The Republican journal., 1908-04-30
SPRING FURNISHINGS.
Styles Shown by New York Decorators
Enamelled Woods and Floral Patterns.
Wall Hangings in Newest Modes. Gre

Enamelled Woods and Floral Patterns.
Wall Hangings in Newest Modes. Gre
tonnes and Floor Coverings.
Correspondence of The Journal
NEW YORK, April %. If the shade
of an old New Yorker who left this
vicinity early in the 7O's should revisit
the city and have free access to the in
teriors of it's dwellings, he would be
astonished at the changes that have
come about in household furnishing.
His was the day of heavy carpets tack
ed firmly to the floor to be taken up at
intervals varying from one to two years,
for what was then considered thorough
cleaning, a beating and brushing by
hand power in the open air, very poor
substitute for our modern mechanical
methods where suction and steam do
the work of renovation. The bare floor,
was in his day sign OF poverty, has
become the rule with those able to at
ford the best, and carpets in rug form
are used by people of all sorts. He
would miss the old stuffed furniture
and probably consider the lighter pieces
of today very poor and filmsy, though
if he should rest his poor old bones-if
a shade has bones in one OF the wicker
arm chairs, he would probably have to
confess that he had never found one
more comfortable. Not even the old
"oleepy-hollow" that he smoked and
dozed in before his fire of glowing an
thracite and which modern hygiene has
pronounced dangerous receptacle for
all sorts of horrible germs.
BARRENEss OF APPEARANCE.
The modern bedroom would no doubt
repel him by certain baroness OF APP
pearance, such as he would associate
with a hospital, or model prison, while
his grandson would find the old style
stuffy furnishings even more repellant,
and would hardly dare to spend night
in such a room unless it were first
thoroughly disinfected. Some one has
said there is cleanliness and there is
surgical cleanliness, and it is the lat
ter that is demanded in the best type of
chamber furnishing. Everything in
room of this kind must be washable
and no useless, dust collecting, articles
should be tolerated.
BEAUTY AND HYGIENE.
That there is no sacrifice of attrac-
tiyeness in furnishings that answer to
the demands of hygiene in the home, is
proved by an inspection of some of the
houses recently fitted up by we'll
known decorator here, one who has as
merited a reputation for the practical
ity as for the beauty Of his work. The
present trend is toward lightneSS and
daintiness of effect without any sacri-
flee of comfort Enamelled woods, with
very delicate painted ornaments, are
features of the new adam furniture
which comes to us from England and
is named after the welLknown English
decorator It suggests the cottage
furniture that was once popular here,
but with none of the cheap, objection
able features of that mode. The mod
ern enames represent the OVERLAPPING
of many coats, and are durable as we'll
as costly, while the decorative designs
are the work Of artists in the best
pieces
CANE BACKS FASHIONABLE.
Some of the prettiest chairs and set
ties in the new enamelled styles have
backs of woven cane in the regulation
open seat pattern, while the seats are
cushioned in cretonnes in tapestry de-
signs of soft cOlOring. One sees the
same idea in the French walnut furni-
ture that comes in Louis XVI. styles
and in these pieces the cane is often
gilded. Such furniture is only suitable
for very expensive interiors, but there
are any number of pretty enamelled
pieces, both of reed and wood that are
charmingly adapted to the most modest
requirements and quite slim purses.
With taste and little trouble much
may be done to improve shabby, out
worn set of bedroom or other furniture
f one has sufficient skill and enterprise
to apply couple of coats of good enamel
paint Cushions OF pretty cretonne are
not difficult to make and the result will
be to transform ugly old pieces into
most up to date and attractive gulse.
FLOOR COVERINGS.
Decorators here are making extensive
use of colonial rugs as the pretty rag
carpet WeaveS are now called. THESE
accord very we'll with cretonnes and
other light furnishings, while they are
washable and hence especially nice for
bedrooms. Where more substantial
floor coverings are desirable Crex rugs
and mattings are equally sanitary and
exceptionally durable. Perhaps the
natural soft green shade of the prairie
grass of which they are made is the
ulOSL SeueldDy dCCCpebOlC IliloihS, oue
they are to be had in a number of neu-
trail colorings that adapt them to any
desired scheme of decoration.
ADAINTY ROOM.
A room recently done over by Fifth
Avenue decorator has the walls hung
in pale buff striped hangings with
frieZe of pendant wistaria blossoms,
the pattern cut out at the lower edge
and forming an irregular line over the
stripes after fashion that is now very
much in vogue. The dressing table,
chiffoniere, several chairs, and charm
ingly modelled settle, have the wooden
frames enamelled in old ivory coloring,
the backs of woven cane in natural
tone, and cushioned Sc is of cretonne
on which a pattern of wistaria shading
from pale grayish lilac to deep purple
is printed. Opening out of this room
is an upper veranda used as an outdoor
living room in warm weather, and en-
closed with sliding glass frames as a
delightful sun parlor at other seasons.
PRINTED MUsLINS.
Muslin curtains that are easily renew
ed in the laundry make the best sort of
summer curtains and this year there is
an unusually pretty assortment OF JAG
guard or figured muslins, printed i'll
colors These are guaranteed to be
washable and add a very decorative
touch to simple furnishings, though