River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-01-11
: Wrinkles in House Deco
ration

The la Wrinkles I'm House Deco
ration.
From the Art Amateur for January.
For rooms fitted in chintz or eretonne,
and for country house use. have been
revive d those delightful old curtains of
tambo ured muslin; with this difference,
hat VIII ere monstrous flowers, and vines
with grapes, once formed the design, we
have now small conventional patterns
powdered over the curtains, and bor-
der to match, to finish them.
Curtains ought to be hung SO that they
can be constantly taken down to be
brushed, and, if necessary. cleaned with
bread crumb or bran. It's great econ
0my to have second best set ofcurtains
10 put up during the dark days of win
ter; beside, the change is pleasant to the
eye which gets wearied at always seeing
exactly the same color and pattern
framing the outside view.
An east-side cabinet-maker has made
4 lucky hit by the production of small
mahogany tea~tables made after an Eng
iish model, with two drop-leaves and
steady set of supports belqw, which en-
dear them to the hearts of all tea-drink-
ing housekeepers. These dainty tables
are Just of a height to reach the elbow of
the lady while sitting and at ordinary
times they occupy some quiet corner un-
observed.
In common with tambourines, guitars
and spinets, ancient harps are being
unearthed in the auction rooms, and
brought home to decorate the much
crowded modern interior. There is not
much hope that proficiency in execution
on this graceful old in strument will be
generally attained in the present gener-
alton, but then, rs pretty girl who had
Just acquired harp for her MUSHROOM
observed: "What difference does that
make? It's such capital thing to pose
against"
Brown paper is very useful in house
hold decoration. Pretty screens of
coarse grocer's paper, painted in oils, are
often used An old wooden mantelpiece
may be covered with this coarse paper
and painted roughly, but most effective
ly with pink and white foxgloves and
leaves, or with red peoples. Paper can
be only temporary decoration, but III
country villages occasions often arrive
such as impromptu festivities, church
decoration is most valuable.
When young couple commence fur
nishing they should content themselves
with the mere necessaries of life until
they have acquired the knowledge of
what they wanted and discovered the
best means of procuring it. A few cot
tage chairs and kitchen tables can, by
means of cushions and covers, be made
to do for year or 50, and Will save
great deal more than they cost in pre-
venting money being thrown away In a
hurry on unsuitable purchases. In cit
les 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 halt
gallon of oak stain ready mixed, pour
it int basin, and cover the floor with
it. using an ordinary hogs hair paint
brush. Do not tread more than you can
help on the part you have stained; OF
course you would do the floor near the
door last. If one wash of the stain does
not make az dark tint as you wish, wait
till it is quite dry and give it second.
When it is quite dry the-housemald can
rub it up with beeswax and turpentlne,
or she may make a mixture of these two
ingredients with little resin, warmed
until it is all liquid, and then when it
is cool rubbed on with a cloth and pol
ished up with brush.
In papering the upper part of wall
above stencilled dado, the following
shades will be found to 60 well together:
Paper, light shade of gray; dado,
darker shade of gray, relieved by few
narrow lines and touches OF pure vermil-
lion. Paper, cream color; dado, shades
of Vandyke brown. Paper, fawn 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.
1t is strongly advised that all pictures
not in themselves worthy Of a pldce on
the walls in our homes should be taken
down, and all worth looking at placed
where they can be seen on level with
the eye. To hang up a landscape or
print or portrait in a sittlng-room
which is not worth looking at, simply
because the wal is "bare," is a mistake.
| Spaces Of blank wall aFe to be priced
exceedingly, particularly when covered
with an interesting, well-designed paper.
| To spot room about with photographs
| and miniatures, with mementoes OF sea-
| weed and dried ferns, or wretched
water-colors by different members of the
| family, is ruinous to the general effect.
| Relics which are only treasures from as
sociations oHght to be kept for the
| private apartments or locked drawers d
| those to whom they belong,