Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-26
Return of the F0otst0ol.
WHAT is it. desire for comfort o

WHAT is it, a desire for comfort or
w woman's vanity, that accounts Tor
the increasing popularity Of the footstool?
Certainly we are a comfOrt-loving peo-
pie: Formally and stiffness repel US.
Certainly, too, the dainty footgear OF
womankind seeks a means to show It
self. and where can this be SO well &C
complished as on one of these foot
stools, which are in themselves works OF
art? At all events. these luxurious ne
cessities of our grandmothers have appar-
emily come back to stay.
Footstools always have been made In
the various French periods OF furniture.
for France is the home OF the modern
footstool, and no room furnished In any
of the historic French styles would be
complete without accompanying 1oot-
stools. But within the last year or SO
footstools have been demanded Tor use
with every sort of furniture. and today
the best dealers meet this demand with a
bewildering assortment.
**
These present-day footstools are not the
small doll-like articles which gave pleas
ure to our grandmothers. They are size-
able pieces of furniture, most Of them
twelve by eighteen inches square, per-
haps, and they stand from eight to twelve
inches from the floor. Some, TO De sure
are smaller, perhaps eight inches wide.
a foot long and four or five inches above
the floor These generally have little
arms or handles at the ends and can De
easily carried from place to place.
Colonial designs of various sorts seem
to take the lead in popularity. Except
ing in formal drawing rooms. 1t is un-
usual to have the footstools designed with
special reference to the rest or the furnl-
ture, but a mahogany footstool IN CO.
lonial design fits in tremendously In any
room where mahogany furniture Is used.
One Of the most serviceable footstoois
is shown with a mahogany frame IN
straight simple lines. with red. brown
or green leather cushion. Tapestry IN
various dull hues and upholstery of other
color scheme Of almost any living room
are also used to cover the cushions OF
these useful footstools.
X
very comfortable design is the inclined
footstool The dull mahogany frame. COW
cred with a cushion two or three inches
thick, is only an inch or SO from the
floor in front. The back is perhaps eight
inches from the floor, so that the top OF
the footstool is fixed at slant that
would assuredly bring rest to the weary
foot.
Small Virginia colonial mahogany foot
stools with bullying ends, which suggest
the horsehair sofas Of our Virginia an
cestors. II We are fortunate enough to
have any, are especially suitable to rooms
furnished with old American colonial fur
niture.
room not necessarily colonial in design is
a reproduction from an old English piece
of furniture. The legs are thin and
spindling and are connected with rounds.
The top Is a sort Of braided rush. The
stool Stands about a foot high.
Little stools which suggest old-fash-
toned hassocks are also made of uphol-
stery stuffs mounted on wooden frames
or bases. Some of these are tufted with
a button in the middle. some are almost
cushionlike in their softness. and some
have the octagonal form. These octago-
nal footstools are especially attractive.
Cushions-fat, square. hard cushions
covered with bits Of oriental carpet are
also used for foOtrests.