The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-08
ART AT THE MANSION.
PLANS FOR BEAUTIFYlNG TIE
WHITE HOUSE INTERIOR.

Over $4,000 to be Expended-The
Blue Room Will be Made Exception
ally Handsome, and a Picturesque
Tile Floor is to be Laid on the South
ern Portico-A Generel Renovation.
Now that the President has joined the
other members of the executive household
at Cresson, says the Washington Post, for a
few weeks Of needed rest, the extensive re-
pairs which have long been contemplated
at the white house, and which have been in
progress for a short time, will be pushed 20
completion as rapidly as possible. The ex-
ecutve mansion has already undergone a
thorough renovation from cellar to garnet,
and when the repairs, now in progress and
to be commenced, are completed the estab-
lishment will be in better shape than it ever
has been in its history. The repairs which
are being made will cost about s13, 5000, not
including the 500 incandescent lights which
are also TO be put in.
The plans for these much needed improve
ments were prepared in accordance with
suggestions of Mrs. Harrison, and are being
carried out as rapidly as possible under the
direction OF Col. o. II. Ernst, superintend-
ent of public buildings and grounds. The
work commenced some time ago in the
kitchen of the mansion, located in the west
basement, and that department is about
completed. There are in fact two kitchens
joining each other, one a large room with a
very large range, which occupies almost
one entire side. This is only used on occa-
slons when large numbers are entertained
The family kitchen, with a much smaller
cooking plant adjoins the larger on the
west, occupying the basement room in the
- h,,iII
MThesrepairs here consist principally in a
new tile floor of good design, and a
wainscoting five feet high of snowy white
imported tile This tile is verified, and is
absolutely impervious to dirt and grease of
every description. The White House culin-
airy department has not escaped the roach
pest altogether aud in fact these impudent
little insects have been quite an annoyance
there. The new thing will put stop to
them. All the old woodwork, except the
shelving, has been torn out, and every spot
about the two rooms have been painted and
| freshened up.
The south portico opening out of the
| Blue Room is also being beautiied with a
| new tile floor, which takes the place of the
ancient sandstone which has long been
rough and unsightly. Men are now en-
gagged in cutting the stone floor down to
make room for the thing. This part OF the
| work is being done by an encastic tile COM
| pany of Anderson, Ind, who propose to put
| down oae of the finest and most artistic
| pieces of floor to be seen in the country.
| The central figure in the floor will be the
| national coat of arms in blocks of red,
white and blue The work is the style
| known to tile men as Roman mosaic. y
| differing very materially from the genuine
| oldimosaic. The main body or background
| of this floor is in white and salmon blocks.
| They expect to have it completed in about
| three weeks.
One of the most important improvements
to be made will be inlthe Blue Room the
walls of which are to be most artistically
| finished The plans for this part Of the
work were prepared by E. S. Georgoson
and William H. Post of Hartford, Conn,
the artists who decorated the famous
| lemon rooms at the Shoreham. The plans
were prepared in accordance with the ideas
or Mira. Harrison, and the contract for the
work mas been given to the artists named.
| The work is TO be in three shades Of the
| traditional blue.
The design calls for deep frieze, extend
ing from the ceiling to the window tops, in
fine figured work in relief, and for high
wainscoting, also of raised work of a similar
| character. The main body of the walls,
| from the frieze to the wainscoting, is to be
Of rich American silk, figured to CORE
spond to the work in relief above and
below. The new silk curtains will hang
from window tops of carved wood and
exquisite ilagree work. The Blue Room
walls have not been touched, except to keep
them clean, since Tiffany & Co. of New
York decorated them during the admins
tration of President Arthur
The furniture of this famous r ON is also
to have new covering of plush in three
shades of blue beautifully wrought and en-
riched in brocade work of silk and gold
The new carpet has been selected aud is a
handsome new Wilton. The ceiling will
also be decorated by the Hartford firm, the
| design being in relief to match the frieze
and wainscoting. The designs for the work
are at the Office of Col. Ernst. They are in
| the exact colors of which the room is to be
| finished, aud from them it can be seen that
the effect will he very fine
Later in the season the historical old east
, room is to have fine new carpet and
elegant new curtains, neither of which has
as yet been selected. A number of other
| rooms. including the private dining room
and four bedrooms are being rebapered
| The ceiling of the second Dor corridor is
| also to be painted, and the walls, including
those of the stairway will be repapered.
The small ushers rooms, just off the front
| entrance, which has not been repaired since
the administration of President Grant, will
be refinished throughout.
| These are many other improvements on
| the interior of the executive mansion are
being made this year, and many plans for
its betterment would be made had congress
been little more liberal in the appropria-
| tion for this purpose.
The outide of the building, which has
not been painted for four years, also comes
in for two coats of white lead, which has to
| be laid on Immediately.
| 1t is not expected that all the work con-
templated can be carried out before the
arrival of the President and family from
| Cress)n though all of the private apart
meats will be ready for occupancy by that
| time.
| AT present the state dining room is being
used as a wareroom, aud is stored full of
| furniture and carpets, and the house shows
more or less disorder everywhere.