Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-19
GIRLS AND THEIR ROOMS.
Tawdry Decorations-Beautiful Effects
Consistent With Economy.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune
An observant instructor In one of the
large colleges for women comments wisely
and well on the decoration Of college rooms,
and the comment applies also with equal
force to the room Of the average girl today.
Some valiant spirit should start league
for the Improvement Of decoration writes
the observer, with the aim by example and
precept and ceaseless effort to Danish from
rooms posters. fish nets full OF photographs,
unfra med casual pictures, second-rate Ma
donnas and tawdry decorations Of all kinds.
We need some among us to teach US the
beauty and value of open spaces on walls,
to help US to the appreciation which the
Japanese. with their finer aesthetic stand
ards, have Of bringing into relief single
beautiful object or flower. by letting 1t
stand in significant isolation. 1t matters
not how little we have in our rooms, pro-
vided that little has excellence and dis
tinction. 1t is to be expected, in certain
sense, that our college women shall form
part of the cultivated class In America, that
they shall set standards for others who
have not had the liberal training and refn-
ing Of Intellectual and spiritual fiber which
advanced education Is supposed to give. But
If the rooms Of our college students are at
all an index to the aesthetic feeling of our
educated class then they reveal-we must
be honest with ourselves-a barbaric de-
light in gewgaws, in clashing colors, in wild
prOfuSion Of detail.
Some one demonstrates. Many girls can
not afford to spend money on their rooms
Such people can at least keep their rooms
from being glutted with cheap things.
There is something commanding in the self
respect of girl whose room remains frank
ly bare. or who has in 1t only the few good
pictures she can afford. For the girls who
have fairly ample allowance the exercise
of a little judgment would show that beau
tiful effects are consistent with economy.
Every girl can decide on color scheme
and keep her purchases in harmony with
that-couch cover. screen and cushions.
Every girl can Danish all but three or, at
most. four photographs Of friends, put
out different photographs in rotation, since
any considerable array Is fatal to room.
Every girl can apply the most elementary
principles Of interior decoration-that a rug
should run parallel to the four lines of the
floor space, and should never be placed
crosswise to them. Every girl can make
couch, ugly or shapeless with a prodigal
heap of cushions, into something that shall
have beauty through its restraint and Sc
verify of outline. Severity of hue-that is
the watchword for those who care to give
their rooms distinction.
Our rooms are, in a way, the outward
veSture of our lives, and should be made to
express the things we hold dear. In dress
we make a stand for certain things; we will
not take up the silly fashions of the street
Why take up the fashions Of the street in
our rooms? Why not put our personal im-
press with fastidious care and selection on
that which forms the background Of our
life? 1t always seems if really beauti-
full pictures help one to live on, higher
plane. as If 1t were less easy to have mean
and sordid thoughts in their presence. We
ought to bear testimony to our faith in the
beautiful by having at least one visible
symbol OF 1t In our room to Solace or adj
monish US at our need. II we are poor and
can have but one thing, let it stand in the
enlarged dignity it will have by its refusal
its unqualified refusal, to mate with COM
monness and tawdriness."