New-York tribune., 1902-12-26
FURNISHING THE HOME.
Essential Principles ire CSe'
.Smpkcity ana Beauty.

In suggestions for furnishing the home. Miss
Davis. of Wellesley. gives as essential prlnclples
USE simplicity and beauty. These are certain ofou
principles which should govern the choice Oh every
article of furniture brought into the house
so many factors enter into the furnishings VI
a house that the highest beauty can haroiS DC
pected in the ordinary household she says ouI
harmony and individuality possible to any one
who takes sufficient thought Disciples IN 'nese
days are referred to William Morris perhaps iioIe
than to any other apostle in the art OF furnishing
We are all less familiar with the stock quo
tation Have nothing in your house which you do
know to be useful, believe to be beautlruL'
To live up to is perhaps not so difficult
for the new home maker she might at the out
think.
"AI furniture is based. presumably, on needs,
and its value is in direct proportion to the way In
which 1t meets these needs Chairs shoulo De
bought primarily to sit upon secondly. or filthy to
look at; pitchers, pour well: tables 10 sIano
steadily; otherwise these articles are not use1ul nor
artistically beautiful Everything should have It's
functional purpose. Chairs should fit the spine
would have to be deformed to be comfortable
IN some of the modern shapes In place OF buying
chair for its ornamental value. it would be better
to choose inexpensive vase. or a plant for
decoration.
LAS in choosing in furnishing your home be
Individual The house, in itself. may be regarded
simply as a body Furnishing gives. should
breathe into it, soul And this soul should reflect
the individuality and personality Of the mistress
of a sofa pillow, the pictures dishes. table inen
all should speak to us of Individual taste and per-
sonality. A guest ought not to receive the impress
sion that the has been turned out by a protes-
sonal furnisher In the latter instance there would
probably be no arring note, chronological error
no modern thing in Louis Quatorze ROOM no
Chinese vase in a Japanese room: but there would
be lost that personal touch which should connect
the room with its hostess
EVERYTHING IN HARMONY.
"a necessary. general rule for furnishing is to
use nothing in any room not belonging to the
function OF that special room. Let everything be
as beautiful possible, in harmony with It's
function
'Vestibue furnishings are ordinarily limited 10
hatrack umbrella stand overshoes holder ana mat
A piece OF furniture not usual, but perfectly III
keeping with the function of the vestibule, Is
SETTLE chair. stool. OF simple construction Where
the mean time occupant may remove or put on his
overshoes The vestibule walls are best plain
tinted in some fat color. according to fndivdual
taste-neutraI yellow green is good. Then with
provision for proper lighting by day and night the
vestbule has the necessary businesslike equipment
| referred 70 in the first talk.
ION your hardwood floors have rugs in keeping
| with the general color scheme of furnishing II
the beautiful rich colored Turkish rugs are beyond
| your means substitute Of the effective Japan
American rugs. which are less expensive
Decide first upon color. and be careful that there
| rugs. In choosing your wallpaper. you VIII have
light while light surfaces reflect it; also that the
| paper when the walls is several shades darker
| The hall should be made hospitable and home
Ike II the size d fa 65 go5 so@e ne s1ae eS
not too many, or settle, and few good pictures
IS eS epeaS ee aged In this 'S Sorhern gxes
World loves fireside In the good old days. when
whole families gathered around the huge central
| love OF home more feeling OF knshp, than is
to flourish where an iron grating in the floor
heat akpg he
| hearth. Yet after all the register or radiator s
| pretence; ~, ,,,,u,-
| a room by itself-the furnishings should be pro
vided with reference TO their use by eTeTy member @
Portable chairs and restful divan are indisPensa-
b unel aRq aa ovr a waSs avoid
ing. 1t is not necessary for any room to wear all
and change them; less bric-a-brac and vary it.
| ''As to amount and place OF ornament, we might
their artistic simplicity. The couch cushions and
G0ye cs give hnHt many 5o6 eGGfs pcae St
more neutral the tone Of your wallpaper the bet
then the wall Itself as Norris suggests @ may na{ 6e
| tern Try to have good art, in photograph en-.
craving or painting. Art-man's effort to depict p
fe hung Tisb pictures + ts, room
1.-The reception room is naturally the best room
in the sense of the old time parlor II Is usually
speciaiIy studied effect is considered desirable.
nd ra Leads 5 you not to hesitate to use he
| in moderation. Morris himself was wont to choose
/ bright rich toned coloring.
| OPPORTUNITY FOR BEAUTY.
| Nowadays the dining is recognized as
quite as functional a place the kitchen. 1t is.
moreover as much a family centre as the living
room The furniture should be substantial above
all and as elegant your purse admits-but al
WAYS with the idea of function. This idea. how
! ever. is sometimes carried to an extreme in the
matter of pictures. tires of game pictures, OF
| strings OF fish and impossible collections or i'm
| possfble vegetables. An old fashioned mahogany
sideboa rd or side serving table goes well in the DIM
| ing room A wainscoting. with plate rail, makes
nnssihle the effective placing of ornamental china
] Meaningless ornaments especially out OF place
I in the dining room. On the other hand this room
Jves great opportunity for beauty in the selection
of dishes and table linen; but here as elsewhere
beauty must not the cost of utility, and one
| aspecf of beauty is simplicity .
| 'sThe stairway must be taken thought for, and
| SIC wallis from hall bedrooms should carry out
| the general plan Of furnishing
| Good ventilation and consistently sanitary 1ur-