Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-01-28


Eastern Perfumes.
From the New York sun.
Exterior beauty is not the distinguishing
feature of private residences in New York
Oxen or twenty houses may claim notice archi-
tecturally. but the rest show only trifiing devil
ations from the monotony of brown stone and
orck fronts. Ii Is said the fashion OF decorating
the fronts of houses with paintings is being re-
yived in Munich, but in this climate such exte-
rior decoration is impractcabie In New York
building lots are too valuable to admit of houses
covering large areas. The comparatively small
lots and compact arrangement of dwellings,,
which make eXteriors undressing have
helped TO develop great luxury in interior deco
ration The riches which an Enclishman would
spend on his country house and grounds New
Orker lavishes on a few rooms.
| new feature of household decoration is the
gorgeous hangings for walls and ceilings Not
only are rich and elegant limitations in paper or
embossed leather and French cretonnes used
out tapestries, Italian silks and Spanish yelyets
are employed. Modern manufacturers have sue
ceeded in reproducing the designs of historic
tapestries SO that any rich woman who adirnires
fhe taste of Nine. de Maintenon or La Pompa-
ooar may nave her rooms hung with copies OF
tapestries made for them
In dining-rooms there is new way of uniting
on papers. The room In wainscoted 10 the
neight of three or four feet and the rest of the
wall Is papered. Strips of steamed leather.
about four inches wide fastened at short inter-
walls by braSS-headed nails. are placed on the
| wall next above the wainscot and then are car
red around tue frames of the doors and win
COWS. Like strips are run around the walls
ana celiing ut the angles and thus form cell
ing Border and cornice. Similar strips Of
leather line the corners of the walls The finish
Is especially intended for use with heavy en-
nossed leather papers. which are so thick that
1t is difficult to fit them neatly into corners The
etiect is good with palmer papers. In room
thus decorated the furniture is usually of wood
like the wainscoting, and upholstered in leather
to match the finish on the walls.
Inc wood work OF the dining room of Robert
Goeiets new house is to be very elaborate The
doors the mantel piece, which runs to the CELL
ing, and the sideboard. which is large are all Of
English oak. and literally covered with rich
carving. The Sideboard is built into the wall
anc extends the length of the room. Through
the center an arch opens into buffers pantry
which is shut off by portere
There was never So great variety I'm curtains
as now. Portieres are no longer confined TO
Turkish. Chinese and Japanese manufacturers
Connoisseurs may delight in the grotesqueness
ana lack OF perspective of the Ceestiais but
their handiwOrk to the uninitiated soon becomes
as tedious as watching the srilRaces of a mon
key or the antics of a clown. If i'm Chinese and
japanese art there was not mingled much that
Is really beautiful in workmanship and rich in
material. before this decorators would have
bad drawing. As textile fabrics. the twiled
silks of India are not more beautiful than the
European silken stuffs of the middle ages
Few or the latter, which are now in use in this CITY
are really old silks, but copies of the originals
now manufactured are so exact that n thrifty
Yankee mind prefers the new to the old as
being quite as handsome and more servceabie
than fabrics that have done service for genera
tons Old French and Italian silks heavy Eng
llsh damasks and the famous Florentine cloths
u a firm
there's curtains and wall hangngs. Under these
general names arc claSsed MANY kinds of rich
silk. lovely in design and soft in texture which
can be utilized in many ways-as curtains for
doors cabinets, open bookcases and for table
mantcl or piano coverings. Some of the fabrics
are interviewer and embroidered tinsel threads.
others, thin as pineapple silks and fringed
around, are thrown across easels making a
striking background for paintings or convenient
curtains for the works of art. if desired Another
use made OF them is covers for foliOs of etchinus
and engrayingS.
Sittlng-rOOms are now furnished without the
traditional center-table. If any center piece is
desired nothing looks more invitngly suggest
i've OF Siesta than large soft Turkish cushions
Nowhere has the art of being comfortable been
better understood than in the East. There large
heavy tables are unknown. Meals are served
on small stands placed separately before each
person. and removed when the repast is ended.
This custom requires abundant service So il
take with him slave when dining out and thus
lessen the burden Of entertaining.
While tables in dining-rOcms undoubtedly
give more comfort than this eastern fashion. vet
In slttlng-rooms they can he easily dispensed
with. The chief furniture Of an ideal sitting
room comprises comfortable lounges and yari-
ETY. OF easy-chairs. Against the walls NAV be
immOvables, but the center should be unob-
structed. ready to be adapted to the whims or
fancy of the occupants. OF some persons IL
Ia ho onrrlfx ,fA
out bright conversation from dull people SO
some rooms seem to Danish ceremony and stiff
ness.
Turkish rugs are used for covering hall and
library chairs and lounges. They are durable
and comfortable coverings for furniture in con-
slant use.
In libraries. thin China silk and barege cur
tains are used for open book-sheIves Books |
should not be shut up behind glass DOORS They
do not look SO inviting. The elaborate book
cases so commonly seen are not properly library
furniture but are intended for use i'm rooms that
are parlOr and sitting-rOom combined Omen
shelves. resting in frame upon wooden pegs
which can be adjusted at convenience, is the |
most attractive and convenient way of placing
books. Curtains that draw back and hang at |
the ends of the shelves are prettier than the |
flaps of leather that hang from each shelf in |
many libraries. |
A revolution has taken place in the use of
mirrors. Those huge sheets of glass between |
windows, opposite doors. over mantels, forming |
the front and back Of all kinds Of furniture are
banished. 1t is said that the Jews had no glass |
mirrors Probably a prophetic vision of late !
fashions drove Solomon into his TRADE against |
vanity. The utilitarian theory, that mirrors |
should be used in small rooms to make them |
seem larger is partly true, but the sham soon |
becomes tresome and dspleasing Small bey- |
eled mirrors. tastefully framed, make a bright |
spot in room, and, in scOnces are useful and |
inexpensive for rejecting candle light: but props
erly mirrors belong to dressing rooms. and they /
should be sparingiy used elsewhere II house. |
Keepers would Danish them from parlors and |
sitting rooms to their own apartments. they
would gain more in Inconsistencies of manner
and careful toilet than they lose in apparent |
size OF rooms. Perhaps. then, it would be pos
sihle to act upon Mrs. Madison's famous advice.
Tive your appearance careful and serious
Thought In your dressing room and forget If
elsewhere" For bedroom use mirrors are very
pretty framed in cretOnne or woolen stuffs
that match the curtains or lounge. This
is often convenient fashion. furnished Gilt
or wooden frames that do not agree with other
furnishings can be easily covered. the material
tackled on full. forming puff around the glass.
or ii may be plain. On flat frame narrow
fluted ruffle Of cretOnne looks we'll
old OAK Tor dining-rooms. red mahogany and