Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1910-06-21
is warm. and the enec, of the two /.

the lighteSt room there will he dark
seem much darker than ii really Is.
This explains why wall paper which
appeared perfectly satisfactory in the
dealers store is often disappoint-
ment on the wall of the room for
which 1t was bought The sample in
the store was displayed in different
light from that in the room. Three prin.
ciples will always govern the proper
use Of color in house decoration-tirst.
that Of color In relation to light; Sec
ond. color in graduation. and. third. col
or in masses. These principles are not
difficult to master. hut they are as i'm
portant and as impossible to escape as
climate. The shades Of color used on
walls or ceiling govern everything
else The color of the walls prp<cribes
the color that must be used in door
coverings. curtains and drappries.
After the relation 0f color to light has
been established and personal prefer
ences have been taken into account the
next principle is that Of graduation
The strongest and purest tones Of the
color are naturally and almost by in
stinct put at the base-that is. the floor
covering should carry the darkest COL
or or it's strongest tone.
1t is not often advisable to use what
is known as one color decoration-that
Is. combining the entire decoration to a
single color. Such plan is much like
trying to make melody on one note
Of the scale. The best effects in both
sounds and color are produced by the
skillful variation of tones. The grada-
ton and combination Of even opposing
tints give the greatest satisfaction to
the eye. But. whatever the color or col.
ors ilsed. they mist bp darkest on the
floor. The walls will give the second
grade in color and the ceiling the last.
These. gradations. too. should be dis
tinct and separate enough in tone to
be perfectly apparent. The connecting
grades may appear in furniture cover
ing and draperies. Then the third
principle. using color in masses. means
that whatever color is used should be
given space enough to establish itself
freely In other words. 1t should not
be broken into patches and neutra!ized
by divisions. Nature does not put Il
single red leaf on tree and them
change the color to yellow or green
Rather the whole forest will have its
various colors SO arranged thut one is
perfectly conscious Of every one of
them. The brilliant red Is in quantity
sufficient to make itself felt. yet 1t
does not interfere with tie glow o.
the yellow or the restrulress of the
green. The general tone Of the room
may be what you will-grcen or blue
or a division of each-but to he per-
feet every detail in the roOlu must be
related to one or both Of these colors.
II this rule is disregarded every niece
of furniture unrelated to the whole
becomes spot which has no rea! CON
nection with and puts the entire rocm
out Of harmony.
Where to Use Different CoIors.
Some colors are much better suited
to one room than another. II ones
favorite color is pink it should not be
USS'u III tuc lOOLu VI uAIl AiSnl
blues, pinks. lavender and other dainty
shades are more suitable for sleeping
rooms occupied by young people.
though for the average person there
is no better color than soft. unob-
trusive green for bedroom.
Red has for years been the favorite
color for dining room. and yet there
are certain reasons why it is entirely
out Of place there. For one reason.
the color soon becomes monotonous
and has an irritating effect upon nerv-
Gus or highly strung persons. Al
though a warm color. 1t is inclined to
absorb light 1t Is very rich and
warm In sunlight or artificial light.
but in ordinary daylight it makes a
room seem dark and gloomy. Ii red
is to be used at all in wall covering
1t should be confined to a hall or den.
some room which is not in constant
use. When yellow happens to be Il
favorite color 1t is u good one to use
in the dining room. particularly when.
as is often the case. that room has
northern exposure. Golden browns
and tans are satisfactory in living
rooms when conditions are right for
them-that is. when there Is not too
much sunlight in the room.
Living rooms should be decorated
not only with restful colors. but those
which suggest cheeriness as well.
rooms should be soothing. and
the colors which produce this effect
are supposed to be quiet green's. soft
grays and dull blues.
The paneled wall and beamed cell
Ing Of dark wood with color showing
between make splendid finish for
living and dining rooms and hail. es-
pecially in a country house. One par
ticularly attractive country home had
he dining room ceiled with birch logs
On which the white bark had been re-
tanned to CLEAN in the freight. A tint
ing Of soft green on rough plaster
gave the room delightful woodsy eff
feet quite in keeping with the rural
How much more appro-
pirate decoration like that in coun-
:ry house than some artificial arrange
nent copied from city housei