Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-10-17
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
Discrimination Necessary Between
Good and Poor Decorative Ideas.
ARTISTIC SUGGESTIONS.
Practibility and Tasteful Results should Al.
ways He Considered In Arranging for House.
furnishings or Dscerations-Two Pretty
Couchss-Curtajn Drapsries.
Written for The Evening Star.

IF ONES ATTENTION Is CALLED TO
l. the subject Of house furnishing and
decorating il is soon forced upon ono that
| any amount Of trash is written upon these
| same subjects, and unless the persons for
| whose enlightenment such ideas are pro-
| mulgated are wary they will be led into
| following advice which will leave them far
| away from what they want. II takes a con-
siderable amount OF good taste In the supposed
beneAciaries to discriminate between the good
| and poor ideas which ill the papers and maya
zines on every hand.
1t seems all but incredible to think that some
Of the matter finds a Judgement, which is all
the time appearing in the guise Of advice and
suggestions under the heading Of 'artistic
IDEAS" No wonder that the people who need
such guidance from their very lack in the mat
| ter often choose the bad and deliberately ad-
| mire what good taste Ends atrocious. So among
all the. benefit Of widely circulating ideas one
should study what to avoid. either from i'm
practicability or lack Of tasteful results when
| their labors are ended.
TWO PRETTY coUcHEs.
1havs seen two pretty touches lately. which,
| II of home manufacture, did great credit to
their projectors, and il not may well serve al
models for such from their simplicity of con-
struction and tasteful combination of good
looks and comfort.
seemed, and certainly q box could be used for
either.
One was covered with golden brown velours,
servlceable, inexpensive and pretty. The couch
was SCI In q niche between the end wall and man.
tel of the room, the end nearest the mantel CON-
ing out beyond it for some distance, as the couch
| was deeper than the chimney. As much OF the
| sides OF the box as showed--I could judge of no
more-was covered plainly with the velours
fastened at top and bottom OF each side with
big brass-hesded nails with the so-cailed ''oid''
| finish; these were round and plain, nothing
| fancy in shape at I'LL
The velours came we'll up over the edge on
the top, concealing the front edge. A tufted
| mattress covered with velours was simply laid
| on the top, and the wealth of pillows which is
every honsekeeper's desire nowadays. were lux
uriously piled about. A mandolin was hung
by its ribbon on the wall above, a banjo re-
posed among the cushions and the little nook
next tho open fire was very coy on the chilly
| day happened to see it.
DIFFERENT ARRANaENENr.
The second couch was similarly gotten up, az
far as the fat covering Of the box sides went,
but, instead OF a separate mattress for the seat,
the top of the box was stuffed. with curled hair.
presumably the cover drawn tightly over and
| fastened under the side covering, a rather wide
gimp at top and bottom Of the sides being the
| finish instead OF brass nails, gimp tacks making
II secure.
Tho covering Of this second couch was of
French cretonne Of soft, dull tapestry coioring
and design and the pillows were nearly ali
PLAIN, in some OF the tones OF tae cretonne
two, however. being covered with the cretonne
itself. Both these piaiu-sided couches are
rather newer than the draped ones or those
with the plated valances. and where economy
Is an object considerably less goods is needed
for this style than the others. quantity OF
pillows seems an extravaganza to some people,
but II the couch il gotten up as inexpensiyely
as these may be that have described some-
thing may be saved, probably, to be invested in
affair Down may be used for a few, with
feathers for the well-stuffed ones which give
solidity to the back.
roRrIERs RODS.
One Of the novelties which have as yet seen
only in the shops, not in use, is the swinging,
| craue-like rod to be put on door frames, and
from which the porticre is suspended. instead
OF being fastened to the frame. These come in
white, with brass rings and trimmings, and
PROBABLY darker wood as WELL They have
some curves and scrolls Ornamentation. They
swing back and forth aud are fastened at one
end only, SO they can be adjusted at any angle
desired. have seen pictures of these in use
one across . rather narrow stairway, with nor.
there Topped high to allow passing up and
with the wall at the foot Of couch.
where the head came in o corner, thus
improvising niche. Another picture has at
each end of the mantel rod set out straight.
with chain from the outer end to tine nantel
again, much higher up. Curtains fall from
these rods to the floor, making an ingls nook,
but the chains give drawbridge effect to one,
and the mantel would look better il they were
dispensed with.
CURTAIN DRApERY.
Among many designs for curtain over
drapery there 10 one simple one which might
look very pretty over frilled muslin curtains
To use with cream white curtains deep ecru
silk drapery would look we'll This is q long
scarf In shape, with rufle OF the silk three
inches deep on the lower edge and across the
ends. The scarf is caught up in the middle to
the center of the rod which supports the mus
lin curtains with either q rosette of ribbon, q
cord and tassels or simple band Of the silk; it
u then allowed TO droop on each side in grace
full festoOn, showing the rod and little OF the
under curtains above the curves. At each end
the silk Is caught up again and over the end of
the rod and then let to fall for half or three
quarters OF q yard, the ruffe making q pretty
finish.
ANY COLOR THAT SUITS.
This silk may be in any color which best suits
the room where 1t is arranged, the rufie look
ing better on the lower edge than . fringe, for
instance, and the silk being delicate color so
as not to be too pronounced In contrast to the
nnll curtains below. In room where cretonne
in delicate coloriug is used, and yet white cur
tains are preferred, this would be q good
way to introduce little Of it at the
windows, thus bringing them into har.
mony with the rest Of the room
In this case, however, . cotton fringe Of plain
cream color or OF varied coiors to correspond
with the cretonne would be the best finish.
cretonne being too clumsy to rufiie. Similar
scarf drapery over the bed, forming canopy, or
simply ring IN the ceiling, or bar from the
side wall, would be pretty also. where the bed
spread Is OF the cretonne. All OF this carried
out in silkoline would be dainty attractive,
also at little cost.
AN ARTurIcALLY ARRANGED TABLE.
In certain handsome drawing room there Ia
round table OF good size, covered with large
spread OF brocade which nearly falls to the
door and 10 finished with Nanon tufsed fringe:
on the top 10 nothing but photographs in easel
frames. set rather closely together Some of
the frames are silver, two gold. several carved
wood and q few white ones. The pictures are
nearly all cabinet size. and very lovely many
OF them are, while few celebresies
are mingled with those Whose good looks
are their principal claims to distinction. 1t is
an interesting table TO look at and rather q dif-
ferent arrangement from the ordinary varied
collection OF articles which usually adorn draw
ing room tables.
HANDSOME TABLE COVERS.
Brocaded sflk pf furniture ouslitv msles varv