The Portland daily press., 1888-01-07
ALADY,s PARLoR.
Some Points on the Art of interior
Decorations.
boston Journal.l

Although the art of interior decoration
seems admirably adapted to the study Of
woman, on account of her cultivated taste in
the harmony Of colors and her knowledge Of
the wants of the home, it is rarely made
subject of scientific and thorough training.
knowledge Of proportion, harmony and de-
sign is essential. What usually hap. ems
when young woman sets out to furnish
house? She buys the most fashionable car
pets, and novelties in portieres, in curtains
and the latest design wall papers; she then
wonders at the inharmonious effect of the
whole. A more satisfactory method would
be that Of making a long and careful study
of interior arrangements before purchasing
or that Of intrusting the furnishing to an ex-
perienced decorator. Such charming rooms
are now designed by firm of enterprising
women, of which Miss S. X. Hall is at the
head, who have undertaken this branch of
business. They are luxurious, dainty and
eosey, not without the pretty fancy things
which women like to make, but not yet
crowded with a confused supply Of bric-a-
brac.
'lady's sitting room" or parlor has
plain blue tinted walls, with an ecru frieze
and terra-cotta dado. The blue is sufi-
ciently dark to make fine background to
the pictures without being gloomy. The
floor is covered with a straw mating, a large
MiZzapore rug being placed in the centre.
The curtains are odd and attractive, Of far
mer's frocking, blue and white striped, the
blue of a deeper tone than the color Of the
walls. They are fringed, and touch the floor
without being looped. The portieres are
charming evidences OF skill in embroidery
They are made Of the same material as the
window o..c curtains decorated at the top
tive inches wide, above which are rows of
crocheted cord couched in different col
ors. The portiere is ,fringed and made
long enough to be turned over at the top,
so that the trimming gives the semblance
of frieze.' In the room are some odd and
rich pieces of furniture, which the owner
has "picked up" here and there at auctions,
in old farm houses and in bric-a-brac shops.
A couch covered with Persian covering is
effective. The sofa pillow is of satin de
chine, in four or five shades of terra Gotta, in
the same key of color as the dado of the walls.
There are two or three odd chairs and a fine
mahogany carved desk. Sure to be appre-
ciated by all housekeepers is a straw sewing
table painted white, and accompanied by
comfortable straw rocking chair. square
straw foot stool, painted white and covered
with an embroidered cushion Of terra Gotta
satin, is useful bit of furniture. A screen
is made Of three panels in the terra Gotta
shades Of the room, and is decorated in
coarse silks, with bold pattern which runs
from one panel to the other. As fashion de-
crees lamps, in spite of the care to keep them
in order, there are parlor lamps upon pedes-
tails about four and half feet high. table
lamps and bracket lamps held by graceful
branches of flowers, the curling tendrils of
which support the fanciful shades above.
There are all sorts of novel pieces of fancy
work in this room, produced bp Miss Halls
designer. So much can be done to ornament
a chair that hardly one is permitted to stand
without its bit Of colored ribbon or its tidy.
The especial novelty OF the season is .'the
grandmother's bag" without which the fash
ionable dame would be at loss for receipt
acle for her work, her perfumery, her salts
and other little personal requirements. 1t Is
simply made of art silk and tied with silk
cord, not ribbon, which is no longer in its
first place OF Importance An odd tidy simu-
red and yellow; some other tides are orna-
mented with designs in tapestry points and
trimmed with tassels OF gay colors. Slumber
cushions are not new idea. but they have
the appearance of novelty when made of new
art silks, painted with designs, which are
outlined with sewing silk and tied with cord
There are some elaborate pieces of fancy
work in this luxurious room. A delicate
table cover is of ecru satin de chine decorated
with silks in terra Gotta and olive. The
petals Of the conventional flowers are out
lined With rope-stitch in terra Gotta, the
stems of which are of gold thread caught
down with heavy olive silk. A mantle lam
brequin of terra Gotta velours is decorated
with conventional pattern in needle-like
lines Of lighter shades of terra Gotta, relievek
with -dashes of gold thread Violent con-
trasts in fancy work are no longer permitted
but the same color is worked out in different
shades. Many dainty pieces Of embroidery
appear in the room. There are pictures
framed in art silks, newspaper baskets
trimmed with bows Of gilded hemp, bellows
cases of leather decorated with gold cord,
easel scarfs and photograph cases. Each
piece of art, for under the title of art
should be classed most of the decorations OF
the experienced professional designer, has a
richness which is as un0btrusive as possible
far removed from the Oriental fancy
work Of several years ago.