Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-26
HINTS FOR THE HOME.

HINTS FOR THE HOME.
The --latest Wsinkles In House Decoration.
Tart Amateur for January.l
To stand on either side the brass fender
before tho hearth, a long and slender vase
of Japanese pottery or porcelain, in low
tones of color, looks we'll when filed with
certain dried grasses, cat-tails, and plumes
of Pampas grass.
Anew gypsy" or tripod table, has been
introduced, the legs covered with plush like
the top. Around the edge of the circular
top hangs heavy silk fringe which also
finishes the legs. A scarf of plush en-
broidered with gold, and fringed with silk
is knotted at the intersection of the legs.
The ordinary music stool is usually an
ugly, and uselessly heavy article of furni-
ture, and pleasing substitute might be
found in the old fashioned four legged
single seats, which are otherwise pictur-
esque and convenient, and may, when not
in use, be pushed under tho piano table,
or long legged cabinet.
An East-side cabinet maker has made a
lucky hit by the production of small ma
hogany tea-tables made after an English
model, with two drop-leaves and steady
set Of supports below, which endear them
to tho hearts of all tea-drinking house.
keepers. These dainty tables are just of a
| height to reach tho elbow of the lady
while sitting, and at ordinary times they
occupy some quiet corner unobserved.
For dining table there is no light to
be compared to the soft radiance of plenty
| of candles. They should be in branches
tall enoughto be above tho level of the eyes,
and should be Of kind which does not
flicker or run. The light from the side
board and sides of tho room should be
sufficient to prevent shadows from being
| cast on the table. Candles are not really so
very expensive az compared with gas, when
it is considered what damage gas does to
the furniture and silver. Then dinner
does not last SO very long; and everybody
and everything looks so much better in
the mild light of wax or composite. it is
worth trying to have it.
N common with tambourines, guitars
and spinets, ancient harps are being care
| fully unearthed in the auction rooms, and
brought home to decorate the much crowd
ed modern interior. There is not much
hope that proficiency in execution on this
graceful old instrument will be generally
ATTAINED in the present generation, but then
as gretty girl who had just acquired
| harp for her music room observed
''What difference does that make? It's
such capital thing to pose againstv'
Brown paper is very useful in household
decoration. Pretty screens of coarse gro
GERS paper, painted in oils, are often used.
An old wooden mantelpiece may be COW
cred with this coarse paper and painted
roughly, but most effectively, with pink
and white foxgloves and leaves, or with
peoples. Paper can be only temporary
decoration, but in country villages occa-
sions often arrive-such as impromtu
festivities, church sOciables, and wed
dings-when speedy decoration is most
valuable.
| Long, full UNDERGRADUATES of lace or Mad
ras muslin are gradually drifting out of
fashion. In their stead one sees, in most
of the new artistic interiors, an unbroken
sweep of plush or raw silk on either side OF
the window frame, through which the e1-
panse Of shining plate glass appears un-
covered, save by shade of embroidered
silk or holland. A brass iardiniere, filled
with palms and ferns, helps to do the work
OF excluding curious eyes, and the advan
tage gained by break in the floor line
and wall space, through admission of the
window recess, il noticeably good. Where
thin curtains are necessary, those hung
close to the sash are advisable. Gold
wrought Madras muslin, painted and en-
broidsred, and boiling cloth similarly
treated, are most employed by artists in
| decoration.
When young couple commence furnish
| ing they should content themselves with
the mere necessaries of life until they have
acquired the knowledge of what they want
and discovered the best means of procur-
| ing it. A few cottage chairs and kitchen
tables can, by means of cushions and COW
ers, be made to do for year or so, and
will save great deal more than they cost
| in preventing money being thrown away
in hurry on unsuitable purchases. In
cities furniture can be hired and returned
as it is replaced at leisure.
The simplest method of staining floor is
to get from dealer in paints half gal
lon OF oak stain ready mixed, pour it into
basin, and cover the floor with it, using
an ordinary hogs hair paint brush. Do
| not tread more than you can help on tho
part you have stained; of course you
would do the floor near the door last. If
one wash of the stain does. not make as
dark tint as you wish, wait till it is quite
dry and give it a second. When it is quite
dry the housemaid can rub it up with
beeswax and turpentine, or she may make
mixture of these two ingredients with a
/! little resin, warmed until it is all liquid,
and then when it is cool rubbed on with
cloth and polish up with brush.
In papering the upper part of wall
abovea stenciled dado, the following shades
will be found to go well together: Paper, a
light shade of gray; dado, darker shade Of
gray, relieved by few narrow lines and
touches of pure vermillion. Paper, cream
color; dado, flowers with tints of salmon
and orange shaded with lake, leaves and
stems of shades of grays and browns.
Paper, pale terra Gotta; dado, deep shade
of terra Gotta, with Egyptian designs out
lined with black.
Decorative art allows every scope for
beauty of form and color. but dispenses
with aerial effects and to great degree
with shadows. The wall behind the paint
ing is understood to be there; there should
be no attempt at deception in any way.
The outlines should be most carefully
drawn and accentuated by decided line