Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar81911newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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WITHIN THE HOUSE SUGGESTIONS ON INTERIOR DECORATING AND NOTES OF INTEREST TO ALL WHO DESIRE TO MAKE THE HOUSE MORE BEAUTIFUL AND MORE HOMELIKE The Editor of this Department will be glad to answer all queries from subscribers pertaining to Home Decoration. Stamps should be enclosed when a direct personal reply is desired x^ocooocoooo;fex X^OOOOQOOOOO^X SOME FURNISHING PROBLEMS By Mabel Tuke Priestman \M ■*T HE problem of furnishing the dining-room confronts one of the readers of this depart- ment, who requests suggestions, which are here given as being of interest to readers in general. It is of immense importance to have a cheerful dining-room. A gloomy, forbidding room will have a depressing effect even after one has grown accustomed to it. Few things make such a difference as a successful window treatment. Dainty frilled white sash curtains, linen taffetas or chintz all do their part to make a cheerful looking room. If the curtains are to give the decorative note, it would be well to have the walls plain or covered with a striped paper. These striped papers come in soft shaded effects, so a light tone could be chosen to give a light effect to your dining-room and yet will harmon- ize with the color scheme of the curtains and rugs. If the
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Dainty curtains do much toward making a living-room cheerful house has not been wisely planned and the dining-room has a north aspect, or has not enough windows, such defects may be mitigated by striving to give it a cheerful feeling by a strong, vigorous treatment—a stunning frieze above as pale a wall surface as the frieze can stand, or a yellow paper with an ivory-white ceiling with white woodwork will bring sunshine out of gloom. A striking paper, if of excellent design, may be used, and plain curtains; but as the room will then depend on its wall-paper for all its decorative value a good design must be selected and in suitable color- ing to offset a dark room. When it is possible, it is most important that a good deal of attention is given to having good structural features, such as window seats, built-in closets and even built-in sideboards, for all these help to make a room individual in character. The low, wide win- dow seat, with a wide window or two, if practical, are im- portant factors in helping to make a pleasing dining-room. The plate-rail, if there is anything worth while to put on it and if it is not allowed to be the dumphill for the rest of the house, may be an opportunity for a glowing amount of color and good decoration. A round table makes for friend- liness and congeniality, and cannot be too highly recom- mended on this account. A center light should always be used in a dining-room and hung low over the dining-room table. For extra occasions candles and shades give a deco- rative value to the appearance of the table that is very charming and homelike. Of course, there must be a center dish of growing flowers or ferns. AN ATTIC BEDROOM CUGGESTIONS for making an attic bedroom for the ^ young daughter of the family attractive have been asked for by one of our readers. As the room is large and well proportioned, there is no reason why an attic bedroom should not be made as beautiful as one on the second floor. The wall would be pretty and serve as a background for photographs of school friends if covered with a soft shade of green felt paper. A good quality of felt or fibre must be chosen, as the color fades in a cheap quality in a green with any depth of tone. Above this a frieze could be run if the walls do not slope, and choose a frieze that is beauti- ful—an old English garden effect; there are plenty of good ones to select from on the market. If there are casement windows, they may be filled with leaded glass diamond panes; beneath them a window seat, and have a hinged lid, so that it will be a convenient place for shoes to be kept out of the dust. If there are a pair of windows so much the better; the other seat may be deeper, for stowing away papers and magazines. If there is a space between the two windows, this may be filled with bookshelves and desk combined. Copper hinges and escutcheons, made at home from sheets of brass, may be used effectively on the small green-stained doors or slanting front of the desk, whichever the shape calls for. A wicker chair might be stained green

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