The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-30
A Queens Ideal
of a Home II II
By Carmen Sylvia, Queen of Roumania

The ideal house / mean to build for my
self some fine day must have. above all, an
abundance OF light. The outside walls are
to be OF glazed yellow bricks attracting the
sun and rejecting it in the rooms.
The front hall is to have a glass cupola:
sunshine shall flood the hall and the great
wooden stairs, summer and winter.
The main furniture OF the hall will be an
immense fat table for OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
pers from all parts of the world and in all
languages. for this will be my reception
and waiting room combined, ana no one
coming TO see me shall lose time by waiting.
In the contemplation OF good literature
time can never be lost At the walls shelves
and pigeonhOIes for magazines and week
lies-the kinds one wants TO keep and have
bound at the end of the year.
Living in a warm climate, 1 mean to have
windows reaching from ceiling to floor; in
the smaller rooms there shall be only one.
this to take up an entire wall.
My studio. where 1 paint and draw and
enjoy the work of better masters than my
self is to be high up under the roof. where
I can have both overhead and sidelight.
North light will not do for all occasions. 1t
II too cold.
I shall establish my dining room down
stairs; one ought to be able to leave the
festal board and take a stroll about the
grounds at any time Windows at the side.
90 that the light does not hurt my friends
eyes. In the evening the ceiling alone shall
be lit up; no candelabras on the table, only
q few fiery lights hidden between flowers.
I do not believe in throwing too much
light on people while they are eating--a me-
chsnicai process that beatifies very few
people only The dining room should be
decorated in dark colors, red or black. or
corn blue and black, for instance. Electric
ity threatened, for a time, to destroy the
beauty OF the family board under the great
lamp or collection of lamps. The main
danger has passed but a minor threat,
overabundance of artificial light, remains.
You, who love the dinner hour guard
against it.
There will be no parIor In my new house.
What is the use of place that is neither
library nor music room-a corner in the
hall will do for yawning, I abominate and
hate parlors. detest the very idea. To me,
they are the sorriest and coolest rooms
In the house no matter how precious the
appointments.
No parlor. then-instead a music room
and fine library. Before 1 go further, let
me tell you that my new house shall not
have an inch OF wallpaper, or wall hang
ings Of silk, creton or what not? All my
rooms will be done i'm oil. having furniture
OF the same color of wood, with detached
cushions, the covers of which can be
stripped of and replaced I'm a jiffy The
trouble with our modern furniture is that
all the dirt goes into them while none can
be removed from the inside
AS TO bedrooms 1 have my own ideas,
which few will indorse. / dare say. My
own bed is a divan with mattress having
detachable cover, corresponding to the
rest OF the furnishings. When 1 rise. mat
tress and pillows are stripped, beaten and
exposed to sun for many hours. Afterward
they are hung until night in an unfurnished
room. where air circulates freely. my bed.
so called, being I'm the meantime hidden
under Turkish shawl.
Do you please about beds only give
them plelty OF air and attend to the airing
yourself. IL you want to be we'll served
do. But here is idea of mine that might
strike you as worthy of imitation. At the
side of my couch L keep a many-storied
stand with books, writing material, paper
blocks. postcards. envelopes. magazines
newspapers and the like. Many people,
like myself. are cursed with seeplessness.
That is bad enough, but almost as bad is
the habit of losing the hours of involun-
tary lying awake which might be employed
improving ones mind or doing something
useful. / am quite expert with the needle,
they say. Let me tell you that / invented
some OF my best stitches and modes of
embroidery during sIeepless nights.
On the wall opposite the bed I have a
broad oaken kitchen table containing many
drawers and closets. A box of patent paint
turned 1t lovely flemish oak and a better
writing table you never saw. My type
writer Is on II and often going before the
servants astir. Besides are writing ma
terial OF all sorts, the latest novels and
philosophic works. tracts and advertise
ments OF health foods. bunch of flow
ers. some letter dear 10 me and the like
PICTURES ARE EVERYWHERE.
The walls are wainscoted to the height
: OF six feet. then comes a shelf. running all
around. On the shelf the books 1 cannot
do without; above. good pictures-picturcs
VI iitcit hNco anu hOSit hAtH, VI OhiiSl, TIE
Madonna. Moses. Confucius. Martin
Luther. also saints pictures and relics, If
one inclines that way.
L have pictures i'm every room, in the
halls. everywhere, oil paintings, water
colors, pastels.
Here are some suggestions for decoration
rs carried out in my little Tusculum
known the Segen-Haus. Everything is
done I'm green, green paint on floor. walls
and ceiling. wainscoting, tables, frames
OF chairs and divans. The detachable up
holstery is also green, green wash goods
by THE way.
Adjoining is my writing room, wee bit
OF chamber. This is done entirely i'm pea
cock blue. even the silken window curtains
are OF that color: the bedroom, on the
other hand. has yellow India silk curtains
prettily embroidered i'm silver.
The toilet room is in white lacquer. walls
ceiling. wainscoting. shelves and cabinets
everything snowy white. with light blue
curtains from India; these hangings are OF
a cheap grade. but very pretty: the steam
from the bath does not affect them and
the cost of cleaning is inconsiderable
My bedroom I'm The ideal house / am going
10 build when l have the money will have
an ante-chamber bigger than itself In the
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