Evening star., 1925-02-18

Fashion today favors wall hang
zngS This is a return to the orig
7nal decorations for homes. The
primitive folk used to fasten rugs on
the sides of their tents to take away
the desolate baroness of the places.
In museums and some have found
their way into the homes OF collectors
of antique articles. When houses
were made Of adobe or of stones the
rugs made the gray walls brilliant
with their many hues. Later on rare
tapestries were fashioned from hand
woven fabrics and formed the arras
wall decorations behind which we
are wont to think of conspirato tors and
spies hiding. when plots against
kings were brewing. Certain 1T is
that these tapestries that never hung
plumb against the walls were per-
feet places of concealment.
Today our wall hangings have no
such picturesque tradition, but they
are delightfully."- ornamental. They
may be choice old rugs and magnifi-
cent needlepoint. but they may also
be simpler fabrics and less costly
needlework.
Interesting HanEmEs.
There are so many suitable wall
hangings that every home decorator
to grace the walls Of her house. She
may choose it from among the many
picturesque Chinese or Japanese fab
rics, now so much In evidence, from
needlework imported from Europe or
other contin ents or 1t can be made
by her own deft fingers. Strips of
old Italian brocades may add their
esthetic note to- decorations, or
block printed linens and cretonnes
may be used with pleasing effects.
Hand-loom materials and quaint old
appliqued covers and other fat pieces
of this sort are used today to give
atmosphere to rooms Lengths OF
wall paper may be so marvellous in
color harmonies or so fascinatingly
pictorial that they find their way
quite legitimat among the inter.
entire rooms, but used merely as
hangings.
Plnin Backgrounds.
When it comes to appropriate ways
in which to use these various kinds
of hangings, and how to make them
show to best advantage or lend them
selves most artistically to decorative
schemes for rooms, we realize their
many possibilities. One essential is
that they have suitable backgrounds.
These must be plain. This does not
mean that the walls must be painted
or even papered in fiat tones, but
that the effect Of the paper or paint
must be plain. There are many
''plain" papers that have numerous
colors in them, yet produce single
toned effect.
Favorfte Positions.
A favorite place for a wall hang
ing is above q mante1 or table or
GidQh0QTd 1aVennOrf
positions above the first two articles
named were once accorded to mirrors.
Now the balance of favor is toward
hangings. If the hanging is of solid
color it may itself form the back
ground for handsomely framed
mirror, or a. fine painting. This is
q use often seen when Florentine
brocades are hangings. 1t may well
be copied when Just the right note of
color is expressed in the fabric. even
though it may be of comparatively
inexpensive goods.
Brilliant Hanginss.
Hangings with gorgeous colors are
delightful when used to brighten
some rather dark wall spaces, either
in rooms or In halls. Reproductions
of tapestries, pleasingly woven in ex-
cellent shades and in complete pic
lures, may be had for such purposes
Strips of patterned goods may take
their places Do not overlook some
OF the choice printed linens when
considering these hangings. When
the material is stitched together with
the design perfectly matched wide
hanging may be had. The size of the
wall space decides the size of the
hanging required.
Fastening.
Fabric or paper hangings may be
thumb-t tackled in position when they
are not heavy. When they are large
or wAightv they may be suspended by
picture hooks from the holdings. If
the nangings are choice or heavy sew