The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-05-09
From Harper's Bazar.l
Fashions i'm House Furnishing.


CARPETS.
AT this spring season of removing and house
furnishing, some hints about plain furniture
may be useful to people of moderate means.
beginning with carpets, we find the quaint col
ors ana designs introduced by Messrs. Morris,
EastiaKe' and others prevailing in carpets of
oil quantities, from the most inexpensive in
grains up to the rich Wtons. These desipps
are small and intricate figures in rich vet ouiet
colors. Olive shadows are much liked and In
dian and Persian designs are chosen by people
OF taste. In buying ingrains, it is best to get
the scotch all-wool carpets that cost about 81 a
yard; the prices range from 90 cents to $1.1O.
Three-ply carpets still remain in favor with
many housewives, while others insist that the
third ply soon trays snd wears of. leaving n
snsDoy, ragged look. Tapestry Brussels car
pens are snowy looking but do not wear we'll as
the colors are not woven through to the wrong
side, as they are in the excellent body Brus-
selS. The body Brussels no longer have laroa
panel designs, nor are they strewn with flow.
eIs as formerly. They have warm rich coors
10 artlstlc Eastern designs, and have broad bor-
ders as wide as whole breadth of the Garnet.
the narrow half-breadth and solidscolored bor
ders are not nearly as handsome as these. The
tapestry Brussels carpets cost 81 IA for the hest
qualities, and body Brussels ranges from 81 80
to $3.50 yard. The rich Wilton carpets re-
peat the same unobtrusive designs aud warm
coloring seen in Brussels carpets; they cost
from vs. to 1915 a yard, and Administers are
about the same price. French Moduette car
pets retain the floral designs peculiar to them
and are in most delicate colors For halls and
stalrcases the Oriental designs are repeated in
even smaller figures, and the borders are mar
rover. For plain houses, Scotch ingraips are
commented for chambers and children's rooms
and body Brussels for dining-room. balls. living
room, or parlor. The fancy for figured wood
noors strewn with Persian mats Increases in
the homes OF the rich, but there is an air of
warmth and comfort about carpets that makes
PLAINLY furnished rooms attractive in wiIter,
when they would otherwise look bleak and
dreary During the summer and for country
houses the new straw mattings are again used,
with Persian or Turkish rugs laid in front of
the larger pieces of furniture and the hearth
or else In the middle of the floor These new
mattings are woven in closer, smaller pattern,
than were formerly used, and are in olive tints
or else scarlet straws are scattered irregularly
among the natural straw colors
FURNITURE.
Simpler styles prevail in all kinds of furni.
ture, both in French and English designs
People begin to appreciate the substantial
things that are not only useful but are beauti-
full because of their appropriateness, and deal
ers use less varnish, veneer and glue, making
things really what they seem. In the low
priced plain articles under discussion there can
not be much hand carving; but they are simply
fashioned, and instead of being given a glossy
lustre with varnish that is made white by ey-
cry chance blow, they are rubbed down to make
smooth polished finish, which is easily re-
stored, when lost by rubbing with very little
oil; the favorite black-walDut wood looks es-
peclally well treated in this way. For the
light woods now so popular, white ash is one of
the least expensive; white holly and birch are
more costly Ornaments are moulded in the
wood, and for plain pieces consist merely of
straight incised lines, or slight balustrades in
Queen Anne style. Minton tiles are also much
used for decoration and add little to the ex-
pense; very neat and simple tiles of the favor
lte blue and white will be added to entire cham
Der suits for from $3.50 to So. Marble topped
furniture and marble mantels are much less
used than formerly. Brass or nickel rings for
knobs are preferred to wood.
For sittlng-rooms and summer parlors, the
best furnishing houses supply cretonne suits of
six pieces at from S85 upward. These have
wideseated sofas and chairs, covered with the
new twllled cretonnes, thickly tufted, with the
wood all covered and the stutfing of white hair.
A novelty Tor these cool rooms IS suits of WOOL
covered wire in open lattice patterns; the wool
braid Is blue or scarlet, aud the wood of the
frame is usually light. The suit of sofa, two
arm-chairs, and four smaller chairs is S85 Sep
arate chairs for the piazza or for rooms. fitted
upholstered with raw silk are $225 and up.
ward. Suits of reps, with border puffs of con.
trasting color, are $3.50; palmer ones begin as
low as $40. Tables for these rooms may be
merely covered with the stuff used for covering
the sofas, and friDged around, or else they have
Turkish cloth table-cover, or are slightly in
laid with maIquetry and not covered. The cab
met with closed doors and some shelves for
pottery Is fayorite piece of furniture for these
small rooms, but adds much to the expense
There are. however, small hanging cabinets
and corner cabinets with DOORS shelves and
balustrade, at S35 or $40; also ebonized shelves
with lacQuere1 trays set as shelves beoinDinp
as low as SIS.
For chambers are excellent suits of black
walnut, made in substantial manner, with or
without marbles as the purchaser likes, for
from $75 to 800. These have bedstead, bu-
reau, washstand, table, rocking-chair and two
other chairs. Dresslpg-oases with long mirrors
and side drawers are liked by some. but most
ladies now prefer bureaus with the broad
square mirror in English style. Very pretty
but simple sets of ash for the chamber in the
modern Gothic designs that dealers persist in
calling Eastlake are sold for $85; these have
all the pieces just mentioned and towel
rack; the next price, at 800. has tiles;
those at SlOO have pretty Illuminated lines of
blue and scarlet. Cottage suits enameled on
white wood are in handsome designs at $40,
aud neat ones are only $50; these are the me-
dium, but prices take a wide range beginning
at $25 and reaching into the hundreds for
those OF delicate tints of tilleul, olive, and
cream-color. Hair mattresses made in Sec
tions give most satisfaction; they have a large
square piece at the top and narrow section
for the foot of the bed. They are at more
moderate prices than formerly, the very best
costing $50. Pillows for day use are about
twenty-eght inches square; holsters have
pieces set in the sides, making them more
square than round. Among nice small pieces
for bedrooms are chiffoniers with shallow
drawers for linens and laces, with desk, and
Iuaa II -
stands have more shelves snd drawers than
formerly, and cost $50. Semi-cIibs for large
children have balustrade only half the length
OF the sides; price S25.
The sideboard is the piece de resistance 10 the
dining-room. These are now made with upper
shelves for china, drawers for spoons, knives,
and the table linen used during the day, with
two shelves below the drawers, the top finished
with baustrade, and the ring knobs of pol
ished brass; in small sizes made of polished
walnut or of ash these cost $25 to $50; in more
distinctive English styles and ornamented with
tiles, they cost $50, and these are quite large
enough for most private families There are,
instead of sdetables for fruits and dessert, sets
of shelves, making piece half the size of the
sideboard. The extension table OF wood to
match the sideboatd has substantial braced
legs and costs, for those eight feet in length,
S25. Chairs for the dining-room are in the
straight square shapes, upholstered with creased
leather studded with brass nails, or else merely
with cane seats; the latter are from SO to S5;
arm-chairs for the head and foot of the table
are Sc each. Leather covered chairs are about
$40 each.
Libraries of plain houses are usually COM
bined with the sitting-room, and are furnished
with low dwarfed bookcases in three compart-
ments, and with flat top for busts. Single
narrow bookcases are also shown to place in
parts of the room cut up by doors and windows.
People who object to having their books locked
behind glass doors have open shelves of walnut,
with grooves to move the shelves any desired
size for large or small books; slightly decorated
with tiles or else with scarlet leather pinked
out and fastened on the shelves with brass nails,
they cost from $25 upward. The library table
is square cornered and covered with billiard
cloth, or else left plain and well polished. Ped
estals for busts are high and have two shelves
below for use. Corner brackets have carved
wood backs and the inevitable balustrsde.
Library lounges covered with figured reps are
from $25 to $50.
For halls are square frames with brass pegs
for hat racks; some of these are beautifully
made and cost from $12 to $40. Standing hat
racks are tall with high square framed mirrors,
brass pegs, and drawer tor brushes; price SIS.
Hall tables have high back, and sometms ex-
ira shelves, and are ornamented with tiles or
with marquetry. Hall chairs are of wood with
high Elizabethan backs and box seats.
In artin1a wa will oiu inc