The San Francisco call., 1909-03-28

ITS = necessary" a connoisseur OF
the house beautifur' once asked,
that on entering the home of
wealth and fashion a decorator
should invite YOU to sit down upon
pigeon. 20 obliterate a love scene or to
lean your back against basket Of flow
ersE To this was replied; rs 1t any
worse than 10 eat from a plate deco
rated with flowers which mingle with
the sauces. or TO drink from cup fes-
tooned with butterflies which may fly
down your throat2 The chief aim OF
beauty is 10 please the eye. That ac-
complished. the means disappear"
To please the eye is assuredly the aim
OF the army OF household Dlenishers and
household decorators in san Francisco
today. In her new ana mighty state Of
rehabilitation homes ranging from a
shanty 10 a palace are springing up
everywhere, and even In the meanest Of
these it VIII not be necessary TO dis
pense with beauty in some form. for
never was furniture textile or fabric
so exquisitely wrought ia inexpensive
materials as now. Like the japanese.
We may soon have even our face towels
woven into symbolic patterns The
sheets on which We lie may become
glowing representations OF Tamalpais
and the Piedmont hills with scenes
our eyes on waking.
Nevertheless bhe trend Of popular
taste is toward simplicity. This is evil
denced largely by the solid straight
limbed mission furniture. Some one has
said that any one using mission furni-
ture first had the furniture placed in
position and then had a house built
around IT, The variations from this
particular form have been along the
same lines. though perhaps combining
grace with its squareness to degree
incompatible With the term mission.
When IL varies thus it takes another
name. Most Of US are content to de-
scribe the kind OF furniture we want To
buy by graphic phrase expressive of
Its legs, feet or shape. but there arc
connoisseurs IN the furniture question
who can tell a Louis XVI from Louis
XII bed IN the twinkling of an eye and
10 whom the mysteries OF Chippendale
and Sheraton are no mystery al All
These are the furniture dealers whose
shops house veritable works Of art: who
revel IN old furniture, and know lust
what a well arranged and correct home
should contain from bedroom 10 recep-
ton hail.
city firm Of this character has
just sold TO one Of its wealthy patrons
q set OF Louis ANI furniture. compris-
Ing twin beds. dressing table. chairs
bureau, cabinet and chevaI glass for
$1,000 The set is made Of mahogany
and satinwood irlaid. The wood is ex-
Quisitely beautifn in its satin finish
and HAWKES. texture, but as If this
were not enough. paintings by cele-
brated artists in water colors and oils
are seen on nearly every piece OF the
furniture where II could be made effec-
dive and add TO the delicate harmony
81 the whole. Such furniture as this.
Il IS said. can not be manufactured
hg~ Or1Tr ~r1.r
be seen until a set is ordered from
New York, where most OF il is made
by a oiminutiVe Italian. who has spent
lis life among old furniture and knows
X well This Italian has probably
never seen a piece II machinery in
his life and would certainly not know
now 10 use IL The satinwood furni-
ture is ali made by hand. a process
involving minute care and skill that
not one person ia a thousand can un-
derstand. Such furniture is difficult
10 procure and Yet il is said that in
san francisco II is in growing de-
mano. One beautiful home ia Pacific
avenue, fitted up entirely by this firm.
has period furniture for each OF the
different rooms The reception room
Is in pure colonial. which differs from
juSt colonial in being an absolutely
perfect reproduction OF the furniture
Of that period, and is fitted up in fine.
Altl4f DAA 4lldAAbEdiAsr LdI4iCulZinR with
The woodwork OF the room. The din
ing room Is OF the Eliza bethan period.
the hall English renaissance. the bed
rooms a modified Louis XVI and the
library plain English-simple but of
great elegance and richness. The
country place OF another patron con-
tains many beautiful pieces of Sher-
atom. which is always distinguishable
by its straight lines and inlay. while
vet others prefer to own rare pieces of
Chippendale. which possess graceful
curves
One Of the best liked and most
sought after effects IN furniture just
Ecw is the white enamel, especially in
Fedroom sets. This. also. is an adapta-
don from the French and is really
constructed OF white maple from the
middle states with white enamel fin
ish. The maple. being almost pure
white, takes the enamel well and the
result IS a pure and perfect finish very
1uch like that Of ivory. A small dress