The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-07-05
IDEAS IN DECORATIONS.
One Central Idea Must Governif Room
is to Look Well.

One Central Idea Must Govern IL "A Room
is to Look Well.
Pittsburg Dispatch.
1t is gratifying to observe that day by day
greater public interest is manifest in the
subject of household decoration. It's pity,
however that this interest is not more logical
and does not consider more the motive and
less the temporary beauty. Many a woman
to-day is signing for white washed walls, pine
tables and few rugs only for the floor, simply
because in her aimless groupings for the
artistic she has made junk shop OF her
rooms, and accumulated labor that seems
endless for tired hands. 1t is pity that some
voice cannot go forth like a thunderbolt and
warn folks to have definite object In view
when "house furnishing"
Oscar Wild made himself the butt and
ridicule OF the entire press Of this country
when he said, about IL years ago. that his
highest ambition in life was to ''live up to
the sunfower;" but the idea was full of
sense If, in furnishing, one would take
only simple flower and build up the sur
roundings from its color combination one
would make no mistake, fornature is infal
Ible in her colorings The great trouble,
though is that woman's head is filled up
with lot of details, and by the time she
has adopted few dozen Suggestions" and
picked up some pretty cushions and 'lovely
scrap baskets" and delightful easels" and
"bric-a-brac'' she has got a room that is
hodge-podge and terror to the average serv-
ant. In every apartment one motive should
rule-repose, recreation, beauty or cheerful
ness. These are prime integral qualities
which should govern a room, and with the
upfritn nhiapf nf on rtm In vic
the furnisher should unequivocally 'live up
to it.n
A European novelty in lace curtains is
blue applique design on a black net. The
centre is cleverly ornamented by tropical
scenes. Another novelty in lace curtains is a
black net appliqued with bronze designs with
the centre piece POLITICALLY depicting the four
seasons. In cheap Nottingham curtains much
better designs are being brought out, being
done in small, nice effects and in close imita-
tion of Brussels patterns. What is termed
CaneVas is French canvas centre, new
feature in medium grade Irish points. They
are made exactly like the original, very ex-
pensive goods, that are entirely of one piece.
Novelties in Irish points show working of
the pattern in close loop-stitching, instead Of
in the usual way of applying the design in
plain material. An attractive feature in plain
Brussels curtains is the Introduction of little
fine dots running over the face. A new tint
in lace curtains is called tthe Panama. be-
ing the same shade as that of the Panama hat,
between a cream and ivory.
There is ANOTHER craze which is hovering
over us.-and that's furniture painting. 1t
has made it's way into the art stores, where
women buy their china outfits and that sort of
thing, where enamel paints appeared fully
two years before they struck the furniture
and upholstery trade proper. The craze for
some time prevailed in England, and we will
undoubtedly be but a short time free of it.
The wood is selected in the plain, and is in
screens, over-mantels, cabinets, bookcases,
cupboards, corner brackets, hat-rails and
articles of light ware, and the idea is to paint
them in frivolous styles or apply to them
poker work, gesso work or other decorations.
The use Of the old-time curtain-pole has be-
come so tiresome that manufacturers are now
offering a combination of fretwork grille,
which fits into the top of the doorway or
window easement: at the bottom of 1t is a
shelf, beneath which comes the pole. The
fretwork is of itself handsome decoration,
and beneath 1t the shelf gives opportunity for
pleasing arrangement of-bric- -a-brac