The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-04-05


tain Woods or DesIgns.
"Stylcs come and 90 In furniture al.
most rs rapidly as IN millinery" said
aleading manufacturers. In reference 70
tho trend Of taste in house furnishing.
Every little whilo there Is popular,
craze for some particular wood on
design, and even though there be no
pronounced demand OF this sort there
isaiways reaching out after novelties.
I'm the new styles OF furniture the
designs are simpler ana the ornancn-
tation less elaborate and more chaste.
The same principles are now followed
In Misunderstanding ms in architecture.
Barring special cases. which may DO
regarded rs exceptions, there Is u
growing disusc Of ornamcntation. pure
~ rs such. Designers are seeking moro
and more the beauty that results from
simple, even severe. lines and fine fin
ish. In some styles. especially OF Ia
blcs and bedroom sets. this is almost
carried TO excess. The aim. Of course.
Is TO produce striking effects without
such I'm expenditure Of labor in manu-
facturc as to prohibit sale. and in SO
far aS designers now sin in this respect
] think they sin on the right side
Taste is now gravihting toward
the antique. With the exception Of Il
few patent devices. such rs folding
beds. Office furniture and revolving
bookcases, nothing really new has
hnnf4 f..r H..
patterns, 50 popular some time ago.
were nothing bat crude adaptation
OF the gothic. Painted furniture. once
so popular, wasnovel only in its finish.
So, too. with stained woods. which arc
used only for cheap goods. All these
are now out OF date. and des. gncrs arc
busy working over Romanesque. re-
naissance. Louis w.. and colonial pat
terms. We adapt and unite the differ
ent types just as modern architects
combine different lies OF architecture,
and many Of our most pleasing effects
are obtained in this way. The popular
fad keeps us within the leading strings
OF the antique. and SO far as the re-
quirement Is met we are free to make
as many violations or combinations OF
art principles as we choose.
'.In the matter OF woods. oak has
precedence. Cherry probably follows
next. Birch and curly maple arc much
used. since they give a pleasing. dainty
effect. Walnut, which for some time
has been out OF favor, Is gradually
coming back again. Oak and cherry
are now what walnut used TO be the
staple goods and presume 1t will
not be long before they, too. will yield
10 the popular fancy and take the OBJ
scure corners OF retail establishments.
Good furniture to-day is much
cheaper than the same quality Of goods
was few years ago. The secret Of the
matter is not because wood or labor IL
cheaper. for material Is actually more
expensive and labor not essentially
changed. but because machine-work IL
more largely taking the place 81 hand
work. even in the best goods. and
because. as | said before. beauty is
sought on different lines. a large
share Of the carved work now seen on
furniture Is done quickly and chcaply
BY machines which are little less than
a curiosity i'm the way they work out
designs. There are some classes OF
furniture. Of course. such as uphol-
stored chairs and sofas. in which there
Is not so noticeable change either in
style or price. Tapestries and pushes
are now in vogue. rs heretofore. and
there Is no difference in these radical
enough 70 deserve notice. Leather Is
used chiefly for library and dining-room
furniture. Brass trimmings are on the
wanc. Chicago News.