Evening star., 1898-02-12
BEDS AND BEDsPREADs.
very Ornate and of the Most ExDen
sive Materials.

Very Ornate and of the Most ExDen-
sive Materials.
From Harper's Bazar
The furnishing of the bed room in these
days OF luxury requires very close Item
ton, for fashions change in furnishing
quite as much as in anything else, and of
course every one wants to have bed rooms
as well as the rest of the house in the
latest style.
Bedsteads are very ornate, and in many
instances the most exquisite pieces of
workmanship. The most beautiful and ex-
pensive kinds Of wood are used, and there
would seem to be no end to the different
shapes Whole sets of furniture are not
often seen-that Is, unless they are of the
handsomest material In place of the
cheap, poorly made, badly put together
wooden bedstead, there are now used the
enameled iron ones with brass trimmings.
These always look dainty and fresh, and
are very easily kept in order The bed
spreads for them can be Of silk, lace or lin
en-; some very fine ones are made of
an exquisite quality of linen, with
a border of drawn work, and an
elaborate monogram in the center Some
for simple rooms. and these the prettiest,
are of dotted muslin put over silk lining
then the valance of the bed Is Of the mus
lin, and there is a canopy with curtains
also of muslin. Others again, when the
room is hung and upholstered with denim.
are OF denim to match, spread, hangings
and valance, embroidered with white cot
ton or floss In outline. There are some
charming Japanese cottons which come in
dull blues and green's, and there are also
heaVy colored linens in various tints. For
variety the hangtngs and valance may be
OF one material, with the spread and bolster
of another harmonizing one.
Old mahogany beds, which have been for
out and repolished. and there are also many
made on the same graceful lines that were
In fashion years ago. OF course they are
expensive but 1t is question, when used
with the furniture to match If they are not
the handsomest that there are, for the
wood is of the finest and must needs be
kept beautifully polished and in order.
These beds need to have the handsomest
or covering. On them should be used the
finest linen with hand embroidery or lace
spread over silk or satin Innings. When
there are hangings for these beds they
match the other upholstery of the room,
and are generally of satin tapestry al
though now so many bed rooms are fur
nished in cretonne that the cretonne hang
fngS are also used. The lace used in tue
spreads should be Of Irish point or Renais-
sance. Pillows are not now often seen on
beds in the daytime; there is instead
round bolster, over which the top of the
spread is put, but some old-fashioned
housekeepers still cling to the pillows and
have these separate from those to be used
at night. They have pillow slips to match
the spread, and the polliws should be large
and square and well stuffed, so that they
present thoroughly neat, trim appear
ance. When plain linen spreads are used
they are very heavily ornamented with
drawn work, and of course there is no end
to the variety. of design, but only hand
work Is permitted, and Of the very best
Some of the spreads have a plain center
and lace border; others again are made of
squares sewed together, with lace around
the edge; The drawn work is generally put
around the center. and then there is a deep
hemStitched border.