Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-08
FURNISHING THE HOME
Conducted for The Star
BY ELIZABETH STETSON AND
GENEyIEVE HENDRICKS
The Selection Of Wooden Furniture
RY ELIZABETH STETSON.

In sDite of all the various types ana
periods, wooden furniture at bottom
resolves itself into two classes, Hsnt
and heavy And these two classes
are the ruling factors in its selection
for a room. Years ago 1t was thought
necessary to stick to period furniture
in its stricteSt sense. but now we are
freer in our decorative ideas. We
class things more by spirit than abso-
Lutte detail The earlier and heavier
periods can be used in the same room
and the later and more delicate pieces
ca, be grouped together.
"erloG furniture as we know it be-
gins with the late Gothic. This does
not mean that furniture developed
then for the first time, but only that
our study of it starts at that time
There were beautiful Egyptian. Assyr-
ian, Greek and Roman chairs and
other pieces of furniture, but we take
them up only as they influence later
art
In the early medieval times there
were practically no pieces of house
hold furniture except chests, which
served as seats and trunks, and crude
tables or boards (as they were called
from their construction and benches.
The only chairs we find are for the
high church and state officials.
FOrerunnerS OF Chairs.
During the renaissance. the fore
runners of the modern chairs appear
ed. These were rather stiff and
square in form, but were much more
comfortable than we usually think of
them as being, because they were COW
cred with brilliant velvet and tapestry
cushions. The tables were also rather
heavy lin structure and were often
overloaded with ornament. The later
smaller side chairs were usually en-
tirely of wood with turned legs and
carved backs. They are very deco
rative, but they must be used in a
room which makes a brightcolored
and primitive enough background for
the sturdy character of these pieces.
AS time passed and more and more
furniture was made, the handling be-
came more skillful and the designs
turned more to beauty and comfort.
The French styles of Louis XIV and
Louis XVI are sometimes called the 1
most delicate and beautiful in the
world. while every one knows that the
later Queen Anne and Chippendale
chairs are the most comfortable of all
straight chairs.
Then came the second classic re-
vival Greek and Roman styles again
ruled the world, but this time the fur
nlture produced under their influence
was of very beautiful, straight lined
and delicate type. The Directoire Pc
Rod and Early Empire styles of
France, and the Adams Hepplewhite
and Sheraton styles of England are H.
Illustrations of this.
None More Beautiful.
Since that time we have made no
progress in the designing and making
of wooden furniture. We have not
been able to create more beautiful or
useful pieces than the great cabinet
makers of that era. The only modern
achievement has been the producing
the most suitable for the usual house
able overstuffed furniture.
Let us go back to the use of wooden
furniture in the living room. Class
the light and delicate furniture togeth-
err and the sturdier, heavier articles
together. Do not mix the two Moth
ing gives more absurd impression
than to walk into a small Spanish
room and find it filled with American
Colonial furniture. If your room has
rough plaster walls, beamed ceiling,
or any of the Gothic or Renaissance
features, you may use the early Ital- |
IAN, Spanish or English furniture In
1t instead of sticking to just one kind. |
There is sense of solidity and com. |
Tort about this old furniture and it's |
HedNy, dark mass SHOWS OFT to advan- |
tage the rich, bright-colored furnish. |
Ing and hangings in this kind of room. |
III you are careful in the use of the |
other later styles, you can also blend |
them in "a satisfactory manner.
Styles That Go Together.
The Louis XIV, Louis XVI and
Adam styles go together beautifully |
IN paneled room of the Adams ne |
ROD. Queen Anne furniture can be
used with the earlier styles, Jacobean
and William and Mary, or it NAV be
used with Chippendale, and even with
HeppleWhite and Sheraton. The Amer
lean Colonial and the early American
mix with the English furniture of the
same date
Many of us, however, do not know
these names as applied to different
types of furniture. But every one can
look at table, chair or sideboard and
decide whether the piece is heavy or
nghts massive or delicate. So a safe
rule to follow in the average house
Is this: Place furniture of about the
same weight and general type togeth-
er, avoiding on the one hand massive.
over-ornate pieces, and on the other
hand, those over-delicate, unsubstan-
tlal pieces which will not stand ordi.
nary hard usage. Never let one piece
or furniture overbalance all the others.
Our early American style is perhaps
the most uitable for the usual house
and apartment of our environment.