Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-14
THE OUTDOOR LIVING ROOM

OF late years the American porch has
developed into an outdoor living room,
greatly to the advantage of the Amerl-
can family. In furnishing this porch
the same rules cannot be used as IN
furnishing the indoor living room. The
brilliant light out of doors is one OF
the first things to be considered. The
porch furnishings must be considered
in conjunction with the adjacent lawn
and garden rather than with the In
door hall or living room from which II
NAV omen. Colors that would be glar-
ing and harsh in the shaded room take
on a certain softness in the brilliant
light and in contrast with the orn-
liant green of the grass and scarlet
of geraniums and phlox or saliva or
the yellow of the coreopsis and cnry-
santhemum or the purple OF the petunIa
and pansy. If you have these mowers
in YOUR garden, let your porch 1ur-
nishings harmonize with them Don't
use magenta cushions with scarlet
geraniumS or red roses or vice versa.
Don't use scarlet furnishings II you
have bougainvilia trained over your
porch
ing it the background of the picture
rather than the color climax. Be very
careful in selecting your greens.
green that may appear SOFT ana artlatIc
i'm the shaded house may form jar
ring note of discord when contrasted
with grass and shrubs
Again, in the glaring out OF doors
all colors will soon fade, and not al
ways to an artistic softness, but OFTEN
only to a WaShed-out StreaklneSS
which is far from pleasing. So choose
colors that are good and strong ana III
harmony with surroundings. -.
In choosing your furniture slmp1lclty
and comfort are the keynotes. never
forget either one or the other. LuH-
urious furnishings are surely decldeoly
out of place on the porch.
TRY all chairs before you buy them
and be sure that you get comtortaple
ones. Wicker furniture is always goou
and the lines of some of the new pieces
are excellent The woven grass 1urnl-
tI1re is in great favor. Both of these
wear we'll and stand a good deal OF
weathering. The quaint "old hickory
furniture made especially for out OIL
door use. is well liked by many, anu
will be found comfortable BESIDES nay
ing the advantage Of lastlng me
time. .
and NAV be supplemented by the
swinging canvas seats, or they are
ofttimes made of wood and swing by
heavy chains. For all of the chalrs'
hammocks and setteeS have cushlons,
and again more cushions; CUSHIONS
whose covers may be sent to the laun-
drv again and yet again, that may pc
used on the floor or on the lawn, ana
stiIl not be injured; cushion covers OF
heavy crash stenciled, covers of towel
ing in blue or red and white squares
with embroidery in color in the Whlte
squares or white in the colored squares.
Tn fact the materials suitable for TINS
nurpose are nearly endless. woven
raffa. makes excellent cushion covers
for those that are to be used on the
steps. These, of course, do not neeu
washing. In floor coverings the grass
rugs look we'll and are inexpensive ana
seryiceable. Old fashioned rag rugs
are also very satisfactory. These may
now be bought in almost any coloring
as well as any desired size very rea-
sonably at the shops, or it is quite
feasible to cut and sew the rags at
home and have them woven by pro
fessional weaver with very Slight
outlay in time and cash.
Porch shades of split bamboo or bass
wood are so constructed that air can
circulate freely and the people can see
ont from the inside, but those on the
outside cannot see in. These are par
ticularly valuable for securing privacy
where the porch is unfortunately close
to the street.
Be sure and have a fair sized table
on the porch from which tea may be
served and where magazines and fav-
orite books may be laid, and where