The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-21
LUXURIOUS BEDROOMS.
Elegant Sleeping Apartments in the Homes
of New York Millionaires.

Eiesant sleeping Apartments In the Homes
of New York Minionaires.
New York Mail and Express.
1t is perhaps one of the signs of the times thas
luxury in homes has outstripped the general love
for public display. This is significant the
street. Men do not wear seal and lynx over
coats, but coats lined with seal and lynx; and the
wraps of modest cloth and eamels hair which
women wear are doubled, as the French say,
with rich furs and magnificent stuffs The great
est luxury is found in private apartments. The
prevailing fancy for Louis XVI decorations gives
an air of gay simplicity to state apartments.
Louis XVI styles were the beginning of the re-
action against the ponderous elegance or Louis
XIV. which ended in the roccoco period Of Louis
XIV. So these forms that are now found
in modern New York drawing rooms ara
chaste. simple and refined. But for the
Arabian Nights dream of luxury go to the sleep
ing apartments. These are by no means guest
chambers; all that is done away with The mas
ter and mistress, as Is proper. have the best
The family is duly installed. The guest, tha
wayfaring man. the passerby, is entertained in
apartments of comparative modesty. In Mrs.
Seward Webb's house. her bedroom il its pro-
portions is baronial It extends the entire front
of the house. and includes an oriel window on
the corner. The room is wainscotted in mahog.
any, with panels bearing St Andrews cross.
The frieze above is of dark rich red velvet en-
brodered. The ceiling at first was studded with
mahogany, which in its mass added to the SOM
berness of the room. Afterward this was con-
sadersd too gloomy f .s,,,a ady cham
place. In end is the large fireplace
for logs and in the mantel the hung Celtic
character of the interior is lightened by bands OF
rich carving in renaissance designs. AT the
other end OF the room Is q dais. On this Is
placed the low framework of the bed. This
stands under a canopy which makes part of the
construction of the room. Attached to tina top
of the wainscoting, it is built out and rests on
two pillars finely cut. This canopy and frame
is hung with rich velvets. Adjoining the room
is bath that resembles q cave hewn out OF
white marble. Ceiling and walls are lined with
white marble, the bath is of white marble. The
only variation of even the tint is of silver fix
lures.
Mrs. Fl. Mex Twombley has a superb cham
Der, which is said to have cost--in decoration
merely-$20, 900. The ceiling is a painting in
three panels by Mr.. Edwin II. Blashfeld. That
Of the center is circle, with design significant
of rosy sleep. The other two panels are oblong.
and one is beautiful piece of decorative
work. in which spirited panoplied fig
urs is chasing g away the spirit spirit Of
in mahogany, and this has been very beautifully
carved The principal motives of the design
are children's heads, and these are conceived in
the best spirit of renaissance decoration. For
example, the pilasters of the door carved at
the top in children's heads. suggesting the en-
richeG capitals of columns. The mantel bears
across its face a row of childrens heads naif and
innocent, amid suggestions of cloud forms. The
De0 Is designed IN the same SptrlG, Will d udik
canopy curving down in bold, inward sweep
and making line OF great beauty. The walls
are hung with luxurious broeades in soft neutral
tints. The room is so large that it requires two
Oriental carpets of the largest size. By happy
chance two companion carpets of the handsomest
description were found. They had evidently
been intended as companion carpets, so exactly
they correspond in size, color and design, and
now, after many years, they have been brought
again together.
NJ Do 1<av hos f11 hxnsTf pfk
over from Italy, some magnificent bed room fur
niture, which he has had made for his house at
Springfield, o. This is of Italian walnut darker
and richer in color than our walnut The bed
was designed under his directions. Across the
top of the head board is design which suggests
birds perched on telegraph wires, with their
heads tucked under their wings and ready for
sleep. Below, the principal ornament is ring
Of children dancing. carved IN relief, as that
above in the wood. The design is not only pretty,
but the workmanship remarkably beautiful. On
the foot board is female figure reclining and
about given over to the benign influence of sleep,
and near her birds nesting, ready to close their
eyes. On the two low posts OF the foot are chill
dren seated, carved out of the solid wood. Around
the frame is a molding in which poppy-bals
serve as the motive, and as purely ornamental
beading decorations should be obliged to Mr.
Bookwalter for the hint for it is very valuable.
To go with this superb bed, Mr.. Bookwalter has
been fortunate IN finding superb spread and
one finely preserved. of linen with deep band
of Oriental embroidery This is in pale tints OF
blue and pink. mingled with gold, and Is
valuable specimen of Oriental needle-work.
The bedroom of young girl in one OF the
newly built houses Isl like bower The wood
used is white mahogany. with its satiny grain.
The roof of bay window makes an alcove In the
room. This is entered through pillared arch.
The columns are fiuted with capitals of carved
roses Festoons of carved roses drape the
alcove Inside is dressing-table of white
mahogany, fitted up with swinging brass mir
ror and salmon-pink silk draperies The
are are hung IN salmon pink silk cur.
tains and have window-seats upholstered
in pale blue brocade, and fortified by silk cush-
ions of various hues. The bedstead Is of white
mahogany. carved in garlands of roses and from
the half canopy hang pale-blue silk curtains.
The furniture Of the room carries out the same
design. Overhanging all this IS ceiling OF pale
blue with radiating circles and sections These
are garlanded with pink roses, and among tho
roses swallows are perched. Opening off the
room is toiletroom fitted up with every luxury.
From the point of extravaganza. nothing ex-
ceeds that Of the bedroom OF child, little
girl Of nine. The floor is inlaid, and In the ceE
in ground overstrewn with roses The ceiling
is painted lattice apparently half shuts it in,
and over it climb wild roses In the center the
sky appears. One trailing branch has wandered
out across the blue, and around the roses on its
| stem a swarm of butterflies hutter, making, in
| fact the central ornament of the ceiling. The
walls are hung with pale gray silk, brocaded with
rosebuds. The woodwork is white mahogany,
beautifully carved. The mantel has festooHs OF
roses carved in relief above frefacings of white
onyx. Just outside the brass fender-rim in q
cushion of blue velvet, where the little feet are
| warmed. Thefurniturei is of white mahogany. The
bed has half-canopy, and on it's outer edge two
doves are perched, and from their beaks on each
side are garlands of carved wood carried over
to the guardian doves perched on the
posts. These garlandE con6ne cur
tains of silk boiling cloth, thin az
fairy web. embroidered with roses. pink and
yellow, dropping their petals from fold to fold
On the bed is spread on which roses seem to
have been thrown in careless luxurianee. The
mirror reaches to the floor. and is set between
two chests of drawers 1t is framed In compost
ton ornamented with cream and gold and above
ha until ar lnnr hair