The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-01-08

The old fashioned parlor with it's
closed shutters and hair furniture, its
wax flowers and hair wreathes in
gilded frames, has been relegated en-
tirely to the past. In its place has
come the modern living ROOM Par
lors' in the old accepted meaning of
the word. are considered by the mod
ern woman unnecessary to the COM
fort of her family, and the living room
and it's furnishings come first In her
thought for comfort. To whom the new
adjustment is due, whether the modern
architect suggested living" room or
whether the modern woman demanded
reaction, cannot be said, but between
these two has evolved the most de-
lightful room in the whole house.
The big, sunny living room, its win
dows arranged for the winter garden.
Its comfortable chairs, its open FIRE
places, its bright hangings and on the
other hand the stiff, formal and unused
parlors where the sun light seldom
penetrated where often the doors re-
NAMED closed except in cases of a
funeral or Wedding is contrast
frequently drawn by the modern
woman.
Perhaps the picture has been over
drawn, and our grandmothers enjoyed
the delights of their "parlors" more
than we give them credit for. | am
sure that my grandmother was bliss
fully happy with her parlors. and do
not believe they were closed and only
opened ON state occasions. | am sure
that the high and quaint mirrows on
the mantel and the tall pier glasses
reflected daily scenes of brigh tness, and
from the furniture that came out of
those parlors and that which has come
from the parlors of other grandmoth-
ers. 1 am not altogether sure but that
these eparlors' meant a great deal
more In real beauty in household
decoration than much of the interior
decoration of today
Modern furniture is certainly far be-
low artistic standards, and paper
hangings do not always represent taste
in either design or color Unfortunately
much of the inartistic finds its way
into modern American homes.
plicity in the lines of her furniture,
and in her house decorations, she has
no advantage over the woman of two
or three generations ago who had
'parlors" that she was afraid TO use.
Even hair wreathes and wax flowers are
preferable to the confusion" of some
modern rooms. Give me the hair furniture
of my grandmother's day instead of the
modernly constructed things. so lack
ing in solidity of effect, and entirely
out of proportion.
There is after all little criticism for
the wax flower days, because hand in
hand with them went beautiful lines
in furniture, and simplicity in Win
dow decoration. 1t is quite reasonable
to suppose that a woman who would
make wax flowers would have most
orderly house devoid of anything or
nate or garish. Just the very thought
of wax flowers seems to suggest white
walls, with their quantity old fashioned
pictures, oval shaped, and in gilded
frames, the simple white marble man
tel piece, brass firesdogs, and furniture
built upon such delicious lines of sim
plicity and to which a few modern
ton.
But says the modern woman. | can
forgive the wax flowers, because they
did go side by side with beautiful fur
niture, but-th ere was dust, l am sure,
on the glass globes that were put over
tho dowers and the parlorS We're