The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1915-04-15

New York and the United States
have many interesting women to their
credit. but they are usually women
who have made specially Of one pro-
fession and have won distinction there
by. Miss De Wolfe is unique in that
she left the stage when star and has
since devoted herself to interior dec
Grating Miss De Wolfe lives with q
friend, Miss Elizabeth Marbury, In a
house which was originally a four
story and basement house Of pinkish
brown stone and had an ugly stair
from the street to the front door.
Miss De Wolfe says:
II wanted to prove to my friends
that 1t was possible to take one Of the
darkest and grimiest Of city houses and
make it an abode Of sunshine and
light, and wanted to furnish the
whole house exactly as pleased-for
oncer'
The first thing she did was to tear
away the front stOOp and give the
house an entrance door just below the
0lICCS lCtOIs uC 0I0AA way AuAAAA6 OP
from the hall was torn out and the
whole front of the house thrown into
the drawing room, the staircase being
rebuilt in the center Of the house. 1t
has been called 1.-The Little House of
Many Mirrors" for much Of Its spa
ciousness and charm is the effect Of
skillfully managed reflections.
The stair landings are most ingen-
iously planned. There are landings
that lead directly from the stairs into
the rooms of each floor. and back Of
one of the mirrored stair walls there is
little balcony. connecting the rooms
on that floor. that is a private passage
way.
In the dining room Miss De Wolfe is
guilty of a trick. but 1t is a very clever
and pretty trick. The two windows in
this room are obviously windows by
day. but at night two sliding doors of
mirrors are drawn. just as curtain
would be drawn. to ill the window
spaces. This is q little bit tricky, but
it is very good trick.
The walls Of this house are painted
dull French gray. and there is no pa
per at all. 1t is not q shining paint,
but Of dull finish that has to be prop
erly done to be effective. On this sub
ject Miss De Wolfe says:
ITO me the most beautiful wall is
the plain and dignified painted wall,
broken into graceful panels by the use
OF narrow holdings. with lighting tx
lures carefully placed and every pic
ture and mirror hung with classic pre-
cision. This wall is just as appropri-
ate to the six room cottage as to the
twenty room house. If could always
find perfect walls I'd always paint
them and never use yard Of paper
Painted walls. when very well done,
are dignified and restful and most san
itary. The trouble is that too few plas-
terers know how to smooth the wall
surface and too few workmen know
how to apply paint properly
Miss De Wolfe is interested in new
venture in New York city. which is. as
one man remarked one day. 1.-The great
est thing In New York" 1t Is q roof
garden called the Strand Roof Garden,
which Is run on the cafeteria plan. But
dancing can be enjoyed there at noon
| by shopgirls or any working girl or
young man absolutely free Of charge
The place is wonderfully decorated in
pale green's and soft creams. and each
little table has It's vase Of seasonable
flowers. A chaperon Is always there
to take charge of the manners Of the
place.