Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1878-01-05
HOUSEHOLD ART.
Donald G. Mitchelrs Ideas of Interior Ar.
rangement and Decoration.

The chief consideration in planning
the rooms of a house must of course be
that of convenience. ANY thing done in
the nominal interest of artistic results
which interferes with this consideration
is wholly bad. The way of building
houses so common among us, BY which
the passer-by can tell the whole interior
arrangement by the exterior form, and
can count the rooms and see Just how
the halls run, and where the doors open,
almost as well as though the front were
of glass, is not TO be commended. In a
house there should be something like
surprises, doors opening in unexpected
places into unlooked-for rooms leading
the visitor to feel that there may vet be
surprises in store for him, and that he
has not seen the whole house at q
glance.
Ample space should be given to halls
and stair-cases though it be taken from
the parlors and bOudoirs and sitting
rooms. The hall should not be narrow,
width being more important than depth
in giving a sense of hOspitable welcome
to one who enters the house Hall
floors are often decorated prettiIy with
tiles and may even bear an inlaid in
scription of welcome, which would bet
ter be in good Saxon, however. Of one
gentleman who had the Latin welcome
% Salve" thus displayed, q rural visitor
asked if the "salve was good to cure
corns." Above almost every thing else
make the staircase easy. The health of
the women of the family as well as the
comfort of the family require this. As
to decorations, let the hall be synopti-
cal introduction to the house. A few
books will do much to make one feel
that he has penetrated the home when
he has crossed the threshold. A picture
or two fifty selected, and, if your taste
runs that way, few ceramics are in
place in the hall if so disposed.
There seems to be nothing for the cell
ing of rooms preferable to plastering.
Wooden ceilings absorb too much light
and give but little opportunity for
change or decoration. The plaster or
naments of relief which were in vogue a
few years ago are fortunately now dis
appearing. If any decorations are APP
pied to the ceiling, those in color are
the best; but they, as well as the paper
hangings, if such are used, should be
modest lest they destroy the effect of
other parts Of the room and furniture. |
Many beautiful and tasteful designs in |
wallpaper are now made, but for the |
rooms in most of our homes there is dan |
ger that whatever we have in pictures |
and other room-ornaments will be out |
of harmony with any thing elaborate
in wall decoration. From these and the
varions other methods used for wall |
decoration, I fall back on plain tinting,
and prefer, too, the natural tints, that |
our common furnishing and pictures
may fit easily into subdued and unas-
summing setting.
The modern tendency to do away |
with the painting of the woodwork,
such as doors, window-sashes, wainscot-
ing and the like, is to be commended.
In the grain of the wood we have ma
ture, and are reminded, perhaps when
the brain is weary and sick, by the twists
and turns inthe groin, of the processes
out in the woods under the open sky
and in the free air by which all these
were wrought. How much better the
than the thought of the paint
or with paper cap on, smelling strongly
with yarnish and creeping cat-hke about
the house? Nor is it necessary to have
woods. Butternut and chest
nut are not much more costly than pine,
and pine itself has great advantages for
decorative work. With thin. coating
IF asphaltum it has good surface, and
BY careful selection shows as good a
grain as the more costly woods, while it
5 the best adapted Of all to endure the
of our climate.
The fireplace is an essential to the
house. No other means of ventilation
5 so good. 1t is remarkable that large
of leading physicians, when in
Iuired Of as to the best means of ven
Hating hospital, replied almost unani-
nously aud without conference together