The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-08-19
Furnishing
The Living ROOm---PlantS
Have Good Effect

n ititllI ltlAtI HUH u NOIIE6DUllu-
ent asks my advice in regard to her
living room, writes Kate Greenleaf
Lock is the Montreal Star. 1t is col
onial in character and very correctly
and handsomely so and yet she feels
that it is too cold in effect to look;
as she expressed it, really livable. -
| have advised her to fill in all of the
long windows, which are a beautiful
feature of her room, with low wicker
stands of ferns. Window baskets may
be made to order of willow lattice
work and set on rattan stands of any
height, fitting closely to the window
If the window opens to the floor the
basket very low, raising it not more
than foot from the floor Feathery
fronds of fern against the glass add
much to the delicate charm of col
onial room. In front of great mir
ror, which fills one end of the room
from floor to ceiling, have had her
place another deep basket the width
of the mirror, to hold larger growth
of plants, small palms and ferns, It
is sometimes advisable to have the
stands and baskets enameled in pale
green, but the color scheme OF room
at times for lbids this, and the natural
willow is always effective.
Until one has tried it, it is hard to
realize what unusual beauty these
growing plants near the floor viii give
to a room. AT this time of the year
have many inquiries in connection
with the decorating and furnishing OF
summer cottages in the country, and
would say that this scheme of win
dow plants near the floor is peculiar
ly adapted to the identifying of the
long low living room with French win
dows opening on gallery, which is
so often a part Of the summer cottage.
Il would be hard to imagine a more
deliciously cool effect than the follow
ing schemes which ! have seen car
ried out in a tropical climate with
great success. The walls were hung
with an Inexpensive white satin strip
ed paper, while the ceiling was wash
ed with a cool pale green kalsomine.
The woodwork was white enamel, not
cream color, but pure white, and the
long French windows ere hung with
pale green silk in thin quality
over the silk drapery there was an
other, quite full, of net covered rather
closely with small figures. In furni-
ture there was a mingling of some
graceful chairs of fine old mahogany
with rush seats and several tables of
mahogany, all slender in design, with
wicker lounging chairs beautifully
enameled in pale green and upholster-
ed with chintz having purple wistaria
and green leaves on white ground.
The fern basket which filled in the
front of the long mirror at one end
of the room was also enameled in
pale green, as were the baskets in
two OF the windows. The other win
dows were used as egress TO the gal
lery ithout and were undecorated; the
floor as covered with fine white mat
ting
When one has seen and felt the sim
pie charm OF such room as ] have
described one wonders why there are
so often living rooms in country hous-
es that are a hodge-podge of colors
and ideas. To avoid this confusion 1t
is only necessary to settle upon a
scheme of color and some character
istic effect to be obtained and avoid
every temptation to fit or furnish the
room with anything that does not lead
directly to this. nj the above room
the effect was clean, cool and airy;
this was attained by the exclusive use
of white, pale green and the purple
of the wistaria in color, and the slen-
der types of the dark furniture, to-
gether with the low, graceful and pic
turesque character of the upholstered
wicker. These latter included steam
er chairs, Hongkong chairs, and fan
chairs from the Philippines.
There are times when the necessi-
ties of the case call for strong and WV
id schemes of decoration; there are
others where it is desirable that the
effect should be light and delicate.
One persons taste may be for that
which is rich, dark, and vivid, and
another's for gay and French, or cool,
quiet and restful styles of furnishing.
-sk----
Rev. and Mrs. Redhead of Steuben-