Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-12-10
Least Cost and Most Money.
How TO FURNISH CHEAPLY AND wELL-CAR
PETs AND CURrAINs--THE CHARM OF SMALL
THINGS

y
need to count their dollars when they fu,
, nish their new dwellings. have also no nee
IN these days to trouble themselves with tn
selection of their house adornments. The
can go in their chaises-in cities and towns
at least-to Messrs. This, That, and tn
Other, and giving those artists in wood, il
silk, in velvet, in bronze. a blank card fo
all the array Of domestic beauty, they cal
retire, knowing that their furnishing is t.
be charming, tasteful, and possibly original
But the young people who have not yet pu
much money in their purses cannotgo tC
these apt artists cannot hang their wall:
with japanese birds and blusb-roses, en-
broidered on peach-blossom silk at $50 8
yard cannot indulge themselves in carved
cabinets at 81 200. They may, therefore
take with grace counsel in regard to theil
furnishing
In the first place, they are entreated not
to spend the greater part Of their money
upon costly carpets and curtains. Us Young
Darbys and JOans are usually tempted to do.
Nothing is much uglier than the stiff, con-
ventional parlOr. wherein everything dainty
and artistic has been sacrificed to the ex-
pensive velvet or Moquette and the brightly
colored, ungraeefnl sofas and chairs - in
set Ii Is wise for those who can easily
afiord 1t, to buy for parlor or sitting room
pretty Brussels carpet of some natural shade,
like wood, gray, or mossy green-something
that Will serve as 4 harmonizer of pictures.
and handsome woods, and beautiful bits of
color in tabe-coyer, screen, and lambrequin.
But If the purchase Of this pretty Brussels
ls going to take very large slice out ot
Joan's furnishing money, she would much
better buy those carpets OF snall-patternei
ingram, which are as agreeable 10 the eve
as they are lasting and moderate in price
Those in tiny mixed figures of gray and
wood-color, and of rich crimson and black
are especially pretty and when one or two
Turkish or shaggy rugs are laid down, the
iiOOr-cOvering has an effect which the Dos
SCISSOR of large figured Moquette nj ght
envy. A square, sunny room, carpeted with
gray and wood-colored ingram, dotted with
shaggy rugs Of blue and grey, furnished
with comfortable blue and grew divans and
easy chars, and decorated with books. pic
tures, and pretty trihes, Is not a room t. be
secuted Dy anybody, IN spite of the preu-
dice against unhappy Ingram" AMI Joan
Will md that economy in the matter of car
pets and curtains will be a long step toward
the acquisition OF the books, the pictures.
ana the trifes which really make house
look beautiful and refined Better an in
| grain and four or five good engrayings than
velvet and bare walls-the usual combina-
ton. These modern ingrains are good and
firm in texture, beautiful in color, and rare
ly cost more than Sl.lj. As for curtains.
very pretty and very cheap ones can be
D made .t kytIfa
| ted, and edged with fiuted rutlles. They
look quite as well after they are washed and
new ruifleS are sewed on 4 woman with a
spirit OF ingenuity in her right hand can
easily make lambrequins 10 match her fur
nlture-patterns for the same being sold by
those who deal in garment patterns. Never
theless, with neat cornice lambrequin. are
not necessary. Beautifully hanging curtains
may also be made of soft, wide, inexpensive
wO0llen material, of some neuter self-color,
and trimmed with a plain strip Of the same
material, but Of another color, sewed on
near the edge, or velvet strip NAV be used
with good effect. For bedroom windows
make curtains Of unbleached muslin, trim
med with fold Of blue cotton or turkey
red, about four inches wide, ran On about
two inches from the edge. These ought to
be made c5nplete by fiat cornice of pine,
covered with the muslin land trimmed with
narrow strips of color. and further by
scant hounce half yard deep of the muslin,
also trimmed with the color, and depending
ike lambrequin from the cornice These
curtains are sometimes made TO take on
stiil more Oriental effect by being striped at
regular intervals with the red or blue Dress
stuff Of elaborate floral patterns in silk or
ioulard which have gone out Of fashion, can
often be bought very eheaply, and make ex-
qnisite dfauerieS.
There is one fOolhardy thing that young
houSeSeepers should never attempt, and
that l. the manufacture OF cheap decora-
tions aud furnishings recommended some
times by feminine writers Of questionable
taste woman with clever fingers may
make her own curtains and dressing tables,
coFer dlvans and chairs of simple shape, and.
II she likes, may waste her time in embroid-
ering screens and cushions but it i folly
to tiy any of the more ambitious decora-
tlOns, when only the strength, training,
and experience Of the upholsterer can ar
range IN perfection. Nor should she med
die with plne-cone picture frames and ravel-
led baskets and nonsensicsl combinations of
beads and sllyer-wre All these things are
at best very ugly. If you have dollar to
spare, Madam, buy clever book with it,
OF keep it until Won can save en,t,.., -. i've
yourself a fine engraving or beautiful Turk
ish rug. If you have leisure bnv one of
the comfortable. inexpensive loun1inc (not
extension) chairs, made of Sat oak or wal
nut, and occupy yourself with cusbionipr il
en- back and seat and arms in any material
v0u prefer. stuffed thinly with cotton bat
ting OF excelsior. These cushions are not to
be tackled on the chair. but male senaratelv
and tied on. Ope of tbe.e easy chairs
cushioned with handsome material a LARGE
soft sofa cushion. and a liyan AT the nleas-
antest window. covered wirb the same ma
terial. make wonderfully prettv additions TO
the ordinary furniture when they barmonize
with it in color. Diyans NAV be made Of
old raeking boxes. a well-sfufT,d cushion
being fastened on the top. and the material
with which it is covered brought smoothly.
but not too tightly. around the side.
Fringe makes A tasteful finish f,r the lower
edre of this mart of the cover but II is not
necessary to use it. Another piece of fnr-
niture which may he made he-ut,f,I bv a
little labor. is an old round table. The stand
ard should be carefully cleaned and polisbed
or yarnished-made. in short. tn look like
new. Then stretch smoothly over the ton a
niece or rens like the furniture cnrarinr
and tack il tightly around the ed-es. ~ that
there will be not the SLIGHTEST wrinkle on
the surface. Then tack around the table
covering these raw edges handsome up
hol-terer's fringe of the same color A. the
rers. Gilt-beaded tacks are sometimes used
for fastening the fringe. This centre-table
has real beauty-a warm and cosy look
which none Of the usual parble-topped
monstrosities can have War sbonld he
waoed acains. tbese marhle-tonred tables
and cabinets which are ALWAYS srpcestive
Of crave-stones and which bein IN sive its
cold and dismal air IN the averog. modern
na-lor. The m.,st elaborats of t6ese is les
etfective than an old table covered with a
richly colored cloth. whose tint of crimson
or SCARLET or bI,e ,Ious a,3 br;,b+ens m