The Washington herald., 1914-09-15
some Hints ABOUT
THE MODERN Home

With the tang of autumn giving q hint
Of the wintry days that lie in the wake
of fall, housewives become mindful of
renting the home for the indoor sea-
son. Summer trsppings must give way
before more substantial furnishings-wiI-
lowWare must be laid away till next
spring, mating must be supplanted by
rugs, weather stripping takes the place
of screens and from the linen closet
blankets and comforts make their ap-
pesrance.
The test that is being applied to the
modern home in these days Of more sane
and simple living is: Is it comfortable? ?
Is II an expression Of your taste or mere
ly an aggregation of miscellaneous
pieces? Does II look lived in or merely
set together like a mimic setting on a
stage?
The fall and winter especially offer op-
portunities for the incorporation OF a
motif in furnishing the home. Now is the
time to make your home express some
thing that stamps 1t with individuality.
During the spring and summer the out
doors has beckoned with the consequence
that the porch and lawn have become
meeting places for family and friends.
During the months to come all this will
be changed and the home viii once more
come into its own. 1t is the indoor
season. and therefore particular atten-
tion must be paid to making indoors at
tractive and comfortable.
The modern housekeeper has numerous
advantages that were not possessed by
her mother Electric lights, gas ranges,
kitchen cabinets, steam heat. vacuum
cleaners and the host of new inventions
of like nature have considerably lessened
the labors OF the twentieth century wom-
an and minimized the presence of dust.
It is easier TO make a comfortable home
and easier TO keep it clean and COM
Portable.
The trend in furnishing and decorating
the home nowadays is toward simple
fly and harmony. The old-fashioned
''parlor'' with its ''what-not' in the
corner, the latrobe under the mantle, its
horsehair sofa and collection of chairs
of fearful and wonderful design has
passed away. In its place has come
the combined library and den, which
is the main room or living room OF the
present-day home.
In the library fumed oak is taking the
place of old English, owing to its richer
and more comfortable design. Spanish
leather seems 10 be the keynote of the
upholstering. with rich brown and tans
predominating, though many people of
taste favor the bronze greens. Colonial
designs in furniture. both in the library
and dining-room are proving the fashion.
The tendency of the fashion in furni-
ture, like that in clothing, seems to be
toward lounging comfort. Straight lines
supplant the old style scrolls that al
ways seemed to be placed where they
would be most effective in creating dis
comfort The formal stiffness of the one
time parlor has been merged with the
comfort of the den.
The colonial design prevails in the fur
nishing Of the dining-room. Here again
simplicity is the motif. Fumed oak is
the favorite wood for the same reasons
living room. So strong is the colonial
design that some of the New
York stores are showing dining-room
sets which are Teplicas~ of those which
adorned the homes OF famous women
Of colonial days The Dorothy Vernon
Suite and the Martha Washington
Suite" are two favorites. The design
and finish Of the original sets has been
reproduced with great fidelity
In the bedroom mahogany is still the
favorite. owing to the rich contrast it
affords the other furniture. But fumed
oak is also becoming popular and many
Of the newer sets are of this wood.
Quaint four-poster beds, modern edi-
tons Of the beds of our grandmothers
are now more fashionable than brass
beds. They come, of course, in single
beds.
Bird 's-eye maple and mahogany are
most in favor for bedroom furniture.
Leather-covered furniture of severe de-
sign is now more in vogue for the library
or den than the mission style, though
this is still popular.
Oatmeal wallpapers are being used eX-
tensively in halls and morning rooms,
while burlaps lead in favor for the IL
brary.
Bare floors of hard wood Of simply
stained, with light wash rugs are now
as poular for winter homes as for sum-
mer cottages. Very light floors unstained
and light woodwork do wonders towards
Frightening a dark bedroom
Dark hangings and dark-toned furni-
ture will deepen the effect of a room
where the light is glaring and pale am
ber-tinted hangtngs and the introduction
Of yellow cushions or bits Of yellow
china will give an effect OF sunlight in
the dimmest room.