Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-26
: An Interesting Washington
Living Room.
By GENEvIEvE HENDRICKS.


Having discussed the hows and
where's and whyfores of decorating the
living room, we believe it may be OF
interest to our readers to hear how
these rules have been applied in inter
esting living rooms in the city. In
the next few articles. therefore, we
will discuss a few outstanding eX'
'amples.
In the Georgian home of Mr.. and
Mrs. Stanley Harris the living room
is across the entire front of the house
on the second floor the house being of
the English basement type. The large
triple window to the north furnishes
the only direct light in this room. Ad-
ditional light comes in through French
doors leading into the central hallway.
Because of it's northern exposure, 1t
has been necessary to work into this
room a certain amount of warm col
oring.
To conform with the architecture of
the house, the furniture is all true to
the Georgian period. Here authentic
pieces mingle pleasantly with repro
auctions that, because of their honest
regard for even slightest details, are
quite as much works of art. The col
oring of the furniture, which is almost
without exception soft dull red mahog.
any, does much toward giving cheer
to this room.
Walls Cream Colored.
The walls in the living room, as
elsewhere on the first two floors, are
painted a soft yellow cream. On the
floors throughout the living rooms
are carpets of soft blue-green. per
feet background for the Soft-colored
mahogany.
The large triple window has glass
curtains of a soft gold-co1ored silk
which may be pulled together to
screen off the outside view entirely
when desired. The light through
these curtains is soft and warm and
gives a pleasing suggestion of sun
shine. The overcurtainS are OF a
beautifully designed hand blocked
linen, the background of which is in
tones of blue green, lighter than the
all-over rug.
Against this background are flower
designs treated rather formally.
These flower groups are vari- colored
and combine many shades of yellows.
oranges and soft reds, as we'll as
tones of mauve and green. Bordering
these curtains and the shaped val
ance, that extends across the top OF
the wide window, is wide SILK
fringe of deep eggplant, which Of
ferS pleasing contrast to the blue
green of the curtain. These curtains
are full and hang from the top of
the window frame to the floor. They
are looped back to old gilt rosettes
with tie backs of the same linen.
Soft Rust COlOred.
This linen appears again in pillows
on the rust-colored. dull satin sofa
and on d small armchair. With
these pillows are others of deep plum
satin and others of soft blue-green
taffeta. Above the sofa, which occu-
pies the center of the wall opposite
the fireplace. is handsome old
Flemish landscape painting. which
is mounted in a dull gold frame
above shallow mirror. The colors
In the sofa and pillows below have
been selected to tone in perfectly
with this old work of art.
A handsome fireplace of black
marble occupies the center of the
opposite wall. 1t is very simple IN
design and is DECORATED with classical
motifs of a cream colored marble.
Old brass andirons and handsome
old wire screen are nicely reilected
In the marble OF the chimney breast.
Above the mantel is charming Old
portrait of a woman dressed after the
manner of the middle of the eight
zenith century The coloring or this
portrait is also partly responsible Tor
the selection of the other colors used
in the room. Her dress is or a sort
blue.green and she stands against
hanging of dull brownish-red brocaoe.
The original frame of old gold and
soft green paint still borders the
portrait and sets 1t off delightfully
from the deep cream wall.
Other Old Pictures.
The other pictures in the room are
old prints showing street scenes both
in this country and abroad. They.
too. are of the late eighteenth century.
They are framed with black glass
mats and narrow black and gold
frames OF simple design. These are
hung in groups of two, one over the
other, on wall spaces at either side
of the beautiful secretary desk which
fs the main feature of the wall OPP
nosite the windows. These prints are
beautiful in color and interesting in
subject matter and add much toward
the beauty of the room.
A large wing chair in an antique
satin of blue-green is drawn up close
to one side of the fireplace. Near 1t
is a small table with an alaDaster
lamp of soft cream color. shaded with
a striped taffeta shade that combines
mauve and green and rust color. The
mate TO this lamp is at the other enc
of the room on a table by sofa.
Opposite this wing chair is low.
comfortable, upholstered chair COW
cred with q linen which has large
bouquets of brilliantly colored flowers