The Portland daily press., 1879-05-07
lHarper's Bazar.l
New York Fashions.
HOUSE FURNISHING,

curves, its luxurious upholstery, and decora.
tons OF marqueterie, gilt and porcelain. The
newest French furniture, however, revives the
style OF the First Empire, with severely simple
shapes, spindle legs and square corners
trimmed with mouldngs of brass in long
straight lines. The Empire style rivals the
Eagish in simplicity, but it may be made very
elaborate by csrving..and polished brass decora-
tions. 1t finds its best expression in ma
hogsny, which is again fashionable, but 1t Is
also shown in ebony and other woods. The
substantial English furniture, without varnish
or veneer, is still in favor, especially in the
sty les that have been popularized as Queen
Anne, English Gothic, etc. There is also
| deal of carving In Renaissance aud Flemish de-
signs, and the beautiful open fretwork is again
revived.
In furnishing drawing-rooms nothing Is set
aud regular. Instead OF buying whole suite of
furniture, it is the present fancy to buy half a
suite, consisting OF sofa. two srm-chairs, and
two small ones, and then to select odd pieces,
| such as an embroidered chair, an upholstered
willoy chair, an ottoman, a small tete-a.tete
sofa or confidante. and fancy reception chairs
| of ebony, gilt, or lacquer for filing up the
| have low wide seats, straight backs, and square
| corners For uphulstering these the richest
| fabrics are the silk plushes, In stamped pat
| terms and also woven, in quaint shades of olive
peacock blue, maroon, dull red. or old gold.
The tapestries are all very rich, initiating the
beautiful G0belin and Abusson patterns, and
there is a great deal Of brocatelIe satin, with
heavy velUurs designs raised on satin grounds.
Plain satin is less used than formerly. India
silks, Persian sstins, cashmeres, and raw silks
ahOwn hat
silks do not wear very well.
For small psrlors in fats the upholstering is
doue in plain plush, bordered with wide cross
bands of contrasting colors. or else figured
stnffs are used of mixed silk and cotton; these
are commended because moths will not eat
them, and reDs are abandoned because they are
all wool, and are devoured by moths. Raw
silk of the best quality is used for parlors of
coontrJ-seats. Jute is less expensive, but is
not commended for covering furniture, as it
does not wear we'll when subjected to hard
usage, but it is liked for curtains, as it is in
tasteful and effective patterns. Cretopne
is also less used for country houses than II form
erly was, because it soon becomes soiled aad
faded; in its stead are heavy Irish linens plain
and in damssk patterns. These have curtains
with borders and heavy frnges of the same
fabric.
ODD PIECES.
The cabinet remains favorite piece Of furnI-
ture for drawlDg-rooms and psrlors, and 10
shown of both Englsh and French designs In
ebony. rosewood or mahogany, though the
last wood is more used 10 fitting up dining
rooms and libraries. There are Queen Anne
cabinets of ebony, with spindle balustrades and
beveed glass doors, or strictly Renaissance
cabinets elab0rately carved, and also many
Japanese open cabinets with irregular shelves.
Two or three low tables for bric-brac, or for
books or for four o'clock teas, are placed 10 q
crawng-room Some of these small tables are
covered entirely with velvet of quaint color,
and trimmed with white lace or fringe; others
are of polished ebony, and represent two
shelves; still others have folding leaves for
card playing, or else are in clover-leaf shape.
| Some ladies buy the plain pine top table, and
| throw over it a rich table cover Of plush, or
| embroidered cloth, or velvet. A fanciful screen
is another popular piece of furniture. The
etagere pedestal is new for busts and statuettes;
instead of having the sombre pedestal of solid
wood, it is a frame inclosed with bevelled glass,
and serves as a cabinet for displaying porcelain;
| it has outside shelves for the same purpose.
Easels for the last new picture are shown In
| metal, rosewood or ebony; those standing erect
| and mounted on rollers are new, and can bs
| moved about easily; others have the upper half
revolving, to show the picture In good light.
| Willow srm-chairs are most luxurously up
holstered with movable cushions, covered with
| red, white, or olive Turkish towelliDg. artistic
| ally embroidered, or else the embroidery Is on
heavy ecru or white linens, or, it may be, il is
| cretonne work on plush. Willow settees for
two people are also trimmed in the same way.
Il
| in plain sitting-rooms
Mahogany is the most fashionable wood for
diniDg-rooms, bnt walnut and oak are also
used; the dark stained mahogany is prsfsrre1
| for this purpose, while the light, natural tinted
| mahogany is for chamber furniture Exten-
| sion tables for the dining-room are now square
| cornered instead of round, and those with the
| leaves folded in-not separate-are much liked.
| The dining room chairs are in square designs,
| upholstered with stamped leather or plush, or
| else with cane seats There is q preference for
| sideboards of Queen Anne design, but various
styles are shown. When even so plain side
board is So to- costly, ayg young housskeePers buy
set of walnut or ash shelves, with mall clos
| ct in the centre; this costs $18 or $40 Side
| tables for receiving dishes are formed of three
shelves that may be inclosed in one when not
used.
Libraries are fitted with mahogany or wal
| nut usually. The book cases are low, aud
the table ia the centre of the room is square;
some tables have a leaf concealed 10 one end by
| which they may be enlarged.
| Simple suites either in Empire or Euglish
| styles furnish chambers most tastefully, but
| there are also many elaborate suites rich with
carving or inlsid panels. The light woods,
such as ash, osx, or Virginia pine, are shown
| for simple Euglish suites, while mahogany.
rosewood and ebony are for costly rooms.
| Walnut furuiture, If solid and we'll made is
| always liked for bedrooms. The low furniture
| is universal for chambers. Tue bed Is low,
/
resu has low drawers with large square mirror
There is sometimes dressing table to match
| the suite, and often it is an odd piece. The
| light woods, or else walnut are the best choice
for low priced suites. The ensme!led suites
| known as Cot tage Suites copy the English de-
signs in cream, gray or reseda tints, or else
| they are black with Japanese decorations In
| gay coors. They cost from S35 to $85 for suites
of eight pieces. Dachesse dressing tables W ith
muslin draperies are now shown with square
| wi ha m mali str nj md
Halls are most often fitted up in English
| fasbions. For large houses the square hall
mirror with brass pegs in the frame Is built In
the wall and there Is square table aud heavily
carved chairs. The narrow halls of small houses
have hangiDg racks or else small English stands
with dismond-shaped mirror simDly framed,
and small closet below for brushes; brass pegs
for bats are 10 the frame.
White holland shades are still preferred for
windows, and drapery curtains are usually sus-
pended by rings over rod of wood or OF gilt.
A novelty is transparent colored curtains Of
Madras cloth In lovely colors and designs that
are brought out most effectively when the light
shines through them. Another novelty Is white
bstiste curtains, q soft muslin fabric 10 square
meshes like grenadine, and with wide lace-ike
stripes These are trimmed with antique lace
| or are bound with colored velours borders; the
two flowing bstiste drsperies for each window
cost but S4 or $5 and are far preferable to Not
tngham or other cheap laces Other curtains
have plain bstiste centres with insertion and
edging of antique lace, or else the yak lace.
Such curtains of striped, sprigged, or dotted
muslin, gathered and arranged close against
the sash to move with it, are also much used
for chamber and basement windows, aud for
yestlbules. Dark green silk curtains are used
10 the same way in the summer for dsrkening
rooms; these take the place of white SD ,des.
Two long flowing curtains of tapestry, plush or
other rich fabric, bordered across the top aud
bottom to match the furniture, are chosen for
, grand drawing-rooms. They are strung on
poles, or else they hang from q cornice that is
built in the wall. Cretonne lsmbreq oins very
much festooned, aud edged with ball fringe, are
put above muslin or striped lace curtains in
country houses; there are also Irish plain linen
and linen damssk drsperiss for windows to
match cottage furpture. Shades are placed
next the street in bsy.windows, and curtains
are drsped in the arch; but If the room is small
aud the window spacs is needed to enlarge it,
the stuff or lace curtains should 60 next the
window sash, and simple lambrequin should
trim the arch inside the room.
The Good Old Times.