The San Francisco call., 1904-02-07

ly finished. and apparently one does not
depend upon the other in the slightest.
Yet when the pieces are taken from
their respective places In the room and
fitted together they make one OF the
most comfortable cOuches one could
wish for. and make. in the bargain, a
decidedly quaint bit Of furniture.
Cabinets are delightful bit Of wal
nut. All the early curves and arches
were replaced by Marie Antoinette for
straight lines and the legs OF the cabi-
net taper toward the feet and give il
a very slender appearance. In fact,
with its oval medallions supported by
cupids and the portraits Of smiling
children, Ii makes one OF the most
charming acquisitions to a parlor or
reception room where light effect Is
desired.
The finish depends entirely upon the
color scheme employed. There Is
bronze a peculiar green gold, pol
ished Cutlery gold. the dull effect and
a combination OF the gold and bur-
nished that Is perhaps the most used
OF any OF the gifts. But the pure.
straight walnut. when finished In what
Is termed wax finish" Is by far ths
prettiest, the most serviceable and the
richest looking OF all. The wax seems
TO darken the color and tho warm
brown. with perhaps thread Of gold
outlining the carving. II decidedly dis
tinctiYe and beautiful.
Wall coverings We're as great an item
those days as they are now. More 50,
in fact, for tapestry factories were es-
tablished that were the property OF the
crown and they were kept busy turn
ing out decorations that would be suit
able for wall panels, and no room was
deemed complete that was not COW
cred with the pictorial fabric. Louis
XIV ran to the more classical and Sc
rious work, instead Of the battle scenes
and the frivolous, pastoral sentiments
that were made famous by Watteau
and that so delighted the heart Of Louis
XIV. He was fond OF the ladies and
nothing pleased him more than to see
his court in fashionable attire depicted
In romantic fashion.
Now tapestries are used, but the panel
fabrics are by far the most popular and
the most beautiful. Some Of them in
a cloth OF gold are very beautiful and
frequently cost more than a hundred
dollars a yard, but they are charming
as a background to set OF one OF the
darker woods that contrasts strongly
with it. The satin effects in two tones
are rich looking and when the carpet
blends to nicely nothing prettier
could be imagined than a typical
French apartment.
While rooms that are used more or
less for show are delightful In this pc
riod, bedrooms are also particularly
fetching and elaborate owing 10 the
fact that 1t was the custom OF fash
ionable ladies to receive their guests in
bed. The bed itself was more than
sumptuous with bouquets of plumes or
feathers rising from the head posts
These feathers. by the way, were OF
various colors and sizes and had no
symbolism, simply decorative.
Nowadays there seems TO be more or
less prejudice about the great, heavy
wooden bed and the brass bed is frank
ly asked for but unless IL is beauti-
fully draped the great majority OF
decorators cry out against II and COM
plain that it's environment Is not ap-
propriate and that II is never in har-
rnony with the rest OF the furnishings.
There Is one feature of this favorite
period that il exceptionally beautiful
and that is the draperies that were
used in such profusion. The walls.
even to the doors, were paneled, and
the window hangings were most slabO-
rate.
Is an endless variety. In fact the sup
DIv is boundless and so fascinating
that it is a gigantic task to know just
what to select. Any delicately colored
picture in a dainty gold frame shows
or we'll against it's costly BACKGROUND.
and a marble bust or vase never fails
10 look it's very best when holding it's
own on one OF the spindle-leSged
tables that seem especially made for
that very purpose.
So, il you. Miladi. are seriously think
ing OF fitting IN a new reception-room
that is to be kept always in the very
best of order and that the family is
not allowed to visit unless there is a
valid excuse in the form OF a guest,
HE yourself downtown and Immediate
ly investigate the Italian walnut, and.
furthermore. asked to see il waxed. II
it fails to please you but one thing can
be said-that you are more fastidious
and more difficult to please than the
most fastidious woman that ever lived
Madame Pompadour-of the reign
Of his Majesty Louis XIV.