Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-12-11
The Use of Tapestry.

One Of the most exquisite examples
possible Of the entirely new d Tor
rather resurrected idea) Of covering the
entire walls Of rooms with silk and n
lar material has the four walls and cell
ingof the room in question covered with
rich Louis Seize tapestry, very hight and
delicate, almost salmon pink and futed
and gathered so aSto make frlezes and
c~ornices Of the same material. The doors
and windows are curtained with the
same material and the furniture IS up
hoIstered with it. All the furniture is
room IS similarly done in pink and
amber brocaded satin. A young man
who has lately married, having obtained
a dispcnsation to keep up some Of his
bachelor tastes, has made a new and
original departure in domestic arrange
mcnts, by making the smohing-room the
most prominent and striking apartment
in his new house. The first room upon
entering is the dining hall, which has
curious Arabian hangings. Back Of it
is the s~mokinG-room, which is thorough
~ Oriental, with curiously marked cur
Itains from Afghanistan, with knotted
edges, a genuine Persian embroidered
divan, walls in guilt relief, and even a
meshrcebeah or lattice window, such as
they have in the harcms. Back Of the
s~moking-room is the parlor, which has
three sets Of rose velour curtains, all
alike, and a sort Of gold and ivory trans
parent stuff draping the windows.
Great artistic taste must be exercised
in the arrangement Of SO much richly
colored stuff. Tie same rules governing
nccdle-Work may obtain.
A general effect may be made by throw
ing down the silks upon the ground,
when a trained eve will quickly discern
the proper tints and the proportionate
qualities to use. An absolute rule is that
no harsh transactions must be made; but
if it be necessary to pass from one color
to another which conflicts when placed
side by side it can be done by some re-
1ating tint, as has been described. In
necdlework it is easy to do this because
Of the enormous variety of shades in
silks and worstcds. The japanese method
is laid down as a good one. They work
the silks in one color, or lay them or
the surface, and then with related hues
work them up to a harmonious whole.
Another law is that when two portions
Of the same or nearly related hues are
placed at a distance from each other
with neutral tints between, both become
intensified and appear brighter than they
did before, Thus in working out a de-
sign in harmony there must be no de.
tached single bits of color. They must
be led upto by broken tints, or there
must be other patches of the same color
near enough to be taken in by the eye at
the same time. This viii enrich both.
Graduated tones of the same color are
always pleasing. This is properly called
the analogy of color. A good example
of this IS given in the treatment Of
orangc-brown with broken tones of gold
or broken yellow, even up to butter
color. In Chinese embroiderics we Otter
see daring effects produced by working
OF q ground of imperial yellow. 1t il
necessary in using such a ground, how
ever, to work through yellows in broker
tints only to the most delicate of blues
reds and greens. The ground is thu
treated as the Chinese treat it, and tn
cOlors worked down from that to broker
tints containing but a small proportion
Of yellow.