The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-09
TIE DRAWING ROOM.
French Rules for the Arrangement of
the Furniture.

The COmtesse de Bassanville has written a
book on housekeeping, and in it she gives
advice concerning the proper modes OF fur
nishing ell the rooms in a house. OF the
drawing room she says:
ats organization ought to be divided into
two distinct parts-moral and physical"
And first for the choice of the furniture.
There must be a complete harmony between
your style in this ana your style in other
things; fine furniture requires fine dOmes
tics; so do not waste your money IN tapes
tries and gliding only 10 show that you can
not afford n lacquey u keep them IN order.
If you can afford it furnish with tapestry by
all means, cover the walls with il, and have
it in curtains before the windows and doors.
If your means are limited, adopt com
prOmise-damssk for your hangings, and
mere panels of tapestry for your walls. But
take care TO have everything in keeping;
don't mix mp the style, say OF Louis XIV.
and Louis XVI, in the same room. Covered
mantelpieces are an abOminaiion; the seulD-
tured marble which they hide is generally
far more slightly. Never use lamps, even the
finest, as part of the permanent ornamental
ton of a salon. They should be brought in
only when they are wanted, and taken out
the moment they are done with. Beware
of green and red in a drawing
room; thev make the place look like
cafe. Vary the pattern of your So
fas and chairs as much as possible, both in
form and color, and never hang engray ingS,
even the best, in this room. Crowd the
place with knick-knacks you can hardly
have to many of them if you select with
taste. And never have your furniture in
rectangular order-the chairs in line. etc. !;
it is odious "By t1e IN lterial arrangement of
a salon the spirituelle Nine. Emile de Girar-
din (Delphine Gay) understood the artistic
disarrangement of all the seats. An anus
ing conversation, she was wont to say, can
never begin in place in which the furni-
ture IS symmetericallY placed. This tends
to throw the ladies together in one part of
the room and to prevent the men from sit
ting with them for fear of spelling the line
of chairs. The men, therefore, stand apart,
and, though they may discuss, they never
converse; people talk only when they are
sitting down. But this tasteful disorder
ought not to be left 10 chance; ii must be
determined in advance by the mistress of
the house, and. it requires infinite art, for it
must be o result OF the happiest c0mbina-
tiOns. Go into O symmetrically furnished
drawing room, and from the first you are
overcome by mortal ennui. Every one Is
gaping on the quiet; the talk is l2ngulshlng,
icy. What must the hostess do whose ignor
ance or inadverteDce has made her response
bic for all this sutfering2 The moment her
guests are gone study the natural disorder
in which they have left her room and take
it as hint for future combinations in the
same style. AS to the knick- -knacks, good
takers have SIMPLY horror OF perfect mac
ton, and they can not get on without some
thing to touch-s0me pretence of having an
occupation for idle fingers. A pair of scis-
sors, an album, crayon, paper knife, any
thing will do; but, on peril of dull even
ing, do not leave them emnty handed The
more Mai series there are among yuOr furni
Iure the less there will be in your converse
tlonn said Nine de GiraTdin.