Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-28
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
Architecture and Interior Deoora-
tIons as Aids to charaeter-Fur.
niture Jazz That Sets the
Nerves Dancing
by SARAH ID. LOWRIE


! up his end of neatncss and regularity when
oil the things with which he has to deal arc
| makeShiftS.
1t ls difficult for chauffeur to keep
| gone TO- pieces machine polished and olcd
and filled, or his own clothes mcnded and
brushed IL is difficult for q superintendent
| or head nurse in dilupidGtcd hospital to
90 even the things that can be done, even
| IN the way of cleanliness and discipline.
| And in a dirty aud cramprd Office building
} those who have to do their work under con-
Gitiohs OF disorder accomplish their daily
wrivc with more expenditure Of nerve force
thnn il fair to themselves.
10 look out Of n window at uglincss and
to look into room ut narrow shabbiness,
evNN II ono is not often conscious Of the
gc,STal miSfit Of everything man made about
hims is an irritant that can account for u
good hcal Of fatigue.
It " perfectly astonishing that the sense
Of prolNNtion which the carly bri'dc,s in this
country lad was so good and that il yet
was not tnhcrited by the succeeding gen
Grafton. ahey could build little houses and
big houses, little rooms aud big rooms nn'
every varie,S Of roof and door and window
and stairway and fireplace. and somehow
combine SIMPLICITY with grace, and their
children and grandchildren failed with every
one of these things and with the relation
that these parts had to ono another.
ENVEN now WAN they copy an idea of
IL an older builvNng they Go not get thc
spirit, even though they may acquire the
letter. was inter .>:cd TO observe this in
u great Colonial looking building on Broa4
street used as Il cluN You would expect
such building to have wide and dignihcd
hall and n stairway that completed the big
air OF welcoming hospitality. But the haH
is a corridor and the stairway is just steps
going up. In the commiacc room on the
third floor where the nceti:N was held thaC
was attending the other dap. folding doors
n
along the front Of the buidnA But these
partitions portioncd of the ~ into rooms
too long for their width. and tie series OF
divisions when thrown together made Just Il
great space with low ceiling any number
of windows: there was nothing architectural
to give it the proportions of Il hall Ar audi
torium. You could not think o" NlSthing
but claSsrooms, and poorly adjusted class
rooms for hearing at that
| arrived too early for the meeting. " hlch
was depressing anyway in Christmas week,
and as ] settled into Il chair too narrow lOr
most adults, | gave tongue to my dissaEA'-
faction to the only other occupant in tN2
room, another curly conner in the row behina
me.
~ think it is this awful paper that de-
presses one" said.
vcrcly.
but it isn't gray. woman; it is brown -
| called back at her. She did not reply.
Hnd looking round at her. ] saw She was
dressed in brown from head to foot, so I
felt II was best to hold my peace.
DERHAPS she was young when mission
l. furniture. Braun photographs Of old
masters and rough paStered walls tinted
light brown. with library table ornaments OF
tanned cowhidc. were the last cry. Perhaps
the man she did not marry had asked her
always TO wear dresses the color of her eyes
and hair. pCrhapS-but what Is the usc
Qua S',,f f0Ip1 n,1t nf M .vli n
tic room filled UP with thCy women in gnycr
Coors. and presently the lecturer came in
and had TO AJAX us tn sit IN front as far ~
We could bCCaUSC 1t vas difficult to be heard
in :" long n room. Later on he complained
rf tho ventilation. and still later on Of the
nuiSc from the street. until began to wonder
il tho room had got on his nerves. too.
have seen people CNpand and grow rested
and confidential under the charm Of rOoals.
and | have known memories OF beautiful
rooms outlaSt the memories Of the men and
women one met in them.
Most children can remember rooms and
their furnishing further back than they can
recoIlcct the appearance of their parents
and their brothers and sisters. All Of which
goes to. show that surroundings have very
marked effect upon our minds.
T ONCE saw little play-callcd The
l. Mantel Plecc"--in which mantcl at the
end of sitting room was dSlnantlCd of its
modernizcd was demoralizcd by bewidcrcd
servant trying TO remember where the new
things went: was swept clean by visiting
burglar. and finally restored TO an even
earlier fashion by plantivc and attractive
maiden aunt on the eve Of the return Of her
ancient suitor to claim her hand.
In each case the value OF the arrangement
was that it actually expressed n mind-evcn
the burglar 's-and nothing that really cX-
presses Il mind can bore or deprcss one. nt
fret I,ob NJ oil Nc ,.;I I,
most public rooms IS that 10 one person is
responsible for their general effect. COM
mittcc probably decided by voting the color
end arrangement and shape Of the room that
| the lecturer and l found so depressing.
T WISH that | could frd out who in
i vented and then made popular in this
country the cater Cornered Arrangement Of
| furniture and rugs that ono secs in hotels
| and in certain we'll to do houses. The rule
seems to be that al! bureaus should 80
| across n corner. all rugs lie slant wise 10
| the walls, all sofas he arranged with one end
| further out in the room than the other, ri!
vases put any way but in pairs, all pictures
| hung in fiGlt2up or down wall like flying
| swans in faily tales and all books and uho-
| tOgraphG arranged at the corners slant wise
| on tables.
Some persons SO SO far as to make thcir
| beds run out from q corner into the center
OF tic room and I know ono house whore
| tho dining room table is luug forth from n
rornC" 20 that nothing runs parallel with rhn
walls of the room from u spoon to a guest.
! do not get the idea, II it Is an Mt.
tempt at informality, the real ideal would bc
to copy the helter- -skcItcr appearances Of
sweeping. day. Almost all tie persons TINT
know who live that way, from soiournnrs
| iu hotels to elderly splnsters, are tess ard
| unrestful companions, 50 perhaps their ja3-
Ylng tic furniture is kind Of outlcl to tGn,r
inward uncertainties. And IL it really Is
the our ward and visible expression OF their
inward cross purposes it is Interesting 4,
symptom. though no we'll person wants to
| III long among symptoms.
A HOUSE decorator told he not long ago
~ that she was offered n very Iucrutiyo
partnership over IN New York. bur nut
knowing the would be partner she vas w.Iy
about more things than. "D'tol before slr
! considered the proposition seriously Shc