The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-02-24
ovER-F URNlsBEp ROOMS.
Too Mnny Pieces nnd Too Much Dec
oratissa Is Not In Good
Taste.

There have been great advances in
the art of house decoration in the last
score of years. The bizarre patterns
and outre striking colors so common in
carpets and upholstery goods genera
ton ago are no longer seen. The dull,
tasteful colors used in household dec
GRAFTON to-day possess the virtue of
wearing we'll and are quite generally
sunproof. 1t is no longer necessary
to shut up the parlor until the light
is duIled to a twilight gloom TO prevent
the carpets and hangings from fading.
1t was impossible to find anything dyed
in what has been appropriately called
"eye-scratching" colors of old that
would bear the sun. While there are
still carpets that fade. tbs easy enough
to find fadcless carpets and sunproof
hangings in the tasteful, subdued col
ors of to-day.
One thing people have found out in
this generation is that coarse. loud
co'ors are not cheerful" Decorations.
to be cheerful" in the old meaning at
tached to that term, must be harmo-
nious and agreeable TO the eye. One
soon tires of crude, inharmonious col
ors, but never of the brilliant colors
tremendously arranged, as they are in
an oriental rug. Even the colors of
some of the American Indian baskets
and New Mexican blankets are agree
able harmonies of colors. These are the
their own colors. before the introduce
ton of European dye and glass-bead
work.
1t is easy to find tasteful upholstery
goods. rugs or carpets and all manner
Of stuifs in good colors at low price.
Excellent furniture was never so low,
N price as it is to-day. 1t is not diff
cult to furnish the rooms of a house in
good taste. The danger in household
furnishing to-day is that our rooms
shall be overfurnished not only with
useful pieces, but With decorations
Plain spices on the wall are a relief
to the eve. A crowded room where the
different chairs. settees and sofas leave
n cramped space to move about is n
very uncomfortable apartment. A
room where the scarfs. tides. wall dec
crations. floor vases and other orna-
ments are obtrusive is even more OBJ
eetionable. Such ornaments defeat
their object and turn q room into a
museum or storage place. This is not
the greatest objection 10 oyerfurnish-
| ing. The greatest objection to a SUI
| pernuity of furniture ard ornaments
is that they make unnecessary labor.
| i'hcy must be busted and cared for,
and This means extra trouble. Nowom-
Pm who has not an abundance of serv-
ants can afford for his reason to crowd
her rooms with furniture. 1t is quite
possible for a woman to wear out her
| life in the absurdly foolish tasks of
busting chairs that arc superfluous and
renewing tides and other pieces of
! household need,ework which are out
of place. There are great many
homes on which money has been liber-
ally spent which would be more ele-
gantly furnished with half the amount
of furniture they now hold. This fur
niture has gradually accumulated after
the house has been sufficiently fur
nished. but this is no reason why it
should be allowed to remain when it.
Getracts from the appearance of a
room and adds to the discomforts and
| burdens of the household.-N. y. Trib-
Irc.