Evening star., 1941-04-05
Spring Is Bringing
New Color Ideas
For the Home
Brown Is Increasing
In Popularity; Accents
And Shades Change

@ColorS," says the current issue OF
House and Garden magazine, have
their style ancestors and will beget
descendants" For example, this
years Mojave mauve is a deepened
offShoot of last years pale mauve,
which tended toward brown. And
brown, incidentally, is increasing in
popularity for decoration this
spring.
Looking both forward and back
ward, House and Garden has not
only revived last years popular
shades and traced their careers in
decoration during the last season,
but it has noted changes and de-
velopments in background shades
and accent colorS and has selected
color parade of the current shades
which please the fashion-wise this
spring. In addition, it has pre-
pared list of prophetic colorS which
will, it believes, dominate the deco
rative scene next fall Names for
these colors are expressive of some
phase of American life, either his
torical or geographical.
Santa Fe Sage Appears.
In the current or spring shades
there is Santa Fe sage, a greeniSh-
yellow related to the bronzy COLDS.
Portland rose is not so dusty" a
rose as many shades have been
but medium dark with a blush
cast. Litchfield blue-a medium blue
inclined toward lavender-iS smart
both for modern and traditional
decor. Salem green, reminiscent
of the soft gray green's so ofterf
used in the houses of clipper ship
owners and a prime favorite for
spring-is slightly yellow, with a
medium gray cast.
Augusta peach, stronger and deep
er than most peaches, is luscious,
as it's name implies. Tucson tur-
quoiSe, high in popular favor, is
less green than are many turquolses,
Sea Island sand-climbing rapidly
In popularity as background color
also is good in both traditional
and modern rooms. And Mojave
mauve is a popular substitute for
mulberry.
The prophetic colors, tending to-
ward extremes, fall roughly into
two categories-very dark or ultra
pale. There is Louisville green-a
brilliant foliage Shade-taken from
the green of Kentucky blue grass.
Natchez green, smart as dark
background color, contrasts beau
tifully with beige, gray, yellow
greens and paleSt pinks OF all
periods.
New Blue Is Offered.
Baltimore blue is a faint, nearly
gray. blue-"descendant" of last
years pale trend. particularly the
ice blue. Plymouth gray, of major
importance in both modern and ira
ditional decoration, sounds the key
note of the pale trend. Bennington
brown. a true brown without trace
of red, is particularly smart with
gray, peach and yellow greens.
Monterey tile, born of tropic and
California trends. belongs to the
coral class and must be used with
care. representative of the new
reds which abandon the fiery Or
ange-toned tones, Charleston GRIM
son has a blush cast. This will be
valuable for accents in traditional
rooms. And Portsmouth pink, paler
than shell and with a subtle blu
ish cast. will mark this years high
in chichi
There is no commandment about
the placing of a key color says
House and Garden. 1T may be the
floor, the walls. the furniture or
the accents. Strictly speaking, there
may be more than one key color or
none at all. But usually the key
color is the one which, however
placed strikes the consciousness OF
the person coming into the room
and sets the atmosphere of the
whole interior"
New Combinations Used.
AS an example of the new color
combinations selected from the pub
lication's Ideal Houses, there is
the upstairs solarium in a modern
home, which overlooks the sun ter
race. In this room the color key
Is Tucson turquoise. Walls are
painted plain mulberry to soften
the glare. The floor is covered with
a rug of Tucson turquoise. Boldly
striped fabric covers the comfort
able loveseat and barrel chairs.
Twin deep chests of bleached ma
hogany match the woodwork Of
these chairs. The heavy draperies
of floral design in mulberrybrow
and blue may be pulled completely
across the wall-size windows.
A tasteful guestroom in Santa Fe
sage is another featured room. The
sage isused for the carpet and bed
spread, while the sectional window
seats are upholstered in chenille of
pale chartreuse color. Walls
painted pale pink form pleasant
background for the soft tintS of
green and for the f1owered patterns
on the upholstery of the sycamore
bedroom group.