The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-10-06
THE OLD-TIMED CHINTZES
ARE COMING INTO FAVOR

u IIlOsI TtTlOle
have hitherto failed to credit Napoleon
with what has become a feature of mod
ern furnishing-viz.. chintzes and Gre
tonnes-that first came into vogue dur
ing the period between Trafalgar and
Waterloo. when the country was taxed
To such an eXtraVagant extent that even
the rich. with an eye to strict economy,
replaced brocades and siIken coverings,
rich tapestries and needle-worked hang
ings by patterned materials made Of
cotton that were so beautiful. both as
regards design and color. that 1t is small
w1hder that the new upholstery soon
began to GUST the old, and, though the
original cause for their popularity has
long since been forgotten, chintzes and
cretonnes still survive and hold a high
place in the furnishing world to-day.
Reproduced from Blocks.
This year sees the revival Of the Old
World chintzes that belonged to the
earliest Victorian days. with their
strong. vivid color effects and their
smother of Old World flowers grouped
together over quaint, spotted and sprfg-
ged background in a riot OF color and
an absolute disregard OF the season. The
effect is not only cheerful. but so
countriied that the mere presence of
these vivid chintzes. with their brilliant
dahlias. their deep pink posies OF cab
bage-roses. their tall hollyhocks set
amid sharp. green foliage and subdued
cOlors. seems to breathe the fragrance
OF some old-fashioned country garden.
Against Glazed Surfaces.
For those who are still prejudiced
against these cool country looking COW
ers and hangings. and cry out that
Chintz. however. beautiful of design, has
a cold. uncomfortable appearance, there
are lovely new designs that have soft
gray backgrounds. frightened by massed
posies of Maluaison carnations. or Japa-
nese-looking trails of pink sand pale
mauve wistaria, that give a richer and
more town-like appearance to rooms
furnished with the same.
Such Chintzes and cretonnes look very
well made into curtains. that are inva-
riably finished off with the same soft
pink-hued Innings that are now to be
had in absolutely unfadable fabrics that
never lose their color. however sunny
may be the aspect of the windows they
drape.
The Note of Black.
The note OF black counted so indIs-
pensable in modern furnishing appears
in many of the new cretonnes and
rhintzes. which not only introduce a
somber value that enhances the beauty
Of furniture and makes an ideal back
ground effect when used for curtains.
but has the added attraction OF never
showing soil.
The majority Of these black chintzes
show patterns that emphasize the beau
~ OF Eastern flowers and exotic birds
carried out in vivid pinks. reds. blues,
~ 80
iucing that lovely softness of effect that
Is so often TO be seen in old oriental
porcelain.
For Small Rooms.
One finds a new departure in these
black background chintzes this year. that
axes the form of small all-over pat |
erns. such as bright mauve lilac, that
10 completely covers the background that |
he black is almost lost sight Of
a recommendation for these small all |
,ver patterns is that they cut up for |
Dose covers with the minimum amount |
# waste, SO that considerably less ma
erial Is required than would be wanted
o cover the same furniture If a large
PATTERN were selected.
Covers Of this description look very
veil made up in the new fashion that
hows pipings of green mauve or any
'ther colored linen that ends to empha-
ize the lines OF good furniture. which is
90 often lost sight of when covers are
Ised
In some of the new patterns one can
etect the influence OF the futurist
chool of painting. This appears in the
orm Of soft blurred printing in color
UGH as magenta, blue and green in the
orm of weird-shaped tulips with night
mare leaves, such as nature never de-
Used.
One also find a quite new material in
cretonne composed OF cotton woven
With comingling of fine and coarse
breads in such a manner as to impart
he effect of rich wooden fabric COW
red with a blurred shadow design of
owers-the effect achieved giving the
that the design has been
reathed on to the background rather
han woven into the fabric.
A Chints-Iike Tapestry.
Quite different as regards style. but
omewhat after the same effect. is a
ovel chintz that looks like tapestry.
his shows series of clusters of Pc
unia-colored flowers and bright exotic
irds, set against a pale biscuit back
round. the whole device being brought
ogether by graceful arabesques carried
ut in the softest tones OF blue.
Such chintz would not clash with
ny style Of furniture or any scheme oil
ecoration, and. being anything butt
atchy as to pattern, It lends itself ad-
,irably to use In small rom.
I