Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-17
Papering Downstairs in
a Country House


Righteousness, costly though IT
may be, for the first floor a totally diff
ferent treatment is demanded; colorings
are strangers, effects more daring. SIM
plicity less insisted upon, while the
woodwork plays a more important part.
Even here, though, Is lacking the rich
elaborateness and very evident elegance
that Is permissible in a farm house, for
the aim of the average owner of
country place is to have II unobtru-
slvely charming-in keeping with the
simpler life of summer.
The papering of downstairs rooms de-
Ponds largely upon the style of the
architecture. Small cottages. with but
a single living room, as a rule have II
hung with gay ehintz or Powered pat
while houses with hall and suite OF
living room, library and dining room
permit a pleasing variety.
Frequently whole lower floor is pa
pered in one color with different tones
and designs for each room. In one such
scheme green was used-a cool green
and white stripe for the hall, rich
forest tapestry for the library, its
green flowers; a two-toned veluteen,
covered with a conventional grape de-
sign, in which the dull puppies and reds
OF the fruit did not detract from gem
eral impression OF greenness' above the
high oak wainscoting Of the dining
room, while the drawing room, which
was rather small, the library being
charmingly plain, being in a creamy
satin damask effect with vines of del
icate green falling over the upper half
OF the wall, as II suspended from the
picture moulding.
Another house, equally attractive, was
papered throughout in yellows, from
deep yellow brown TO palest canary.
II at all possible, some of the down
stairs rooms should be wainscoted. II
but one or two can be treated in this
4 fc 70 IN 4
brary and dining room, though liv-
ing room is particularly effective fin-
ished in white enameled panels, with
bookcases and mantel to match and q
shelf for pictures and bric-a-brac at
the top.
The papers for such a treatment are
charming In the French eighteenth
century styles, the English Morris
or German tapestries.
However much one may admire this
walnscot finish-and II is good in all
the natural hardwoods and in the new
soft stains that are such perfect imi-
tations-it Is scarcely advisable in
building a house to use IL too extern
sively. One woman who went into
raptures over a friends wainscoted
bedroom stralghtway had the entire
upper floor of her new home done in
chestnut wood, reaching within few
feet OF the raftered ceiling, and felt
ever after as IL she were living in a
be too strongly recommended, and the
long, straight lines of plainly papered
walls, especially in the low-ceilinged
modern house, are both restful and
form excellent. backgrounds for pic
lures and hangings.
The gay paroquets and cockatoos
so much in favor this season are eN-
tremely stylish for large living rooms
in the country, though they are
scarcely advisable when repapering
cannot be done often, as one Is apt to
tire of so striking a style. For the
present, though, these vivid tropical
birds, bright flowers and brilliant TO-
iiage are all the rage, and will prob
ably clearly mark most of this sea-
sons new houses.
Hall papers, as a rule, lack sugges-
ton. and the walls are kept cool and
neutral in character.
Whatever paper Is used on the lower
floor rooms-and with the two-tone
and two-colored veluteens, Art Nou-
veau designs, gobelin and modern
tapestries. English high-colored arts
and crafts papers, exquisite satin
damasks, silk hbres, Japanese grass
cloths and old CordoVa leather effects
papers in stripes. figures or flowers
and papers old English, French deco
rative, ancient German, there should be
no difficulty in gratifying every taste
the method OF putting II on the walls
10 the same: no borders, no fringe
nor dado, simply a plain stretch from
Dashboard right up to plaster cor
nice or molding, with a white ceiling
to top it.