The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-01-17
HOUSEHOLD ART.
Donald G. Mitchell's Ideas of Interior Ar
rangement and Decoration.

ne cHleI cOnSlu0ldtloH Ill pitthhiiS
the rooms of house must Of course be
that of copyenience. 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 yet be
surprises in store for him, and that he
has not seen the whole house at
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 sense of hospitable welcome
to one who enters the house. Hall
floors are often decorated prettily 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, a rural visitor
asked if the sssalve' 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 a 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, a 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
piled 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
various other methods used for wal
decoration, fall back on plain tinting
and prefer, too, the natural tints, thai
our common furnishing and pictures
may fit easily into a subdued and unas
Stunning setting.
The modern tendency to do away
with the painting of the woodwork
such as doors, window-sas wainscot
ing and the like, is to be commended
In the grain of the wood we have ma
ture, and are reminded, perhaps whel
the brain is weary and sick, by the twists
and turns in the groin, of the processe
out in the woods under the open SKY
and in the free air by which all thes
were wrought. How much better tn
association than the thought of the paint
er with paper cap on, smelling strongl,,
with varnish and creeping cat-like abou
the housep Nor is it necessary to hav
expensive woods. Butternut and chest
nut are not much more costly than pine
and pine itself has great advantages TO
decorative work. With thin coatin
of asphaltum it has good surface, an
by careful selection shows as good
grain as the more costly woods, while
is the best adapted of all to endure til
vicissitudes of our climate.
The fireplace is an essential to tn
No IF uanti latin
is so good 1t is remarkable that a larg
number of leading physicians, when in
quired of as to the best means of ver
tilating a hospital, replied almost unan
mously aud without conference togethe
the fireplace. About the fireplac
and the mantel gather the pleasantes
associations of the room, and here is tn
place for true home art to be used at il
best. Most of our fireplaees are bui
in imitation of either the French, ma
row and low with flaring jamb, or tl
English, high but still narrow, we
adapted for their use in burning btu
minous coal. What we want for OF
homes is the generous, old-fashione
New England fireplace, and we ougl
not to import these exotic forms. q
the mantel we naturally look, if an,
where in the room, for vase or tw'
and perhaps something more prefer
tious in the way of ceramics. But "
ought not to fill our rooms too full
these fragile articles, putting upon OF
visitors the necessity of great care lie
they accidentally break some of o,
household goods. A cabinet secure
firmly to the wall is proper receptac
for such treasures Hsre1a lie