The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-12-12
COSTLY BEDS.
Two Thousand Dollars Cheerfully PaiC
for Artistic Furniture.

for Artistic Furniture.
The old Irish question Of What is the
size of a piece of chalk?" may be para
phrased, what is the price of a bed
stead?" Two thousand dollars does GER
tainly seem large sum for such a piece
of furniture, and yet it was cheerfully
paid only last week, and there are sew
eral of the handsome houses in this city
where there are bedsteads which have
cost $1,5OO.
The foreign style of furnishing bed
rooms is much in vogue now, and the
single beds have quite taken the place
of the double bed. Some of the most
superb bedsteads are quite narrow.
When somebody made known to the
world the astounding fact that Julien
Gordon MRS. Van Rensselaer, Cruger) had
ordered made for herself a bedstead in
the shape of swan, in white enameed
wood there was quite a sensation, but
now swan bedsteads are exhibited by
many of the leading firms. They are
very graceful, and the curtains held in
the swans beak fall in the most artistic
folds.
In some of the high-toned auction
rooms are occasionally exhibited antique
bedsteads of rare workmanship, but they
are not exhibited long, if they are really
what they are claimed to be. Two were
bought recently at $1,000 each and now
adorn a most luxurious bedroom in one
of the new houses on upper Fifth avenue.
Marqueterie is to be seen at its best in
these bedsteads, and the beauty and
workmanship is only equaled by the COL
oring and polishing of the wood itself
EMPIRE BEDS, FOPEIGN AND DO
MEsTIC.
There is a perfect craze for the Empire
beds, and they are brought over from the
other side-and. say it softly are manu-
factured here. Rare specimens of Ver-
nis-Martin are these pieces of furniture,
and their beauty is further enhanced by
the curtains and hangings that are part
of their furnishing.
The Empire bedsteads stand so low that
their beauty would not be seen were they
not always placed on dais. and 1t gives
a very picturesque look to the modern
bedroom to see the bedstead placed on top
of a sort of platform, with two or three
steps, and a mass of soft drapery hanging
from a brass ring and drawn back at
either side of the headboard.
Mrs. W. K. Vanderbilt, Mrs. Cornelius
Vanderbilt, Mrs. Brokaw and Mrs Bar
ber are all owners of most beautiful bed
steads, which have belonged to dead and
gone royalty, and which are most won
drous pieces of furniture, headboard,
footboard side pieces, inside and cut,
each and all bearing evidences of rare
artistic work. Time was when artists
did not think it beneath their dignity to
spend their talent on such mundane work
as a bedstead, and the names inscribed
on some provo the value is not fictitious.
There is now and again n call for four
post bedsteads, and wall has gone up of
bitter regret that will not easily he as
suaged that such treasures should have
been ruthlessly chopped up when they
were declared out of fashion.
There are, however, many beautiful
specimens yet to be had, and certainly
nothing can be much handsomer than one
of these bedsteads, with the superbly
carved posts and the canopy of fluted
silk (Which is also again the fashion)
OF HIGH DEGREE
People who are fortunate enough to
have an Introduction into the literary and
artistic set in London will not be at a
loss to know what artist it is who has the
hall of his house made of the canopy and
four posts of a wonderful specimen of
the wood-carver's art in oedstead Few
would know that the beautiful posts and
ceiling had ever Deen designed Cor any
other use than the one hey are now put
to, put the artist is quite willing and
glad to tell the fact.
From $1,000 to S. is quite a long step,
and yet for the latter sum such pretty
little bedsteads of white enameled iron,
with brass trimmings, can be bought,
nd mill oh 1,nl &c
dainty and pretty as need be. ~ is may
be an age of luxury It is no less an 9ge
when people of moderate means can Rave
more for less money iii the wav uf furni-
ture and furnishings than ever before,
and while thousands of dollars can be
spent on one bedstead. it is not absolutely
essential either to happiness or to the
furnishing of room.--New York Herald.