Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-06-10
THE NEW YORK. FAsHIoNs
A. Reported ny the Fashion EditoF
Of stEInrpcr,s Unxar.s

Of stEzarpcr,s unxnr.,s
The popular departure in house fur
nishing is n return TO French designs Of
the last century, especially to those in
vogue during the reign Of Louise Quinze,
with their many graceful curves and
flowing lines and the more stately styles
Of Louis Seize, with straight lines and
square corners, to which are added the
later empire models, which combine
severe Greek columns with rather incon-
gruous French decorations of gilded
wreaths, festoons and ribbons Light
ness Of form and coloring is the object
sought in the furnishing, in protest
against the heavy dark English styles
that have prevailed for the past decade;
TO this end there is further reaction
against the elaborate decorations and
'draperies that have been so overdone.
Many meaningless draperies are being
swept away, untidy tides are disappear
ing, and scarfs and lambrequins no long
er cucumber windows and cover mantels,
AZ the whitest marble need not now be
concealed, nor painted to masquerade as
wood--a proceeding always in the most
questionable taste.
White and gold woods are the frame
work OF French furniture for city draw
ing rooms and chambers. The white
wood is enamelled, and has gilt mould
ings, with applied garlands and cordons
OF gilt, or else it is painted in Vatican
designs OF flowers and figures. The long
Louis Quinze sofas, with oval back and
curved legs, the fauteuils, the smaller
chairs and tabourets, are covered with
apestries-antique Gobelins or the
modern Aubusson--or else they are
smoothly upholstered with woven silk
tapestry in Pompadour designs of stripes
and small bouquets. The deeply tufted
carpet has white or cream ground strewn
with flowers in fade Gobelin tints. The
walls are panelled with tapestry, or COW
cred with the silken fabric used on the
furniture, and valance or scarf OF this
silk is thrown up gracefully on the Brus-
sells lace curtains. The mantel or white
wood picked out with gold has low,
broad mirror in a white and gold
frame, the clock is of white or
pink onyx, and Sevres porcelains
are about the room. Small pernis Mar
tin tables and cabinets Of gold varnish
and Vatican paintings, mounted on
slender curved legs, and showing repped
silk Innings and shelf covers, also be-
long to these Louis Qninze interiors.
The all-over gilt wood is much used for
Louis Seize furniture, with its low,
square-backed sofas for two, and its low
Marquiae arm-chairs covered with silk
brocade all OF one color, rose, blue or
celadon, or else with figured tapestries.
The cabinet may be all-gold wood, or
else an odd piece of mahogany decorated
with gold some low chairs have cane
seats that are gilded the mantel Of onyx
has giltframed mirror, and there are
onyx tables mounted in gilt, with per-
haps plush-covered cabinet table, it's
top enclosed with glass to hold minia-
lures, and some shelves below for bric.a-
brac.
French drawing-rooms in Newport viii
las have their walls covered with q cot
ton fabric OF solid color, such as repped
cretonne of pale blue tint, framed off in
panels by a cretonne border ten or
twelve inches wide, with its cream
ground strewn with gay tulips and roses
tied by true-lovers' knots of blue; cre-
tonne to match this flower border is used
to cover the white wood furniture, while
plain cretonne bordered forms the cur
tains. In other country houses paper is
used on the walls in solid-colored panels
and fowered borders precisely as the
cretonnes are; the ceiling is then tinted,
not papered, in lighter shade than that
in the panels. White enamelled cham
ber sets are decorated with flower
painting; different clusters of flowers are
on each piece, yet all harmonize-on the
low bedstead, the toiette-table, chest of
drawers, cheval-glass, and low square
reading tables; gray-blue or copper pink
plush or linen velours is used for uphol-
stering the chairs, and for table mat to
place under silver or gilt lamp on a
small table In other white sets the
carved designs are outlined with gold,
or there are applied gilt decorations OF
wreaths, ribbons, etc., or there may be
tufted silk panels in the head OF the
bed, or else the double bed Is made to
represent two small single beds under
one canopy in the favorite French
fashion. The inexpensive cottage sets
for chambers are now painted white and
gold, as well as pale rose, blue, or cream
color.
The classic empire designs now so
popular for drawing room and chamber
furniture are best expressed in dark ma
hogany or rosewood decorated with gilt
moulding, slight balustrades, ,aud applied
wreaths and festoons of gilt; they are
also inlaid with gilt and light lockwood
in flower designs. This rich dark furni-
ture appeals to many who find white
wood too cold for their taste, and its se-
we're style satisfies others who dislike the
more ornate and fanciful curves of other
French models. The dark marbles that
are banished from English furniture are
used as covers for bureaus of dark woods
in French chambers, and for table clocks
and pedestals.
Oak, mahogany and French walnut
are the dark woods used for libraries,
dining-rooms and halls. II French styles
are followed, tho massive Henri Deux
models are copied with elaborate carv-
ing and upholstered with old tapestries
or with embossed leather, or else the
simpler Empire designs are used, espec-
iaily for libraries. Dwarf book cases
are arranged around the room like
wainscoting, and many have glass
doors or curtains, or may be mere
ly open shelves. In the dining-room
oak is the favorite for the square dining
table, the high sideboard with dark
marble top, and cabinet shelves enclosed
by glass doors and for the leather-cov-
cred chairs. In the hall the wood framed
mirror, with pegs for hats, is Of oak or Of
mahogony and is low and broad, or else
square, instead of lengthwise, as it for
merly was, and may be built into the
wall, or else suspended by chains; be-
meath the mirror is table and there is
carved chair on either side, or else
there is larger settle with carved back
and box seat, that may be upholstered
with leather.
Flower designs are revived for carpets,
for curtains, for cretonnes, and for many
other fabrics used as part Of French fur
nishing. The new flowered carpets are
not strewn with set bouquets or brilliant
staring colors in the old objectionable
and formal way, but have irregular grace
full designs of delicately tinted flowers
LIGHTER shade. oftepest OF cream and ecru