 there is1 also1 a subtle relationship between them seen and felt only by the connoisseur1 which leads him to hang in the same room1 portraits1 architectural pictures and flower pictures1 with beautiful and successful results4 ,often the relationship hangs on similarity in period1 style of painting or colour scheme4 ,your expert will see decorative value in a painting which has no individual beauty nor intrinsic worth when taken out of a particular setting4 ,the selecting of pictures for a room hinges first on their decorative value4 ,that is1 their colour and size1 and whether the subjects are appropriate and sympathetic4 ,always avoid heavy gold frames on paintings1 for1 unless they are real objects of art1 one gets far more distinction by using a narrow black moulding4 ,when in doubt always err on the side of simplicity4 ,if your object is economy as well as simplicity1 and you are by chance just beginning to furnish your house and own no pictures1 we would suggest good photographs of your favourite old masters1 framed close1 without a margin1 in the passepartout method 7glass with a narrow black paper tape binding74 ,old coloured prints need narrow black passepartout1 while broad passepartout in pink1 blue or pale green to match the leading tone in wall paper makes your quaint1 old black-and-white prints very decorative4 ,never use white margins on any pictures unless your walls are white4 ,the decorative value of any picture when hung1 is dependent upon its background1 the height at which it is hung1 its position with regard to the light1 its juxtaposition to other pictures1 and the character of those other pictures--that is1 their subjects1 colour and line4 ,if you are buying pictures to hang in a picture gallery1 there is nothing to consider beyond the attraction of the individual picture in mind4 ,but if you are buying a picture to hang on the walls of a room which you are furnishing1 you have first to consider it as pure decoration2 that is1 to ask yourself if in colour1 period and subject it carries out the idea of your room4 ,a modern picture is usually out of place in a room furnished with antiques4 ,in the same way a strictly modern room is not a good setting for an old picture1 if toned by time4 ,if you own or would own a modern portrait or landscape and it is the work of an artist1 and beautiful in colour1 why not star it1--build your room up to it8 ,if you decide to do this1 see that everything else representing colour is either subservient to the picture1 or if of equal value as to colour1 that they harmonise perfectly with the picture in mind4 ,,plate ,,xii ,from a studio one enters a smaller room1 one side of which is shown here1 a veritable ,italian ,louis ,,xvi salon4 ,illustration3 ,an ,italian ,louis ,,xvi ,salon in a ,new ,york ,apartment ,we were recently shown a painting giving a view of ,central ,park from the ,plaza ,hotel1 ,new ,york1 under a heavy fall of snow1 in the late afternoon1 when the daylight still lingered1 although the electric lights had begun to spangle the scene4 ,the prevailing tone was a delicate1 opalescent white1 shading from blue to mauve1 and we were told that one of our leading decorators intended to hang it in a blue room which he was furnishing for a ,new ,york client4 ,etchings are at their best with other etchings1 engravings or water colours1 and should be hung in rooms flooded with light and delicately furnished4 ,the crowding of walls with pictures is always bad2 hang only as many as furnish the walls1 and have these on a line with the eye and when the pictures vary but slightly in size make a point of having either the tops of the frames or the bottoms on the same line1--that is1 an equal distance from floor or ceiling4 ,if this rule is observed a sense of order and restfulness is communicated to the observer4 ,if one picture is hung over the other uniformity and balance must be preserved4 ,one large picture may be balanced by two smaller ones4 ,hang your miniatures in a straight line across your wall1 under a large picture or in a straight line--one under the other1 down a narrow wall panel4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,treatment ,,of ,,piano ,,cases ,a professional pianist invariably prefers the case of his or her piano left in its simple ebony or mahogany1 and would not approve of its being relegated to the furniture department and decorated accordingly1 any more than your violinist1 or harpist1 would hand over his violin1 or harp1 for decoration4 ,when a piano1 however1 is not the centre of interest in a house1 and the artistic ensemble of decorative line and colour is1 the piano case is often ordered at the piano factory to be made to accord in line with the period of the room for which it is intended1 after which it is decorated so as to harmonise with the colours in the room4 ,this can be done through the piano factory2 but in the case of redecorating a room1 one can easily get some independent artist to do this work1 a man who has made a study of the decorations on old spinets in palaces1 private mansions and museums4 ,some artists have been very successful in converting what was an inartistic piece of furniture as to size1 outline and colour1 into an object which became a pleasing portion of the colour scheme because in proper relation to the whole4 ,you can always make an ebony or mahogany piano case more in harmony with its setting by covering it1 when not in use1 with a piece of beautiful old brocade1 or a modern reproduction4 ,,plate ,,xiii ,another side of same ,italian ,louis ,,xvi salon4 ,the tea-table is a modern painted convenience1 the two vases are ,italian pharmacy jars and the standard for electric lights is a modern-painted piece4 ,illustration3 ,another ,side of ,same ,italian ,louis ,,xvi ,salon ,,chapter ,,ix ,,treatment ,,of ,,dining-,,room ,,buffets ,,and ,,dressing-,,tables ,a dining-room buffet requires the same dignity of treatment demanded by a mantelpiece whether the silver articles kept on it be of great or small intrinsic value4 ,here1 as in every case1 appropriateness dictates the variety of articles1 and the observance of the rule that there shall be no crowding nor disorder in the placing of articles insures that they contribute decorative value2 in a word1 the size of your buffet limits the amount of silver1 glass1 etc41 to be placed upon it4 ,the variety and number of articles on a dressing-table are subject to the same two laws3 that is1 every article must be useful and in line and colour accord with the deliberate scheme of your room1 and there must be no crowding nor disorder1 no matter how rare or beautiful the toilet articles are4 ,,chapter ,x ,,treatment ,,of ,,work ,,tables1 ,,bird ,,cages1 ,,dog ,,baskets ,,and ,,fish ,,globes ,every bedroom planned for a woman1 young or old1 calls for a work table1 work basket or work bag1 or all three1 and these furnish opportunities for additional flowers in your room2 for we insist upon regarding accessories as opportunities for extra colour notes which harmonise with the main colour scheme and enliven your interior quite as flowers would1 cheering it up--and1 incidentally1 its inmates6 ,apropos of this1 it was only the other day that some one remarked in our hearing1 ,this room is so blooming with lovely bits of colour in lamp shades1 pillows1 and objets d'art1 that ,i no longer spend money on cut flowers4 ,there we have it6 ,precisely the idea we are trying to express4 ,so make your work-table1 if you own the sort with a silk work-bag suspended from the lower part1 your work-basket or work-bag1 represent one1 two or three of the colours in your room4 ,if some one gives you an inharmonious work-bag1 either build a room up to it1 or give it away1 but never hang it out in a room done in an altogether different colour scheme4 ,bird-cages1 dog-baskets and fish-globes may become harmonious instead of jarring colour notes1 if one will give a little thought to the matter4 ,in fact some of the black iron wrought cages when occupied by a wonderful parrot with feathers of blue and orange1 red and grey1 or red1 blue and yellow1 can be the making of certain rooms4 ,and there are canaries with deep orange feathers which look most decorative in cages painted dark green1 as well as the many-coloured paroquet1 lovely behind golden bars4 ,many a woman when selecting a dog has bought one which harmonised with her costume1 or got a costume to set off her dog6 ,certainly a dark or light brindle bull is a perfect addition to a room done in browns1 as is a red ,chow or a tortoise-shell cat4 ,see to it that cage and basket set off your bird1 dog or cat2 but don't let them become too conspicuous notes of colour in your room or on your porch2 let it be the bird1 the dog or the cat which has a colour value4 ,the fish-globe can be of white or any colour glass you prefer1 and your fish vivid or pale in tone2 whichever it is1 be sure that they furnish a needed--not a superfluous--tone of colour in a room or on a porch4 ,,plate ,,xiv ,shows narrow hall in an old country house1 thought impossible as to appearance1 but made charming by pushing out the wall with an antique painted tapestry and keeping all woodwork and carpets the same delicate dove grey4 ,illustration3 ,a ,narrow ,hall ,where ,effect of ,width ,is ,attained by ,use of ,tapestry with ,vista ,,chapter ,,xi ,,treatment ,,of ,,fireplaces ,nothing is ever more attractive than the big open fireplace1 piled with blazing logs1 and with fire-dogs or andirons of brass or black iron1 as may accord with the character of your room4 ,if yours is a period room it is possible to get andirons to match1 veritable old ones1 by paying for them4 ,the attractiveness of a fireplace depends largely upon its proportions4 ,to look well it should always be wider than high1 and deep enough to insure that the smoke goes up the chimney1 and not out into your room4 ,if your fireplace smokes you may need a special flue1 leading from fireplace to proper chimney top1 or a brass hood put on front of the fireplace4 ,many otherwise attractive fireplaces are spoiled by using the wrong kind of tiles to frame them4 ,shiny1 enamelled tiles in any colour1 are bad1 and pressed red brick of the usual sort equally bad1 so if you are planning the fireplace of an informal room1 choose tiles with a dull finish or brick with a simple rough finish4 ,in period rooms often beautiful light or heavy mouldings entirely frame the three sides of the fireplace when it is of wood4 ,well designed marble mantels are always desirable4 ,this feature of decoration is distinctly within the province of your architect1 one reason more why he and the interior decorator1 whether professional or amateur1 should continually confer while building or rebuilding a house4 ,for coal fires we have a variety of low1 broad grates2 as well as reproductions of ,colonial grates1 which are small and swung high between brass uprights1 framing the fireplace1 with an ash drawer1 the front of which is brass4 ,if you prefer the old1 one can find this variety of grate in antique shops as well as ,franklin stoves 7portable open fireplaces74 ,if your rooms are heated with steam1 cover the radiators with wooden frames in line with the period of your room cut in open designs to allow heat to come through1 and painted to match the woodwork of the room4 ,see ,plate ,,xix4 ,let the fireplace be the centre of attraction in your room and draw about it comfortable chairs1 sofas and settles1--make it easy to enjoy its hospitable blaze4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,treatment ,,of ,,bathrooms ,sumptuous bathrooms are not modern inventions1 on the contrary the bath was a religion with the ancient ,greeks1 and a luxury to the early ,italians4 ,what we have to say here is in regard to the bath as a necessity for all classes4 ,the treatment of bathrooms has become an interesting branch of interior decoration1 whereas once it was left entirely to the architect and plumber4 ,first1 one has to decide whether the bathroom is to be finished in conventional white enamel1 which cannot be surpassed for dainty appearance and sanitary cleanliness4 ,equally dainty to look at and offering the same degree of sanitary cleanliness1 is a bathroom enamelled in some delicate tone to accord in colour with the bedroom with which it connects4 ,,plate ,,xv ,this illustration speaks for itself--fruit dishes and fruit1 candlesticks1 covered jars for dried rose leaves1 finger bowls1 powder boxes1 flower vase1 and scent bottles--all of ,venetian ,glass in exquisite shades4 ,illustration3 ,venetian ,glass1 ,antique and ,modern ,some go so far as to make the bathroom the same colour as the bedroom1 even when this is dark4 ,we have in mind a bath opening out of a man's bedroom4 ,the bedroom is decorated in dull blues1 taupe and mulberry4 ,the bathroom has the walls painted in broad stripes of dull blue and taupe1 the stripes being quite six inches wide4 ,the floor is tiled in large squares of the same blue and taupe2 the tub and other furnishings are in dull blue enamel1 and the wall-cabinets 7one for shaving brushes1 tooth brushes1 etc41 another for shaving cups1 medicine glasses1 drinking glasses1 etc41 and the third for medicines1 soaps1 etc47 are painted a dull mulberry4 ,built into the front of each cabinet door is an old coloured print covered with glass and framed with dull blue moulding and on the inside of each cabinet door is a mirror4 ,one small closet in the bathroom is large enough to hang bath robe1 pajamas1 etc41 while another is arranged for drying towels and holds a soiled clothes basket4 ,on the inside of both doors are full-length mirrors4 ,the criticism that mirrors in men's bathrooms are necessarily an effeminate touch1 can be refuted by the statement that so sturdy a soldier as the ,great ,napoleon had his dressing room at ,fontainebleau lined with them6 ,this fact reminds us that we have recently seen a most fascinating bathroom1 planned for a woman1 in which the walls and ceiling are of glass1 cut in squares and fitted together in the old ,french way4 ,over the glass was a dull-gold trellis and twined in and out of this1 ivy1 absolutely natural in appearance1 but made of painted tin4 ,the floor tiles1 and fixtures were white enamel1 and a soft moss-green velvet carpet was laid down when the bath was not used4 ,bathroom fixtures are to-day so elaborate in number and quality1 that the conveniences one gets are limited only by one's purse4 ,the leading manufacturers have anticipated the dreams of the most luxurious4 ,window-curtains for bathrooms should be made of some material which will neither fade nor pull out of shape when washed4 ,we would suggest scrim1 ,swiss1 or ,china silk of a good quality4 ,when buying bath-mats1 bath-robes1 bath-slippers1 bath-towels1 wash-cloths and hand-towels1 it is easy to keep in mind the colour-scheme of your rooms1 and by following it out1 the general appearance of your suite is immensely improved4 ,for a woman's bathroom1 ,venetian glass bottles1 covered jars and bowls of every size1 come in opalescent pale greens and other delicate tints4 ,see ,plate ,,xi4 ,then there are the white glass bottles1 jars1 bowls1 and trays with bunches of dashing pink roses1 to be obtained at any good department store4 ,glass toilet articles come in considerable variety and at all prices1 and to match any colour scheme2 so use them as notes of colour on the glass shelves in your bathrooms4 ,here1 too1 is an opportunity to use your old ,bristol or ,bohemian glass1 once regarded as inherited eyesores1 but now unearthed1 and which1 when used to contribute to a colour scheme1 have a distinct value and real beauty4 ,,plate ,,xvi ,part of a room in a small suite where the furniture is all old and the majority of it ,empire in style4 ,however1 the small piano at once declares itself ,american ,empire4 ,the beautifully decorative nameplate on its front reads1 ,geib ,walker1 #bc ,maiden ,lane1 ,n4,y4 ,the date of piano is about #ahcj4 ,the brown mahogany commode on the right has the lion's claw-feet1 and pilasters are topped by women's heads in bronze4 ,this piece was bought in ,france4 ,it has the original marble top1 dark pink veined with white4 ,the knobs on drawers are bronze lions' heads1 holding rings in their mouths4 ,chairs are ,italian and between ,directoire and ,empire4 ,the table1 a good specimen1 was also found in ,france4 ,on the table is a ,french vanity mirror1 ,louis ,,xvi in time1 very ,greek in design4 ,the mirror is on both sides and turns on a gold arrow which pierces it4 ,the bronze frame of mirror has a design so intricate in detail that it resembles lace work4 ,the vase on the piano is ,empire and antique1 decoration of green and gold4 ,the flowers on table are artificial1 a quaint ,victorian contrast4 ,through the doorway one sees the end of an ,empire bed which came from an old chteau in ,brittany4 ,note the same pilasters as on bureau1 only that in this case the woman's head is gilded wood and two little feet of gilded wood appear at base of mahogany pilaster4 ,a gilded urn rests on a mahogany post of bed against the wall1 the only position possible for beds of this style4 ,the head and foot board are of equal height and alike4 ,few ,empire beds are now on the market4 ,this one is used with a roll at each end and is covered with genuine ,empire satin in six-inch stripes of canary yellow and sage green divided by two narrow black stripes and a narrow white stripe between them4 ,illustration3 ,corner of a ,room in a ,small ,empire ,suite ,to-day a bathroom is considered the necessary supplement to every bedroom in an apartment or house1 where the space allows1 and no house is regarded as a good investment if built with less than one bath to communicate with every two rooms4 ,yet among the advertisements in the ,new ,york ,city ,directory of #ahbh we read the following nave statement concerning warm baths1 which is meant in all seriousness4 ,it refers to the ,arcade ,bath at #cb ,chambers ,street1 ,new ,york ,city4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the warm bath is more conducive to health than any luxury which can be employed in a populous city2 its beneficial effects are partially described as follows3 ,the celebrated ,count ,rumford has paid particular attention to the subject of ,warm ,bathing2 he has examined it by the test of experiments1 long and frequently repeated1 and bears testimony to its excellent effects4 ',it is not merely on account of the advantages1' says the count1 'which ,i happen to see from ,warm ,bathing1 which renders me so much an advocate of the practice2 exclusive of the wholesomeness of the warm bath1 the luxury of bathing is so great1 and the tranquil state of the mind and body which follows1 is so exquisitely delightful1 that ,i think it quite impossible to recommend it too highly1 if we consider it merely as a rational and elegant refinement4 ,the manner in which the warm bath operates1 in producing the salutary consequences1 seems very evident4 ,the genial warmth which is so applied to the skin in the place of the cold air of the atmosphere1 by which we are commonly surrounded1 expands all those very small vessels1 where the extremities of the arteries and veins unite1 and by gently stimulating the whole frame1 produces a full and free circulation1 which if continued for a certain time1 removes all obstructions in the vascular system1 and puts all the organs into that state of regular1 free1 and full motion which is essential to health1 and also to that delightful repose1 accompanied by a consciousness of the power of exertion1 which constitutes the highest animal enjoyment of which we are capable4' ,n4,b43 ,as the ,bath is generally occupied on ,saturday evenings and ,sunday mornings1 it is recommended to those who would wish to enjoy the ,bath and avoid the crowded moment1 to call at other times4 ,the support of the public will be gratefully received and every exertion made to deserve it4 ,for the ,proprietor1 ,g4 ,wright4 ,strangers will recognise the ,bathing ,house from the front being extended over two lots of ground1 and the centre basement being of free-stone4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the bathtub then was the simple tin sort1 on the order of the round ,english tub4 ,to-day the variety of bathtubs as to size1 shape1 material and appointments is bewildering2 tubs there are on feet and tubs without feet1 tubs sunken in the floor so that one goes down steps into them1 tubs of large dimensions and tubs of small1 and all with or without showers1 as the purchaser may prefer4 ,truly the warm baths so highly recommended in ,count ,rumford's rhapsody are to be had for the turning of one's own faucet at any moment of the day or night6 ,the ,count ,rumford in question is that romantic figure1 born of simple ,english parents1 in ,new ,england 7,woburn1 ,mass41 #agec71 who went abroad when very young and by the great force of his personality and genius1 became the power behind the throne in ,bavaria1 where he was made ,minister of ,war and ,field ,marshal by the ,elector1 and later knighted in recognition of his scientific attainments and innumerable civic reforms4 ,there is a large monument erected to the memory of ,count ,rumford in ,munich4 ,he died at ,auteuil1 ,france1 in #ahad4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,period ,,rooms ,we use the term period rooms with full knowledge of the difficulties involved1 in defining ,louis ,,xiv1 ,louis ,,xv1 ,louis ,,xvi1 ,directoire1 ,jacobean1 ,empire1 ,georgian1 ,victorian and ,colonial decorations4 ,each period certainly has its distinctive earmarks in line and typical decoration1 but you must realise that a period gradually evolves1 at first exhibiting characteristics of its ancestors1 then as it matures1 showing a definite new type1 and1 later1 when the elation of success has worn off1 yielding to various foreign influences4 ,by way of example1 note the ,chinese decoration on some of the painted furniture of the ,louis ,,xvi type1 the ,dutch influence on ,chippendale in line1 and the ,egyptian on ,empire4 ,one fascinating way of becoming familiar with history1 is to delve into the origin and development of periods in furniture4 ,the story of ,napoleon is recorded in the unpretentious ,directoire1 the ornate ,empire of ,fontainebleau1 while the conversion of round columns into obelisk-like pilasters surmounted by heads1 the bronze and gilded-wood ornaments in the form of the ,sphynx1 are frank souvenirs of ,egypt4 ,every period1 whether ascribed to ,england1 ,france1 ,italy or ,holland1 has found expression in all adjacent countries4 ,an ,italian ,louis ,,xvi chair1 mirror or applique is frequently sold in ,paris or ,london as ,french and ,empire furniture was made in ,germany4 ,periods have no restricted nationality2 but nationality often declares itself in periods4 ,that is to say1 lines may be copied2 but workmanship is another thing4 ,apropos of this take the ,french ,empire furniture1 massive as much of it is1 built squarely and solidly to the floor1 but showing most extraordinary grace on account of the amazing delicacy of intricate designs1 done by the greatest ,french sculptors of the time and worked out in metal by the trained hands of men who had a special genius for this art4 ,at no other time1 nor in any other country1 has an equal degree of perfection in the fine chiselling of metals so much as approached the standard attained during the ,louis#a and the ,empire periods4 ,if in your wandering1 you happen upon a genuine bit of this work in silver or ormoulu1 buy it4 ,the writer once found in a ,new ,jersey antique shop1 a rare ,empire bronze vase1 urn-shaped1 a specimen of the very finest kind of this metal engraving4 ,the price asked for it 7in ignorance1 of course7 was #b4ej6 ,the piece would have brought #dj in ,paris4 ,but the quest of the antique is another story4 ,when one realises the eternal borrowing of one country from another1 the ever-recurring renaissance of past periods and the legitimate and illegitimate mixing of styles1 it is no wonder that the amateur feels nervously uncertain1 or frankly ignorant4 ,many a professional decorator hesitates to give a final judgment4 ,to take one case in point1 we glibly speak of ,colonial furniture1 that term which covers such a multitude of sins1 and inspiring virtues1 too6 ,we have the ,colonial which closely resembles the ,empire1 and we have what is sometimes styled the ,chippendale ,colonial1 following the ,chippendale of ,england4 ,our ,colonial cabinet-makers used as models1 beautiful pieces imported from ,england1 ,holland and ,france by the wealthier members of our communities4 ,also a ,chinese and ,japanese influence crept in1 on account of the lacquer and carved teak wood1 brought home by our seafaring ancestors4 ,it is quite possible that the carved teak wood stimulated the clever maker of some of the most beautiful ,victorian furniture made in ,america1 which is gradually finding its way into the hands of collectors4 ,some of these cabinet-makers glued together and put under heavy pressure seven to nine layers of rosewood with the grain running at every angle1 so as to produce strength4 ,when the layers had been crushed into a solid block1 they carved their open designs1 using one continuous piece of wood for the ornamental rim of even large sofas4 ,the best of the ,victorian period is attractive1 but how can we express our opinion of those ,american monstrosities of the sixties or seventies1 beds in rosewood and walnut1 the head-boards covering the side of a room1 bureaus proportionately huge1 following out the idea that a piece of furniture to be beautiful must be very large and very expensive6 ,it is to be hoped that the lovely rosewood and walnut wasted at that time are to-day being rescued by wary cabinet-makers4 ,the art of furniture making1 like every other art1 came into being to serve a clearly defined purpose4 ,this must not be forgotten4 ,a chair and a sofa are to sit on2 a mirror1 to reflect4 ,remember this last fact when hanging one4 ,it is important that your mirror reflect one of the most attractive parts of your room1 and thus contribute its quota to your scheme of decoration4 ,it is interesting to note that chairs were made with solid wooden seats when men wore armour1 velvet cushions followed more fragile raiment1 and tapestries while always mural decorations were first used in place of doors and partitions1 in feudal castles1 before there were interior doors and partitions4 ,any piece of furniture is artistically bad when it does not satisfactorily serve its purpose4 ,the equally fundamental law that everything useful should at the same time be beautiful cannot be repeated too often4 ,period rooms which slavishly repeat1 in every piece of furniture and ornament1 only one type1 have but a museum interest4 ,if your rooms are to serve as a home1 give them a winning1 human quality1 keep before your mind's eye1 not royal palaces which have become museums1 but homes1 built and furnished by men and women whose traditions and associations gave them standards of beauty1 so that they bought the choicest furniture both at home and abroad4 ,in such a home1 whether it be an intimate palace in ,europe1 a ,colonial mansion in ,new ,england1 or a ,victorian interior of the best type1 an extraneous period is often represented by some objet d'art as a delightful1 because harmonious note of contrast4 ,for example1 in a ,louis ,,xvi salon1 where the colour scheme is harmonious1 one gradually realises that one of the dominant ornaments in the room is a rare old ,chinese vase1 brought back from the ,orient by one of the family and given a place of honour on account of its uniqueness4 ,every one understands and feels deeply the difference between the museum palace or the period rooms of the commonplace decorator1 and such a marvellous1 living1 breathing1 palatial home as that ,italian palace in ,boston1 ,massachusetts1 created1 not inherited1 by ,mrs4 ,john ,l4 ,gardner4 ,here we have a splendid example to illustrate the point we are trying to make2 namely1 regardless of its dimensions1 make your home home-like and like you1 its owner4 ,never allow any one1 professional or amateur1 to persuade you to put anything in it which you do not like yourself2 but if an expert advises against a thing1 give careful consideration to the advice before rejecting it4 ,mrs4 ,gardner's house is unique among the great houses of ,america as having that quality of the intimate palaces abroad1--a subtle mellowness which in the old world took time and generations of cultivated lovers of the rare and beautiful1 to create4 ,adequate means1 innate art appreciation1 experience and the knowledge which comes from keeping in touch with experts1 account for the intrinsic value of ,mrs4 ,gardner's collection2 but the subtle quality of harmony and vitality is her own personal touch4 ,the colour scheme is so wisely chosen that it actually does unite all periods and countries4 ,one is surprised to note how perfectly at home even the modern paintings appear in this version of an old ,italian palace4 ,be sure that you aim at the same combination of beauty1 usefulness1 and harmony between colour scheme and objets d'art4 ,it is in colour scheme that we feel the personality of our host or hostess1 therefore give attention to this point4 ,always have a colour scheme sympathetic to you4 ,make your rooms take on the air of being your abode4 ,it is really very simple4 ,what has been done with vast wealth can be just as easily done by the man of one room and a bath4 ,know what you want1 and buy the best you can afford2 by best1 meaning useful things1 indisputably beautiful in line and colour4 ,use your ,colonial furniture2 but if you find a wonderful ,empire desk1 with beautiful brass mounts and like it1 buy it4 ,they are of the same period in point of date1 as it happens1 and your ,louis ,,xvi bronze candlesticks will add a touch of grace4 ,the writer recalls a simple room which was really a milestone in the development of taste1 for it was so completely harmonious in colouring1 arrangement of furniture1 and placing of ornaments4 ,built for a painter's studio1 with top light1 it was used1 at the time of which we speak1 for music1 as a ,steinway grand indicated4 ,the room was large1 the floors painted black and covered with faded ,oriental rugs2 woodwork and walls were dark-green1 as were the long1 low1 open bookcases1 above which a large foliage tapestry was hung4 ,on the other walls were modern paintings with antique frames of dulled gold1 while a ,louis ,,xvi inlaid desk stood across one corner1 and there was an old ,italian oval table of black wood1 with great1 gold birds1 as pedestal and legs1 at which we dined simply1 using fine old silver1 and foreign pottery4 ,this room was responsible for starting more than one person on the pursuit of the antique1 for pervading it was a magic atmosphere1 that wizard touch which comes of knowing1 loving and demanding beautiful things1 and then treating them very humanly4 ,use your lovely vases for your flowers4 ,hang your modern painting2 but let its link with the faded tapestry be the dull1 old frame4 ,to be explicit1 use lustreless frames and faded colours with old furniture and tapestry4 ,your grandmother wears mauves and greys--not bright red4 ,if your taste is for modern painted furniture and vivid ,bakst colours in cushions and hangings1 take your lovely old tapestry away4 ,speaking of tapestries1 do not imagine that they can never be used in small rooms and narrow halls4 ,plate ,,xiv shows an illustration of a hall in an old-fashioned country house1 that was so narrow that it aroused despair4 ,we call attention to the fact that it gains greatly in width from the perspective shown in the tapestry1 one of the rare1 old1 painted kind1 which depicts distance1 wide vistas and a scene flooded with light4 7,an architectural picture can often be used with equally good results47 ,to increase size of this hall1 the woodwork1 walls and carpets were kept the same shade of pale-grey4 ,the landscape paper in our ,colonial houses of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries1 often large in design1 pushed back the walls to the same amazing degree4 ,,footnotes3 ,footnote #a3 ,louis ,,xiv1 ,,xv1 and ,,xvi4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,periods ,,in ,,furniture ,periods in furniture are amazingly interesting if one plunges into the story1 not with tense nerves1 but gaily1 for mere amusement1 and then floats gently1 in a drifting mood4 ,one gathers in this way many sparkling historical anecdotes1 and much substantial data really not so cumbersome as some imagine6 ,to know anything at all about a subject one must begin at the beginning1 and to make the long run seems a mere spin in an auto1 let us at once remind you that the whole fascinating tale lies between the covers of one delightful book1 the ,illustrated ,history of ,furniture1 by ,frederick ,litchfield1 published by ,truslove ,hanson1 ,london1 and by ,john ,lane1 ,new ,york4 ,there are other books--many of them--but first exhaust ,litchfield and apply what he tells you as you wander through public and private collections of furniture4 ,if you care for furniture at all1 this book1 which tells all that is known of its history1 will prove highly instructive4 ,one cannot speak of the gradual development of furniture and furnishing2 it is more a case of waves of types1 and the story begins on the crest of a wave in ,assyria1 about #cjjj years before ,christ6 ,yes1 seriously1 interior decoration was an art back in that period and can be traced without any lost links in the chain of evidence4 ,from ,assyria we turn to ,egypt and learn from the frescoes and bas-reliefs on walls of ruined tombs1 that about that same time1 #cjjj ,b4,c41 rooms on the banks of the ,nile were decorated more or less as they are to-day4 ,the cultured classes had beautiful ceilings1 gilded furniture1 cushions and mattresses of dyed linen and wools1 stuffed with downy feathers taken from water fowl1 curtains that were suspended between columns1 and1 what is still more interesting to the lover of furniture1 we find that the style known as ,empire when revived by ,napoleon ,i was at that time in vogue4 ,even more remarkable is the fact that parts of legs and rails of furniture were turned as perfectly 7,i quote ,litchfield7 as if by a modern lathe4 ,the variety of beautiful woods used by the ,egyptians for furniture included ebony1 cedar1 sycamore and acacia4 ,marquetry was employed as well as wonderful inlaying with ivory1 from both the elephant and hippopotamus4 ,footstools had little feet made like lion's claws or bull's hoofs4 ,according to ,austin ,leyard1 the very earliest ,assyrian chairs1 as well as those of ,egypt1 had the legs terminating in the same lion's feet or bull's hoofs1 which reappear in the ,greek1 ,roman1 ,empire and even ,sheraton furniture of ,england 7eighteenth century74 ,the first ,assyrian chairs were made without backs and of beautifully wrought gold and bronze1 an art highly developed at that time4 ,in ,egypt we find the heads of animals capping the backs of chairs in the way that we now see done on ,spanish chairs4 ,the pilasters shown on the ,empire furniture1 ,plate ,,xvi1 capped by women's heads with little gold feet at base1 and caryatides of a kind1 were souvenirs of the ,egyptian throne seats which rested on the backs of slaves--possibly prisoners of war4 ,these chairs were wonderful works of art in gold or bronze4 ,we fancy we can see those interiors1 the chairs and beds covered with woven materials in rich colours and leopard skins thrown over chairs1 the carpets of a woven palm-fibre and mats of the same1 which were used as seats4 ,early ,egyptian rooms were beautiful in line because simple2 never crowded with superfluous furnishings4 ,it is amusing to see on the very earliest bas-reliefs ,egyptian belles and beaux reclining against what we know to-day as ,empire rolls1--seen also on beds in old ,french prints of the fourteenth century4 ,who knows1 even with the ,egyptians this may have been a revived style6 ,one talks of new notes in colour scheme4 ,the ,bakst thing was being done in ,assyria1 #gjj ,b4,c46 ,sir ,george ,green proved it when he opened up six rooms of a king's palace and found the walls all done in horizontal stripes of red1 yellow and green6 ,also1 he states that each entrance had the same number of pilasters4 ,oh wise ,assyrian ,king and truly neutral1 if as is supposed1 those rooms were for his six wives6 ,in furniture1 the epoch-making styles have been those showing line1 and if decorated1 then only with such decorations as were subservient to line2 pure ,greek and purest ,roman1 ,gothic and early ,renaissance1 the best of the ,louis1 ,directoire and ,first ,empire1 ,chippendale1 ,adam1 ,sheraton and ,heppelwhite4 ,the bad styles are those where ornamentations envelop and conceal line as in late ,renaissance1 the ,italian ,rococo1 the ,portuguese ,barrocco 7baroque71 the curving and contorted degenerate forms of ,louis ,,xiv and ,,xv and the ,victorian--all examples of the same thing1 i4e43 perfect line achieved1 acclaimed1 flattered1 losing its head and going to the bad in extravagant exuberance of over-ornamentation4 ,there is a psychic connection between the outline of furniture and the inline of man4 ,perfect line1 chaste ornamentation1 the elimination of the superfluous was the result of the ,greek idea of restraint--self-control in all things and in all expression4 ,the immense authority of the law-makers enforced simple austerity as the right and only setting for the daily life of an ,athenian1 worthy of the name4 ,there were exceptions1 but as a rule all citizens1 regardless of their wealth and station1 had impressed upon them the civic obligation to express their taste for the beautiful1 in the erecting of public buildings in their city of ,athens1 monuments of perfect art1 by ,god-like artists1 ,phidias1 ,apelles1 and ,praxiteles4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,continuation ,,of ,,periods ,,in ,,furniture ,from ,greece1 culture1 borne on the wings of the arts1 moved on to ,rome1 and at first1 ,roman architecture and decoration reproduced only the classic ,greek types2 but1 as ,rome grew1 her arts took on another and very different outline1 showing how the history of decorative art is to a fascinating degree the history of customs and manners4 ,rome became prosperous1 greedy1 powerful and imperious1 enslaving the civilised world1 and1 not having the restraining laws of ,greece1 waxed luxurious and licentious1 and chafed1 in consequence1 at the austere rigidity of the ,greek style of furnishing4 ,we know that in the time of ,augustus ,csar the ,romans had wonderful furniture of the most costly kind1 made from cedar1 pine1 elm1 olive1 ash1 ilex1 beach and maple1 carved to represent the legs1 feet1 hoofs and heads of animals1 as in earlier days was the fashion in ,assyria1 ,egypt and ,greece1 while intricate carvings in relief1 showed ,greek subjects taken from mythology and legend4 ,csar1 it is related1 owned a table costing a million sesterces 7#dj1jjj74 ,but gradually the pure line swerved1 ever more and more influenced by the ,orient1 for ,rome1 always successful in war1 had established colonies in the ,east4 ,soon ,byzantine art reached ,rome1 bringing its arabesques and geometrical designs1 its warm1 glowing colours1 soft cushions1 gorgeous hangings1 embroideries1 and rich carpets4 ,in fact all the glowing luxury that the new ,roman craved4 ,the effect of this msalliance upon all ,art1 including interior decoration1 was to cause its immediate decline4 ,elaboration and banal designs1 too much splendour of gold and silver and ivory inlaid with gold1 resulted in a decadent art which reflected a decadent race and ,rome fell6 ,not all at once2 it took five hundred years for the neighbouring races to crush her power1 but continuous hectoring did it1 in #dgf ,a4,d4 ,then began the ,dark ,ages merging into the ,middle ,ages 7fifth to fifteenth centuries74 ,dark they were1 but what picturesque and productive darkness6 ,rome fell1 but the ,carlovingian family arose1 and with it the great nations of ,western ,europe1 to give us1 especially in ,france1 another supreme flowering of interior decoration4 ,britain was torn from the grasp of ,rome by the ,saxons1 ,danes and ,normans1 and as a result the great ,anglo-,saxon race was born to create art periods4 ,mahomet appeared and scored as an epoch-maker1 recording a remarkable life and a spiritual cycle4 ,the ,moors conquered ,spain1 but in so doing enriched her arts a thousandfold1 leaving the ,alhambra as a beacon-light through the ages4 ,finally the crusades united all warring races against the infidels4 ,blood was shed1 but at the same time routes were opened up1 by which the arts1 as well as the commerce1 of the ,orient1 reached ,europe4 ,and so the ,byzantine continued to contend with ,gothic art--that art which preceded from the ,christian ,church and stretched like a canopy over ,western ,europe1 all through the ,middle ,ages4 ,it was in the churches and monasteries that ,christian art1 driven from pillar to post by wars1 was obliged to take refuge1 and there produced that marvellous development known as the ,gothic style1--of the ,church1 for the ,church1 by the ,church1 perfected in countless ,gothic cathedrals1--crystallised glorias lifting their manifold spires to heaven1--ethereal monuments of an intrepid ,faith which gave material form to its adoration1 its fasting and prayer1 in an unrivalled art4 ,there is one early ,gothic chair which has come down to us1 ,charlemagne's1 made of gilt-bronze and preserved in the ,louvre1 at ,paris4 ,any knowledge beyond this one piece1 as to what ,carlovingian furniture was like 7the eighth century7 we get only from old manuscripts which show it to have been the pseudo-classic1 that is1 the classic modified by ,byzantine influence1 and very like the ,empire style of ,napoleon ,i4 ,here is the reason for the type4 ,constantinople was the capital of the ,eastern ,empire1 when in #gbf ,a4,d41 ,emperor ,leo ,,iii prohibited image worship1 and the artists and artisans of his part of the world1 in order to earn a livelihood1 scattered over ,europe1 settling in the various capitals1 where they were eagerly welcomed and employed4 ,even so late as the tenth to fourteenth centuries the knowledge we have of ,gothic furniture still comes from illustrated manuscripts and missals preserved in museums or in the national libraries4 ,rome fell as an empire in the fifth century4 ,in the eighth century1 ,venice asserted herself1 later becoming the great1 wealthy1 ,merchant ,city of ,eastern ,europe1 the golden gate between ,byzantium and the ,west 7eleventh to fifteenth centuries74 ,her merchants visiting every country naturally carried home all art expressions1 but1 so far as we know1 her own chief artistic output in very early days1 was in the nature of richly carved wooden furniture1 no specimens of which remain4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,the ,,gothic ,,period ,the ,gothic ,period is the pointed period1 and dominated the art of ,europe from about the tenth to the fifteenth century4 ,its origin was ,teutonic1 its development and perfection ,french4 ,at first1 the house of a feudal lord meant one large hall with a raised dais1 curtained off for him and his immediate family1 and subdivided into sleeping apartments for the women4 ,on this dais a table ran crossways1 at which the lord and his family with their guests1 ate1 while a few steps lower1 at a long table running lengthwise of the hall1 sat the retainers4 ,the hall was1 also1 the living-room for all within the walls of the castle4 ,sand was strewn on the stone floor and the dogs of the knights ate what was thrown to them1 gnawing the bones at their leisure4 ,this rude scene was surrounded by wonderful tapestries hung from the walls3--woman's record of man's deeds4 ,later1 we read of stairs and of another room known as the ,parloir or talking-room1 and here begins the sub-division of homes1 which in democratic ,america has arrived at a point where more than #bjj rooms are often sheltered under one private roof6 ,oak chests figured prominently among the furnishings of a ,gothic home1 because the possessions of those feudal lords1 who were constantly at war with one another1 often had to be moved in haste4 ,as men's lives became more settled1 their possessions gradually multiplied2 but even at the end of the eleventh century bedsteads were provided only for the nobility1 probably on account of expense1 as they were very grand affairs1 carved and draped4 ,to that time and later belong the wonderfully carved presses or wardrobes4 ,carved wood panelling was an important addition to interior decoration during the reign of ,henry ,,iii 7#abaf-gb74 ,in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries ,england with ,flanders led in the production of medival art4 ,hallmarks of the ,gothic period are animals and reptiles carved to ornament the structural parts of furniture and to ornament panels4 ,favourite subjects with the wood carvers of that time were scenes from the lives of the saints 7the ,church dominated the ,state7 and from the romances1 chanted by the minstrels4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,the ,,renaissance ,following the ,gothic ,period came the ,renaissance of ,greek art which began in ,italy under the leadership of ,leonardo ,da ,vinci and ,raphael1 who1 rejecting the existing types of degraded decorative art1 in ,italy a combination of the ,byzantine and ,gothic--turned to the antique1 the purest ,greek styles of ,pericles' time4 ,the result was another period of perfect line and proportion1 called the ,italian ,renaissance1 a great wave of art which swept over all ,europe1 gaining impetus from the wise patronage of the ruling ,medicis4 ,one of them 7,pope ,leo ,x with the co-operation of ,italy's reigning dukes and princes7 employed and so developed the extraordinary powers of ,michael ,angelo1 ,titian1 ,raphael1 ,andrea del ,sarto and ,correggio4 ,by the end of the fifteenth century1 ,classic ,greek art was engrossing the mind of ,western ,europe1 classical literature was becoming the fashion and there was even an attempt to make ,latin the popular language4 ,it was during the ,renaissance that ,palladio rebuilt the palaces of ,italy1--beautiful beyond words1 and that ,benvenuto ,cellini designed in gold1 silver and bronze in a manner never since equalled4 ,from that same period dates the world-famous ,majolica of ,urbino1 ,pesaro and ,gubbio1 shown in our museums4 ,so far as house-furnishing went1 aside from palaces1 there was but little that was appropriate for intimate domestic life4 ,the early ,renaissance furniture was palatial1 architectural in outline and1 one might almost say1 in proportions4 ,the tables were impossibly high1 the chairs were stiff1 and the cabinets immense and formal in outline4 ,it had1 however1 much stately beauty1 and very lovely are certain old pieces of carved and gilded wood where the gilt1 put on over a red preparation and highly burnished1 has rubbed off with time1 and shows a soft glow of colour through the gold4 ,but as always1 the curse of over-elaboration to please perverted minds1 was resorted to by cabinet-makers who copied mosaics with their inlaying1 and invented that form known as pietra-dura--polished bits of marble1 agates1 pebbles and lapis lazuli4 ,ivory was carved and used as bas-reliefs and ivory and tortoise shell1 brass and mother-of-pearl used as inlay4 ,elaborate ,arabesque designs inlaid were souvenirs of the ,orient1 and where the cabinetmaker's saw left a line1 the cuts were filled in with black wood or stained glue1 which brought out the design and so gave an added decorative effect4 ,skilled artisans had other designs bitten into wood by acids1 and shading was managed by pouring hot sand on the surface of the wood4 ,hallmarks of the ,renaissance are designs which were taken from ,greek and ,roman mythology1 and allegories representing the elements1 seasons1 months and virtues4 ,also1 battle scenes and triumphal marches4 ,the insatiable love for decoration found still another expression in silver and gold plaques of the highest artistic quality1 embossed and engraved for those princes of ,florence1 ,urbino1 ,ferrara1 ,rome1 ,venice and ,naples1 who vied with one another in extravagance until the inevitable reaction came4 ,,plate ,,xvii ,an example of good mantel decoration4 ,the vases and clock are ,empire1 the chairs ,directoire1 and footstools ,louis ,,xv4 ,a low bowl of modern green ,venetian glass holds flowers4 ,illustration3 ,an ,example of ,perfect ,balance and ,beauty in ,mantel ,arrangement ,edmund ,bonneff says that in the latter part of the ,renaissance1 while the effort of the ,italians seems to have been to disguise wood1 ,french cabinet-makers emphasised its value--an interesting point to bear in mind4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if we trace the ,renaissance movement in ,germany we find that it was ,albrecht ,drer who led it4 ,then1 as always1 the ,germans were foremost in wood carving2 with ,holland and ,belgium they are responsible for much of the antique oak furniture on ,renaissance lines4 ,the ,scandinavians have also done wonderful wood carving1 which is easily confused with the early wood carving of the ,russians1 for the reason that the ,swedes settled ,finland1 and ,russia's ,ruric rulers 7before the ,romanoff house1--sixteenth century7 were from ,finland4 ,in the sixteenth century metal work in steel1 iron and brass reached its height in ,germany and ,italy4 ,it is supposed that the elaborate mounts in furniture which were later perfected in ,france had their origin in iron corners and hinge-plates used1 at first1 merely to strengthen1 but as the men who worked in metals became more and more skilful1 the mounts were made with the intent of mere decoration and to draw attention to the beauty of the wood itself4 ,before ,drer turned ,germany's mind toward the ,greek revival of ,art1 the craftsmen of his country had been following ,dutch models4 ,this was natural enough1 for ,charles ,v was king at that time1 of ,holland1 ,germany and ,spain1 and the arts of the three countries1 as well as their commerce were interchangeable4 ,in fact it was the ,dutch painter1 ,van ,eyck1 who took the ,renaissance into ,spain when called thereto paint royalty4 ,sculptors1 tapestry weavers1 books on art1 etc41 followed4 ,that was the ,spanish awakening1 but the art of ,spain during the sixteenth century shows that the two most powerful influences were ,moorish and ,italian4 ,the most characteristically ,spanish furniture of that period are those cabinets1--,vargueos1 made of wood ornamented on the outside with wrought iron1 while inside are little columns made of fine bone1 painted and gilded4 ,much of the old ,spanish furniture reproduces ,german and ,italian styles4 ,embossed leather put on with heavy nails has always been characteristic of ,spain1 and in the seventeenth century very fine ,spanish mahogany and chestnut were decorated with tortoise-shell inlaid with ivory1 so as to make elaborate pictures in the ,italian style4 7,see ,baron ,davillier on ,spanish ,furniture474 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,french ,,furniture ,the classic periods in ,french furniture were those known as ,francis ,i1 ,henry ,,ii and the three ,louis1--,,xiv1 ,,xv1 and ,,xvi4 ,one can get an idea of all ,french periods in furnishing by visiting the collection in ,paris belonging to the government1 ,mobilier ,national1 in the new wing of the ,louvre4 ,it is always necessary to consult political history in order to understand artistic invasions4 ,turn to it now and you will find that ,charles ,,viii of ,france held ,naples for two years 7#adie-f71 and when he went home took with him ,italian artists to decorate his palaces4 ,read on and find that later ,henry ,,ii married ,catherine de ,medici and loved ,diane de ,poitiers1 and that1 fortunately for ,france1 both his queen and his mistress were patronesses of the arts4 ,so ,france bloomed in the sunshine of royal favour and ,greek influence1 as few countries ever had4 ,fontainebleau 7begun by ,francis ,i7 was the first of a chain of ,french royal palaces1 all monuments without and within1 to a picturesque system of monarchy1--,kings who could do no wrong1 wafting sceptres over powerless subjects1 whose toil produced ,art in the form of architecture1 cabinetmaking1 tapestry weaving1 mural decoration1 unrivalled porcelain1 exquisitely wrought silver and gold plate1 silks1 lovely as flower gardens 7showing the pomegranate and vase patterns7 and velvets like the skies6 ,and for what8 ,did these things represent the wise planning of wise monarchs for dependent subjects8 ,we know better1 for it is only in modern times that simple living and small incomes have achieved surroundings of artistic beauty and comfort4 ,the marvels of interior decoration during the classic ,french periods were created for kings and their queens1 mistresses and favoured courtiers4 ,diane de ,poitiers wished--perhaps only dreamed--and an epoch-making art project was born4 ,madame du ,barry admired and made her own the since famous du ,barry rose colour1 and the ,svres porcelain factories reproduced it for her4 ,but how to produce this particular illusive shade of deep1 purplish-pink became a forgotten art1 when the seductive person of the king's mistress was no more4 ,if you would learn all there is to know concerning the sixteenth century furnishings in ,france read ,edmund ,bonneff's ,sixteenth ,century ,furniture4 ,it was the ,henry ,,ii interior decoration and architecture which first showed the ,renaissance of pure line and classic proportion1 followed by the never-failing reaction from the simple line to the undulating over-ornate when decoration repeated the elaboration of the most luxurious1 licentious periods of the past4 ,one has but to walk through the royal palaces of ,france to see ,french history beguilingly illustrated1 in a series of volumes open to all1 the pages of which are vibrant with the names and personalities of men and women who will always live in history as products of an age of great culture and art4 ,,plate ,,xviii ,a delightful bit of a room4 ,the furniture1 in line1 shows a ,directoire influence4 ,the striped ,french satin sofa and one chair is blue1 yellow and faun1 the ,brussels tapestry in faded blues1 fauns and greys4 ,over a charmingly painted table is a ,louis ,,xv gilt applique1 the screen is dark in tone and has painted panels4 ,the rug1 done in cross-stitch1 black ground and design colours1 was discovered in a forgotten corner of a shop1 its condition so dingy from the dust of ages that only an expert would have recognised its possibilities4 ,illustration3 ,corner of a ,drawing ,room1 ,furniture ,showing ,directoire influence ,the ,louis ,,xiv1 ,,xv and ,,xvi periods in furniture are all related4 ,rare brocades1 flowered and in stripes1 bronze mounts as garlands1 bow-knots and rosettes1 on intricate inlaying1 mark their common relationship4 ,the story of these periods is that gradually decoration becomes over-elaborated and in the end dominates the ,greek outline4 ,the three ,louis mark a succession of great periods4 ,louis ,,xiv1 though beautiful at its best1 is of the three the most ornate and is characterised in its worst stage by the extremely bowed 7cabriole7 legs of the furniture1 ludicrously suggestive of certain debauched courtiers who surrounded the ,grande ,monarch4 ,louis ,,xv legs show a curve1 also1 but no longer the stoggy1 squat cabriole of the over-fed gallant4 ,instead we are entranced by an ethereal grace and lightness of movement in every line and decoration4 ,here cabriole means but a courtly knee swiftly bending to salute some beauty's hand4 ,so subtly waving is the curving outline of this furniture that one scarcely knows where it begins or ends1 and it is the same with the decorations--exquisitely delicate waving traceries of vines and flora1 gold on gold1 inlay1 or paint in delicate tones4 ,all this gives to the ,louis ,,xv period supremacy over ,louis ,,xvi1 whose round1 grooved1 tapering straight legs1 one tires of more quickly1 although fine gold and lovely paint make this type winning and beloved4 ,from ,louis ,,xvi we pass to the ,directoire1 when1 following the ,revolution1 the voice of the populace decried all ostentation and everything savouring of the superfluous4 ,the ,great ,napoleon in his first period affected simplicity and there were no longer bronze mounts1 in rosettes1 garlands and bow-knots1 elaborate inlaying1 nor painted furniture with lovely flowering surfaces2 in the most severe examples not even fluted legs6 ,instead1 simple but delicately proportioned furniture with slender1 squarely cut1 chastely tapering legs1 arms and backs1 was the fashion4 ,in fact1 the ,directoire type is one of ideal proportions1 graceful outlines with a flowing movement and the decoration when present1 kept well within bounds1 entirely subservient to the main structural material4 ,one feels an almost ,quaker-like quality about the ,directoire1 whether of natural wood or plain painted surface4 ,with ,napoleon's assumption of regal power and habits1 we get the ,empire 7he had been to ,rome and ,egypt71 pseudo-classic in outline and richly ornamented with mounts in ormoulu characteristic of the ,louis4 ,the ,empire period in furniture was dethroned by the succeeding rgime4 ,when we see old ,french chairs with leather seats and backs1 sometimes embossed1 in the ,portuguese style1 with small regular design1 put on with heavy nails and twisted or straight stretchers 7pieces of wood extending between legs of chairs71 we know that they belong to the time of ,henry ,,iv or ,louis ,,xiii4 ,some of the large chairs show the shell design in their broad1 elaborate stretchers4 ,the beautiful small side tables of the ,louis and ,first ,empire called consoles1 were made for the display of their marvellously wrought pieces of silver1 hammered and chiselled by hand1--museum pieces1 indeed1 and lucky is the collector who chances upon any specimen adrift4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,the ,,periods ,,of ,,the ,,three ,,louis ,the only way to learn how to distinguish the three ,louis is to study these periods in collections of furniture and objects of art1 or1 where this is impossible1 to go through books showing interiors of those periods4 ,in this way one learns to visualise the salient features of any period and gradually to acquire a feeling for them1 that subtle sense which is not dependent wholly upon outline1 decoration1 nor colour1 but upon the combined result4 ,french writers who specialise along the lines of interior decoration often refer to the three types as follows3 ,period of ,louis ,,xiv--heavily1 stolidly masculine2 ,period of ,louis ,,xv--coquettishly feminine2 ,period of ,louis ,,xvi--lightly1 alertly masculine4 ,one soon sees why1 for ,louis ,,xiv furniture does suggest masculinity by its weight and size4 ,it is squarely made1 straight 7classic7 in line1 equally balanced1 heavily ponderous and magnificent4 ,over its surface1 masses of decoration immobile as stone carving1 are evenly dispersed1 and contribute a grandiose air to all this furniture4 ,there was impressive gallantry to the ,louis ,,xiv style1 a ceremonious masculine gallantry1 while ,louis ,,xv furniture--the period dominated by women when poetry and sculpture sang of love and life revolved about the boudoir--shows a type entirely intime1 sinuously1 lightly1 gracefully1 coquettishly feminine1 bending and courtesying1 with no fixed outline1 no equal balance of proportions4 ,louis ,,xv was the period when outline and decoration were merged in one and the shell which figured in ,louis ,,xiv merely as an ornament1 gave its form 7in a curved outline7 and its name rococo 7,italian for shell7 to the style4 ,as a reaction from this we get the ,louis ,,xvi period1 again masculine in its straight rigidity of line1 its perfectly poised proportions1 the directness of its appeal to the eye1 a reflection of the more serious mental attitude of the nation4 ,louis ,,xvi had an aristocratic sobriety and was masculine in a light1 alert1 mental way1 if one can so express it1 which stimulates the imagination1 in direct contrast to the material and literal type of ,louis ,,xiv which1 as we have said1 was masculine in its ponderous magnificence1 and unyielding over-ornamentation4 ,so much for outline4 ,now for the decoration of the three periods4 ,remember that the ,louis ,,xiv1 ,,xv and ,,xvi periods took their ideas for decoration from the ,greeks1 via ,italy1 and the extreme ,orient4 ,a national touch was added by means of their ,svres porcelain medallions set into furniture1 and the finely chiselled bronzes known as ormoulu1 a superior alloy of metals of a rich gold colour4 ,the subjects for these chiselled bronzes were taken from ,greek and ,roman mythology2 gods1 goddesses1 and cupids the insignia of which were torches1 quivers1 arrows1 and tridents4 ,there were1 also1 wreaths1 garlands1 festoons and draperies1 as well as rosettes1 ribbons1 bow-knots1 medallion heads1 and the shell and acanthus leaf4 ,one finds these in various combinations or as individual motives on the furniture of the ,louis4 ,,plate ,,xix ,shows the red-tiled entrance hall of a duplex apartment in ,new ,york4 ,on the walls are two ,italian mirrors 7,louis ,,xvi71 a side table 7console7 of the same epoch1 and two ,italian carved chairs4 ,illustration3 ,entrance ,hall in ,new ,york ,duplex ,apartment4 ,italian ,furniture ,the backgrounds for these mounts were the woods finely inlaid with ivory shell and brass in the style of the ,italian ,renaissance4 ,oriental lacquer and painted furniture1 at that time heavily gilded4 ,the legs of chairs1 sofas and tables of the ,louis ,,xiv period were cabrioles 7curved outward7--a development of the animal legs of carved wood1 bronze or gold1 used by the ancient ,assyrians1 ,egyptians and ,greeks as supports for tables and chairs4 ,square grooved legs also appeared in this type4 ,the same grooves are found on round tapering legs of ,louis ,,xvi's time4 ,in fact that type of leg is far more typical of the ,louis ,,xvi period than the cabriole or square legs grooved1 but one sees all three styles4 ,other hallmarks of the ,louis ,,xvi period are the straight outlines1 perfectly balanced proportions1 the rosettes1 ribbon and bow-knot with torch and arrows in chiselled bronze4 ,that all painting and sculpture sang of love is as true of ,louis ,,xvi as of ,louis ,,xv4 ,in both reigns the colouring was that of spring-tender greens1 pale blossoms1 the grey of mists1 sky-blues1 and yellows of sunshine4 ,during ,louis ,,xv's time soft cushions fitted into the sinuous lines of the furniture1 and as some ,frenchman has put it1 a vague1 discreet perfume pervaded the whole period1 in contrast to the heavier odour of the ,first ,empire4 ,the walls and ceilings of the three ,louis were richly decorated in accordance with a scheme1 surpassing in magnificence any other period4 ,an intricate system of mouldings 7to master which1 students at the cole des ,beaux ,arts1 ,paris1 must devote years7 encrusted sidewalls and ceilings1 forming panels and medallions1 over-doors and chimney-pieces1 into which were let paintings by the great masters of the time1 whose subjects reflected the moods and interests of each period4 ,the ,louis ,,xv and ,,xvi paintings are tender and vague as to subject and the colours veiled in a greyish tone1 full of sentiment4 ,that was the great period of tapestry weaving--,beauvais1 ,arras and ,gobelin1 and these filled panels or hung before doors4 ,it may be said that the period of ,louis ,,xvi profited by antiquity1 but continued ,french traditions2 it was a renaissance of line and decoration kept alive1 while the ,first ,empire was classic form inanimate1 because an abrupt innovation rather than an influence and a development4 ,one may go farther and quote the ,french claim that the colour scheme of ,louis ,,xvi was intensely suggestive and personal1 while the ,empire colouring was literal and impersonal4 ,under ,louis ,,xvi furniture was all but lost in a crowd of other articles1 tapestry1 draperies of velvet1 flowered silks1 little objects of art in porcelain1 more or less useless1 silver and ormoulu1 exquisitely decorated with a prcieuse intricacy of chiselled designs4 ,the ,louis ,,xvi period was rigid in its aristocratic sobriety1 for although torch and arrows figured1 as did love-birds1 in decoration--7souvenirs of the painter ,boucher71 everything was set and decorous1 even the arrow was often the warrior's not cupid's2 in the same way the torch was that of the ancients1 and when a medallion showed a pastoral subject1 its frame of straight lines linked it to the period4 ,even if ,cupid appeared1 he was decorously framed or pedestaled4 ,to be sure1 ,marie ,antoinette and the ladies of her court played at farming in the ,park of the ,petite ,trainon1 at ,versailles2 but they wore silk gowns and powdered wigs4 ,to be rustic was the fad of the day 7there was a cult for gardening in ,england72 but shepherdesses were confined to tapestries1 and1 while the aristocracy held the stage1 it played the game of life in gloves4 ,there was about the interior decoration of ,louis ,,xvi1 as about the lives of aristocratic society of that time1 a penetrating perfume of love and gallantry1 to which all admirers of the beautiful must ever return for refreshment and standards of beauty and grace4 ,speaking generally of the three ,louis one can say that on a background of a great variety of wonderful inlaid woods1 ivory1 shell1 mother-of-pearl and brass1 or woods painted and gilded1 following the ,italian ,renaissance1 or lacquered in the manner of the ,orient1 were ormoulu wrought and finely chiselled1 showing ,greek mythological subjects2 gods1 goddesses and their insignia1 with garlands1 wreaths1 festoons1 draperies1 ribbons1 bow-knots1 rosettes and medallions of cameo1 ,svres porcelain1 or ,wedgwood paste4 ,among the lost arts of that time are inlaying as done by ,boule and the finish known as ,vernis ,martin4 ,,plate ,,xx ,this large studio is a marked example of comfort and interest where the laws of appropriateness1 practicableness1 proportion and balance are so observed as to communicate at once a sense of restfulness4 ,here the comfortable antiques and beautifully proportioned modern furniture make an ideal combination of living-room and painter's studio4 ,illustration3 ,combination of ,studio and ,living ,room in a ,new ,york ,duplex ,apartment ,tapestries and mural paintings were framed by a marvellous system of mouldings which covered ceilings and sidewalls4 ,the colour scheme was such as would naturally be dictated by the general mood of artificiality in an age when dreams were lived and the ruling classes obsessed by a passion for amusements1 invented to divert the mind from actualities4 ,this colour scheme was beautifully light in tone and harmoniously gay1 whether in tapestries1 draperies and upholstery of velvets1 or flowered silks1 frescoes or painted furniture4 ,it had the appearance of being intended to act as a soporific upon society1 whose aim it was to ignore those jarring contrasts which lay beneath the surface of every age4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,,charts ,,showing ,,historical ,,evolution ,,of ,,furniture ,,louis ,,xiv1 #afdc to ,compressed regularity ,straight1 square1 #agae giving way in grooved and very ,key-note reaction to a squat cabriole ,the ,grand ponderous ugliness4 legs4 ,audience ,rooms ,,the ,,regency ,,and ,the ,reign of ,woman4 ,cabriole legs of a ,,louis ,,xv1 #agae to perfect lightness #aggd and grace4 ,key-note ,the ,boudoir ,the transition style ,legs tapering between the ,bourbon straight1 rounded ,interior ,decoration and grooved4 ,a and that of few square-grooved the ,directorate legs and ,,louis ,,xvi1 #aggd to and ,empire1 a few graceful1 #agic characterised by a slender cabriole ,key-note return to the classic legs4 ,the ,salon ,intime line which reflects a more serious turn of mind on part of the ,nation in an age of great mental activity4 ,classic lines4 ,classic decorations with subjects taken from ,greek mythologies4 ,winged figures1 emblems of liberty2 antique heads of helmeted warriors1 made like medallions1 wreaths1 lyres1 torches1 rosettes1 etc4 ,besides the wonderful mounts of ,ormoulu1 designed by the great sculptors and painters of the period1 there was a great deal of fine brass inlaying4 ,antique vases taken from ancient tombs were ,,the ,,first ,,empire1 placed in recesses in the walls of rooms ,,napoleon ,i1 #ahjd after the style of the ancient ,columbaria4 to #ahad ,every effort was made to surround ,napoleon ,i with the dignity and austere sumptuousness of a great ,roman ,emperor4 ,as we have said1 he had been in ,rome and he had been in ,egypt2 the art of the ,french ,empire was reminiscent of both4 ,napoleon would outstrip the other conquerors of the world4 ,some ,empire furniture shows the same fine turning which characterizes ,jacobean furniture of both oak and walnut periods4 ,we refer to the round1 not spiral1 turning4 ,see legs of ,empire sofa on which ,madame ,rcamier reclines in the well-known portrait by ,david 7,louvre74 ,,english ,,furniture ,gothic1 through #adth ,century4 ,,the ,,oak ,,period ,renaissance1 #afth ,century4 7including early ,elizabethan1 #afth ,century4 ,jacobean7 ,jacobean or ,stuart1 #agth ,century2 ,james ,i1 ,charles ,i and ,,ii1 and ,james ,,ii1 #afjc-afhh4 ,late ,jacobean4 ,,the ,,walnut ,,period ,william and ,mary1 #afhh4 ,queen ,anne1 #agjb4 ,,mahogany ,,period ,chippendale4 #ahth ,century4 7and other imported ,,heppelwhite4 woods71 or ,,sheraton ,,chippendale ,,period4 ,,the ,,adam ,,brothers4 ,almost no furniture exists of the #acth ,century4 ,we get the majority of our ,,gothic ,,period1 ideas from illustrated manuscripts of ,through #adth ,century4 that time4 ,the furniture was carved oak or plain oak ornamented with iron scroll work1 intended both for strength and decoration4 ,,renaissance ,,or ,the characteristic1 heavy1 wide mouldings ,,elizabethan1 and small panels1 and heavy round #afth ,century4 carving4 ,panels large and mouldings very narrow and flat1 or no mouldings at all1 and flat carving4 ,the classic influence shown during ,,jacobean ,,or the period of the ,commonwealth in designs1 ,,stuart ,,period1 pilastars and pediments was the result of a #agth ,century4 classic reaction1 all elaboration being resented4 ,,walnut ,,period1 ,the ,restoration brought in elaborate late #agth ,century4 carving4 ,dutch influence is exemplified in the fashion for inlaying imported from ,holland1 as well as the tulip design4 ,turned legs1 stretchers1 borders and spiral turnings1 characterized ,jacobean style4 ,in the ,,gothic ,,period 7extending through #adth ,century71 as the delightful irregularity in line and decoration shows1 ,tables1 chests1 presses 7wardrobes71 there was ,,no ,,set ,,type2 each chairs and benches or piece was an individual creation settles4 and showed the personality of maker4 ,during ,,renaissance ,,or ,,elizabethan ,,period 7#afth ,century7 ,table chests1 presses1 chairs1 types begin to establish benches1 settles1 and small and repeat themselves4 chests of drawers4 ,inlaying in ebony1 ivory1 mother-of-pearl1 and ebonised oblong bosses of the jewel type 7last half of #agth ,century74 ,in the ,,jacobean 7#agth ,century7 ,the tulip design introduced there was already a set type1 from ,holland as decoration4 pieces made all alike1 turned ,turned and carved frames and out by the hundreds4 stretchers2 caned seats and backs to chairs1 velvet cushions1 velvet satin damask and needlework upholstery1 the seats stuffed4 ,henry ,,viii made ,england ,protestant1 it having been ,roman ,catholic for several hundred years before the coming of the ,anglo-,saxons and for a thousand years after4 ,,queen ,,elizabeth4 ,,protestant4 ,the ,elizabethan ,period4 ,,stuart4 ,,james ,i4 #afjc4 ,,roman ,,catholic4 ,,jacobean4 ,,charles ,i4 7,puritan ,revolution71 #afbh4 ,oliver ,cromwell4 #afdi4 ,,puritan4 ,commonwealth4 ,,stuart4 ,charles ,,ii4 7#affj71 ,restoration4 ,,roman ,,catholic4 ,,jacobean4 ,james ,,ii4 7#afhf71 ,deposition and ,flight4 ,william--,prince of ,orange 7,holland71 #afhh4 ,,protestant4 ,who had married the ,english ,princess ,mary and was the only available ,protestant 7#afhh74 ,,protestant4 --,queen ,anne 7#agjb-agad74 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,the ,,mahogany ,,period ,it is interesting to note that the ,great ,fire of ,london started the importation of foreign woods from across the ,baltic1 as great quantities were needed at once for the purpose of rebuilding4 ,these soft woods aroused the invention of the cabinet-makers1 and were especially useful for inlaying2 so we find in addition to oak1 that mahogany1 pear and lime woods were used in fine furniture1 it being lime-wood that ,grinling ,gibbons carved when working with ,sir ,christopher ,wren1 the famous architect 7seventeenth century74 ,during the early ,georgian period the oak carvings were merely poor imitations of ,elizabethan and ,stuart designs4 ,there seemed to have been no artist wood-carvers with originality1 which may have been partly due to a lack of stimulus1 as the fashion in the decoration of furniture turned toward inlaying4 ,,the ,,period ,,of ,,william ,,iii ,,and ,,queen ,,mary ,,and ,,early ,,georgian are characterised by turned work1 giving way to flattened forms1 and the disappearance of the elaborate front stretcher on ,charles ,,ii chairs4 ,the coming of mahogany into ,england and its great popularity there gives its name to that period when ,chippendale1 ,heppelwhite1 ,sheraton and the ,adam ,brothers were the great creative cabinet-makers4 ,the entire period is often called ,,chippendale1 because ,chippendale's books on furniture1 written to stimulate trade by arousing good taste and educating his public1 are considered the best of that time4 ,there were three editions3 #aged1 #agei1 and #agfb4 ,the work was entitled ,the ,gentleman and ,cabinet-maker's ,director and ,useful ,designs of ,household ,furniture in the ,gothic1 ,chinese and ,modern ,taste 7and there was still more to the title674 ,chippendale's genius lay in taking the best wherever he found it and blending the whole into a type so graceful1 beautiful1 perfectly proportioned1 light in weight and appearance1 and so singularly suited to the uses for which it was intended1 that it amounted to creation4 ,the ,chinese ,craze in ,england was partly due to a book so called1 written by ,sir ,william ,chambers1 architect1 who went to ,china and not only studied1 but sketched1 the furniture1 he saw there4 ,thomas ,sheraton1 we are assured1 was the most cultivated of this group of cabinet-makers4 ,the three men made both good and bad styles4 ,the work of the three men can be distinguished one from the other and1 also1 it can be very easily confused4 ,to read up a period helps2 but to really know any type of furniture with certainty1 one must become familiar with its various and varying characteristics4 ,the houses and furniture designed and made by the ,adam brothers were an epoch in themselves4 ,these creations were the result of the co-operation of a little band of artists1 consisting of ,michael ,angelo ,pergolesi1 who published in #aggg1 ,designs for ,various ,ornaments2 ,angelica ,kauffman and ,cipriani1 two artist-painters who decorated the walls1 ceilings1 woodwork and furniture designed by the ,adam brothers2 and another colleague1 the great ,josiah ,wedgwood1 whose medallions and plaques1 cameo-like creations in his jasper paste1 showed both classic form and spirit4 ,the ,adam brothers' creations were rare exotics1 with no forerunners and no imitators1 like nothing the world had ever seen--yet reflecting the purest ,greek period in line and design4 ,one of the characteristics of the ,mahogany ,period was the cabriole leg1 which is1 also1 associated with ,italian and ,french furniture of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4 ,as a matter of fact this form of leg is as old as the ,romans and is really the same as the animal legs of wood or bronze1 used as supports for tripods and tables by ,assyrians1 ,egyptians and ,greeks4 ,the cabriole leg may be defined as a convex curve above a concave one1 with the point of junction smoothed away4 ,on ,italian console tables and ,french commodes we see the two simple curves disguised by terminal figures4 ,the rocaille 7shell7 ornament on the ,chippendale as well as the cabriole leg copied from ,italy and ,france1 and the ,dutch foot from ,holland1 substantiate our claim that ,chippendale used what he found wherever he found it irrespective of the stigma of plagiarism4 ,there is a beautiful book by ,f4,s4 ,robinson in which the entire subject of ,english furniture is treated in a most charming fashion4 ,now let us return a moment to the ,jacobean period4 ,it was under ,charles ,i that couches and settles became prominent pieces of furniture4 ,some of the ,jacobean chairs are like those made in ,italy1 in the seventeenth century1 with crossed legs1 backs and seats covered with red velvet4 ,other ,jacobean chairs had scrollwork carved and pierced1 with central panel in the back of embroidery1 while the seat was of cane4 ,some of the ,jacobean cabinets had panels of ebony1 the other parts inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ivory4 ,the silver ,jacobean furniture is interesting and the best examples of this type are said to be those belonging to ,lord ,sackville4 ,they are of ebony with silver mountings4 ,yorkshire is noted for its ,jacobean furniture1 but some famous rooms done in this style are at ,langleys1 in ,essex1 the seat of ,col4 ,tufnell1 where the ceilings and mantels are especially fine and the library boasts interesting panelled walls1 once enlivened by stained glass windows1 when this room was used as a private chapel for the family4 ,jacobean carving was never ornate4 ,twenty years later came the ,queen ,anne period4 ,queen ,anne chairs show a solid splat1 sometimes vase-shaped1 and strap-work arabesques4 ,most of the legs were cabriole1 instead of the twisted turnings 7on ,stuart lines7 which had been ,supports for chairs1 cabinets and tables4 ,the ,queen ,anne chair legs terminated when cabriole1 in claws and balls or simple balls4 ,settees for two were then called love seats1 and pole-screens belonged to this period1 tall1 slender poles with small1 sliding screens4 ,queen ,anne hangings were of rich damasks1 silks and velvets1 and the wainscot of rooms was painted some pale colour as an effective background to set off the dark1 turned walnut or gorgeous lacquer made in red1 green or black1 and ornamented with gold4 ,some of the ,queen ,anne pieces of this variety had hinges and lockplates of chased brass4 ,another variety was of oak1 veneered with walnut and inlaid4 ,the very high ceilings of the ,queen ,anne period led to the use of tall boys or family bureaus1 those many-storied conveniences which comprised a book-case above1 writing desk in the middle1 and drawers below4 ,lockwood says in giving the history of chairs1 in his ,cabinet ,makers from #agej to #ahdj3 ,extravagance of taste and fluctuation of fashion had reached high water mark due to increase of wealth in ,england and her colonies4 ,from the plain1 stately pieces of ,queen ,anne the public turned to the rococo ,french designs of early ,chippendale1 then tiring of that1 veered back to classic lines1 as done by the ,adam brothers1 and so on1 from heavy ,chippendale to the overlight and perishable ,heppelwhite4 ,then public taste turned to the gaudily painted ,sheraton and finally1 took to copying the ,french ,empire4 ,the ,american ,revolutionary ,war stopped the exportation of furniture to ,america1 with the result that cabinet-makers in the ,united ,states copied ,chippendale and neglected all other later artists4 ,when ,america began again to import models1 ,sheraton was an established and not a transitional type4 ,beautiful specimens are shown in the ,nichols house1 at ,salem1 ,mass41 furnished in #aghc4 ,the furniture used by ,george ,washington when ,president of the ,united ,states in #aghi1 and now in the ,city ,hall1 ,new ,york1 is pure ,sheraton4 7,see ,colonial ,furniture1 ,luke ,vincent ,lockwood47 ,sir ,christopher ,wren1 architect1 with ,grinling ,gibbons1 designer and wood-carver1 were chiefly responsible for the beautifully elaborate mouldings on ceilings and walls1 carved from oak and used for forming large panels with wide bevels1 into which were sometimes set tapestries4 ,the ,italian stucco mouldings were also used at that time4 ,the fashion for elaborate ceilings and sidewalls had come to ,england via ,italy and ,france4 ,the most elaborate ones of those times were executed under ,charles ,,ii and ,william ,,iii1 the ceilings rivalling those of ,louis ,,xiv4 ,william and ,mary 7#afhg-agjb7 brought over with them from ,holland1 ,dutch cabinet makers1 which accounts for the marked ,dutch influence on the ,mahogany ,period1 an influence which shows in a ,dutch style of inlaying1 cabriole legs and the tulip design4 ,a sure sign of the ,william and ,mary period is the presence of jasmine1 as designed for inlaying in bone1 ivory or hollywood4 ,lacquer came to ,england via ,holland1 the ,dutch having imported ,chinese workmen4 ,the entire ,mahogany ,period1 including the ,adam brothers1 used the shell as a design and the backs of settees resembled several chair backs places side by side4 ,a feature of the ,mahogany ,period were the knife-boxes and cases for bottles1 made of mahogany and often inlaid1 which stood upon pedestals constructed for the purpose1 at each side of the sideboard4 ,later the pedestals became a part of the sideboard4 ,the urn-shaped knife-boxes were extremely graceful as made by ,adam1 ,chippendale and ,heppelwhite4 ,it is impossible to clearly define all of the work of the cabinet-makers of the mahogany or any other period1 for reasons already stated4 ,so one must be prepared to find ,chippendale sofas which show the shapes originated by him and1 also1 at times1 show ,louis ,,xvi legs and ,louis ,,xv outline4 ,chippendale's contemporaries were quite as apt to vary their types1 and it is only by experience that one can learn to distinguish between the different artists1 to appreciate the hall marks of creative individuality4 ,the early ,chippendale was almost identical with ,queen ,anne furniture and continued the use of cabriole leg and claw and ball feet4 ,the top of the ,chippendale chairs were bow-shaped with ends extending beyond the sides of the back and usually turned up4 ,if turned down they never rounded into the sides1 as in the case of ,queen ,anne chairs4 ,the splats have an upward movement and were joined to chair seats1 and not to a cross-rail4 ,they were pierced and showed elaborate ribbon and other designs in carving4 ,there were1 also1 ladder backs1 and the ,chinese ,chippendale chairs1 with lattice work open carved and extending over entire backs4 ,the characteristic ,chippendale leg is cabriole with claw and ball foot4 ,the setting for ,chippendale furniture was a panelled dado1 classic mantelpiece1 architraves and frieze1 and stretched over sidewalks1 above dado1 was silk or paper showing a large pattern harmonising with the furniture4 ,the ,chinese craze brought about a fashion for ,chinese wall papers with ,chinese designs4 ,this ,chinese fashion continued for fifty years4 ,chippendale carved the posts of his bedsteads1 and so the bed curtains were drawn back and only a short valance was used around the top1 whereas in the time of ,william and ,mary bed curtains enveloped all the woodwork4 ,still earlier in the ,elizabethan period bed posts were elaborately carved4 ,in the eighteenth century it was the fashion to embroider the bed curtains4 ,the ,chippendale china-cabinets with glass fronts1 were the outcome of the fad for collecting ,chinese and ,french porcelain1 and excellent taste was displayed in collecting these small articles within definite and appropriate limits4 ,cabinets with glass doors were also used as receptacles for silverware4 ,thomas ,sheraton 7#agfj-aghf71 another great name in the ,mahogany ,period1 admired ,louis ,,xv and ,louis ,,xvi and one can easily trace ,french influence in the light1 rhythmic style he originated4 ,sheraton's contribution to interior decoration was furniture4 ,his rooms1 walls1 ceilings1 over-doors1 windows and chimney pieces1 are considered very poor2 which accounts for the fact that ,sheraton furniture as well as ,heppelwhite was used in ,adam rooms4 ,sheraton made a specialty of pieces of furniture designed to serve several purposes1 and therefore adapted for use in small rooms2 such as dressing-tables with folding mirrors1 library step-ladders convertible into tables1 etc4 ,the backs of ,sheraton chairs had straight tops and several small splats joined to a cross-rail1 and not to the seat4 ,the legs were straight4 ,sheraton introduced the use of turned work on the legs and outer supports of the backs of chairs1 and produced fine examples of painted furniture1 especially painted satin-wood4 ,he1 also1 did some very fine inlaying and used cane in the seats and backs of chairs which he painted black and gold4 ,among those who decorated for him was ,angelica ,kauffman4 ,heppelwhite chairs are unmistakable on account of their shield1 heart or oval backs and open splats1 which were not joined to the seat in the centre of backs4 ,the most beautiful were those with carved ,prince of ,wales feathers1 held together by a bow-knot delicately carved4 ,they were sometimes painted4 ,the legs of ,heppelwhite furniture were straight4 ,we see in the book published by ,a4 ,heppelwhite ,co41 a curious statement to the effect that cabriole chairs were those having stuffed backs4 ,this idea must have arisen from the fact that many chairs of the eighteenth century with cabriole legs1 did have stuffed backs4 ,robert ,adam1 born in #aghe1 was an architect and decorative artist4 ,the ,adam rooms1 walls1 ceilings1 mantels1 etc41 are the most perfect of the period2 beautiful classic mouldings encrust ceilings and sidewalls1 forming panels into which were let paintings1 while in drawing-rooms the side panels were either recessed so as to hold statuary in the antique style1 or were covered with damask or tapestry4 ,it is stated that damask and tapestry were never used on the walls of ,adam dining-rooms4 ,james ,adam1 a brother1 worked with ,robert4 ,every period had its own weak points1 so we find the ,adam brothers at times making wall-brackets which were too heavy with ram's heads1 garlands1 etc41 and the ,adam chairs were undoubtedly bad4 ,they had backs with straight tops1 rather like ,sheraton chairs1 and several small splats joining top rail to seat4 ,the bad chairs by ,adam1 were improved upon by ,sheraton and ,heppelwhite4 ,the legs of ,adam furniture were straight4 ,the ideal eighteenth century interior in ,england was undoubtedly an ,adam room with ,heppelwhite or ,sheraton furniture4 ,sir ,john ,soane1 architect1 had one of the last good house interiors1 for the ugly ,georgian style came on the scene about #ahab4 ,grinling ,gibbons' carvings of heavy fruits and flowers1 festoons and masks made to be used architecturally we now see used on furniture1 and often heavily gilded4 ,william ,morris was an epoch maker in ,english interior decoration1 for he stood out for the great1 simple note in furnishings4 ,the pre-,raphaelites worked successfully to the same end1 reviving classic simplicity and establishing the value of elimination4 ,the good1 modern furniture of to-day1 designed with reference to meeting the demands of modern conditions1 undoubtedly received a great impetus from that reaction to the simple and harmonious4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,colonial ,,period ,the furniture made in ,america during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was reproduced from ,english models and shows the influence of ,chippendale1 ,sheraton1 ,heppelwhite and the ,adam brothers4 ,for those interested in these early types of ,american output1 the ,sage and other collections in the ,metropolitan ,museum1 ,new ,york1 give a delightful object lesson1 and there has been much written on the subject in case any data is desired4 ,if some of our readers own heirlooms and plan reproducing ,colonial interiors of the finest type1 we would advise making an effort to see some of the beautiful ,new ,england or ,virginia homes1 which remain quite as they were in the old days2 fine square rooms with hand-carved woodwork1 painted white1 their walls panelled in wood and painted the same white4 ,into these panels were set hand-painted wall paper4 ,the authors saw some made for a house in ,peabody1 near ,salem1 ,massachusetts1 some time between #agfj and #ahjj1 and were amazed to find that the colours were as vivid as when first put on4 ,here let us say that the study of interior decoration throws a strong light on the history of walls4 ,in ,gothic days the stone or wood of the feudal hall was partially concealed by tapestries1--the needlework of the women of the household1 a record of the gallant deeds of men used as interior decoration4 ,later of course1 the making of tapestries became a great industry in ,italy1 ,france and ,belgium1 an industry patronised by kings and the nobility1 and subsidised by governments4 ,next we have walls sheathed with wood panelling4 ,then during the late ,renaissance1 painted portraits were let into these panels and became a part of the walls4 ,later1 the upper half1 or two-thirds of the panelling1 was left off1 and only a low panelling1 or dado1 remained4 ,this1 too1 disappeared in time4 ,landscape paper was the bridge between the panelled walls with pictures built into them1 and the painted or papered walls with pictures hung on them4 ,the paper which we have already referred to1 is one of the finest examples of its kind1 and while there is only enough for one side of a room1 it is valued at #e1jjj4 ,the design is eight feet high1 each strip #bb inches wide1 and there are eighteen of the original twenty strips4 ,two breaks occur1 numbers #af and #ah4 ,the owner believes that the ,puritan attitude of her ancestors caused them to destroy the panels which showed nude figures engaged in battle4 ,this paper is now the property of ,mrs4 ,eliza ,brown of ,salem1 ,massachusetts4 ,it was found in her grandfather's attic in ,gloucester1 and was given to ,mrs4 ,brown by her grandmother4 ,it was in an army chest belonging to ,judutham ,baldwin1 a ,colonel of ,engineers in the ,revolutionary ,army1 who laid out the forts in ,boston ,harbour4 ,kate ,sanborn1 in her book on ,old ,wall ,papers speaks of this particular paper4 ,paper from the ,ham ,house at ,peabody1 ,massachusetts1 now occupied by ,dr4 ,worcester4 ,shows tropical scenes4 ,these scenes are quite similar to those of the ,pizarro paper and may have been the work of the same designer4 7,the so-called ,pizarro in ,peru paper is shown in plate #cd and #ce of the same book1 and is in ,duxbury1 ,mass47 ,pizarro's invasion of ,peru was in #aeca4 ,the colouring of ,mrs4 ,brown's paper is white background with foliage in vivid greens1 while figures of ,peruvians wear costumes of brilliant blues and vermillion reds1 a striking contrast to their soft1 brown skins4 ,this paper is now in the market1 but let us hope it may finally rest in a museum4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,the ,,revival ,,of ,,directoire ,,and ,,empire ,,furniture ,the revival of ,directoire and ,empire furniture within the past few years1 is attributed by some1 to that highly artistic1 and altogether illuminating publication1 the ,gazette do ,bon ,ton--,arts1 ,modes and ,frivolities--published in ,paris by the ,librarie ,centrale des ,beaux ,arts1 #ac rue ,lafayette and contributed to by the leading artists of ,paris--the ultra moderns4 ,there was a time1 fifteen or twenty years ago1 when one could buy ,empire furniture at very low figures1 for in those days there was many a chance to pick up such pieces4 ,to-day1 a genuine antique or a hand-made reproduction of an antique made sixty years ago1 will command a large price1 and even in ,paris one has difficulty in finding them in the shops at any price4 ,empire furniture ceased to be admired in ,america when the public got fed up on this type by its indiscriminate use in hotels and other public buildings4 ,the best designers of modern painted furniture are partly responsible for the revived interest in both ,empire and ,directoire4 ,from their reproductions of the beautiful simple outlines1 we1 as a people1 are once more beginning to feel line and to recognise it as an intrinsic part of beauty4 ,,plate ,,xxi ,a ,victorian group in a small portion of a very large parlour1 #gj x #dj feet1 one of the few remaining1 if not the last1 of the old ,victorian mansions in ,new ,york ,city1 very interesting as a specimen of the most elegant style of furnishing in the first half of the nineteenth century4 ,we would call attention to the heavy moulding of ceilings1 the walls painted in panels 7painted panels or wall paper to represent panels1 is a ,victorian hallmark71 beautifully hand-carved woodwork1 elaboration of design and colon carpet1 woven in one piece for the room2 in fact the characteristic richness of elaboration everywhere3 ,pictures in gilded carved frames1 hung on double silk cords with tassels1 heavily carved furniture made in ,england1 showing fruits1 flowers and medallion heads1 and a similar elaboration and combination of flora and figures on bronze gas fixtures4 ,heavy curtains of satin damask hung at the windows1 held back by great cords and tassels1 from enormous brass cornices in the form of gigantic flowers4 ,also of the period is an immense glass case of stuffed birds1 standing in the corner of the large dining-room4 ,this interior was at the height of its glory at the time of the ,civil ,war1 and one is told of wonderful parties when the uniforms of the ,northern officers decorated the stately rooms and large shaded gardens adjoining the house4 ,as things go in ,new ,york it may be but a matter of months before this picturesque landmark is swept away by relentless ,progress4 ,illustration3 ,part of a ,victorian ,parlour in ,one of the ,few ,remaining ,new ,york ,victorian ,mansions ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,the ,,victorian ,,period ,gradually architecture and interior decoration drew apart1 becoming two distinct professions1 until during the ,victorian era the two were unrelated with the result that the period of ,victorian furniture is one of the worst on record4 ,there were two reasons for this divorce of the arts1 which for centuries had been one in origin and spirit2 first1 the application of steam to machinery 7#ahae7 leading to machine-made furniture1 and second1 the invention of wall-paper which gradually took the place of wood panelling and shut off the architects from all jurisdiction over the decoration of the home4 ,with the advent of machine-made furniture came cheap imitations of antiques and the rapid decadence of this art4 ,hand-made reproductions are quite another thing4 ,sir ,richard ,wallace 7of the ,wallace ,collection1 ,london7 is said to have given #dj1jjj for a reproduction of the bureau du ,louvre4 ,fortunately1 of late years a tide has set in which favours simple1 well made furniture1 designed with fine lines and having special reference to the purposes for which each piece is intended1 and to-day our houses can be beautiful even if only very simple and inexpensive furniture is used4 ,in the ,victorian prime1 even the carved furniture1 so much of which was made in ,england both for that country and the ,united ,states 7see ,plate ,,xxi71 was not of the finest workmanship1 compared with carvings of the same time in ,belgium1 ,france1 ,germany and ,austria4 ,to-day ,victorian cross-stitch and bead work in chairs1 screens1 footstools and bell-pulls1 artificial flowers of wax and linen1 and stuffed birds1 as well as ,bristol glass in blue1 green and violet1 are brought out from their hiding places and serve as touches of colour to give some of the notes of variety which good interior decoration demands4 ,to be fascinating1 a person must not be too rigidly one type4 ,there must be moments of relaxation1 of light and shade in mood1 or one is not charmed even by great beauty4 ,so your perfect room must not be kept too rigidly in one style4 ,to have attraction it must have variety in both line and colour1 and reflect the taste of generations of home lovers4 ,the contents of dusty garrets may add piquancy to modern decorations1 giving a touch of the unusual which is very charming4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,painted ,,furniture ,painted furniture is1 at present1 the vogue1 so if you own a piece made by the ,adam brothers of ,england1 decorated by the hand of ,angelica ,kauffman1 or ,pergolesi1 from ,greek designs1 now is the moment to star it4 ,different in decoration1 but equal in charm1 is the seventeenth and eighteenth century painted lacquers of ,italy1 ,france1 ,china and ,japan4 ,in those days great masters laboured at cabinetmaking and decorating1 while distinguished artists carved the woodwork of rooms1 and painted the ceilings and walls of even private dwellings4 ,to-day we have reproductions 7good and bad7 of the veteran types1 and some commendable inventions1 more or less classic in line1 and original in colouring and style of decoration4 ,at times1 one wishes there was less evident effort to be original4 ,we long for the repose of classic colour schemes and classic line4 ,in art1 the line and the combination of colours which have continued most popular throughout the ages1 are very apt to be those with which one can live longest and not tire4 ,for this reason1 a frank copy of an antique piece of painted furniture is generally more satisfactory than a modern original4 ,if you are using dull coloured carpets and hangings1 have your modern reproductions antiqued4 ,if you prefer gay1 cheering tones1 let the painted furniture be bright4 ,these schemes are equally interesting in different ways4 ,it is stupid to decry new things1 since every grey antique had its frivolous1 vivid youth4 ,one ,american decorator has succeeded in making the stolid1 uncompromising squareness of mission furniture take on a certain lightness and charm by painting it black and discreetly lining it with yellow and red4 ,yellow velour is used for the seat pads and heavy hangings1 thin yellow silk curtains are hung at the windows1 and the black woodwork is set off by ,japanese gold paper4 ,in a large house1 or in a summer home where there are young people coming and going1 a room decorated in this fashion is both gay and charming and makes a pleasant contrast to darker rooms4 ,then1 too1 yellow is a lovely setting for all flowers1 the effect being to intensify their beauty1 as when flooded by sunshine4 ,another clever treatment of the mission type1 which we include under the heading ,painted ,furniture1 is to have it stained a rich dark brown1 instead of the usual dark green4 ,give your dealer time to order your furniture unfinished from the factory1 and have stained to your own liking2 or1 should you by any chance be planning to use mission in one of those cottages so often built in ,maine1 for summer occupancy1 where the walls are of unplastered1 unstained1 dove-tailed boards1 and the floors are unstained and covered with matting rugs1 try using this furniture in its natural colour--unfinished4 ,the effect is delightfully harmonious and artistic and quite ,japanese in feeling4 ,in such a cottage1 the living-room has a raftered ceiling1 the sidewalls1 woodwork1 settles by the fireplaces1 open bookcases and floor1 are all stained dark walnut4 ,the floor colour is very dark1 the sidewalls1 woodwork and book shelves are a trifle lighter1 and the ceiling boards still lighter between the almost black1 heavy rafters4 ,the mission furniture is dark brown1 the hangings and cushions are of mahogany-coloured corduroy1 and the floor is strewn with skins of animals4 ,there are no pictures1 the idea being to avoid jarring notes in another key4 ,instead1 copper and brass bowls contribute a note of variety1 as well as large jars filled with great branches of flowers1 gathered in the nearby woods4 ,the chimney is exposed4 ,it and the large open fireplace are of rough1 dark mottled brick4 ,a room of this character would be utterly spoiled by introducing white as ornaments1 table covers1 window curtains or picture-mats2 it is a colour scheme of dull wood-browns1 old reds and greens in various tones4 ,if you want your friends' photographs about you in such a room1 congregate them on one or two shelves above your books4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,treatment ,,of ,,an ,,inexpensive ,,bedroom ,the experience of the author is that the most attractive1 inexpensive furniture is that made by the ,leavens factory in ,boston4 ,this furniture is so popular with all interior decorators that it needs no further advertising4 ,order for each single iron bed two foot boards1 instead of a head and a footboard4 ,this the factory will supply upon demand4 ,then have your bed painted one of the colours you have chosen as in the colour scheme for your room4 ,say1 the prevailing note of your chintz4 ,have two rolls made1 to use at the head and foot 7which are now of equal height7 and cover these and the bed with chintz1 or1 if preferred1 with sun-proof material in one of the other colours in your chintz4 ,by this treatment your cheap iron bed of ungainly proportions1 has attained the quality of an interesting1 as well as unique1 day-bed4 ,,plate ,,xxii ,two designs for day-beds which are done in colours to suit the scheme of any room4 ,these beds are fitted with box springs and a luxurious mattress of feathers or down1 covered with silk or chintz1 coverlet and cushions of similar material1 in colours harmonising with beds4 ,if desired1 these lounges can be made higher from the floor4 ,illustration3 ,two ,styles of ,day-beds ,the most attractive cheap bureau is one ordered in the plain from the factory1 and painted like the bed4 ,if you would entirely remove the factory look1 have the mirror taken off the bureau and hang it on the wall over what1 by your operation1 has become a chest of drawers4 ,if you want a long mirror in your rooms1 the cheapest variety is mirror glass1 fastened to the back of doors with picture moulding to match woodwork4 ,this is also the cheapest variety of over-mantel mirrors4 ,we have seen it used with great success1 let into walls of narrow halls and bedrooms and framed with a dull-gold moulding in the style of room4 ,for chairs1 use the straight wooden ones which are made to match the bureau1 and paint them like the bed and bureau4 ,for comfortable arm-chairs1 wicker ones with chintz-covered pads for seat and back are best for the price1 and these can also be painted4 ,cheap tables1 which match the bureau1 when painted will do nicely as a small writing-table or a night-table for water1 clock1 book1 etc4 ,if the floors are new and of hard wood1 wax them and use a square of plain velvet carpet in a dark tone of your dominant colour4 ,or if economy is your aim1 use attractive rag rugs which are very cheap and will wash4 ,if your floors are old and you intend using a large velvet square1 paint the edges of the floor white1 or some pale shade to match the colour of the walls4 ,or1 use filling all over the floor4 ,if you cannot afford either and must use small rugs1 stain or paint your floors a dark colour1 to be practical1 and use only necessary rugs2 that is1 one before bed1 bureau and fireplace4 ,sofas are always expensive4 ,that is one reason for advising that beds be treated like day-beds4 ,wall papers1 at ten cents a roll1 come in charming colours and designs1 and with a few cheap ,french coloured prints1 framed in passepartout1 your room is attractive at once4 ,if your prints are black and white use broad passepartout in same colour as the wall paper1 only a tone deeper4 ,if you use favourite photographs1 suppress all margins and frame with narrow black passepartout4 ,for curtains use one of the sixty-or seventy-cent chintzes which come in attractive designs and colours1 or what is still cheaper1 sun-proof material1 fifty inches wide 7from #a4aj to #a4ej a yard71 and split it in half for curtains1 edging them with a narrow fringe of a contrasting colour which appears in the chintz of chair-pads4 ,another variety of cheap curtains is heavy cream scrim with straps 7for looping back7 and valance of chintz4 ,these come cheaper than all chintz curtains and are very effective1 suggesting the now popular and expensive combination of plain toned taffetas combined with chintz4 ,use for sash curtains plain scrim or marquesette4 ,let your lamps be made of inexpensive one-toned pottery vases1 choosing for these still another colour which appears in the chintz4 ,the lamp shades can be made of a pretty near-silk1 in a plain colour1 with a fringe made up of one1 two or three of the colours in the chintz4 ,if you happen to have your heart set on deep rose walls and your bedroom furniture is mahogany1 find a chintz with rose and ,french blue1 and then cover your arm-chair pads and bed with chintz1 but make your curtains of blue sun-proof material1 having a narrow fringe of rose1 and use a deep rose carpet1 or rugs1 or if preferred1 a dull brown carpet to harmonise with the furniture4 ,a plain red ,wilton carpet will dye an artistic deep mulberry brown4 ,they are often bought in the red and dyed to get this shade of brown4 ,for attractive cheap dining-room furniture1 buy simple shapes1 unfinished1 and have the table1 sideboard and chairs painted dark or light1 as you prefer4 ,in your dining-room and halls1 if the house is old and floors bad1 and economy necessary1 use a solid dark linoleum1 either deep blue or red1 and have it waxed1 as an economical measure as well as to improve its appearance4 ,in a small home1 where no great formality is observed1 well chosen doilies may be used on all occasions1 instead of table cloths4 ,by this expedient you suppress one large item on the laundry bill1 the care of the doilies in such cases falling to the waitress4 ,to make comfortable1 convenient and therefore livable1 a part of a house1 formerly an attic1 or an extension with small rooms and low ceilings1 seems to be the special province of a certain type of mind1 which works best when there is a tax on the imagination4 ,when reclaiming attic rooms1 one of the problems is how to get wall space1 especially if there are dormer windows and very slanting ceilings4 ,one way1 is to place a dressing table in the dormer1 under windows1 covering the sides of the dormer recess with mirror glass1 edged with narrow moulding4 ,the dressing-table is not stationary1 therefore it can be easily moved by a maid1 when the rooms are cleaned4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,guest ,,room 7,where economy is not an item of importance7 ,here we can indulge our tastes for beautiful quality of materials and fine workmanship1 as well as good line and colour1 so we describe a room which has elegant distinction and atmosphere1 yet is not a so-called period room--rather a modern room1 in the sense that it combines beautiful lines and exquisite colouring with every modern development for genuine comfort and convenience4 ,the walls are panelled and painted a soft taupe--there are no pictures2 simply one very beautiful mirror in a dull-gold frame1 a ,louis ,,xvi reproduction4 ,,plate ,,xxiii ,in another suite we have a boudoir done in sage greens and soft browns4 ,the curtains of taffeta1 in stripes of the two colours4 ,two tiers of creme net form sash curtains4 ,the carpet is a rich mulberry brown1 day-bed a reproduction of an antique1 painted in faded greens with panier fleuri design on back1 in lovely faded colours1 taffeta cushions of sage green and an occasional note about the room of mulberry and dull blue4 ,electric light shades are of decorated parchment paper4 ,really an enchanting nest1 and as it is in a ,new ,york apartment1 and occasionally used as a bedroom1 a piece of furniture has been designed for it similar to the wardrobe shown in picture1 only not so high4 ,the glass door1 when open1 disclose a toilet table1 completely fitted out1 the presence of which one would never suspect4 ,illustration3 ,boudoir in ,new ,york ,apartment4 ,painted ,furniture1 ,antique and ,reproductions4 ,the carpet made of dark taupe velvet covers the entire floor4 ,the furniture is ,louis ,,xv1 of the wonderful painted sort1 the beautiful bed with its low head and foot boards exactly the same height1 curving backward2 the edges a waved line1 the ground-colour a lovely pistache green1 and the decoration gay old-fashioned garden flowers in every possible shade4 ,the bureau has three or four drawers and a bowed front with clambering flowers4 ,these two pieces1 and a delightful night-table are exact copies of the ,clyde ,fitch set in the ,cooper ,hewitt ,museum1 at ,new ,york2 the originals are genuine antiques1 and their colour soft from age4 ,a graceful dressing-table1 with winged mirrors1 has been designed to go with this set1 and is painted like the bureau4 ,the glass is a modern reproduction of the lovely old eighteenth century mirror glass which has designs cut into it1 forming a frame4 ,for chairs1 all-over upholstered ones are used1 of good lines and proportions2 two or three for comfort1 and a low slipper-chair for convenience4 ,these are covered in a chintz with a light green ground1 like the furniture1 and flowered in roses and violets1 green foliage and lovely blue sprays4 ,the window curtains are of soft1 apple-green taffeta1 trimmed with a broad puffing of the same silk1 edged on each side by black moss-trimming1 two inches wide4 ,these curtains hang from dull-gold cornices of wood1 with open carving1 through which one gets glimpses of the green taffeta of the curtains4 ,the sash-curtains are of the very finest cream net1 and the window shades are of glazed linen1 a deep cream ground1 with a pattern showing a green lattice over which climb pink roses4 ,the shades are edged at the bottom with a narrow pink fringe4 ,the bed has a cover of green taffeta exactly like curtains1 with the same trimming of puffed taffeta1 edged with a black moss-trimming4 ,the mantelpiece is true to artistic standards and realises the responsibility of its position as keynote to the room4 ,placed upon it are a beautiful old clock and two vases1 correct as to line and colour4 ,always be careful not to spoil a beautiful mantel or beautiful ornaments by having them out of proportion one with the other4 ,plate ,,xxiv shows a mantel which fails as a composition because the bust1 an original by ,behnes1 beautiful in itself1 is too heavy for the mantel it stands on and too large for the mirror which reflects it and serves as its background4 ,keep everything in correct proportion to the whole4 ,we have in mind the instance of some rarely beautiful walls taken from an ancient monastery in ,parma1 ,italy4 ,they were ideal in their original setting1 but since they have been transported to ,america1 no setting seems right4 ,they belonged in a building where there were a succession of small rooms with low ceilings1 each room perfect like so many pearls on a string4 ,here in ,america their only suitable place would be a museum1 or to frame the tiny devotional of some prcieuse ,flower of ,modernity4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,a ,,modern ,,house ,,in ,,which ,,genuine ,,jacobean ,,furniture ,,is ,,appropriately ,,set ,an original scheme for a dining-room was recently carried out in a country house in ,england by a woman whose hobby is illuminating4 ,it will appeal to experts in the advance guard of interior decoration4 ,the woman in question was stimulated for her task by coming into possession of some interesting ,jacobean pieces of furniture1 of oak1 squarely and solidly made1 with flat carvings1 characteristic of the period4 ,,plate ,,xxiv ,a beautiful mantel1 a beautiful mirror1 beautiful ornaments1 and a rare and beautiful marble bust by ,behnes1 but because the bust is too large for both mantel and reflecting mirror1 the composition is poor4 ,illustration3 ,example of ,lack of ,balance in ,mantel ,arrangement ,the large ,jacobean chest happened to be lined1 as many of those old chests were1 with quaint figured paper1 showing a coat-of-arms alternating with another design in large squares of black and grey4 ,this paper1 the owner had reproduced to cover the walls of her dining-room1 and then she stained her woodwork black 7giving the effect of old black oak71 also1 the four corner cupboards1 but the inside of these cupboards--doors and all--she made a rich ,pompeian red and lackered it4 ,the doors are left open and one sees on the shelves of the corner cupboards a wonderful collection of old china1 much of it done in rich gold4 ,at night the whole is illuminated with invisible electric bulbs4 ,the gleaming effect is quite marvellous4 ,the seat-pads on chairs1 are made of hides1 gilded all over1 and on the gilt the owner has painted large baskets holding fruit and flowers done in gay colours4 ,the long ,jacobean bench has a golden cushion with baskets painted on it in gay colours4 ,a part of the wonderful gold china is used at every meal1 and the rest of it being left on the shelves of the four cupboards with their ,pompeian red lining1 when lit up1 forms part of the glowing blaze of colour1 concentrated in all four corners of this unique room4 ,the ,jacobean library in this house has the same black oak effect for panelling and at the windows1 hang long1 red silk curtains1 with deep borders of gold on which are painted gay flowers4 ,this blaze of colour is truly ,jacobean and recalls the bedroom at ,knole1 occupied by ,james ,i where the bed-curtains were of red silk embroidered in gorgeous gold1 and the high post bedstead heavily carved1 covered with gold and silver tissue1 lined with red silk1 its head-board carved and gilded4 ,another room at ,knole was known as the ,spangle bedroom4 ,james ,i gave the furniture in it to ,lionel1 ,earl of ,middlesex4 ,bed curtains1 as well as the seats of chairs and stools1 are of crimson1 heavily embroidered in gold and silver4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,unconventional ,,breakfast-,,rooms ,,and ,,sports ,,balconies ,sun-rooms are now a feature of country and some town houses4 ,one of the first we remember was in ,madrid1 at the home of ,canovas del ,castillo1 ,prime ,minister during the ,regency4 ,djeuner used to be served at one end of the conservatory1 in the shadow of tall palms1 while fountains played1 birds with gay plumage sang1 and the air was as fragrant as the tropics4 ,for comfort1 deep red rugs were put down on the white marble floors4 ,which reminds us that in many ,spanish hand-made rugs1 what is known as ,isabella white figures conspicuously4 ,the term arises from the following story4 ,it seems that ,queen ,isabella during the progress of some war1 vowed she would not have her linen washed until her army returned victorious4 ,the war was long1 hence the term6 ,in furnishing a conservatory or porch breakfast room1 it is best to use some variety of informal tables and chairs1 such as painted furniture1 willow or bamboo1 and coloured1 not white1 table cloths1 doilies and napkins1 to avoid the glare from the reflection of strong light4 ,also1 informal china1 glass1 etc4 ,screens1 if necessary1 should have frames to accord with the furniture1 and the panels should be of wood1 or some simple material such as sacking or rough linen1 which comes in lovely vivid1 out-of-door colours4 ,the bizarre and fascinating sports balconies overlooking squash courts1 tennis courts1 golf links1 croquet grounds1 etc41 are among the newest inventions of the decorator4 ,furnished porches we have all grown accustomed to1 and when made so as to be enclosed by glass1 in inclement weather1 they may be treated like inside rooms in the way of comforts and conveniences4 ,the smart porch-room is furnished with only such chairs1 tables1 sofas and rugs as are appropriate to a place not thoroughly protected from the elements1 for while glass is provided for protection1 a summer shower can outstrip a slow-footed servant and valuable articles made for indoors cannot long brave the effect of rain and hot sun4 ,,plate ,,xxv ,in this case the house stood so near the road that there was no privacy1 so the ingenious architect-decorator became landscape-gardener and by making a high but ornamental fence and numerous arbours1 carried the eye to the green trees beyond and back to the refreshing tangle of shrubs and flowers in the immediate foreground1 until the illusion of being secluded was so complete that the nearby road was forgotten4 ,illustration3 ,treatment of ,ground ,lying ,between ,house and ,much ,travelled ,country ,road ,for this reason furnish your porch with colours which do not fade1 and with wicker furniture which knows how to contract and expand to order6 ,the same rule applies to rugs4 ,put your ,oriental rugs indoors1 and use inexpensive1 effective porch rugs which1 with a light heart1 you can renew each season1 if necessary4 ,the sports balcony is fitted out with special reference to the comfort of those who figure as audience for sports1 and as a lounge between games1 and each hostess vies with her friends in the originality and completeness of equipment1 as well as in the costumes she dons in her commendable desire to make of herself a part of her scheme of decoration4 ,a country place which affords tennis courts1 golf links1 cricket and polo grounds or has made arrangements for the exercise of any sports1 usually makes special provision for the comfort of those engaging in them1 more or less as a country club does4 ,there is a large porch for lounging and tea1 and a kitchenette where tea1 cooling drinks and sandwiches are easily and quickly prepared1 without interfering with the routine of the kitchens4 ,there are hot and cold plunge baths1 showers1 a swimming pool1 dressing rooms with every convenience known to man or woman1 and a room given over to racks which hold implements used in the various sports1 as well as lockers for sweaters1 change of linen1 socks1 etc41 belonging to those stopping in the house4 ,where sports are a main issue1 an entire building is often devoted to the comfort of the participants4 ,we have in mind the commodious and exceptionally delightful arrangements made for the comfort and pleasure of those playing court tennis in a large and architecturally fine building erected for the purpose on the estate of the ,neville ,lyttons1 ,crabber ,park1 ,poundhill1 ,england4 ,if sport balconies overlook tennis courts or golf links1 they are fitted out with light-weight1 easily moved1 stiff chairs for the audience1 and easy1 cushioned arm-chairs and sofas of upholstered wicker1 for the participants to lounge in between matches4 ,card tables are provided1 as well as small tea tables1 to seat two1 three or four1 while there is always one oblong table at which a sociable crowd of young people may gather for chatter and tea6 ,if you use rail-boxes1 or window-boxes1 holding growing plants1 be sure that the flowers are harmonious in colour when seen from the lawn1 road or street1 against their background of house and the awnings and chintzes1 used on the porch4 ,the flowers in window-boxes and on porch-rails must first of all decorate the outside of your house4 ,therefore1 before you buy your chintz for porches1 decide as to whether the colour of your house1 and its awnings1 demands red1 pink1 white1 blue1 yellow or mauve flowers1 and then choose your chintz and porch rugs as well as porch table-linen1 to harmonise4 ,in selecting porch chairs remember that women want the backs of most of the chairs only as high as their shoulders1 on account of wearing hats4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,sun-,,rooms ,there are countless fascinating schemes for arranging sun-rooms4 ,one which we have recently seen near ,philadelphia1 was the result of enclosing a large piazza1 projecting from an immense house situated in the midst of lawns and groves4 ,the walls are painted orange and striped with pale yellow2 the floors are covered with the new variety of matting which imitates tiles1 and shows large squares of colour1 blocked off by black4 ,the chintzes used are in vivid orange1 yellow and green1 in a stunning design2 the wicker chairs are painted orange and black1 and from the immense iridescent globes of electric light hang long1 orange silk tassels4 ,,plate ,,xxvi ,shows how to utilise and make really very attractive an extension roof1 by converting it into a balcony4 ,an awning of broad green and white stripes protect this one in winter as well as summer1 and by using artificial ivy1 made of tin and painted to exactly imitate nature1 one gets1 as you see1 a charming effect4 ,illustration3 ,an ,extension ,roof in ,new ,york ,converted into a ,balcony ,iron fountains1 wonderful designs in black and gold1 throw water over gold and silver fish1 or gay water plants2 while1 in black and gold cages1 vivid parrots and orange-coloured canaries gleam through the bars4 ,iron vases of black and gold on tall pedestals1 are filled with trailing ivy and bright coloured plants4 ,along the walls are wicker sofas1 painted orange and black1 luxuriously comfortable with down cushions covered1 as are some of the chair cushions1 in soft lemon1 sun-proofed twills4 ,here one finds card-tables1 tea-tables and smoking-tables1 a writing-desk fully equipped1 and at one end1 a wardrobe of black and gold1 hung with an assortment of silk wraps and wooleys--for an unprovided and chilly guest1 in early spring1 when the steam heat is off and the glass front open4 ,even on a grey1 winter day1 this orange and gold room seems flooded with sun1 and gives one a distinctly cheerful sensation when entering it from the house4 ,of course1 if your porch-room is mainly for mid-summer use and your house in a warm region1 then we commend instead of sun-producing colours1 cool tones of green1 grey or blue4 ,if your porch floor is bad1 cover it with dark-red linoleum and wax it4 ,the effect is like a cool1 tiled floor4 ,on this you can use a few porch rugs4 ,black and white awnings or awnings in broad1 green-and-white stripes1 or plain green awnings1 are deliciously cool-looking1 and rail-boxes filled with green and white or blue and pale pink flowers are refreshing on a summer day4 ,by the sea1 where the air is bracing1 and it is not necessary to trick the senses with a pretence at coolness1 nothing is more satisfactory or gay than scarlet geraniums2 but if they are used1 care must be taken that they harmonise with the colour of the awnings and the chintz on the porch4 ,speaking of rail-boxes reminds us that in making over a small summer house and converting a cheap affair into one of some pretensions1 remember that one of the most telling points is the character of your porch railing4 ,so at once remove the cheap one with its small1 upright slats and the insignificant and frail top rail1 and have a solid porch railing 7or porch fence7 built with broad1 top rail4 ,then place all around porch1 resting on iron brackets1 rail-flower boxes1 the tops of these level with the top of the rail1 and paint the boxes the colour of the house trimmings4 ,filled with running vines and gay flowers1 nothing could be more charming4 ,window-boxes make any house lovely and are a large part of that charm which appeals to us1 whether the house be a mansion in ,mayfair or a ,bavarian farm house4 ,americans are learning this4 ,the window and rail-boxes of a house look best when all are planted with the same variety of flowers4 ,having given a certain air of distinction to your porch-railing1 add another touch to the appearance of your small1 remodelled house by having the shutters hung from the top of the windows1 instead of from the sides4 ,a charming variety of awning or sun-shades1 to keep the sun and glare out of rooms1 is the old ,english idea of a straw-thatching1 woven in and out until it makes a broad1 long mat which is suspended from the top of windows1 on the outside of the house1 being held out and permanently in place1 at the customary angle of awnings4 ,we first saw this picturesque kind of rustic awnings used on little cottages of a large estate in ,vermont1 cottages once owned and lived in by labourers1 but bought and put in comfortable condition to be used as overflow rooms for guests1 in connection with the large family mansion 7once the picturesque village inn74 ,the art of making these straw awnings is not generally understood in ,america4 ,in the case to which we refer1 one of the gardeners employed on the estate1 chanced to be an old ,englishman who had woven the straw window awnings for farm houses in his own country4 ,the straw awnings1 with window-boxes planted with bright geraniums and vines1 make an inland cottage delightfully picturesque and are practical1 although by the sea the straw awnings might be destroyed by high winds4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,woman',s ,,dressing-,,room ,every house1 or flat1 which is at all pretentious1 should arrange a ,vanity ,room for the use of guests1 in which there are full-length mirrors1 a completely equipped dressing-table with every conceivable article to assist a lady in making her toilet1 slipper-chairs and chairs to rest in1 and a completely equipped lavatory adjoining4 ,the woman who takes her personal appearance seriously1 just as any artist takes her art 7and when dressing is not an art it is not worth discussion7 can have her dressing-room so arranged with mirrors1 black walls and strong1 cleverly reflected1 electric lights1 that she stands out with a cleancut outline1 like a cameo1 the minutest detail of her toilet disclosed4 ,with such a dressing-room1 it is quite impossible to suffer at the hands of a careless maid1 and one can use the black walls as a background for vivid chair covers1 sofa cushions and lamp shades4 ,off this dressing-room should be another1 given over to clothes1 with closets equipped with hooks and shelves1 glass cabinets for shoes and slippers1 and the show-case for jewels to be placed in by the maid that the owner may make her selection4 ,at the time of the ,louis1 knights and courtiers had large rooms devoted to the care and display of their wardrobes1 and even to-day there are men who are serious connoisseurs in the art of clothes4 ,,plate ,,xxvii ,interior decoration not infrequently leads to a desire to chic the appearance of one's out-of-doors4 ,we give an example of a perfectly commonplace barn made interesting by adding green latticework1 a small iron balcony1 ornamental gate and setting out a few decorative evergreens4 ,behold a transformation6 ,illustration3 ,a commonplace ,barn ,made ,interesting ,the dressing-table should be constructed of material in harmony with the rest of your furniture4 ,it may be of mahogany1 walnut1 rose wood1 satin wood1 or some painted variety1 or1 as is the fashion now1 made of silk1--a seventeenth and eighteenth century style 7in vogue during the time of the ,louis74 ,these are made of taffeta with lace covers on top1 and in outline are exactly like the simple dotted-swiss dressing-tables with which every one is familiar1--the usual variety1 so easily made by placing a wooden packing box on its side4 ,in this case have your carpenter put shelves inside for boots1 shoes and slippers4 ,the entire top is covered with felt or flannel1 over which is stretched silk or sateen1 in any colour which may harmonise with the room4 ,a flounce1 as deep as the box is high1 is made of the same material as the top1 and tacked to the edges of the table-top4 ,cover the whole with dotted or plain swiss4 ,a piece of glass1 cut to exactly fit the top of the table1 is a practical precaution4 ,a large mirror1 hung above yet resting on the table1 is canopied in the old style1 with the same material with which you cover your dressing-table4 ,if the table is made of the beautiful taffeta1 now so popular for this purpose1 as well as for curtains1 it is1 of course1 not covered with swiss or lace1 except the top1 on which is used a fine1 hand-made cover1 of real lace and hand embroidery1 in soft creams1--cream from age1 or a judicious bath in weak tea4 ,the glass top laid over this cover protects the lace4 ,if the table has drawers1 each can be neatly covered with the taffeta1 as can the frame of any table4 ,a good1 up-to-date cabinet-maker understands this work as so much of it is now done4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,the ,,treatment ,,of ,,closets ,the modern architect turns out his closets so complete as to comfort and convenience1 that he leaves but little to be done by the professional or amateur decorator4 ,each perfectly equipped bedroom suite calls for1 at least1 two closets3 one supplied with hooks1 padded hangers for coats1 and covered hangers for skirts1 if the closet is for a woman2 or1 if it is for a man1 with such special requirements as he may desire4 ,in the case of a woman's suite1 one closet should consist entirely of shelves4 ,paint all the closets to harmonise with the suite1 and let the paint on the shelves have a second coat of enamel1 so that they may be easily wiped off4 ,supply your shelves with large and small boxes for hats1 blouses1 laces1 veils1 etc41 neatly covered with paper1 or chintz1 to harmonise with the room4 ,those who dislike too many mirrors in a room may have full length mirrors on the inside of the closet doors4 ,either devote certain shelves to your boots1 shoes and slippers1 or have a separate shallow closet for these-shallow because it is most convenient to have but one row on a shelf4 ,where economy is not an item of importance1 see that electric lights are placed in all the closets1 which are turned on with the action of opening the door4 ,the elaboration of closets1 those with drawers of all sizes and depths1 cedar closets for furs1 etc41 is merely a matter of the architect's planning to meet the specific needs of the occupants of any house4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,narrow ,,hall ,a long1 narrow hall in a house1 or apartment1 is difficult to arrange1 but there are methods of treating them which partially corrects their defects4 ,one method is shown on ,plate ,,xiv4 ,the best furnishing is a very narrow console 7table7 with a stiff1 high-backed chair on either side of it1 and on the wall1 over console1 a tapestry1 an architectural picture or a family portrait4 ,on the console is placed merely a silver card tray4 ,have a closet for wraps if possible1 or arrange hooks and a table1 out of right1 for this purpose4 ,keep your walls and woodwork light in colour and in the same tone4 ,,plate ,,xxviii ,an idea for treatment of a narrow hall1 where the practical and beautiful are combined4 ,the hall table and candlesticks are an example of the renaissance of iron1 elaborately wrought after classic designs4 ,the mirror over table is framed in green glass1 the ornaments are of dull gold 7iron gilded74 ,the ,venetian glass jar is in opalescent green1 made to hold dried rose leaves1 and used here purely as an ornament which catches and reflects the light1 important1 as the hall is dark4 ,the iron of table is black touched with gold1 and the marble slab dark-green veined with white4 ,illustration3 ,narrow ,entrance ,hall of a ,new ,york ,antique ,shop ,an interesting treatment of a long narrow hall is to break its length with lattice work1 which has an open arch1 wide enough for one or two people to pass through1 the arch surmounted by an urn in which ivy is planted4 ,the lattice work has lines running up and down--not crossed1 as is the usual way4 ,it is on hinges so that trunks or furniture may be carried through the hall1 if necessary4 ,the whole is kept in the same colour scheme as the hall4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,treatment ,,of ,a ,,very ,,shaded ,,living-,,room ,by introducing plenty of yellow and orange you can bring sunshine into a dark living-room4 ,if your house is in a part of the country where the heat is great1 a dark living-room in summer is sometimes a distinct advantage1 so keep the colourings subdued in tone1 and1 therefore1 cool looking4 ,if1 on the contrary1 the living-room is in a cool house on the ocean1 or a shaded mountainside1 and the sun is cut off by broad porches1 you will cheer up your room1 and immensely improve it1 by using sun-producing colours in chintzes and silks2 while cut flowers or growing plants1 which reproduce the same colouring1 will intensify the illusion of sunshine4 ,sash curtains of thin silk1 in bright yellows1 are always sun-producing1 but if you intend using yellows in a room1 be careful to do so in combination with browns1 greens1 greys1 or carefully chosen blues1 not with reds or magentas4 ,try not to mix warm and cold colours when planning your walls4 ,grey walls call for dull blue or green curtains2 white walls for red or green curtains2 cream walls for yellow1 brown buff or apple green curtains4 ,if your room is too cold1 warm it up by making your accessories1 such as lamp shades1 and sofa pillows1 of rose or yellow material4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,servants' ,,rooms ,whether you expect to arrange for one servant or a dozen1 keep in mind the fact that efficiency is dependent upon the conditions under which your manor maid-servant rests as well as works1 and that it is as important that the bedroom be attractive as that it be comfortable4 ,for servants' rooms it is advised that the matter of furnishing and decorating be a scheme which includes comfort1 daintiness and effectiveness on the simplest1 least expensive basis1 no matter how elaborate the house4 ,there is a moral principle involved here4 ,in the case of more than one servant the colour scheme alone needs to be varied1 for similar furniture will prevent jealousy among the servants1 while at the same time the task of inventing is reduced to the mere multiplying of one room2 even the wall paper and chintz being alike in pattern1 if different in colour4 ,the simplest iron beds1 or wooden furniture can be painted white or any colour which may be considered more durable4 ,in maids' rooms for summer use1 a vase provided for flowers is sometimes an incentive to personally contribute a touch of beauty4 ,that sense of beauty once awakened in a maid does far more than any words on the subject of order and daintiness in her own room or in those of her employer4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,table ,,decoration ,for the young and inexperienced we state a few rules for table decoration4 ,if you have furnished your dining-room to accord not only with your taste1 but the scale upon which you intend living1 be careful that the dining-table never strikes a false note1 never gets out of the picture by becoming too important as to setting or menu4 ,you may live very formally in your town house and very simply1 without any ostentation1 in the country1 but be sure that in all of your experimenting with table decoration you observe above all the law of appropriateness4 ,your decoration1 flowers1 fruit1 character of bowl or dish which holds them1 or objet d'art used in place of either2 linen or lace1 china1 glass and silver1--each and all must be in keeping4 ,the money value has nothing whatever to do with this question of appropriateness1 when considered by an artist decorator4 ,remember that in decorating1 things are classified according to their colour value1 their lines and the purpose for which they are intended4 ,the dining-table is to eat at1 therefore it should primarily hold only such things as are required for the serving of the meal4 ,so your real decoration should be your silver1 glass and china1 with its background of linen or lace4 ,the central decoration1 if of flowers or fruit1 must be in a bowl or dish decorative in the same sense that the rest of the tableware is4 ,flowers should be kept in the same key as your room4 ,one may do this and yet have infinite variety4 ,tall stately lilies1 ,american ,beauty roses1 great bowls of gardenias and orchids are for stately rooms4 ,your small house1 flat or bungalow require modest garden flowers such as daffodils1 jonquils1 tulips1 lilies-of-the-valley1 snapdragons1 one long-stemmed rose in a vase1 or a cluster of shy moss-buds or nodding tea-roses4 ,a table set with art in the key of a small menage and on a scale of simple living1 often strikes the note of perfection from the expert's point of view because perfect of its kind and suitable for the occasion4 ,this appropriateness is what makes your smart table quite as it makes your smart woman4 ,wedgwood cream colour ware ,c4,c4 is beautiful and always good form4 ,for those wanting colour1 the same famous makers of ,england have an infinite variety1 showing lovely designs4 ,unless you are a collector in the museum sense1 press into service all of your beautiful possessions4 ,if you have to go without them1 let it be when you no longer own them1 and not because they are hoarded out of sight4 ,you know the story of the man who bought a barrel of apples and each day carefully selected and ate those that were rotten1 feeling the necessity of not being wasteful4 ,when the barrel was empty he realised that be had deliberately wasted all his good apples by not eating one6 ,let this be a warning to him who would save his treasures4 ,if you love antiques and have joyously hunted them down and1 perhaps1 denied yourself other things to obtain them1 you are the person to use them1 even though the joy be transient and they perish at the hand of a careless man or maid-servant4 ,remember1 posterity will have its own fads and prefer adding the pleasure of pursuit to that of mere ownership4 ,so bring out your treasures and use them6 ,as there are many kinds of dining-rooms1 each good if planned and worked out with an art instinct1 so there are many kinds of tables4 ,the usual sort is the round1 or square1 extension table1 laid with fine damask and set with conventional china1 glass and silver1 rare in quality and distinguished in design4 ,for those who prefer the unusual there are oblong1 squarely built ,jacobean and ,italian refectory tables4 ,with these one makes a point of showing the rich colour of the time-worn wood and carving1 for the old ,italian tables often have the bevelled edge and legs carved4 ,when this style of table is used1 the wood instead of a cloth1 is our background1 and a runner with doilies of old ,italian lace takes the place of linen4 ,in ,feudal ,days1 when an entire household1 master and retainers1 sat in the baronial hall above and below the salt1 tables were made of great length4 ,when used out of their original setting1 they must be cut down to suit modern conditions4 ,in ,krakau1 ,poland1 the writer often dined at one of these feudal boards which had been in our hostess's family for several hundred years4 ,to get it into her dining-room a large piece had been cut out at the centre and the two ends pushed together4 99 99 99 99 99 ,for those who live informally1 delightfully decorative china can be had at low prices4 ,it was once made only for the peasants1 and comes to us from ,italy1 ,france1 ,germany and ,england4 ,this fact reminds us that when we were travelling in ,southern ,hungary and were asked to dine with a ,magyar farmer1 out on the windy ,pasta1 instead of their usual highly coloured pottery1 gay with crude1 but decorative flowers1 they honoured us by covering the table with ,american ironstone china6 ,the ,hungarian crockery resembles the ,brittany and ,italian ware1 and some of it is most attractive when rightly set4 ,when once the passion to depart from beaten paths seizes us it is very easy to make mistakes4 ,therefore to the housekeeper1 accustomed to conventional china1 but weary of it1 we would commend as a safe departure1 modern ,wedgwood and ,italian reproductions of classic models1 which come in exquisite shapes and in a delicious soft cream tone4 ,if one prefers1 it is possible to get these varieties decorated with charming designs in artistic colourings1 as previously stated4 ,for eating meals out of doors1 or in sun-rooms1 where the light is strong1 the dark peasant pottery1 like ,brittany1 ,italian and ,hungarian1 is very effective on dull-blue linen1 heavy cream linen or coarse lace1 such as the peasants make4 ,copper lustre1 with its dark metallic surface2 is enchanting on dark wood or coloured linen of the right tone4 ,your table must be a picture composed on artistic lines4 ,that is1 it must combine harmony of line and colour and above all1 appropriateness4 ,gradually one acquires skill in inventing unusual effects2 but only the adept can go against established rules of art and yet produce a pleasing ensemble4 ,we can all recall exceptions to this rule for simplicity1 beautiful1 artistic tables1 covered with rare and entrancing objects1--irrelevant1 but delighting the eye4 ,some will instantly recall ,clyde ,fitch's dinners in this connection1 but here let us emphasise the dictum that for a great master of the art of decoration there need be no laws4 ,a careful study of the ,japanese principles of decoration is an ideal way of learning the art of simplicity4 ,it is impossible to deny the immense decorative value of a single objet d'art1 as one flower in a simple vase1 provided it is given the correct background4 ,background in decoration is like a pedal-point in music2 it must support the whole fabric1 whether you are planning a house1 a room or a table4 ,,plate ,,xxix ,shows how a too pronounced rug which is out of character1 though a valuable ,chinese antique1 can destroy the harmony of a composition even where the stage is set with treasures2 ,louis ,,xv chairs1 antique fount with growing plants1 candelabra1 rare tapestry1 reflected by mirror1 and a graceful console and a settee with grey-green brocade cushions4 ,illustration3 ,example of a ,charming ,hall ,spoiled by ,too ,pronounced a ,rug ,,chapter ,,xxxvii ,,what ,,to ,,avoid ,,in ,,interior ,,decoration3 ,,rules ,,for ,,beginners ,we all know the saying that it is only those who have mastered the steps in dancing who can afford to forget them4 ,it is the same in every art4 ,therefore let us state at once1 that all rules may be broken by the educated--the masters of their respective arts4 ,for beginners we give the following rules as a guide1 until they get their bearings in this fascinating game of making pictures by manipulating lines and colours1 as expressed in necessary furnishings4 99 99 99 99 99 ,avoid crowding your rooms1 walls or tables1 for in creating a home one must produce the quality of restfulness by order and space4 ,as to walls1 do not use a cold colour in a north or shaded room4 ,make your ceilings lighter in tone than the side walls1 using a very pale shade of the same colour as the side walls4 ,do not put a spotted 7figured7 surface on other spotted 7figured7 surfaces4 ,a plain wall paper is the proper1 because most effective1 background for pictures4 ,avoid the mistake of forgetting that table decoration includes all china1 glass1 silver and linen used in serving any meal4 ,in attempting the decoration of your dining-room table avoid anything inappropriate to the particular meal to be served and the scale of service4 ,do not have too many flowers on your table1 or flowers not in harmony with the rest of the setting1 in variety or colour4 ,do not use peasant china1 no matter how decorative in itself1 on fine damask or rare lace4 ,by so doing you strike a false note4 ,the background it demands is crash or peasant laces4 ,avoid crowding your dining-table or giving it an air of confusion by the number of things on it1 thus destroying the laws of simplicity1 line and balance in decoration4 ,avoid using on your walls as mere decorations articles such as rugs or priests' vestments primarily intended for other purposes4 ,avoid the misuse of anything in furnishing4 ,it needs only knowledge and patience to find the correct thing for each need4 ,better do without than employ a makeshift in decorating4 ,inappropriateness and elaboration can defeat artistic beauty--but intelligent elimination never can4 ,beware of having about too many vases1 or china meant for domestic use4 ,the proper place for table china1 no matter how rare it is1 is in the dining-room4 ,if very valuable1 one can keep it in cabinets4 ,useless bric--brac in a dining-room looks worse than it does anywhere else4 ,your dining-room is the best place for any brasses1 copper or pewter you may own4 ,if sitting-room and dining-room connect by a wide opening1 keep the same colour scheme in both1 or1 in any case1 the same depth of colour4 ,this gives an effect of space4 ,it is not uncommon when a house is very small1 to keep all of the walls and woodwork1 and all of the carpets1 in exactly the same colour and tone4 ,if variety in the colour-scheme is desired1 it may be introduced by means of cretonnes or silks used for hangings and furniture covers4 ,avoid the use of thin1 old silks on sofas or chair seats4 ,avoid too cheap materials for curtains or chair covers1 as they will surely fade4 ,avoid too many small rugs in a room4 ,this gives an impression of restless disorder and interferes with the architect's lines4 ,do not place your rugs at strange angles2 but let them follow the lines of the walls4 ,avoid placing ornaments or photographs on a piano which is in sufficiently good condition to be used4 ,avoid the chance of ludicrous effects4 ,for example1 keep a plain background behind your piano4 ,make sure that1 when listening to music you are not distracted by seeing a bewildering section of a picture above the pianist's head1 or a silly little vase dodging1 as he moves1 in front of1 above1 or below his nose6 ,avoid placing vases1 or a clock1 against a chimney piece already elaborately decorated by the architect1 as a part of his scheme in using the moulding of panel to frame a painting over the mantel4 ,in the old palaces one sees that a bit of undecorated background is provided between mantel and the architect's decoration4 ,if your room has a long wall space1 furnish it with a large cabinet or console1 or a sofa and two chairs4 ,avoid blotting out your architect's cleverest points by thoughtlessly misplacing hangings4 ,whoever decorates should always keep the architect's intention in mind4 ,avoid having an antique clock which does not go1 and is used merely as an ornament4 ,make your rooms alive by having all the clocks running4 ,this is one of the subtleties which marks the difference between an antique shop1 or museum1 and a home4 ,avoid the desecration of the few good antiques you own1 by the use of a too modern colour scheme4 ,have the necessary modern pieces you have bought to supplement your treasures1 stained or painted a dull dark colour in harmony with the antiques1 and then use dull colours in the floor coverings1 curtains and cushions4 ,if you have no good old ornaments1 try to get a few good shapes and colours in inexpensive reproductions of the period to which your antiques belong4 ,avoid the mistake of forgetting that every room is a stage setting1 and must be a becoming and harmonious background for its occupants4 ,avoid arranging a ,louis ,,xvi bedroom1 with fragile antiques and delicate tones1 for your husband of athletic proportions and elemental tastes4 ,he will not only feel1 but look out of place4 ,if he happens to be fond of artistic things1 give him these in durable shades and shapes4 ,avoid the omission of a thoroughly masculine sitting-room1 library1 smoking-room or billiard-room for the man1 or men1 of the house4 ,avoid the use of white linen when eating out of doors4 ,saxe-blue1 red or taupe linen are restful to the eyes4 ,in fact1 after one has used coloured linen1 white seems glaring and unsympathetic even indoors1 and one instinctively chooses the old deep-cream laces4 ,granting this to be a bit prcieuse1 we must admit that the traditional white damask1 under crystal and silver1 or gold plate with rare porcelains1 has its place and its distinction in certain houses1 and with certain people4 ,,plate ,,xxx ,shows a man's library1 masculine gender written all over it-strength1 comfort1 usefulness and simplicity4 ,the mantel is arranged in accordance with rules already stated4 ,it will be noticed that the ornaments on mantel in a way interfere with design of the large architectural picture4 ,illustration3 ,a ,man's ,library ,avoid in a studio1 bungalow or a small flat1 where the living-room and dining-room are the same1 all evidences of dining-room 7china1 silver and glass for use74 ,let the table be covered with a piece of old or modern brocade when not set for use4 ,a lamp and books further emphasises the note of living-room4 ,avoid the use of light-absorbing colours in wall papers if you are anxious to create sympathetic cheerfulness in your rooms1 and an appearance of winning comfort4 ,almost all dark colours are light-absorbing2 greens1 dull reds1 dark greys and mahogany browns will make a room dull in character no matter how much sunlight comes in1 or how many electric lights you use4 ,perhaps the only dark colour which is not light-absorbing is a dark yellow4 ,avoid the permanent tea-table4 ,we are glad to record that one seldom happens upon one1 these days4 ,how the ,english used to revile them6 ,in the simplest homes it is always possible at the tea hour1 to have a table placed before whoever is to pour and a tray on which are cups1 tea1 cream1 sugar1 lemon1 toast1 cake or what you will1 brought in from the pantry or kitchen4 ,there was a time when in ,america1 one shuddered at the possibility of dusty cups and those countless faults of a seldom-rehearsed tea-table6 ,avoid serving a lunch in an artificially lighted room4 ,this1 like a permanent tea-table1 is an almost extinct fashion4 ,neither was sensible1 because inappropriate1 and therefore bad form4 ,the only possible reason for shutting out ,god's sunlight and using artificial lights1 is when the function is to begin by daylight and continue until after nightfall4 ,if in doubt as to what is good1 go often to museums and compare what you own1 or have seen and think of owning1 with objects in museum collections4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii ,,fads ,,in ,,collecting ,in a ,new ,york home one room is devoted to a so-called panier fleuri collection which in this case means that each article shows the design of a basket holding flowers or fruit4 ,the collection is to-day so unique and therefore so valuable1 that it has been willed to a museum1 but its creation as a collection1 was entirely a chance occurrence4 ,the design of a basket trimmed with flowers happened to appeal to the owner1 and if we are not mistaken1 the now large collection had its beginning in the casual purchase of a little old pendant found in a forgotten corner of ,europe4 ,the owner wore it1 her friends saw it1 and gradually associated the panier fleuri with her1 which resulted in many beautiful specimens of this design being sought out for her by wanderers at home and abroad4 ,to-day this collection includes old silks1 laces1 jewellery1 wax pictures1 old prints1 some pieces of antique furniture1 snuffboxes and ornaments in glass1 china1 silver1 etc4 ,every museum is the result of fads in collecting1 and when one considers all that is meant by this heading1 which sounds so trifling and unimportant to the layman1 it will not seem strange that we strongly recommend it as a dissipation6 ,at first1 quite naturally1 the collector makes mistakes2 but it is through his mistakes that he learns1 and absolutely nothing gives such a zest to a stroll in the city1 a tramp in the country1 or an unexpected delay in an out-of-the-way town1 as to have this collecting bee in your bonnet4 ,how often when travelling we have rejoiced when the loss of a train or a mistake in time-table1 meant an unexpected opportunity to explore for junk in some old shop1 or1 perhaps1 to bargain with a pretty peasant girl who hoarded a beloved heirloom1 of entrancing interest to us 7and worth a pile of money really71 while she lived happily on cider and cheese6 ,it is doubtless the experience of every lover of the old and the curious1 that one never regrets the expenses incurred in this quest of the antique1 but one does eternally regret one's economies4 ,the writer suffers now1 after years have elapsed1 in some cases1 at the memory of treasures resisted when chanced upon in ,russia1 ,poland1 ,hungary1 ,bohemia--where not6 ,always one says1 ,oh1 well1 ,i shall come back again6 ,but there are so many pastures green1 and it is often difficult to retrace one's steps4 ,then1 too1 these fads open our eyes and ears1 so that in passing along a street on foot1 in a cab or on a bus1 or in glancing through a book1 or1 perhaps1 in an odd corner of an otherwise colourless town1 where fate has taken us1 we find grist for our mill--just the right piece of furniture for the waiting place6 ,know what you want1 really want it1 and you will find it some time1 somewhere1 somehow6 ,as a stimulus to beginners in collecting1 as well as an illustration of that perseverance required of every keen collector1 we cite the case of running down an ,empire dressing-table4 ,it was our desire to complete a small collection of ,empire furniture for a suite of rooms1 by adding to it as a supplement to the bureau1 a certain type of ,empire dressing-table4 ,it is no exaggeration to say that ,paris was dragged for what we wanted--the large well-known antique shops and the smaller ones of the ,latin ,quarter being both ransacked4 ,time was flying1 the date of our sailing was approaching1 and as yet the coveted piece had not been found4 ,three days before we left1 a fat1 red-faced1 jolly cabby1 after making a vain tour of the junk shops in his quarter1 demanded to know exactly what it was we sought4 ,when told1 he looked triumphant1 bade us get into his cab1 lashed his horse and after several rapidly made turns1 dashed into an out-of-the-way street and drew up before a sort of junk store-house1 full of rickety1 dusty odds and ends of furniture1 presided over by a stupid old woman who sat outside the door1 knitting1--wrapped head and all in a shawl4 ,we entered and1 there1 to our immense relief1 stood the dressing table6 ,it was grey with dust1 the original ,empire green silk1 a rusty grey and hanging in shreds on the back of the original glass4 ,there was a marble top set into the wood and grooved in a curious way4 ,the whole was intact except for a loose back leg1 which gave it a swaying1 tottering appearance4 ,we passed it in silence--being experienced traders6 ,then1 after buying several little old picture frames1 while ,madame continued her knitting1 we wandered close to the coveted table and asked what was wanted for that broken bit of no use as it stands4 ,thirty francs 7six dollars7 was the answer4 ,later a well-known ,new ,york dealer offered seventy-five dollars for the table in the condition in which we found it1 and repaired as it is to-day it would easily bring a hundred and fifty1 anywhere6 ,as it happened1 the money we went out with had been spent on unexpected finds1 and neither we nor our good-natured cabby were in possession of thirty francs6 ,in fact1 cabby was rather staggered to hear the price1 having offered to advance what we needed4 ,he suggested sending it home collect but ,madame would not even consider such an idea4 ,however1 at last our resourceful jehu came to the rescue4 ,if the ladies would seat themselves in the cab1 he could place the table in front of them1 with the cover of the cab raised1 and ,madame of the shop could lock her door and mounting the box by the side of our cocher1 she might drive with us to our destination and collect the money herself6 ,he promised to bring her home safely again6 ,as we had only the next day for boxing and shipping1 there was no alternative4 ,before we had even taken in our grotesque appearance1 the horse was galloping1 as only a ,paris cab horse can gallop1 toward our abode in ,avenue ,henri ,martin1 past carriages and autos returning from the ,bois1 while inside the cab we sat1 elated by our success and in that whirl of triumphant absorbing joy which only the real collector knows4 ,this same modest little ,empire collection had a treasure recently added to it1 found by chance1 in an antique shop in ,pennsylvania4 ,it was a mirror4 ,the dealer1 an ,italian1 said that he had got it from an old house in ,bordentown1 ,new ,jersey4 ,it's genuine ,english1 he said1 certain he was playing his winning card4 ,it has the original glass and a heavy1 squarely made1 mahogany frame4 ,strange to say it corresponds exactly with the bed and bureau in the collection1 having pilasters surmounted by women's heads of gilded wood with small gilded feet showing at base4 ,,plate ,,xxxi ,an end of a room containing genuine ,empire furniture1 ,empire ornaments and a rare collection of ,empire cups1 which appear in a vitrine seen near the dull-blue brocade curtains drawn over windows4 ,we would especially call attention to the mantelpiece1 which was originally the ,empire frame of a mirror1 and to a book shelf made interesting by having the upper shelf supported by a charming pair of antique bronze cupids4 ,this plate is reproduced to show as many ,empire pieces as possible2 it is not an ideal example of arrangement1 either as to furniture in room or certain details4 ,there is too much crowding4 ,illustration3 ,a ,collection of ,empire ,furniture1 ,ornaments and ,china ,as the brother of the great ,napoleon1 ,joseph ,bonaparte1 king of ,spain and ,rome1 passed many years of his self-imposed exile in ,bordentown1 in a house made beautiful with furnishings he brought from ,france1 it is possible this old mirror has an interesting story1 if only it could talk6 ,then1 too1 it was ,bordentown that sheltered a ,prince ,murat1 the relative of ,joseph ,bonaparte4 ,if it was he who conveyed our mirror to these shores1 a very different1 but as highly romantic a tale might unfold6 ,for fear the precious ancient glass should be broken or the frame destroyed1 we bribed a ,pullman-car porter to let us bring its six by four feet of antiquity with us1 in the train6 ,when you see a find always take it with you1 or the next man may1 and above all1 always be on the lookout4 ,it was from a ,french novel by one of the living ,french writers that we first got a clue to a certain obscure ,etruscan museum1 hidden away in the ,carrara ,mountains1 in ,italy4 ,that wonderful little museum and its adjacent potteries1 which cover the face of ,italy like ant-hills1 are to-day contributors to innumerable beautiful interiors in every part of ,america4 ,we recall a dining-room in ,grosvenor ,square1 ,london1 where a world-renowned collection of powder-blue vases 7the property of ,mr4 ,j4,b4 ,joel7 is made to contribute to a decorative scheme by placing the almost priceless vases of old ,chinese blue and white porcelain1 in niches made for them1 high up on the black oak panelling4 ,there are no pictures nor other decorations on the walls1 hence each vase has the distinction it deserves1 placed as it were1 in a shrine4 ,in the ,peter ,hewitt ,museum1 ,new ,york1 you may see an antique ,italian china cabinet1 made of gilded carved wood1 which shows on its undulating front1 row after row of small niches1 lined with red velvet4 ,when each deep niche held its porcelain chef d'oeuvre1 the effect must have been that of a gold screen set with gems6 ,speaking of red velvet backgrounds1 in the same museum1 standing near the ,italian cabinet1 is an ancient ,spanish one2 its elaborate steel hinges1 locks and ornaments have each a bit of red velvet between them and the oak of the cabinet4 ,one sees this on ,gothic chests in ,england and occasionally on the antique furniture of other countries4 ,the red material stretched back of the metal fret-work1 is said to be a souvenir of the gruesome custom prevailing in ancient times1 of warning off invaders by posting on the doors of public buildings1 the skin of prisoners of war1 and holding it in place with open-work metal1 through which the red skin was plainly seen6 ,at ,cornwall ,lodge1 in ,regents ,park1 ,london1 the town house of ,lady de ,bathe 7,lily ,langtry7 the dining-room ceiling is a deep sky-blue1 while the sidewalls of black1 serve as a background for her valuable collection of old1 coloured glass1 for the most part ,english4 ,the collection is the result of the owner's eternal vigilance1 when travelling or at home4 ,a well-known ,paris collector1 now dead1 found in ,spain a bust which had been painted black4 ,its good lines led him to buy it1 and1 when cleaned1 it proved to be a genuine ,canova1 and was sold by this dealer1 a reliable expert1 to an ,american for five thousand dollars6 ,it had been painted during a ,revolution1 to save it from destruction4 ,the same dealer on another occasion1 when in ,spain1 found an old silk gown of lovely flowered brocade1 but with one breadth missing4 ,several years later1 in an antique shop in ,italy1 he found that missing gore and had it put back in the gown1 thus completing the treasure which some ruthless hand had destroyed4 ,,chapter ,,xxxix ,,wedgwood ,,pottery1 ,,old ,,and ,,modern ,many of our museums have interesting collections of old ,wedgwood4 ,altogether the most complete collection we have ever seen is in the museum adjoining the ,wedgwood factories in ,staffordshire1 ,england4 ,the curator there1 an old man of about seventy1 loves to tell the story of its founding and growth4 ,he began as a labourer in the potteries and has worked his way up to be guardian of the veterans in perfected types4 ,many of the rare and beautiful specimens he has himself dug up in the grounds1 where from time to time1 since #agej1 they were thrown out as broken1 useless debris4 ,the recovery of these bits1 their preservation and classification1 together with valuable donations made by ,english families who have inherited rare specimens1 have not only placed at the disposal of those interested1 the fascinating history of ,wedgwood1 in a thrilling object lesson1 but has made the modern ,wedgwood what it is3--one of the most beautiful varieties of tableware in the market to-day4 ,josiah ,wedgwood is said to have been the first ,english potter1 counting from the ,roman time to the first quarter of the eighteenth century1 who made vases to be used for mere decoration4 ,chelsea1 ,worcester and ,derby were just then beginning to make fine porcelain4 ,in ,wedgwood's day it was the rule for young men of title and wealth to go abroad1 and the souvenirs which they brought back with them1 such as pictures and vases1 helped to form a taste for the antique1 in ,england4 ,then1 too1 books on ,greek art were being written by ,english travellers4 ,josiah ,wedgwood had a natural bent for the pure line and classic subjects1 but he was1 also1 possessed with the keen businessman's intuition as to what his particular market demanded4 ,so he sat about copying the line and decorations of the antique ,greek vases4 ,he reproduced lines and designs in decoration1 but invented the bodies1 that is to say1 the materials from which the potters moulded his wares4 ,he is said to have invented in all1 twenty varieties4 ,we say that he reproduced ,greek designs1 and so he did1 but ,john ,flaxman1 his chief decorator1 who lived in ,rome1 where he had a studio and clever assistants1 studied the classics1 imbibed their spirit and originated the large majority of ,wedgwood's so-called ,greek designs1 --those exquisite cameo-like compositions in white1 on backgrounds of pastel colours1 which appeared as miniatures mounted for jewellery1 medallions let into wall panels1 and on furniture and ,carrara marble mantelpieces1 wonderful works of art wrought of his ,jasper paste1 which make ,josiah ,wedgwood outrank any producer of ceramics who has ever lived in any age4 ,wedgwood's first vases were for use1 although they were ornamental1 too4 ,those were the pots he made in which to grow bulbs or roots1 and the bough pots which were filled with cut flowers and used to ornament the hearth in summer4 ,mr4 ,frederick ,rathbone1 compiler of the ,wedgwood catalogue in #aiji1 a memorial to ,josiah ,wedgwood made possible by his great-granddaughter1 says that during his thirty-five years' study of ,wedgwood's work1 he had yet to learn of a single vase which was ever made by him1 or sent out from his factory at ,etruria1 which was lacking in grace or beauty4 ,the ,etrurian ,museum1 ,staffordshire1 shows ,josiah ,wedgwood's life work from the early ,whieldon ware to his perfected ,jasper paste4 ,josiah's trials or experiments1 are the most interesting specimens in the museum1 and prove that the effort of his life was converting a rude and inconsiderable manufactory into an elegant art and an important part of national commerce4 ,yet1 although he is acknowledged by all the world to have been the greatest artist in ceramics of his or any period1 remember pottery was only one of his interests4 ,he was by no means a man who concentrated day and night on one line of production4 ,he occupied himself with politics1 and planned and carried through great engineering feats and was1 also1 deeply interested in the education of his children4 ,when ,wedgwood began his work1 all tea and coffee pots were salt-glazed1 plain1 or1 if decorated1 copies of ,oriental patterns1 which were the only available models1 imported for the use of the rich4 ,wedgwood invented in turn his tortoise shell1 agate1 mottled and other coloured wares1 and finally his beautiful pale-cream1 known as ,queen's ware1 in honour of ,queen ,charlotte1 his patron4 ,it is the ,c4,c4 7cream colour7 which is so popular to-day1 either plain or decorated4 ,he invented colours1 as well as bodies1 for the manufacture of his earthenware1 both for use and for decoration1 and built up a business employing #ae1jjj persons in his factories1--and #cj1jjj in all the branches of his business4 ,in #ahif the census showed #de1iad persons employed in the factories1 and at that time the annual amount paid in wages was over two million pounds 7ten million dollars74 ,we must remember that in #agfj1 the only way of transporting goods to and from the ,wedgwood factory was by means of pack-horses4 ,therefore ,josiah ,wedgwood had to turn his attention to the construction of roads and canals4 ,as ,mr4 ,gladstone put it in his address at the opening of the ,wedgwood ,institute at ,burslem1 ,staffordshire1 ,wedgwood made the raw material of his industry abundant and cheap1 which supplied a vent for the manufactured article and which opened for it materially a way to what we may term the conquest of the outer world4 ,yet he never travelled outside his own country2 always employed ,english workmen to carry out his ideas1 and succeeded entirely by his own efforts1 unaided by the state4 ,his first patroness was ,catherine ,,ii of ,russia1 for whom he made a wonderful table service1 and his best customers were the court and aristocracy of ,france1 during that country's greatest art periods 7,louis ,,xv and ,,xvi74 ,in fact ,wedgwood ware became so fashionable in ,paris that the ,svres1 ,royal ,porcelain factory1 copied the colour and relief of his ,jasper plaques and vases4 ,it is claimed by connoisseurs1 that the ,wedgwood useful decorative pottery is the only ceramic art in which ,england is supreme and unassailable4 ,it has been said at the ,wedgwood works1 and with great pride1 that the copying of ,wedgwood by the ,svres factories1 and the preservation of many rare examples of his work to-day1 in ,french museums1 to serve as models for ,french designers and craftsman1 is a neat compliment to the ,english--those rude islanders with three hundred religions and only one sauce6 ,,plate ,,xxxii ,in the illustration five of the four vases1 four with covers and one without1 are reproductions of old pharmacy jars1 once used by all ,italian druggists to keep their drugs in4 ,the really old ones with artistic worth are vanishing from the open market into knowing dealers' or collectors' hands1 or the museums have them1 but with true ,latin perspicuity1 when the supply ceased to meet the demand1 the great modern ,italian potters turned out lovely reproductions1 so lovely that they bring high prices in ,italy as well as abroad1 and are frequently offered to collectors when in ,italy as genuine antiques4 ,illustration3 ,italian ,reproductions in ,pottery after ,classic ,models ,,chapter ,,xl ,,italian ,,pottery ,about nine years ago1 an ,american connoisseur1 automobiling from ,paris to ,vienna1 the route which lies through ,northern ,italy1 quite by chance1 happened to see some statuettes in the window of a hopeful1 but unknown1 potter's little shop1 on a wonderful1 ancient1 covered bridge4 ,you1 too1 may have seen that rarely beautiful bridge spanning the ,river ,brenta1 and have looked out through broad arches which occur at intervals1 on views1 so extraordinary that one feels they must be on a ,gothic tapestry1 or the journey just a dream6 ,one cannot forget the wild1 rushing river of purplish-blues1 and the pines1 in deep greens1 which climb up1 past ruined castles1 perched on jutting rocks1 toward snow-capped mountain peaks4 ,the views were beautiful1 but so were the statuettes which had caught our collector's eye4 ,he bought some1 made inquiries as to facilities for reproduction at these potteries1 and exchanged addresses4 ,the result was that to-day1 that humble potter directs several large factories1 which are busy reviving classic designs1 which may be found on sale everywhere in ,italy and in many other countries as well as ,america4 ,,chapter ,,xli ,,venetian ,,glass1 ,,old ,,and ,,modern ,if you have been in ,venice then you know the ,murano ,museum and its beguiling collection of ,venetian glass1 that old glass so vastly more beautiful in line and decoration than the modern type of1 say1 fifteen years ago1 when colours had become bad mixtures1 and decorations meaningless excrescences4 ,a bit of inside information given out to some one really interested1 led to a revival of pure line and lovely1 simple colouring1 with appropriate decorations or none at all4 ,you may already know that romantic bit of history4 ,it seems that when the museum was first started1 about four hundred years ago1 the glass blowers agreed to donate specimens of their work1 provided their descendants should be allowed access to the museum for models4 ,this contract made it a simple matter for a connoisseur to get reproduced exactly what was wanted1 and what was not in the market4 ,elegance1 distinguished simplicity in shapes1 done in glass of a single colour1 or in one colour with a simple edge in a contrasting shade1 or in one colour with a whole nosegay of colours to set it off1 appearing literally as flowers or fruit to surmount the stopper of a bottle1 the top of a jar1 or as decorations on candlesticks4 ,it was in the ,museo ,civico of ,venice that we saw and fell victims to an enchanting antique table decoration--a formal ,italian garden1 in blown glass1 once the property of a great ,venetian family and redolent of those golden days when ,venice was the playground of princes1 and feasting their especial joy2 days when visiting royalty and the world's greatest folk could have no higher honour bestowed upon them than a gift of ,venetian glass1 often real marvels mounted in silver and gold4 ,we never tired of looking at that fairy garden with its delicate copings1 balustrades and vases of glass1 all abloom with exquisite posies in every conceivable shade1 wrought of glass--a veritable dream thing6 ,finally1 nothing would do but we must know if it had ever been copied4 ,the curator said that he believed it had1 and an address was given us4 ,how it all comes back6 ,we arose at dawn1 as time was precious1 took our coffee in haste and then came that gliding trip in the gondola1 through countless canals1 to a quarter quite unknown to us1 where at work in a small room1 we came upon our glass blower and the coveted copy of that lovely table-garden4 ,this man had made four1 and one was still in his possession4 ,we brought it back to ,america1 a gleaming jewelled cobweb1 and what happened was that the very ethereal quality of its beauty made the average taste ignore it6 ,however1 a few years have made a vast difference in table1 as well as all other decorations1 and to-day the same ,venetian gardens have their faithful devotees1 as is proved by the continuous procession of the dainty wonders1 ever moving toward our sturdy shores4 ,,in ,,conclusion ,in bringing our book to an end we would reiterate four fundamental principles of ,interior ,decoration 7and all decoration73 ,good lines4 ,correct proportions4 ,harmonious colour scheme 7which includes the question of background7 and ,appropriateness4 ,observe these four laws and any house1 all interior decoration1 and any lawn or garden1 will be beautiful and satisfying1 regardless of type and choice of colours4 ,whether or not you remain content with your achievement depends upon your mental makeup4 ,really know what you want as a home1 want it1 and you can work out any scheme1 provided you have intelligence1 patience and perseverance4 ,to learn what is meant by good line1 one must educate oneself by making a point of seeing beautiful furniture and furnishings4 ,visit museums1 all collections which boast the stamp of approval of experts2 buy at the best modern and antique shops1 and compare what you get with the finest examples in the museums4 ,this is the way that connaisseurs are made4 ,,index ,acanthus leaf ,accessories ,adam1 ,james and ,robert ,alhambra ,amateur ,andirons ,angelo1 ,michael 7,see ,michelangelo7 ,antique ,antiqued ,apelles ,applique ,appropriate ,arabesques ,architectural picture ,architrave ,arras ,assyria ,athenian ,attic rooms ,awnings ,background ,bakst ,balance ,barrocco ,bathroom ,beauvais ,behnes ,belgium ,benares ,bodies ,bohemian glass ,boucher ,franois ,boudoir ,boule1 ,andr ,charles ,bric--brac ,bristol glass ,brocotello ,byzantine ,cabriole ,csar1 ,augustus ,carlovingian ,carpets 7,see ,floor7 ,ceiling ,cellini1 ,benvenuto ,charlemagne ,charles ,i ,charles ,,ii ,charles ,v ,chares ,,viii ,charts ,chef d'oeuvre ,chimney-pieces ,chinese ,chinese ,craze ,chintz ,chippendale ,cipriani1 ,giovanni ,battista ,classic ,clocks ,closets ,cold ,colours ,collecting ,colonial ,colour ,commode ,composition ,connoisseur ,console ,correggio1 ,antonio ,allegri ,cretonne 7,see ,chintz7 ,cross-stitch ,dado ,dark ,ages ,day-bed ,decoration ,decorative ,dining-tables ,directoire ,distinction ,dressing-room ,dressing-table ,du ,barry1 ,madame ,du ,barry rose ,drer1 ,albrecht ,dutch ,egypt ,elimination ,elizabethan ,empire ,england ,ensemble ,fads ,feudal ,fire-dogs 7,see ,andirons7 ,fireplace ,fixtures ,flaxman1 ,john ,floors 7,see ,carpets7 ,flower-pictures ,flowers ,fontainebleau ,france ,francis ,i ,franklin ,stoves ,french ,frieze ,georgian ,germany ,gibbons1 ,grinling ,gimp ,glass ,glazed ,linen ,gobelin ,gothic ,greek ,gubbio ,hallmark ,hangings ,henry ,,ii ,henry ,,iii ,henry ,,iv ,henry ,,viii ,heppelwhite ,holland ,homes ,hungarian ,inappropriateness ,iron ,work ,italian ,italian ,louis ,,xvi ,ivy ,jacobean ,james ,i ,james ,,ii ,james ,,vi ,japan ,japanese ,kauffman1 ,angelica ,key ,key ,note ,knife-boxes ,lacquer ,lamp ,shades ,landscape ,paper ,library1 a ,man's ,light-absorbing colours ,light-producing ,lines ,living-room ,louis ,,xiii ,louis ,,xiv ,louis ,,xv ,louis ,,xvi ,lustre copper ,mahogany ,period ,majolica ,man's ,room 7,see ,men's ,rooms7 ,mantel ,marie ,antoinette ,marquetry ,medival ,art ,medici ,medici1 ,catherine de ,medicine jars ,men's ,rooms ,metal ,work ,michelangelo ,middle ,ages ,mirrors ,mission ,furniture ,moors ,morris1 ,william ,mouldings ,mounts ,napoleon ,i ,narrow halls ,new ,england ,oak ,period ,objets d'art ,oriental ,ormolu ,outline ,over-doors ,painted ,furniture ,painted ,tapestry ,palladio1 ,andrea ,panelling ,panier fleuri ,parchment ,paper ,shades for ,lights ,passepartout ,peasant ,china ,peasant ,lace ,pergolese1 ,michael ,angelo ,pericles ,period ,rooms ,pesaro ,pharmacy ,jars 7,see ,medicine ,jars7 ,phidias ,photographs ,picture ,frames ,pictures ,pietra-dura ,pilasters ,poitiers1 ,diane de ,poland ,pomegranate ,pattern ,porcelain ,porch-room ,portuguese ,powder-,blue ,vases ,praxiteles ,pre-,raphaelites ,proportion ,pseudo-,classic ,puritan ,queen ,anne ,queen ,elizabeth ,rail-boxes ,raphael ,refectory ,tables ,renaissance ,reproductions ,rocaille 7,see ,shell ,design7 ,rococo ,rolls1 ,empire ,rome ,sarto1 ,andrea del ,sash-curtains ,servants'-rooms ,svres porcelain ,shades for ,lights ,shell ,design 7,see ,rocaille7 ,sheraton ,silks ,slipper-chairs ,sofa cushions ,spain ,sports ,balconies ,stained ,glass ,straw ,awnings ,stuart ,sun-producing ,sun-proof ,sun-rooms ,table decoration ,table-garden ,tables ,tableware ,taffeta ,tapestry ,tea-tables ,textiles ,titian ,tone-on-tone ,tudor ,twin beds ,urbino ,valance ,values ,van ,eyck ,vanity-room ,vargueos ,vase pattern ,vases ,venetian ,glass ,venice ,vernis ,martin ,victorian ,period ,vinci1 ,leonardo da ,virginia ,homes ,vitrine ,wainscoting ,wall-papers ,walls ,warm colours ,wedgewood ,wicker ,furniture ,william and ,mary ,period ,window-boxes ,wren1 ,sir ,christopher ,,the ,,end