Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-25

passaDIe substitute for the desirable Turkey
rug. Of which there can never be too many in a
pretty home.
WHAT IS NEW FOR THE HOUSE.
Some Hints as to Things to Buy in the
Way of Furnishings.
THE TENDENCY IN WALL PAPERS rs TOWARD
GREEN AND YELLOW EFFECrs-How PoRrIEREs
SHOULD BE HUNa-FRENcH PARLoR FURNITURE
THE FAsHIoN-wHAT SORT OF CARPETS TO GET
"a Els, THERE Is plenty that is new for
W. the coming season in the way of furnish
ia EMings for Washington households" said a
~ dealer in upholstery and furniture to a
MlhN@,rAR writer yesterday. People here in
this town are less disposed. for some reason,
to take up novelties than in most other cities,
and are apt to be about a year behind the
latest fashions. For example. there is very
little chance of our being able to successfully
introduce this winter the newest styles in
wall papers, which very decided green's
and yeLows. But we offer whatever is fresh
est and shall recommend, if asked, what is
really the proper thing in frezes. which ought
to be given what We call the 'one-third treat
ment'-that is to say, they should cover third
OF the wall. Dados, of course. have almost
entirely gone out. Correct wall papers have
many floral designs. particularly roses, but are
all IN very suDdued tints as to figuring.
INDIVIDUAL TASTE.
I'VE people who furnish houses do not have
as much power to control and direct popular
taste as we had some years ago. Then custom
ers would come to us without any very definite
ideas usually as TO what they wanted and ex-
pect us to decide for them. But now it is dIf-
ferent Education in matters of beauty has
become widespread, and nearly every one has
ideas of his or her own about fur
nishing. No longer do we make sug-
gestions unless we requested. Neces-
sarily there are many persons who are
gifted by nature with bad TASTE and in them
esthetic perception cannot be developed by
any amount of cultivation. It is ordinarily
conceived that an individual who has bad taste
simply does not know how to appreciate the
difference between II pretty thing and an ugly
one; but l contend, judging from my own
observation, that an individual will
INVARIABLY SELECT THE UGLY
in preference to the pretty, imagining it to be
the more beautiful. You will hear 1t often
said that there are all sorts of tastes, implying
that beauty differs according to the observer;
but assert that beauty is an absolute quality
A thing has certain degree of beauty or ugli-
ness absolutely and without relation to the
impression 1t produces upon any persons eye
Those who have good taste are able to perceive
the beauty inherent in the object, while those
who have bad taste are not able to see it-that
is all The funny thing seems to be that the
latter should, as | have said, prefer the ugly
things 80 invariably.
I'm PORTIEREs AND CURTAINS
we do no more than offer whatever il best and
newest and let our patrons choose; as . rule
they do it with discretion. Satins, velours
damasks and brOcatsles are the proper
materials at present. Brocstelles are what we
sell most of and they gre very beautiful, going
up AS high as $50 yard. Nowadays people
are SO fond of having special designs in hang
lngs made for themselves that we
keep five designers constantly at work
turning out curtains and portieres
to order: Portierss should not be
hung any longer from poles between the sides
OF door, The pole ought to be above the
woodwork over the door, the hanging conceal
ing the architraves. If the portiere is intended
to merely separate one room from another it
must hang straight and have NO drapery what
ever; but II 1t IL meant for ornamental pur-
poses, it must be looped up ut each side and
overhung at the top with . drapery. The
Japanese portieres Of reeds, which are so pleas
ing to the eye, are becoming steadily more
popular. Before long, however, they will be
overdone and will go out
FRENCH FURNITURE.
"For drawing room chairs and sofas French
designs are in greater favor than ever. Some
of this sort Of furniture is imported, but most
OF it is now made i'll this country. In France
they understand somewhat better the art of
putting on gliding that keeps its fresh
ness. Three styles. which are simply differ
ences in curves and outlines, are in vogue
the Louis Trieze,' the Louis Quatorze
and the Louis Ounce Damask and silk
tapestries are the materials chosen for uphols-
tering. For other furniture than French over
stuf1ing il best, the framework being cush-
ioned A remarkably good imitation Of the
famous Verni- Martin finish is the latest thing
for parlor tables, etageres and 80 forth. Only
one factory in this country is able to produce
the counterfeit of this exquisite effect OF
sprinkled sold dust in polished wood surface,
with hand painted figures.
OAK FINISH.
"By the way, the sixteenth century oak du-
ish, which has been having such popular run,
is still correct in such light goods as chairs and
desks. but II Is growing passe in bed room
and dining room furniture. So far as the latter
is concerned English oak is taking its place.
What we call finish, you know is the prepara-
ton of wood SO to make it look different
from what it is naturally. The object in view
may be to make 1t seem old, to resemble some
other wood or simply to render it prettier. In
preparing q piece of wood in such . way, q
mixture called filler is first rubbed
thoroughly into the grain. Being composed
largely OF wax or some such material, the
mixture
FILLS Up THE GRAIN
OF the wood and by making it darker renders il
more perceptlble. Then shellac is put on and
sand paper is applied After the sand paper
comes q coat Of varnish and next a rubbing
down with oil and pumice. Four coats of var
nish, with rubbing down after each coat, are
used for high priced furniture. Antique oak is
finish that has come to stay and natural ma
hogany is going to be very popular. Furniture
for the bed room and the dining room is going
to be more simple, without so much carving.
The place of the carving will be taken to some
extent by oxidized brass mOuntings
Administer carpets are the swell thing for
those who can afford them. Plain colors in
Wilton's are most correct for halls In rugs
the newest and most beautiful things are in
Algerian mohair, the middle part uncut and
the borders cut You can see for yourself that
they are particularly lovely in such shades az
terra Gotta, Nile green and old rose. should
mention that fret and grill work for the upper
part OF doors where ceilings are high enough is
very much in fashion a. well a. most deo-
orative."
Littleton's Hard Lot.
From the Boston Transcript
"when Littieton courted Miss L. he used to