The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-03
Papering Downstairs in
 a Country House


 all cool, airy grace and unpre-
 tentiousness, 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 more important part. Even here, though, Is lacking the rich slaborateness sha3 and very evident elegance nee the aim of the average owner Of a country place is to have it unobtru- siveiy charming--in keeping with the simpler life of summer.
 The papering of downstairs rooms de- bends largely upon the style of the architecture. Small cottages, with but a single living room, as rule have it hung with gay chintz or lowered pat terms to give cheerful, homelike touch, while houses with hall and suite ot living room library and dining room permit a pleasing variety.
 Frequently a 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 massed foliage frightened by yellow green flowers; two-toned veluteen. covered with a conventional grape de- sign, in which the dull purples and reds of the fruit did not detract from gen eral impression of greenness. above the high oak wainscoting of the dining room, while the drawing room. which was rather small, the library being used for the general family life, was charmingly plain. being in creamy satin damask effect with vines of del- icate green falling over the upper half of the wall, as if suspended from the picture moulding.
 Another house, equally attractive, was papered throughout in yellows, from deep yellow brown to palest canary.
 If at all possible, some of the down. stairs rooms should be wainscoted. If but one or two can be treated in this way, 1t is we'll to confine it to the li- brary and dining room, though liv- ing room is particularly effective fin- ished in white enameled panels, with bookcases and fnantel to match and a 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 patterns or some of the artistic French or German tapestries.
 However much one may admire this wainscot flnish--and 1t 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 it too exten- sively. One woman who went into raptures over a friends wainscoted bedroom straightway had the entire upper floor of her new home done in chestnut wood, reaching within few
 
 ever after as if she were living in a series of cigar boxes. Variety cannot 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 pie lures and hangings.
 The gay paroquets and cockatoos so much in favor this season are ex- 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 f1owerH and brilliant fo- liage are all the raEe, and will prob ably clearly mark most of this sea- sons new houses.
 Hall papers, as a rule, lack sugges- tion, 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 flores, 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 1t on the walls Is the same: no borders. no fringe nor dado, simply a plain stretch from haseboard right up to plaster cor nice or molding, with white ceiling to ton it.