The Washington herald., 1922-02-12
ON THE IMPORTANCE oFILLUM-
NATION.

ON THE IMPOHTANCE OF ILLU N
NATION.
Carefully the. lecturer assembled
the pieces of furniture in the model
interior that he was staging. With
painstaking precision. piece by
piece, he arranged the furniture Of
his selection. The whole arrange
ment was formal. Balance. scale,
color, had been carefully thought
out. But the scheme lacked warmth.
Then, with sleight-o skill, he
ordered the footlights and assembly
hall lights lowered. simultaneously
switching on the lights in the cleo
trio fireplace and various lamps
and, presto! We were no longer
looking at a stage. but glimpsing
the privacy of an evening in some
ones home.
Isn't that lovely!" an enthusiast
exclaims.
wonder how many people in the
audience realize that the lamps.
with their attractive shades. con-
stitute the climax Of the lecture.
1t is safe to say that the majority
fof rooms owe their charm or their
damnation to the lighting effect.
However well furnished a room
may be. IL it is dismally or glaring-
ly lighted it is queered. On the
other hand. rooms that are rather
mediocre may attain distinction by
careful lighting. --
Principles of pleasing illumina-
tion in the home are easily grasp
ed. Regarding the expense of shades
I must say that the loveliest shades
have seen have been made by
amateurs. Lamp shades of the mil
linery type have seen their day.
Women are beginning to realize that
perishab Bile fabrics, shirred to pro-
| fusion over layers Of silk and garn-
ished with gilt lace. are too fragile
for everyday use. They gather dust
and are hard to clean.
One of the latest schemes is to
have the lamp shade covered with
taut lining silk and to have the
used. made detachable. 1t is then
lifted and laid aside for special oc-
casions, being supplanted by a sep
arate cover of glazed chintz which
sheds the dust and withstands hard
|
ht the silk-fined wire shade. or II
may be accordion plated and gath
cred around the neck of the frame
of the shade, spreading out in fan
like folds.
Other attractive loose covers are
made of circular pieces of embroid-
cry, ten or twelve inches larger In
diameter than the lamp shade.
| Tha,, cill- -Nnvarnf
foundation and the surplus material
falling down around forms a circu-
lar ruffle all the way around. A
band of ribbon may or may not hold
the centerpiece in shape.
Ecru linen is nice for this use
Buy just a pretty ecru centerpiece
an adjustable lamp shade cover that
permits of being washed. Linen
and lace centerpieces are delightful
covers for lamps in bedrooms where
the white note is repeated in some
other appurtenance.
:. Parchment shades, IL they are
shellacked and vanished. may bt
washed with mild white soap ant
water or cleaned with furniture
polish.
Simple silk shades may often be
cleaned right on the wire frame
without spelling by sousing then
in warm suds and rinsing will
warm water They should be dried
quickly and need not. be pressed, as
the silk in drying tightens on the
frames.
For those to whom the utilitariar
point Of wearing well is inconse-
quental, many delicious novelties
are offered at studios and shops
The little shades, for example, that
are shown In the illustration are
lovely. They are made of lemon
colored Georgette shirred over a
white lining, edged with plum col
ored chenille moss. and embroidered
In colored worsted and silk thread.
Torcherers, without shades of any
kind. are immensely popular. They
are best In pairs. The pair OF
shadeless candlesticks are the type
most admired. Their formal ar-
rangement at either side a paint
ing, or at either end of a mantel OF
fianking a doorway, is admirable.
Exclusive decorators who dislike
selling to their patrons anythins
so commercial that it may be found
in any store restort to having wire
frames for lamp shades made after
their own patterns. They patronize
florists frame makers who are ac-
customed to making the wire
| frames for floral display pieces
This resource is, of course, open to
| amateurs as we'll as nr0fessiona N q