Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-04

Elaborate
Window decoration Is no longer popular.
The word sanitation means more than 1t did
twenty years ago, and interior decoration
has new Interpretation. We now realize
that nothing is good decoration that is not
founded on utility. We talk much of sim
plicity, but utility only Is another name for
the same thing. First, the amount of light
in the room must be taken into considera-
tion. If the architect has disregarded the
question of sunshine the room probably Is
dark. Curtain the windows in the thinnest
material possible. A transparent yellow will
solve the window problem as nothing else
will. 1t will give a suggestion of sunshine
when a white curtain will suggest perpet-
ual thundercloud If the room Is well light
ed we need to consider harmony only. In
room where there are books in colored bind
ings, oriental rugs pieces of pottery In diff
ferent tones, the plain curtain usually Is
best-whether the wall be plain or figured.
In room so much in use as living room
the plain wall is apt to be more satisfactory
than the figured one If the walls are green,
golden brown, deep red or old blue, and the
curtains match them exactly, there is a GER
tain dignity about the entire apartment that
is not obtained with the use of figured mate
rial. The plain material may be transpa
rent or it may be quite the reverse, but the
effect Is nearly the same Raw silk Is a de-
lightful curtain fabric. 1t washes well, and
frequently looks better after repeated wash
ings. Serge Is another excellent thing for
the living room windows If you have no OBJ
lection to woolens You can have the glazed
part OF the window hung with net or grass
cloth and the serge hanging In straight, dig
nm al ri
the window frame.
When raw silk Is used 1t sometimes is
good plan to sew net and silk together. One
rod holds them both, and they can go to the
wash tub without being ripped apart. One
breadth Of net and one breadth Of silk make
the half curtain. Whatever the material, 1t
Is simpler to have 1t reach to the window
sill only. If the living room has easement
windows another scheme Is necessary. Case
ment windows admit of but one curtain
scheme, q simple muslin curtain shirred on
a brass rod and no shades. Where windows
high and it Is desirable to have an ef-
feet Of shortening the valence often Is de-
sirable Make the side curtains to hang In
straight folds at either side of the window
and then hang shorter curtain over and
extending entirely across. This treatment
allows Of the shade being rolled entirely up
and the light being softened by the thinner
curtains.
There are endless curtain materials In
white there are dotted, crossbar and plain
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point desprits and cheesecloth. There are
many nets-the popular colonial net. the
larger fishnet, and nets that have special
trade names, known only to the man behind
the counter. In color the list Of materials
Is too long to enumerate. Madras, once SO
ugly. now so satisfactory. stands high on
the list. Where single curtain Is used and
that a figured one, nothing Is better than
madras. Raw silk, china silk and silkoline
are well known, the former being the best
of the three Serge and linen taffeta, when