Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-12
Tho Decoration and Furniture Of
Town Houses.

Uuyer ignorance Is their best ally. IL may be
question OF taste but II Is assuredly one Of ed
Much furnishing can be had independently
OF these people and their pseudo styles by
lords give tenants small Inducements to do so.
Such things, however. can be made distinct
from the house, screwed TO the wall, and taken
away on removal; II of soft wood, like the
woodwork OF the room, and painted the same,
they will be inexpensive.
Furniture has always followed the fashion of
architecture, and the new methods In building
create new ideas in furnishing. The eighteenth
century simplicity was revolt from the Six
teenth century vOluptuousness; It's chief de-
sgners, Chippendale and Sheraton who infil-
influenced partly by the Pompeilan and partly
by the recent intercourse with the Orient.
HeppelWhites articles were In more solid
fashion, and Adam had an original genius. In
all our best productions now there are hints
from these designers.
For ordinary wear furniture should be useful,
simple, and comfortable. Cabinets made TO dis.
play their contents sho1Ii not themselves be
objects OF display. Tables should be strong, Of
seasoned stud and carrying their legs well 3t:k;
while chairs should have stability, bfeaitn
OF surface, and no projections to hurt th, back
or tear the clothes AS for the sideboard, Father
than try that which has long been an expense
and an ab0mination and as many use the din
ing room commonly during the day. and nee
place to put away papers and work, 1t would be
better TO have one made to I'LL all Requirements,
and II OF the less rare woods 1t should cost com
parativey little. 1t should have shelves for
glass and china; space for dinner and breakfast
service: cellaret for wines and sparkling waters;
drawers for table-linen, for drawings, papers,
and work. cupboards. and sunken glass. with
no turned ornament to catch the dust.
The mantel pieces OF most ready IN ade houses
are tomb like structures but they can be taken
down and put away for the landlord to have
again on requirement, and the tenant at small
expense can put up suitable ones Wherever
there is good one existing, with any nice
adaptation of Greek outline, graceful enrich
ment, or delicate inlay: 1t is invaluable. Once
the mantei piece was the most important fea-
ture OF the room, carved and blazoned from
floor to ceiling. In England and France there
are superb examples built up with the walls,
Audley End and Hatfield House they are
elaborate combinations OF the carved vain
and cunningly devised inches framing Dor
traits. All The room led up to such man.
tels: ana they had massive CRATES and won.
tel stu than anything else. with lining of black
or yellow Sienna marble. with tiles In the
lower panels. and with the upper panel for pic.
ture or portrait, surrounded by plain wainscot
to the ceiling. or by recesses for igurlnes or by
ties of shelves for brio a-bric the top either
coving over and lined with some decorative
fabric, or Joining the picture rail below the
have panels filled with delicate embroidery. or
with japanese lacquer, or with painted porce-
lain; recessed shelves above may be lined with
velvet to set OF china, and the center may
brighten the room with a splayed Venetian
glass. One In library Is servtceable with
small glazed thanking cupboards for pipes and
tobacco, with some shelves for books, In order
10 carry on the general purpose OF the room or
Without shelves. for fishing rods aud guns. VI
Many people who will pay two or three hun
ofed collars ior an ordinary painting think any
man1el-pp..see answers, yet the same money
would be itself an artistic piece OF furniture;
but any common builder can make one OF SOL,
wood. al really thrilling expense I'VE have seen
desirable one In common pine, red lacquered,
In cramped bedrooms mantel can often serve
as a dressing table, with cupboards and gas
brackets on either side and glass bet yeen.
But even where II is not best to renew the "a an
tel already 10 place, 1t still be treated deco
ratiyely; and one neat way Is to bracket. over
the main shelf to the height of the picture rod,
fusion OF china In dominant color, running
along the under side Of the lower shelf DIVIDED
curtain OF leather or velvet or embroidery. to be
drawn when the fire burns.
For the CRATES under these mantels. the SLOW
con- custom ones are best OF q cast iron front
or, indeed. bronze or brass, with t1rebrck sides.
pack and bottom. Openings OF existing fire.
places can be altered to suit these CRATES. and a
lining OF red or other tiles ref acts the heat and
adds to their virtue. Plain hard stone tenders.
cut down toward the fire for cleaner brushing,
suit THESE, and movable screens OF wire NETTING
ln steel or brass frame, or, IL one prefers q
high fender, 1t can be made OF wroughtirOn bars
nlled In with pierced brasswork; but ormolu
ornaments should be avoided. and that steel
Wctk which makes so much work for servants
Wit no adequate return.
In all large rooms OF any height the surface of
lie walls should be broken into dado AID frleze.
or the sake OF gradations between floor and
;eii ng. The dado Is the lower space the frieze
; Il At the c0rnlce, and the wall space lies be
Heen One OF Mr.. Walter Cranes papers sho rs
trt1stlc use or the three divisions by re ore.
1el'iDg In the dadO pebbly b. ach in the van
sui race water through which fish are darling.
.hile mermaids rise from this water into the
tri ze above. moulded rail- OF three or four
inc'eS. costing but a few cents a foot will
mark the dadO division, not quite three feet
II, M the floor; similar rail marks off the
the frieze from lines of cord or wire. In
olning-room low dado Is good to save the
marks OF chair backs. but In drawing. room II
inteIIeres with larger pieces Of furniture A
iIieAe Is OF value everywhere in reception
rooms for decoration, and In edrooms for plain
surface SO treated as not to absorb bad air and
germs OF disease.
The papers with which We can cover these
spaces are various, but the purchaser should
examine them by nght-light as well as day
ngn!; There are beautiful and costly papers;
iegi1imate embossed leather-paperS whose low
relief gives a play OF light over their rich
tune and hard varnlsh. English papers are
three inches wider in the roll and three yards
better design, although M. Balm. OF Paris, re-
produces fac SMILES OF brocades and cut vel
vets that are quite superb hanglngS. Flock
papers, and those having good deal of gold,
require nice trimming and much time In the
hanging.
In painting walls and wood work we shall ind
mat al old wall will not bear varnish which
brings out every tmperfectlon, and even its
paperlng demands lining paper. In enamel
Ing wood work. the varnish Is rubbed down
AFTER each coat as in In coach-painting: and In
Stenclllng. the color Is rubbed over an open
pattern Indefinitely continued Delicate tfnts
require colorleSs Oil; little turpentine' ia
necessary where work Is exposed to the sun
which should be excluded, to hinder blI5terng.
although slllcate paints do not blister
Inc street door should be dark, and var
nlshed Tor protection from weather and dust.
Two-thirds OF the height of the walls of the
vesti6ule hall should be painted In color con-
cea1ng finger marks, with slight stenciIiing:
and II here and there Is pictured panel Il ia
better decorated With good flower than a poor
ngure: moulding at the top OF this makes a
narrow shelf for maj0lica. The space above
may De plainly distempered, and the ceiling
should be tinted In soft shades, the cornice
only perceptibly darker. Or the walls can be
paneied mans height, and lacuuered: tf. for
instance. In red or dark blue, then with q paper
lI1eZe OF cream with fieckS of reddish gold
Better than anything are marble mosaic slabs
the woodwork In two darker. shades Where
the inner door or screen Is OF jeWelled or loaded
glass Its colored lights ada immensely to the
cheerfulnesS OF the entrance. Flower designs
OF this 1ewelled glass, by the way, might often
be set here and there into the white panes of
the upper part OF the windows Of town houses
to advantage.
Where we have no mantel in the inner hall.
the CRATE cQn IA framed In tftoa FONT vIooo