Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1894-05-04
HOUSEHOLD DECORATION.
The Proper Use of Color In Interior De,
Grafton

The Proper Use of Color In Interior Dec.
Grafton.
The principles of proper use of color
In house interiors are not difficult tc
master. 1t is unthinking, unreilective
notion which makes so many unrestful
interiors of homes, The creator of a
home should consider, in the first place,
that it is matter as important as eli.
mate, and as difficult to get away from,
and that the first shades of color used
in the house, on walls or ceiling, must
govern everything else that enters in
the way of furnishing, that the color
of walls prescribes that which must be
used In floors, curtains, and furniture,
Not that these must necessarily be OF
the same tint as walls, but that those
tints must govern the choice.
All this makes it necessary to take
first steps carefully, to select for each
room the color which will best suit the
taste, feeling, or bias of the occupant,
and then take into account with this
the exposure of the room and the use
Of it | will illustrate the modifca.
tions made necessary in tint by differ
ent exposure to light by supposing
that some one member of the family
prefers yellow to all other colors, one
who has enough of the chameleon in
her nature to feel an instinct to bask
in the sunshine. | will also suppose
that the room most conveniently de-
voted to this person has q southern ex-
posture. In using yellow in this room,
which is naturally flooded with warm
yellow light, the quality of the yellow
must be very different from that which
could be properly and profitably used
in a room with q northern exposure,
and it must differ not only in intensi.
ty, but actually in color To get the
best effect in each, the room with
southern exposure should be paler and
colder the tint of yellow should be the
lemon, and not the gold-yellow-one
should be treated with chrome tinted
white, and one with almost pure ochre.
color. OF course, these differences be-
long to technical knowledge and ex'
pcrience, but the want of experience
can be in a great degree supplemented
by careful study, and the results war
rant both care and study.
In simple houses with plaster cell
ings the tints to be used upon then
are easily decided. The rule of grada
ton of color from floor to ceiling pre-
scribes for the latter the lightest ton;
of the graduation, and as the ceiling
stands for light, and should actually
reflect light into the room, the philoso
ply of this arrangement of colors i.
obvious. 1t is not, however, by any
rreans an invariable rule that the cell
ing should carry the same tint as The
wall. even in much lighter tone, al
though greater harmony and restful
ness of effect is produced in this way
A ceiling of creamy white will harmon
lie we'll with almost any tint upon th'
| walls, and at the same time give an eff
feet of air and light in the room. 1t il
also good ground for ornament il
deliberately decorated rooms.
In considering simply the proper an'
best use of color for house interiors i
is not necessary to include the question
of ornament or elaboration either o
walls or ceiling. These may follow
but tint must go before, and if thor
| oughly studied and well chosen, cal
very well dispense with ornament =
! Uarner'S BaZar