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_A_ BOOK _of_
DISTINCTIVE INTERIORS
_EDITED BY_
WILLIAM A. VOLLMER
[Illustration]
NEW YORK
McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY
1912
COPYRIGHT, 1910, 1911, 1912, BY
McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY
_Published November, 1912_
Contents
PAGE
PLANNING THE LIVING-ROOM 5
By _A. Raymond Ellis_
DESIGNING THE DINING-ROOM 47
By _A. Raymond Ellis_
DECORATING AND FURNISHING THE BEDROOM 69
By _Margaret Greenleaf_
THE PROBLEM OF THE BATHROOM 87
By _A. Raymond Ellis_
THE PROPER TREATMENT FOR THE NURSERY 99
By _Sarah Leyburn Coe_
CHARACTERISTIC HALLS AND STAIRWAY TYPES 108
PLANNING THE KITCHEN 116
By _James Earle Miller_
[Illustration:
Pleasing decorative effects may be obtained by bringing out the
natural graining of the woodwork. Chestnut and cypress are
particularly suitable for this as they may be stained and wax
finished, or stained and rubbed down to produce this effect. This
fireplace was built with outside bricks selected for their color.
There is a mottling of purple and bluish tones among the reds that
harmonizes strikingly with the Oriental rug before it
]
[Illustration]
Planning the Living-room
[Illustration:
A lounge before the fireplace becomes more useful if a table bearing
a lamp is placed behind it. Cypress is reasonable for interior trim,
costing from sixty to sixty-eight dollars a thousand feet
]
After the method of modern planning, the living-room is treated as the
principal room in the house. I do not mean to say that this room should
be overdone, or given undue prominence to the exclusion of the other
rooms, but it is essential that this room be treated differently from
the old-fashioned way we formerly treated our living-rooms, then
generally a front and back parlor. These two rooms have now been
superseded by one large room, as our mode of living and entertaining
makes it more desirable than the two small, stuffy rooms, then used
only occasionally. To-day we plan to give pleasure and comfort to the
family, rather than the occasional guest.
[Illustration:
The drawing of the suggested room arrangement shows the fireplace
and the French doors leading to the piazza. Above the ivory tinted
wainscoting the background paper is of a putty color and panels are
filled with a striped and foliated fabric held in place by a molding
strip
The ground plan of the room shows a good arrangement of rugs and
furniture in order that advantage may be taken of the fireplace and
the various lights. Conversation may be carried on with ease and
comfort and the room used for various purposes conveniently
]
[Illustration: This reception room has chiefly Louis XVI furniture,
which appears well with the light gray and white woodwork designed
after the Adam style]
There are probably two or three dozen ways that the living-room can be
planned and decorated and at the same time be comfortable and
attractive. I have chosen to illustrate this with a type of living-room
that adapts itself to almost any house and offers the greatest amount
of free space when the room is properly furnished. The room is 15 ft.
× 29 ft. 6 in., with a ceiling height of 9 feet, these dimensions
giving a well-proportioned room. The fireplace is in the center of the
west wall, flanked on each side by two French doors which open out on a
piazza. At each end of the room are two windows, balancing one another.
On the east wall a wide opening with French doors permits access to the
main hall. The most prominent feature of the room is the fireplace,
which is accentuated and made a natural center. This is an important
consideration when planning a natural grouping of the family or its
guests.
[Illustration: Such architectural features as beamed ceilings should
only be used in rooms of pretentious size. A good example of Caen stone
fireplace is found here]
The treatment of the room is Colonial. A low wainscot, 2 ft. 6 in.
high, comprising a base, panel, and cap, is carried around the room.
The ceiling is beamed with four substantial beams and a half beam to
form a cornice around the room at the junction of the wall and ceiling.
Over the heads of the doors and windows there is a wide wooden frieze
with a cap which ties them, one might say, to the bottom of the
cornice, and makes them more completely an integral part of the
woodwork. The window stools form a part of the wainscot cap.
[Illustration: A summer living-room that achieves a brilliant note
through white woodwork and figured hangings with upholstery to match]
The finish of the room is white wood, given four coats of lead and oil
paint, with a fifth coat of white enamel, rubbed down, and a sixth and
final finishing coat of enamel of an ivory shade that dries out with a
very dull satin-like luster that is very durable and not easily marred.
Above the wainscot the walls are covered with a heavy background paper
having a body color almost of a putty shade, enlivened in certain
lights with a pinkish caste. This is accented by the panels, between
the windows and doors, of a delicately hued fabric with a foliated
striped design. A flat molding covers the edge of the fabric and forms
the panel. In order to balance these and add character to the room, the
draperies at the windows and doors are of soft blue velour, without
which the scheme would be lifeless and flat. The facing of the
fireplace is of Sienna marble surmounted with a simple mantel,
consisting merely of a heavy classical architrave, with a shelf above
and a large plate glass mirror over it. One must not lose sight of the
fact that the colors of this room, while light and delicate, are all
very rich and warm, due to the predominating ivory color of the
woodwork, enlivened and strengthened by the richer and heavier color
used in the panels and curtains.
[Illustration:
Some would consider it bold to combine white walls and white
woodwork in the living-room. The rug, pictures and furniture
covering, however, are chosen with an eye to bright colors
]
The ceiling is sand-finished and tinted to match the walls. The floor
is of quartered oak, filled and given two coats of a finish which
produces a durable even surface with a dull luster that is not so
slippery as a waxed floor. The disposition of the rugs over this floor
is a matter of personal taste and the amount one can afford for rugs.
The rugs should be Oriental and of light uniform coloring. The plans
show probably the most economical way of covering the floor--using one
large rug as a center and filling with smaller rugs. One large rug
might be obtained that would extend from the piano to the pier glass,
but it would have to be an odd shape or specially made. Two large rugs
might be used, one in each end of the room, with a small rug to fill in
before the fireplace. The approximate positions and proper design for
the various pieces of furniture used in the room are indicated.
In order to obtain the real benefit of the fireplace, it is necessary
to have a broad comfortable sofa or an upholstered mahogany seat in
front of it. In back of this should be a small mahogany table on which
an ornamental lamp may stand. On each side of the table can be drawn up
large comfortable chairs. This arrangement permits the light of the
lamp to fall in the correct position for anyone wishing to read in the
chairs or on the seat in front of the fireplace. At one side of the
fireplace a large wing-chair would be well placed. The bookcases would,
of course, be unnecessary if there were a library in the house, but
where the living-room is to answer the general purposes of the family,
the book-shelves would be found very useful, and could be movable or
built in as part of the finish. Between the northern windows a fine
position is obtained for the piano, on the right of which is a good
place for a davenport.
[Illustration:
Where a living-room is long, various parts of it may be devoted to
different uses, one end being a library and the other a sitting-room
for instance, with a corner for deskwork
]
The disposition of the minor pieces of furniture need not be mentioned,
except the fact that a pier glass at the opposite end of the room,
between the two southern windows is a very decorative treatment, and
that the corner at the left affords a place for a tea table or a
Colonial pie-crust table.
[Illustration:
The low hanging center light is rapidly being superseded by
individual fixtures about the room or hung from chains. The
three-quarter paneling here is attractive when combined with some
conventionalized frieze design
]
In addition the electric lights are provided with switches, and in the
baseboard around the room are two plugs for attaching portable table
lamps. There must also be a bell registering its signal on an
annunciator in the kitchen,--one ring for a maid--two rings for tea, or
as the housewife may arrange.
The cost of the furniture used in this room, covered in cotton, made
from the architect's drawings, would be as follows: 18th century sofa,
rolled ends, $90; and it requires 3-1/6 yards of 50-inch goods to cover
it. Low-boy with drawers, $90--size 2 ft. 6 in. × 4 ft. 6 in. Tip-top
tea table, 38 in. in diameter, $60. Martha Washington wing-chair, $54,
in cotton; requires 5 yards of 50-inch goods to cover. Martha
Washington armchair, $40, in cotton; requires 2 yards of 50-inch goods
to cover. The crown ladder-back side chairs would cost about $35 each
in cotton, and the armchair to match, $40.
[Illustration:
As a general color rule for decoration, red should be used for north
rooms and blue for east and west rooms; the warmer tones in
living-rooms than in bedrooms. This shows a good use of scrim
curtains with a gathered valance
]
The beamed ceiling, door and window casings, mantel and wainscot in the
room would cost about $450. If the wainscot were omitted about $75
would be saved--the mantel and marble facing cost about $100 separately.
A. RAYMOND ELLIS
[Illustration: The use of a single large rug as the basis for the floor
covering is often very satisfactory. This house shows an interesting
treatment with a molding that acts as cornice]
[Illustration:
There is something in the restraint shown in the fireplace of
Indiana limestone with no mantel shelf that overdecoration could
never have obtained. An interesting feature is the use of candle
sconces as an auxiliary to the electric lighting
]
[Illustration: Heavy woodwork requires the use of heavy, substantial
furniture. In this room, where the appearance of craftsmanship is
prevalent, such furniture is very suitable]
[Illustration: A very unpretentious room, but one in good taste. The
furniture has all been planned for a distinct location and has been
built in to it]
[Illustration:
A large living-room demands some such architectural treatment as
these pillars. The usual mistake is on the side of overdecoration.
Here, however, a decided simplicity is employed, leaving the
flanking windows in small bays
]
[Illustration:
Oftentimes four beams only are used
for the ceiling; two as a cornice and two framing
in the chimney-piece
]
[Illustration:
A consideration of modern house decoration is to provide comfort for
all members. A small den off the living-room affords privacy when
others occupy the living-room
]
[Illustration:
In a California bungalow there is an interesting decorative
combination where old heirlooms of furniture from the Eastern
ancestors of the family are carefully preserved and Navajo rugs are
used as a floor covering. These rugs and the Indian baskets are
chosen of a color that will not clash with the polished mahogany
]
[Illustration:
Another corner of the bungalow living-room on page 18 shows a good
type of secretary. The Navajo rugs seem to add a tone of vigor that
is not found in the rag rugs generally used in this connection
]
[Illustration:
A living-room given a Manorial treatment with the use of Gothic
arches. It is carefully treated, even to the rug, which is
rectangular in pattern somewhat like the ceiling beams. Although
this is in a great house, there is no reason why smaller houses
might not be furnished with equal consistency
]
[Illustration:
Two living-rooms in an old Connecticut Colonial house that are
decorated with furniture in use during Revolutionary times. These
flowered papers were considered very rich then and have colors well
chosen as a background for the dark mahogany furniture
]
[Illustration:
An antique stone fireplace forms
the keynote for this room and gives the suggestion
for large commodious chairs and lounges. The table
and chair in the foreground show Jacobean
influences
]
[Illustration:
There is surely a decorative quality in bookcases that is heightened
by the color of books when arranged properly. Perhaps the results
might have been better had all the bookcases been built the same
height entirely around the room. The furniture here is of a type
that is particularly comfortable and wears well
]
[Illustration:
A living-room decorated along Colonial lines, where the fireplace of
red brick with wide white mortar joints is particularly effective.
French doors open onto a veranda that is used as a living-room
annex. The mantel is a reproduction of an old one
]
[Illustration:
A charming, little Colonial room is decorated entirely in white
woodwork with a baseboard. The prim pattern of the flowered
wallpaper is quite appropriate. The only modern furniture appearing
is the wicker chair, but it lends no jarring note
]
[Illustration:
This room with its heavy settles and rag rugs, its ornaments and
pictures, is furnished with nothing but objects from Colonial times.
The floor with its original wide boards is stained a dark color and
much of it left bare
]
[Illustration:
This room shows the possibility of combining various sorts of
furniture. Wicker and willow are suitable for the living-room when
used with furniture of an informal type. Above the fireplace is a
plaster reproduction of a section of the Parthenon frieze that is
well placed
]
[Illustration:
The architects of the West are achieving distinction in the creation
of a particular style. This interior is characteristic of their
work. Horizontal lines are emphasized and colored brickwork enters
as a part of the decoration
]
[Illustration:
A bay with three connecting windows of this sort may be curtained as
a unit. There is but one valance for the three windows and light
silk curtains are used to match the grass cloth of the walls
]
[Illustration:
Living-rooms need not always be indoors. In this home a glazed in
piazza makes it possible to enjoy the early days of spring and late
fall when the weather is too uncomfortable to remain out-of-doors.
The porch is furnished with all the conveniences that may be found
in an indoor living-room and has connections for reading lights and
other lamps. The furniture is of grass cloth, willow and wicker, and
there are rugs covering the entire floorspace
]
[Illustration:
Much of the Colonial carving was extremely simple. Here added
decorative detail appears in the old-fashioned fireback of modeled
iron. The covering of the old rosewood furniture is quite in harmony
with the wallpaper
]
[Illustration:
An exemplification of the use of deep colors in the living-room
treatment is here shown. A restful green makes a good background for
large and variously formed pieces
]
[Illustration:
This studio living-room is a successful exponent of the same
principle of color harmony shown in the previous illustration. A
heterogeneous collection of various styles of furniture is rendered
harmonious by the use of kindred tones of browns, tans and dull reds
]
[Illustration:
Built-in furniture is not limited to seats and cupboards. This desk
is carpenter built, and although quite inexpensive fits more exactly
than many products that could be purchased. The bookcases encircling
the room are made part of the desk
]
[Illustration:
The living-room of two stories and with mezzanine floor is receiving
more and more favor for its spacious effect. The simple woodwork in
this room is well chosen and there is a good suggestion in the
lighting fixtures
]
[Illustration:
The cream colored walls and woodwork in this English drawing-room
make an especially fine background for mahogany furniture. This
fireplace nook is a good example of modern English work
]
[Illustration:
English architects consider that woodwork may be decorative in
itself, and finish it so that its natural colors take the place of
wall paper. The walls are of unfinished plaster
]
[Illustration:
Some straight lines might be introduced by different curtains and by
doing away with the fussy table-covers and frilled lounge pillow.
The mantel is particularly good Dutch Colonial but is too much
cluttered with bric-à-brac
]
[Illustration:
Every house builder should consider that the downstairs living-room
may not always be occupied by the entire family at one time. The
upstairs sitting-room provides privacy on all occasions. The mantel
treatment here is interesting
]
[Illustration:
The living-room in the same house is rendered distinctive by a large
inglenook. It is finished in rough plaster and colored in a light
tan
]
[Illustration:
Green and white is a scheme for this summer living-room. White
wicker chairs are combined with green willow ones and the green
design of the wall paper is echoed in the green rug with a white
pattern
]
[Illustration:
Even the most modest bungalow may have personality. The match board
wall is finished with a light stain that shows the grain. India
prints with their bold colors and striking designs are used for
curtains, table and couch covers and for the pillows
]
[Illustration:
The inside curtains in this living-room are of figured Madras.
Although they fade, their price is reasonable enough to permit
reduplication every few years with small expense
]
[Illustration:
A more formal room is this with its intricate mahogany paneling. The
ceiling has an architectural cornice, below which the wall is
decorated with a velour in proper coloring
]
[Illustration:
There is a growing desire to build living-rooms that open into the
light and air. This is as completely furnished as any other room in
the house, but is given a dark stained lattice background as
suitable for plants
]
[Illustration:
An informal living-room, where the plaster walls are divided by
vertical strips run from a wide molding to the baseboard. This is a
cheap, and if properly handled, effective substitute for paneling
]
[Illustration:
A living-room that was designed to take advantage of the view in
many directions from a high situation. A large rug with harmonious
colors occupies the center of the floor space
]
[Illustration:
Dutch house builders make a feature of the window nook and most of
the light is directed toward one part of the room. Matting of an
ivory color has been selected as a floor covering
]
[Illustration:
An English mantel treatment that is worth copying is shown here. A
single-color carpet is used and the brilliant chintzes lend the
completing note of cheerfulness
]
[Illustration:
In contrast is this room where deeper tones are emphasized in rugs
and wall treatment and it is desired to produce a more serious
effect
]
[Illustration:
Another example of the two-story living-room is here shown in more
elaborate style where the precedent was the Manorial hall of
England. Tapestries and heavy wall papers are used and the
chandeliers are large and elaborate
]
[Illustration:
This sun room is an integral part of the house and is fitted with
casement windows, but is by no means a porch. The fireplace renders
it a comfortable place in the most severe weather
]
[Illustration:
Furniture covering and draperies here are of a large figured English
chintz. As the ceiling was low, a green paper with a perpendicular
stripe was used for heightening effect
]
[Illustration:
The chief feature of this room is the doorway with its fine fan
light. The chairs in the foreground are of Heppelwhite design
]
[Illustration:
In England a great deal of attention is given to centering the
family life about the hearth. This inglenook has almost the value of
an additional room. The walls are plain except for the woodwork and
the tiling
]
[Illustration:
The inglenook here has a raised floor of ordinary brick and an
attractive brick fireplace the mantel of which is a cypress beam
supported by projecting bricks. The furniture is made consistent by
being stained and then waxed
]
[Illustration:
Glazed tile fireplaces are very much the vogue in England. Here the
colors are selected to go well with the light ash treatment of the
woodwork
]
[Illustration:
The heavy beams in this living-room made it a simple matter to place
the inglenook. The curved lines of the seat, however, and the
grotesque plaster figures might grow tiresome, and are most suitable
for the house occupied only in the summer or one with more informal
treatment
]
[Illustration:
An architect's suggested treatment of a Flemish dining-room. The
fireplace is of Caen stone and the plaster wall is sand-finished in
a dark shade
]
[Illustration]
Designing the Dining-room
We have a habit, generally, of making the dining-room either English or
Colonial in style, I suppose for the reason that we have so many good
types of furniture in these two styles that their use makes it easier
to obtain an attractive dining-room. The room of Flemish character is
probably more unusual and I have, therefore, chosen to offer a design
in this style.
[Illustration:
The plan shows an arrangement for a dining-room about fifteen by
sixteen feet, showing suggested positions for the rugs and furniture
that is consistent with the scheme
]
[Illustration:
A very similar treatment to that described in the article is shown
in this room with its high rectangular panel wainscot. Instead of a
cornice the sand-finished walls are rounded into the ceiling and the
ceiling is lower. An interesting candle fixture is hung above the
plain oak table. The picture framed in the paneling is an additional
possibility
]
[Illustration:
Warm tones are appreciated in a dining-room where the woodwork is
all white. Here they are obtained in an Oriental rug of good colors.
Chairs are of present-day manufacture, suggested by Sheraton's work
]
The room is 15 × 16 feet in size, opening from a broad hall from which
it is shut off with glass doors. The morning sun, a very essential
feature in any dining-room, is obtained through the eastern window and
through the southern windows in the summer, while the after-glow of the
summer sunset comes through the west window, thus insuring a pleasant
dining-room at all times. There is nothing so cheerless as a
breakfast-room which is cut off from the sun in the winter, by being
isolated in the north or northeastern part of the house; it continually
exerts a depressing influence on the family at meals.
The dining-room is adjoined by the serving-room, which connects with
the kitchen, affording a quick and direct line of service.
[Illustration:
Most dining-rooms need color, which may be introduced in a frieze,
as here, or by the use of tapestry. Side fixtures, such as these in
duplication of old Colonial lamps, may be purchased for six or seven
dollars. The center light is of etched glass
]
It is suggested that the room be wainscoted in oak to a height of seven
feet, with rectangular panels formed by very flat rails and stiles,
without any panel moldings. A wide plate-rail forms the cap of the
wainscot, affording a place to put bits of china and old pieces of
pewter or copper. Above the wainscot the plaster is sand-finished, as
is also the ceiling, and at the intersection of the ceiling and side
walls a cornice is carried around the room. On the north side is a
large fireplace, which is a necessity on a rainy day to make breakfast
cheerful and the room comfortable. It is built of light gray Caen
stone, which has almost the appearance of limestone. It is imported in
blocks and is soft enough to be worked into a variety of shapes. The
hearth has a curb border, raised an inch or two above the level of the
stone hearth in order to retain the ashes better. A heavy carved casing
is carried around the stonework of the fireplace, surmounted by a
carved shelf supported on heavy brackets.
[Illustration:
All the furniture necessary beside the chairs and dining-table is a
sideboard and a serving-table. The china closet may be dispensed
with if a place for decorative china is made on a plate rail. This
china closet matches well and seems part of the room
]
French doors are an essential feature in the dining-room because they
permit it to be shut off from the hall and kept warm, and they prevent
interruptions during the dinner hour. As they are of glass, they afford
a view into the hall--a very attractive feature, which does away with
that feeling of oppressiveness experienced sometimes from being shut up
in a room with solid doors of wood. The floor is of oak, filled and
given two coats of a finish which has a dull luster and enough
elasticity to make it durable. The floor should be of a shade that is
not too light or so dark that it readily shows the dust.
[Illustration:
Instead of using the separate pieces of dining-room furniture, two
sideboards were built in flanking the fireplace and as an extension
of its woodwork. A tapestry paper is used above this wainscot
]
Opposite the fireplace is a position for the sideboard and there is
wall space enough for a china-cupboard although I should prefer to omit
this cumbersome piece of furniture, which everybody shuns with the
admonition of childhood still ringing in his ears, "mustn't touch."
Near the door to the serving-room is the proper place for the
serving-table, and there remains plenty of wall space for chairs. By
referring to the plan the position of these pieces of furniture will be
made more clear.
[Illustration:
A possible variation for the seven-foot wainscot suggested, is the
room entirely paneled with cypress finished to show the grain. The
French doors in this room are desirable in a dining-room, as they
allow plenty of light to enter
]
The decoration of this room is a simple problem. On the floor there
should be a rich-colored rug with deep reds in it, strong enough to
afford a foundation for the dark sturdy Flemish furniture and the dark
finish of the wainscot. Above the wainscot, the sand-finished ceiling
and side walls should be sized and painted with three coats of oil
paint of a dull golden shade which reflects a warm glow over the room
when lighted. The rough texture of the sand-finish is well adapted for
such use as this. Of course a frieze of foliated tapestry paper, or
real tapestry, could be used with good effect, or even an oil-painted
frieze representing a scene from medieval history is permissible. It is
safe to say that all of these schemes would be good, though, of course,
there would be a great difference in their cost. The radiator under the
east window should be painted to match the color of the wainscot. To
obtain the correct shade for this wainscot, the wood should go through
several processes of staining. The first coat is a deep penetrating
stain of burnt Sienna hue to form a mellowing base, similar to the warm
colors the old masters used in their paintings. This makes a warm color
to reflect through the succeeding coats of darker stain, each coat of
which should be rubbed into the wood and any superfluous stain rubbed
off, exposing each time the high lights of the wood's grain. The final
coat should be a thin coat of wax or a flat-drying oil paint to give
the wood a dull luster.
[Illustration:
The woodwork treatment here is much the same as that suggested in
the text, but of a Colonial or English style and finished white. A
good stenciled frieze is used above it. The chairs are of
Chippendale design
]
The furniture should be of the Flemish type, preferably a shade lighter
or a shade darker than that of the finish of the woodwork, in order to
give contrast. The dining-room table should be a modern extension table
with heavy, turned legs, which would of course be repeated in the
sideboard, serving-table and chairs. This type of furniture depends
entirely for its beauty upon its plain sturdy lines and simple
turnings. The chairs should have leather seats and backs, studded with
copper nails. The brasses of the fireplace should be of odd design, and
the electric lights and fixtures should be of old brass to add a touch
of color to the dark wood finish.
It seems hardly necessary to mention that the lights of this room
should be governed by an electric switch, and an electric bell on the
table should ring a buzzer in the serving-room.
In the serving-room there is a counter shelf two feet eight inches high
on each side wall, over which there are glazed cases with sliding doors
to contain the china. Under the window there is a sink for the washing
of fine china, glass, and silver, which should not go into the kitchen
with the heavier dishes. Under the counter are cupboards and drawers
and at one end a plate-warmer and a small refrigerator, in order that
one may obtain a bite to eat late at night without having to go through
the kitchen to the kitchen pantry--which is sometimes awkward if there
is no servant's dining-room and the maid is entertaining.
[Illustration:
Still another substitute for the wainscot is the use of wood strips
applied in this fashion. The Moravian tiles in the fireplace add
welcome color
]
The finish of the room would cost approximately $575 in selected white
oak. The mantel alone is worth $80 and the wainscot about $300. The
furniture for the room, made from detail drawings, would cost about
$450 in oak and leather.
A. RAYMOND ELLIS
[Illustration:
Where the dining-room woodwork shows its natural grain, a specially
designed buffet of quartered oak, such as this, proves very
attractive and satisfactory
]
[Illustration:
The rough plaster walls here are surmounted by a plaster frieze of
grapes in color. This design is echoed in the center drop light
]
[Illustration:
Flanking china closets, when in perfect balance, form an admirable
feature for the decoration of a Colonial room
]
[Illustration:
The ladder back design of Chippendale is most attractive. In this
room with its white woodwork an attempt has been made to repeat the
dominant colors of the rug in the wall paper
]
[Illustration:
In this dining-room there is architectural treatment that could by
no means find place in any but a large room. Panels at one end of
the room are filled with tapestries that give a fine color effect.
The scheme is Georgian and the furniture Hepplewhite
]
[Illustration:
Having a large quantity of old blue china, the owner of this room
selected a brown figured paper that would harmonize with it. The
plates have almost the value of a stenciled frieze
]
[Illustration:
Two types of modern furniture are shown here. The china closet is
unnatural and is of no decorative value and but little usefulness.
The table and chairs are of simple design and good, solid
workmanship
]
[Illustration:
This Colonial room shows an effective panel treatment that can be
secured at low cost by applying a molding directly to the plaster
and then painting the plaster and the woodwork alike. Good Colonial
fixtures are shown above the mantel.
]
[Illustration:
Faithfulness to Colonial tradition does not necessarily make the
most comfortable room, but the Windsor chairs are serviceable and
easy
]
[Illustration:
White woodwork in this dining-room permits such a set design as this
with the little green bay trees. A gate-legged table is not always
the most comfortable thing for a dining-room
]
[Illustration:
Furniture, made of applewood, finished with a plain smooth surface
and covered with reeds, is especially applicable to the small house
and suggests the original home, the English cottage
]
[Illustration:
White enameled furniture as well as woodwork is a novel suggestion
for the summer home and makes a brilliant, cheery dining-room,
especially when accompanied by bright reds or blues in the rugs,
chair cushions and curtains
]
[Illustration:
In the summer camp little ornamentation is necessary, yet the
natural attractiveness of wood finish is both useful and beautiful
here
]
[Illustration:
In remodeling an old tavern, the taproom with its smoke-blackened
beams and dark wainscot was converted into the dining-room. The use
of handmade floor tile is particularly interesting
]
[Illustration:
This Dutch interior offers a suggestion for a summer camp in the
dining-room alcove placed at one end of the living-room
]
[Illustration:
Wilton rugs in a single color with a darker toned border serve well
for the dining-room. The curtains repeat the color in a figured
pattern
]
[Illustration:
During house cleaning there are various objections to a plate rail.
In this dining-room it was done away with and a frieze was set low
and secured by the use of a narrow white molding. If the room were
irregular, it would have been almost impossible to locate in this
position, but in a rectangular room it is not so difficult. It is in
neutral colors and the friezes are in Delft blue with draperies of a
darker blue. The furniture is Hepplewhite
]
[Illustration:
The combination of gray and white as used here is an effective
background for mahogany. The candle sconce fixtures at either side
of the sideboard alcove are in good taste
]
[Illustration:
Although the furniture need not be permanently fixed to the room it
may be planned to accommodate certain spaces, as here. The chairs
are reproductions along Colonial lines
]
[Illustration:
In a house where there is an additional room, there is a suggestion
from the German boudoir. This is really the modern woman's workroom
and place of rest and adjoins the sleeping apartment. It is also a
place to receive intimate friends
]
[Illustration]
Decorating and Furnishing the Bedroom
[Illustration:
Attractive results are achieved in adopting a central figure or idea
and planning the room about it. The main unit of design in the wall
paper has been repeated on the ivory white furniture
]
In the bedroom the individuality of the occupant is more in evidence
than in any other room of the house, as such rooms or suites are
complete in themselves and need not necessarily be considered
relatively. Where the house has the marked characteristics of any
period the architectural detail of the wood trim in the bedrooms as
well as that in the other apartments will, of course, express this and
must in a measure influence the furnishings, but even under these
conditions more latitude is permissible in the chambers than in the
living-rooms.
[Illustration:
This room, also shown in the two illustrations following, uses the
blue bird as a _motif_. Cretonne repeats the design that is echoed
again in the cut out border. A blue and white rag rug, having a blue
bird edging, is suitable for the floor
]
A room in which no period idea is dominant may be made very charming,
and the individual taste of the occupant may influence the entire
scheme of decoration. A very dainty and attractive room is shown in the
illustration on page 69.
The floral paper used on the side wall here is beautiful in color and
design, and the crown of this has a cut out extension of flowers and
leaves that is applied directly to the ceiling proper. The furniture
of ivory enamel finish has been painted with clusters of the same
flowers as those shown in the wall paper. Much of the green of the
foliage in this design is repeated in the two-tone rug upon the floor.
The curtains and bedspread are made of ivory white linen taffeta and
bordered with four-inch bands of cretonne showing the same floral
design as the side walls.
Much of the comfort as well as the attractiveness of a bedroom depends
upon the arrangement of the furniture it holds. The space for the bed
is usually indicated by the architect in the first drafting of the
plans, and should be adhered to unless the room is unusually large.
However, the other furniture may be arranged and rearranged until the
right position is found for each piece.
Where a couch is included this may be placed near the window with the
bookshelves conveniently at hand, or it may be set directly across the
foot of the bed. The reading- or work-tables and easy-chairs should
find their permanent place, as their proper grouping adds much to the
livableness of any room.
[Illustration:
The wall paper is plain with a satin stripe in what is known as a
cerulean blue. The crown effect of the border is a silhouetted
pattern cut out and attached separately
]
The English idea of placing a dressing-table directly in front of a
window is not especially favored here as we are loath to sacrifice so
much of direct sun and air as the closed window would necessitate,
although by such an arrangement we secure a good overhead light.
[Illustration: A white bedstead of this style may be had either of wood
enameled or of metal]
The placing of the lighting fixtures should also be given some careful
study. Side or drop lights should be near the dressing-mirror, and a
convenient stand or drop light, well shaded, should be placed near the
head of the bed. And a well-arranged table light for reading and sewing
is of great convenience in a large bedroom which is used at all as a
sitting-room. However small the room, the light must be well arranged
for the dressing-table. A central light for a bedroom is a very
objectionable feature.
[Illustration:
In many cases the bedroom serves more purposes than for sleeping
quarters. There should be space for a desk, comfortable chairs and
books
]
Light and crisp colors are more acceptable in the decorative scheme of
the bedroom than any other room of the house. Where plain walls and
figured cretonnes or chintzes are used in combination the latter should
appear generously, that is, not only in valanced curtains at windows,
but as slip covers, or cushion covers for chairs, window-seat, or
lounge.
The old-time idea of a blue, a pink, a green, and a yellow room is
falling into disuse, although any one of these colors may be brought
out prominently in the scheme of the room, or, as is even more usual,
all may be combined in either wall covering or drapery material. The
dominant color should appear again in the plain or two-tone floor
covering.
Plain and embroidered muslins for window draperies and covers for
dressing-tables are effective and dainty, and by having two sets for a
room it may be kept always delightfully fresh and clean, as these
muslins launder well. A small coin-dot of color on a very sheer, though
not fine, white ground can be purchased from 25 to 35 cents a yard and
gives a dainty charm to a room in which it is freely used that few
other fabrics at the same cost will supply.
[Illustration:
There is a preference for bedrooms furnished in light colors. Here
the paper is figured and the color of the design appears in curtains
of a solid color. The closet doors have full length mirror panels
]
Where the decorative scheme must be very inexpensively carried out, a
floral paper on an ivory ground can be purchased for 25 cents a roll of
eight yards. In these cheaper papers one finds a better selection in
yellow and old rose than in other colors; greens, too, are usually soft
and attractive. If plain colored over-draperies are desired for the
windows these may be made from cheese-cloth which has been dyed to the
desired shade, matching the color of the flower in the wall paper. It
is not a difficult matter for the amateur to do.
There are now made some very attractive cotton crepes showing a variety
of floral and other patterns. Some of these are beautiful in color and
good in design, and, with plain tinted walls, a room in which the
curtains and slip covers for cushions and pillows are made from this
fabric is very attractive.
[Illustration:
The lighting fixtures should be planned for the position the
dressing table and chiffonier is to occupy. This is an attractive
bedroom paper of an old-fashioned design
]
Old furniture may be revamped and given a fresh coat of ivory white
enamel, and a central rug or a number of small rugs made after the
old-fashioned rag carpet in one or two colors makes a satisfactory
floor covering for use in such rooms. If the woodwork can be painted
ivory white the scheme is more successful, as this is an important
factor in the completed whole. In fact for bedrooms there is no better
finish than the ivory white enamel. It is easy to apply and durable,
and harmonizes with almost any scheme of furnishing one may desire to
bring out in the room.
Attractive little shades for electric lights or candles may be made
from bits of silk or even tissue paper, and, used in a room in which
old rose predominates, the effect is charming, as the light showing
through the rose color is very soft and pleasing.
MARGARET GREENLEAF
[Illustration:
An unusual decorative treatment is
the division of walls into colored panels which
are held in place by molding strips
]
[Illustration:
The perpendicular stripe in this paper serves to increase the height
of a rather low ceiling. The window is fitted with sash curtains and
draperies of a figured pattern on the order of the crown border
]
[Illustration:
An interesting feature of this house is the long window seat placed
for reading or sewing. Beneath it is a quantity of space for many
things
]
[Illustration:
A room consistently decorated along Colonial lines. Some sort of a
couch or lounge is a decided boon in the bedroom, as it provides a
place for the afternoon nap
]
[Illustration:
The so-called craftsman's house or
house with woodwork left in natural condition may
well use furniture built to match the trim
]
[Illustration:
The informal bedroom of rough
plaster and brick substitutes strength of color
and form for the delicacy of Colonial white
woodwork
]
[Illustration:
Many people still delight in the old-fashioned four-poster or in the
canopy bed. This should be considered in planning the room, as the
architect generally arranges a certain set position for it
]
[Illustration:
This dressing table shows a satisfactory arrangement for
lighting--two flanking lights and one overhead light. The striped
walls require the color furnished by the hangings
]
[Illustration:
In this little under-the-eaves bedroom a surprising saving of space
has been made by fitting part of one side of the room with a series
of drawers painted in white enamel. There is room here for the
household linen and for storing away clothes
]
[Illustration:
Where neutral grays are chosen for the walls there should be some
warmth of color elsewhere. Here most of the decoration is left to
the furniture in its warm mahogany tones and to the brighter colors
of the rug
]
[Illustration:
In the small bedroom that must be used as a study there should be a
space for living-room comforts. The sash curtains combined with
inside ones of sill length are attractive
]
[Illustration:
Even a small under-the-eaves bedroom may be well arranged. This is
consistent Colonial with its rag rugs and Windsor chair
]
[Illustration:
A bedroom in which the cream colored chintz with pink and green
design is repeated in the upholstery and echoed in the carpet
]
[Illustration:
Curtains may be very simple but in good taste. This is a fine
cheesecloth with a stencil design, which conventionalizes the
flowers in the wall paper
]
[Illustration:
Another treatment of cheesecloth, showing a poppy design that is
taken from the cut out band pasted at the top of a gray striped wall
paper
]
[Illustration:
Views of an old-fashioned bedroom that is finished in dull grayish
blue. Such heavy furniture would appear uncomfortably bulky in any
smaller room
]
[Illustration:
The carpet helps to make the room homelike, with bare floors the
height and size of the room would be more apparent
]
[Illustration:
A short length of cretonne hanging between two sill length curtains
may be used instead of a valance
]
[Illustration:
The cut out paper border goes well with a shaped valance and side
curtains. The valance is hung on a projecting frame
]
[Illustration:
The Japanese design is repeated on the gathered valance of the
curtains, chairs and the table-cover. Several original stencils of
butterflies are framed as decorations
]
[Illustration:
Ivory white is always a
satisfactory color for the woodwork of most
bedrooms. Here it takes the place of wall paper
]
[Illustration:
One article of bedroom furniture that should not be neglected is a
bedside cabinet on which an electric light may be placed. These twin
beds are of gray ash with a natural finish
]
[Illustration:
An example of several of the uses for stenciled borders is shown
here in this desk corner. The room makes good use of wicker
furniture and bungalow rugs
]
[Illustration]
The Problem of the Bathroom
Only a few years ago, sanitary conveniences, which were very crude when
compared with those of to-day, were considered luxuries; to-day they
are necessities, demanded for our physical comfort and welfare. The
old-fashioned Saturday tubbing was a much dreaded and messy event; but
with sanitary house plumbing, bathing became a pleasure and a valuable
adjunct to good health. It is, therefore, interesting to note the
treatments of the present bathroom.
The average house to-day contains at least two bathrooms, the simplest
equipment being a water-closet, lavatory, and tub, the two latter
fixtures supplied with hot and cold water supply pipes. From these
three fixtures of the simplest kind, installed in a room not smaller
than 5 ft. 6 in. × 6 ft. 6 in., we may enlarge the scheme to contain a
shower-bath, with floor receptor to catch the water, a sitz or
foot-bath, double lavatories, if for the owner's bath, with marble or
porcelain pier slabs for toilet articles. These fixtures may be simple
in pattern, of enameled iron or of porcelain or marble, in a room
having tile or marble floors and wainscot. There are, happily,
inexpensive fixtures of good quality that are just as efficient as the
most expensive ones, and the plainer the lines of the fixtures the more
beautiful they will appear in the finished bath; heavy ornamentation in
color or molded design should be avoided--it is not so easily kept
clean, nor is it so beautiful.
In many houses having but one servant, a separate bath is provided for
her use, and in a house costing $8,000 it is customary to provide a
private bath connecting with the owner's chamber, as well as a general
bath for the family and guests, and a servants' bath in the attic. The
importance the bath and sanitary plumbing have attained is shown by the
fact that seven or eight per cent of the cost of a house is taken for
plumbing, and in houses costing from $8,000 to $15,000, three bathrooms
are installed.
[Illustration:
Two oval lavatories are generally representative of the latest
convenience for the modern bathroom
]
The model servants' bath should have a floor of small hexagonal white,
unglazed tile with hard plastered walls, above a sanitary base, painted
with four coats of moisture-resisting paint and equipped with a
five-foot enameled iron tub, quiet syphon-jet closet, with oak seat and
tank, and a plain pattern enameled iron lavatory. A medicine closet
should be built in the wall over it, having a mirror set in the door.
The fixtures cannot be properly set in an area less than 5 ft. 6 in. ×
6 ft. 6 in., and 5 ft. 6 in. × 7 ft. 6 in. would be much better.