The National tribune., 1882-12-28
THE WHITE HOUSE.
And Has IL Ever Been Furnished for President
Arthur!


The President will begin his receptions on
New Years day. The White House. rcdecOrated
and returnished, presents very much i'm
proved appearance. In the east room, in which
the curtains and furniture were renewed last
year, nothing has been done, except 10 put
down a new carpet. This is an Administer
and was ordered from Europe expressly for
this purpose, sufficient quantity to cover
this room IN any pattern of fine goods could
not be found III New York, for it requires over
four hundred yards of carpet for it. The pat
tern of this carpet is too small and its colors
too dull TO be suitable for so immense an
apartment. The figures are SO small that they
seem indistinCtly defined, but the decorator in
charge told me that was because any marked
design in so vast Il room must necessarily be so
often repeated as to become wearisOme to the
eye. The colOrS are such as are seen in an East
India rug.
The green parlor, which was entirely refur-
nished last year remains the same. The blue
room is now finished in robin 's-egg blue, which
looks green by gaslight. All the wood work
about doors and windows. including the win
dow blinds, is now Of this shade. The material
upholstering the sofas and chairs of which the
frames are the same gilt ones used before but
retouched, is a pale shade of the rOhins-egg
blue silk canvas with gold warp. The cur
tains, of the same silk canvas, have an olive
y
fastened back with silk monte cloth and plush
loops. The carpet is an Administer, with pale
blue ground and small figures. The walls are
a pale shade of rObin's-egg blue with dado in
a deeper shade. The fringe, which is very
beautiful, is of silver and col0rs in relief. Cir
cuiar scOnccs, about three feet III diameter, of
opalescent glass, are fastened to the walls, from
which extend gilt branches with several gas
burners. These sconces are particularly effect
i've on the blue walls. The ceiling i'll this, as
in all the newly-fnished rooms. is strikingly
beautiful. 1t is a combination of ellipses and
shields outlined in relief with silver bands in
side. The shields are in colored metals on cir
cles enclosing "A gold ground. Around the
fireplace are blue opalescent glass tiles
The most striking feature of the red parlor
is the mantel and fireplace, which are wholly
new. The hearth is of English earthenware
tiles, teapot brown" The mantel is ma
hogany The fire place is bordered by brass
mouldings outside of which is a wide border of
square glass tiles, set in squares over metal
which reflects the light. Outside this border is
richly-carved mahogany frame with mar
row shelf at the top Above this is a row of
square panels of japanese leather, Just beneath
the upper mantel shelf of mahogany, which shelf
Is ten feet long. The columns supporting this at
each end are Of mahogany and represent Roman
iasces. These rise from the floor and with the
long shelf described form three sides Of a very
large rectangle, with the fire place in the cen
tre. The mirror pier six fea long, is just above
the mantel shelf and is filed in with glass mo-
Saics The mirror covers The remainder of the
wall TO the ccling. The walls are Of terra-cotta
red and the dadO Il crimson brown, like cop
per beach trees leaves in autumn. The ceiling
is very beautiful. The central design is stars
IN copper and silver, both in the same style
The border is in stripes. The furniture and
curtains are red, the same as last year. They
are of a rich plush.
The state dining room has pale buff walls
and ceiling. The curtains are OF green satin.
with gold cOrnces. The glass doors leading
into the conservatory, one on each side of the
fireplace, where windows were are a pleasing
addition TO this room. Plants show through
them 10 advantage. The corridor has It's walls
now of a golden olive. The inches are lined
with notified gold paper, against which ferns
and palms, in the majolica vases set on marble
lede5tals in the inches, will show well. The
ceiling is light ivory ground, with mcdalions
aud panes broken up with tracory Of gold,
silver and brass. Below the frieze is border
of perforated brass from India.