Furnishing the Home of Good Taste by Lucy Abbot Throop

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If the walls of a room are plain in color one may have either plain or
figured hangings, but if the wall covering is figured it gives a feeling
of unrest if the curtains are also figured. Sometimes one sees bedrooms
and small boudoirs where the walls and curtains show the same design,
but it must be done with skill, or disaster is sure to follow.

Plain casement cloth or the different "Sunfast" fabrics are attractive
with plain or figured papers, especially in bedrooms of country houses.

If one has to live in the town house through the summer do not make the
fatal mistake of taking down the curtains and living in bare discomfort
during the hot season. If the curtains are too handsome to be kept up,
buy a second set of inexpensive ones that can be washed without injury.
It is better that they should stop the dust, and then go into the tub,
than that one's lungs should collect it all. Curtains are useful as well
as ornamental, and a house without them is as dreary as breakfast
without coffee.

_Floors and Floor Coverings_

In planning a room the color values should be divided into the natural
divisions of the heaviest, or darkest, part at the bottom, which is the
floor; the medium color tone in the middle, which is the wall; and the
lightest at the top, which is the ceiling. This keeps the room from
seeming top-heavy and gives the necessary feeling of support for the
wall and ceiling. The walls and floor serve as a background and should
not be insistant or startling in color; and the size and height of the
room, the amount of wall space, the position of doors, windows and
fireplace, the quantity and quality of the light, and the connecting
rooms will all be factors in the color scheme and materials chosen.

The floor of a room must be right or all the character of the
furnishings will be lost. One should first see that it is in perfect
condition. If it is a hardwood or parquetry floor it should not be
finished the bright and glaring yellow which is sometimes seen, but
should be slightly toned down before the finish is put on. Samples of
different tones should be submitted to be tried with samples of the rug
and stuffs to be used before the decision is made. A wax finish is
better than the usual coats of shellac, for the wax has a soft and
beautiful glow, while shellac has a hard commercial glare. A waxed
floor, if properly taken care of, which is not difficult, wears
extremely well and does not have the distressingly shabby appearance of
a partly worn shellaced floor. If the floor is old and worn and is to be
painted or stained all cracks should be filled, and the color chosen
should be a neutral color-in harmony with the rest of the room, the wood
shades usually being the best, with the exception of cherry and the red
tones of mahogany. Teak is a good tone for hard wood. Soft wood floors
of such woods as pine, fir, and cypress can be made to have the
appearance of hardwood if first scraped or sandpapered and then stained
with an oil stain and finished with a thin coat of shellac and two coats
of prepared floor wax.

The usual ways of using floor covering are: one large rug which leaves a
border of hard wood floor of about a foot all around it; several small
rugs placed with a well balanced plan upon the floor; and carpet, either
seamless or of strips sewed together, made into one rug or entirely
covering the floor.

In the majority of cases the use of a single large plain rug is by far
the best plan, for it gives the feeling of an unobtrusive background
whose beauty of color serves to bind the room in the unity of a well
planned scheme; and this sense of dignity and solidity goes a long way
on the road to success. It is one of the most satisfactory methods of
covering a floor imaginable. These plain carpets come in several grades
and many colors and are woven in widths from nine to thirty feet which
can be cut in any desired length. This makes it possible to have a rug
which will be a suitable size for a room. The colors are very good,
especially the soft grays, tans, putty color, and taupe. There are also
some good blues and greens, a very beautiful dark blue having great
possibilities. There are also, besides these wide carpets, narrow
carpets from twenty-seven inches to four feet wide which can be sewed
together and made into rugs, or the carpet can cover the entire floor.
In some cases this is the most attractive thing to do, for it will make
a room seem larger by carrying the vision all the way to the wall
without the break of a border; and it also covers a multitude of sins in
the way of a rough floor. In these days of vacuum cleaners the old
terrors of dust have lost their sting.

A plain carpet or rug may be used with propriety in any room in the
house, provided the right color is chosen for the surroundings. Some
people, however, prefer a figured carpet in the dining-room on account
of the wear and tear around the table. This risk is not very great if
the rug is of good quality in the first place. A two-toned all-over
design is often chosen for halls and stairs because of the special wear
which they receive, and a Chinese rug is a good selection to make with a
stair carpet of soft blue and yellow Chinese design to match. A small,
figured, all-over design is a good choice for a nursery.

Bedrooms may have either one large rug or be covered entirely with
carpet, or have several rugs so placed that the floor is practically
covered but is easily kept clean. Plain rugs are more restful in effect
in bedrooms than figured rugs, and with plain walls and chintz are fresh
and charming. These carpet rugs should be made with a flat binding which
turns under and is sewed down, as this looks far better and lies flatter
on the floor than the usual over-and-over finish, which is apt to
stretch. All rugs should be thoroughly stretched before they are
delivered as otherwise they will not lie flat.

There is a kind of plain woven linen rug, with a different colored
border if desired, which is very good to use in many country houses.
These rugs come in a large assortment of colors and sizes, and, when
sufficient time is allowed, they can be made in special sizes.
Old-fashioned woven and hooked rag rugs are not appropriate in all kinds
of rooms, even in the country. They should only be used in the simple
farm house type and in some bungalows, and should be used with the
simple styles of old furniture and never with fine examples, whether
copies or originals.

[Illustration: This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
of rugs. The border on the portieres spoils the effect, but the lamp is
well chosen.]

The light in a room must be taken into account in choosing a rug, and
cold colors should not be used in north or cheerless rooms. The theory
of color in regard to light has been explained in other chapters, very
fully in the chapter on wallpapers, and its principles should be applied
to all questions of furnishing, or disappointment will be the result.

[Illustration: The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
used on the floor.]

[Illustration: This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole.]

The question of whether to use Oriental rugs or plain rugs is one which
many people find hard to solve. One of the deciding factors is often
finding just what is right for the room, for really beautiful Oriental
rugs in large or carpet size are rare and also expensive, but soft-toned
Persian rugs with their interesting floral designs, and Chinese rugs
with their wonderful tones of blue and yellow are works of art and well
worth the trouble necessary to discover them and the price asked. They
are best adapted to some libraries and halls and some dining-rooms, but
they should not be startling in either design or color. To my mind
Oriental rugs are not well suited to the majority of living-rooms and
bedrooms because of the constant and varied use of these rooms. When
Oriental rugs are used there should be plenty of plain effect in the
room; the walls, for instance, should be plain. I have never seen a room
which was successful if both walls and rug were figured. A fine tapestry
may be used with Oriental rugs, but that is quite different from a
figured wall. If several rugs are to be used in one room they must be of
the same color value and the same general color tone or the floor will
appear uneven. One does not wish to have a room give the uncomfortable
effect of "the rocky road to Dublin." A rug with a general blue tone
must not be put with other rugs of many colors or an overpowering amount
of red, but should be matched in color by having blue the chief color of
the other rugs also. The color value, too, must be even, for a light
rug next to a dark has the same disagreeable effect. It is impossible to
have a beautiful room if the rug seems to rise up and smite you as you
enter. Persian rugs with their conventional floral designs should not be
used with the marked color and geometrical designs of Caucasian rugs.
These points are important to remember and follow, for otherwise unity
of scheme for the room will be impossible.

If one has several fine rugs well matched in color value and design they
should be placed with a due regard to the shape of the room and the
position of the furniture. A rug placed cat-a-cornered breaks up the
structural plan of the room and makes it appear smaller than it really
is. The new lines formed are at odds with the lines of the walls and
interfere with the sense of space by stopping the eye in its instinctive
journey to the boundary of things. Oriental rugs should be tried if
possible in the rooms in which they are to be used before the final
choice is made, and one must always try the rug with the light falling
across the nap and also with the nap, for one way makes the rug lighter
and the other darker, and one of the two may be just what is wanted.

If one owns a rug which seems far too bright to use it can be toned
down, but the owner must take the risk of its being spoiled in the
process. To me it does not seem a great risk, because if the rug is so
bright that it is absolutely nerve-destroying and useless, and there is
a chance that for a small sum it can be made charming, why not take it?
I have never heard of one failing, but I suppose some of them must or
the stipulation would not be made.

If an Oriental rug is used it should give the keynote for the color
scheme, and the design of the rug will decide whether there can be any
figured material used in the room. It is far easier to build up a scheme
from a satisfactory rug than it is to try to fit one into a room which
is otherwise finished. One's field of choice is much wider. Samples of
wallpaper, curtain material and furniture coverings should always be
tried with the rugs, whether Oriental or plain in color, for the scheme
of a room must be worked out as a whole, not piece-meal. Each room must
be considered in relation to the other rooms near it, because, although
it may be beautiful in itself, if it does not harmonize with the
connecting rooms the whole effect will be a failure. Vistas from one
room to another should be alluring and charming; there should be no
violent and clashing contrasts of color or styles of furniture or sudden
change in the scale of furnishings. One room cannot shake off its
relationship to the rest of the house and be a success, and floor
coverings must bear their full share of responsibility in making the
whole house beautiful.

_The Treatment of Walls_

The walls of a house hold a most important place in the order of things
and their treatment requires much thought. The floor is the darkest
color value in a room, as it is the foundation, and the walls come next
in color value and consideration. What I have said in other chapters
about the necessity of connecting rooms being harmonious applies of
course to the selection of wall coverings.

The first question to be settled is: shall paint or paper be used?

If a house is new the walls are apt to settle a little making the
plaster crack, and it is far better in such a case to allow the walls to
remain white for a year. If the effect of plain white plaster strikes
one as too cold one of the many water tints may be used as this will not
interfere with any later scheme. In houses that have been built for a
number of years the walls are often so badly cracked and marred that to
put them into condition for painting would be more expensive than
preparing them for paper. Estimates should be given for both paint and
paper.

When the plaster has done its worst and settled down to a quiet life the
work of covering the walls appropriately begun.

Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more restful in
effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls. This is not a
question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but
simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall,
even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less
of a background. If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a
figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls. If one
has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be
treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain
background. A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made
to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral
color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion
more pronounced. Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls,
as they then appear larger. Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter
of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and
various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of
the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and
lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the
scheme, instead of making another distracting note.

[Illustration: A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.]

The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances,
such as the condition of the walls or the climate. With paint one can
have the exact shade desired and either a "glossy" or eggshell finish.
With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color
wanted and changing the other colors to harmonize. Paint is better to
use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the
course of time.

[Illustration: This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.]

Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
walls have been painted by great artists.

Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.

Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is to be used.
Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
environment. Samples of the curtains and furniture coverings should also
be tried with the sample of paper before the final choice is made. If a
paper with a decided figure is chosen pictures should be banished, for
their beauty will be killed by the repeated design. The scale of the
design in relation to the size of the room must also be taken into
account. A small room will be overpowered by a large figure, but often
the repeat of a small figure is quite correct in a large room as it
gives an all-over, unobtrusive effect. If the wall space is much cut by
doors and windows one should select a plain, neutral toned paper. It
would be a fatal error to use a figured paper, for the room would look
restless and chaotic and probably out of balance. If the windows are in
groups and the doors balance each other the danger is lessened, but not
done away with. One of the beautiful features in fine old Colonial
houses is this ordered position of doors, but in many a modern house the
doors have a trying way of appearing in a corner, as if they were a bit
ashamed of themselves; and they have good cause to be, for a badly
placed door is a calamity. If one is fortunate enough to plan one's own
house, this matter can be taken care of properly, but in the average
ready made house one has to try to make the doors less conspicuous by
having them painted in very much the tone of the wall. With a gray wall,
for instance, there should have a slightly lighter tone of gray for the
woodwork, with a white and gray striped paper white paint may be used,
with a soft tan a deep old ivory, and so on.

If a room is badly proportioned it can often be improved by the simple
expedient of using a correct paper. If the room is too high for its size
the ceiling color may be brought down on the side wall for eighteen
inches or so and finished with a moulding. This stops the eye before it
reaches the ceiling and so makes the room seem lower. If the room is too
low a striped paper may be used which will make the room seem higher by
carrying the eye up to the ceiling where the paper is finished with a
moulding. Vertical lines give the appearance of height, horizontal
lines of width. Striped paper should not be used in narrow halls, for it
makes them seem narrower and gives one the feeling of being in a cage.
Two-toned striped papers of nearly the same color value, such as gray
and white, yellow and cream-white, and white and cream color, are better
to use than those of more marked contrast, although some of the green
and white and blue and white are charming and fresh looking for
bedrooms. Black and white is too eccentric for the average house; one
should beware of all eccentric papers. There are a few kinds of paper
which should be left severely alone, for they will spoil any room. One
of them has a plain general tone but a suggestion of other colors which
give it a blurred and mottled appearance which is singularly
disagreeable. Another is plain in color but has a lumpy effect like a
toad's back, and is really quite awful. Others are metallic papers, and
there is a heavy paper embossed in self color with a conventional design
which is apt to have a shining surface. Papers with dashes and little
flecks of gold should be avoided, for the gold gives the wall an
unstable and cheap appearance. Papers with small single figures repeated
all over the surface are apt to look as if a plague of flies or beetles
had arrived and are quite impossible to live with. Borders and cut out
borders have a commonplace appearance and are not in the best of taste.
And then there are papers with vulgarity of design. This quality is hard
to define clearly, for it may be only a slightly redundant curve or
other lack of true feeling for the beauty of line, or a bit too much, or
too little, color, or a bad combination of color, or a lack of knowledge
of the laws of balance and harmony and ornament, or a wrong surface of
texture to the paper. But whatever the cause, a vulgar paper will
vulgarize any room, no matter what is done in the way of furniture. It
will assert itself like an ill-bred person. Luckily both are easily
recognized.

But the picture is not all dark by any means, for some of the American
made papers, as well as the imported papers, are very beautiful. The
makers are taking great pains to have fine designs and beautiful colors
which will appeal to people of knowledge and taste. The situation is
much better than it was a few years ago. Some of the copies of old
figured and scenic papers are exceptionally fine, and can be used with
great distinction in dining-rooms or halls with ivory or cream-white
woodwork and wainscoting, and Georgian or Colonial furniture. One should
not use pictures with these papers, but mirrors are permissable and will
have the best effect if placed on a wood-paneled over-mantel. These
papers come in tones of gray and white and also sepia. Oriental rugs, if
not of too conspicuous a design, may be used with them, but plain rugs
are better with plain hangings and striped silk chair seats. These
papers are very attractive in country houses. There are also colored
scenic papers, an especially fascinating one having a Chinese design
which could be used as a connected scene or in panels, and would be
lovely in a country house drawing-room or dining-room or hall. It could
also be used in a city house with beautiful effect if due thought be
given to the question of hangings, woodwork, rug, and furniture.
Introduce a false note, and a room of this kind is ruined. These scenic
papers come in sets, but the copies of the other old papers come in the
regular rolls. Some of the lovely old "_Toile de Jouy_" designs have
been used for wall paper, and these with other chintz designs, can be
softened in effect by a special method of glazing which makes them very
harmonious and charming with antique furniture or reproductions of fine
old models. These old chintz papers are lovely for bedrooms or
morning-rooms, with fresh crisp muslin curtains and plain silk or linen
or chambray side-curtains. Either painted or mahogany furniture could be
employed. A motif from the paper can be used for the furniture or it can
simply be striped with the color chosen for the plain curtains. Some of
the good and rather stunning bird design papers treated with this
special glazing make beautiful halls with plain rugs and hangings and
chair covers.

Papers cost from about forty cents to several dollars a roll, but the
choice is large and attractive between one and three dollars a roll, and
there are also excellent ones for eighty-five cents. It is almost
impossible, however, to give a satisfactory list of prices as they vary
in different parts of the country. The reproductions of old scenic
papers of which I have spoken are expensive, costing about one hundred
dollars a set, but they may go down again now that the war is over. The
difference in expense between paint and paper is not very great, in
fact, with the average paper at a dollar or a dollar and a half a roll,
paint is about the same, or perhaps a bit cheaper if the walls are in
fairly good condition. It is a mistake to use inferior paper, and there
should never be more than a lining paper and the paper itself on the
wall. In some cases where there is only one paper of soft color on the
wall, with no lining paper, this paper may be used as a lining paper if
it is absolutely tight and firm. The risk is that the new paste may
loosen the old a bit and so let all come down. Old paper must be
entirely removed if there are any marred places as they will show
through the new and ruin the effect.

The amount of wall space and the quality and the quantity of the light
are important factors in deciding the color scheme because by using them
correctly we can brighten a cheerless, dark room or soften the blaze in
a too sunny one.

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