Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-03-13
a CARPETED CEILING

Lie uOuciu Ccuueucy W tuTu tIungs
topsyturvy is strongly illustrated in thu
carpeted ceiling which adorns the re.
ception-room of a fashionable dancing
school in the city. To carry out the idei
completely the floor should have beer
frescoed, but the professional decorator
to whom the ceiling is indebted for its
novel ornamentation weakly yielded to
the popular taste of the period by placing
another carpet ON the floor. It must
however, be added that the proud Aubus.
son on the ceiling, by its brilliant color
ing as well as its lofty position, fal
more conspicuous object than its meek
and lowly brother on the floor. It may
be necerrary to explain that the purpose
in placing this carpet on the ceiling il
purely aesthetic. Imported by a gentle
man who intended it for the breakfast
room of his villa on the Hudson, sud.
den change in the stock market tore
this shadowy product of the loom from
its luxurious quarters, and a happy
chance only saved it from the profane
hands of some heartless auctioneer. Its
perseverance in the person of its pres
ent owner, gentleman who has waltzed
through life with such success that the
purchase of a score of Aubusson would
be for him comparatively trifing ex-
penditure. Being about to refurnish
the elegant house used for his school, he
needed carpet for the reception room
The AubussOn was recommended, and he
bought it,
But the professional decorator who
had been engaged to suprintend the re-
fitting and Ornamentation of the build
ing was not consulted when the purchase
was made, and when the carpet was I'M
rolled before him, promptly declared it
to be utterly unsuitable for the ROOM The
bright floral pattern was, he said, not in
harmony with the predominating color in
the furniture coverings, and the blue
ground was pronounced still greater de-
feet, for it would give people the impress
sion that the floor was flying up at them
Finding the owner of the carpet not quite
convinced by these arguments the artist
fell back on stronger grounds by pointing
out the moral and aesthetic faults of the
floor covering, its obstructiveness, lack of
repOse, refinement, sympathy, sentiment,
or conscientiousness. This arraignment
was rendered still more effective by the
horror struck air of the orator and his
closing declaration that to place the
carpet in that particular room would be to
ruin his professional reputation and drive
him to hide his blighted hopes in an I'M
timely grave.
But what shall be done with the
carpet?" asked its perplexed proprie tor.
The artist ran his hands through his
hair and turned his eyes upward, as if to
read the answer in the stars. The dreamy
orbs encountered the ceiling and sudden
ly lighted up with the glow of new
inspiration.
':Poot heem up, zare"' he cried, while
in his joy at the happy thought he ex-
ecuted pirouette which made the dane
ing master turn pale with envy.
The suggestion was approved, and as
the carpet was in one piece there was not
much difficulty experienced in carrying
out the idea. When this had been done
there remained on the ceiling, on each
side of the carpet, an uncovered space of
about twenty inches, which was filed in
by the frescoe painters with very clever
imitation of the texture and coloring of
a carpet.
This plan of carpeting ceiling may
in time De followed in many houses. The
carpet trade would doubtless approve of
ceilings, provided the floors
were carpeted as well, and the designers
would find in the new pattern essential
for ceiling coverings fine field for the
exercise of the spiritual side of their
for there would probably
by great run on Administer seraphim,
Wilton cherubim, Brussels angels, and
saints.