The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-13
CIRCLE OF THE HOME.
Genuine Novelties in Rug and
Carpet Patterns.
DECORATION or THE FLOOR.
Home-Made Rugs Preferable to Ma
chine afanufactured-A Fancy
Tray Cloth.

Never have there been 50 many genuine
novelties in rug and carpet patterns IS
there are this season, and il is doubtful if
the manufacturers ever sent TO market so
much in this line that was so genuinely
artistic and beautiful For one who loves
interior decoration and who takes delight
In covering the door with the most beauti-
full rugs and carpets the display in the
windows and on the counters of the many
lovely things strongly tempt one to break
the tenth commandment. One now
treads over carpet so soft and thick, with
such magnificent artistic effects, that it
would be an easy matter to imagine that
an unreal, unsubstantial. shadowy world
OF beauty had suddenly opened before her.
The softness Of the material. and the har-
mony of design and warmth of color, give
one an unaccountable longing to forget
all dignity and to roll and frolic upon the
carpet as In days Of old we tumbled
about in innocent enjoyment on the
fields of emeral green grass. The hand
some rugs and carpets seem too good to
tread upon, and one has strong impress
sion every time the foot is put down that
some costly product of art is being ruined.
There is little gasp of surprise as we step
into the parlor, and we only recover our
selves when we find out that after all it is
only carpet we are treading on, and that it
was intended for the feet as well as for the
eyes.
We no longer cover every part of the
rooms with carpets if we are to be in style,
bu: use rugs and parquet flooring in all the
corners and inches where the square or
rectangular piece of carpet cannot reach.
What a saving this Is, too, over the old
fashioned style. Then handsome piece
of carpet was cut and ruined to fit the
floor, and every time one moved it had TO
be cut and fitted again until it was piece
of patchwork. Two sides of the carpet
then, at least, had to be notched and
chopped about in order to fit IN the various
reeesses caused by Windows and the pro-
lection of the chimney breast. This was q
very modern fashion, hut an essentially
vicious one. and We may feel thankful that
It has become obsolete, never, We hope, to
be revived again.
No one wants the carpet to follow every
line of tile room rs if it had grown upon
the floor and was inseparably connected
with it. 1t is pleasant TO feel that the
floor can assert its independence In the
corners. or some handsome imported rugs
may offset any monotony in the floor dec
Grafton. Parquetry floors are now sup
piled at price which is scarcely greater
per superficial foot than that paid for good
Brussels carpet. Beautiful inlaid wood
work in the corners is infinitely more ar
tistic and interesting than that covered by
patchwork carpet. The neatest thing in
carpeting is to have perfect square or
rectangular carpet, and then all spaces not
p<1 l,f~ h
partly concealed from view by rugs The
most effective way Is to have the wood
work inlaid and then q beautiful mat
made TO cover only part of the floor
The contrast is .hen beautiful.
Another method of covering the floor is
to have the woodwork Of the whole floor
rectangular rug spread over it. Small COR
ners than can be left bare or be covered
with smaller rugs. A large imported rug
of this size would probably be more ex-
pensive than similar piece of carpet, but
in the end it would be cheaper. They last
for years and seldom wear orN. and if the
right size is purchased they viii nit almost
any floor, with the additional use of few
small rugs. Rugs are by all means the
best carpeting, for they also have the adj
vantage of being taken up easily and put
down again.
Imported rugs are of course the most ex-
pensive, and hence the most fashionable.
The fabrics of Persia, Turkey and India
have long been famous for the graceful
harmony with which their colors are
blended; but upon careful examination it
will be found that, beyond general uni
formity of purpose which is preserved in
the design, the whole system of their orna-
ment is absolutely careless. 1t is this APP
parent carelessness which constitutes the
chief charm of their rugs and carpets.
There is no disputing the fact then that
their rugs are handmade, for no machin-
cry could make such irregular work An
old and good specimen of an Eastern car
pet will have border on the right in
which the stripes are twice as broad as
those on the left. There will probably be
thirteen queer-looking conventional dow-
ers at one end of the room. and only twelve
in the opposite. In other designs the zig
gag line will end in q circle in one corner,
in dot at another, and in square at the
third. These irregularities of design and
finish are In the true spirit of artistic con-
ception, and they are more valuable than
the exactly-pianned designs of the ma
chine-made carpets and rugs.
Our Western designs in carpets and rugs
are mathematlcaliy correct, and If one
figure is found in a certain corner another
similar one will be in the other three. The
humhiest type of Turkey carpet, or the
cheapest rug from Scinde or Smyrna will
thus afford more lasting pleasure than the
limitations. The vigor and independence
of the original are utterly lost in the copy
if line for line and spot for spot are planned
and studied with accuracy throughout.
The handmade rugs and carpets are thus
always more valuable because they show
more freedom in design and execution.
All Oriental work is excellent, except
where European influences have changed
the whole tenor of the work. Some, how
ever, are remarkable for their oyer-brill-
fancy of color, and these should be avoided
Oriental dyes of this nature are often
ruinous TO the fabric and the brilliant
coiors are seldom harmonious with the
rest Of the furniture. In the Scinde rugs
the crimson used is very destructive to the
material, and these parts will always wear
ont long before the others. The duh In
dian red is very enduring, and more likely
TO harmonic with the rest of the decora-
tons.
The carpets and rugs should have a pre-
vailing tint which will contrast and not
sprawling patterns are not fashionable,
in color they are utterly destructive of ef-
feet TO the furniture which is placed upon
them. The conventional patterns of the
Indian and Turkish weavers or the Ameri-
can limitations of them should be pre-
ferred TO any gaudy collection of flower
patterns or scenes of tropical iuxuriance.