A manual of home-making

Plate VIL— T>T>ea of furniture ugly in proportion ^ erratic in line, over- decorated in finish, that should be avoided. HOME FURNISHING There is much good painted or enameled furnitiire. It lends itself to charming and unusual color schemes. This finish is especially appropriate with the light clean effects so suitable in bedrooms in country homesi and in rooms with painted trim. Willow, because of its elasticity, is an excellent material for seats, but not appropriate for tables, desks, beds and other furniture forms in wltich firntness and smoothness are essential qualities. Though not so dural>Ie as wood, willow is light in weight, has unlimited color possibilities, and fits satisfactorily into many var>'ing types of furnishings. The simple designaj are always the best. Uphohtery, Well-disposed springs and padding add much to the comfort of a lounge or chair, and a textile covering may contribute most attractive notes to the color scheme of a room. Upholstered chairs with a well-built frame that is frankly evident, are the best choice. Fat-looking, dimpled, padded, buttoned, and fringed upholstery should be avoided. Too often it covers weak construction. Upholstery furnishes a gornj opportunity to amalgnmate the various colors in a room, such as the contrasting coloJ's of walls and hangings, or to emphasize one of these, or to introduce new colors that will enliven an otherwise monotonous room-, or to distriliute the color interests when there is too much color miisscd on one ?side of a room, as sometimes results from a series of door and window draperies. For ordinary home use, plain, striped, or figured fabrics are more appropriate than leather, which finds it.s best use in offices ] and men^s louni^fing rooms. A sicmderly built chair should not be upholstered in a large figuj*ed, strong-colored fabric. A chair or any other furni- ture may be excellent in design with no decoration. Any decoration should Ive an integral part of the whole design, an outgrowth of tlie construction, a refinement of the propor- tions, or an emphasis of an essential element by a bit of enrichment, • "Il'lllllll Fio. 28, — Three eood forms of ccmrht«. Top. a willow davenport, comfortable, reasoQubtc in prictv and f*iusily moved. tVnti-T, a type of uphoUtcred dftv<^nport excceditjjily contfortabln hut likely to be rostiy. Bottom, an itiexpensivr box-couch iirr»Tni«_'mrnt thiit may be mmle both eomfortablc and attractive by the use of good ^pnags, upholstery, and cuiihioiis. I I i HOME FURNISHING Flo. 29. — Typirnl siimll Inbles of gfxj«i fomi and finish from which n suitab splwtion ntight lie made for varioua typia of living-room, bedrooin, or porch. ^^ 88 .1 MA.WUAL OF HOME-MAKING Relation to other furntHkings, To secure a honiogeneouH result in house furnishing, the fit- nesii of each purchase should Ik» thought of in relation to the room in wliich it is to p;o anil in relation to the other furnishings of that room. As has l^een pr(^viously pointed out, tlie proportion of furoiture hiis a notable elTect on the apparent proportion of the room: vcr>' large pieces of furniture seem to crowd a small room; vory small pieces, unles8 groupcnJ, appear dwarfed in a large r<»om»