Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-15
IS A MODERN ART
Arranging Drapery in the
House Windows.
SKILL Is REQUIRED
ENGLISH HOUSEWIVES WANT
COMFORT MORE THAN SHOW.
American Taste is Elaborate, but Good
Effects Are Sc. .----
cured.
SKILL Is REQUIRED

| CuIGOs
| Written for The Evening Star.
| The sympathetic friend who found the
| young bride in tears at once scented family
| troubles. She was, however, more amused
than astonished by the explanation:
Its all on account of those wretched
window dressings" walled the bride. II
| wanted a subdued rose-colored light in my
| Turkish room. so put in red shade under
| a striped silk curtain. The effect is lovely
| in the Turkish room, blA all the neighbors
are complaining of the shade"
| Window dressing had become so impor-
| tant question to the bride that she would
| probably have scoffed at the reminder that
once window was nothing but hole in
| the wall for purposes of defense. Yet only
| within the last half century has window
dressing become art. 1t is the result of
| the modern desire to present good front
to the critical eyes of the public, and it is
| also due to the general application of the
| laws of beauty to house decoration.
Two nations vie with each other in house,
| hold characterization, the French and the
American. The French are adopts in lace
| making. Our impOrtations from them in
| clude delicate window dressings in almost
| every pattern. Among fashionable nets the
| tea-colored takes the lead. Some are sim
ply DOTueTeu, out others are III dll-oNeT ue-
signs. Every shade of the neutral tintS are
| utilized, shading down to white.
In French homes as rule, the scheme
determined upon for window dressing is the
prevailing tone of the ROOM which is SO
| furnished as to be suitable for either win
ter or summer. French taste leads toward
pastel shades and delicate flower patterns
acceptable for either southern or north
ern exposure.
Generally the French awning room is
device in white and gilt. and the draperies
are fine laces whose meshes are in floral
arrangements. Satin in pae-tinted color
ings is used for the heavier hangings.
Color Values.
The French Bedrooms Swisses and nets
are usually used. with edgings, ruff1es and
frils of the same material. They are
headed by an insertion through which rib
bon is run. Generally the ribbon is in a
rose color shade, matching the rose garland
wall paper. The French woman knows the
value of pink as a boudoir color
A cousin of the Divine Sarah" when
furnishing a millinery shop in this country
utilized a handsome Mechlin lace for her
front windows This net had a fowery
border. wide and full boned on either
edge with pale pink satin ribbon. and hung
on an oXidized rod. This dainty hanging
filled the lower window pane with it's soft
folds. Coquettish bows of the pink satin
ribbon hid the red fixtures and Ornamented
intervals.
In the American market we find uphol-
steries OF every grade from the cheapest
'slkoline' to unsurpassed tapestry. The
latter is costly. but it is skilfully initiated
in cheaper materials.
The finest work in tapestry in this coun-
try is done in a New York state factory.
From until 6 the shuttles are kept flying.
The designs and delicate colors vie with
any of the foreign importations and are
cheaper.
Three Sets Used.
In the American home the window dress
ings are more extravagant than in France.
The laws of society dictate that the up-to-
date window shall have three sets of cur
tains. First. a lace curtain, which falls
next to the glass. There is large range
of selection, with an approximate scale of
cost On either side of the woodwork hangs
a long lace drapery, while beyond that is
heavy upholstery. lined and edged with
narrow cord or fringe to match the pre-
domino ting shade of the room.
Recently a woman when decorating her
newly-built out of-town house furnished
her library in green. The windows which
faced the front were of a good size. At
bowknots and small punches of roses
formed a harmonious design. To inten-
sify the daintiness of the one nearest the
door, fre-etched bench in design of
.
of the bench was decorated with three
openings into which green-glazed tiles were
fitted. Green glazed pots holding Boston
ferns rested on these.
The bed room windows in the same house
were prettily furnished. On either side the
woodwork was sage net with an unpreten-
tious border. Falling the outer edge
of the net was strip about half yard
wide of satin brocade in a pastel pink
shade. 1t fitted closely to the gilt rod on
which both curtains were hung.
Suit the Light.
An important matter, for consideration in
dressing a window is whether the room has
the latter the darker tones be utilized
with good effect; if the former, delicate
yellow or cream white is more cheerful
Green is much in favor for dining rooms
and for this reason woodworking tapes
tries take the lead In many rooms these
woven strips cover the entire walls, present
ing a picturesque bit of landscape, a pas
toral scene or a gay Vatican group on a
brilliant green background. The Vatican
tapestries practically effective, for the
delicate colorings of the brocaded skirts of
the fine ladies are only equalled by the
sheen of their powdered wigs.
In England window dressing is in a more
substantial fashion An Englishman's house
is still his castle, and the opinion of the
passing public a thing of small conSidera-
ton A curtain to him is a thing for COM
fort and not for show 1t is of heavy ma
terial fabric of rich coloring and con-
ventional design, lined and poled, with the
lower half draped back to allow an uninter-
rrDted view.
English bed room windows are poorly fur
nished. Upholsteries are not considered
particularly healthful, so simple muslins are
hung to hide the woodwork of the window
The same pattern of muslin is generally
used for the drapery of dressing glass and
bed curtains.
In warmer countries there is not even
pretense of window dressing. In Mexico
the windows are not even furnished with
glass. They are generally grated or closed
at night by heavy wooden shutters.