The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1883-08-31
How to Furnish a House.

From William Morris Lecture on Art.
Believe me, if we want art to begin at
home, as it must, we must clear Il
houses of superfuities that are forever
in our way; conventional comforts that
are no real comforts, and do but make
work for servants and doctors; if you
want a golden rule that will fit every
body, this is it: Have nothing in your
house that you do not know to be use
full, or believe to be beneficial. And if
we apply that rule strictly we shall in
the first place show the builders, and
such like servants of the public, what
we really want-we shall create a de-
mand for real art, as the phrase goes;
and, in the second place, we shall surely
lave more money to pay for decent
homes.
Perhaps it will not try your patience
too much if l lay before you my idea of
the fittings necessary to the sitting
room Of a healthy person; a room, |
mean, which he would not have to cook
in much, or sleep in generally, or in
which he would not have to do any very
litter making manual work. First, a
bookcase with a great manv books in it;
next a table that will keep steady when
~ "AASS VI WIN eht ~ StNCJdl
chairs that you can move, and Il bench
that you can sit or lie upon; next a cup
board with drawers; next, unless either
the bookcase or cupboard be very beauti-
full with painting. or carving, you will
want pictures or ~engravings, such as
you can afford, only not stopgaps, but
real works OF art, on the wall; or else
the wall itself must be ornamented with
some beautiful or restfnl pattern; we
shall also want a vase or two to put
flowers in, which latter you must have
sometimes, especially if you live in
town.
That is all we shall want, especially if
the flour be good; if it be not, as, by the
way, in a modern house it is pretty Ger
tain o to be, | admit that a small car
pet which can be bundled out OF the
20 in two minutes will be useful, or it
will annoy terribly: Now, unless we are
musical, and need a piano On which
case, as far as beauty is concerned, we
are in a bad way, that is quite all we
want, and we can add very little to these
necessaries without troubling ourselves
and hindering our work, our thought
and our rest. If these things were done
at the least cost for which they could be
done well and solidly, they ought moi to
| cost much; and they are so few that
those that could afford to have them at
all, could afford to spend some trouble
10 get them fitting and beautiful;
and all those who care
about art ought to take great trouble to
do so, and to take care that there should
be no sham art amongst them, nothing
that it has degraded a man to make or
sell. And | feel sure that if all who care
about art were to take this pains it
would make a great impression upon the
public. This simplicity YOU may make
as costly as you please or can on the 9th
er hand; you may hang your walls with
tapestry instead of w%hitewash or p per,
or you may cover them with mosaic; or
have them frescoed by a great painter;
all this is not luxury, if it be done for
beauty's sake and not for show it does
not break our golden ,ule-Have moth
ing in your houses which you do not
know to be useful or believe to be beau
tiful.