Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
NOVELTY IN DECORATIONS
FUMED OAK IS THE LATEST EFFECT
IN THE FURNITURE SHOPS.
So Beautifully Finished, 1t Rivals Old
Mahogany - In All
COlors.

Niiiieii ipr Inc Evening star.
Fumed oak with pewter trimmings is the
newest thing in house decoration. Every
woman who is doing over the bed rooms
especially, finds it a desperate struggle to
decide between the lovely furniture made
of wood colored by a process of artifcially
staining and seasoning and the colonial
mahogany. Both are equally good in style,
but the oak is less costly and exceedingly
novel and good in its decorative effects,
while genuine old Georgian mahogany is
getting to be as rare rubies and pretty
nearly costly. The situation, therefore,
| is promising for the future of this new
wooden bed room furniture that is not only
novel in its material and shape, but also in
its decoration.
Fumed oak is never carved, but inlaid
| instead, and so beautifully is it dyed, hard
ened and polished that 1t gives its sur
face all the rich color and sheen and grain
of the rarest natural woods known to the
| cabinet maker. 1t may be had in glowing
cedar red, teak browns, bamboo green and
pine yellow, and what is yet more fascinat-
ing to the housekeeper of good taste is the
excellent lines on which it is made. The
most severe Jacobin and empire forms have
beer adopted to this twentieth century de-
parture in chair, table and bed making,
and instead of the decoration laid upon the
surface, in the Napoleonic era, ebony
and pewter are mosaiced into the skin OF
the oak in classic and chaste patterns.
mentation, though for certain pieces made
for the Princess Of Wales, especially
settle carved in Morse patterns, the inlay
work was all done in silver contraSted with
the blacklist teak.
| Cushions of Scarlet AtOlfR.
Over the seat of the settle was flung
a very thin cushion covered with scarlet
atolla, goods very like the heaviest sateen,
which is particularly recommended for use
| with fumed oak.
| Along with the introduction of this new
wood have come some delightful scientific
| and artistic discoveries in the making Of
| bed furniture. For instance the
| treatment given this oak in preparation
| renders it quite imperviouS to germs, and
| therefore 1t is to be as highly recommend
| ed for beds as the hygienic iron. AS
| matter of fact, the fumed oak beds are
| built on iron frames with admirable spiral
| spring mattresses resting on corrugated
copper wire foundations and then the head
| of the artistic oak bed Is not made solidly
| % wood. Instead, a frame like that often
| put at the back of washstand, springs up
| at the head of the couch and from this
| hangs a charming drapery of green, or
| blue, or tunic yellow Ruskin linen, heavily
| embroidered with flight of birds. or, more
| attra ctively STILL with the owners coat
of-arms Over the bed, when dressed for
the day, Is then flung a counterpart or
| atolia or linen, matching In color the ORA
| perry at the beds head, and bearing in Its
|
| larger and more elaborate design:
| Even more of departure from the ortno-
dox is the very modern fumed oak dressing
| table, which is often in ebony and pollsheo
| bone inlaid in domino pattern, provided
with pewter handles and an eight-slded
pivoted mirror. The top of this type OF
dressing table is always covered with a
| heavy sheet of proven glass, on when not
| curling tongs ana drops Of cologne have no
| effect, and besides every convenience Tor
| slowing all the dainty utensils of the toilet
| there are one two secret drawers to
which the mysterious and most precious
agents for beauty can be confided in perfect
| security. The washstand, quite unlike the
| commonplace 'lavabo, as the French caii
| it. IS topped and backed with the most
| beautiful transparent tiles Of glass emerald
| green when the oak Is bamboo color, or
| ruby red 70: cedar dyed wood, and accord
| ing to the new mode In furniture building
| a wardrobe or what is better described as
a clothes cabinet, forms an important item
| in q fumed oak set.
ChiROniers With Wings.
| 1t is hardly more than a commonplace
| chiffonier, but provided with wings that
| serve especially as hanging receptacles for
dele ate dress waists. Down the center Of
the bone and ebony-inlaid pewter-handled
clothes cabinet runs a row of shallow, de-
! Iightful bow-fronted drawers for holding
| laces and gloves, and handkerchiefs, and
| fans, and things, while in the wings is
hanging space for possessions too delicate
! to SWING among HedNE ShlElS, VI IL SuelN &c
| are wanted it is perfectly easy to slip in
| series of the very highest woven wire trays
| that take up so little space that they add
| nothing to the weight Of the wardrobe and
| are admirable inventions for the simple con-
| version of a press into hanging closet at
| a moments notice. The trays have locks
on their edges that fasten in little screw
| eyelets along the wall of the press. and
| when the shelves are not In use they pre-
| sent no difficulties in storage.
While the charms of this entirely mod
| ern discovery in cabinet making are revolu-
| tioniZng the fitting of bedrooms, there has
| come into existence a revival on lawns OF
the use of complete sets of Dutch bowling
| green furniture. set of seven remarkable
and attractive pieces IS necessary, accord
ing to the newest notion, for adequately
| fitting garden. These pieces consist of
| low benches garden foot stools dos a.dos
| seats and tea tables, and II you possess
| lovely garden or a fine lawn they must be
distributed about under arbors and trees or
| beside fountains, in order to give the out
| of-doors q thoroughly habited and inviting
expression.
| Outdoor Furniture.
| Most Of this furniture is made of cy-
| press or locust wood, and Is soaked in a
| chemical preparation to make 1t impervious
| to dews and rains. and then painted an
agreeable green. These ponderous benches
are always arranged in groups Of three to
form half circle about a tea table and Sc
| cure sociahle effect and denim cushions
and a straining kettle do the rest to pro-
duce an al fresco air. In the days Of
| Dutch King William they first introduced
this ponderous open-air furniture into Eng
| land, along with Dutch gardens, and today
| for the American we'll the English
! garden. the Stout seats and tables have been
| revived and introduced a croquet lawn
OF near a tennis court. The result striven
| for Is that produced two centuries ago in
| European back lawns, when the men COL
| lected on the half circle of benches drank
| their ale and watched the progress Of a
game of bowling on the green.
! FANNY ENDERS
| Invalid Ito sympathiZng caller)-"My