The Washington times., 1894-04-20
p TREATISE on
Pr0ttU InforiOrS.

You do not require costly hangings, rich
paintings and bronzes, and oriental carpets
to make your rooms dream of elegance and
luxury. By utilizing the things at hand that
will tend to simplicity and harmony you may
be able to deceive the trained eye OF your
opulent caller into believing that your little
drilwing-room is the very extravaganza OF
luxury. The combination OF utility and
beauty is much better than beauty alone, and
if you must have wood box in the parlor
make diyan of it. Studied negligence is
ALWAYS effective. and an artistic hand can
transform a room within Il minute to look
like graceful, ingenious girl instead oil
stiff-spined uncommunicative spinster. Place
a couple of chairs in social relation to each
other. as though their late occupants had
been indulging in an easy, deliGhting tete-a-
tete. give the window curtain a magical
touch that will break its straight lines and
show a bit of charming vista without; be
careful Of carelessness and affect unaffected
ness.
Do not despise pretty, artistic things because
they are cheap. The Lady of Milo is just as
symmetrical in plaster as she is in marble or
bronze. But let it be impressed upon you
right here that statuettes of the more preten-
tious proportions do not pose in the windows
of homes where good taste prevails. You
may see them thus in houses OF wealth. cut
there is very decided distinction between
wealth and culture, and your criterion OF
"monied aristocracy" is not Il prototype for
your emulation. A very rich man may
relish poor literature and indulge vicious ap-
petites.
The day of ''crazy work" is past. but here
Is something that you may say is of that ma
ture. Admitting that it is, there is such real
method in the madness that it can be excused,
and if you try it you will be pleased with re-
suits When a new dress is made, or waist,
or any garment of handsome material-silk,
velvet, brocade-save every scrap, no matter
how small. all of one kind for whatever is de-
sgned-single sofa pillow, cushion or what
soever. Put these pieces on Il foundation as
the old craZy-patch work was-if of velvet
let the edges Just touch each other; il silk,
overlap or turn under, baste carefully and
overland them to lining with silk thread OF
same shade as pieces. Now mark with chalk
or whatever you can make fine, leglole
point with design of vines-ivy, passion
flower, Virginia creeper, whatever you
like-scatter the leaves over corners where
pieces come together; and If the patch foun-
dation is too large at any place run leaves
over it, thus breaking it up. Every line and
leaf outline with filosel in any shade desired.
Gold color is very effective. When com
pleted the closest inspection will not disclose
the secret that the foundation is not a whole
piece. and the small patches that would other
wise have been consigned to the rag-bag had
made that handsome piece of work. Black
and gold make very artistic sofa pillows.
1t is not well to follow the caprices of fashion
in decorating your home. In the matter OF
wall paper, for instance. take into considera-
tion the size and location of the room. If it
receives the cold north light use a warm
tinted paper, while a gray paper may look
better in room with a southern exposure.
A delicate. retiring wall enlarges small
room, while flaring bold design contracts
the apartment unto sufrocation.
A pretty border decoration for walls repre-
sents a cornice or frieze upon which pigeons
are sitting as real pigeons do on such
places The birds may be in various posi-
tions, and so colored and shaded as to look
like bas-relief work. If you can draw Little
Bit you might paint them in water-color on
the white wall.