Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-25
An Early American Dining
Room.
BY GENEvIEvE HENDRICKS.

During the last few years there
has been a very widespread craze fol-
American furnishings. Because the
furniture dating from colonial times
is for the most part sturdy and well
made and good both in design and
wood color, this period has we'll de-
served its popularity. There is prob
ably no style of furnishing that lends
itself more easily to the decoration of
the informal dining room than this
early American style.
There are in this vicinity many
homes of Colonial design and not a
few Of them have dining rooms in au-
thentic reproduction of those Of our
ancestors.
One small dining room, both because
OF it's coloring and detail work, gives
at once the impression OF great age
although the house is practically new.
The owner possessed one very nice
corner cupboard with paned glass
door ending at the top in a lovely
arch, with shelves inside which had
been cut to an interesting scalloped
design by an early craftsman. Very
wisely she decided to build her din
ing room around this one good piece.
sWalnut" Proved to Be Pine.
For years the cupboard had been
covered in an ugly dark varnish and
the owner had never suspected that
IT was other than walnut. When she
had II scraped, however, she learned
to her delight that it was of pine,
which when properly scraped and
waxed was lovely butter color. Since
her dining rom had two empty cor
ners in which cupboards the size or
hers would nicely fit, she had a dupil-
cate made of her old cupboard. The
cabinet-maker used for it old pieces
of pine, so that the new cupboard
possesses much the same charm as
the old one.
The woodwork in this room had
been painted white. In order that IT
might add to the antique erect OF
the room the owner had it scraped,
stained, and waXed to color approx
mately the same as that OF the cor
ner cupboard. Fortunately the moor
had been laid with wide planks which,
when scraped and stained a deep wal
nut and highly waxed, gave a rich
base to the room.
The walls in this room and else
where in the house are OF rough pas
ter painted a soft blue gray, giving
a nice harmony in contrast with the
warm yellow brown of the corner
cupboards and the woodwork.
Odd Tables Found.
Curtains of a printed linen with
charming old-fashioned design with
1ayly colored flowers of vermillion
and orange and yellow tones against
a blue-green background were hung
at either side of the triple window,
which occupies the space between the
corner cupboards at one end OF the
room. For contrast to the blue
green of the background and to ac-
centuate certain tones in the design
these curtains were bordered with
ball fringe dyed a soft vermilllon.
This same Chinese vermillion was
used to paint the insides of the cor
ner cupboards and was also the color
of the pads for the old pine ladder
back chairs which the owner was for
tunate enough to procure for a song.
Old china in the soft blues and reds
and cream colors of Stafforshire and
other old chinas were pleasingly sill
houetted against this f1attering back
ground.
The stereotyped dining table would,
Of course. have been far out of place
in such a room as this. But to find
Just the right table was the work or
many months. Finally an old tavern
table with stretchers built low to the
floor was found in an old inn. This, like
the corner cupboard, responded most
kindly to the cabinet makers work
and became in due time sturdy
piece of soft glowing color.
Since pine was not used in the olden
times for furniture in the luxurious
homes, few sideboards can be found
in this wood. A pine chest Of drawers
in simple, sturdy design and Of lovely
color was used as a substitute for the
usual sideboard. Pewter plates and
teapots and candlesticks are set
upon It. Against a cotton hanging in
COPY of an old East India print hung
on the wall behind it, it makes a
charming furnishing for the center OF
the wall opposite the corner cup
boards.
Finds Old Hooked Rug.
Obviously a rich soft plain carpet
would have been quite out Of place in
such a room. No rug at all was laid
until the wise owner could find just
what she wanted. In due time she