Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04
ATTRACTIVE HOMES.
Houses in Washington More Easy to
Decorate Than Those Elsewhere.
PRETTY CORN EFFECTS.
How Room May BE Arranged So That Its
Narrowness May Not Be Apparent-A Young
Girls Cheap But Tasteful Economixing of
Space.
Written for The Evening Star
LIVERY HOUSEKEEPER LIVING INV

lation, among them being the cleanliness and
freedom from smoke and consequent possibility
Of dainty surroundings, and also the irregular
ity in architecture. So much scope is given fol
pretty house arrangements in the buildings
themselves that not half the skill and ingenuity
is required to get good effects as in cities where
uniformity in houses is the rule and monotony
| IN the shape Of rooms to be everywhere en-
| countered and overcome. We read much OF
| the clever devices for breaking up this monot-
| ony, especially in the long narrow parlor OF
pariors which are the special affection of house
mistress. Corner effects have been the resource
for some time past in effecting this purpose,
and many rooms are quite transformed for the
better by some such management. Generally
corner seats or divans have been the arrange
ment, but there are other pretty ways of re-
lieving a stiff effect by making a corner differ
ent from the rest of the room. Every one has
some pretty table or chair or picture or statu-
cite which may appropriately be brought into
| more prominence than the rest Of the drawing
| room and SO be the foundation for distinc tive
corner" Several objects Of this kind may be
grouped in a corner, and then by graceful
| from the rest Of the room be obtained. to its
great advantage.
TASTEFUL CORNER EFFECTS.
II room is small q small corner may be cut
off and an easy way to effect this is by cur
tain rod fastened across so as to make the third
side of triangle with the walls. From this
| may be hung, Topped or draped irregularly, a
curtain, q strip OF silk crepe or anything that
Grapes well and suits the room in color. For a
| small room something almost diaphanous
| would be prettiest, while in larger apartment
something hanging in heavier folds would be
handsomer. The hanging Of whatever nature
is made to give something Of a canopy effect
and corner cabinet, table or whatever is
chosen is set as closely in the corner as posi-
| floor space often that even a small corner
divan would, and that is an object in a small
room.
In such corner pictures might be hung
lower than in the rest of the room or they
might be omitted entirely and a differen: treat
ment altogether given that wall space.
1t would be pretty. for instance, to fit up Q
china corner with a small corner cabinet
filled with odd pieces and also setting on the
top and with plates on the wall instead of pic
lures An entirely different but harmonizing
color from the rest Of the room could be
chosen, too, if one liked. Ii one had a specially
choice set of plates or of cups and saucers here
would be suitable place to enshrine them.
HOW TO ECONOMIC SPACE.
young girl with small room put together
several plans of which she had heard or read
for economizing space, and the result was very
good. An ordinary cot bed was made to look
very attractive by covering with colOred spread
hanging to the floor and with square pillow at
the head with wide ruilie all round. The spread
was made In the same way with a deep hOunce
or valance, the material being cotton pongee
with white ground and violets scattered Overt
This pongee is such SOFT fine goods that the
price. 10 cents a yard, seems very low for it,
and while 1t comes for dress goods in this violet
and some other designs, it is equally good for
draperies. 1t has dressing, and while it
hangs in as soft folds silkoline it is q little
thicker. The violet being q favorite flower
with the young girl aforesaid this caught her
fancy at once, with the soft purplish tones in
the flowers, and she decided upon this unusual
color for a room.
In one corner she fitted up an odd dressing
table OF which she had read in an English
magazine She bought a pine students easel
| and painted it white, the very plain surface
making this an easy task. This she set in the
corner and on the cross piece, In place of a
picture, she put mirror, whose frame she had
also treated with white paint. The cross piece
was set higher than for picture, SO the mirror
was at the height it would be hung over a
| small table. Under the mirror a three-cor-
nered table was set, fitting close into the cor
| ner, the frame made of pine by a carpenter
and draped with the pongee. On this were set
| all the conveniences for the toilet and a scarf
OF pongee draped on the easel top above the
mirror and tied with violet ribbon finished that
very prettily.
THE WINDOW AND CHIMNEY SHELF
The one window was hung with curtain of
the pongec, with wide frills on each side, rufie
heading a: the top, and Iooped back high up
with viole. ribbon. The little wooden shelf on
the chimney was covered with pongee and
valance as deep as that On the bed frilled
around. The walls had a paper on them Of
bun. almost fawn-a color that harmonizes
specially well with violet-in two tones The
uOpr ted abont the M nod H.
house was old and the floors not finished to be
used bare. The rugs used were a white goat
skin and q sheepskin colored brownish buff.
corner table was also fitted and draped for a
washstand opposite the dressing table the toilet
| set being white with gold bands.
The simple pictures, mostly in black and
white, had white and gold frames. The hang
ing book shelves, painted white, contained the
small library of the young occupant OF the
room. very small closet opened out of this
room, SO one Of the convenient long boxes was
made for holding DIRE SEES, but there was no
place for 1t to BIT in the room it was kept under
| the bed. and by means Of casters aud handles
| could be drawn out easily enough when the
dresses were needed, which were worn COM
paratively seldom. The overhanging spread
! Of course concealed the box entirely.
For sleeping, q small bolster was used which
was covered in the day time by the spread
drawn up over it, while the square ruffled pill
low lase was of the pongee and the pillow was
i
were Of wicker painted white. one q rocker and
the other with n low seat and high back. These
both had cushions of dull violet velvet, tied on
with brighter colored ribbons.
The two draped tables, as well as the bed
were made to do duty as places Of concealment
for receptacles for clothing, good-sixed boxes
being kept in both places, enc as shoe box and
one for underclothing.
OF course many girlish knick knacks were
scattered about, which added graceful touch
to the simple little room, and having to keep
everything in its place. and the little cabin of a
room ship shape" was an excellent lesson in
orderliness every day.
DRAWING ROOM FURNITURE.
From many quarters come the whispers Of
complete change in the arrangement of draw
ing room furniture. Instead of the picturesque
confusion which has been the object hitherto
| representations are to the effect of studied
| plainness. As colonial fashions in architecture
| are prevailing Just now TO great extent, SO the
| interiors Of such houses will have the chairs
| and tables, stools and candlesticks set back
against the wall in prim array. Ornaments
will disappear in some degree in such rooms
and it will be more difficult to tell whether
mistress maid has given the finishing touch
| to the arrangement than hitherto
With furniture set straight back to the wall
| chair rails will be in order for protection. and
TO many this is also an attractive addition,
| even to a drawing room. rail NAV be
widened il desirable into the Selma shelf of
the English where choice bits may be displayed
which have in such profuson filed tables and
mantels.