The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

A BOOK of
DISTINCTIVE
INTERIORS

EDITED BY
WILLIAM A. VOLLMER

NEW YORK

McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY

1912

Copyright, 1910, 1911, 1912, by
McBRIDE, NAST & COMPANY

Published November, 1912

Contents

Pleasing decorative effects may be obtained by bringing out the natural graining of the woodwork. Chestnut and cypress are particularly suitable for this as they may be stained and wax finished, or stained and rubbed down to produce this effect. This fireplace was built with outside bricks selected for their color. There is a mottling of purple and bluish tones among the reds that harmonizes strikingly with the Oriental rug before it

Planning the Living-room

A lounge before the fireplace becomes more useful if a table bearing a lamp is placed behind it. Cypress is reasonable for interior trim, costing from sixty to sixty-eight dollars a thousand feet

After the method of modern planning, the living-room is treated as the principal room in the house. I do not mean to say that this room should be overdone, or given undue prominence to the exclusion of the other rooms, but it is essential that this room be treated differently from the old-fashioned way we formerly treated our living-rooms, then generally a front and back parlor. These two rooms have now been superseded by one large room, as our mode of living and entertaining makes it more desirable than the two small, stuffy rooms, then used only occasionally. To-day we plan to give pleasure and comfort to the family, rather than the occasional guest.

The drawing of the suggested room arrangement shows the fireplace and the French doors leading to the piazza. Above the ivory tinted wainscoting the background paper is of a putty color and panels are filled with a striped and foliated fabric held in place by a molding strip

The ground plan of the room shows a good arrangement of rugs and furniture in order that advantage may be taken of the fireplace and the various lights. Conversation may be carried on with ease and comfort and the room used for various purposes conveniently

This reception room has chiefly Louis XVI furniture, which appears well with the light gray and white woodwork designed after the Adam style

There are probably two or three dozen ways that the living-room can be planned and decorated and at the same time be comfortable and attractive. I have chosen to illustrate this with a type of living-room that adapts itself to almost any house and offers the greatest amount of free space when the room is properly furnished. The room is 15 ft. × 29 ft. 6 in., with a ceiling height of 9 feet, these dimensions giving a well-proportioned room. The fireplace is in the center of the west wall, flanked on each side by two French doors which open out on a piazza. At each end of the room are two windows, balancing one another. On the east wall a wide opening with French doors permits access to the main hall. The most prominent feature of the room is the fireplace, which is accentuated and made a natural center. This is an important consideration when planning a natural grouping of the family or its guests.

Such architectural features as beamed ceilings should only be used in rooms of pretentious size. A good example of Caen stone fireplace is found here

The treatment of the room is Colonial. A low wainscot, 2 ft. 6 in. high, comprising a base, panel, and cap, is carried around the room. The ceiling is beamed with four substantial beams and a half beam to form a cornice around the room at the junction of the wall and ceiling. Over the heads of the doors and windows there is a wide wooden frieze with a cap which ties them, one might say, to the bottom of the cornice, and makes them more completely an integral part of the woodwork. The window stools form a part of the wainscot cap.

A summer living-room that achieves a brilliant note through white woodwork and figured hangings with upholstery to match

The finish of the room is white wood, given four coats of lead and oil paint, with a fifth coat of white enamel, rubbed down, and a sixth and final finishing coat of enamel of an ivory shade that dries out with a very dull satin-like luster that is very durable and not easily marred. Above the wainscot the walls are covered with a heavy background paper having a body color almost of a putty shade, enlivened in certain lights with a pinkish caste. This is accented by the panels, between the windows and doors, of a delicately hued fabric with a foliated striped design. A flat molding covers the edge of the fabric and forms the panel. In order to balance these and add character to the room, the draperies at the windows and doors are of soft blue velour, without which the scheme would be lifeless and flat. The facing of the fireplace is of Sienna marble surmounted with a simple mantel, consisting merely of a heavy classical architrave, with a shelf above and a large plate glass mirror over it. One must not lose sight of the fact that the colors of this room, while light and delicate, are all very rich and warm, due to the predominating ivory color of the woodwork, enlivened and strengthened by the richer and heavier color used in the panels and curtains.

Some would consider it bold to combine white walls and white woodwork in the living-room. The rug, pictures and furniture covering, however, are chosen with an eye to bright colors

The ceiling is sand-finished and tinted to match the walls. The floor is of quartered oak, filled and given two coats of a finish which produces a durable even surface with a dull luster that is not so slippery as a waxed floor. The disposition of the rugs over this floor is a matter of personal taste and the amount one can afford for rugs. The rugs should be Oriental and of light uniform coloring. The plans show probably the most economical way of covering the floor—using one large rug as a center and filling with smaller rugs. One large rug might be obtained that would extend from the piano to the pier glass, but it would have to be an odd shape or specially made. Two large rugs might be used, one in each end of the room, with a small rug to fill in before the fireplace. The approximate positions and proper design for the various pieces of furniture used in the room are indicated.

In order to obtain the real benefit of the fireplace, it is necessary to have a broad comfortable sofa or an upholstered mahogany seat in front of it. In back of this should be a small mahogany table on which an ornamental lamp may stand. On each side of the table can be drawn up large comfortable chairs. This arrangement permits the light of the lamp to fall in the correct position for anyone wishing to read in the chairs or on the seat in front of the fireplace. At one side of the fireplace a large wing-chair would be well placed. The bookcases would, of course, be unnecessary if there were a library in the house, but where the living-room is to answer the general purposes of the family, the book-shelves would be found very useful, and could be movable or built in as part of the finish. Between the northern windows a fine position is obtained for the piano, on the right of which is a good place for a davenport.

Where a living-room is long, various parts of it may be devoted to different uses, one end being a library and the other a sitting-room for instance, with a corner for deskwork

The disposition of the minor pieces of furniture need not be mentioned, except the fact that a pier glass at the opposite end of the room, between the two southern windows is a very decorative treatment, and that the corner at the left affords a place for a tea table or a Colonial pie-crust table.

The low hanging center light is rapidly being superseded by individual fixtures about the room or hung from chains. The three-quarter paneling here is attractive when combined with some conventionalized frieze design

In addition the electric lights are provided with switches, and in the baseboard around the room are two plugs for attaching portable table lamps. There must also be a bell registering its signal on an annunciator in the kitchen,—one ring for a maid—two rings for tea, or as the housewife may arrange.

The cost of the furniture used in this room, covered in cotton, made from the architect's drawings, would be as follows: 18th century sofa, rolled ends, $90; and it requires 3-1/6 yards of 50-inch goods to cover it. Low-boy with drawers, $90—size 2 ft. 6 in. × 4 ft. 6 in. Tip-top tea table, 38 in. in diameter, $60. Martha Washington wing-chair, $54, in cotton; requires 5 yards of 50-inch goods to cover. Martha Washington armchair, $40, in cotton; requires 2 yards of 50-inch goods to cover. The crown ladder-back side chairs would cost about $35 each in cotton, and the armchair to match, $40.

As a general color rule for decoration, red should be used for north rooms and blue for east and west rooms; the warmer tones in living-rooms than in bedrooms. This shows a good use of scrim curtains with a gathered valance

The beamed ceiling, door and window casings, mantel and wainscot in the room would cost about $450. If the wainscot were omitted about $75 would be saved—the mantel and marble facing cost about $100 separately.

A. Raymond Ellis

The use of a single large rug as the basis for the floor covering is often very satisfactory. This house shows an interesting treatment with a molding that acts as cornice

There is something in the restraint shown in the fireplace of Indiana limestone with no mantel shelf that overdecoration could never have obtained. An interesting feature is the use of candle sconces as an auxiliary to the electric lighting

Heavy woodwork requires the use of heavy, substantial furniture. In this room, where the appearance of craftsmanship is prevalent, such furniture is very suitable

A very unpretentious room, but one in good taste. The furniture has all been planned for a distinct location and has been built in to it

A large living-room demands some such architectural treatment as these pillars. The usual mistake is on the side of overdecoration. Here, however, a decided simplicity is employed, leaving the flanking windows in small bays

Oftentimes four beams only are used for the ceiling; two as a cornice and two framing in the chimney-piece

A consideration of modern house decoration is to provide comfort for all members. A small den off the living-room affords privacy when others occupy the living-room

In a California bungalow there is an interesting decorative combination where old heirlooms of furniture from the Eastern ancestors of the family are carefully preserved and Navajo rugs are used as a floor covering. These rugs and the Indian baskets are chosen of a color that will not clash with the polished mahogany

Another corner of the bungalow living-room on page [18] shows a good type of secretary. The Navajo rugs seem to add a tone of vigor that is not found in the rag rugs generally used in this connection

A living-room given a Manorial treatment with the use of Gothic arches. It is carefully treated, even to the rug, which is rectangular in pattern somewhat like the ceiling beams. Although this is in a great house, there is no reason why smaller houses might not be furnished with equal consistency

Two living-rooms in an old Connecticut Colonial house that are decorated with furniture in use during Revolutionary times. These flowered papers were considered very rich then and have colors well chosen as a background for the dark mahogany furniture

An antique stone fireplace forms the keynote for this room and gives the suggestion for large commodious chairs and lounges. The table and chair in the foreground show Jacobean influences

There is surely a decorative quality in bookcases that is heightened by the color of books when arranged properly. Perhaps the results might have been better had all the bookcases been built the same height entirely around the room. The furniture here is of a type that is particularly comfortable and wears well

A living-room decorated along Colonial lines, where the fireplace of red brick with wide white mortar joints is particularly effective. French doors open onto a veranda that is used as a living-room annex. The mantel is a reproduction of an old one

A charming, little Colonial room is decorated entirely in white woodwork with a baseboard. The prim pattern of the flowered wallpaper is quite appropriate. The only modern furniture appearing is the wicker chair, but it lends no jarring note

This room with its heavy settles and rag rugs, its ornaments and pictures, is furnished with nothing but objects from Colonial times. The floor with its original wide boards is stained a dark color and much of it left bare

This room shows the possibility of combining various sorts of furniture. Wicker and willow are suitable for the living-room when used with furniture of an informal type. Above the fireplace is a plaster reproduction of a section of the Parthenon frieze that is well placed

The architects of the West are achieving distinction in the creation of a particular style. This interior is characteristic of their work. Horizontal lines are emphasized and colored brickwork enters as a part of the decoration

A bay with three connecting windows of this sort may be curtained as a unit. There is but one valance for the three windows and light silk curtains are used to match the grass cloth of the walls

Living-rooms need not always be indoors. In this home a glazed in piazza makes it possible to enjoy the early days of spring and late fall when the weather is too uncomfortable to remain out-of-doors. The porch is furnished with all the conveniences that may be found in an indoor living-room and has connections for reading lights and other lamps. The furniture is of grass cloth, willow and wicker, and there are rugs covering the entire floorspace

Much of the Colonial carving was extremely simple. Here added decorative detail appears in the old-fashioned fireback of modeled iron. The covering of the old rosewood furniture is quite in harmony with the wallpaper

An exemplification of the use of deep colors in the living-room treatment is here shown. A restful green makes a good background for large and variously formed pieces

This studio living-room is a successful exponent of the same principle of color harmony shown in the previous illustration. A heterogeneous collection of various styles of furniture is rendered harmonious by the use of kindred tones of browns, tans and dull reds

Built-in furniture is not limited to seats and cupboards. This desk is carpenter built, and although quite inexpensive fits more exactly than many products that could be purchased. The bookcases encircling the room are made part of the desk

The living-room of two stories and with mezzanine floor is receiving more and more favor for its spacious effect. The simple woodwork in this room is well chosen and there is a good suggestion in the lighting fixtures

The cream colored walls and woodwork in this English drawing-room make an especially fine background for mahogany furniture. This fireplace nook is a good example of modern English work

English architects consider that woodwork may be decorative in itself, and finish it so that its natural colors take the place of wall paper. The walls are of unfinished plaster

Some straight lines might be introduced by different curtains and by doing away with the fussy table-covers and frilled lounge pillow. The mantel is particularly good Dutch Colonial but is too much cluttered with bric-à-brac

Every house builder should consider that the downstairs living-room may not always be occupied by the entire family at one time. The upstairs sitting-room provides privacy on all occasions. The mantel treatment here is interesting

The living-room in the same house is rendered distinctive by a large inglenook. It is finished in rough plaster and colored in a light tan

Green and white is a scheme for this summer living-room. White wicker chairs are combined with green willow ones and the green design of the wall paper is echoed in the green rug with a white pattern

Even the most modest bungalow may have personality. The match board wall is finished with a light stain that shows the grain. India prints with their bold colors and striking designs are used for curtains, table and couch covers and for the pillows

The inside curtains in this living-room are of figured Madras. Although they fade, their price is reasonable enough to permit reduplication every few years with small expense

A more formal room is this with its intricate mahogany paneling. The ceiling has an architectural cornice, below which the wall is decorated with a velour in proper coloring

There is a growing desire to build living-rooms that open into the light and air. This is as completely furnished as any other room in the house, but is given a dark stained lattice background as suitable for plants

An informal living-room, where the plaster walls are divided by vertical strips run from a wide molding to the baseboard. This is a cheap, and if properly handled, effective substitute for paneling

A living-room that was designed to take advantage of the view in many directions from a high situation. A large rug with harmonious colors occupies the center of the floor space

Dutch house builders make a feature of the window nook and most of the light is directed toward one part of the room. Matting of an ivory color has been selected as a floor covering

An English mantel treatment that is worth copying is shown here. A single-color carpet is used and the brilliant chintzes lend the completing note of cheerfulness

In contrast is this room where deeper tones are emphasized in rugs and wall treatment and it is desired to produce a more serious effect

Another example of the two-story living-room is here shown in more elaborate style where the precedent was the Manorial hall of England. Tapestries and heavy wall papers are used and the chandeliers are large and elaborate

This sun room is an integral part of the house and is fitted with casement windows, but is by no means a porch. The fireplace renders it a comfortable place in the most severe weather

Furniture covering and draperies here are of a large figured English chintz. As the ceiling was low, a green paper with a perpendicular stripe was used for heightening effect

The chief feature of this room is the doorway with its fine fan light. The chairs in the foreground are of Heppelwhite design

In England a great deal of attention is given to centering the family life about the hearth. This inglenook has almost the value of an additional room. The walls are plain except for the woodwork and the tiling

The inglenook here has a raised floor of ordinary brick and an attractive brick fireplace the mantel of which is a cypress beam supported by projecting bricks. The furniture is made consistent by being stained and then waxed

Glazed tile fireplaces are very much the vogue in England. Here the colors are selected to go well with the light ash treatment of the woodwork

The heavy beams in this living-room made it a simple matter to place the inglenook. The curved lines of the seat, however, and the grotesque plaster figures might grow tiresome, and are most suitable for the house occupied only in the summer or one with more informal treatment

An architect's suggested treatment of a Flemish dining-room. The fireplace is of Caen stone and the plaster wall is sand-finished in a dark shade

Designing the Dining-room

We have a habit, generally, of making the dining-room either English or Colonial in style, I suppose for the reason that we have so many good types of furniture in these two styles that their use makes it easier to obtain an attractive dining-room. The room of Flemish character is probably more unusual and I have, therefore, chosen to offer a design in this style.

The plan shows an arrangement for a dining-room about fifteen by sixteen feet, showing suggested positions for the rugs and furniture that is consistent with the scheme

A very similar treatment to that described in the article is shown in this room with its high rectangular panel wainscot. Instead of a cornice the sand-finished walls are rounded into the ceiling and the ceiling is lower. An interesting candle fixture is hung above the plain oak table. The picture framed in the paneling is an additional possibility

Warm tones are appreciated in a dining-room where the woodwork is all white. Here they are obtained in an Oriental rug of good colors. Chairs are of present-day manufacture, suggested by Sheraton's work

The room is 15 × 16 feet in size, opening from a broad hall from which it is shut off with glass doors. The morning sun, a very essential feature in any dining-room, is obtained through the eastern window and through the southern windows in the summer, while the after-glow of the summer sunset comes through the west window, thus insuring a pleasant dining-room at all times. There is nothing so cheerless as a breakfast-room which is cut off from the sun in the winter, by being isolated in the north or northeastern part of the house; it continually exerts a depressing influence on the family at meals.

The dining-room is adjoined by the serving-room, which connects with the kitchen, affording a quick and direct line of service.

Most dining-rooms need color, which may be introduced in a frieze, as here, or by the use of tapestry. Side fixtures, such as these in duplication of old Colonial lamps, may be purchased for six or seven dollars. The center light is of etched glass

It is suggested that the room be wainscoted in oak to a height of seven feet, with rectangular panels formed by very flat rails and stiles, without any panel moldings. A wide plate-rail forms the cap of the wainscot, affording a place to put bits of china and old pieces of pewter or copper. Above the wainscot the plaster is sand-finished, as is also the ceiling, and at the intersection of the ceiling and side walls a cornice is carried around the room. On the north side is a large fireplace, which is a necessity on a rainy day to make breakfast cheerful and the room comfortable. It is built of light gray Caen stone, which has almost the appearance of limestone. It is imported in blocks and is soft enough to be worked into a variety of shapes. The hearth has a curb border, raised an inch or two above the level of the stone hearth in order to retain the ashes better. A heavy carved casing is carried around the stonework of the fireplace, surmounted by a carved shelf supported on heavy brackets.

All the furniture necessary beside the chairs and dining-table is a sideboard and a serving-table. The china closet may be dispensed with if a place for decorative china is made on a plate rail. This china closet matches well and seems part of the room

French doors are an essential feature in the dining-room because they permit it to be shut off from the hall and kept warm, and they prevent interruptions during the dinner hour. As they are of glass, they afford a view into the hall—a very attractive feature, which does away with that feeling of oppressiveness experienced sometimes from being shut up in a room with solid doors of wood. The floor is of oak, filled and given two coats of a finish which has a dull luster and enough elasticity to make it durable. The floor should be of a shade that is not too light or so dark that it readily shows the dust.

Instead of using the separate pieces of dining-room furniture, two sideboards were built in flanking the fireplace and as an extension of its woodwork. A tapestry paper is used above this wainscot

Opposite the fireplace is a position for the sideboard and there is wall space enough for a china-cupboard although I should prefer to omit this cumbersome piece of furniture, which everybody shuns with the admonition of childhood still ringing in his ears, "mustn't touch." Near the door to the serving-room is the proper place for the serving-table, and there remains plenty of wall space for chairs. By referring to the plan the position of these pieces of furniture will be made more clear.

A possible variation for the seven-foot wainscot suggested, is the room entirely paneled with cypress finished to show the grain. The French doors in this room are desirable in a dining-room, as they allow plenty of light to enter

The decoration of this room is a simple problem. On the floor there should be a rich-colored rug with deep reds in it, strong enough to afford a foundation for the dark sturdy Flemish furniture and the dark finish of the wainscot. Above the wainscot, the sand-finished ceiling and side walls should be sized and painted with three coats of oil paint of a dull golden shade which reflects a warm glow over the room when lighted. The rough texture of the sand-finish is well adapted for such use as this. Of course a frieze of foliated tapestry paper, or real tapestry, could be used with good effect, or even an oil-painted frieze representing a scene from medieval history is permissible. It is safe to say that all of these schemes would be good, though, of course, there would be a great difference in their cost. The radiator under the east window should be painted to match the color of the wainscot. To obtain the correct shade for this wainscot, the wood should go through several processes of staining. The first coat is a deep penetrating stain of burnt Sienna hue to form a mellowing base, similar to the warm colors the old masters used in their paintings. This makes a warm color to reflect through the succeeding coats of darker stain, each coat of which should be rubbed into the wood and any superfluous stain rubbed off, exposing each time the high lights of the wood's grain. The final coat should be a thin coat of wax or a flat-drying oil paint to give the wood a dull luster.

The woodwork treatment here is much the same as that suggested in the text, but of a Colonial or English style and finished white. A good stenciled frieze is used above it. The chairs are of Chippendale design

The furniture should be of the Flemish type, preferably a shade lighter or a shade darker than that of the finish of the woodwork, in order to give contrast. The dining-room table should be a modern extension table with heavy, turned legs, which would of course be repeated in the sideboard, serving-table and chairs. This type of furniture depends entirely for its beauty upon its plain sturdy lines and simple turnings. The chairs should have leather seats and backs, studded with copper nails. The brasses of the fireplace should be of odd design, and the electric lights and fixtures should be of old brass to add a touch of color to the dark wood finish.

It seems hardly necessary to mention that the lights of this room should be governed by an electric switch, and an electric bell on the table should ring a buzzer in the serving-room.

In the serving-room there is a counter shelf two feet eight inches high on each side wall, over which there are glazed cases with sliding doors to contain the china. Under the window there is a sink for the washing of fine china, glass, and silver, which should not go into the kitchen with the heavier dishes. Under the counter are cupboards and drawers and at one end a plate-warmer and a small refrigerator, in order that one may obtain a bite to eat late at night without having to go through the kitchen to the kitchen pantry—which is sometimes awkward if there is no servant's dining-room and the maid is entertaining.

Still another substitute for the wainscot is the use of wood strips applied in this fashion. The Moravian tiles in the fireplace add welcome color

The finish of the room would cost approximately $575 in selected white oak. The mantel alone is worth $80 and the wainscot about $300. The furniture for the room, made from detail drawings, would cost about $450 in oak and leather.

A. Raymond Ellis

Where the dining-room woodwork shows its natural grain, a specially designed buffet of quartered oak, such as this, proves very attractive and satisfactory

The rough plaster walls here are surmounted by a plaster frieze of grapes in color. This design is echoed in the center drop light

Flanking china closets, when in perfect balance, form an admirable feature for the decoration of a Colonial room

The ladder back design of Chippendale is most attractive. In this room with its white woodwork an attempt has been made to repeat the dominant colors of the rug in the wall paper

In this dining-room there is architectural treatment that could by no means find place in any but a large room. Panels at one end of the room are filled with tapestries that give a fine color effect. The scheme is Georgian and the furniture Hepplewhite

Having a large quantity of old blue china, the owner of this room selected a brown figured paper that would harmonize with it. The plates have almost the value of a stenciled frieze

Two types of modern furniture are shown here. The china closet is unnatural and is of no decorative value and but little usefulness. The table and chairs are of simple design and good, solid workmanship

This Colonial room shows an effective panel treatment that can be secured at low cost by applying a molding directly to the plaster and then painting the plaster and the woodwork alike. Good Colonial fixtures are shown above the mantel.

Faithfulness to Colonial tradition does not necessarily make the most comfortable room, but the Windsor chairs are serviceable and easy

White woodwork in this dining-room permits such a set design as this with the little green bay trees. A gate-legged table is not always the most comfortable thing for a dining-room

Furniture, made of applewood, finished with a plain smooth surface and covered with reeds, is especially applicable to the small house and suggests the original home, the English cottage

White enameled furniture as well as woodwork is a novel suggestion for the summer home and makes a brilliant, cheery dining-room, especially when accompanied by bright reds or blues in the rugs, chair cushions and curtains

In the summer camp little ornamentation is necessary, yet the natural attractiveness of wood finish is both useful and beautiful here

In remodeling an old tavern, the taproom with its smoke-blackened beams and dark wainscot was converted into the dining-room. The use of handmade floor tile is particularly interesting

This Dutch interior offers a suggestion for a summer camp in the dining-room alcove placed at one end of the living-room

Wilton rugs in a single color with a darker toned border serve well for the dining-room. The curtains repeat the color in a figured pattern

During house cleaning there are various objections to a plate rail. In this dining-room it was done away with and a frieze was set low and secured by the use of a narrow white molding. If the room were irregular, it would have been almost impossible to locate in this position, but in a rectangular room it is not so difficult. It is in neutral colors and the friezes are in Delft blue with draperies of a darker blue. The furniture is Hepplewhite

The combination of gray and white as used here is an effective background for mahogany. The candle sconce fixtures at either side of the sideboard alcove are in good taste

Although the furniture need not be permanently fixed to the room it may be planned to accommodate certain spaces, as here. The chairs are reproductions along Colonial lines

In a house where there is an additional room, there is a suggestion from the German boudoir. This is really the modern woman's workroom and place of rest and adjoins the sleeping apartment. It is also a place to receive intimate friends

Decorating and Furnishing the Bedroom

Attractive results are achieved in adopting a central figure or idea and planning the room about it. The main unit of design in the wall paper has been repeated on the ivory white furniture

In the bedroom the individuality of the occupant is more in evidence than in any other room of the house, as such rooms or suites are complete in themselves and need not necessarily be considered relatively. Where the house has the marked characteristics of any period the architectural detail of the wood trim in the bedrooms as well as that in the other apartments will, of course, express this and must in a measure influence the furnishings, but even under these conditions more latitude is permissible in the chambers than in the living-rooms.

This room, also shown in the two illustrations following, uses the blue bird as a motif. Cretonne repeats the design that is echoed again in the cut out border. A blue and white rag rug, having a blue bird edging, is suitable for the floor

A room in which no period idea is dominant may be made very charming, and the individual taste of the occupant may influence the entire scheme of decoration. A very dainty and attractive room is shown in the illustration on page [69].

The floral paper used on the side wall here is beautiful in color and design, and the crown of this has a cut out extension of flowers and leaves that is applied directly to the ceiling proper. The furniture of ivory enamel finish has been painted with clusters of the same flowers as those shown in the wall paper. Much of the green of the foliage in this design is repeated in the two-tone rug upon the floor. The curtains and bedspread are made of ivory white linen taffeta and bordered with four-inch bands of cretonne showing the same floral design as the side walls.

Much of the comfort as well as the attractiveness of a bedroom depends upon the arrangement of the furniture it holds. The space for the bed is usually indicated by the architect in the first drafting of the plans, and should be adhered to unless the room is unusually large. However, the other furniture may be arranged and rearranged until the right position is found for each piece.

Where a couch is included this may be placed near the window with the bookshelves conveniently at hand, or it may be set directly across the foot of the bed. The reading- or work-tables and easy-chairs should find their permanent place, as their proper grouping adds much to the livableness of any room.

The wall paper is plain with a satin stripe in what is known as a cerulean blue. The crown effect of the border is a silhouetted pattern cut out and attached separately

The English idea of placing a dressing-table directly in front of a window is not especially favored here as we are loath to sacrifice so much of direct sun and air as the closed window would necessitate, although by such an arrangement we secure a good overhead light.

A white bedstead of this style may be had either of wood enameled or of metal

The placing of the lighting fixtures should also be given some careful study. Side or drop lights should be near the dressing-mirror, and a convenient stand or drop light, well shaded, should be placed near the head of the bed. And a well-arranged table light for reading and sewing is of great convenience in a large bedroom which is used at all as a sitting-room. However small the room, the light must be well arranged for the dressing-table. A central light for a bedroom is a very objectionable feature.

In many cases the bedroom serves more purposes than for sleeping quarters. There should be space for a desk, comfortable chairs and books

Light and crisp colors are more acceptable in the decorative scheme of the bedroom than any other room of the house. Where plain walls and figured cretonnes or chintzes are used in combination the latter should appear generously, that is, not only in valanced curtains at windows, but as slip covers, or cushion covers for chairs, window-seat, or lounge.