Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-08
HOW TO SELECT A CARPET.
Many Points to BE Considered Before
Arriving at q Decision rs to
Floor COyerinUN.

Floor Coverings.
The lighting of a room, the location. the
size and the uses of the room must all be
taken into account before deciding on the
color. design and style of the carpet. For
q dark, rich carpet that would
reveal all its subdued beauties in q many
Widowed room Of southern exposure.
would prove a blot. and. worse still, an
absorber of the weaker. diffused light OF
a northern apartment. Again. a carpet
of bold design. however artistic, would
be entirely out of place in q small room,
whereas 1t would enhance the dignity of
a large, lofty chamber.
design are the three desiderata in car
pets. These can all be found in high-class
ingrains as well as in body Brussels. VIII
tons and Administers. A high-class ingram
Is q better carpet any day than either a
tapestry Brussels or a velvet carpet. for
both OF these are mere shams whose beau
deep. therefore. beware Of them: A high
class ingram. for instance. a "RaJah' or
an Agra" is composed of three webs OF
pure wool. well woven and interviewer In
beautiful designs. Such carpets wear from
twelve to fifteen years If well treated and
laid over proper carpet Innings. They cost
yard width; can be easily laid and taken
up. easily swept and otherwise cleaned.
and are beautiful and luxurious, and sat
not to be dispised. Fortunately. there are
other handsome ingrains at lower prices.
for beauty and utility so hand in hand
Of carpets, but alas! there are still other
ingrains and their name is legion. which
should be carefully avoided. These car
pets are in bright crude greens and reds.
blacks and yellows. raw blues and grays,
their designs great ungainly medallions.
nondescript flowers and architectural de-
vices. OF all these. beware!
! A five or six frame body Brussels of the
best make Is a good investment. because
1t is composed Of just so many layers Of
but soft and pliable linen backing. which
strengthens and protects 1t. Count the
colors in a piece of body Brussels and you
it Is, and examine the back. and If you
see the colors there it is body Brussels.
and not an imitation.a tapestry. -Four
Worsted: five for -I five. and so on. Body
Brussels is excellent for halls. staircases,
parlorS and guest chambers. and is pre-
Ieraole 10 pie carpets: as IT can be manlp-
ing and lifting.
Tapestry Brussels is dear at almost any
price. because it consists Simply of one
layer of worSted, superimpoSed on a stiff,
i%nelastic backing of jute or hemp and cot
ton, which constantly trays and frets and
wears It away. making 1t last but a short
time. Its designs are always more or less
blurred and indistinct. and oftener than
otherwise they are inartistic in form. and
color, because in their manufacture there
No ~ " 80
the way of the designer.
Where expense is not considered, a fine
rich in effect and durable. A Wilton is
In substance simply a four. five or six
frame Brussels with the loops cut by a
mechanical device: That is why 1t Is
design and coloring. A velvet carpet has
only one layer of worsted, because 1t is
Of the tapestry Brussels order, the only
difference being the cutting Of the loops.
A fine Administer or chenille carpet is
luxurious to the tread and beautiful when
the eolors and designs are well chosen.
Administers, AubussonS and MoQuetteS are
similar in construction; their high pile
containing the design is fastened in soft
tufts Of wooden yarn to a groundwork of
hemp or linen and cotton.
A few words as to color. an important
factor in furnishing. In all poorly lighted
F Ss%n an and ad halls the q sarPef lo eSl0f fhe sh %asi
luminous of colors. for it catches every
beam Of lamplight and daylight. Yellow
olives, yellow browns. old colds and many
of the beautiful nasturtium shades. mas
turtium reds and yellows in their tints
and shades, are beautiful in conventionally
arranged, all-over patterns. on medium
light grounds for northern and eastern
rooms, and on chocolate. black. indigo
blue or maroon grounds, the ground. how
ever, to show merely as outlining the de-
sign for southern and southwestern apart
ments. The carpet for a dark hall. stair
way, library or other room can scarcely
be too luminous; it need not be garish: 1t
may We'll be shown in shades of old gold
or OraIge on a black or a chocolate ground,
the ground only to appear as a mere thread
or outline around the designs. A very
sunny drawing room looks charming with
4 carpet in three shades of olive green and
in three shades of dull blue. gray blues
on an indigo ground. Such carpets make
for refinement, granting that the draperies
are good in color. and the walls treated
properly, namely. as harmonious back
grounds, floors and walls being no more or
less than backgrounds. Lastly. a word as
to the SO-called pattern of q carpet, A de-
sign which is merely a realistic imitation
Of fruit. flowers. leaves. birds or animal
life is unsuitable and inartistic. and ofYends
s sne easea mar e smnnlv ANY 1 nr an hot oil ' ihse
should be treated conventionally. The
petals OF a rose. or the wings of Il butter
fly arranged geometrically. make an or
namental figure that is correct in style,
pleasing in color and arrangement. but
fancy walking upon a butterfly in flight
or crushing real roses under foot.