Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-03-28
NO. H..
FANcies IN FURNITURE



tain Wood. D~.lgn.-
Styles come and 20 in furniture Al
most as rapidly rs in millinery" said
leading manufacturer. in reference 70
the trend OF taste in house furnishing.
Every little while there Is n popular
craze FOR some particular wood or
design. and even though there be no
pronounced demand Of this sort there
Is always a reaching out after novelties.
In the new styles of furniture the
designs are simpler ana the ornamen-
tation less elaborate and more chaste.
The same principles arr now followed
in cabinet-making as in architecture
Barring special cases. which may b.
regarded ~ exceptions. there il
growing disuse % ornamentation. pure
ly as such. Designers ara seeking more
and more the beauty tha; results from
simple. even severe. lines and ine I'm
irh- In some styles. especially Of ta-
blc- and bedroom sets. this IL almost
carried 70 excess The aim. Of course.
Is 10 produce striking effects without
such an expenditure Of labor in manu-
facture AZ to prohibit sale. and in 50
far as designers now sin in this respect
/ think they sin on the right side.
Taste Is now gravitsting toward
the antique. With the exception Of a
few patent devices. such as folding
beds. Office furniture and revolving
bookcases. nothing really new has
been got out for years. The Eastlaxe
patterns. so popular some time ago.
were nothing but a crude adaptation
OF the gothic. Painted furniture. once
SO popular. was novel only in its finish
So. too. with stnined woods. which ars
used only for cheap goods. All these
are now out OF date, and designers are
busy working over Romanesque. re-
naissance. Louis ". and colonial pat
terms. We adapt and unite the differ
ent types Just as modern architects
combine different styles OF architecture.
AID many of our most pleasing effects
are obtained in this way. The popular
fad keeps u within the leading strings
OF the antique. and so far ~ the re-
quirement Is met we are free TO make
as many violations or combinations OF
art principles a. we choose.
In the matter Of woods. oak has
precedence Cherry probably follows
next Birch and curly maple are much
used. since they give 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 % be-the
staple goods and presume IL will
not be long before they. too. will yield
to 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 u few years ago. The secret OF the
matter is not because wood or labor Is
cheaper. for material Is actually more
expensive and labor not essentially
changed. but because machine-work Is
more largely taking the place OF hand
work. even in the best goods. and
because. as said before. beauty i.
sought on different lines. A lxrge
share of the carved work now seen on
furniture is done quickly and cheaply
BY machines which are little less than
a curiosity in the way they work out
designs. There are some classes OF
furniture. of course. such "a uphol-
stored chairs and sofas. in which here
is not so noticeable chansS "a
style or price. Tapestries and pushes
are now in vogue. rs heretofore, and
there is no difference in these radical
enough TO deserve notice. Leather is
used chiefly for library and dining room
furniture. Brass trimmings are on the
wane- e-"-Chicago News.