In selecting furniture, the first thought should be given to comfort.
The best chairs and couches are those which one likes best and takes
most comfort in, whatever may be the style or material. They should
be graceful, of easy make and covered with a good serviceable color and
material. It is exceedingly uncomfortable to have furniture so frail
that it is continually being broken or defaced, or so handsome that
ordinary mortals are afraid to use it, or so delicate in color and mate-
rial that every touch soils it. The most expensive woods are not always
the best for furniture mountings, especially in chairs, where the wood
is in short lengths and small sizes. The best of all woods is real ebony,
but its cost is excessive, and almost excludes its employment. Next to
the various kinds of hard tropical woods, live-oak is the best fo.r furni-
ture, then mahogany, white oak, cherry, maple, yellow pine, walnut,
ash, white pine, poplar and bass-wood. There is a trifling difference in
the cost of the last eight, the last four being practically poor materials
for small pieces of movable furniture, because they are soft, and are
easily dented or broken. In stationary furniture hard wood is not
practically so necessary, and, where economy is a primary necessity,
soft wood has the advantage of being easily worked in the required
forms.
Solidity, richness and comfort are combined in the furniture of to-day.
The styles of Queen Anne are revived, the solid Eastlake designs are
in favor, and the tapestry for upholstering furniture is in English, old
Flemish and old Italian styles. Eastlake drawing-room suites and
parlor sets have ebony and gilt frames, though there are other styles in
French mafqueterie, inlaid walnut and gilt, and carved French walnut
frames. They are upholstered in all shades of satin, satin brocade,
brocade rep, French raw silk, nouveaux silk, silk-faced sateen, silk cor-
telain, crimson silk plush, embossed velvet and flowered cashmere.
Very elegant suites and sets in all styles, and upholstered in these
goods are in colors of blue, old gold and crimson, olive-green and
brown, drab, tan, amber, French gray, ashes of roses, olive and Sal-
mon color.
The favorite furniture for parlors is in the Turkish style, in which the
wood is covered with soft upholstery. Silk plush in oriental colors, and
velvets in warm crimsons and shades are used in covering tasteful fur-
niture. It is not bordered "with contrasting colors, and no trimming is
used save hanging tassels and heavy fringe.
An arm chair of rattan is now placed amongst the parlor furniture.
The rattan is yellow, black or gilded, and is upholstered in gay plush.
A little divan, furnishing two or three seats, covered with plush and
softly tufted, forms a center piece and is a convenient and pretty addi-
PARLOR AND LIBRARY. 155
tion to a parlor. Cabinets as antique and rare as money can buy, made
of mahogany and ebony and plentifully trimmed with brass, are used to
collect pretty articles of bric-a-brac that else would clutter the room too
profusely. These have beveled glass doors, and sometimes are quaintly
carved. Mantel mirrors are much smaller, have beveled edges and are
furnished with shelves.
Page 136
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
In selecting furniture, the first thought should be given to comfort. The best chairs and couches are those which one likes best and takes most comfort in, whatever may be the style or material. They should be graceful, of easy make and covered with a good serviceable color and material. It is exceedingly uncomfortable to have furniture so frail that it is continually being broken or defaced, or so handsome that ordinary mortals are afraid to use it, or so delicate in color and material that every touch soils it. The most expensive woods are not always the best for furniture mountings, especially in chairs, where the wood is in short lengths and small sizes. The best of all woods is real ebony, but its cost is excessive, and almost excludes its employment. Next to the various kinds of hard tropical woods, live-oak is the best for furniture, then mahogany, white oak, cherry, maple, yellow pine, walnut, ash, white pine, poplar and bass-wood. There is a trifling difference in the cost of the last eight, the last four being practically poor materials for small pieces of movable furniture, because they are soft, and are easily dented or broken. In stationary furniture hard wood is not practically so necessary, and, where economy is a primary necessity, soft wood has the advantage of being easily worked in the required forms.
Solidity, richness and comfort are combined in the furniture of to-day. The styles of Queen Anne are revived, the solid Eastlake designs are in favor, and the tapestry for upholstering furniture is in English, old Flemish and old Italian styles. Eastlake drawing-room suites and parlor sets have ebony and gilt frames, though there are other styles in French mafqueterie, inlaid walnut and gilt, and carved French walnut frames. They are upholstered in all shades of satin, satin brocade, brocade rep, French raw silk, nouveaux silk, silk-faced sateen, silk cortelain, crimson silk plush, embossed velvet and flowered cashmere. Very elegant suites and sets in all styles, and upholstered in these goods are in colors of blue, old gold and crimson, olive-green and brown, drab, tan, amber, French gray, ashes of roses, olive and Salmon color.
The favorite furniture for parlors is in the Turkish style, in which the wood is covered with soft upholstery. Silk plush in oriental colors, and velvets in warm crimsons and shades are used in covering tasteful furniture. It is not bordered "with contrasting colors, and no trimming is used save hanging tassels and heavy fringe.
An arm chair of rattan is now placed amongst the parlor furniture. The rattan is yellow, black or gilded, and is upholstered in gay plush. A little divan, furnishing two or three seats, covered with plush and softly tufted, forms a center piece and is a convenient and pretty addi-
PARLOR AND LIBRARY. 155
tion to a parlor. Cabinets as antique and rare as money can buy, made of mahogany and ebony and plentifully trimmed with brass, are used to collect pretty articles of bric-a-brac that else would clutter the room too profusely. These have beveled glass doors, and sometimes are quaintly carved. Mantel mirrors are much smaller, have beveled edges and are furnished with shelves.