The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-27
OF INTEREST TO WOMEN
FASHIONS CHANGE IN FURNITURE AS
WELL As IN DRESS.
Practical Reason Why Few Women
Give Tips--SOme Toilet Sugges-
tiOns-Ikitchen Hints.

II one would be in the fashion so far as
furnishings go this season one should have
everything with a full finish, soft, dead
surfaced silks and brocades, dim tapestry.
soft-inished velvets. and, above all, dull IN
lieu of polished wood, says a writer in the
New York Commercial Advertiser. This
soft, lusterless finish gives an old look to
pieces and imparts the dignity that can
only come from having been owned and
used and well cared for during long life.
Reproductions of famous pieces of old fur
niture arc now a fad, and this dull finish
adds much to the old appearance of these
charming pieces. One can have fac-sim-
lie of George Washingtons writing table,
the Duchess OF Kent's dressing table,
Marie Antoinette's favorite bedstead or the
| beautiful desk made for Louis XIV, which
is considered one of the perfect specimens
of artistic furniture extant. Much of the
eighteenth century furniture was gay with
bright gilt, but TO reproduce these pieces
and ornament them with dull gilt creates
an illusion of age and reality that appeals
to the ambitious furnisher as no brilliantly
new thing could.
The mahogany sideboards, four-post bed
steads chests of drawers, toilet mirrors
| anu Qudlully Sudpeu,
| and sofas look particularly we'll without
| that glossy polish which seems to boldly
proclaim recent sojourn in the cabinet
makers shop. Another feature of this
| dull-finished wood not to be overlooked by
| the housewife is the saving of labor which
any one who has ever had much highly
polished mahogany to keep in condition can
| appreciate. The locks and knobs of these
| new-old mahogany pieces-mostly colonial
in design-are of ancient pattern and crys-
tai knobs are a quaint touch that adds
much to the old-time air of these pieces.
Wooden bedsteads are making a strenu-
| Gus fight for favor again, but in spite of
thick, undesirable decorative possibilities,
| the prejudice against them is strong odd
| simple bedsteads with high foot and head
| boards formed of a series of narrow up
! right wooden rails topped by fiat cross
| and are particularly pretty in single bed
| steadS. Four-poSt bedsteads with and
| without testers are richly carved In the
| darkest and finest mahogany, and nothing
| can quite take the place Of one OF these
| old-time bedsteads in a room which is in
| tended to be Old-world i'm effect.
| In Louis XIV design is d splendid bed
| room set of white enamel ornamented by
| flowers and ribbons in beautifully worked
| gilt.
Light woods and woods unfamiliar to
/
| who can indulge in the newest phases
! of fashionable furnishings. From South
| America comes the white mahogany, which,
| relieved by dull gilt ornaments, is novel
| and beautiful. From Africa comes the
| brown, curiously grained Congo wood,
| which is treated TO either the new soft
| dull finish or a high, CLASSY polish. Eng
| llsh elm is also a brown wood, and tulip
| wood resembles 1t somewhat. Maple and
| satin wood are very much i'm vogue for par
| Tor and bedroom pieces. The latter is often
| painted with playful designs of roses rib
| hons, cupi1s. etc, and then vanished over
! giving the painting the effect of marquetry
| or inlay.
Art-nouveau furniture appeals TO some
| tastes. and bedroom sets and odd pieces
| or fanciful, rot to say eccentric, design are
| bought by some house furnishers Ma
| hogany, tulip wood and satin wood are in
| laid with weird-loOking flowers. birds and
| butterflies, and the exquisite colorings OF
| these ornaments make up for the fantastic
oddity of their outlines.
| Black oak, carved or plain, is as popular
as ever for certain rooms. China closets
| and bookcases with cupboards for bric-a-
brac above the shelves are quaint and effec-
tive. They seem specially designed for old
books and blue china, which show through
the small panes of loaded glass with
charming effect.
Fur rugs bid fair to have a season of un-
usual favor Foxes, bears, tigers and goats
all give their skins TO the good cause, and
one can have huge, glossy, black rugs for
the red or green library, tawny brown or
| black-and-yellow rugs for the hall or din
| ing room ana Deauutul snowy skins for
| parlor and sleeping rooms.
There are still few housewives who like
carpeted floors as well polished boards
strewn with rugs, and there is a wide choice
for them this season. Gayety and color
seem TO be the keynOtes of this season
| new carpets, and the borders are even
gayer than the ground work. Fancy d bed
room carpet of pale green thickly strewn
with white daisies, with a deep border of
dark blue patterned with pink daisies and
| yellow roses
| A bIue ground with xyrea the of brigbt
| rOse-cOlOred flowers has a border OF soft
| brown with green reeds and blue flowers
| a white carpet is patterned with carnations
| shaded with pale pink to deep maroon and
has curious art-nouveau border. Many
| OF the patterns and cOlorings remind one
of old chintzes ana cretonnes and the little
ribbon and rose designs are pleasantly sug-
| gestive of PompadOur brocades
| Plain gray, green or rose carpets are I'm
demand by those who own pretty rugs, as
| the plain tone makes a good background
for them. Plain filling is used for rooms
| that one wishes to make appear more spa
ciOus than they are Carpets with designs
| but in one color, are also used.