The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
BAD TASTE IN WALL PAPER
WOHEN UNWILLING TO TAKE
ADVICE, SAYS 4 DEALER.
And Adds suEEestlous as to what Is Newes

And Adds SUGGESTIONS as 10 what Ii Newest
-Friezes mat Are POpular-Sik Floss
Paper an Expensive Novelty for Draw.
Ing Rooms limitations OF Leather.
Asked what are some Of the newest de-
signs in wall papers a dealer replied;
More stripes, more varieties Of color,
more elaborate frezes-soenic, hersldio,
landscape and ~aoral-more grades Of paper
to be used in connection with a wooden
freze OF a cornioe.'
Asked why IL is, with such a profusion
Of really beautiful, artistic wall papers as
are shown here and elsewhere, one sees
90 many commonplace, inartistio examples
on the walls Of New York houses and apart
ments, the dealer merely shrugged his
shoulders
Are salesmen to blame, or Is II true, as
q portrait painter charged recently, that
the average New York woman 10 not at
all artistici' Here is the dealers answer
which may interest intending buyers:
Buying wall papers is about a. difficult a
proposition as any woman can tackle.
It IL the only proposition about which she
does not crave advice. When selecting
wall papers most women turn a cold
shoulder ever TO advice from q salesman,
Often when by special request / have given
personal attention TO a customer she has
assumed an air as one who would say:
My good man. it's all very well for you 10
buy and sell wall papers, but when II comes
TO a question Of refined taste and critical
Judgment fancy ! know~a lot more than
you do
And as the main object OF any dealer
is 10 sell his goods. l never resent this
manner and with the best grace l can
muster consent to color schemes and COM
binations Of paper far below the artistic
STANDARD We try to maintain here. 1t lie
true that statesmen often seem indifferent.
But whyl Because they have learned that
In The majority Of cases to show the goods
and let a customer make her own selection
lie the easiest and in the end the most
satisfactory thing TO do. Unless asked
TO do 30 some statesmen never trot out the
newest designs and combinations for the
reason that II q customer starts in by an
nounoing with decision that she wants a
certain sort of fHeze or a particular kind
Of paper there IL not much use in showing
her anything else. The salesman may
suspect that the room the customer is
buying paper for would look better with
quite another sort Of wall hanging, or he
MAJ be aware that the selection IL q year
or two behind the fashions. but Ia he going
10 upset the lady by interfering with her
choice9 Not on your life.
I'm the long run the woman who comes
In and says she doesn't know Just what 10
choose for this, that and the other room
and lets the salesman make suggestions
fares much the better in artistic results.
In that case he asks the size OF the room,
the height Of the ceiling, the style and color
Of the furniture and carpets before going
10 work. He Is on his mettle, as II were.
He has q incentive TO do his best. And
ten chances TO one the customer gets some
thing artistic and up 10 date. ! am speak
ing OF course OF the average well 70 do
buyer, not of the wealthy, who az a rule
put 9 lob into the hands Of decorators with
few provisos and leave II there till done.
The output OF wall papers every year Ia
now 90 tremendous that there u no reason
why ever for a comparatively small sum
one need have anything inartistic, ugly
or old fashioned. As for hanging the paper,
cheaper varieties can be treated with a.
much style as more expensive ones. In the
ordinary class Of house he went on, the
paper frieze lie now a feature for the reason
that the new spring designs are 80 beautiful
and so reasonable in price.
AT first the scenic and the landscape
friezes We got were somewhat crude. Now
they are made after designs done by noted