The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-07-08
WALL PAPE RS.
Valuable Points about the Interior
Decoration of your House.
New York Tribune

New York Tribune
There is no excuse at present for the
use of a gaudy, ugly wallpaper. Excel
lent, tasteful designs can be found at a
low price. Do not attempt niggard
economy in this matter. Few rooms re-
quire more than ten rolls of paper, many
much less; and there is often only the
difference of five or ten cents on roll
in the price Of a pretty or a cheap, ugly
pattern. A beautiful paper for ordinary
use can be purchased at twenty-five
cents a roll, and if properly cared for
will last many years. The laborer who
hangs it should not charge over ten or
twelve cents roll. It is the fancy Of
the hour to use wide border or frieze,
varying from eighteen inches to twenty.
two in width, and usually wide enough
to cover the space from the tops of the
doors and windows to the ceiling. This
frieze is usually separated from the main
body Of the paper by narrow picture
molding.
This molding costs about eight or ten
cents a foot, put up. The paperhanger
can do it, and it is much better to let
him, as the carpenter, though he may do
it as well, may not be so careful not to
injure the new paper in the process. An
amateur could probably learn easily to
put up this molding. 1t is put up with
brads, but care must be taken not to
nick or scratch it in putting it up, as it
is already finished in gilt or natural
wood stain. When purchased already
finished the picture molding costs much
less than when the carpenter makes it,
and finishes it on the wall, as is some
times done.
A picture molding properly put up
will last as long as the house. In par
Tors, where delicate pictures in black and
white or water colors will be hung, a
white and gold paper is desirable, but in
simpler parlor cartridge paper will
probably give more satisfaction. Choose
one in brownish terra Gotta, robins
egg blue or silvery Divine gray, and
have the frieze above it Of a lighter tint,
stenciled off with pattern in black OF
gold or silver, and separated by gilt, OF
in some cases an ebony picture molding.
There must be an abundance of pictures
hung on this plain background or it will
be monotonous. Remember that it is
an artistic rule that the base of a room
should be darkest.
Where there is dado used, it is al
lowable to use heavy dark color; never
a pronounced color, as such shades are
utterly out of place on the wall. The
middle space of the wall should be a
medium shade, the frieze should be sew
eral tints lighter and the ceiling should
be still lighter. Where two colors are
used, one for the main wall and another
for the frieze, the colder color should be
used above. Thus, in bedroom papered
with palest rose and blue, the blue should
be used for the frieze and the warm color
below; and the two may be separated by
an ebony or ivory and gold picture
molding.
The dado and frieze are not often used
together now, except in houses where it
is desirable to "bring down" the ceiling
and make the walls appear lower. They
are more often seen in halls or dining
rooms than anywhere else. 1t is quite
easy to get friezes for any shade OF
cartridge paper printed in stenciled pat
terms. The hand painted stencil work
would of course be expensive if pro-
fessional worker was engaged to do it.
AS a rule, it is better to choose the up
holstery of room in contrasting rather
than in similar colors, so as to avoid a
monotonous effect in color. In draw
ing room more delicacy of color is allow
able than in other rooms, and bright col
ors are introduced in bric-a-brac orna-
ments, in wall curtains and in other
decorative xuavs,