A point to be well considered, also, is the size of the room and the
place the piece of furniture or ornament will occupy. The order of
arrangement in furnishing, says an authority, must be this : " The liv-
ing beings in a room should always be the most attractive ; next come
the furniture and the draperies ; then come the walls and floors, both
of which are to serve as backgrounds to all that stand in front of them.
In decorating walls this must always be taken into consideration, also
the room of which the walls form a part. If we are to decorate a
dining-room, let the decorations give a sense of richness ; a drawing-
room or parlor, let it give cheerfulness ; a library, let it give worth ; a
bedroom, repose."
All rooms ought to look as if they were lived in, and be ready to give
a friendly welcome to all newcomers. If everything looks stiff and
non-get-at-able then the visitor is repelled instead of welcomed. A
dining-room ought to be cheery and bright so that one may enjoy the
sense of sight as well as taste. The sitting-room should look as if the
family meetings of the day could be held here without fuss or ceremony ;
and the parlor as more than a reception hall, while the library should
142 HOUSE FURNISHING.
have its books within easy access and a comfortable table for writ-
ing.
A few willow chairs of different pattern, with ribbon interlaced
through them ; one or two easy chairs, luxuriously fitted with springs
and soft cushions, and easy and comfortable rockers, where one may
really take comfort, are much preferable to the more fashionable but
uncomfortable chair of the extreme fashion. Those whose rooms are
already furnished in neutral tints, and to which it is desirable to add
bright bits of color, can make them seem brilliant if they will add rich
dark red to table covers, the borders of curtains and mantel draperies
or valances. Peacock blue with glints of gold will light up a gray or
fawn colored room. Scarlet and gold the library, and oak and green, or
autumn tints, the dining room.
ARTISTIC WALL PAPERS.
The first thing to be considered, on taking possession of a home, is
the paper-hanging. All walls, however decorated, should serve as a
background to whatever stands in front of them. The general effect of
the paper should be rich, low-toned and neutral, and yet have a glowing
color running through it. The effect of a wall paper is materially influ-
enced by many circumstances, and should be selected first, as the size,
architecture and general style of the room demands. For simple rooms
the stone grays are the prettiest and show pictures to the best advant-
age when used as a background. The fashionable wall paper of to-day
is in dark colors, with small scroll patterns, tiny vines, leaves and
blocks, but fashion is not arbitrary, particularly in house adornments,
so one had best to choose the lightest gray possible with a deep border
of scarlet and gold, or gray and gold, and even the black and gold panel
borders are very handsome, particularly if one has any of the black and
gold wood furniture now so much in vogue. For a low ceiling use a
narrow striped paper with narrow border. Never have any bright
color in the ground work of the wall paper, but have the neutral tint as
a foundation only for bright colors.
Page 124
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A point to be well considered, also, is the size of the room and the place the piece of furniture or ornament will occupy. The order of arrangement in furnishing, says an authority, must be this : " The living beings in a room should always be the most attractive ; next come the furniture and the draperies ; then come the walls and floors, both of which are to serve as backgrounds to all that stand in front of them. In decorating walls this must always be taken into consideration, also the room of which the walls form a part. If we are to decorate a dining-room, let the decorations give a sense of richness ; a drawingroom or parlor, let it give cheerfulness ; a library, let it give worth ; a bedroom, repose."
All rooms ought to look as if they were lived in, and be ready to give a friendly welcome to all newcomers. If everything looks stiff and non-get-at-able then the visitor is repelled instead of welcomed. A dining-room ought to be cheery and bright so that one may enjoy the sense of sight as well as taste. The sitting-room should look as if the family meetings of the day could be held here without fuss or ceremony ; and the parlor as more than a reception hall, while the library should
have its books within easy access and a comfortable table for writing.
A few willow chairs of different pattern, with ribbon interlaced through them ; one or two easy chairs, luxuriously fitted with springs and soft cushions, and easy and comfortable rockers, where one may really take comfort, are much preferable to the more fashionable but uncomfortable chair of the extreme fashion. Those whose rooms are already furnished in neutral tints, and to which it is desirable to add bright bits of color, can make them seem brilliant if they will add rich dark red to table covers, the borders of curtains and mantel draperies or valances. Peacock blue with glints of gold will light up a gray or fawn colored room. Scarlet and gold the library, and oak and green, or autumn tints, the dining room.
ARTISTIC WALL PAPERS.
The first thing to be considered, on taking possession of a home, is the paper-hanging. All walls, however decorated, should serve as a background to whatever stands in front of them. The general effect of the paper should be rich, low-toned and neutral, and yet have a glowing color running through it. The effect of a wall paper is materially influenced by many circumstances, and should be selected first, as the size, architecture and general style of the room demands. For simple rooms the stone grays are the prettiest and show pictures to the best advantage when used as a background. The fashionable wall paper of to-day is in dark colors, with small scroll patterns, tiny vines, leaves and blocks, but fashion is not arbitrary, particularly in house adornments, so one had best to choose the lightest gray possible with a deep border of scarlet and gold, or gray and gold, and even the black and gold panel borders are very handsome, particularly if one has any of the black and gold wood furniture now so much in vogue. For a low ceiling use a narrow striped paper with narrow border. Never have any bright color in the ground work of the wall paper, but have the neutral tint as a foundation only for bright colors.