The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-12
WALLPAPER WISDOM.
What Kind Of Paper to Select and What to Re.
iect.


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There are those who think;that, il their
walls are covered with paper-hangiugs
of design at once marked and snowy,
the end and object Of wall decoration
has been attained; that they have but
to select some bright, clearly defined
pattern, heightened by toucn or two
oil gold, co insure speedy recognition
OF their taste and ju lgment in such
matters. Ofcourse, there Will be found
many who will admire room 80 ps-
pered, and wonder where the hangings
were obtained; and there are those too.
who, going to the other extreme, will be
amazed mat any one could c0Hteut
himself in a room so decked with fiaery.
Color is essential to cur happiness;
there can be no doubt about that. Even
the birds recognize IL; and man in every
stage, from the lowest in the scale 70
the most cultivated of his race, has
acknowledged its potency. 1t matters
not how degenerate he may be, how far
reduced from every trace of civilization,
of one thing we may be certain: Toe
visage of the savage, wherever found,
will be daubed With the strongest
colors, and his bark canoe and murder
GUS club will be incised with red aud
yellow ochres. A higher civilization
finds expression in more thorough ap-
probation of color; and the examples
lett us by the Egyptians, the Greeks,
and the PompeiianS bear witness to
their love of and skill in decorative
arts.
When wallpaper first appeared it was
thought to be, as it really was, u great
advance on the custom then III vogue
that OF decorating with the painters
brush, or covering the walls with tapes
try. Both these methods of decorating
ere beyond the reach of all but the
wealthy; and when it was found that
house-paper, although loaded down with
u burdensome tax, could be produced at
cost much below that of painting Ur
arras, it at once came into favor, and
has continued to be deservealy popular.
On the history OF Wallpaper, Its steady
development, and its present status, 1t
is not necessary to dwell; but while we
recognize lis position, and the good it
has done, we are not unmindful O(itS
shortcomings or of what it has yet to ae-
complish. That the manufacturers are
not wholly to blame for the defect OF the
products we are free to admit. The pub
lie, hungry for display, demand the
greatest amount OF show for The least
money, which has led them to bring ont
than to appeal to our senses Ofpropriety
and the fitness Of things.
No man can give rules for selecting
mouse paper, or aid one in that work, IL
he be not present when the selection is
made, and has not knowledge OF the
room in which it is to be hung. To 10
this successfully, he must be advised OF
the 5 ze of the room, its aspect, its use,
and what the paper Is TO be brought intO
contact with i'll the way of carpets, fug-
nILure, and pictures. Lacking the iR-
formation, he could not say whether The
room should have bright and gay
paper, or one plain and subdued. L.
might require design calculated to
give it hight; the ceilings mLy be AZ
ready too nigh, in which case something
to reduce the apparant height would be
needed. Through lack OF windows, or
from being on the shady side of the
mouse, it m " be dull ana unattractiFe
without some fresh and spirited design
on the walls, or, basking in the spG-
shine, it may need subuued colOrs 10
balance and counteract an excess Of
light. One pattern looks best In the
r0l; another appears better on The
walls. A bright bouquet may strike one
as pleasing; but SET pattern makes a
wall look bloGchy. Figures III the rOuod
are not De tolerated, ana Nat designs
well, some OF them are good; l wish 1
could say it OF all.
How can one give rules that will meet
all these cOnditions? 1t is impUssibies
buL may caution all who nave this
matter at heart TO study it careful j,
and not rely too much on their Uwa
Judgment till they have strengthened il
by experience. A woman studies TOO
dress Of every other woman and sees
through and through every detail oil her
intricate make up. II is with ner iatu-
tive; nothing escapes her scrutiny, ana
even casual glance enables her to de-
scribe dress with au accuracy that al
tests her skill in unravelIng such eng
mas. The same amouuI of attention 10
the subject under consideration wOnla
enable her to make judicious selections
hen the time cam, to rep per her
walls and returnish her rOums.-I AMER
can Archltects