The Washington times., 1901-12-01
SOME IDEAS FOR
ROOM DECORATIONS
All the Furnishings Should Ex-
press Individual Taste.
ROOMS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
The Evolution of a Boys Apartment.
Red in the Color scheme Lends a
welcome Air-T'hinSs Suitable for
Young Girls Rooms.

reveals the character and individual taste
of young persons as the furnishing of their
own particular room. Il glance will tell
even the casual observer whether the
owner has practical or esthetic tastes
whether he or she is careless or neat, and
just about his or her age.
On the walls of the twelve-year-old
boys room, Will hang popguns and per-
haps really truly" rifle that has long
since passed its days of usefulness. Mar
bles will be very much in evidence, and
probably an American flag There will be
colored pictures from Sunday supple
ments, of perspiring youths on bicycle
tracks; street gamins. in street brawl,
or the explosion Of Fourth Of July ire
cracker.
Unless he is one boy in fifty, 1t is not
likely that there viii be much on his ta-
BILE or desk besides an empty inkstand,
rusty pen. much-abused blotter, and a
torn calendar, but cap. motley collec-
tion o. pencil stubs; pennies, one or two
photographs, and bicycle wrench. His
book case viii contain tales OF thrilling
adventures On land and sea. and his bu-
mirror viii probably be entirely obliter-
ated behind screen of cigarette pictures.
wheedled from his cider brother.
II must not be supposed that this is the
model twelve -year-old boys room, but it
is the twelve-year-oId boys room as it
usually is. There is no earthly reason
why the cap should not be hung in the
clos, by the small boy himself, instead
OF by the patient overtaxed mother, ex
cepting, perhaps. that-he is the small
boy.
Four years will probably show a decided
improvement. There will be more books
on the shelves of a higher order; there
win be fewer colored supplements from
the Sunday press. The desk will be bet
ter fitted out; the bureau viii be more
complete, and there will be far more
photographs than formerly over the
mantel VIII be crossed foils, and boxing
[ gloves; and in the corner a camera and
| baseball bat.
II, three years later, you should happen
! to glance into this same room again, you
would scarcely recognize it. 4 diYan, COW
/ cred with gay Bagdad and surmounted
/ by innumerable cushions VIII have re-
! Placed the old. wsIl-worn sofa. There
/ viii be but few of the ancient colored
+ supplements left hanging on the walls. but
j in their stead will be seen class pictures
+ Of football teams: signs, setting forth the
I respective benefits to be derived from
somebody's porous piasters or blood puri-
/ fiers, gleefully "cribbed' on some dark
/ night; and a profusion OF gay fiags-ail
| of which will go to show that the owner
! has attained the glorious dignity of a
/ college man" There will be photo
] graphs without number, ranging demo-
! erRtically and automatically from the lat
( est danseuse to the prettiest and swell
I est'' girl in his set" The monogram will
probably hobnob with one OF Zole's novels,
/ and a students lamp will stand on the
now well-used desk. in the far corner
| will very likely be found mandolin. or
| at least. in college vernacular, a "Jo.'
Take this same room after seven or
| eight years have passed. The boy viii
be a man and his lifework chosen but his
room Will tell you much. Go to the book
Gaze and glance over the shelves. One
look will tell you If the twelve year Older
has developed TIE esthetic or practical
| side of his character. You find a rife and
hunting pouch in the old-time corner.
Then the boxing gloves and foils Of the
| sixteen-year lad were some good, after
all. II in their stead is violin case. then
meant something more to him than just
fun with the fellows
Some General Points.
There are few general points, how
ever. in the furnishing of boys room
that may be well to bear in mind. On
the floor should be a good ingram carpet
of cheerful tone-almost every boy likes
1 red. The furniture need not be expensive.
but It must be strong. The sofa may be
an old one, but should be covered with
some durable material of small pattern
/ that will not show the wear and tear.
Cushions? or eoursel What boy was there
who ever owned sofa and didn't clamor
for cushions? Have them of gay colors,
/ but see that they blend with the rest
of the room. 1t is a mistaken idea to
imagine that these little things will not
he noticed by the boy and tell on his taste
in the long run We are all affected, per-
haps unconsciOusly, by our environments,
and Just because 1t happens to be 'only
the boys ROOM there is no earthly rea-
son why it should not be made as at
traetive and comfortable as possible.
The average boy loves light and does
not care for heavy curtains at his win
dows. One boy-a cousin of the writer
has fine cheese cloth curtains close to the
windows, tied back with bow at each
end. These, OF course, only come to the
ledge. Within, are curtains of turkey red
which hang in straight lines to The floor.
They are light and cheerful in tone. and
add especially to the beauty Of the room
See that the Illuminating qualities are
good in the boys room. Gas fixtures are
as a rule. so placed tha: they are of little
service to the young fellow working al
his desk. students lamp is excellent
so is a bracket one. The latter may not
add especially to the beauty Of the room
but is useful, and what is still more to be
considered-safe.
ing of the boys room-the details will
have TO be added according to the indi-
yidual taste of its owner.
The Girls Room.
girls room is very apt to 80 through
the like stages OF change found in her
brothers. There Will be the time wheu
dolls and games and play-houses are
the principal objects to be seen; there
will be the period OF the school
girl when her looking glass Will be
hid behind gay valentines; there VIII
be the years when her room will
reveal her preference for one particular
college, because her special Idol in the
form of "halfback" claims that austere
institution of learning as his own and
then there will come the time when this