The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-10
FASHIONS IN FURNITURE.
PARLOR, TEA-ROOM AND BoUDoIR
FROM MANTEL TO DOOR.


in MahoRany-Le Beau Monde Sets
the Seal of Approval on "Occa-
sional" Tables-The Writing Desk OF
Mrs. Kendall
New YORK, Nov. 9.-An apDreciable
part of our furniture this winter is fetched
from the bric-a-brac dealers, and the more
closely one of these establishments succeeds
in modelling itself after the time-worn and
worm-eauen counters of those dingy but
fascinating shops in the side streets OF for
eign cities, where the tourist feasts her eyes
on musty treasures, the more likely will the
fashionable woman be to appreciate the
brass candlesticks and salvers, the vases
and old fancy oil lamps, the ivory minia-
lures of ancient court danes, the sweet lit
tie bonbonnieres in pink enamel and pearls,
the aged and worn Mephistopheles and
Marguerite in bronze, the etchings, water
coiors and prints of bygone times, the
broken legged tables and dilapidated chairs
| which it contains.
1t was in q place of this order that Mrs.
| Cleveland obtained the small mahogany
| table from which she served tea to group
of half dozen inmates one rather dreary
| afternoon, a week or so ago. The adjective
| small is not justified in comparison with
| the tiny stands, like dolls tables, with their
| daintily embroidered cloths, which so many
hostesses have been using for year or two.
| Mrs. Cleveland's table was simply small
| for q full hight old-fashioned table, for it
dated back at least a century, and had the
square tapering legs and the simple curves
which belong to the Sheraton school. 1t
was polished also to tn 1t degree of bright
ness of which most women who inherited
or purchased mahogany have failed to ac-
quire the secret with the heirloom. One
could see ones face in it, and reflect that
the mirror-like surface committed its mis-
tress rather to the English than the Louis
Seize taste in the classical revival.
Mahogany is probably the wood at present
for those whose pocketbooks are plethoric,
and many a woman would have, if her ship
were only sighted approaching harbor, q
tea room finished like the one in Mrs. Hicks
Lords Washington square mansion, en-
tirely in that wood, which also frames every
article of furniture. The wainscoat is
paneled high and over the hearths tone
swings the tea kettle from a brass crane,
the small pictures in oil. covering the walls
heads Of historic beauties and braves
and the sparkle of cut glass with the gas
light falling on it, making with the rich,
dark, shining wood a picture brilliant and
attractive.
The proper thing this winter for hostess
who plans to have afternoons and to en-
terrain more than very few people at a
time is to beg, borrow, buy or have given
to her NEST" OF tables. At an afternoon
tea given in honor of Winnie Davis, the
daughter of the confederate chieftain, at a
very swell house fortnight ago, the table
| nest when drawn apart proved to consist of
four small gilded stands OF sizes 80 gradu-
| ated that the youngest, 80 to speak, was
aaf oh fa cto fha -
| number three, number two covering both
and the mother table brooding the entire
| family beneath its wings. These tables
| were all Louis Seize reproductions, simply
rectangular in shape, gilded and FURNISHED
and painted with shepherdesses leaning
pensively over brooks, courtiers dancing
attendance on pink and white ladies who
toy with fans, etc. each table top signed by
a French artist of repute, whose name lent
it additional value.
If one cannot compass these, the next
best thing Is to possess ones soul with pa
thence and ones parlor with plenty of coca
sional' tables, for we have definitely
adopted the Oscar Wildeism and allow our
tables pretty generally to occur" Birds
eye maple is good material and the decor
alton Is in the modern French painted
style.
Next to tables the woman of 1889 sets her
heart on the ottomaps. The foot cushions
which kicked about our half-lighted par
lors all last winter for careless men to trip
over have entirely disappeared, and in their
room we have unusually large and eiabor-
ately upholstered ottomans. Heavy gilt is
| replacing last seasons white and gold, aud
for upholstery materials there are Gohelin
tapestries in the Louis Quatorze tastes and
heavy lampas, brocades and brocatelles In
| light colors, with scroll or flower designs,
in the manner of Louis XIV.
The hostess who knows her business is
careful what use she makes Of the divan.
Many women have fallen into the way of
| placing these convenient bits of sumptuous-
ness in the middle of the room, Just where
the old-fashioned center tables used to stand
| under the chandelier. This may be allow
able in an imposing and stately drawing
room, where the floor space needs some
thing to break it, but If you happen to be
spending an evening in such an apartment
never let your dearest enemy tempt you to
| seat yourself on such q divan. The light
from overhead has a curious effect in deep
ening lines in the countenance, making IL
look like 26 and 80 like AZ.
| The modern girl, when she retires from
the madding crowd to commune with her
| own ideas. Is apt to retreat to den that
has been arranged according to her special
tastes and in whose furnishing oftentimes
she displays signal ability in dispoSing of
| SiSub On bue SOVeTuInouI. Inc Spe-
cial feature of we'll fitted den this winter
is quite apt TO be toilet set of three pieces
In tanciful rocco curves. A yellow haired
| young woman, whose name there is no use
in giving but who belongs to that much en-
WED clan, American girls of the leisure
class, has beautiful little boudoir fitted in
blue and gold. The walls are hung in pale
blue silks sprinkled with rose petals,
and there are special pieces of fur
niture in ormolu inlaid with Sevres
plaques, mantel with a pair of
Dresden china candlesticks, a little clock
in o:molu and dainty Accomplishments too
many to describe Adjoining this room is
dressing room, and here she Tits her
blonde head and pensively droops her
snowy lids before a dressing table, the
wood of which is entirely covered with
blue and white satin, with jewels of crystal
glass set into the frame at intervals. On
the table stands large plate glass mirror
and the brushes and combs in repousse
silver, the perfumed waters and delicate
lotions that go to make up a
fashionable girls paraphernalia stand
beneath a Enthusiastically shaped blue
satin canopy. A chair and a second and
smaller side table corresponding max eup
the complete service Of this shrine to the
graces and vanities
The fair maid who is more literary than
frivolous win have an old-fashioned mahog-
any writing desk Uttered with heaps of