The courier-index., 1919-10-31
USE COLORS TO !. SOOTHE NERVES
Sculptor Leads Revolt Against
 the House Painter.
TO ABOLISH WHITE CEILING


 Movement ls Result of Observation os
 Effect of coiors on Members Of the
 American Expeditionary Force tn sFrance--oIare of White Ceiling ana
 spots on Wall Cause of Nervous
 ness of American People.
 Miss Janet Scudder and Mrs. W.T. liam H. Lane, recently returned TO New York from France, where they served for more than year with the Red Cross, have started reVot against the house painter. They want to suppress the originator of the putty colored room and the mixer of oiiter monot0nous wall tints. They adv '' cato tho painting of houses, offices, hotels and public buildings with ciear' strong colors that will stimulate the mind CT rest the nerves. according to tho purpose of the interior. And they hope never te sec another white cell ing.
 Al the Arst shot In their revolution the two young women have painted the walls of an apartment at No. II East Forty-fourth street New 1ork. Mics Scudder, who 10 . sculptor of in- ternAttenal reHown. with examples of her work ln the Metropolitan museum. dIoes. not intend to abandon her sculp' turs fer house painting. She will re- sums her modelling. she says. when the wall color insurrection has been spread .All over the country.
 Mrs. LAne. who has been an opera singer, is the color mixer, while Miss Scudder decides on its architectural application. The revolt is the result of study of the effect of color on the A. N, IT. when they entered the huts, canteens and recreation centers, which these two war workers painted. including most of the Red Cross army buildings from Brest to Toul. The painters used the brightest, strongest. dearest colors they could get. and most of the time they did the paint ing themselves. ...
 The splash of color that greeted the boys returning weary and hungry from the trenches was like tonic. They braced up wonderfully under the in- fluence of bright red or clear blue or golden yellow. This suggested the ap- plication of color influence to daily life and the result Is the first apartment decorated in this style.
 CoIors and Nerves.
 Other orders have been taken and the two young women, who may join the painters union, even though they are striving to change the entire out look of its members. will personally paint either interiors or exteriors. They also hope to interest other wom- en in following this profession.
 The walls of their living room at the Forty-fourth street apartment are deep, clear blue, the ceiling is bright green and the woodwork white. Tns bedroom has soft dark purple walls. blue woodwork and yellow ceiling. The third room Is yellow, with blue doors and trim. The ceiling is a lighter shade of yellow. The furni- ture Is blue painted wicker. The hang ings are beautiful bright-colored chintses brought from France. Rolls of these imported materials, showing clear bold tints. are on their way over here to be used in the transformation of dull interiors into much brighter and more wholesome ones. according to the two artists.
 Speaking Of their efforts to destroy the tradition of the white ceiling and the use of characteristic wallpapers. Miss Scudder said, Tt Is undoubted- iy true that the nervousness of the American is due Co the glare of his ceiling and the spots on his walls. Add to this the constant ringing of his rele- phone bell and you have the secret of the lack of repose in the average American setting.
 Colors That Soothe.
 Lovely, flat colors on our walls. colors that soothe and stimulate at the same time. can be had. Why al- low our most intimate surroundings to be hideousf It Is curious fact that the house painter is in the scale of professions inferior to almost any oth- CT. It should be most important be- cause our lives are more closely as- sociated with the results of that pro fession than with any other. Color should be one of the great factors of existence and 1t has never been con sidered as such.
 "In one of the most distinguished and expensive hotels In New York city all the bedrooms are white. the car pents bright green and the furniture . harsh red. This Is absolutely crim- inal a torture to the visitors that should not be allowed, though the visitors do not realize their demor- alizing surroundings. Another in- stance is one of the smartest clubs, up to date in every way. The dining room is a mess of garbage surround. ed by bricks painted sickly green,