The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-05-16
From Harper's Bazar.l
Fashions in House Furnishing.
CURTAINS.


For the shades that go next the window
white Holland is still preferred by the greatest
number, though more colored shades are seen
than formerly. The Holland shade costs from
81 to $4 a window. Percale shades in pearl.
gray or tan color, with gilt borders, are used for
houses that are exposed to very great light;
thessa cost $3.50 window, and when used in
one room should be used in all the others on
that side of the house. Swiss muslin curtains
are made in very plain styles for chambers in
city houses and for parlors of cottages in the
country. The lowest-priced are the Scotch leno
muslins, wrought in wide effective stripes, and
furnished at 50 or So window. The jacquard
Muslins, with small sprigs, stars and scalloped
borders, resembling machine embroidery, are
very pretty and cost from 70 cents to 81
yard. or from So to $40 window. Still palmer
muslins are edged with ball fringes and have
fiuted muslin cornices. Rings on poles of
black-walnut or gilt rods, light cornices and
short lambrequns are all used for summer cur
tains, but are less heavy and massive-looking
than those chosen for richer fabrics. These
white muslin curtains are far preferable to Not
tingham and other cheap lace curtains. For
handsome rooms in city and country are mus
lin curtains with broad insertions of gupure
lace, or Flanders lace, or the braid laces now
made by ladies. The latest fancy is to have
these insertions across the top and bottom-not
down the sides-making the English-ooking
draperies called by dealers ''panel curtains
Creamy white muslins and ecru Flanders laces
have b3en introduced, but have too much the
appearance of soed curtains to become popu-
lar. Gupure lace curtains are very fashionable
in stripes and square designs; they cost from
SIS to SIS each window. Swiss muslin curtains,
''paneled'' or bordered with fine guipure inser-
tion and edged with lace, are still higher cost
ing about $25 a window White bunting cur
tains have just been introduced; they are edged
with yak or Clupy lace, and cost $40 window
Sprgged muslin curtains at chamber or base
ment windows are fastened back by bands and
long-looped bows of blue or rose-colored ribbon,
leaving the opening between in point or dia-
mond-shaped, instead of the arched carves
housewives used to arrange SO carefully.
UPHOLSTERY.
For colored curtains, cretonue to match the
furniture covering is made up with flutes and
puffed cornices of the same, and bordered with
ruffles pinked on each edge. Velours cretonne
is novelty, giving the effect of raised figures.
These are liked best in quaint olive shades, or
in cream grounds with oddly colored vines and
flowers, or else in chintz colors with borders, or
in Persian designs, or black with gold figures.
The Watteau patterns and other French de-
signs are pass6; japanese designs are very pop
ular; for plain colors these new cretonnes are
VI W on CcubS d JU CtutS Is dSheu IOr
chntz colors with borders. When whole rooms
are fitted up with cretonne, dealers advise that
old furniture be retained aud recovered, as
there is fancy for everything old, ard of
course this lessons the expense. Indeed, some
Ingenious housewives upholster the chairs and
sofas themselveS-an easy thing to do with
cretonne, as the pink ruffles that are used in
borders cover up any mistakes made by the in
experienced. The twilled cretonnes are COM
mended for durability; they are $1.25 yard
Irish tapestry is the name given to the gray
and ecru linens used for upholstering furniture
and for curtains. 1t comes in basket-woven
checks with damask borders, or else it is cov-
cred with damask designs. Manila damasks
are 81 so yard. For richer silk and wool goods
are the bourettes, or raw silks, in India or Per-
sian patterns. People of moderate incomes,
who formerly bought hair-cloth furniture, now
select terry reps of two contrasting colors, or
else the figured wool reps, or perhaps the pop
ular mixed damasks in pale blue, gray or green
in patterns precisely like those OF satin damask
and, though less lustrous, almost as effective;
the silk damask costs SIS yard, while the sat.
in is from $12 to IA. Loose covers for protect-
ing furniture in the summer are made of the
striped jacquard linens, gray with blue, GRIM
son, or green, sold at IS cents yard. Cheaper
and even prettier covers are made of the cot
ton damasks IN gray, cream, or pearl color sold
at 80 cents. Very snowy covers are of white
dlmlty with wide stripe of color.
For information received thanks are due
Messrs. Arnold. Constable 81 Co.; and A. I.
Stewart & Co.