The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-03
AN ARTISTIC HOME.
Depends ON the Ability to Make Littlc Ga
a Long Way.

There is no more popular word in the
English language just now than ar
tistic. It has altogether put to rout
the old-time favorite expressions "sty-
lish'' and lust lovely" with gushing
girls, and it is, too, the adjective key
note to soberer matrons' domestic deco
rations.
It is a word used and abused. Not
naturally comprehensive. by sudden
freak it has been made to stretch over
much that is simply pretty. fashion
able. or ingenious And it is also. alas,
not infrequently used as screen be-
hind which decorative horrors dodge at
their will.
In current article Of advice upon
the subject of inexpensive house fur
nishings sample beautiful room is
described as being fitted up with rag
carpet rug that was really very ar
tistic"-this in land that has pro-
duced an Abbey and Whistler. A
dry-goods box, with shelf inside and
draped with chintz, formed a dressing
table for this boudoir, and three long
shoe boxes nailed together. with scarf
and curtains of cheese cloth, a book
case. The closing statement in this re-
markable description is that "a box
couch draped in fine cheese cloth looked
cool and inviting" Cool, perhaps. but
without springs inviting. never. The
floor would be quite as much SO. From
this and similar articles our day would
seem to be the era of boxes, while the
less imaginative of us know that box
is a box, be it ever SO padded with
cheese cloth.
Not that all inexpensive effects are
burlesque. But originality and pic
turesgueness both do need spark of
genius to leaven them. In the hands
of many they are absurd; in the hands
of equally many they are a delight
For instance, rag-carpet rug and
dry goods box divan are cheap and
they are ridiculous. But a truly ex-
quisite room may be fitted up with
quite as little expense. First. rosy
pink cheese cloth is tightly drawn over
the walls, each breadth tapping in a
box plat to represent panneling The
pattern of the wall paper underneath
is thrown out in dull. vague design,
transforming the material into rich,
odd fabric altogether foreign to the
original cheese cloth.
Dried palms-the graceful favorite of
the artists studio-in their soft, sill
very green co1oring, fastened in an
oblique arrangement against the eff
fective background, give the finishing
IS al, 10 oil
wall. A Japanese mating in dull
green further carries out the color
scheme at trifling expense, while
pine bedstead, arranged for a canopy,
and washstand of the same order
may be purchased cheaply and
painted at home with white enamel.
White scrim curtains for both the bed
and the windows must be added. Also
one or two light rattan chairs or pine
ones lin the popular coat of enamel.
Thus boudoir fit for the daintiest
maiden is obtained by a shallow purse.
In the arrangement just given
cheese cloth is at its best. 1t is at it's
worst when used for scarfs and cur
tain. with the light shining through
it, revealing it's thin fabby texture.
Denim is an ialmost equally ,inexpen-
sive material, but its heavier weight
makes it much more desirable for
cushions and draperies, and its rich
blue tone renders it thoroughly har-
monious and effective. Fish netting
in the natural soft gray coloring mot
gilded) is another cheap and charm
ingly artistic drapery. Corduroy is
not nearly SO expensive as the popular
plush, but it's possibilities are
infinitely greater. And the quaint
Dutch harp on the modest drawing
room door that sends out sweet music
to all who enter and thus set it vibrat-
ing costs but twelve dollars, though its
value is actually greater than that of
The one-thousand-dollar grand piano
whose charms are solely dependent
upon the performers who seldom bring
their notes."
''There is lesson in a chair" says a
well-known artist. There is lesson in
everything domestic. A pretty, dainty,
effective way of doing most household
deeds that are usually set down among
the homely duties can be found. 1t is
a question merely of striking the note
that chords with whatever we are doing
Or one that produces discord.
A bedroom may be finished in shades
Of golden brown. beginning with cell
ing and frieze of cream. Deepen the
tints as they go down until the rug is
much darker A brown denim on which
the associated artists have had stamped
light figures can be utilized for bed
coverings.
For the boys rooms fish nets caught
up at intervals along the frieze and
dado of burlaps under the chair rail
ings, with golden brown between.
might be used with good effect. The
bows sister can relieve the tint by
touches of red and yellow. Conven-
tionalized sunflowers lightly sketched
with nodding brown stems upon the
burlaps, in oil colors, would be eff
fective. But thrifty housekeeper will
prefer to see plain wall surfaces where
dust can find no Judgment.
In all bedrooms, it goes without say
ing. willow or rattan furnishings are
indispsns a ble.-Chicago Times
For Supernuous Hair.
Pumice and cream remove superhu-