The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-24
HOUSE DEC0RA lions SIMPLER.
But That Does Not Mean Any Limit to
the Cost

/
For the last two or three years in New
York the tendency has been toward
simplicity in house furnishings and dee.
orations. This does no: mean that rich
people are contenting themselves with
Inexpensive furnishings for the fine
houses which have gone up So fast OF
late in the city. Far from it. SIMPLE
ity and eheapness do not necessarily
go hand in hand.
; A Fifth avenue decorator said not
long ago:
During the last five years there has
been a constantly increasing demand in
this country for the costliest and rarest
specimens of furniture and hangings
which can be imported or manufacture
ed here after imported models. Many
OF the very wealthy have selected such
lpieces for themselves while on the other
side
The other day a decorator and de-
signer equally famous said on the sub
ject of house furnishings:
sInconspicueus and simple effects in
| color and design are now noticeable
feature of the furnishings and decoTa-
tions of the best houses.
| To see gorgeously frescoed walls and
ceilings that show not an inch of un-
| adorned space one must so to the no..
| tells and restaurants to clubhouses and
public buildings. With few exceptions
they will not be found in the homes of
| the New Workers who set the fashion
in most things not only for this city,
but also for the country at large.
This will illustrate what I mean
4
colored sketch of a parlor Respondent
in gold trimmings, intricate frescoes
and ornamental friezes. 1T repre-
sents one of the rooms in a big hotel
in a neighhoring city we are now fur
nishing and decorating.
1.-THE proprietors of the hotel are not
striving after quiet effects by any
means. And they are right. The great
mass of the travelling public are better
pleased to have magnificent effects
when they pay big prices. They ex-
pect them. in fact
Now, here in contrast to that Is
Mrs. So and Sos drawing room mann
ing a lady who is FAMED for her wealth.
which We re-decorated last fall"
The sketch showed a long expanse
of perfectly plain ceiling rounding
down to meet four inch moulding of
white and gold. The walls between a
two foot high wainseoting of white
enamelled wood and the frieze were
panened with yellow self-toned satin
brocade. The chairs and sofas were
upholstered in yellow brocade of exact
~ the same tint, and portieres and
window curtains were. made of the
same material The frames of the
furniture were white enamelled.
THE general style of the room is
Louis XVI explained the decorator,
land to some extent it is a fac-simile
of the drawing room most in vogue just
now among the very wealthy.
Plain ivory tinted ceilings devoid of
ornamentation are practically the rule.
The very wide. elaborate frieze has
gone. out.
There are no vivid contrasts of color
in wall hangings or furniture coverings.
The self-toned room-that Is, the room
where everything is of the one color
has the lead in the best houses below
the bedroom floors. Two or three kinds |
of furniture of as many different colors
jumbled up in the same drawfngroom
are out of the question now.
"Aubusson tapestry lis preferred by
those who can afford 1t for furniture
covering and hangings, and in spite Of
its cost it is exuuisitely refined and
in it's coIors and general
effect. None but the experienced know
that small sofa made of this fabric
costs about $500 or more. and a single
chair about $500. 1t is neither SNOWY
nor gaudy.
Powdered gold frames or frames of
Circassian walnut generally go with
the Louis XIV and Louis XVI designs OF
covering, and In order to carry out the
Ii is the fashion now to
have large center rug made to match.
This takes six months, but the result
IS entire harmony of coloring.
I'VE have just finished a drawing
room uptown which cost an immense
sum of money. yet looks almost plain.
The ceiling is tinted ivory, the walls
are done in Aabusson tapestry panels
divided with two inch border of ivory
plaster touched with gold: the VAIN {
scoting is ivory enamelled wood.
..Aubusson tapestry of ivory color
shaded to gray and with a ribbon de-
sign of pale pink running through it 1
covers the furniture. the frames Of
which are powdered with gold The Z
'ug matches perfectly.
Nothing could be more quiet or
simpler in effect In fact, almost the /
anne effect could be secured with paint /
md much less pretentious fabrics.
In the best houses in the South, and I
lIso in some of the country houses
ottages SO called-not far away from $
Jew York, the colonial drawingroom, /
With its expanse of old mahogany and {
eep red tones. is having more or less I
f q vogue. But then. in the South, it {
as always been In fashion.
"In New York the penchant sor colo b
ia1 fashions is usually confined to Z
Their parts OF the house, not to the
Even in his suburban t
ONE I find that the rich New Yorker L
ticks pretty closely to this ideal and d
nat his country house is practically a II
splica of that in town. ?
In many houses one or more Colo q
ial rooms are often included, but few r.
the wealthy have so far chosen to U