Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-26
When You Redecorate

Autumn is the best time to redecorate
your house, just as the spring is the worst
time II you redecorate in the spring,
just before the season for living out of
doors comes, the new furnishings have
lost much Of their charm before coy
cold weather comes again. Decorations
done in the autumn are ready to enjoy as
soon as frost makes the house pleasant
place to live in; and the winter sun. less
burning than that Of summer. does little
in the course of six months to blur the
freshness and color Of the new decora-
tons.
The sun is the biggest factor when it
comes to deciding on new decorations for
house. The southern and western rooms.
which would naturally get the most sun.
are the pleasantest rooms in the house.
They are the brightest, as well, and there
fore could stand rather dull papers-blue.
for instance. But the bright southern
and western sunlight fades blue paper so
quickly that it ought never to be used In
such room. unless it is shaded by over
hanging yerandas or trees
Blue paper in north room is cold but
il you want to keep it clear and bright
it must be used there. Some roster shade
pink or cream or yellOW-would give
much more cheerfulness to the northern
room. Yellow is a good color for the
western or southern room. 1t does not
fade-not unpleasantly, at least. It fades
little of course. but it fades an even,
pleasant color. 1t catches and accent
yates every bit of light and sunshine in
the room, and so produces a very cheer
full appearance.
II you cannot afford to have expensive
wall coverings use the greatest care in
choosing cheap ones. Even If you must
rh n {S q MA 70 CTR ~,
that which Is expensive. Notice the color
combinations In these papers and buy q
cheap one which suggests the same color
arrangement as the more expensive ones.
The expensive papers are seldom nat"
Cheaper papers often are ''lat"-insipid
and lacking In character. an the more
expensive papers black Is sometimes used
In the form of tracery to bring out the
tones OF the colors used. Another thing
gives distinction to the expensive papers
the background and the figures are run
into each other. often in a soft, attractive
fashion. which gives a much better effect
than do the striking contrasts between
background figures in some of the
cheaper papers.
Even in the expensive papers there are
some color combinations that are impos-
| sible to any one with a keen eye for
| color. So choose carefully. II You
cannot rely on your own taste choose
plain colOrs. Cartridge paper is always
good. So are papers showing invisible
| stripes, or narrow stripes in two tones OF
| the same shade.
| Avoid the trite color combinations
| pink and green. blue and yellow and
| white and violet-unless you find them
! developed in a really artistic way. Most
| pink and green wall papers are insipid
II you desire paper for a pink room
| choose a cream ground, with a design
| mingling pink and blue, or pink with
an occasional flashing touch of red, OIL
| choose an all-cream paper, and let the
pink be In the draperies and in the fur.
| niture covering. For a blue room q
cream-colored paper with a tiny stripee
| formed Of blue. mingled with green and
thread line Of black, is good.