There is nothing that adds more finish and elegance to a room than
appropriate window draperies. An ugly curtain always makes a room
disagreeable-looking and detracts from the harmony that should per-
vade it; while dark, rich-looking or light, airy-appearing window
draperies have been known to transform an uninviting room, as if by
magic, into a harmonious and attractive apartment. Given a pretty car-
pet and wall paper, with corresponding curtains, and the foundation of
a room is well laid for any ornament or decoration that may be added
to it.
Whatever may be the predominating tint of the carpet, the curtains
should lead it up in a somewhat lighter shade, or else should decidedly
contrast with it. At any rate, they should correspond in color with the
coverings of the chairs, mantel draperies and sofas, and be of the same
material. Thus, silk or velvet coverings look out of place with cretonne
furniture, and vice versa.
In some rooms, where the chairs and other articles are of wicker and
bent wood, the curtains will be of Japanese and other Oriental stuffs,
as so much bamboo and rattan work comes from that quarter of the
world, or else of muslins, white or tinted, or of the various flowering
chintzes which correspond with the gay garden season in which such
rooms and furniture are chiefly used. Lace curtains, too, are very suit-
able for the rooms for summer occupation, ranging from those which
10
146 HOUSE FURNISHING.
are finely wrought to plainer ones of dotted Swiss or muslin, looped back
with ribbons.
Whenever the ugly top-piece called the cornice can be dispensed with
in putting up curtains, it is best to do so, and in its place use the curtain
rod, which is much more graceful and light, as well as more convenient.
These poles are of walnut, nickel, brass, ebonized wood, or of brass-
tipped ebony or walnut, with rings of wood or brass to match the rod.
If the material is light and airy, the pole is slender and the rings are
small ; but if the curtain hangs in ample folds of rich, heavy goods, the
poles and rings are proportionately heavy, but never anything but grace-
ful and effective. It is hard to make a choice between the three — brass,
ebony or walnut ; but the selection must of course be governed by the
furniture of the room. If of walnut, then the walnut rods are most suit-
able ; if ebony furniture, picked out with gold lines, then ebony, brass-
tipped rods are prettiest, and if the room is furnished in dark, rich
material, with mahogany or brass-mounted furniture, then the curtains
will need corresponding brass rods and fixtures. Let the draperies
move freely on the rod, so that they may be thrown entirely back, at
will, in order to throw needed lights on the pictures. The charm of
a curtain so suspended is that it can be slipped back, letting in the full
length of golden sunshine into the room.
Page 128
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
There is nothing that adds more finish and elegance to a room than appropriate window draperies. An ugly curtain always makes a room disagreeable-looking and detracts from the harmony that should pervade it; while dark, rich-looking or light, airy-appearing window draperies have been known to transform an uninviting room, as if by magic, into a harmonious and attractive apartment. Given a pretty carpet and wall paper, with corresponding curtains, and the foundation of a room is well laid for any ornament or decoration that may be added to it.
Whatever may be the predominating tint of the carpet, the curtains should lead it up in a somewhat lighter shade, or else should decidedly contrast with it. At any rate, they should correspond in color with the coverings of the chairs, mantel draperies and sofas, and be of the same material. Thus, silk or velvet coverings look out of place with cretonne furniture, and vice versa.
In some rooms, where the chairs and other articles are of wicker and bent wood, the curtains will be of Japanese and other Oriental stuffs, as so much bamboo and rattan work comes from that quarter of the world, or else of muslins, white or tinted, or of the various flowering chintzes which correspond with the gay garden season in which such rooms and furniture are chiefly used. Lace curtains, too, are very suitable for the rooms for summer occupation, ranging from those which
are finely wrought to plainer ones of dotted Swiss or muslin, looped back with ribbons.
Whenever the ugly top-piece called the cornice can be dispensed with in putting up curtains, it is best to do so, and in its place use the curtain rod, which is much more graceful and light, as well as more convenient. These poles are of walnut, nickel, brass, ebonized wood, or of brasstipped ebony or walnut, with rings of wood or brass to match the rod.
If the material is light and airy, the pole is slender and the rings are small ; but if the curtain hangs in ample folds of rich, heavy goods, the poles and rings are proportionately heavy, but never anything but graceful and effective. It is hard to make a choice between the three — brass, ebony or walnut ; but the selection must of course be governed by the furniture of the room. If of walnut, then the walnut rods are most suitable ; if ebony furniture, picked out with gold lines, then ebony, brasstipped rods are prettiest, and if the room is furnished in dark, rich material, with mahogany or brass-mounted furniture, then the curtains will need corresponding brass rods and fixtures. Let the draperies move freely on the rod, so that they may be thrown entirely back, at will, in order to throw needed lights on the pictures. The charm of a curtain so suspended is that it can be slipped back, letting in the full length of golden sunshine into the room.