437 files changed, 27879 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/14824-0.txt b/14824-0.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5c1de3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-0.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5097 @@
+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14824 ***
+
+FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE
+
+A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE PERIOD STYLES IN INTERIOR DECORATION WITH
+SUGGESTIONS AS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOMES OF TODAY
+
+BY
+
+LUCY ABBOT THROOP
+
+
+NEW YORK ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO.
+
+1920
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+1910          THE CROWELL PUBLISHING CO.
+
+1911, 1912,   MCBRIDE, NAST & CO.
+
+1920,         ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO.
+
+
+NEW AND REVISED EDITION
+
+Published, September, 1920
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+[Illustration: _Trowbridge & Livingston, architects._
+
+A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters.]
+
+
+_Contents_
+
+PREFACE                                                                i
+
+EGYPT AND GREECE                                                       1
+
+THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY                                               7
+
+THE DEVELOPMENT OF DECORATION IN FRANCE                               17
+
+LOUIS XIV                                                             29
+
+THE REGENCY AND LOUIS XV                                              87
+
+LOUIS XVI                                                             47
+
+THE EMPIRE                                                            58
+
+ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM GOTHIC DAYS TO THE PERIOD OF QUEEN ANNE        59
+
+QUEEN ANNE                                                            78
+
+CHIPPENDALE AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND                     79
+
+ROBERT ADAM                                                           91
+
+HEPPLEWHITE                                                           97
+
+SHERATON                                                             103
+
+A GENERAL TALK                                                       111
+
+GEORGIAN FURNITURE                                                   135
+
+FURNISHING WITH FRENCH FURNITURE                                     149
+
+COUNTRY HOUSES                                                       159
+
+THE NURSERY AND PLAY-ROOM                                            169
+
+CURTAINS                                                             175
+
+FLOORS AND FLOOR COVERINGS                                           185
+
+THE TREATMENT OF WALLS                                               195
+
+ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING                                                  209
+
+PAINTED FURNITURE                                                    221
+
+SYNOPSIS OF PERIOD STYLES AS AN AID IN BUYING FURNITURE              231
+
+
+
+
+_The Illustrations_
+
+A modern dining-room                                     _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                              FACING PAGE
+Italian Renaissance fireplace and overmantel, modern                   8
+
+Doorways and pilaster details, Italian Renaissance                     9
+
+Two Louis XIII chairs                                                 22
+
+A Gothic chair of the fifteenth century                               23
+
+A Louis XIV chair                                                     32
+
+Louis XIV inlaid desk-table                                           33
+
+Louis XIV chair with underbracing                                     33
+
+A modern French drawing-room                                          40
+
+A drawing-room, old French furniture and tapestry                     41
+
+Early Louis XIV chair                                                 44
+
+Louis XV _bergère_                                                    44
+
+Louis XVI bench                                                       45
+
+Louis XVI from Fontainebleau                                          50
+
+American Empire bed                                                   51
+
+An Apostles bed of the Tudor period                                   60
+
+Adaptation of the style of William and Mary to dressing table         61
+
+Reproduction of Charles II chair                                      61
+
+Living-room with reproductions of different periods                   64
+
+Original Jacobean sofa                                                65
+
+Reproductions of Charles II chairs                                    65
+
+Reproductions of Queen Anne period                                    72
+
+Reproduction of James II chair                                        73
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary chair                                73
+
+Gothic and Ribbonback types of Chippendale chairs                     78
+
+Chippendale mantel mirror showing French influence                    79
+
+Chippendale fretwork tea-table                                        79
+
+Chippendale china cupboard                                            82
+
+Typical chairs of the eighteenth century                              83
+
+Chippendale and Hepplewhite sofas                                     86
+
+Adam mirror, block-front chest of drawers, and Hepplewhite chair      87
+
+Two Adam mantels                                                      92
+
+A group of old mirrors                                                93
+
+Dining-room furnished with Hepplewhite furniture                      96
+
+Old Hepplewhite sideboard                                             97
+
+Reproduction of Hepplewhite settee                                    97
+
+Sheraton chest of drawers                                            104
+
+Sheraton desk and sewing-table                                       105
+
+Dining-room in simple country house                                  112
+
+Dining-room furnished with fine old furniture                        113
+
+Dorothy Quincy's bed-room                                            124
+
+Two valuable old desks                                               125
+
+Pembroke inlaid table                                                144
+
+Sheraton sideboard                                                   144
+
+Four post bed                                                        145
+
+Doorway detail, Compiègne                                            152
+
+Reproduction of a bed owned by Marie Antoinette                      153
+
+Reproduction of Louis XVI bed                                        153
+
+A Georgian hallway                                                   162
+
+Rare block-front chest of drawers                                    163
+
+A modern living-room                                                 178
+
+Curtain treatment for a summer home                                  179
+
+Hallway showing rugs                                                 188
+
+Hallway showing rugs                                                 189
+
+Colonial bed-room                                                    189
+
+Dining-room with paneled walls                                       196
+
+Four post bed owned by Lafayette                                     197
+
+Modern dining-room                                                   204
+
+Four post bed                                                        205
+
+Reproductions of Adam painted furniture                              222
+
+Three-chair Sheraton settee                                          223
+
+Reproduction of a Sheraton wing-chair                                223
+
+Slat-backed chair                                                    223
+
+Group of chairs and pie-crust table                                  232
+
+Groups of chairs                                                     233
+
+Reproduction of Jacobean buffet                                      236
+
+Group of mirrors                                                     237
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary settee                              240
+
+Adaptation of Georgian ideas to William and Mary dressing table      240
+
+Two Adam chairs                                                      241
+
+Jacobean day-bed                                                     241
+
+Reproductions of Chippendale table and Hepplewhite desk              244
+
+Reproduction of Sheraton chest of drawers                            245
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary chest of drawers                    245
+
+A modern sun-room                                                    246
+
+Sheraton sofa                                                        247
+
+Hepplewhite chair and nest of tables                                 247
+
+Chippendale wing-chair                                               247
+
+Modern paneled living-room                                           248
+
+Empire bed                                                           248
+
+Hancock desk, and fine old highboy                                   249
+
+
+
+
+_Preface_
+
+
+To try to write a history of furniture in a fairly short space is almost
+as hard as the square peg and round hole problem. No matter how one
+tries, it will not fit. One has to leave out so much of importance, so
+much of historic and artistic interest, so much of the life of the
+people that helps to make the subject vivid, and has to take so much for
+granted, that the task seems almost impossible. In spite of this I shall
+try to give in the following pages a general but necessarily short
+review of the field, hoping that it may help those wishing to furnish
+their homes in some special period style. The average person cannot
+study all the subject thoroughly, but it certainly adds interest to the
+problems of one's own home to know something of how the great periods of
+decoration grew one from another, how the influence of art in one
+country made itself felt in the next, molding and changing taste and
+educating the people to a higher sense of beauty.
+
+It is the lack of general knowledge which makes it possible for
+furniture built on amazingly bad lines to be sold masquerading under the
+name of some great period. The customer soon becomes bewildered, and,
+unless he has a decided taste of his own, is apt to get something which
+will prove a white elephant on his hands. One must have some standard
+of comparison, and the best and simplest way is to study the great work
+of the past. To study its rise and climax rather than the decline; to
+know the laws of its perfection so that one can recognize the
+exaggeration which leads to degeneracy. This ebb and flow is most
+interesting: the feeling the way at the beginning, ever growing surer
+and surer until the high level of perfection is reached; and then the
+desire to "gild the lily" leading to over-ornamentation, and so to
+decline. However, the germ of good taste and the sense of truth and
+beauty is never dead, and asserts itself slowly in a transition period,
+and then once more one of the great periods of decoration is born.
+
+There are several ways to study the subject, one of the pleasantest
+naturally being travel, as the great museums, palaces, and private
+collections of Europe offer the widest field. In this country, also, the
+museums and many private collections are rich in treasures, and there
+are many proud possessors of beautiful isolated pieces of furniture. If
+one cannot see originals the libraries will come to the rescue with many
+books showing research and a thorough knowledge and appreciation of the
+beauty and importance of the subject in all its branches.
+
+I have tried to give an outline, (which I hope the reader will care to
+enlarge for himself), not from a collector's standpoint, but from the
+standpoint of the modern home-maker, to help him furnish his house
+consistently,--to try to spread the good word that period furnishing
+does not necessitate great wealth, and that it is as easy and far more
+interesting to furnish a house after good models, as to have it banal
+and commonplace.
+
+The first part of this little book is devoted to a short review of the
+great periods, and the second part is an effort to help adapt them to
+modern needs, with a few chapters added of general interest to the
+home-maker.
+
+A short bibliography is also added, both to express my thanks and
+indebtedness to many learned and delightful writers on this subject of
+house furnishing in all its branches, and also as a help to others who
+may wish to go more deeply into its different divisions than is possible
+within the covers of a book.
+
+I wish to thank the Editors of _House and Garden_ and _The Woman's Home
+Companion_ for kindly allowing me to reprint articles and portions of
+articles which have appeared in their magazines.
+
+I wish also to thank the owners of the different houses illustrated, and
+Messrs. Trowbridge and Livingston, architects, for their kindness in
+allowing me to use photographs.
+
+Thanks are also due Messrs. Bergen & Orsenigo, Nahon & Company, Tiffany
+Studios, Joseph Wild & Co. and the John Somma Co. for the use of
+photographs to illustrate the reproduction of period furniture and rugs
+of different types.
+
+
+
+
+
+_Egypt and Greece_
+
+
+The early history of art in all countries is naturally connected more
+closely with architecture than with decoration, for architecture had to
+be developed before the demand for decoration could come. But the two
+have much in common. Noble architecture calls for noble decoration.
+Decoration is one of the natural instincts of man, and from the earliest
+records of his existence we find him striving to give expression to it,
+we see it in the scratched pieces of bone and stone of the cave
+dwellers, in the designs of savage tribes, and in Druidical and Celtic
+remains, and in the great ruins of Yucatan. The meaning of these
+monuments may be lost to us, but we understand the spirit of trying to
+express the sense of beauty in the highest way possible, for it is the
+spirit which is still moving the world, and is the foundation of all
+worthy achievement.
+
+Egypt and Assyria stand out against the almost impenetrable curtain of
+pre-historic days in all the majesty of their so-called civilization.
+Huge, massive, aloof from the world, their temples and tombs and ruins
+remain. Research has given us the key to their religion, so we
+understand much of the meaning of their wall-paintings and the buildings
+themselves. The belief of the Egyptian that life was a short passage and
+his house a mere stopping-place on the way to the tomb, which was to be
+his permanent dwelling-place, explains the great care and labor spent on
+the pyramids, chapels, and rock sepulchers. They embalmed the dead for
+all eternity and put statues and images in the tombs to keep the mummy
+company. Colossal figures of their gods and goddesses guarded the tombs
+and temples, and still remain looking out over the desert with their
+strange, inscrutable Egyptian eyes. The people had technical skill which
+has never been surpassed, but the great size of the pyramids and temples
+and sphinxes gives one the feeling of despotism rather than
+civilization; of mass and permanency and the wonder of man's achievement
+rather than beauty, but they personify the mystery and power of ancient
+Egypt.
+
+The columns of the temples were massive, those of Karnak being seventy
+feet high, with capitals of lotus flowers and buds strictly
+conventionalized. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics and
+paintings. Perspective was never used, and figures were painted side
+view except for the eye and shoulder. In the tombs have been found many
+household belongings, beautiful gold and silver work, beside the
+offerings put there to appease the gods. Chairs have been found, which,
+humorous as it may sound, are certainly the ancestors of Empire chairs
+made thousands of years later. This is explained by the influence of
+Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, but there is something in common between
+the two times so far apart, of ambition and pride, of grandeur and
+colossal enterprise.
+
+Greece may well be called the Mother of Beauty, for with the Greeks came
+the dawn of a higher civilization, a striving for harmony of line and
+proportion, an ideal clear, high and persistent. When the Dorians from
+the northern part of Greece built their simple, beautiful temples to
+their gods and goddesses they gave the impetus to the movement which
+brought forth the highest art the world has known. Traces of Egyptian
+influence are to be found in the earliest temples, but the Greeks soon
+rose to their own great heights. The Doric column was thick, about six
+diameters in height, fluted, growing smaller toward the top, with a
+simple capital, and supported the entablature. The horizontal lines of
+the architrave and cornice were more marked than the vertical lines of
+the columns. The portico with its row of columns supported the pediment.
+The Parthenon is the most perfect example of the Doric order, and
+shattered as it is by time and man it is still one of the most beautiful
+buildings in the world. It was built in the time of Pericles, from about
+460 to 435 B.C., and the work was superintended by Phidias, who did much
+of the work himself and left the mark of his genius on the whole.
+
+The Ionic order of architecture was a development of the Doric, but was
+lighter and more graceful. The columns were more slender and had a
+greater number of flutes and the capitals formed of scrolls or volutes
+were more ornamental.
+
+The Corinthian order was more elaborate than the Ionic as the capitals
+were foliated (the acanthus being used), the columns higher, and the
+entablature more richly decorated. This order was copied by the Romans
+more than the other two as it suited their more florid taste. All the
+orders have the horizontal feeling in common (as Gothic architecture has
+the vertical), and the simple plan with its perfect harmony of
+proportion leaves no sense of lack of variety.
+
+The perfection attained in architecture was also attained in sculpture,
+and we see the same aspiration toward the ideal, the same wonderful
+achievement. This purity of taste of the Greeks has formed a standard to
+which the world has returned again and again and whose influence will
+continue to be felt as long as the world lasts.
+
+The minor arts were carried to the same state of perfection as their
+greater sisters, for the artists and artisans had the same noble ideal
+of beauty and the same unerring taste. We have carved gems and coins,
+and wonderful gold ornaments, painted and silver vases, and terra-cotta
+figurines, to show what a high point the household arts reached. No work
+of the great Grecian painters remains; Apelles, Zeuxis, are only names
+to us, but from the wall paintings at Pompeii where late Greek influence
+was strongly felt we can imagine how charming the decorations must have
+been. Egypt and Greece were the torch bearers of civilization.
+
+
+
+
+_The Renaissance in Italy_
+
+
+The Gothic period has been treated in later chapters on France and
+England, as it is its development in these countries which most affects
+us, but the Renaissance in Italy stands alone. So great was its strength
+that it could supply both inspiration and leaders to other countries,
+and still remain preëminent.
+
+It was in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that this great
+classical revival in Italy came, this re-birth of a true sense of beauty
+which is called the Renaissance. It was an age of wonders, of great
+artistic creations, and was one of the great epochs of the world, one of
+the turning points of human existence. It covered so large a field and
+was so many-sided that only careful study can give a full realization of
+the giants of intellect and power who made its greatness, and who left
+behind them work that shows the very quintessence of genius.
+
+Italy, stirring slightly in the fourteenth century, woke and rose to her
+greatest heights in the fifteenth and sixteenth. The whole people
+responded to the new joy of life, the love of learning, the expression
+of beauty in all its forms. All notes were struck,--gay, graceful,
+beautiful, grave, cruel, dignified, reverential, magnificent, but all
+with an exuberance of life and power that gave to Italian art its great
+place in human culture. The great names of the period speak for
+themselves,--Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Leonardo da
+Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Machiavelli, Benvenuto Cellini, and a host of
+others.
+
+The inspiration of the Renaissance came largely from the later Greek
+schools of art and literature, Alexandria and Rhodes and the colonies in
+Sicily and Italy, rather than ancient Greece. It was also the influence
+which came to ancient Rome at its most luxurious period. The importance
+of the taking of Alexandria and Constantinople in 1453 must not be
+underestimated, as it drove scholars from the great libraries of the
+East carrying their manuscripts to the nobles and priests and merchant
+princes of Italy who thus became enthusiastic patrons of learning and
+art. This later type of Greek art lacked the austerity of the ancient
+type, and to the models full of joy and beauty and suffering, the
+Italians of the Renaissance added the touch of their own temperament and
+made them theirs in the glowing, rich and astounding way which has never
+been equaled and probably never will be. Perfection of line and beauty
+was not sufficient, the soul with its capacity for joy and suffering,
+"the soul with all its maladies" as Pater says, had become a factor. The
+impression made upon Michelangelo by seeing the Laocoön disinterred is
+vividly described by Longfellow--
+
+[Illustration: An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters.]
+
+[Illustration: The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period.]
+
+                "Long, long years ago,
+    Standing one morning near the Baths of Titus,
+    I saw the statue of Laocöon
+    Rise from its grave of centuries like a ghost
+    Writhing in pain; and as it tore away
+    The knotted serpents from its limbs, I heard,
+    Or seemed to hear, the cry of agony
+    From its white parted lips. And still I marvel
+    At the three Rhodian artists, by whose hands
+    This miracle was wrought. Yet he beholds
+    Far nobler works who looks upon the ruins
+    Of temples in the Forum here in Rome.
+    If God should give me power in my old age
+    To build for him a temple half as grand
+    As those were in their glory, I should count
+    My age more excellent than youth itself,
+    And all that I have hitherto accomplished
+    As only vanity."
+
+"It was an age productive in personalities, many-sided, centralized,
+complete. Artists and philosophers and those whom the action of the
+world had elevated and made keen, breathed a common air and caught light
+and heat from each other's thoughts. It is this unity of spirit which
+gives unity to all the various products of the Renaissance, and it is to
+this intimate alliance with mind, this participation in the best
+thoughts which that age produced, that the art of Italy in the fifteenth
+century owes much of its grave dignity and influence."[A]
+
+[A] Walter Pater: "Studies in the Renaissance."
+
+It is to this unity of the arts we owe the fact that the art of
+beautifying the home took its proper place. During the Middle Ages the
+Church had absorbed the greater part of the best man had to give, and
+home life was rather a hit or miss affair, the house was a fortress, the
+family possessions so few that they could be packed into chests and
+easily moved. During the Renaissance the home ideal grew, and, although
+the Church still claimed the best, home life began to have comforts and
+beauties never dreamed of before. The walls glowed with color,
+tapestries and velvets added their beauties, and the noble proportions
+of the marble halls made a rich background for the elaborately carved
+furniture.
+
+The doors of Italian palaces were usually inlaid with woods of light
+shade, and the soft, golden tone given by the process was in beautiful,
+but not too strong, contrast with the marble architrave of the doorway,
+which in the fifteenth century was carved in low relief combined with
+disks of colored marble, sliced, by the way, from Roman temple pillars.
+Later as the classic taste became stronger the carving gave place to a
+plain architrave and the over-door took the form of a pediment.
+
+Mantels were of marble, large, beautifully carved, with the fireplace
+sunk into the thickness of the wall. The overmantel usually had a carved
+panel, but later, during the sixteenth century, this was sometimes
+replaced by a picture. The windows of the Renaissance were a part of the
+decoration of the room, and curtains were not used in our modern
+manner, but served only to keep out the draughts. In those days the
+better the house the simpler the curtains. There were many kinds of
+ceilings used, marble, carved wood, stucco, and painting. They were
+elaborate and beautiful, and always gave the impression of being
+perfectly supported on the well-proportioned cornice and walls. The
+floors were usually of marble. Many of the houses kept to the plan of
+mediæval exteriors, great expanses of plain walls with few openings on
+the outsides, but as they were built around open courts, the interiors
+with their colonnades and open spaces showed the change the Renaissance
+had brought. The Riccardi Palace in Florence and the Palazzo della
+Cancelleria in Rome, are examples of this early type. The second phase
+was represented by the great Bramante, whose theory of restraining
+decoration and emphasizing the structure of the building has had such
+important influence. One of his successors was Andrea Palladio, whose
+work made such a deep impression on Inigo Jones. The Library of St.
+Mark's at Venice is a beautiful example of this part. The third phase
+was entirely dominated by Michelangelo.
+
+The furniture, to be in keeping with buildings of this kind, was large
+and richly carved. Chairs, seats, chests, cabinets, tables, and beds,
+were the chief pieces used, but they were not plentiful at all in our
+sense of the word. The chairs and benches had cushions to soften the
+hard wooden seats. The stuffs of the time were most beautiful Genoese
+velvet, cloth of gold, tapestries, and wonderful embroideries, all
+lending their color to the gorgeous picture. The carved marriage chest,
+or cassone, is one of the pieces of Renaissance furniture which has most
+often descended to our own day, for such chests formed a very important
+part of the furnishing in every household, and being large and heavy,
+were not so easily broken as chairs and tables. Beds were huge, and were
+architectural in form, a base and roof supported on four columns. The
+classical orders were used, touched with the spirit of the time, and the
+fluted columns rose from acanthus leaves set in an urn supported on
+lion's feet. The tester and cornice gave scope for carving and the
+panels of the tester usually had the lovely scrolls so characteristic of
+the period. The headboard was often carved with a coat-of-arms and the
+curtains hung from inside the cornice.
+
+Grotesques were largely used in ornament. The name is derived from
+grottoes, as the Roman tombs being excavated at the time were called,
+and were in imitation of the paintings found on their walls, and while
+they were fantastic, the word then had no unkindly humorous meaning as
+now. Scrolls, dolphins, birds, beasts, the human figure, flowers,
+everything was called into use for carving and painting by genius of the
+artisans of the Renaissance. They loved their work and felt the beauty
+and meaning of every line they made, and so it came about that when, in
+the course of years, they traveled to neighboring countries, they spread
+the influence of this great period, and it is most interesting to see
+how on the Italian foundation each country built her own distinctive
+style.
+
+Like all great movements the Renaissance had its beginning, its splendid
+climax, and its decline.
+
+
+
+
+_The Development of Decoration in France._
+
+
+When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he absorbed
+so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the Gauls lived,
+so far as household effects were concerned. The character which
+descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation was
+optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it
+through many dark days. It might be said to be responsible for the
+French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has
+enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and
+decoration. They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked
+them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often
+gaining greatly in the process.
+
+One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a _bahut_ or chest
+dating from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church
+of Obazine. It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture,
+and also shows that there was no carving used on it. Large spaces were
+probably covered with painted canvas, glued on. Later, when panels
+became smaller and the furniture designs were modified, moldings, etc.,
+began to be used. These _bahuts_ or _huches_, from which the term
+_huchiers_ came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing
+more than chests standing on four feet. From all sources of information
+on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief
+pieces of furniture the people had. They served as a seat by day and,
+with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night. They were also used
+as tables with large pieces of silver _dressé_ or arranged upon them in
+the daytime. From this comes our word "dresser" for the kitchen shelves.
+In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the household
+belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of speedy
+transportation would be small, and everything was packed into the
+chests. As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of
+chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out
+came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which
+were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible. The germ
+of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the
+arras and the "ciel" to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls. When
+life became a little more secure and people learned something of the
+beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the
+relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in
+themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of
+line. It was not until some time in the fifteenth century that the
+habit of traveling with all one's belongings ceased.
+
+The year 1000 was looked forward to with abject terror, for it was
+firmly believed by all that the world was then coming to an end. It cast
+a gloom over all the people and paralyzed all ambition. When, however,
+the fatal year was safely passed, there was a great religious
+thanksgiving and everyone joined in the praise of a merciful God. The
+semi-circular arch of the Romanesque style gave way to the pointed arch
+of the Gothic, and wonderful cathedrals slowly lifted their beautiful
+spires to the sky. The ideal was to build for the glory of God and not
+only for the eyes of man, so that exquisite carving was lavished upon
+all parts of the work. This deeply reverent feeling lasted through the
+best period of Gothic architecture, and while household furniture was at
+a standstill church furniture became more and more beautiful, for in the
+midst of the religious fervor nothing seemed too much to do for the
+Church. Slowly it died out, and a secular attitude crept into
+decoration. One finds grotesque carvings appearing on the choir stalls
+and other parts of churches and cathedrals and the standard of
+excellence was lowered.
+
+The chest, table, wooden arm-chair, bed, and bench, were as far as the
+imagination had gone in domestic furniture, and although we read of
+wonderful tapestries and leather hangings and clothes embroidered in
+gold and jewels, there was no comfort in our sense of the word, and
+those brave knights and fair ladies had need to be strong to stand the
+hardships of life. Glitter and show was the ideal and it was many more
+years before the standard of comfort and refinement gained a firm
+foothold.
+
+Gothic architecture and decoration declined from the perfection of the
+thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to the over-decorated, flamboyant
+Gothic of the fifteenth century, and it was in the latter period that
+the transition began between the Gothic and the Renaissance epochs.
+
+The Renaissance was at its height in Italy in the fifteenth century, and
+its influence began to make itself felt a little in France at that time.
+
+When the French under Louis XII seized Milan, the magnificence of the
+court of Ludovico Sforza, the great duke of Milan, made such an
+impression on them that they could not rest content with the old order,
+and took home many beautiful things. Italian artisans were also
+imported, and as France was ready for the change, their lessons were
+learned and the French Renaissance came slowly into existence. This
+transition is well shown by the Chateau de Gaillon, built by Cardinal
+d'Amboise. Gothic and Renaissance decoration were placed side by side in
+panels and furniture, and we also find some pure Gothic decoration as
+late as the early part of the sixteenth century, but they were in parts
+of France where tradition changed slowly. Styles overlap in every
+transition period, so it is often difficult to place the exact date on a
+piece of furniture; but the old dies out at last and gives way to the
+new.
+
+With the accession of Frances I in 1515 the Renaissance came into its
+own in France. He was a great patron of art and letters, and under his
+fostering care the people knew new luxuries, new beauties, and new
+comforts. He invited Andrea del Sarto and Leonardo da Vinci to come to
+France. The word Renaissance means simply revival and it is not
+correctly used when we mean a distinct style led or inspired by one
+person. It was a great epoch, with individuality as its leading spirit,
+led by the inspiration of the Italian artists brought from Italy and
+molded by the genius of France. This renewal of classic feeling came at
+the psychological moment, for the true spirit of the great Gothic period
+had died. The Renaissance movements in Italy, France, England and
+Germany all drew their inspiration from the same source, but in each
+case the national characteristics entered into the treatment. The
+Italians and Germans both used the grotesque a great deal, but the
+Germans used it in a coarser and heavier way than the Italians, who used
+it esthetically. The French used more especially conventional and
+beautiful floral forms, and the inborn French sense of the fitness of
+things gave the treatment a wonderful charm and beauty. If one studies
+the French chateaux one will feel the true beauty and spirit of the
+times--Blois with its history of many centuries, and then some of the
+purely Renaissance chateaux, like Chambord. Although great numbers of
+Italian artists came to France, one must not think they did all the
+beautiful work of the time. The French learned quickly and adapted what
+they learned to their own needs, so that the delicate and graceful
+decorations brought from Italy became more and more individualized until
+in the reign of Henry II the Renaissance reached its high-water mark.
+
+The furniture of the time did not show much change or become more varied
+or comfortable. It was large and solid and the chairs had the
+satisfactory effect of good proportion, while the general squareness of
+outline added to the feeling of solidity. Oak was used, and later
+walnut. The chair legs were straight, and often elaborately turned, and
+usually had strainers or under framing. Cushions were simply tied on at
+first, but the knowledge of upholstering was gaining ground, and by the
+time of Louis XIII was well understood. Cabinets had an architectural
+effect in their design. The style of the decorative motive changed, but
+it is chiefly in architecture and the decorative treatment of it that
+one sees the true spirit of the Renaissance. Two men who had great
+influence on the style of furniture of the time were Androuet du Cerceau
+and Hugues Sambin. They published books of plates that were eagerly
+copied in all parts of France. Sambin's influence can be traced in the
+later style of Louis XIV.
+
+[Illustration: Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence.]
+
+[Illustration: A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+with velvet or tapestry.]
+
+[Illustration: _By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_
+
+This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling.]
+
+The marriage of Henry II and Catherine de Medici naturally continued the
+strong Italian influence. The portion of the Renaissance called after
+Henry II lasted about seventy-five years, and corresponds with the
+Elizabethan period in England.
+
+During the regency of Marie de Medici, Flemish influence became very
+strong, as she invited Rubens to Paris to decorate the Luxembourg. There
+were also many Italians called to do the work, and as Rubens had studied
+in Italy, Italian influence was not lacking.
+
+Degeneracy began during the reign of Henry IV, as ornament became
+meaningless and consistency of decoration was lost in a maze of
+superfluous design.
+
+It was in the reign of Louis XIII that furniture for the first time
+became really comfortable, and if one examines the engravings of Abraham
+Bosse one will see that the rooms have an air of homelikeness as well as
+richness. The characteristic chair of the period was short in the back
+and square in shape--it was usually covered with leather or tapestry,
+fastened to the chair with large brass nails, and the back and seat
+often had a fringe. A set of chairs usually consisted of arm-chairs,
+plain chairs, folding stools and a _lit-de-repos_. Many of the
+arm-chairs were entirely covered with velvet or tapestry, or, if the
+woodwork showed, it was stained to harmonize with the covering on the
+seat and back.
+
+The twisted columns used in chairs, bedposts, etc., were borrowed from
+Italy and were very popular. Another shape often used for chair legs was
+the X that shows Flemish influence. The _lit-de-repos_, or
+_chaise-longue_, was a seat about six feet long, sometimes with arms and
+sometimes not, and with a mattress and bolster. The beds were very
+elaborate and very important in the scheme of decoration, as the ladies
+of the time held receptions in their bedrooms and the king and nobles
+gave audiences to their subjects while in bed. These latter were
+therefore necessarily furnished with splendor. The woodwork was usually
+covered with the same material as the curtains, or stained to harmonize.
+The canopy never reached to the ceiling but was, from floor to top,
+about 7 ft. 3 in. high, and the bed was 6-1/2 ft. square. The curtains
+were arranged on rods and pulleys, and when closed this "_lit en
+housse_" looked like a huge square box. The counterpane, or "_coverture
+de parade_," was of the curtain material. The four corners of the canopy
+were decorated with bunches of plumes or panache, or with a carved
+wooden ornament called pomme, or with a "_bouquet_" of silk. The beds
+were covered with rich stuffs, like tapestry, silk, satin, velvet,
+cloth-of-gold and silver, etc., all of which were embroidered or trimmed
+with gold or silver lace. One of the features of a Louis XIII room was
+the tapestry and hangings. A certain look of dignity was given to the
+rooms by the general square and heavy outlines of the furniture and the
+huge chimney-pieces.
+
+The taste for cabinets kept up and the cabinets and presses were large,
+sometimes divided into two parts, sometimes with doors, sometimes with
+open frame underneath. The tables were richly carved and gilded, often
+ornamented with bronze and copper. The cartouche was used a great deal
+in decoration, with a curved surface. This rounded form appears in the
+posts used in various kinds of furniture. When rectangles were used they
+were always broader than high. The garlands of fruit were heavy, the
+cornucopias were slender, with an astonishing amount of fruit pouring
+from them, and the work was done in rather low relief. Carved and gilded
+mirrors were introduced by the Italians as were also sconces and glass
+chandeliers. It was a time of great magnificence, and shadowed forth the
+coming glory of Louis XIV. It seems a style well suited to large
+dining-rooms and libraries in modern houses of importance.
+
+
+
+
+_Louis XIV_
+
+
+It is often a really difficult matter to decide the exact boundary lines
+between one period and another, for the new style shows its beginnings
+before the old one is passed, and the old style still appears during the
+early years of the new one. It is an overlapping process and the years
+of transition are ones of great interest. As one period follows another
+it usually shows a reaction from the previous one; a somber period is
+followed by a gay one; the excess of ornament in one is followed by
+restraint in the next. It is the same law that makes us want cake when
+we have had too much bread and butter.
+
+The world has changed so much since the seventeenth and eighteenth
+centuries that it seems almost impossible that we should ever again have
+great periods of decoration like those of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis
+XVI. Then the monarch was supreme. "_L'état c'est moi_," said Louis XIV,
+and it was true. He established the great Gobelin works on a basis that
+made France the authority of the world and firmly imposed his taste and
+his will on the country. Now that this absolute power of one man is a
+thing of the past, we have the influence of many men forming and molding
+something that may turn into a beautiful epoch of decoration, one that
+will have in it some of the feeling that brought the French Renaissance
+to its height, though not like it, for we have the same respect for
+individuality working within the laws of beauty that they had.
+
+The style that takes its name from Louis XIV was one of great
+magnificence and beauty with dignity and a certain solidity in its
+splendor. It was really the foundation of the styles that followed, and
+a great many people look upon the periods of Louis XIV, the Regency,
+Louis XV and Louis XVI as one great period with variations, or ups and
+downs--the complete swing and return of the pendulum.
+
+Louis XIV was a man with a will of iron and made it absolute law during
+his long reign of seventy-two years. His ideal was splendor, and he
+encouraged great men in the intellectual and artistic world to do their
+work, and shed their glory on the time. Condé, Turenne, Colbert,
+Molière, Corneille, La Fontaine, Racine, Fénélon, Boulle, Le Brun, are a
+few among the long and wonderful list. He was indeed Louis the
+Magnificent, the Sun King.
+
+One of the great elements toward achieving the stupendous results of
+this reign was the establishment of the "Manufacture des Meubles de la
+Couronne," or, as it is usually called, "Manufacture des Gobelins."
+Artists of all kinds were gathered together and given apartments in the
+Louvre and the wonderfully gifted and versatile Le Brun was put at the
+head. Tapestry, goldsmiths' work, furniture, jewelry, etc., were made,
+and with the royal protection and interest France rose to the position
+of world-wide supremacy in the arts. Le Brun had the same taste and love
+of magnificence as Louis, and had also extraordinary executive ability
+and an almost unlimited capacity for work, combined with the power of
+gathering about him the most eminent artists of the time. André Charles
+Boulle was one, and his beautiful cabinets, commodes, tables, clocks,
+etc., are now almost priceless. He carried the inlay of metals,
+tortoise-shell, ivory and beautiful woods to its highest expression, and
+the mingling of colors with the exquisite workmanship gave most
+wonderful effects. Sheets of white metal or brass were glued together
+and the pattern was then cut out. When taken apart the brass scrolls
+could be fitted exactly into the shell background, and the shell scrolls
+into the brass background, thus making two decorations. The shell
+background was the more highly prized. The designs usually had a
+Renaissance feeling. The metal was softened in outline by engraving, and
+then ormolu mounts were added. Ormolu or gilt bronze mounts, formed one
+of the great decorations of furniture. The most exquisite workmanship
+was lavished on them, and after they had been cast they were cut and
+carved and polished until they became worthy ornaments for beautiful
+inlaid tables and cabinets. The taste for elaborately carved and gilded
+frames to chairs, tables, mirrors, etc., developed rapidly. Mirrors
+were made by the Gobelins works and were much less expensive than the
+Venetian ones of the previous reign. Walls were painted and covered with
+gold with a lavish hand. Tapestries were truly magnificent with gold and
+silver threads adding richness to their beauty of color, and were used
+purely as a decoration as well as in the old utilitarian way of keeping
+out the cold. The Gobelins works made at this time some of the most
+beautiful tapestries the world has known. The massive chimney-pieces
+were superseded by the "_petite-cheminée_" and had great mirrors over
+them or elaborate over-mantels. The whole air of furnishing and
+decoration changed to one of greater lightness and brilliancy. The ideal
+was that everything, no matter how small, must be beautiful, and we find
+the most exquisite workmanship lavished on window-locks and door-knobs.
+
+[Illustration: One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself.]
+
+In the early style of Louis XIV, we find many trophies of war and
+mythological subjects used in the decorative schemes. The second style
+of this period was a softening and refining of the earlier one, becoming
+more and more delicate until it merged into the time of the Regency. It
+was during the reign of Louis XIV that the craze for Chinese decoration
+first appeared. _La Chinoiserie_ it was called, and it has daintiness
+and a curious fascination about it, but many inappropriate things were
+done in its name. The furniture of the time was firmly placed upon the
+ground, the arm-chairs had strong straining-rails, square or curved
+backs, scroll arms carved and partly upholstered and stuffed seats
+and backs. The legs of chairs were usually tapering in form and
+ornamented with gilding, or marquetry, or richly carved, and later the
+feet ended in a carved leaf design. Some of the straining-rails were in
+the shape of the letter X, with an ornament at the intersection, and
+often there was a wooden molding below the seat in place of fringe. Many
+carved and gilded chairs had gold fringe and braid and were covered with
+velvet, tapestry or damask.
+
+[Illustration: _By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_
+
+Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts.]
+
+[Illustration: Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic
+underbracing.]
+
+There were many new and elaborate styles of beds that came into fashion
+at this time. There was the _lit d'ange_, which had a canopy that did
+not extend over the entire bed, and had no pillars at the foot, the
+curtains were drawn back at the head and the counterpane went over the
+foot of the bed. There was the _lit d'alcove_, the _lit de bout_, _lit
+clos_, _lit de glace_, with a mirror framed in the ceiling, and many
+others. A _lit de parade_ was like the great bed of Louis XIV at
+Versailles.
+
+Both the tall and bracket clocks showed this same love of ornament and
+they were carved and gilded and enriched with chased brass and wonderful
+inlay by Boulle. The dials also were beautifully designed. Consoles,
+tables, cabinets, etc., were all treated in this elaborate way. Many of
+the ceilings were painted by great artists, and those at Versailles,
+painted by Le Brun and others, are good examples. There was always a
+combination of the straight line and the curve, a strong feeling of
+balance, and a profusion of ornament in the way of scrolls, garlands,
+shells, the acanthus, anthemion, etc. The moldings were wide and
+sometimes a torus of laurel leaves was used, but in spite of the great
+amount of ornament lavished on everything, there is the feeling of
+balance and symmetry and strength that gives dignity and beauty.
+
+Louis was indeed fortunate in having the great Colbert for one of his
+ministers. He was a man of gigantic intellect, capable of originating
+and executing vast schemes. It was to his policy of state patronage,
+wisely directed, and energetically and lavishly carried out, that we owe
+the magnificent achievements of this period.
+
+Everywhere the impression is given of brilliancy and splendor--gold on
+the walls, gold on the furniture, rich velvets and damasks and
+tapestries, marbles and marquetry and painting, furniture worth a king's
+ransom. It all formed a beautiful and fitting background for the proud
+king, who could do no wrong, and the dazzling, care-free people who
+played their brilliant, selfish parts in the midst of its splendor. They
+never gave a thought to the great mass of the common people who were
+over-burdened with taxation; they never heard the first faint mutterings
+of discontent which were to grow, ever louder and louder, until the
+blood and horror of the Revolution paid the debt.
+
+
+
+
+_The Regency and Louis XV_
+
+
+When Louis XIV died in 1715, his great-grandson, Louis XV, was but five
+years old, so Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, became Regent. During the last
+years of Louis XIV's life the court had resented more or less the gloom
+cast over it by the influence of Madame de Maintenon, and turned with
+avidity to the new ruler. He was a vain and selfish man, feeling none of
+the responsibilities of his position, and living chiefly for pleasure.
+The change in decoration had been foreshadowed in the closing years of
+the previous reign, and it is often hard to say whether a piece of
+furniture is late Louis XIV or Regency.
+
+The new gained rapidly over the old, and the magnificent and stately
+extravagance of Louis XIV turned into the daintier but no less
+extravagant and rich decoration of the Regency and Louis XV. One of the
+noticeable changes was that rooms were smaller, and the reign of the
+boudoir began. It has been truly said that after the death of Louis XIV
+"came the substitution of the finery of coquetry for the worship of the
+great in style." There was greater variety in the designs of furniture
+and a greater use of carved metal ornament and gilt bronze, beautifully
+chased. The ornaments took many shapes, such as shells, shaped foliage,
+roses, seaweed, strings of pearls, etc., and at its best there was
+great beauty in the treatment.
+
+It was during the Regency that the great artist and sculptor in metal,
+Charles Cressant, flourished. He was made _ébeniste_ of the Regent, and
+his influence was always to keep up the traditions when the reaction
+against the severe might easily have led to degeneration. There are
+beautiful examples of his work in many of the great collections of
+furniture, notably the wonderful commode in the Wallace collection. The
+dragon mounts of ormolu on it show the strong influence the Orient had
+at the time. He often used the figures of women with great delicacy on
+the corners of his furniture, and he also used tortoise-shell and many
+colored woods in marquetry, but his most wonderful work was done in
+brass and gilded bronze.
+
+In 1723, when Louis was thirteen years old, he was declared of age and
+became king. The influence of the Regent was, naturally, still strong,
+and unfortunately did much to form the character of the young king.
+Selfishness, pleasure, and low ideals, were the order of court life, and
+paved the way for the debased taste for rococo ornament which was one
+marked phase of the style of Louis XV.
+
+The great influence of the Orient at this time is very noticeable. There
+had been a beginning of it in the previous reign, but during the Regency
+and the reign of Louis XV it became very marked. "_Singerie_" and
+"_Chinoiserie_" were the rage, and gay little monkeys clambered and
+climbed over walls and furniture with a careless abandon that had a
+certain fascination and charm in spite of their being monkeys. The
+"_Salon des Singes_" in the Chateau de Chantilly gives one a good idea
+of this. The style was easily overdone and did not last a great while.
+
+During this time of Oriental influence lacquer was much used and
+beautiful lacquer panels became one of the great features of French
+furniture. Pieces of furniture were sent to China and Japan to be
+lacquered and this, combined with the expense of importing it, led many
+men in France to try to find out the Oriental secret. Le Sieur Dagly was
+supposed to have imported the secret and was established at the Gobelins
+works where he made what was called "_vernis de Gobelins_."
+
+The Martin family evolved a most characteristically French style of
+decoration from the Chinese and Japanese lacquers. The varnish they
+made, called "_vernis Martin_," gave its name to the furniture decorated
+by them, which was well suited to the dainty boudoirs of the day. All
+kinds of furniture were decorated in this way--sedan chairs and even
+snuff-boxes, until at last the supply became so great that the fashion
+died. There are many charming examples of it to be seen in museums and
+private collections, but the modern garish copies of it in many shops
+give no idea of the charm of the original. Watteau's delightful
+decorations also give the true spirit of the time, with their gayety
+and frivolity showing the Arcadian affectations--the fad of the moment.
+
+As the time passed decoration grew more and more ornate, and the
+followers of Cressant exaggerated his traits. One of these was Jules
+Aurèle Meissonier, an Italian by birth, who brought with him to France
+the decadent Italian taste. He had a most marvelous power of invention
+and lavished ornament on everything, carrying the rocaille style to its
+utmost limit. He broke up all straight lines, put curves and
+convolutions everywhere, and rarely had two sides alike, for symmetry
+had no charms for him. The curved endive decoration was used in
+architraves, in the panels of overdoors and panel moldings, everywhere
+it possibly could be used, in fact. His work was in great demand by the
+king and nobility. He designed furniture of all kinds, altars, sledges,
+candelabra and a great amount of silversmith's work, and also published
+a book of designs. Unfortunately it is this rococo style which is meant
+by many people when they speak of the style of Louis XV.
+
+Louis XV furniture and decoration at its best period is extremely
+beautiful, and the foremost architects of the day were undisturbed by
+the demand for rococo, knowing it was a vulgarism of taste which would
+pass. In France, bad as it was, it never went to such lengths as it did
+in Italy and Spain.
+
+[Illustration: The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room.]
+
+[Illustration: The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, "Games of Children," show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly.]
+
+The easy generalization of the girl who said the difference between the
+styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI was like the difference in hair, one
+was curly and one was straight, has more than a grain of truth in it.
+The curved line was used persistently until the last years of Louis XV's
+time, but it was a beautiful, gracious curve, elaborate, and in
+furniture, richly carved, which was used during the best period. The
+decline came when good taste was lost in the craze for rococo.
+
+Chairs were carved and gilded, or painted, or lacquered, and also
+beautiful natural woods were used. The sofas and chairs had a general
+square appearance, but the framework was much curved and carved and
+gilded. They were upholstered in silks, brocades, velvets, damasks in
+flowered designs, edged with braid. Gobelin, Aubusson and Beauvais
+tapestry, with Watteau designs, were also used. Nothing more dainty or
+charming could be found than the tapestry seats and chair backs and
+screens which were woven especially to fit certain pieces of furniture.
+The tapestry weavers now used thousands of colors in place of the
+nineteen used in the early days, and this enabled them to copy with
+great exactness the charming pictures of Watteau and Boucher. The idea
+of sitting on beautiful ladies and gentlemen airily playing at country
+life, does not appeal to our modern taste, but it seems to be in accord
+with those days.
+
+Desks were much used and were conveniently arranged with drawers,
+pigeon-holes and shelves, and roll-top desks were made at this time.
+Commodes were painted, or richly ornamented with lacquer panels, or
+panels of rosewood or violet wood, and all were embellished with
+wonderful bronze or ormolu. Many pieces of furniture were inlaid with
+lovely Sèvres plaques, a manner which is not always pleasing in effect.
+There were many different and elaborate kinds of beds, taking their
+names from their form and draping. "_Lit d'anglaise_" had a back,
+head-board and foot-board, and could be used as a sofa. "_Lit a
+Romaine_" had a canopy and four festooned curtains, and so on.
+
+The most common form of salon was rectangular, with proportions of 4 to
+3, or 2 to 1. There were also many square, round, octagonal and oval
+salons, these last being among the most beautiful. They all were
+decorated with great richness, the walls being paneled with carved and
+gilded--or partially gilded--wood. Tapestry and brocade and painted
+panels were used. Large mirrors with elaborate frames were placed over
+the mantels, with panels above reaching to the cornice or cove of the
+ceiling, and large mirrors were also used over console tables and as
+panels. The paneled overdoors reached to the cornice, and windows were
+also treated in this way. Windows and doors were not looked upon merely
+as openings to admit air and light and human beings, but formed a part
+of the scheme of decoration of the room. There were beautiful brackets
+and candelabra of ormolu to light the rooms, and the boudoirs and
+salons, with their white and gold and beautifully decorated walls and
+gilded furniture, gave an air of gayety and richness, extravagance and
+beauty.
+
+An apartment in the time of Louis XV usually had a vestibule, rather
+severely decorated with columns or pilasters and often statues in
+niches. The first ante-room was a waiting-room for servants and was
+plainly treated, the woodwork being the chief decoration. The second
+ante-room had mirrors, console tables, carved and gilded woodwork, and
+sometimes tapestry was used above a wainscot. Dining-rooms were
+elaborate, often having fountains and plants in the niches near the
+buffet. Bedrooms usually had an alcove, and the room, not counting the
+alcove, was an exact square. The bed faced the windows and a large
+mirror over a console table was just opposite it. The chimney faced the
+principal entrance.
+
+A "_chambre en niche_" was a room where the bed space was not so large
+as an alcove. The designs for sides of rooms by Meissonier, Blondel,
+Briseux Cuilles and others give a good idea of the arrangement and
+proportions of the different rooms. The cabinets or studies, and the
+_garde robes_, were entered usually from doors near the alcove. The
+ceilings were painted by Boucher and others in soft and charming colors,
+with cupids playing in the clouds, and other subjects of the kind. Great
+attention was given to clocks and they formed an important and
+beautiful part of the decoration.
+
+The natural consequence of the period of excessive rococo with its
+superabundance of curves and ornament, was that, during the last years
+of Louis's reign, the reaction slowly began to make itself felt. There
+was no sudden change to the use of the straight line, but people were
+tired of so much lavishness and motion in their decoration. There were
+other influences also at work, for Robert Adam had, in England,
+established the classic taste, and the excavations at Pompeii were
+causing widespread interest and admiration. The fact is proved that what
+we call Louis XVI decoration was well known before the death of Louis
+XV, by his furnishing Luciennes for Madam Du Barri in almost pure Louis
+XVI style.
+
+[Illustration: A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur.]
+
+[Illustration: This Louis XV bergère is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period.]
+
+[Illustration: There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+with its Gobelin tapestry cover.]
+
+
+
+
+_Louis XVI_
+
+
+Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774, and reigned for nineteen years,
+until that fatal year of '93. He was kind, benign, and simple, and had
+no sympathy with the life of the court during the preceding reign. Marie
+Antoinette disliked the great pomp of court functions and liked to play
+at the simple life, so shepherdesses, shepherd's crooks, hats, wreaths
+of roses, watering-pots and many other rustic symbols became the
+fashion.
+
+Marie Antoinette was but fifteen years old when in 1770 she came to
+France as a bride, and it is hardly reasonable to think that the taste
+of a young girl would have originated a great period of decoration,
+although the idea is firmly fixed in many minds. It is known that the
+transition period was well advanced before she became queen, but there
+is no doubt that her simpler taste and that of Louis led them to accept
+with joy the classical ideas of beauty which were slowly gaining ground.
+As dauphin and dauphiness they naturally had a great following, and as
+king and queen their taste was paramount, and the style became
+established.
+
+Architecture became more simple and interior decoration followed suit.
+The restfulness and beauty of the straight line appeared again, and
+ornament took its proper place as a decoration of the construction, and
+was subordinate to its design. During the period of Louis XVI the rooms
+had rectangular panels formed by simpler moldings than in the previous
+reign, with pilasters of delicate design between the panels. The
+overdoors and mantels were carried to the cornice and the paneling was
+usually of oak, painted in soft colors or white and gilded. Walls were
+also covered with tapestry and brocade. Some of the most characteristic
+marks of the style are the straight tapering legs of the furniture,
+usually fluted, with some carving. Fluted columns and pilasters often
+had metal quills filling them for a part of the distance at top and
+bottom, leaving a plain channel between. The laurel leaf was used in
+wreath form, and bell flowers were used on the legs of furniture. Oval
+medallions, surmounted by a wreath of flowers and a bow-knot, appear
+very often, and in about 1780 round medallions were used. Furniture was
+covered with brocade or tapestry, with shepherds and shepherdesses or
+pastoral scenes for the design. The gayest kinds of designs were used in
+the silks and brocades; ribbons and bow-knots and interlacing stripes
+with flowers and rustic symbols scattered over them. Curtains were less
+festooned and cut with great exactness. The canopies of beds became
+smaller, until often only a ring or crown held the draperies, and it
+became the fashion to place the bed sideways, "_vu de face_."
+
+There was a great deal of beautiful ornament in gilded bronze and ormolu
+on the furniture, and many colored woods were used in marquetry. The
+fashion of using Sèvres plaques in inlay was continued. There was a
+great deal of white and colored marble used and very fine ironwork was
+made. Riesener, Roentgen, Gouthiére, Fragonard and Boucher are some of
+the names that stand out most distinctly as authors of the beautiful
+decorations of the time. Marie Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainebleau is
+a perfect example of the style and many of the other rooms both there
+and at the Petit Trianon show its great beauty, gayety and dignity
+combined with its richness and magnificence.
+
+The influence of Pompeii must not be overlooked in studying the style of
+Louis XVI, for it appeared in much of the decoration of the time. The
+beautiful little boudoir of the Marquise de Sérilly is a charming
+example of its adaptation. The problem of bad proportion is also most
+interestingly overcome. The room was too high for its size, so it was
+divided into four arched openings separated by carved pilasters, and the
+walls covered with paintings. The ceiling was darker than the walls,
+which made it seem lower, and the whole color scheme was so arranged
+that the feeling of extreme height was lessened. The mantel is a
+beautiful example of the period. This room was furnished about 1780-82.
+
+Compared to the lavish curves of the style of Louis XV, the fine
+outlines and the beautiful ornament of Louis XVI appear to some people
+cold, but if they look carefully at the matter, they will find them not
+really so. The warmth of the Gallic temperament still shows through the
+new garb, giving life and beauty to the dainty but strong furniture.
+
+If one studies the examples of the styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and
+Louis XVI that one finds in the great palaces, collections, museums and
+books of prints and photographs, one will see that the wonderful
+foundation laid by Louis XIV was still there in the other two reigns.
+During the time of Louis XVI the pose of rustic simplicity was a very
+sophisticated pose indeed, but the reaction from the rocaille style of
+Louis XV led to one of the most beautiful styles of decoration that the
+world has seen. It had dignity, true beauty and the joy of life
+expressed in it.
+
+[Illustration: Rare Louis XVI chair--an original from Fontainebleau.]
+
+[Illustration: The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+very beautiful article of furniture.]
+
+
+
+
+_The Empire_
+
+
+The French Revolution made a tremendous change in the production of
+beautiful furniture, as royalty and the nobility could no longer
+encourage it. Many of the great artists died in poverty and many of them
+went to other countries where life was more secure.
+
+After the Revolution there was wholesale destruction of the wonderful
+works of art which had cost such vast sums to collect. Nothing was to
+remain that would remind the people of departed kings and queens, and a
+committee on art was appointed to make selections of what was to be
+saved and what was to be destroyed. That committee of "tragic comedians"
+set up a new standard of art criticism; it was not the artistic merits
+of a piece of tapestry, for instance, that interested them, but whether
+a king or queen dared show their heads upon it. If so, into the flames
+it went. Thousands of priceless things were destroyed before they
+finished their dreadful work.
+
+When Napoleon came into power he turned to ancient Rome for inspiration.
+The Imperial Cæsars became his ideal and gave him a wide field in which
+to display his love for splendor, uncontrolled by any true artistic
+sense. It gave decoration a blow from which it was hard to recover.
+Massive furniture without real beauty of line, loaded with ormolu, took
+the place of the old. The furniture was simple in construction with
+little carving, until later when all kinds of animal heads and claws,
+and animals never seen by man, and horns of plenty, were used to support
+tables and chairs and sofas. Everywhere one turned the feeling of
+martial grandeur was in the air. Ormolu mounts of bay wreaths, torches,
+eagles, military emblems and trophies, winged figures, the sphinx, the
+bee, and the initial N, were used on furniture; and these same motives
+were used in wall decoration. The furniture was left the natural color
+of the wood, and mahogany, rosewood, and ebony, were used. Veneer was
+also extensively used. The front legs of chairs were usually straight,
+and the back legs slightly curved. Beds were massive, with head and
+foot-board of even height, and the tops rolled over into a scroll. Swans
+were used on the arms of chairs and sofas and the sides of beds. Tables
+were often round, with tripod legs; in fact, the tripod was a great
+favorite. There was a great deal of inlay of the favorite emblems but
+little carving. Plain columns with Doric caps and metal ornaments were
+used. The change in the use of color was very marked, for deep brown,
+blue and other dark colors were used instead of the light and gay ones
+of the previous period. The materials used were usually of solid colors
+with a design in golden yellow, a wreath, or a torch, or the bee, or one
+of the other favorite emblems being used in a spot design, or powdered
+on. Some of the color combinations in the rooms we read of sound quite
+alarming.
+
+Since the time of the Empire, France has done as the rest of the world
+has, gone without any special style.
+
+
+
+
+_English Furniture from Gothic Days to the Period of Queen Anne._
+
+
+The early history of furniture in all countries is very much the
+same--there is not any. We know about kings and queens, and war and
+sudden death, and fortresses and pyramids, but of that which the people
+used for furniture we know very little. Research has revealed the
+mention in old manuscripts once in a while of benches and chests, and
+the Bayeux tapestry and old seals show us that William the Conquerer and
+Richard Coeur de Lion sat on chairs, even if they were not very
+promising ones, but at best it is all very vague. It is natural to
+suppose that the early Saxons had furniture of some kind, for, as the
+remains of Saxon metalwork show great skill, it is probable they had
+skill also in woodworking.
+
+In England, as in France, the first pieces of furniture that we can be
+sure of are chests and benches. They served all purposes apparently, for
+the family slept on them by night and used them for seats and tables by
+day. The bedding was kept in the chests, and when traveling had to be
+done all the family possessions were packed in them. There is an old
+chest at Stoke d'Abernon church, dating from the thirteenth century,
+that has a little carving on it, and another at Brampton church of the
+twelfth or thirteenth century that has iron decorations. Some chests
+show great freedom in the carving, St. George and the Dragon and other
+stories being carved in high relief.
+
+[Illustration: An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France's deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV.]
+
+Nearly all the existing specimens of Gothic furniture are
+ecclesiastical, but there are a few that were evidently for household
+use. These show distinctly the architectural treatment of design in the
+furniture. Chairs were not commonly used until the sixteenth century.
+Our distinguished ancestors decided that one chair in a house was
+enough, and that was for the master, while his family and friends sat on
+benches and chests. It is a long step in comfort and manners from the
+fifteenth to the twentieth century. Later the guest of honor was given
+the chair, and from that may come the saying that a speaker "takes the
+chair." Gothic tables were probably supported by trestles, and beds were
+probably very much like the early sixteenth century beds in general
+shape. There were cupboards and armoires also, but examples are very
+rare. From an old historical document we learn that Henry III, in 1233,
+ordered the sheriff to attend to the painting of the wainscoted chamber
+in Winchester Castle and to see that "the pictures and histories were
+the same as before." Another order is for having the wall of the king's
+chamber at Westminster "painted a good green color in imitation of a
+curtain." These painted walls and stained glass that we know they had,
+and the tapestry, must have given a cheerful color scheme to the
+houses of the wealthy class even if there was not much comfort.
+
+[Illustration: In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs.]
+
+[Illustration: This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns.]
+
+The history of the great houses of England, and also the smaller
+manor-houses, is full of interest in connection with the study of
+furniture. There are many manor-houses that show all the characteristics
+of the Gothic, Renaissance, Tudor and Jacobean periods, and from them we
+can learn much of the life of the times. The early ones show absolute
+simplicity in the arrangement, one large hall for everything, and later
+a small room or two added. The fire was on the floor and the smoke
+wandered around until it found its way out at the opening, or louvre, in
+the roof. Then a chimney was built at the dais end of the hall, and the
+mantelpiece became an important part of the decoration. The hall was
+divided by "screens" into smaller rooms, leaving the remainder for
+retainers, and causing the clergy to inveigh against the new custom of
+the lord of the manor "eating in secret places." The staircase developed
+from the early winding stair about a newel or post to the beautiful
+broad stairs of the Tudor period. These were usually six or seven feet
+broad, with about six wide easy steps and then a landing, and the
+carving on the balusters was often very elaborate and sometimes very
+beautiful--a ladder raised to the _n_th power.
+
+Slowly the Gothic period died in England and slowly the Renaissance took
+its place. There was never the gayety of decorative treatment that we
+find in France, but the English workmen, while keeping their own
+individuality, learned a tremendous amount from the Italians who came to
+the country. Their influence is shown in the Henry VIIth Chapel in
+Westminster Abbey, and in the old part of Hampton Court Palace, built by
+Cardinal Wolsey.
+
+The religious troubles between Henry VIII and the Pope and the change of
+religion helped to drive the Italians from the country, so the
+Renaissance did not get such a firm foothold in England as it did in
+France. The mingling of Gothic and Renaissance forms what we call the
+Tudor period. During the time of Elizabeth all trace of Gothic
+disappeared, and the influence of the Germans and Flemings who came to
+the country in great numbers, helped to shorten the influence of the
+Renaissance. The over-elaboration of the late Tudor time corresponded
+with the deterioration shown in France in the time of Henry IV. The Hall
+of Gray's Inn, the Halls of Oxford, the Charterhouse and the Hall of the
+Middle Temple are all fine examples of the Tudor period.
+
+We find very few names of furniture makers of those days; in fact, there
+are very few names known in connection with the buildings themselves.
+The word architect was little used until after the Renaissance. The
+owner and the "surveyor" were the people responsible, and the plans,
+directions and details given to the workmen were astonishingly meager.
+
+The great charm that we all feel in the Tudor and Jacobean periods is
+largely due to the beautiful paneled walls. Their woodwork has a color
+that only age can give and that no stain can copy. The first panels were
+longer than the later ones. Wide use was made of the beautiful
+"linen-fold" design in the wainscoting, and there was also much
+elaborate carving and strapwork. Scenes like the temptation of Adam and
+Eve were represented, heads in circular medallions, and simply
+decorative designs were used. In the days of Elizabeth it became the
+fashion to have the carving at the top of the paneling with plain panels
+below. Tudor and Jacobean mantelpieces were most elaborate and were of
+wood, stone, or marble richly carved, to say nothing of the beautiful
+plaster ones, and there are many fine examples in existence. They were
+fond of figure decoration, and many subjects were taken from the Bible.
+The overmantels were decorated with coats-of-arms and other carving, and
+the entablature over the fireplace often had Latin mottoes. The earliest
+firebacks date from the fifteenth century. Coats-of-arms and many
+curious designs were used upon them.
+
+The furniture of the Tudor period was much carved, and was made chiefly
+of oak. Cornices of beds and cabinets often had the egg-and-dart molding
+used on them, and the S-curve is often seen opposed on the backs of
+settees and chairs. It has a suggestion of a dolphin and is reminiscent
+of the dolphins of the Renaissance. The beds were very large, the
+"great bed of Ware" being twelve feet square. The cornice, the bed-head,
+the pedestals and pillars supporting the cornice were all richly carved.
+Frequently the pillars at the foot of the bed were not connected with
+it, but supported the cornice which was longer than the bed. The
+"Courtney bedstead," dated 1593, showing many of the characteristics of
+the ornament of the time, is 103-1/2 inches high, 94 inches long, 68
+inches wide. The majority of the beds were smaller and lower, however,
+and the pillars usually rose out of drum-like members, huge acorn-like
+bulbs that were often so large as to be ugly. They appeared also on
+other articles of furniture. When in good proportion, with pillars
+tapering from them, they were very effective, and gradually they grew
+smaller. Some of the beds had the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
+John, carved on the posts. They were probably the origin of the nursery
+rhyme:
+
+    "Four corners to my bed,
+    Four angels round my head,
+    Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
+    Bless the bed that I lie on."
+
+[Illustration: In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping.]
+
+Bed hanging were of silk, velvet, damask, wool damask, tapestry, etc.,
+and there were fine linen sheets and blankets and counterpanes of wool
+work. The chairs were high-backed of solid oak with cushions. There
+were also jointed stools, folding screens, chests, cabinets, tables with
+carpets (table covers) tapestry hangings, curtains, cushions, silver
+sconces, etc.
+
+[Illustration: Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400.]
+
+[Illustration: Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly.]
+
+The Jacobean period began with James I, and lasted until the time of
+William and Mary, or from 1603 to about 1689. In the early part there
+was still a strong Tudor feeling, and toward the end foreign influence
+made itself felt until the Dutch under William became paramount. Inigo
+Jones did his great work at this time in the Palladian style of
+architecture. His simpler taste did much to reduce the exaggeration of
+the late Tudor days.
+
+Chests of various kinds still remained of importance. Their growth is
+interesting: first the plain ones of very early days, then panels
+appeared, then the pointed arch with its architectural effect, then the
+low-pointed arch of Tudor and early Jacobian times, and the geometrical
+ornament. Then came a change in the general shape, a drawer being added
+at the bottom, and at last it turned into a complete chest of drawers.
+
+Cabinets or cupboards were also used a great deal, and the most
+interesting are the court-and livery-cupboards. The derivation of the
+names is a bit obscure, but the court cupboard probably comes from the
+French _court_, short. The first ones were high and unwieldy and the
+later ones were lower with some enclosed shelves. They were used for a
+display of plate, much as the modern sideboard is used. The number of
+shelves was limited by rank; the wife of a baronet could have two, a
+countess three, a princess four, a queen five. They were beautifully
+carved, very often, the doors to the enclosed portions having heads,
+Tudor roses, arches, spindle ornaments and many other designs common to
+the Tudor and Jacobean periods. They had a silk "carpet" put on the
+shelves with the fringe hanging over the ends, but not the front, and on
+this was placed the silver.
+
+The livery-cupboard was used for food, and the word probably comes from
+the French _livrer_, to deliver. It had several shelves enclosed by
+rails, not panels, so the air could circulate, and some of them had open
+shelves and a drawer for linen. They were used much as we use a
+serving-table, or as the kitchen dresser was used in old New England
+days. In them were kept food and drink for people to take to their
+bedrooms to keep starvation at bay until breakfast.
+
+Drawing-tables were very popular during Jacobean times. They were
+described as having two ends that were drawn out and supported by
+sliders, while the center, previously held by them, fell into place by
+its own weight. Another characteristic table was the gate-legged or
+thousand-legged table, that was used so much in our own Colonial times.
+There were also round, oval and square tables which had flaps supported
+by legs that were drawn out. Tables were almost invariably covered with
+a table cloth.
+
+Some of the chairs of the time of James I were much like those of Louis
+XIII, having the short back covered with leather, damask, or tapestry,
+put on with brass or silver nails and fringe around the edge of the
+seat. The chief characteristic of the chairs of this time was solidity,
+with the ornament chiefly on the upper parts, which were molded oftener
+than carved, with the backs usually high. A plain leather chair called
+the "Cromwell chair," was imported from Holland. The solid oak back gave
+way at last to the half solid back, then came the open back with rails,
+and then the Charles II chair, with its carved or turned uprights, its
+high back of cane, and an ornamental stretcher like the top of the chair
+back, between the front legs. This is a very attractive feature, as it
+serves to give balance of decoration and also partly hides the plain
+stretcher from sight. A typical detail of Charles II furniture is the
+crown supported by cherubs or opposed S-curves. James II used a crown
+and palm leaves.
+
+Grinling Gibbons did his wonderful work in carving at this time, using
+chiefly pear and lime wood. The greater part of his work was wall
+decoration, but he made tables, mirrors and other furniture as well. The
+carving was often in lighter wood than the background, and was in such
+high relief that portions of it had often to be "pinned" together, for
+it seemed almost in the round. Evelyn discovered Gibbons in a little
+shop working away at such a wonderful piece of carving that he could
+not rest until he had taken him to Sir Christopher Wrenn. From this
+introduction came the great amount of work they did together. The
+influence of his work was still seen in the early eighteenth century.
+
+The room at Knole House that was furnished for James I is of great
+interest, as it is the same to-day as when first furnished. The bed is
+said to have cost £8,000. As it is one of the show places of England one
+should not miss a chance of seeing it.
+
+Until the time of the Restoration the furniture of England could not
+compare in sumptuousness with that of the Continental countries.
+England, besides having a simpler point of view, was in a perpetual
+state of unrest. The honest and hard-working English joiners and
+carpenters adapted in a plain and often clumsy way the styles of the
+different foreigners who came to the country. Through it all, however,
+they kept the touch of national character that makes the furniture so
+interesting, and they often did work of great beauty and worth. When
+Charles II came to the throne he brought with him the ideas of France,
+where he had spent so many years, and the change became very marked. The
+natural Stuart extravagance also helped to form his taste, and soon we
+hear of much more elaborate decoration throughout the land.
+
+Many of the country towns were far behind London in the style of
+furniture, and this explains why some furniture that is dated 1670, for
+instance, seems to belong to an earlier time. The famous silver
+furniture of Knole House, Seven-oaks, belongs to this time. Evelyn
+mentions in his diary that the rooms of the Duchess of Portsmouth were
+full of "Japan cabinets and screens, pendule clocks, greate vases of
+wrought plate, tables, stands, chimney furniture, sconces, branches,
+baseras, etc., all of massive silver," and later he mentions again her
+"massy pieces of plate, whole tables and stands of incredible value."
+
+In the reign of William and Mary, Dutch influence was naturally very
+pronounced, as William disliked everything English. The English, being
+now well grounded in the knowledge of construction, took the Dutch ideas
+as a foundation and developed them along their own lines, until we have
+the late Queen Anne type made by Chippendale.
+
+The change in the style of chairs was most marked and noticeable. They
+were more open backed than in Charles's time and had two uprights and a
+spoon-or fiddle-shaped splat to support the sitter's back. The chair
+backs took more the curve of the human figure, and the seats were
+broader in front than in the back; the cabriole legs were broad at the
+top and ended in claw or pad feet, and there were no straining-rails.
+The shell was a common form of ornament, and all crowns and cherubs had
+disappeared. Inlay and marquetry came to be generously used, but there
+had been many cabinets of Dutch marquetry brought to England even
+before the time of William and Mary. Flower designs in dyed woods,
+shell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory were used.
+
+The marquetry clocks made at this time are wonderful and characteristic
+examples of the work, and are among the finest clocks ever made for
+beauty of line and finish, and proportion.
+
+Although marquetry and inlay have much in common there is one great
+difference between them, and they should not be used as synonymous
+terms. In marquetry the entire surface of the article is covered with
+pieces of different colored woods cut very thin and glued on. It is like
+a modern picture puzzle done with regard to the design. In inlay, the
+design only is inlaid in the wood, leaving a much larger plain
+background. Veneering is a thin layer of beautiful and often rare wood
+glued to a foundation of some cheaper kind. The tall clocks and cabinets
+of William and Mary's time and the wonderful work of Boulle in France
+are examples of marquetry, the fine furniture of Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton are masterly examples of inlay.
+
+[Illustration: Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+out the true feeling of the old with great skill.]
+
+[Illustration: A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period.]
+
+[Illustration: Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler.]
+
+
+
+
+_Queen Anne_
+
+
+"Queen Anne" furniture is a very elastic term, for it is often used to
+cover the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I, and a part
+of the reign of George II, or, in other words, all the time of Dutch
+influence. The more usual method is to leave out William and Mary, but
+at best the classification of furniture is more or less arbitrary, for
+in England, as well as other countries, the different styles overlap
+each other. Chippendale's early work was distinctly influenced by the
+Dutch.
+
+Walnut superseded oak in popularity, and after 1720 mahogany gradually
+became the favorite. There was a good deal of walnut veneering done, and
+the best logs were saved for the purpose. Marquetry died out and gave
+place to carving, and the cabriole leg, one of the chief marks of Dutch
+influence, became a firmly fixed style. The carving was put on the knees
+and the legs ended in claw and ball and pad feet. Some chairs were
+simply carved with a shell or leaf or scroll on top rail and knees of
+the legs. In the more elaborately carved chairs the arms, legs, splat,
+and top rail were all carved with acanthus leaves, or designs from
+Gibbons's decoration. Chairs were broad in the seat and high of back
+with wide splats, often decorated with inlay, in the early part of the
+period. The top rail curved into the side uprights, and the seat was set
+into a rebate or box-seat. The chair backs slowly changed in shape,
+becoming broader and lower, the splat ceased to be inlaid and was
+pierced and carved, and the whole chair assumed the shape made so
+familiar to us by Chippendale.
+
+Tables usually had cabriole legs, although there were some gate-or
+thousand-legged, tables, and card tables, writing-tables, and
+flap-tables, were all used. It was in the Queen Anne period that
+highboys and lowboys made their first appearance.
+
+In the short reign of Anne it also became the fashion to have great
+displays of Chinese porcelain, and over-mantels, cupboards, shelves and
+tables were covered with wonderful pieces of it. Addison, in Sir Roger
+de Coverley, humorously describes a lady's library of the time.
+
+"... And as it was some time before the lady came to me I had an
+opportunity of turning over a great many of her books, which were ranged
+in a very beautiful order. At the end of the folios (which were finely
+bound and gilt) were great jars of china placed one above another in a
+very noble piece of architecture. The quartos were separated from the
+octavos by a pile of smaller vessels, which rose in a delightful
+pyramid. The octavos were bounded by tea-dishes of all shapes, colors,
+and sizes, which were so disposed on a wooden frame that they looked
+like one continued pillar indented with the finest strokes of sculpture
+and stained with the greatest variety of dyes. Part of the library was
+enclosed in a kind of square, consisting of one of the prettiest
+grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions,
+monkeys, mandarins, trees, shells, and a thousand other odd figures in
+china ware. In the midst of the room was a little Japan table."
+
+Between 1710 and 1730 lacquer ware became very fashionable, and many
+experiments were made to imitate the beautiful Oriental articles brought
+home by Dutch traders. In Holland a fair amount of success was attained
+and a good deal of lacquered furniture was sent from there to England
+where the brass and silver mounts were added. English and French were
+experimenting, the French with the greatest success in their Vernis
+Martin, mentioned elsewhere, which really stood quite in a class by
+itself, but the imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer were inferior
+to the originals. Pine, oak, lime, and many other woods, were used as a
+base, and the fashion was so decided that nearly all kinds of furniture
+were covered with it. This lacquer ware of William and Mary's and Queen
+Anne's time must not be confounded with the Japanned furniture of
+Hepplewhite's and Sheraton's time, which was quite different and of much
+lower grade.
+
+It was in the reign of Queen Anne that the sun began to rise on English
+cabinet work; it shone gloriously through the eighteenth century, and
+sank in early Victorian clouds.
+
+[Illustration: Two important phases of Chippendale's work--an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type.]
+
+[Illustration: An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+mirror, showing French influence.]
+
+[Illustration: One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale's
+fretwork tea-tables in existence.]
+
+
+
+
+_Chippendale and the Eighteenth Century in England._
+
+
+The classification of furniture in England is on a different basis from
+that of France, as the rulers of England were not such patrons of art as
+were the French kings. Flemish, Dutch and French influences all helped
+to form the taste of the people. The Jacobean period lasted from the
+time of James I to the time of William and Mary. William brought with
+him from Holland the strong Dutch feeling that had a tremendous
+influence on the history of English furniture, and during Anne's short
+reign the Dutch feeling still lasted.
+
+It was not until the early years of the reign of George II that the
+Georgian period came into its own with Chippendale at its head. Some
+authorities include William and Mary and Queen Anne in the Georgian
+period, but the more usual idea is to divide it into several parts,
+better known as the times of Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton. French influence is marked throughout and is divided into
+parts. The period of Chippendale was contemporaneous with that of Louis
+XV, and the second part included the other three men and corresponded
+with the last years of Louis XV, when the transition to Louis XVI was
+beginning, and the time of Louis XVI.
+
+It was not until the latter part of Chippendale's life that he gave up
+his love of rococo curves and scrolls, dripping water effects, and his
+Chinese and Gothic styles. His early chairs had a Dutch feeling, and it
+is often only by ornamentation that one can date them.
+
+The top of the Dutch chair had a flowing curve, the splat was first
+solid and plain, then carved, and later pierced in geometrical designs;
+then came the curves that were used so much by Chippendale. The carving
+consisted of swags and pendants of fruit and flowers, shells, acanthus
+leaves, scrolls, eagle's heads, carved in relief on the surface.
+
+Dutch chairs were usually of walnut and some of the late ones were of
+mahogany. Mahogany was not used to any extent before 1720, but at that
+time it began to be imported in large quantities, and its lightness and
+the ease with which it could be worked made it appropriate for the
+lighter style of furniture then coming into vogue.
+
+Chippendale began to make chairs with the curved top that is so
+characteristic of his work. The splat back was always used, in spite of
+the French, and its treatment is one of the most interesting things in
+the history of English furniture. It gave scope for great originality.
+Although, as I have said before, foreign influence was strong, the ideas
+were adapted and worked out by the great cabinet-makers of the Georgian
+period with a vigor and beauty that made a distinct English style, and
+often went far, far ahead of the originals.
+
+There were, so far as we know, three Thomas Chippendales: the second was
+the great one. He was born in Worcester, England, about 1710, and died
+in 1779. He and his father, who was also a carver, came to London before
+1727. Very little is known about his life, but we may feel sure he was
+that rare combination: a man of genius with decided business ability. He
+not only designed the furniture which was made in his shop, but executed
+a large part of it also, and superintended all the work done there by
+others. That he was a man of originality shows distinctly through his
+work, for although he adapted and copied freely and was strongly
+influenced by the Dutch, French, and "Chinese taste," there is always
+his own distinctive touch. The furniture of his best period, and those
+belonging to his school, has great beauty of line and proportion, and
+the exquisite carving shows a true feeling for ornament in relation to
+plain surfaces. There are a few examples in existence of carving in
+almost as high relief as that of Grinling Gibbons, swags, etc., and in
+his most rococo period his carving was very elaborate. It always had
+great clearness of edge and cut, and a wonderful feeling for light and
+shade. In what is called "Irish Chippendale," which was furniture made
+in Ireland after the style of Chippendale, the carving was in low relief
+and the edges fairly smoothed off, which made it much less interesting.
+
+Chippendale looked upon his work as one of the arts and placed his ideal
+of achievement very high, and that he received the recognition of the
+best people of the time as an artist of merit is proved by his election
+to the Society of Arts with such men as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace
+Walpole, Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, and others.
+
+The genius of Chippendale justly puts him in the front rank of
+cabinet-makers and his influence was the foundation of much of the fine
+work done by many others during the eighteenth century. He is often
+criticized for his excessive rococo taste as displayed in the plates of
+the "Gentleman's and Cabinet-maker's Director," and in some of his
+finished work. Many of the designs in the "Director" were probably never
+carried out, and some of them were probably added to by the soaring
+imaginations of the engraver. This is true of all the books published by
+the great cabinet-makers, and it always seems more fair to have their
+reputations rest on their finished work which has come down to us.
+
+[Illustration: The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+fine example of his work.]
+
+Chippendale, of course, must bear the chief part of the charge of
+over-elaboration, and he frankly says that he thinks "much enrichment is
+necessary." He copied Meissonier's designs and had a great love for
+gilding, but the display of rococo taste is not in all his work by any
+means, nor was it so excessive as that of the French. The more
+self-restrained temperament of the Anglo-Saxon race makes a deal of
+difference. He early used the ogee curve and cabriole leg, the knees of
+which he carved with cartouches and leaves or other designs. The front
+rail of the chair also was often carved. There were several styles of
+curved leg, the cabriole leg of Dutch influence, and the curved style of
+Louis XV. There were also several variations on the claw and ball foot.
+Many Chippendale chairs were without stretchers, but the straight legged
+style usually had four. The seats were sometimes in a box frame or
+rebate, and sometimes the covering was drawn over the frame and fastened
+with brass headed nails. Chippendale in the "Director" speaks of red
+morocco, Spanish leather, damask, tapestry and other needlework as being
+appropriate for the covering of his chairs.
+
+[Illustration: A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type.]
+
+[Illustration: One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750.]
+
+[Illustration: Hepplewhite's characteristic shield-shaped back.]
+
+[Illustration: Thomas Sheraton's rectangular type of chair-back.]
+
+In about 1760 or 1765 he began to use the straight leg for his chairs.
+The different shapes of splats will often help in deciding the dates of
+their making, and its development is of great interest. The curves shown
+in the diagram on page 84 are the merest suggestions of the outline of
+the splat, and they were carved most beautifully in many different
+designs. Ribbon-back chairs are dated about 1755 and show the adapted
+French influence. His Gothic and Chinese designs were made about
+1760-1770. Ladder-back chairs nearly always had straight legs, either
+plain or with double ogee curve and bead moldings, but there are a few
+examples of ladder-back and cabriole legs combined, although these are
+very rare. The chair settees of the Dutch time, with backs having the
+appearance of chairs side by side, were also made by Chippendale. "Love
+seats" were small settees. It was naïvely said that "they were too large
+for one and too small for two." A large armchair that shows a decided
+difference in the manners of the early eighteenth century and the
+present day was called the "drunkard's chair."
+
+[Illustration: DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE.]
+
+When the craze for "Indian work" was at its height, there were many
+pieces of old oak and walnut furniture covered with lacquer to bring it
+up to the fashionable standard, but their forms were not suitable, and
+oak especially, with its coarse grain did not lend itself to the
+process. The stands for lacquer cabinets vary in style, but were often
+gilded in late Louis XIV and Louis XV style. The difference between true
+lacquer and its imitations is hard to explain. The true was made by
+repeated coats of a special varnish, each rubbed down and allowed to
+become hard before the next was put on. This gave a hard, cool, smooth
+surface with no stickiness. Modern work, done with paint and French
+varnish, has not this delightful feeling, but is nearly always clammy to
+the touch, and the colors are hurt by the process of polishing.
+Chippendale did not use much lacquer, but in the "Director" he often
+says such and such designs would be suitable for it.
+
+Much of the furniture that Chippendale made was heavy, but the best of
+it had much beauty. His delicate fretwork tea-tables are a delight, with
+their fretwork cupboards and carving. He seemed to combine many sides in
+his artistic temperament, a fact that many people lay to his power of
+assimilating the work of others. He did not make sideboards in our sense
+of the word. His were large side-tables, sometimes with a drawer for
+silver and sometimes not. Pier-tables were very much like them in shape,
+but smaller, and were often gilded to match the mirrors which were
+placed above them.
+
+The larger pieces of Chippendale furniture have the same characteristic
+of perfect workmanship and detail which the chairs possess.
+Dining-tables were made in sections consisting of two semi-circular ends
+and two center pieces with flaps which could all be joined together and
+make a very large table. The beds he made had four posts and cornice
+tops elaborately carved and often gilded, with a strong Louis XV
+feeling. The curtains hung from the inside of the cornice. He also made
+many other styles of beds, such as canopy beds, tent beds, flat tester
+beds, Chinese beds, Gothic beds: there was almost nothing he did not
+make for the house from wall brackets to the largest wardrobes.
+
+To many people used to the simple Chippendale furniture which is
+commonly seen, the idea of rich and beautiful carving and gilding comes
+as a surprise, and even in the "Director" there are no plates which show
+his most beautiful work. His elaborate furniture was naturally chiefly
+order work, and so was not pictured, and much of it that is left is
+still in the possession of the descendants of the original owners. The
+small number of authentic pieces which have reached public sales have
+been eagerly snapped up by private collectors and museums at large
+prices.
+
+[Illustration: It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite's taste..]
+
+In America much of the furniture called Chippendale was not made by
+Chippendale himself, but was made after his designs and copied from
+imported pieces by clever cabinet-makers here in the, then, colonies.
+The average American of the eighteenth century was a simple and not over
+rich person of good breeding and refined taste who appreciated the
+fact that the elaborate furniture of England and France would not be
+in keeping with life in America, and so either imported the simpler
+kinds, or demanded that the home cabinet-maker choose good models for
+his work. This partly explains why we have so much really good Colonial
+furniture, and not so much of the elaborately carved and gilded variety.
+
+[Illustration: A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair.]
+
+
+
+
+_Robert Adam_
+
+
+Robert Adam was the second of the four sons of William Adam, and was
+born in 1728. The Adam family was Scotch of good social position. Robert
+early showed a talent for drawing. He was ambitious, and, as old Roman
+architecture interested him above all other subjects, he decided that he
+could attain his ideals only by study and travel in Italy. He returned
+to England in 1758 after four years of hard work with the results of his
+labors, the chief treasure being his careful drawings of Diocletian's
+villa. His classical taste was firmly established, and was to be one of
+the important influences of the eighteenth century.
+
+Robert and James Adam went into partnership and became the most noted
+architects of their day in England. The list of their buildings is long
+and interesting, and much of their architectural and decorative work is
+still in existence.
+
+To many people it will seem like putting the cart before the horse to
+say that Robert Adam had in any way influenced the style we call Louis
+XVI, but it is a plausible theory and certainly an interesting one. Mr.
+G. Owen Wheeler in his interesting book on "Old English Furniture" makes
+a strong case in favor of the Adam Brothers. Classical taste was well
+established in England by 1765, before the transition from Louis XV to
+Louis XVI began, and Robert Adam published his book in parallel columns
+of French and English, which shows it must have been in some demand in
+France. The great influence of the excavations at Pompeii must naturally
+not be underestimated, as it was far reaching, but with the beautiful
+Adam style well developed, just across the Channel, it seems probable
+that it may have had its share in forming French taste. The foundation
+being there, the French put their characteristic touch to it and
+developed a much richer style than that of the Adam Brothers, but the
+two have so much in common that Louis XVI furniture may be put into an
+Adam room with perfect fitness, and vice versa. As the Adams cared only
+to design furniture some one else had to carry out the designs, and
+Chippendale was master carver and cabinet-maker under them at Harewood
+House, Yorkshire, and probably was also in many other instances.
+
+[Illustration: A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire--the work of the brothers Adam.]
+
+[Illustration: Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work.]
+
+The early furniture of Adam was plain, and the walls were treated with
+much decoration that was classic in feeling. He possessed the secret of
+a composition of which his exquisite decorations on walls and ceilings
+were made. After 1770 he simplified his walls and elaborated his
+furniture designs until they met in a beautiful and graceful harmony. He
+designed furniture to suit the room it was in, and with the dainty and
+charming coloring, the beauty of proportion and the charm of the wall
+decoration, the scheme had great beauty.
+
+[Illustration: This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England--the time of the great cabinet-makers.]
+
+He used the ram's head, wreaths, honeysuckle, mythological subjects,
+lozenge-shaped, oval and octagonal panels, and many other designs. He
+was one of the first to use the French idea of decorating furniture with
+painting and porcelain plaques, and the furniture itself was simple and
+beautiful in line. The stucco ceilings designed by the brothers were
+picked out with delicate colors and have much beauty of line.
+
+A great deal of the most beautiful Adam decoration was the painting on
+walls and ceilings and furniture by Angelica Kaufmann, Zucchi,
+Pergolesi, Cipriani, and Columbani. The standard of work was so high
+that only the best was satisfactory.
+
+Adam usually designed his furniture for the room in which it was to
+stand, and he often planned the house and all its contents, even to the
+table silver, to say nothing of the door-locks. The chairs were of
+mahogany, or painted, or gilded, wood. Some had oval upholstered backs,
+with the covering specially designed for the room, and some had lyre
+backs, later used so much by Sheraton, and others had small painted
+panels placed in the top rail, with beautiful carving. Mirrors were
+among the most charming articles designed by Adam, and had composition
+wreaths and cupids and medallions for ornament. They were usually made
+in pairs in both large and small sizes. A pair of antique mirrors
+should be kept together, as they are very much more valuable than when
+separated.
+
+Adam was one of the first to assemble the pieces that later grew into
+the sideboard--a table, two pedestals, and a cellaret. There is a
+sideboard designed by him for Gillows, in which the parts are connected,
+and it is at least one of the ancestors of the beautiful Shearer and
+Hepplewhite ones and our modern useful, though not always beautiful,
+article. When, late in his career, Adam attempted to copy the French, he
+was not so successful, as he did not have their flexibility of
+temperament, and was unable to give the warmer touch to the classic,
+which they did so well. His paneled walls, however, have great dignity
+and purity of line and feeling, and the applied ornament was really an
+ornament, and not a disfigurement as too often happens in our day. With
+Adam one feels the surety of knowledge and the refinement of good taste
+led by a high ideal.
+
+[Illustration: There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen.]
+
+[Illustration: A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony.]
+
+[Illustration: A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+carving he used so much.]
+
+
+
+
+_Hepplewhite_
+
+
+The work of Hepplewhite and his school lasted from about 1760 to 1795;
+the last nine years of the time the business was carried on by his
+widow, Alice, under the name of A. Hepplewhite & Co. For five years
+after that some work was done after his manner, but it was distinctly
+inferior. In the early seventies Hepplewhite's work was so well known
+and so much admired that its influence was shown in the work of his
+contemporaries. There was a great difference between his style and that
+of Chippendale, his being much lighter in construction and effect,
+besides the many differences of design. Hepplewhite was strongly
+influenced by the French style of Louis XVI, and also the pure taste of
+Robert Adam at its height. Hepplewhite, however, like all the great
+cabinet-makers, both French and English, was a great genius himself and
+stamped the impress of his own personality upon his work.
+
+Many people date Hepplewhite's fame from the time of the publication of
+his book, "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide," in 1788, not
+realizing that he had been dead for two years when it appeared. Its
+publication was justified by the well established popularity of his
+furniture and the success with which his designs were carried out by A.
+Hepplewhite & Co.
+
+It is interesting to notice the difference in the size of chairs which
+became apparent during Hepplewhite's time. Hoop-skirts and stiffened
+coats went out of fashion, and with them went the need of large chair
+seats. The transition chairs made by Hepplewhite were not very
+attractive in proportion, as the backs were too low for the width. The
+transition from Chippendale to Hepplewhite was not sudden, as the last
+style of Chippendale was simpler and had more of the classic feeling in
+it. Hepplewhite says, in the preface to his book: "To unite elegance and
+utility, and blend the useful with the agreeable, has ever been
+considered a difficult, but an honorable task." He sometimes failed and
+sometimes succeeded. His knowledge of construction enabled him to make
+his chairs with shield, oval, and heart-shaped backs. The tops were
+slightly curved, also the tops of the splats, and at the lower edge
+where the back and the splat join, a half rosette was carved. He often
+used the three feathers of the Prince of Wales, sheaves of wheat,
+anthemion, urns, and festoons of drapery, all beautifully carved, and
+forming the splat. The backs of his chairs were supported at the sides
+by uprights running into the shield-shaped back and did not touch the
+seat frame in any other way. With this apparent weakness of construction
+it is wonderful how many of his chairs have come down to us in perfect
+condition, but it was his knowledge of combining lightness with strength
+which made it possible.
+
+Hepplewhite used straight or tapering legs with spade feet for his
+furniture, often inlaid with bellflowers in satinwood. The legs were
+sometimes carved with a double ogee curve and bead molding. He did not
+use carving in the lavish manner of Chippendale, but it was always
+beautifully done, and he used a great deal of inlay of satinwood, etc.,
+oval panels, lines, urns, and many other motives common to the other
+cabinet-makers of the day, and also painted some of his furniture. His
+Japan work was inferior in every way to that of the early part of the
+eighteenth century. The upholstery was fastened to the chairs with
+brass-headed tacks, often in a festoon pattern. Oval-shaped brass
+handles were used on his bureaus, desks, and other furniture. He made
+many sideboards, some, in fact, going back to the side table and
+pedestal idea, and bottle-cases and knife-boxes were put on the ends of
+the sideboards. His regular sideboards were founded on Shearer's design.
+
+Shearer's furniture was simple and dainty in design, and he has the
+honor of making the first real serpentine sideboard, about 1780, which
+was not a more or less disconnected collection of tables and pedestals.
+It was the forerunner of the Hepplewhite and Sheraton sideboards that we
+know so well. Shearer is now hardly known even by name to the general
+world, but without doubt his ideal of lightness and strength in
+construction had a good deal of influence on his contemporaries and
+followers.
+
+Hepplewhite was very fond of oval and semi-circular shapes, and many of
+his tables are made in either one way or the other. His sideboards,
+founded on Shearer's designs, are very elegant, as he liked to say, in
+their simplicity of line, their inlay, and their general beauty of wood.
+He was most successful in his chairs, sideboards, tables, and small
+household articles, for his larger pieces of furniture were often too
+heavy. Some of the worst, however, were made by other cabinet-makers
+after his designs, and not by Hepplewhite himself.
+
+
+
+
+_Sheraton_
+
+
+Thomas Sheraton was born in 1750, and was a journeyman cabinet-maker
+when he went to London. His great genius for furniture design was
+combined with a love of writing tracts and sermons. Unfortunately for
+his success in life, he had a most disagreeable personality, being
+conceited, jealous, and perfectly willing to pour scorn on his brother
+cabinet-makers. This impression he quite frankly gives about himself in
+his books. The name of Robert Adam is not mentioned, and this seems
+particularly unpleasant when one thinks of the latter's undoubted
+influence on Sheraton's work. Sheraton's unfortunate disposition
+probably helped to make his life a failure.
+
+It is very sad to see such possibilities as his not reaping their true
+reward, for poverty dogged his steps all through life, and he was always
+struggling for a bare livelihood. His books were not financially
+successful, and at last he gave up his workshop and ceased to make the
+furniture he designed. He was an expert draughtsman and his designs were
+carried out by the skillful cabinet-makers of the day. Adam Black gives
+a very pitiful account of the poverty in which Sheraton lived, and says:
+"That by attempting to do everything he does nothing." His "nothing,"
+however, has proved a very big something in the years which have
+followed, for Sheraton is responsible for one of the most beautiful
+types of furniture the world has known, and although his life was hard
+and bitter, his fame is great.
+
+Sheraton took the style of Louis XVI as his standard, and some of his
+best work is quite equal to that of the French workmen. He felt the lack
+of the exquisite brass and ormolu work done in France, and said if it
+were only possible to get as fine in England, the superior
+cabinet-making of the English would put them far ahead in the ranks. To
+many of us this loss is not so great, for the beauty of the wood counts
+for more, and is not detracted from by an oversupply of metal ornament,
+as sometimes happened in France. "Enough is as good as a feast."
+Sheraton, at his best, had beauty, grace, and refinement of line without
+weakness, lightness and yet perfect construction, combined with balance,
+and the ornament just sufficient to enhance the beauty of the article
+without overpowering it. It is this fine work which the world remembers
+and which gave him his fame, and so it is far better to forget his later
+period when nearly all trace of his former greatness was lost.
+
+[Illustration: A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+dressing-glass.]
+
+Sheraton profited by the work of Chippendale, Adam, and Hepplewhite, for
+these great men blazed the trail for him, so to speak, in raising the
+art of cabinet-making to so high a plane that England was full of
+skilled workmen. The influence of Adam, Shearer, and Hepplewhite, was
+very great on his work, and it is often difficult to tell whether he
+or Hepplewhite or Shearer made some pieces. He evidently did not have
+business ability and his bitter nature hampered him at every turn. The
+Sheraton school lasted from about 1790 to 1806. He died in 1806, fairly
+worn out with his struggle for existence. Poor Sheraton, it certainly is
+a pitiful story.
+
+[Illustration: One of Sheraton's charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth.]
+
+[Illustration: A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton.]
+
+Sheraton's chair backs are rectangular in type, with urn splats, and
+splats divided into seven radiates, and also many other designs. The
+chairs were made of mahogany and satinwood, some carved, some inlaid,
+and some painted. The splat never ran into the seat, but was supported
+on a cross rail running from side to side a few inches above the seat.
+The material used for upholstery was nailed over the frame with
+brass-headed tacks.
+
+Bookcases were of mahogany and satinwood veneer, and the large ones were
+often in three sections, the center section standing farther out than
+the two sides. The glass was covered with a graceful design in moldings,
+and the pediments were of various shapes, the swan-neck being a
+favorite.
+
+Sideboards were built on very much the lines of those made by Shearer
+and Hepplewhite. There were drawers and cupboards for various uses. The
+knife-boxes to put on the top came in sets of two, and sometimes there
+was a third box. The legs were light and tapering with inlay of
+satinwood, and sometimes they were reeded. There was inlay also on the
+doors and drawers. There were also sideboards without inlay. The legs
+for his furniture were at first plain, and then tapering and reeded. He
+used some carving, and a great deal of satinwood and tulip-wood were
+inlaid in the mahogany; he also used rosewood. The bellflower, urn,
+festoons, and acanthus were all favorites of his for decoration.
+
+He made some elaborate and startling designs for beds, but the best
+known ones are charming with slender turned posts or reeded posts, and
+often the plain ones were made of painted satinwood.
+
+The satinwood from the East Indies was fine and of a beautiful yellow
+color, while that from the West Indies was coarser in grain and darker
+in color. It is a slow growing tree, and that used nowadays cannot
+compare with the old, in spite of the gallant efforts of the hard
+working fakirs to copy its beautiful golden tone.
+
+All the cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century made ingenious
+contrivances in the way of furniture, washstands concealed in what
+appear to be corner cupboards, a table that looks as simple as a table
+possibly can, but has a small step-ladder and book rest hidden away in
+its useful inside, and many others. Sheraton was especially clever in
+making these conveniences, as these two examples show, and his books
+have many others pictured in them. Sheraton's list of articles of
+furniture is long, for he made almost everything from knife-boxes to
+"chamber-horses," which were contrivances of a saddle and springs for
+people to take exercise upon at home.
+
+Sheraton's "Drawing Book" was the best of those he published. It was
+sold chiefly to other cabinet-makers and did not bring in many orders,
+as Chippendale's and Hepplewhite's did. His other books showed his
+decline, and his "Encyclopedia," on which he was working at the time of
+his death, had many subjects in it beside furniture and cabinet-making.
+His sideboards, card-tables, sewing-tables, tables of every kind,
+chairs--in fact, everything he made during his best period--have a
+sureness and beauty of line that makes it doubly sad that through the
+stress of circumstances he should have deserted it for the style of the
+Empire that was then the fashion in France. One or two of his Empire
+designs have beauty, but most of them are too dreadful, but it was the
+beginning of the end, and the eighteenth century saw the beautiful
+principles of the eighteenth century lost in a bog of ugliness.
+
+There were many other cabinet-makers of merit that space does not allow
+me to mention, but the great four who stood head and shoulders above
+them all were Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. They, being
+human, did much work that is best forgotten, but the heights to which
+they all rose have set a standard for English furniture in beauty and
+construction that it would be well to keep in mind.
+
+The nineteenth century passed away without any especial genius, and in
+fact, with a very black mark against its name in the hideous early
+Victorian era. The twentieth century is moving along without anything we
+can really call a beautiful and worthy style being born. There are many
+working their way towards it, but there is apt to be too much of the
+bizarre in the attempts to make them satisfactory, and so we turn to the
+past for our models and are thankful for the legacy of beauty it has
+left to the world.
+
+
+
+
+_A General Talk_
+
+
+When one faces the momentous question of furnishing a house, there are
+numerous things which must be looked into and thoroughly understood if
+success is to be assured. If one is building in the country the first
+question is the placing of the house in regard to the view, but in town
+there is not much choice. The architect being chosen with due regard to
+the style of house one wishes, the planning can go merrily on. The
+architect should be told if there are any especially large and beautiful
+pieces of furniture or tapestry to be planned for, so they shall receive
+their rightful setting. After all, architects are but human, and cannot
+tell by intuition what furniture is in storage.
+
+It is sad to see how often architecture and decoration are looked upon
+as two entirely disconnected subjects, instead of being closely allied,
+playing into each other's hands, as it were, to make a perfect whole. To
+many people, a room is simply a room to be treated as they wish; whereas
+many rooms are absolute laws unto themselves, and demand a certain kind
+of treatment, or disaster follows. In America this kind of house is not
+found so often as in Europe, but the number is growing rapidly as
+architects and their clients realize more and more the beauties and
+possibilities of the great periods as applied to the modern house. It is
+only to the well-trained architect and decorator with correct taste that
+one may safely turn, for the ill-trained and commonplace still continue
+to make their astounding errors, and so to have the decoration of a room
+truly successful one must begin with the architect, for he knows the
+correct proportions of the different styles and appreciates their
+importance. He will plan the rooms so that they, when decorated, may
+complete his work and form a beautiful and convincing whole. This will
+give the restfulness and beauty that absolute appropriateness always
+lends.
+
+[Illustration: This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+simplicity can be.]
+
+This matter of appropriateness must not be overlooked, and the whole
+house should express the spirit of the owner; it should be in absolute
+keeping with his circumstances. There are few houses which naturally
+demand the treatment of palaces, but there are many which correspond
+with the smaller chateaux of France and the manor-houses of England. It
+is to these we must turn for our inspiration, for they have the beauty
+of good taste and high standards without the lavishness of royalty; but
+even royalty did not always live in rooms of state, for at Versailles,
+and Petit Trianon, there is much simple exquisite furniture. The
+wonderful and elaborate furniture of the past must be studied of course,
+but to the majority of people, then as now, the simpler expression of
+its fundamental lines of beauty are more satisfactory. The trouble
+with many houses is that their furnishings are copied from too grand
+models, and the effect in an average modern house is unsuitable in every
+way. They cannot give the large vistas and appropriate background in
+color and proportion which are necessary. Beauty does not depend upon
+magnificence.
+
+[Illustration: The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting.]
+
+If one has to live in a house planned and built by others one often has
+to give up some long cherished scheme and adopt something else more
+suited to the surroundings. For instance, the rooms of the great French
+periods were high, and often the modern house has very low ceilings,
+that would not allow space for the cornice, over-doors and correctly
+proportioned paneling, that are marked features of those times. Mrs.
+Wharton has aptly said: "Proportion is the good breeding of
+architecture," and one might add that proportion is good breeding
+itself. One little slip from the narrow path into false proportion in
+line or color or mass and the perfection of effect is gone.
+
+Proportion is another word for the fitness of things, and that little
+phrase, "the fitness of things," is what Alice in Wonderland calls a
+"portmanteau" phrase, for it holds so much, and one must feel it
+strongly to escape the pitfalls of period furnishing. Most amazing
+things are done with perfect complacency, but although the French and
+English kings who gave their names to the various periods were far from
+models of virtue, they certainly deserved no such cruel punishment as
+to have some of the modern rooms, such as we have all seen, called after
+them.
+
+The best decorators refuse to mix styles in one room and they thus save
+people from many mistakes, but a decorator without a thorough
+understanding of the subject, often leads one to disaster. A case in
+point is an apartment where a small Louis XV room opens on a narrow hall
+of nondescript modern style, with a wide archway opening into a Mission
+dining-room. As one sits in the midst of pink brocade and gilding and
+looks across to the dining-room, fitted out in all the heavy
+paraphernalia of Mission furniture, one's head fairly reels. No contrast
+could be more marked or more unsuitable, and yet this is by no means an
+uncommon case.
+
+If one intends to adopt a style in decorating one's house, there should
+be a uniformity of treatment in all connecting rooms, and there must be
+harmony in the furniture and architecture and ornament, as well as
+harmony in the color scheme. The foundation must be right before the
+decoration is added. The proportion of doors and windows, for instance,
+is very important, with the decorated over-door reaching to the ceiling.
+The over-doors and mantels were architectural features of the rooms, and
+it was not until wallpapers came into common use, in the early part of
+the nineteenth century, that these decorative features slowly died out.
+
+The mantel and fireplace should be a center of interest and should be
+balanced with something of importance on the other side of the room,
+either architectural or decorative. It was this regard for symmetry,
+balance, proportion, and harmony, which made the old rooms so
+satisfying; there was no magic about it, it was artistic common sense.
+
+The use for which a room is intended must be kept in view and carried
+out with real understanding of its needs. The individuality of the owner
+is of course a factor. Unfortunately the word individuality is often
+confounded with eccentricity and to many people it means putting
+perfectly worthy and unassuming articles to startling uses. By
+individuality one should really mean the best expression of one's sense
+of beauty and the fitness of things, and when it is guided by the laws
+of harmony and proportion the result is usually one of great charm,
+convenience, and comfort. These qualities must be in every successful
+house.
+
+In furnishing any house, whether in some special period or not, there
+are certain things which must be taken into account. One of these is the
+general color scheme. Arranging a color scheme for a house is not such a
+difficult matter as many people suppose, nor is it the simple thing that
+many others seem to think. There is a happy land between the two
+extremes, and the guide posts pointing to it are a good color sense, a
+true feeling for the proportion and harmony of color, and an
+understanding of the laws of light. The trouble is that people often do
+not use their eyes; red is red to them, blue is blue, and green is
+green. They have never appeared to notice that there are dozens of
+tones in these colors. Nature is one of the greatest teachers of color
+harmony if we would but learn from her. Look at a salt marsh on an
+autumn day and notice the wonderful browns and yellows and golds in it,
+the reds and russets and touches of green in the woods on its edge, and
+the clear blue sky over all with the reflections in the little pools. It
+is a picture of such splendor of color that one fairly gasps. Then look
+at the same marsh under gray skies and see the change; there is just as
+much beauty as before, the same russets and golds and reds, but
+exquisitely softened. One is sparkling, gay, a harmony of brilliancy;
+the other is more gentle, sweet and appealing, a harmony of softened
+glory.
+
+Again, Nature makes a thousand and one shades of green leaves to
+harmonize with her flowers; the yellow green of the golden rod, the
+silver green of the milkweed, the bright green of the nasturtium. Notice
+the woods in wintertime with the wonderful purple browns and grays of
+the tree trunks and branches, the bronze and russet of the dead leaves,
+and the deep shadows in the snow. Everywhere one turns there are lessons
+to learn if one will only use seeing eyes and a thinking mind.
+
+A house should be looked at as a whole, not as so many units to be
+treated in a care-free manner. A room is affected by all the rooms
+opening from it, as they, in turn, are affected by it. There can be
+variety of color with harmony of contrast, or there can be the same
+color used throughout, with the variety gained by the use of its
+different tones. The plan of each floor should be carefully studied to
+get the vistas in all directions so that harmony may reign and there
+will be no danger of a clashing color discord when a door is opened. The
+connecting rooms need not be all in one color, of course, but they
+should form a perfect color harmony one with another, with deft touches
+of contrast to accent and bring out the beauty of the whole scheme: This
+matter of harmony in contrast is an important one. The idea of using a
+predominant color is a restful one, and adds dignity and apparent size
+to a house. The walls, for instance, could be paneled in white enameled
+wood, or plaster, and the necessary color and variety could be supplied
+by the rugs, hangings, furniture, and pictures.
+
+Another charming plan is to have different tones of one color used--a
+scheme running from cream or old ivory through soft yellow and tan to a
+russet brown would be lovely, especially if the house did not have an
+over supply of light. Greens may be used with discretion, and a cool and
+attractive scheme is from white to soft blue through gray. If different
+colors are to be used in the different rooms the number of combinations
+is almost unlimited, but there must always be the restraining influence
+of a good color sense in forming the scheme or the result will be
+disappointing, to say the least.
+
+A very important matter in the use of color is in its relation to the
+amount and quality of the light. Dreary rooms can be made cheerful, and
+too bright and dazzling rooms can be softened in effect, by the skillful
+use of color. The warm colors,--cream white, yellows--but not lemon
+yellow--orange, warm tans, russet, pinks, yellow greens, yellowish reds
+are to be used on the north or shady side of the house. The cool
+colors,--white, cream white, blues, grays, greens, and violet, are for
+the sunny side. Endless combinations may be made of these colors, and if
+a gray room, for example, is wished on the north side of the house, it
+can be used by first choosing a warm tone of gray and combining with it
+one of the warm colors, such as certain shades of soft pink or yellow.
+We can stand more brilliancy of color out-of-doors than we can in the
+house, where it is shut in with us. It is too exciting and we become
+restless and nervous. No matter on what scale a house is furnished one
+of its aims should be to be restful.
+
+There is one great mistake which many people make of thinking of red as
+a cheerful color, and one which is good to use in a dark room. The
+average red used in large quantities absorbs the light in a most
+disheartening manner, making a room seem smaller than it really is; it
+makes ugly gloomy shadows in the corners, for at night it seems to turn
+to a dingy black, and increases the electric light bill. Red is also a
+severe strain on the eyes, and many a red living-room is the cause of
+seemingly unaccountable headaches. I do not mean to say that red should
+never be used, for it is often a very necessary color, but it must be
+used with the greatest discretion, and one must remember that a little
+of it goes a long way. A room, for instance, paneled with oak, with an
+oriental rug with soft red in it, red hangings, and a touch of red in an
+old stained glass panel in the window, and red velvet cushions on the
+window seat, would have much more warmth and charm than if the walls
+were covered entirely with red. One red cushion is often enough to give
+the required note. The effect of color is very strong upon people,
+although a great many do not realize it, but nearly everyone will
+remember a sudden and apparently unexplained change of mood in going
+into some room. One can learn a deal by analyzing one's own sensations.
+Figured wall-papers should also be chosen with the greatest care for
+this same reason. Papers which have perpetual motion in their design, or
+eyes which seem to peer, or an unstable pattern of gold running over it,
+must all be ignored. People who choose this kind of paper are blest, or
+cursed, whichever way one looks at it, by an utter lack of imagination.
+
+A room is divided into three parts, the floor, the walls, and the
+ceiling, and the color of the room naturally follows the law of nature;
+the heaviest or darkest at the bottom, or floor; the medium tone in the
+center, or walls; and the lightest at the top, or ceiling. It is only
+when one has to artificially correct the architectural proportions of a
+room that the ceiling should be as dark, or darker, than the walls. A
+ceiling can also be seemingly lowered by bringing the ceiling color down
+on the side walls. A low room should never have a dark ceiling, as it
+makes the room seem lower.
+
+Walls should be treated as a background or as a decoration in
+themselves. In the latter case any pictures should be set in specially
+arranged panels and should be pictures of importance, or fresco
+painting. The walls of the great periods were of this decorative order.
+They were treated architecturally and the feeling of absolute support
+which they gave was most satisfactory. The pilasters ran from base or
+dado to the cornice and the over-doors made the doors a dignified part
+of the scheme, rather than mere useful holes in the wall as they too
+often are nowadays.
+
+Paneling is one of the most beautiful methods of wall decoration. There
+are many styles of paneling, stone, marble, stucco, plaster, and wood,
+and each period has its own distinctive way of using them, and should be
+the correct type for the style chosen. The paneling of a Tudor room is
+quite different from a Louis XVI room. In the course of a long period
+like that of Louis XV the paneling slowly changed its character and the
+rococo style was followed by the more dignified one that later became
+the style of Louis XVI.
+
+Tapestry and paintings of importance should have panels especially
+planned for them. If one does not wish to have the paneling cover the
+entire wall, a wainscot or dado with the wall above it covered with
+tapestry, silk, painting, or paper, will make a beautiful and
+appropriate room for many of the different styles of furniture. A
+wainscot should not be too high; about thirty-six inches is a good
+height, but should form a background for the chairs, sofas, and tables,
+placed around the room.
+
+A wainscot six or more feet high is not as architecturally correct as a
+lower one, because a wall is, in a way, like an order in its divisions,
+and if the base, or wainscot, is too high it does not allow the wall,
+which corresponds to the column, to have its fair proportion. This
+feeling is very strong in many apartment houses where small rooms are
+overburdened by this kind of wainscot, and to make matters worse, the
+top is used as a plate-rail. A high wainscot should be used only in a
+large room, and if there are pilasters arranged to connect it with the
+cornice, and the wall covering is put on in panel effect between, the
+result is much better than if the wall were left plain, as it seems to
+give more of a _raison d'être_.
+
+Tapestry is another of the beautiful and important wall coverings, and
+the happy possessor of Flemish or Gobelin, or Beauvais, tapestries, is
+indeed to be envied. A rare old tapestry should be paneled or hung so it
+will serve as a background. Used as portières, tapestry does not show
+the full beauty of its wonderful time-worn colors and its fascination
+of texture. It is not everyone, however, who is able to own these almost
+priceless treasures of the past, and so modern machinery has been called
+to the aid of those who wish to cover their walls and furniture with
+tapestry. Many of these modern manufactures are really beautiful, thick
+in texture, soft in color, and often have the little imperfections and
+unevennesses of hand weaving reproduced, so that we feel the charm of
+the old in the new. Many do not realize that in New York there are looms
+making wonderful hand-woven tapestries with the true decorative feeling
+of the best days of the past. On the top floor of a large modern
+building stand the looms of various sizes, the dyeing tubs, the dripping
+skeins of wool and silk, the spindles and bobbins, and the weavers hard
+at work carrying out the beautiful designs of the artist owner. There
+are few colors used, as in mediæval days, but wonderful effects are
+produced by a method of winding the threads together which gives a
+vibrating quality to the color. When the warp in some of the coarser
+fabrics is not entirely covered it is sometimes dyed, which gives an
+indescribable charm. Tapestries of all sizes have been made on these
+looms, from the important decoration of a great hall, to sofa and chair
+coverings. Special rugs are also made. It is a pleasure to think that an
+art which many considered dead is being practiced with the highest
+artistic aim and knowledge and skill in the midst of our modern rush.
+This hand-woven tapestry is made to fit special spaces and rooms, and
+there is nothing more beautiful and suitable for rooms of importance to
+be found in all the long list of possibilities.
+
+The effect of modern tapestry, like the old, is enhanced if the walls
+are planned to receive it, for it was never intended to be used as
+wall-paper. It is sometimes used as a free hanging frieze, so to speak,
+and sometimes a great piece of it is hung flat against the wall, but as
+a general thing to panel it is the better way.
+
+Another beautiful wall covering is leather. It should be used much more
+than it is, and is especially well adapted for halls, libraries,
+dining-rooms, smoking-and billiard-rooms, and dens. Its wonderful
+possibilities for rooms which are to be furnished in a dignified and
+beautiful manner are unsurpassed. It may be used in connection with
+paneling or cover the wall above a wainscot.
+
+Fresco painting is another of the noble army of wall treatments which
+lends itself beautifully to all kinds and styles of rooms.
+
+Amidst all the grandeur of tapestry and painting one must not lose sight
+of the simpler methods, for they are not to be distained. Wall-papers
+are growing more and more beautiful in color, design, and texture, and
+one can find among them papers suited to all needs. Fabrics of all kinds
+have become possibilities since their dust-collecting capacity is now no
+longer a source of terror, as vacuum cleaners are one of the
+commonplaces of existence. Painting or tinting the walls, when done
+correctly, is very satisfactory in many rooms.
+
+There is no doubt that in many houses are wonderful collections of
+furniture, tapestries and treasures of many kinds, that are placed
+without regard to the absolute harmony of period, although the general
+feeling of French or Italian or English is kept. They are usually great
+houses where the sense of space keeps one from feeling discrepancies
+that would be too marked in a smaller one, and the interest and beauty
+of the rare originals against the old tapestries have an atmosphere all
+their own that no modern reproduction can have. There are few of us,
+however, who can live in this semi-museum kind of house, and so one
+would better stick to the highway of good usage, or there is danger of
+making the house look like an antique shop.
+
+[Illustration: Dorothy Quincy's bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+room and hall.]
+
+To carry out a style perfectly, all the small details should be attended
+to--the door-locks, the framework of the doors and windows, the carving.
+All these must be taken into account if one wishes success. It is better
+not to attempt a style throughout if it is to be a makeshift affair and
+show the effects of inadequate knowledge. The elaborate side of any
+style carried out to the last detail is really only possible and also
+only appropriate for those who have houses to correspond, but one can
+choose the simpler side and have beautiful and charming rooms that are
+perfectly suited to the average home. For instance, if one does not
+wish elaborate gilded Louis XVI furniture, upholstered in brocade, one
+can choose beautiful cane furniture of the time and have it either in
+the natural French walnut or enameled a soft gray or white to match the
+woodwork, with cushion of cretonne or silk in an appropriate design.
+Period furnishing does not necessarily mean a greater outlay than the
+nondescript and miscellaneous method so often seen.
+
+[Illustration: A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables.]
+
+[Illustration: The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs.]
+
+Whatever the plan for furnishing a house may be, the balance of
+decoration must be kept; the same general feeling throughout all
+connecting parts. If a drawing-room is too fine for the hall through
+which one has to pass to reach it, the balance is upset. If too simple
+chairs are used in a grand dining-room the balance is upset, the fitness
+of things is not observed. When the happy medium is struck throughout
+the house one feels the delightful well-bred charm which a regard for
+the unities always gives. It is not only in the quality of the
+decorations that this feeling of balance must be kept, but in the style
+also. If one chooses a period style for the drawing-room it is better to
+keep to it through the house, using it in its different expressions
+according to the needs of the different rooms. If one style throughout
+should seem a bit monotonous at least one nationality should be kept,
+such as French, or English. If several styles of French furniture are
+used do not have them in the same room; for instance, Louis XV and
+Empire have absolutely nothing in common, but very late Louis XVI and
+early Empire have to a certain extent. It does not give the average
+person a severe shock to walk from a Louis XVI hall into a Louis XV
+drawing-room, but the two mixed in one room do not give a pleasing
+effect. The oak furniture of Jacobean days does not harmonize with the
+delicate mahogany furniture of the eighteenth century in England. The
+delicate beauty of Adam furniture would be lost in the greatness of a
+Renaissance salon. A lady whose dining-room was furnished in Sheraton
+furniture one day saw two elaborate rococo Louis XV console tables which
+she instantly bought to add to it. The shopman luckily had more sense of
+the fitness of things than a mere desire to sell his wares, and was so
+appalled when he saw the room that he absolutely refused to have them
+placed in it. She saw the point, and learned a valuable lesson. One
+could go on indefinitely, giving examples to warn people against
+startling and inappropriate mixtures which put the whole scheme out of
+key.
+
+I am taking it for granted that reproductions are to be chosen, as
+originals are not only very rare, but also almost prohibitive in price.
+Good reproductions are carefully made and finished to harmonize with the
+color scheme. The styles most used at present are, Louis XIV, XV, XVI,
+Jacobean, William and Mary, and Georgian. Gothic, Italian and French
+Renaissance, Louis XIII, and Tudor styles are not so commonly used. We
+naturally associate dignity and grandeur with the Renaissance, and it
+is rather difficult to make it seem appropriate for the average American
+house, so it is usually used only for important houses and buildings.
+Some of the Tudor manor houses can be copied with delightful effect. The
+styles of Henri II and Louis XIII can both be used in libraries and
+dining-rooms with most effective and dignified results.
+
+The best period of the style of Louis XV is very beautiful and is
+delightfully suited to ball-rooms, small reception-rooms, boudoirs, and
+some bedrooms. In regard to these last, one must use discretion, for one
+would not expect one's aged grandmother to take real comfort in one. Nor
+does this style appeal to one for use in a library, as its gayety and
+curves would not harmonize with the necessarily straight lines of the
+bookcases and rows of books. Any one of the other styles may be chosen
+for a library.
+
+The English developed the dining-room in our modern sense of the word,
+while the French used small ante-chambers, or rooms that were used for
+other purposes between meals, and I suppose this is partly the reason we
+so often turn to an English ideal for one. There are many beautiful
+dining-rooms done in the styles of Louis XV and XVI, but they seem more
+like gala rooms and are usually distinctly formal in treatment. Georgian
+furniture, or as we so often say, Colonial, is especially well suited to
+our American life, as one can have a very simple room, or one carried
+out in the most delightful detail. In either case the true feeling must
+be kept and no startling anachronisms should be allowed; radiators, for
+instance, should be hidden in window-seats. This same style may be used
+for any room in the house, and there are beautiful reproductions of
+Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton furniture that are
+appropriate for any need.
+
+In choosing new "old" furniture, do not buy any that has a bright and
+hideous finish. The great cabinet-makers and their followers used wax,
+or oil, and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed. This dull finish is imitated, but
+not equaled, by all good furniture makers, and the bright finish simply
+proclaims the cheap department store.
+
+In parts of the country Georgian furniture has been used and served as a
+standard from the first, and it is a happy thing for the beauty of our
+homes that once more it has come into its own. It is the high grade of
+reproduction which has made it possible.
+
+The mahogany used by Chippendale, and in fact by all the eighteenth
+century cabinet-makers, was much more beautiful than is possible to get
+to-day, for the logs were old and well seasoned wood, allowed to dry by
+the true process of time, which leaves a wonderful depth of color quite
+impossible to find in young kiln-dried wood. The best furniture makers
+nowadays, those who have a high standard and pride in their work, have
+by careful and artistic staining and beautiful finish, achieved very
+fine results, but the factory article with its dreadful "mahogany"
+stain, its coarse carving, and its brilliant finish, shows a sad
+difference in ideal. The best reproductions are well worth buying, and,
+as they are made with regard to the laws of construction, they stand a
+very good chance of becoming valued heirlooms. There are certain
+characteristics of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers, both
+English and French, which are picked out and overdone by ill-informed
+manufacturers. The rococo of Chippendale is coarsened, his Chinese style
+loses its fine, if eccentric, distinction, and the inlay of Hepplewhite
+and Sheraton is another example of spoiling a beautiful thing.
+Thickening a line here and there, or curving a curve a bit more or less,
+or enlarging the amount of inlay, achieves a vulgarity of appearance
+quite different from the beautiful proportions of the originals, and it
+is this which one must guard against in buying reproductions. The lack
+of knowledge of correct proportion is not confined to the cheaper
+grades, where necessary simplicity is often a protection, but is apt to
+be found in all. The best makers, as I have said, take a pride in their
+work and one can rely on them for fine workmanship and being true to the
+spirit of the originals.
+
+There is one matter of great importance to be kept in mind and practiced
+with the sternest self-control, and that is, to eliminate, eliminate,
+eliminate. Walk into the center of a room and look about with seeing,
+but impersonal eyes, and you will be astonished to find how many things
+there are which are unnecessary, in fact, how much the room would be
+improved without them. In every house the useless things which go under
+the generic name of "trash" accumulate with alarming swiftness, and one
+must be up with the lark to keep ahead of the supply. If something is
+ugly and spoils a room, and there is no hope of bringing it into
+harmony, discard it; turn your eyes aside if you must while the deed is
+being done, but screw your courage to the sticking point, and do it. She
+is, indeed, a lucky woman who can start from the beginning or has only
+beautiful heritages from the past, for the majority of people have some
+distressingly strong pieces of ugly furniture which, for one reason or
+another, must be kept. One sensible woman furnished a room with all her
+pieces of this kind, called it the Chamber of Horrors, and used it only
+under great stress and strain, which was much better than letting her
+house be spoiled.
+
+A home should not be a museum, where one grows exhausted going from one
+room to another looking at wonderful things. Rather should it have as
+many beautiful things in it as can be done full justice to, where the
+feeling of simplicity and restfulness and charm adds to their beauty,
+and the whole is convincingly right. The fussy house is, luckily, a
+thing of the past, or fast getting to be so, but we should all help the
+good cause of true simplicity. It does not debar one from the most
+beautiful things in the world, but adds dignity and worth to them. It
+does not make rooms stiff and solemn, but makes it possible to have the
+true gayety and joy of life expressed in the best periods.
+
+
+
+
+_Georgian Furniture_
+
+
+A delightful renaissance of the Georgian period in house decoration is
+being felt more and more, and every day we see new evidence that people
+are turning with thanksgiving to the light and graceful designs of the
+eighteenth century English cabinet-makers. There is a charm and
+distinction about their work which appeals very strongly to us, and its
+beauty and simplicity of line makes delightful schemes possible.
+
+The Georgian period seems especially fitted for use in our homes, for it
+was the inspiration of our Colonial houses and furniture, which we
+adapted and made our own in many ways. The best examples of Colonial
+architecture are found in the thirteen original states. In many of these
+houses we find an almost perfect sense of proportion, of harmony and
+balance, of dignity, and a spaciousness and sense of hospitality, which
+few of our modern houses achieve. The halls were broad and often went
+directly through the house, giving a glimpse of the garden beyond; the
+stairs with their carefully thought-out curve and sweep and well placed
+landings, gave at once an air of importance to the house, while the
+large rooms opening from the hall, with their white woodwork, their
+large fireplaces, and comfortable window-seats, confirmed the
+impression.
+
+It is to this ideal of simple and beautiful elegance that many people
+are turning. By simplicity I do not mean poverty of line and decoration,
+but the simplicity given by the fundamental lines being simple and
+beautiful with decoration which enhances their charms, but does not
+overload them. Even the most elaborate Adam room with its exquisite
+painted furniture, its beautifully designed mantel and ceiling and
+paneled walls, gave the feeling of delightful and beautiful simplicity.
+This same feeling is expressed in the furniture of Louis XVI, for no
+matter how elaborate it may be, it is fundamentally simple, but with a
+warmer touch than is found in the English furniture of the same time.
+
+The question of period furnishing has two sides, and by far the more
+delightful side is the one of having originals. There is a glamor about
+old furniture, a certain air of fragility, although in reality it is
+usually much stronger than most of our modern factory output, which adds
+to the charm. With furniture, as with people, breeding will out. When
+one has inherited the furniture, the charm is still greater, for it is
+pleasant to think of one's own ancestors as having used the chairs and
+tables, and danced the stately minuet, with soft candle-light falling
+from the candelabra, and the great logs burning on the old brass
+andirons. But if one cannot have one's own family traditions, the next
+best thing is to have furniture with some other family's traditions,
+and the third choice is to have the best modern reproductions, and build
+up one's own traditions oneself.
+
+The feeling which many people have that Georgian furniture was stiff and
+uncomfortable is not borne out by the facts. The sofas were large and
+roomy, the settees delightful, the arm-chairs and wing chairs regular
+havens of rest, and when one adds the comfort which modern upholstery
+gives, there is little left to desire. Even the regulation side-chair of
+the period, which some think was the only chair in very common use, is
+absolutely comfortable for its purpose. Lounging was much less in vogue
+then than nowadays and the old cabinet-makers realized that one must be
+comfortable when sitting up as well as when taking one's ease. One must
+not be deterred by this unfounded bugaboo of discomfort if one wishes a
+room or house done after the great period styles of the eighteenth
+century. With care and knowledge, the result is sure to be delightful
+and beautiful.
+
+This little book, as I have said before, is not intended to be a guide
+for collectors, for that is a very big subject in itself, but is meant
+to try to help a little about the modern side of the question. There are
+many grades of furniture made, and one should buy with circumspection,
+and the best grade which is possible for one to afford. The very best
+reproductions are made with as much care and knowledge and skill as the
+originals, and will last as long, and become treasured heirlooms like
+those handed down to us. They are works of art like their eighteenth
+century models. The wood is chosen with regard to its beauty of grain,
+and is treated and finished so the beauty and depth of color is brought
+out, and the surface is rubbed until there is a soft glow to it. If one
+could have the ages-old mahogany which Chippendale and his
+contemporaries used, there would be little to choose between the
+originals and our best reproductions, so far as soundness of
+construction and beauty of detail go. But the fact that they were the
+originals of a great style, that no one since then has been able to
+design any furniture of greater beauty than that of England and France
+in the eighteenth century, and that we are still copying it, gives an
+added charm to a rare old chair or sideboard or mirror. The modern
+workman in the best workshops is obliged to know the different styles so
+well that he cannot make mistakes, and if he ventures to take a little
+flight of fancy on his own account, it will be done with such
+correctness of feeling that one is glad he flew; but few attempt it. In
+the lower grade of reproductions one must have an eagle eye when buying.
+I saw a rather astounding looking Chippendale chair in a shop one day,
+with a touch of Gothic--a suspicion of his early Dutch manner--and, to
+give a final touch, tapering legs with carved bellflowers! "What
+authority have you for that chair?" I asked, for I really wanted to know
+what they would call the wonder.
+
+"That," the shopman answered, the pride of knowledge shining in his
+eyes, "is Chinese Chippendale."
+
+Another anachronism which has appeared lately, and sad to say in some of
+the shops that should know better, is painted Adam furniture with
+pictures on it of the famous actresses of the eighteenth century. The
+painting of Angelica Kauffman, Cipriani, Pergolesi and the others, was
+charming and delightful. Nymphs and cupids, flowers, wreaths, musical
+instruments, and poetical little scenes, but never the head of a living
+woman! The bad taste of it would have been as apparent to them as
+putting the picture of Miss Marlowe, or Lillian Russell on a chair back
+would be to us.
+
+The finish is another matter to bear in mind. There is a thick red
+stain, which for some mysterious reason is called mahogany, which is put
+on cheaper grades of furniture and finished with a high polish.
+Fortunately, it is chiefly used on furniture of vulgar design, but it
+sometimes creeps in on better models. Shun it whenever seen. The handles
+must be correct also, and a glance at the different illustrations will
+be of help in this matter.
+
+The pieces of furniture used throughout a house, no matter what the
+period may be, are more or less the same, so many chairs, tables, beds,
+mirrors, etc., and when one has decided what one's needs are, the matter
+of selection is much simplified. Of course one's needs are influenced by
+the size of the house, one's circumstances, and one's manner of life.
+To be successful, a house must be furnished in absolute harmony with the
+life within its walls. A small house does not need an elaborate
+drawing-room, which could only be had at the expense of family comfort;
+a simple drawing-room would be far better, really more of a living-room.
+In a large house one may have as many as one wishes.
+
+A house could be furnished throughout with Chippendale furniture and
+show no sign of monotony of treatment. The walls could be paneled in
+some rooms, wainscoted in others, and papered in others. This question
+of paper is one we have taken in our own hands nowadays, and although it
+was not used much before the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
+centuries, there are so many lovely designs copied from old-time stuffs
+and landscape papers, which are in harmony with the furniture, that they
+are used with perfect propriety. One must be careful not to choose
+anything with a too modern air, and a plain wall is always safe.
+
+The average hall will probably need a pair of console tables and
+mirrors, some chairs, Oriental rugs, a tall clock if one wishes, and, if
+the hall is very large and calls for more furniture, there are many
+other interesting pieces to choose from. A hall should be treated with a
+certain amount of formality, and the greater the house, the greater the
+amount; but it also should have an air of hospitality, of impersonal
+welcome, which makes one wish to enter the rooms beyond where the real
+welcome waits.
+
+The window frames of Colonial and Georgian houses were often of such
+good design that no curtains were used, and the wooden inside shutters
+were shut at night. Nowadays the average house has what might be called
+utility woodwork at its windows and so we cover them with curtains.
+These curtains may be of linen, cretonne, damask, or brocade, according
+to the house, and may either fall straight at the side with a slight
+drapery or shaped or plain valance at the top, or be drawn back from the
+center. A carved cornice or the regular box frame may be used.
+
+The stairs were often of beautifully polished hardwood, and they were
+sometimes covered with rugs. Large Chinese porcelain jars on the console
+tables are suitable, and other beautiful ornaments.
+
+As the drawing-room usually opens from the hall, it is better to keep
+both rooms in the same general scale of furnishing. The average sized
+drawing-room will need sofas, a small settee, two or three tables, one
+of them a gallery table if desired, chairs of different shapes and size,
+mirrors, a cabinet if one has rare pieces of old porcelain, and
+candelabra. Oriental rugs, a fire screen, ornaments, and pictures, but
+these last should not be of the modern impressionistic school. The
+woodwork should be white, or light, and the furniture covered with
+damask, needlework, brocade or tapestry.
+
+The dining-room can be made most charming with corner cupboards and
+cabinet, a large mahogany table and side table and beautiful morocco
+covered chairs. Chippendale did not make sideboards in our sense of the
+word, but used large side tables. One of the modern designs which many
+like to use, for to them it seems a necessity, is a sideboard made in
+the style of Chippendale. The screen may be leather painted after "the
+Chinese taste," or it may be damask. The chairs may be covered with
+tapestry or damask if one does not care for morocco. Portraits are
+interesting in a dining-room, or old prints, or paintings, and if you
+can get the old dull gold carved frames, so much the better. They may
+also be set in panels.
+
+The bedrooms may have either four-post canopy beds or low-posts beds.
+Chippendale's canopy beds had usually a carved cornice with the curtains
+hung from the inside. The other furniture should consist of a
+dressing-table, a chest of drawers to correspond with a chiffonier, a
+highboy, a sewing table, a bedside table, a comfortable sofa, a fireside
+or wing chair and other chairs according to one's need. The walls may be
+covered with either an old-fashioned or plain paper,--or paneled, with
+hangings and chair coverings of chintz or cretonne. The bed hangings may
+be of cretonne also, for it makes a very charming room, but if one
+objects to colored bed hangings, white dimity, or muslin or linen may be
+used.
+
+It is the art of keeping the correct feeling which makes or mars a room
+of this kind, and no pieces of markedly modern and inharmonious
+furniture should be used. In furnishing a house in Georgian or Colonial
+manner one need not keep all the rooms in the same division of the
+period, for there is a certain general air of harmony and relationship
+about them all, and the common bond of mahogany makes it possible to
+have a Chippendale library, an Adam drawing-room, a Hepplewhite
+dining-room and a Sheraton hall, or any other combination desired. The
+spirit of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers was one of honest
+construction and beauty of line and workmanship. When they took ideas
+from other sources they made them so distinctly their own, so
+essentially English that there is a family resemblance through all their
+work.
+
+Adam decoration and furniture makes most delightful rooms. The painted
+satinwood furniture for dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms, lends
+itself to lovely schemes with its soft golden tones, its delightfully
+woven cane chair backs and panels. A room on the sunny side of the
+house, with a soft old ivory colored wall, dull blue silk curtains, and
+a yellow and blue Chinese rug, would be most charming with this
+satinwood furniture.
+
+Then, as I have said before, there are the many different shades of
+enameled and carved furniture and also beautiful natural wood. One can
+have more of a sideboard in an Adam than in a Chippendale room, as he
+used two pedestals, one at each end of a large serving-table. He often
+made tables to fit in niches, which is a charming idea.
+
+An Adam mantel is very distinctive and one should be careful in having
+it correct. There are beautiful reproductions made. The lamp and candle
+shades should also be designed in the spirit of the time. There are
+lovely Adam designs in nearly all materials suitable for hangings and
+chair coverings. Oriental rugs or plain colored carpets appeal to us
+more than large-figured rugs. Adam sometimes had special rugs made
+exactly reproducing the design of the ceiling, but it is an idea that is
+better forgotten.
+
+With Hepplewhite and Sheraton the same general ideas hold; keep to the
+spirit of the furniture, try to have a central idea in the house
+furnishing, so that the restful effect of harmony may be given.
+
+[Illustration: Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table.]
+
+[Illustration: This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded.]
+
+The rugs which harmonize best with Georgian furniture are Orientals of
+different weaves and colors, or plain domestic carpet rugs. The floor
+should be the darkest of the three divisions of a room--the floor, the
+walls, the ceiling, but it should be an even gradation of color value,
+the walls half-way in tone between the other two. This is a safe general
+plan, to be varied when necessity demands. In drawing-rooms light and
+soft colors are usually in better harmony than dark ones, and a wide and
+beautiful choice can be made among Kermanshah, Kirman, Khorasan, Tabriz,
+Chinese, Oman rugs, and many others. It is more restful in effect if the
+greater part of the floor is covered with a large rug, but if one has
+beautiful small rugs they may be used if they are enough alike in
+general tone to escape the appearance of being spotty. One should try
+them in different positions until the best arrangement is found.
+
+[Illustration: A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good.]
+
+Living-rooms and libraries are usually more solid in color than
+drawing-rooms and so need deeper tones in the rugs. The choice is wide,
+and the color scheme can be the deciding note if one is buying new rugs.
+If one already has rugs they must be the foundation for the color scheme
+of the room.
+
+
+
+
+_Furnishing With French Furniture_
+
+
+"This is my Louis XVI drawing-room," said a lady, proudly displaying her
+house.
+
+"What makes you think so?" asked her well informed friend.
+
+To guard against the possibility of such biting humor one must be ever
+on the alert in furnishing a period room. It is not a bow-knot and a
+rococo curve or two that will turn a modern room, fresh from the
+builder's hands, into a Louis XV drawing-room.
+
+French furniture is not appropriate to all kinds of houses, and it is
+often difficult to adapt it to circumstances over which one has no
+control. The leisurely and pleasant custom of our ancestors of building
+a house as they wished it, and what is more, living in it for
+generations, is more or less a thing of the past. Nowadays a house is
+built, and is complete and beautiful in every way, but almost before the
+house-warming is over, business is sitting on the doorstep, and so the
+family moves on. We, as a nation, have not the comfortable point of view
+of the English who consider their home, their home, no matter how the
+outside world may be behaving. Their front doors are the protection
+which insures their cherished privacy, and the feeling that they are as
+settled as the everlasting hills gives a calmness to their attitude
+toward life which is often missing from ours. How many times have we
+heard people say when talking over plans--"Have it thus and so, for it
+would be much better in case we ever care to sell." This attitude, to
+which of course there are hundreds of exceptions, is an outgrowth of our
+busy life and our tremendous country. The larger part of the home ideal
+is the one which Americans so firmly believe in and act upon--that it is
+the spirit and atmosphere which makes a home, and not only the bricks
+and mortar.
+
+It is this point of view which makes it possible for many of us to live
+happily in rented houses whose architecture and arrangement often give
+us cold shivers. We are not to blame if all the proportions are wrong;
+and there is a certain pleasure in getting the better of difficulties.
+
+If one is building a house, or is living in one planned with a due
+regard to some special period, and has a well thought out scheme of
+decoration, the work is much simplified; but if one has to live in the
+average nondescript house and wishes to use French furniture, the
+problem will take time and thought to solve. In this kind of house, if
+one cannot change it at all, it is better to keep as simple and
+unobtrusive a background as possible, to have the color scheme and
+hangings and furniture so beautiful that they are a convincing reason
+themselves of the need of their being there, but one should not try to
+turn the room itself into a period room, for it would mean failure. The
+walls may be covered with a light plain paper, or silk, the woodwork
+enameled white or cream or ivory, and then with one's mirrors and
+furnishings, the best thing possible has been done, and it ought to be a
+charming room, if not a perfect one. If one can make a few changes I
+advise new lighting fixtures and a new mantel, for these two important
+objects in the room are conspicuous and nearly always wrong.
+
+It is almost impossible to give a list of furniture for each room in a
+house, as each house is a law unto itself, but the fundamental
+principles of beauty and utility and appropriateness apply to all.
+
+The furniture of the time of Louis XIV, having so much that is
+magnificent about it, is especially well suited to large rooms for state
+occasions, great ballrooms and state drawing-rooms. These rooms not
+being destined for everyday use should be treated as a brilliant
+background; paneling, painting, tapestry, and gilding should decorate
+the walls, and beautiful lights and mirrors should aid in the effect of
+brilliancy. It must be done with such knowledge that there is no
+suggestion of an hotel about it. Console tables, and large and dignified
+chairs should be used for furniture. Nothing small and fussy in the way
+of ornaments should be put in the rooms, for they would be completely
+out of scale and ruin the effect.
+
+Every house does not need these rooms for the elaborate side of life,
+and the average drawing-room is a much simpler affair. If both kinds are
+required the simpler one should be in the same general style as the
+great rooms, but not on so grand a scale. If the style of Louis XV is
+chosen for all, in the family drawing-and living-rooms the paneling, or
+dado, and furniture should be of the simpler kind, and beautiful, gay,
+and home-like rooms, evolved with soft colored brocades, Beauvais or
+Gobelin tapestry, and either gilded or enameled or natural walnut
+furniture. The arm-chairs or _bergères_ of both Louis XV and Louis XVI
+are very comfortable, the _chaise-longue_ cannot be surpassed, and the
+settees of different shapes and sizes are delightful. There need be no
+lack of comfort in any period room, whether French or English.
+
+A music room, to be perfect, should not have heavy draperies to deaden
+the sound, and the window and door openings should be treated
+architecturally to make this possible. In a French music room the walls
+may be either paneled, or have a dado with a soft tint above it. This
+space may be treated in several ways: it may have silk panels outlined
+with moldings, or dainty pastoral scenes painted and framed with wreaths
+and garlands of composition. The style of the Regency with its use of
+musical instruments for decorative motifs is also attractive. The chairs
+should be comfortable, the lights soft and well shaded side-lights, with
+a plentiful supply near the piano.
+
+[Illustration: A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compiègne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI.]
+
+[Illustration: An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette.]
+
+[Illustration: A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane.]
+
+A piano is usually a difficulty, for they are so unwieldy and dark that
+they are quite out of key with the rest of the room. We have become so
+used to its ugliness, however, that, sad to say, we are not so much
+shocked by it as we should be, thinking it a necessary evil. If we walk
+through the show rooms of one of the great piano companies we shall see
+that this is a mistake, for there are many cases made of light colored
+woods, and some have a much more graceful outline than the regulation
+piano. Cases can be made to order to suit any scheme, if one has a
+competent designer. A music room should not have small and meaningless
+ornaments in it; the ideal is a restful and charming room where one may
+listen with an undistracted mind.
+
+The modern dining-room with all its comforts is really of English
+descent. In France, even in the eighteenth century, only the palaces and
+great houses had rooms especially set apart for dining-rooms. Usually a
+small ante-chamber was used, which served as a boudoir or reception room
+between meals. To our more established point of view it seems a very
+casual method. At last, late in the century, the real ideal of a
+dining-room began to gain ground, and although they were very different
+from ours, we find really charming ones described and pictured. The
+walls were usually light in tone, paneled, with graceful ornamentation,
+and often there were niches containing wall-fountains of delightful
+design. The sideboards were either large side-tables, or a species of
+side-table built in niches, with a fountain between them which was used
+as a wine cooler. These fountains where cupids and dolphins disported
+themselves would be a most attractive feature to copy in some of our
+rooms, in country houses especially. The tables were round or square,
+but not the extension type which came later from England, and the chairs
+were comfortable, with broad upholstered or cane seats, and rather low
+backs. There should be a screen to harmonize with the room in front of
+the pantry door. We also add hangings, for, as I have said many times,
+our window-frames are not a decoration in themselves. Old prints show
+most delightfully the manner in which curtains were hung when they were
+used; the very elaborate methods, however, were not used by the better
+class.
+
+A morning-room should be furnished as a small informal living-room, and
+the simpler style of the chosen period used.
+
+The style of Louis XVI is beautifully adapted to libraries, for they do
+not have to be dark and solid in style, as many seem to think. In fact a
+library may be in any style if carried out with the true feeling and
+love of books, but of course some styles are more appropriate than
+others. In a Louis XVI library the paneling gives way to the built-in
+bookcases which are spaced with due regard to keeping the correct
+proportions. There is usually a cupboard space running round the room
+about the height of a dado and projecting a little beyond the bookcases
+above. The colors of the rugs and hangings may be warm and rich as the
+books give the walls a certain strength.
+
+There are also beautiful reproductions of bedroom furniture, chairs and
+dressing-tables, desks, chiffoniers and _Chaises-longues,_ and beds.
+
+Andirons, side-lights for the walls and dressing-table, doorknobs and
+locks, can all be carried out perfectly. Lamp and candle shades and sofa
+cushions should all be in keeping. The walls may be paneled in wood
+enameled with white or some light color, or they may be covered with
+silk or paper, in a panel design, with curtains to match. There are
+lovely designs in French period stuffs.
+
+The rugs most appropriate for French period rooms are light or medium in
+tone, and of Persian design. The floral patterns of the Persians seem to
+harmonize better with the curves and style of furniture than do the
+geometrical designs of the Caucasian rugs. Savonnerie and Aubusson rugs
+may also be used, if chosen with care, and the plain carpets and rugs
+mentioned later are a far better choice than gaudy Orientals of modern
+make, or bad imitations.
+
+
+
+
+_Country Houses_
+
+
+The Country House is a comparatively modern idea, and one which has
+added much to the joy of life. There are all kinds and conditions of
+them, great and small, grand and simple, and each is a joy to the proud
+possessor.
+
+Life was such a turbulent affair in the Middle Ages that country life in
+the modern sense was an impossibility. The chateaux and castles and
+large manor-houses were strongly fortified, and there were inner courts
+for exercise. When war became the exception and not the rule, the
+inherent love in all human beings for the open began to assert itself,
+and the country house idea began to grow.
+
+Italy was the first country where we find this freedom of attitude
+exemplified in the beautiful Renaissance villas near Rome and Florence.
+The best were built during the sixteenth century, and were owned by the
+great Italian families, like the de Medici and d'Este. They seem more
+like places built for the parade and show of life than homes, but the
+home ideal with all its conveniences was another outgrowth of peace.
+
+The plan of an Italian villa is very interesting to study, to see how
+every advantage was taken of the land, how the residence, or casino, was
+placed in regard to the formal garden and the view over the valley, for
+they were usually on a hillside and the slope was terraced, how the
+statues and fountains, the beautiful ilex and cypress and orange trees,
+the box-edged flower-beds and gravel paths, all formed a wonderful
+setting for the house, and together made a perfect whole. The Italian
+villa was not necessarily large, in fact the Villa Lante contains only
+six acres, which are divided into four terraces, the house being on the
+second and built in two parts, one on each side. Each terrace has a
+beautiful fountain, with a cascade connecting those on the fourth and
+third. This villa is indeed, an example of taking advantage of a fairly
+small space. It was built by the great Vignola in 1547, and although
+slightly showing the wear of time, has all the beauty and charm and
+romance which only centuries can give.
+
+The Italian villa can be adapted to the American climate and scenery and
+point of view, but it must be done by one of the architects who have
+made a deep study of the Italian Renaissance so the true feeling will be
+kept. There are some beautiful examples already in the country.
+
+In France, the chateaux which have most influenced country house
+building are those which were built during the sixteenth century, many
+of them during the reign of Francis 1st. Among the number are Azay le
+Rideau, Chenonceaux, and Chaumont. Blois and Amboise are also
+absorbingly interesting, but belong partly to an earlier time. The
+chateau region in Touraine is a treasure land of architectural beauty.
+In the time of Louis XIV Le Nôtre changed many of these old chateaux
+from their fortified state to the more open form made possible by a
+peaceful life.
+
+We turn to England for the most perfect examples of country houses, for
+the theory of country living is so thoroughly understood there, one
+might really say it is a national institution. Many of the manor-houses,
+both great and small, are beautiful examples of Tudor architecture,
+which seems especially suited to their setting of lovely green parks.
+The smaller country house, which has no pretention to being a show
+place, is as perfect in its way. The English love for out-of-doors makes
+them achieve wonders with even small gardens, and the climate, being
+gentle, helps matters immensely.
+
+In America we are taking up the English country house ideal more and
+more and adapting it to our own needs. The question of architecture is a
+question of personal choice influenced by climate, and there are now
+numberless charming houses scattered over the length and breadth of the
+land which have been built with the purpose of being country homes. They
+are not for summer use only, but all the year round keep their
+hospitable doors open, or else the season begins so early and ends so
+late, that, with the holiday time between, the house hardly seems
+closed at all. It is this attitude which is changing country house
+architecture to a great extent. The terraces and porches and gardens and
+glasshouses are all there, but the house itself is more solidly built
+and is prepared to stand cold weather.
+
+For the average American the best types of country house to choose from
+are the smaller Tudor manor-houses, Italian villas, Georgian
+architecture in England, and our own Colonial style which of course was
+founded on the Georgian. In the south and southwestern parts of this
+country a modified Spanish type may be used in place of Tudor, which
+does not give the feeling of cool spaces so necessary in hot climates.
+The bungalow type is also popular in the South.
+
+There are many architects in this country who understand thoroughly the
+plan and spirit of Colonial times, and who succeed in giving to the
+comforts of modern days the true stamp of the eighteenth century. The
+style makes most delightful houses, and with the great supply of
+appropriate furniture from which to choose, it would be hard to fail in
+having a charming whole.
+
+The house and garden should be planned together to have the best effect.
+Each can be added to as time goes on, but when a plan is followed there
+is a look of belonging together which adds greatly to the charm.
+
+[Illustration: A hall to conjure with--although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping.]
+
+In an all-the-year country house a vestibule is a necessity as much as
+in a town house, and the hall should be treated with the dignity a
+hall deserves, and not as a second living-room. In many English houses
+of Tudor days the stairs were behind a carved screen, or concealed in
+some manner, which made it possible to use the hall as a gathering
+place. Our modern hall is not a descendant of this old hall of a past
+day (the living-room is much more so), but is really only a passage,
+often raised to the _n_th power, connecting the different rooms of the
+house, and should be treated as such. The stairs and landing and vista
+should be beautiful, and the furnishing should be dignified and in
+perfect scale with the rest of the house. Marble stairs and tapestry and
+old carved furniture and beautiful rugs, or the simplest possible
+furniture, may be used, but the hall should have an impersonally
+hospitable air, one which gives the keynote of the house, but reserves
+its full expression until the privacy of the living-rooms is reached.
+
+[Illustration: A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses.]
+
+The average country house is neither very magnificent nor very simple,
+but strikes the happy medium and achieves a most delightful home-like
+charm, which at the very outset makes life seem well worth living. It is
+rarely furnished in a period style throughout, but has the modern air of
+comfort which good taste and correct feeling give. For instance, the
+hall may have paneling and Chippendale mirror, a table, and chairs; the
+living-room furnished in a general Colonial manner mixed with some
+comfortable stuffed furniture, but not over-stuffed, lovely chintz or
+silk hangings, and a wide fireplace; the morning-room on something the
+same plan, but a little less formal; and the drawing-room a little more
+so, say in Adam or simple Louis XVI furniture. The library should have
+plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs, and a large table (it is hard to
+get one too large), some of the bookcases should be built in to form
+part of the architectural plan of the room, and personally I think it is
+a better idea to have all the space intended for bookcases built in in
+the first place, as this insures harmony of plan. Another important
+thing in a library is to have the lights precisely right, and the
+window-seats and the fireplace should be all that their names imply in
+the way of added charm and comfort to the room. The dining-room should
+be bright and cheerful and in harmony with the near-by rooms. A
+breakfast-room done in lacquer is very charming.
+
+The bedrooms should be light and airy, and so planned that the beds can
+be properly placed. They may be furnished in old mahogany, French walnut
+in either Louis XV or XVI style, or in carefully chosen Empire; painted
+Adam furniture is also lovely, and willow furniture makes a fresh and
+attractive room. The curtains should be hung so they can be drawn at
+night if desired, and the material should be chosen to harmonize in
+design with the room.
+
+The children's rooms should be sunny and bright and furnished according
+to their special tastes, which if too astounding, as sometimes happens,
+can be tactfully guided into safe channels.
+
+The servants should be given separate bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
+comfortable sitting-room beside their dining-room. Making them
+comfortable seems a simple way of solving the servant question.
+
+The bungalow type of small country house is usually very simply
+furnished, and the best type of Mission furniture or willow is
+especially well suited to it. Bungalows are growing more and more in
+favor, and, although they originated in America in the West, we find
+delightful ones everywhere, on the Maine coast and in the woods and
+mountains. They are a tremendous advance over the small and elaborate
+house of a few years ago.
+
+Cretonne and chintz can be used in all the rooms of a country house with
+perfect propriety, and is a really lovely method of furnishing, as it is
+fresh and washable, and comes in all gradations of price. Willow
+furniture with cretonne cushions makes a pleasant variety with mahogany
+in simple rooms.
+
+Fresh air and sunlight, lovely vistas through doors and windows of the
+garden beyond, cool and comfortable rooms furnished appropriately, and
+with an atmosphere about them which expresses a hospitable and charming
+home spirit, is the ideal standard for a country house.
+
+
+
+
+_The Nursery and Play-room_
+
+
+We should be thankful that the old idea of a nursery has passed away and
+instead of the dreary and rather shabby room has come the charming
+modern nursery with its special furniture and papers, its common sense
+and sanitary wisdom and its regard for the childish point of view. The
+influence of surroundings during the formative years of childhood has a
+deal to do with the child's future attitude toward life, and now that
+parents realize this more, the ideal nursery has simplicity, charm and
+artistic merit, all suited to the needs of its romping inhabitants.
+
+The wall-papers for nurseries are especially attractive with their gay
+friezes of wonderful fairy-tale people, Mother Goose, Noah's Ark and
+happy little children playing among the flowers. Some of the designs
+come in sets of four panels that can be framed if desired. A Noah's Ark
+frieze with the animals marching two by two under the watchful eyes of
+the Noah family, with an ark and stiff little Noah's Ark trees, will
+give endless pleasure if placed about three feet from the floor where
+small tots can take in its charm. If placed too high, it is very often
+not noticed at all. Some of the most attractive nurseries have painted
+walls with special designs stenciled on them.
+
+If any one of these friezes is placed above a simple wainscot, the
+effect is charming. The paper for nurseries is usually waterproof, for a
+nursery must be absolutely spick and span. Another thing that gives much
+pleasure in a nursery is to build on one side of the room a platform
+about a yard wide and six inches high, and cover it with cushions.
+
+The furniture in a day nursery should consist of a toy cupboard stained
+to match the color scheme of the room and large enough for each child to
+have his own special compartment in it. If the children's initials are
+painted or burned on the doors, it gives an added feeling of pride in
+keeping the toys in order. There are many designs of small tables and
+chairs made with good lines, and the wicker ones with gay cretonne
+cushions are very attractive. The tables and chairs should not have
+sharp corners and should be heavy enough not to tip over easily. There
+should be a bookcase for favorite picture-books. Besides the special
+china for the children's own meals there should be a set of play china
+for doll's parties. A sand table, with a lump of clay for modeling, a
+blackboard and, in the spring, window-boxes where the children can plant
+seeds, will all add vastly to the joy of life.
+
+And do not forget a comfortable chair for the nurse-maid. White muslin
+curtains with side hangings of washable chintz or linen or some special
+nursery design in cretonne should hang to the sill.
+
+The colors in both day and night nurseries should be soft and cheerful,
+and the color scheme as carefully thought out as for the rest of the
+house. Both rooms should be on the sunny side of the house, and far
+enough away from the family living-room to avoid any one's being
+disturbed when armies charge up and down the play-room battle-ground or
+Indians start out on the warpath.
+
+The best floor covering for a day nursery is plain linoleum, as it is
+not dangerously slippery and is easily kept clean. If the floor is hard
+wood, it must not have a slippery wax finish. It will also save tumbles
+if the day nursery has no rugs, but the night nursery ought to have one
+large one or several small ones by the beds and in front of the open
+fire. Washable cotton rugs are best to use for this purpose.
+
+When children are very small, it is necessary to have sides to the beds
+to keep them from falling out. The beds should be placed so that the
+light does not shine directly in the children's eyes in the morning, and
+there should be plenty of fresh air. The rest of the night nursery
+furniture should consist of a dressing-table, a chest of drawers, a
+night table and some chairs. There should be a few pictures on the walls
+hung low, and beautiful and interesting in subjects and treatment. The
+fire should be well screened.
+
+Pictures like the "Songs of Childhood," for instance, would be charming
+simply framed. If there is only one nursery for both day and night use,
+the room should be decorated as a day nursery and the bed-cover made of
+white dimity with a border of the curtain stuff or made entirely of it.
+
+
+
+
+_Curtains_
+
+
+The modern window, with its huge panes of glass and simple framework,
+makes an insistent demand for curtains. Without curtains windows of this
+kind give a blank, staring appearance to the room and also a sense of
+insecurity in having so many holes in the walls. The beautiful windows
+of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy, England and
+France, give no such feeling of incompleteness, for their well-carved
+frames, and over-windows, and their small panes of glass, were important
+parts of the decorative scheme. Windows and doors were more than mere
+openings in those days, but things have changed, and the hard lines of
+our perfectly useful windows get on our nerves if we do not soften them
+with drapery. In that hopeless time in the last century called "Early
+Victorian," when black walnut reigned supreme, the curtains were as
+terrifying as the curves of the furniture and the colors of the carpets.
+Luckily most of us know only from pictures what that time was, but we
+all have seen enough remnants of its past glories to be thankful for
+modern ways and days. The over-draped, stuffy, upholstered nightmares
+have entirely disappeared, and in their place have come curtains of a
+high standard of beauty and practicality--simple, appropriate, and
+serving the ends they were intended for.
+
+The effect of curtains must be taken into account from both the outside
+and the inside of the house. The outside view should show a general
+similarity of appearance in the windows of each story, in the manner of
+hanging the curtains and also of material. The shades throughout the
+house should be of the same color, and if a different color is needed
+inside for the sake of the color scheme, either two shades should be
+used or they should be the double-faced kind. Shades should also be kept
+drawn down to the same line, or else be rolled up out of sight, for
+there is nothing that gives a more ill-kept look to a house than having
+the shades and curtains at any haphazard height or angle.
+
+And now to "return to our muttons." The average window needs two sets of
+curtains and a shade. Sometimes a thin net or lace curtain, a _"bonne
+femme"_ is hung close to the glass, but this is usual only in cities
+where privacy has to be maintained by main force, or where the curtains
+of a floor differ greatly. Thin curtains in combination with side
+curtains of some thicker material are most often used.
+
+Curtains either make or mar a room, and they should be carefully planned
+to make it a perfect whole. They must be so convincingly right that one
+only thinks at first how restful and pleasant and charming the whole
+room is; the details come later. When curtains stand out and astound
+one, they are wrong. It is not upholstery one is trying to display, but
+to make a perfect background for one's furniture, one's pictures and
+one's friends.
+
+There are so many materials to choose from that all tastes and purses
+can be suited; nets, thin silk and gauzes; scrims and batistes; cotton
+and silk crepes, muslin or dotted Swiss, cheesecloth, soleil cloth,
+madras, and a host of other fascinating fabrics which may be used in any
+room of the house. The ready-made curtains are also charming. There are
+muslin curtains with appliqué borders cut from flowered cretonne;
+sometimes the cretonne is appliqué on net which is let into the curtain
+with a four-inch hem at the bottom and sides. A simpler style has a band
+of flowered muslin sewed on the white muslin, or used as a ruffle. It is
+also added to the valance. There are many kinds of net and lace curtains
+ready for use that will harmonize with any kind of room. Some of the
+expensive ones are really beautiful examples of needlecraft, with lace
+medallions and insertions and embroidery stitches.
+
+When it comes to the question of side curtains the supply to choose from
+is almost unlimited, and this great supply forms the bog in which so
+many are lost. A thing may be beautiful in itself and yet cause woe and
+havoc in an otherwise charming room. There are linens of all prices, and
+cretonnes, both the inexpensive kind and the wonderful shadow ones;
+there are silks and velvets and velours, aurora cloth, cotton crêpe and
+arras cloth, and a thousand other beautiful stuffs that are cheap or
+medium-priced or expensive, whose names only the shopman knows, but
+which win our admiration from afar. The curtains for a country house are
+usually of less valuable materials than those for a town house, and this
+is as it should be, for winter life is usually more formal than summer
+life. Nothing can be prettier, however, for a country house than
+cretonne. It is fresh and dainty and gives a cool and delightful
+appearance to a room. Among the many designs there are some for every
+style of decoration.
+
+[Illustration: The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one.]
+
+The height and size of a room must be taken into account in hanging
+curtains, for with their aid, and also that of wallpaper, we can often
+change a room of bad proportions to one of seemingly good ones. If a
+room is very low, a stripe more or less marked in the design, and the
+curtains straight to the floor, will make it seem higher. A high room
+may have the curtains reach only to the sills with a valance across the
+top. This style may be used in a fairly low room if the curtain material
+is chosen with discretion and is not of a marked design. If the windows
+are narrow they can be made to seem wider by having the rod for the side
+curtains extend about eight inches on each side of the window, and the
+curtain cover the frame and a part of the wall. This leaves all the
+window for light and air. A valance connecting the side curtains and
+covering the top of the net curtains will also make the window seem
+broader. A group of three windows can be treated as one by using only
+one pair of side curtains with a connecting ruffle, and a pair of net
+curtains at each window. Curtains may hang in straight lines or be
+simply looped back, but fancy festooning is not permissible. There is
+another attractive method of dividing the curtains in halves, the upper
+sections to hang so they just cover the brass rod for the lower
+sections, which are pushed back at the sides. These lower sections may
+have the rod on which they are run fastened to the window-sash if one
+wishes. They will then go up with the window and of course keep clean
+much longer, but to my mind it is not so alluring as a gently blowing
+curtain on a hot day. I have seen a whole house curtained most
+charmingly in this manner, with curtains of unbleached muslin edged with
+a narrow little ruffle. They hung close to the glass and reached just to
+the sill with the lower part pushed back at the sides. The outside view
+was most attractive, and the inside curtains varied according to the
+needs of each room.
+
+[Illustration: A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch.]
+
+Casement windows should have the muslin curtains drawn back with a cord
+or a muslin band, and the side curtains should hang straight, with a
+little top ruffle; if the windows open into the room the curtains may be
+hung on the frames. The muslin curtains may be left out entirely if one
+wishes. Net curtains on French doors should be run on small brass rods
+at top and bottom, and the heavy curtains that are drawn together at
+night for privacy's sake should be so hung that they will not interfere
+with the opening of the door. There should be plenty of room under all
+ruffles or shaped valances where the curtains are to be drawn to allow
+for easy working of the cords, otherwise tempers are liable to be
+suddenly lost.
+
+All windows over eighteen inches wide need two curtains, and the average
+allowance of fullness is at least twice the width of the window for net
+and any very soft material, while once and a half is usually enough for
+material with more body. Great care must be taken to measure curtains
+correctly and have them cut evenly. It is also a good plan to allow for
+extra length, which can be folded into the top hem and will not show,
+but will allow for shrinking.
+
+Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and portières for
+country houses. Cheesecloth, scrim, aurora cloth, pongee, linen, and
+velours, are a few of the materials that can be used. The design and
+kind used in a room should be chosen with due regard to its suitability.
+A Louis XVI room could not possibly have arras cloth used in it, while
+it would be charming and appropriate in a modern bungalow. Arras cloth
+with an appliqué design of linen couched on it makes beautiful curtains
+and portières to go with the Mission or Craftsman furniture.
+
+There is an old farmhouse on Long Island that has been made over into a
+most delightful country house, and the furnishing throughout is
+consistent and charming. The curtains are reproductions of old designs
+in chintz and cretonne. The living-room, with its white paneling to the
+ceiling, its wide fireplace, old mahogany furniture, and curtains gay
+with parrots and flowers, hanging over cool white muslin, is a room to
+conjure with.
+
+In town houses the curtains and hangings must also harmonize with the
+style of furnishing. When the windows are hung with soft colored
+brocade, the portières are usually beautiful tapestry or rich toned
+velvets, and care is always taken to have the balance of color kept and
+the color values correct. There are silks and damasks and velvets, and
+many lesser stuffs, made for all the period styles, whether carried out
+simply or elaborately, and it is the art of getting the suitable ones
+for the different rooms which gives the air of harmony, beauty, and
+restfulness, for which the word home stands.
+
+In hanging these more formal curtains the shaped valance is usually used
+with the curtains hanging straight at the sides of the window, so they
+can be drawn together at night. The cords and pulleys should always be
+in perfect working order. Another method is to have the curtains simply
+parted in the center, either with a valance or without, and drawn back
+at the sides with heavy cords and tassels, or bands of the stuff. If a
+draped effect is desired great care must be taken not to have it too
+elaborate.
+
+If the walls of a room are plain in color one may have either plain or
+figured hangings, but if the wall covering is figured it gives a feeling
+of unrest if the curtains are also figured. Sometimes one sees bedrooms
+and small boudoirs where the walls and curtains show the same design,
+but it must be done with skill, or disaster is sure to follow.
+
+Plain casement cloth or the different "Sunfast" fabrics are attractive
+with plain or figured papers, especially in bedrooms of country houses.
+
+If one has to live in the town house through the summer do not make the
+fatal mistake of taking down the curtains and living in bare discomfort
+during the hot season. If the curtains are too handsome to be kept up,
+buy a second set of inexpensive ones that can be washed without injury.
+It is better that they should stop the dust, and then go into the tub,
+than that one's lungs should collect it all. Curtains are useful as well
+as ornamental, and a house without them is as dreary as breakfast
+without coffee.
+
+
+
+
+_Floors and Floor Coverings_
+
+
+In planning a room the color values should be divided into the natural
+divisions of the heaviest, or darkest, part at the bottom, which is the
+floor; the medium color tone in the middle, which is the wall; and the
+lightest at the top, which is the ceiling. This keeps the room from
+seeming top-heavy and gives the necessary feeling of support for the
+wall and ceiling. The walls and floor serve as a background and should
+not be insistant or startling in color; and the size and height of the
+room, the amount of wall space, the position of doors, windows and
+fireplace, the quantity and quality of the light, and the connecting
+rooms will all be factors in the color scheme and materials chosen.
+
+The floor of a room must be right or all the character of the
+furnishings will be lost. One should first see that it is in perfect
+condition. If it is a hardwood or parquetry floor it should not be
+finished the bright and glaring yellow which is sometimes seen, but
+should be slightly toned down before the finish is put on. Samples of
+different tones should be submitted to be tried with samples of the rug
+and stuffs to be used before the decision is made. A wax finish is
+better than the usual coats of shellac, for the wax has a soft and
+beautiful glow, while shellac has a hard commercial glare. A waxed
+floor, if properly taken care of, which is not difficult, wears
+extremely well and does not have the distressingly shabby appearance of
+a partly worn shellaced floor. If the floor is old and worn and is to be
+painted or stained all cracks should be filled, and the color chosen
+should be a neutral color-in harmony with the rest of the room, the wood
+shades usually being the best, with the exception of cherry and the red
+tones of mahogany. Teak is a good tone for hard wood. Soft wood floors
+of such woods as pine, fir, and cypress can be made to have the
+appearance of hardwood if first scraped or sandpapered and then stained
+with an oil stain and finished with a thin coat of shellac and two coats
+of prepared floor wax.
+
+The usual ways of using floor covering are: one large rug which leaves a
+border of hard wood floor of about a foot all around it; several small
+rugs placed with a well balanced plan upon the floor; and carpet, either
+seamless or of strips sewed together, made into one rug or entirely
+covering the floor.
+
+In the majority of cases the use of a single large plain rug is by far
+the best plan, for it gives the feeling of an unobtrusive background
+whose beauty of color serves to bind the room in the unity of a well
+planned scheme; and this sense of dignity and solidity goes a long way
+on the road to success. It is one of the most satisfactory methods of
+covering a floor imaginable. These plain carpets come in several grades
+and many colors and are woven in widths from nine to thirty feet which
+can be cut in any desired length. This makes it possible to have a rug
+which will be a suitable size for a room. The colors are very good,
+especially the soft grays, tans, putty color, and taupe. There are also
+some good blues and greens, a very beautiful dark blue having great
+possibilities. There are also, besides these wide carpets, narrow
+carpets from twenty-seven inches to four feet wide which can be sewed
+together and made into rugs, or the carpet can cover the entire floor.
+In some cases this is the most attractive thing to do, for it will make
+a room seem larger by carrying the vision all the way to the wall
+without the break of a border; and it also covers a multitude of sins in
+the way of a rough floor. In these days of vacuum cleaners the old
+terrors of dust have lost their sting.
+
+A plain carpet or rug may be used with propriety in any room in the
+house, provided the right color is chosen for the surroundings. Some
+people, however, prefer a figured carpet in the dining-room on account
+of the wear and tear around the table. This risk is not very great if
+the rug is of good quality in the first place. A two-toned all-over
+design is often chosen for halls and stairs because of the special wear
+which they receive, and a Chinese rug is a good selection to make with a
+stair carpet of soft blue and yellow Chinese design to match. A small,
+figured, all-over design is a good choice for a nursery.
+
+Bedrooms may have either one large rug or be covered entirely with
+carpet, or have several rugs so placed that the floor is practically
+covered but is easily kept clean. Plain rugs are more restful in effect
+in bedrooms than figured rugs, and with plain walls and chintz are fresh
+and charming. These carpet rugs should be made with a flat binding which
+turns under and is sewed down, as this looks far better and lies flatter
+on the floor than the usual over-and-over finish, which is apt to
+stretch. All rugs should be thoroughly stretched before they are
+delivered as otherwise they will not lie flat.
+
+There is a kind of plain woven linen rug, with a different colored
+border if desired, which is very good to use in many country houses.
+These rugs come in a large assortment of colors and sizes, and, when
+sufficient time is allowed, they can be made in special sizes.
+Old-fashioned woven and hooked rag rugs are not appropriate in all kinds
+of rooms, even in the country. They should only be used in the simple
+farm house type and in some bungalows, and should be used with the
+simple styles of old furniture and never with fine examples, whether
+copies or originals.
+
+[Illustration: This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the portières spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen.]
+
+The light in a room must be taken into account in choosing a rug, and
+cold colors should not be used in north or cheerless rooms. The theory
+of color in regard to light has been explained in other chapters, very
+fully in the chapter on wallpapers, and its principles should be applied
+to all questions of furnishing, or disappointment will be the result.
+
+[Illustration: The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor.]
+
+[Illustration: This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole.]
+
+The question of whether to use Oriental rugs or plain rugs is one which
+many people find hard to solve. One of the deciding factors is often
+finding just what is right for the room, for really beautiful Oriental
+rugs in large or carpet size are rare and also expensive, but soft-toned
+Persian rugs with their interesting floral designs, and Chinese rugs
+with their wonderful tones of blue and yellow are works of art and well
+worth the trouble necessary to discover them and the price asked. They
+are best adapted to some libraries and halls and some dining-rooms, but
+they should not be startling in either design or color. To my mind
+Oriental rugs are not well suited to the majority of living-rooms and
+bedrooms because of the constant and varied use of these rooms. When
+Oriental rugs are used there should be plenty of plain effect in the
+room; the walls, for instance, should be plain. I have never seen a room
+which was successful if both walls and rug were figured. A fine tapestry
+may be used with Oriental rugs, but that is quite different from a
+figured wall. If several rugs are to be used in one room they must be of
+the same color value and the same general color tone or the floor will
+appear uneven. One does not wish to have a room give the uncomfortable
+effect of "the rocky road to Dublin." A rug with a general blue tone
+must not be put with other rugs of many colors or an overpowering amount
+of red, but should be matched in color by having blue the chief color of
+the other rugs also. The color value, too, must be even, for a light
+rug next to a dark has the same disagreeable effect. It is impossible to
+have a beautiful room if the rug seems to rise up and smite you as you
+enter. Persian rugs with their conventional floral designs should not be
+used with the marked color and geometrical designs of Caucasian rugs.
+These points are important to remember and follow, for otherwise unity
+of scheme for the room will be impossible.
+
+If one has several fine rugs well matched in color value and design they
+should be placed with a due regard to the shape of the room and the
+position of the furniture. A rug placed cat-a-cornered breaks up the
+structural plan of the room and makes it appear smaller than it really
+is. The new lines formed are at odds with the lines of the walls and
+interfere with the sense of space by stopping the eye in its instinctive
+journey to the boundary of things. Oriental rugs should be tried if
+possible in the rooms in which they are to be used before the final
+choice is made, and one must always try the rug with the light falling
+across the nap and also with the nap, for one way makes the rug lighter
+and the other darker, and one of the two may be just what is wanted.
+
+If one owns a rug which seems far too bright to use it can be toned
+down, but the owner must take the risk of its being spoiled in the
+process. To me it does not seem a great risk, because if the rug is so
+bright that it is absolutely nerve-destroying and useless, and there is
+a chance that for a small sum it can be made charming, why not take it?
+I have never heard of one failing, but I suppose some of them must or
+the stipulation would not be made.
+
+If an Oriental rug is used it should give the keynote for the color
+scheme, and the design of the rug will decide whether there can be any
+figured material used in the room. It is far easier to build up a scheme
+from a satisfactory rug than it is to try to fit one into a room which
+is otherwise finished. One's field of choice is much wider. Samples of
+wallpaper, curtain material and furniture coverings should always be
+tried with the rugs, whether Oriental or plain in color, for the scheme
+of a room must be worked out as a whole, not piece-meal. Each room must
+be considered in relation to the other rooms near it, because, although
+it may be beautiful in itself, if it does not harmonize with the
+connecting rooms the whole effect will be a failure. Vistas from one
+room to another should be alluring and charming; there should be no
+violent and clashing contrasts of color or styles of furniture or sudden
+change in the scale of furnishings. One room cannot shake off its
+relationship to the rest of the house and be a success, and floor
+coverings must bear their full share of responsibility in making the
+whole house beautiful.
+
+
+
+
+_The Treatment of Walls_
+
+
+The walls of a house hold a most important place in the order of things
+and their treatment requires much thought. The floor is the darkest
+color value in a room, as it is the foundation, and the walls come next
+in color value and consideration. What I have said in other chapters
+about the necessity of connecting rooms being harmonious applies of
+course to the selection of wall coverings.
+
+The first question to be settled is: shall paint or paper be used?
+
+If a house is new the walls are apt to settle a little making the
+plaster crack, and it is far better in such a case to allow the walls to
+remain white for a year. If the effect of plain white plaster strikes
+one as too cold one of the many water tints may be used as this will not
+interfere with any later scheme. In houses that have been built for a
+number of years the walls are often so badly cracked and marred that to
+put them into condition for painting would be more expensive than
+preparing them for paper. Estimates should be given for both paint and
+paper.
+
+When the plaster has done its worst and settled down to a quiet life the
+work of covering the walls appropriately begun.
+
+Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more restful in
+effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls. This is not a
+question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but
+simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall,
+even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less
+of a background. If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a
+figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls. If one
+has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be
+treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain
+background. A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made
+to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral
+color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion
+more pronounced. Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls,
+as they then appear larger. Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter
+of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and
+various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of
+the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and
+lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the
+scheme, instead of making another distracting note.
+
+[Illustration: A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.]
+
+The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances,
+such as the condition of the walls or the climate. With paint one can
+have the exact shade desired and either a "glossy" or eggshell finish.
+With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color
+wanted and changing the other colors to harmonize. Paint is better to
+use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the
+course of time.
+
+[Illustration: This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.]
+
+Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
+are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
+requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
+the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
+the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
+background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
+suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
+some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
+room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
+different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
+colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
+picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
+I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
+walls have been painted by great artists.
+
+Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
+elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
+or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
+walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
+plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.
+
+Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is to be used.
+Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
+only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
+is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
+in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
+very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
+people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
+that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
+realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
+when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
+figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
+to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
+as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
+should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
+environment. Samples of the curtains and furniture coverings should also
+be tried with the sample of paper before the final choice is made. If a
+paper with a decided figure is chosen pictures should be banished, for
+their beauty will be killed by the repeated design. The scale of the
+design in relation to the size of the room must also be taken into
+account. A small room will be overpowered by a large figure, but often
+the repeat of a small figure is quite correct in a large room as it
+gives an all-over, unobtrusive effect. If the wall space is much cut by
+doors and windows one should select a plain, neutral toned paper. It
+would be a fatal error to use a figured paper, for the room would look
+restless and chaotic and probably out of balance. If the windows are in
+groups and the doors balance each other the danger is lessened, but not
+done away with. One of the beautiful features in fine old Colonial
+houses is this ordered position of doors, but in many a modern house the
+doors have a trying way of appearing in a corner, as if they were a bit
+ashamed of themselves; and they have good cause to be, for a badly
+placed door is a calamity. If one is fortunate enough to plan one's own
+house, this matter can be taken care of properly, but in the average
+ready made house one has to try to make the doors less conspicuous by
+having them painted in very much the tone of the wall. With a gray wall,
+for instance, there should have a slightly lighter tone of gray for the
+woodwork, with a white and gray striped paper white paint may be used,
+with a soft tan a deep old ivory, and so on.
+
+If a room is badly proportioned it can often be improved by the simple
+expedient of using a correct paper. If the room is too high for its size
+the ceiling color may be brought down on the side wall for eighteen
+inches or so and finished with a moulding. This stops the eye before it
+reaches the ceiling and so makes the room seem lower. If the room is too
+low a striped paper may be used which will make the room seem higher by
+carrying the eye up to the ceiling where the paper is finished with a
+moulding. Vertical lines give the appearance of height, horizontal
+lines of width. Striped paper should not be used in narrow halls, for it
+makes them seem narrower and gives one the feeling of being in a cage.
+Two-toned striped papers of nearly the same color value, such as gray
+and white, yellow and cream-white, and white and cream color, are better
+to use than those of more marked contrast, although some of the green
+and white and blue and white are charming and fresh looking for
+bedrooms. Black and white is too eccentric for the average house; one
+should beware of all eccentric papers. There are a few kinds of paper
+which should be left severely alone, for they will spoil any room. One
+of them has a plain general tone but a suggestion of other colors which
+give it a blurred and mottled appearance which is singularly
+disagreeable. Another is plain in color but has a lumpy effect like a
+toad's back, and is really quite awful. Others are metallic papers, and
+there is a heavy paper embossed in self color with a conventional design
+which is apt to have a shining surface. Papers with dashes and little
+flecks of gold should be avoided, for the gold gives the wall an
+unstable and cheap appearance. Papers with small single figures repeated
+all over the surface are apt to look as if a plague of flies or beetles
+had arrived and are quite impossible to live with. Borders and cut out
+borders have a commonplace appearance and are not in the best of taste.
+And then there are papers with vulgarity of design. This quality is hard
+to define clearly, for it may be only a slightly redundant curve or
+other lack of true feeling for the beauty of line, or a bit too much, or
+too little, color, or a bad combination of color, or a lack of knowledge
+of the laws of balance and harmony and ornament, or a wrong surface of
+texture to the paper. But whatever the cause, a vulgar paper will
+vulgarize any room, no matter what is done in the way of furniture. It
+will assert itself like an ill-bred person. Luckily both are easily
+recognized.
+
+But the picture is not all dark by any means, for some of the American
+made papers, as well as the imported papers, are very beautiful. The
+makers are taking great pains to have fine designs and beautiful colors
+which will appeal to people of knowledge and taste. The situation is
+much better than it was a few years ago. Some of the copies of old
+figured and scenic papers are exceptionally fine, and can be used with
+great distinction in dining-rooms or halls with ivory or cream-white
+woodwork and wainscoting, and Georgian or Colonial furniture. One should
+not use pictures with these papers, but mirrors are permissable and will
+have the best effect if placed on a wood-paneled over-mantel. These
+papers come in tones of gray and white and also sepia. Oriental rugs, if
+not of too conspicuous a design, may be used with them, but plain rugs
+are better with plain hangings and striped silk chair seats. These
+papers are very attractive in country houses. There are also colored
+scenic papers, an especially fascinating one having a Chinese design
+which could be used as a connected scene or in panels, and would be
+lovely in a country house drawing-room or dining-room or hall. It could
+also be used in a city house with beautiful effect if due thought be
+given to the question of hangings, woodwork, rug, and furniture.
+Introduce a false note, and a room of this kind is ruined. These scenic
+papers come in sets, but the copies of the other old papers come in the
+regular rolls. Some of the lovely old "_Toile de Jouy_" designs have
+been used for wall paper, and these with other chintz designs, can be
+softened in effect by a special method of glazing which makes them very
+harmonious and charming with antique furniture or reproductions of fine
+old models. These old chintz papers are lovely for bedrooms or
+morning-rooms, with fresh crisp muslin curtains and plain silk or linen
+or chambray side-curtains. Either painted or mahogany furniture could be
+employed. A motif from the paper can be used for the furniture or it can
+simply be striped with the color chosen for the plain curtains. Some of
+the good and rather stunning bird design papers treated with this
+special glazing make beautiful halls with plain rugs and hangings and
+chair covers.
+
+Papers cost from about forty cents to several dollars a roll, but the
+choice is large and attractive between one and three dollars a roll, and
+there are also excellent ones for eighty-five cents. It is almost
+impossible, however, to give a satisfactory list of prices as they vary
+in different parts of the country. The reproductions of old scenic
+papers of which I have spoken are expensive, costing about one hundred
+dollars a set, but they may go down again now that the war is over. The
+difference in expense between paint and paper is not very great, in
+fact, with the average paper at a dollar or a dollar and a half a roll,
+paint is about the same, or perhaps a bit cheaper if the walls are in
+fairly good condition. It is a mistake to use inferior paper, and there
+should never be more than a lining paper and the paper itself on the
+wall. In some cases where there is only one paper of soft color on the
+wall, with no lining paper, this paper may be used as a lining paper if
+it is absolutely tight and firm. The risk is that the new paste may
+loosen the old a bit and so let all come down. Old paper must be
+entirely removed if there are any marred places as they will show
+through the new and ruin the effect.
+
+The amount of wall space and the quality and the quantity of the light
+are important factors in deciding the color scheme because by using them
+correctly we can brighten a cheerless, dark room or soften the blaze in
+a too sunny one.
+
+If the light is a cold dreary one from the north, the room will be
+vastly improved if warm, cheerful colors are used: warm ivory, deep
+cream color, soft or bright yellow without any greenish tinge in it,
+soft yellow pinks (there is a hard pink which is very ugly), yellow
+green (but not olive), and tones of golden tan. It is the dash of yellow
+in these colors which makes them cheerful and gives the impression of
+sunlight. Tans should never come too close to brown for a dark room, for
+nothing is more dreary or hopeless than a room done in that depressing
+color. The beautiful tones of old oak, or properly treated modern oak
+paneling, are quite a different matter. Small amounts of red or orange
+will do wonders, if used with discretion, in brightening a dull room,
+and are often just what are needed to bring out the beauty of the rest
+of the scheme; but it is a great mistake to think that red walls and a
+great deal of red in the hangings and furniture covering will make a
+cheerful or pleasant room. Red absorbs light and is also an irritant to
+the eyes and nerves, and, unless it is used with great skill, it is apt
+to look extremely commonplace and ugly or like an ostentatious hotel or
+public building. Few of us have large enough houses to make it possible
+to use red in great amounts, and it is well for the average person to
+shun it and remember that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a red
+wall will spoil a room.
+
+[Illustration: There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated.]
+
+Cool colors should be used in bright and sunny rooms--blues, greens,
+grays, grayish tans, and those delightful colors, old ivory, and soft
+deep cream color and linen color. Colors with a tone of yellow in them
+are easier to use than cold blues and greens and violets, for the yellow
+tinge, be it ever so little, brings them into relation with the majority
+of woods used in floors and furniture frames. Light colors make a
+room seem larger by apparently making the walls recede, and dark
+colors make it seem smaller, as they make us conscious of the walls and
+so seem to bring them nearer. Any very bright room may have dark walls
+to soften the glare, but if it has to be used by artificial light it
+will then be heavy and cheerless in effect; and so a better choice would
+be some soft neutral color of medium or lighter color values, such as
+gray green, and use awnings and dark shades. This matter of color in
+relation to light is important to remember when planning one's house.
+There is also another question which has great influence on one's choice
+of paper, and that is the amount and kind of furniture to be used in the
+room. Georgian furniture calls for plain or paneled walls, or if a
+figured paper is used it should be one of the old-fashioned designs or
+one of the striped papers. Old-fashioned chintz designs are also
+appropriate for bedrooms with mahogany or painted furniture. Plain or
+paneled walls, striped paper, and some of the fine floral designs, which
+can also be used as panels, and the charming _Toile de Jouy_ designs,
+are all appropriate when used with French furniture. Heavily made
+furniture like Craftsman or Mission needs the support of strong walls
+which may be rough-finished natural-colored or painted plaster, or grass
+cloth, or one of the many good plain papers of heavy texture. There are
+also figured papers which are appropriate. Wicker furniture will go with
+almost any kind of attractive paper which is correct for the room, but
+when there is much figure the cushions should be covered with plain
+stuff. All-over stuffed furniture when covered with chintz looks best
+with plain walls. Painted furniture looks well with plain walls and
+chintz. A motif from the chintz can be used on the furniture for the
+decoration, but if the wall paper is figured the effect will be more
+restful if the furniture is only striped.
+
+[Illustration: This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples.]
+
+In summing up: the important points which govern the choice and color of
+wall covering are the connecting rooms, the amount and quality of light,
+the size and shape of the room, its use, the furnishings which are to be
+used, the condition of the walls, and personal preference as to paint or
+paper. Do not be afraid of the idea that plain walls, whether paint or
+paper, may become tiresome, for one can stand well planned monotony year
+in and year out with a cheerful heart. If some rooms are to be papered
+with figured paper be sure the selection is made with care and with the
+idea in mind that a figured wall is in itself a decoration and should
+not have pictures crowded upon it.
+
+
+
+
+_Artificial Lighting_
+
+
+To light a room successfully appropriate lights must be placed where
+they are needed to keep the feeling of balance and proportion and bring
+out the charm of the room by their relation to its furnishing. They
+should also be so placed that the life of the household can go on as
+cheerfully and smoothly in the evening as in the day time.
+
+The position and style of lighting fixtures is decided by the type of
+house, the size and height of the rooms, the amount of wall space, the
+use for which the rooms are intended, their style of furnishing, the
+chief centers of interest, such as mantels, doors, furniture, and
+pictures of importance, and also the manner in which the walls are
+treated, whether paneled or papered. If one is building a house one
+should give all possible data to the architect in regard to any special
+pieces of furniture or pictures which one may wish to use in certain
+places. By doing this the tragedy of a slightly too small wall space
+will be escaped, and the lights will be properly placed in the
+beginning.
+
+One must always remember in planning the position of the lights for a
+room that the eye naturally seeks the brightest spot, and badly placed
+lamps and sidelights will upset the balance of a room. The room must not
+be glaringly bright, but there should be a feeling of a certain
+evenness in the distribution of light. A top light makes the light come
+from the wrong direction. Artificial light in a room should take its
+general idea from the lighting of the room in the day time. The daylight
+comes from the windows, the sides of the room, and the decoration of the
+room is built up with that in mind; so when we are planning the lighting
+scheme we should remember this and realize that the light should come
+from lamps placed advantageously on tables, and wall lights placed
+slightly above eye level.
+
+Living-rooms should have a sufficient number of well placed sidelights
+to enhance the beauty of the room, and they should be placed near
+centers of importance such as each side of the fireplace, or wide door,
+or on each side of some important picture or mirror. If there is a group
+of two or three windows which need to be more convincingly drawn
+together to form a unit, lights may be placed on each side of the group.
+Sidelights can be placed in the center of panels, thus forming a
+decoration for the panel, and, flanking paintings or mirrors or
+tapestries, make beautiful and formal rooms, especially for the
+different periods of French, English, or Italian decoration. This
+treatment with simpler forms of fixtures may also be used in our
+charming, but more or less nondescript, chintz living-rooms and country
+house drawing-rooms or dining-rooms. With a sufficient number of lamps
+in the room the side-or wall-lights need not be lighted during the
+average stay-at-home evenings but are ready if there is some special
+occasion for brilliancy. There are some rooms which are much improved by
+having no side-lights at all, all the light coming from lamps. There
+should be plenty of floor sockets so placed that lamps may be used on
+tables near sofas and armchairs and on the writing table or large
+living-room table. It is this proper placing of lamps which has so much
+to do with the charm and comfort of a room when evening comes.
+
+In the average home there is no greater mistake in the matter of
+lighting than having a room lighted by chandelier or ceiling lights.
+Lights at the top of the room, or a foot or two from the ceiling, break
+up completely the artistic balance of the room by drawing attention to
+them as the brightest spot. They make the room seem smaller both by day
+and night, they cast ugly shadows, they do not give sufficient or
+correct light for reading or writing, and the glare above one's head is
+nerve destroying. When the sun is directly overhead we hasten to put up
+sunshades, so why should we deliberately reproduce in our homes the most
+trying position of light? The fixtures also are usually extremely ugly.
+One sees sometimes in private houses what is called the indirect method
+of lighting, which is usually an alabaster bowl suspended by chains from
+the ceiling in which the lights are concealed. The reflected light on
+the ceiling is supposed to give a suffused and bright light. To my mind
+there is something extremely obnoxious about this method used in homes,
+for it smacks of department stores and banks and public buildings
+generally. And then, too, the light is unpleasant. If I were the
+unfortunate possessor of such a light I should have it taken down and
+use the bowl on a high wrought iron tripod for growing ivy and ferns,
+and thus try to get a little good from the ill wind that blew it there.
+
+There are a few cases, however, where top lights may be used, such as
+large drawing-or music-rooms, rooms in which formal entertaining is to
+be done. Crystal ceiling lights are then best to use, or chandeliers
+with crystal drops or pendants. If these rooms are Italian Renaissance
+in style, the center lights must naturally harmonize in period. Large
+halls with marble stairs and wrought-iron balustrade can have this
+elaborate kind of light, but the average hall demands a simpler
+chandelier. If one is to be used there are some very good copies of old
+Colonial lights and lanterns, but personally I prefer wall brackets and
+a dignified lamp, or a floor lamp. Torchères or lacquered floor lamps
+may be used in pairs if the hall is large enough to have them placed
+properly. In a long, narrow hall they would look a bit like lamp posts.
+Rather close fitting round shades, nearly the same size at top and
+bottom, made of painted parchment give a decorative touch and sufficient
+light. As one does not need an especially bright light in a hall, a
+beautiful lamp can be made of one of the fine old alabaster vases which
+many people have by dropping an electric bulb in it. Placed on a consol
+table before a mirror it makes a delightful spot in the hall. These
+lamps may also be used in other rooms where a light is needed for effect
+and not for use. In placing lamps the charm and utility of a reflection
+in a mirror must not be overlooked.
+
+A vestibule may have a lantern of some attractive design in harmony with
+the house, or side lights, if they can be so placed as not to be struck
+by the door.
+
+Dining-rooms are far more beautiful and also better lighted if
+sidelights are used, with candles on the table, rather than a drop
+light. Dining-room drop-lights or "domes" have all the disadvantages of
+other center lights and are extremely trying to the eyes of the diners,
+as well as being unbecoming. Even when screened with thin silk drawn
+across the bottom there is something deadening to one's brain in having
+a light just over one's head. Side lights with the added charm of
+candles will give plenty of light. It is a cause for thanksgiving that
+drop-lights over dining-tables are rarely seen now-a-days.
+
+Bedrooms should have a good light over the dressing table, and to my
+mind, two movable lights upon it, which may be in the form of wired
+candlesticks or small lamps. These are much more convenient than fixed
+lights. There should be a light over any long mirror, and one for the
+desk and sofa or _chaise longue_, and one for the bedside table. The
+dressing-room should be supplied with a light over the chiffonier and
+long mirror, and there should also be a table light. Clothes closets
+should have simple lights.
+
+And do not forget the kitchen if one wishes properly cooked meals. A
+light so placed that it shines into the oven has saved many a burned
+dish, and a light over the sink has saved many a broken one. The
+servants' sitting-room should have a good reading lamp.
+
+The question of the style of the fixtures is important, for if they are
+badly chosen they will quite spoil an otherwise perfect room. They must
+harmonize in period with the room, and also with its scale of
+furnishing. There is a wide choice in the shops, and some of the designs
+are very good indeed, having been carefully studied and adapted from
+beautiful museum specimens of old Italian, French, English, and Spanish,
+carvings and ornament. Some of our iron workers make very fine metal
+fixtures which are beautiful copies of old French and Italian work.
+There are graceful and sturdy designs, elaborate and simple, special
+period designs, and many which are appropriate for rooms of no
+particular period. There are charming lacquer sconces to go with lacquer
+furniture, and old-fashioned prism candelabra and sconces, and fixtures
+copied from choice old whale oil lamps in both brass and bronze. There
+are suitable designs for each and every room. The difficulty lies not in
+finding too few to choose from, but too many, and, growing weary,
+making a selection not quite so good as it should be. One should take
+blue prints to the shop if possible, but necessary measurements without
+fail. One must know not only the width of the wall spaces, but the width
+of the pictures and furniture to be put in the room, or the calamity may
+happen of having the fixtures a bit too wide. When fixtures are meant to
+be a special part of the decorative scheme, and support and enhance
+pictures and tapestries, they should have an appropriate decorative
+value also, but in the average home it is better and safer to choose the
+simpler, but still beautiful, designs. It is better to err on the side
+of simplicity than to have them too elaborate.
+
+Lamps should be chosen to harmonize with the room, to add their
+usefulness and beauty to it as a part of the whole and be convincingly
+right both by day and night. There are many possibilities for having
+lamps made of different kinds of pottery and porcelain jars; some
+crackle-ware jars are very good in color. Chinese porcelain jars, both
+single color and figured, make lovely lamps. Old and valuable specimens
+should not be used in this way, for they are works of art. Many modern
+jars are copies of the old and these should be used. There are lacquer
+lamps, bronze, and brass, and carved wood lamps, and lovely Wedgwood and
+alabaster vases. There are charming little floor lamps, some of wrought
+iron with smart little parchment shades, some in Sheraton design, some
+in lacquer or painted wood, which can be easily carried about to stand
+by bridge tables or a special chair. There are dozens of different jars
+and lamps to use, but the one absolutely necessary question to ask
+oneself is: is it right for my purpose?
+
+Lamp shades are a part of the scheme of the room's decoration and should
+be chosen or made to order to achieve the desired effect. Special shades
+are made by many clever people to harmonize with any room or period and
+are apt to be far better than the ready made variety. There are all
+manner of beautiful shades, lace, silk, plain and painted parchment and
+paper, mounted Japanese prints, embroidery, and any number of other
+attractive combinations. To be perfect, beside the fine workmanship,
+they must harmonize in line with the lamps on which they are to be used,
+and harmonize in color and style with the room, and have an absolute
+lack of frills and furbelows. The shade for a reading lamp should spread
+enough to allow the light to shine out. Lamp shades simply for
+illuminating purposes may be any desired shape if in harmony with the
+shape of the lamp. Lacquered painted tin shades are liked by some for
+lamps on writing tables. There should be a certain amount of uniformity
+in the style of the shades in a room, although they need not be exactly
+alike. Too much variety is ruinous to the effect of simple charm in the
+room. The chintz which is used for curtains will supply a motif for the
+painted shades if one wishes them, but if there is a great deal of
+chintz, plain shades will be more attractive. Side lights may have
+little screens or shades, as one prefers, or none may be used. In that
+case the bulbs may be toned down by using ground glass and painting them
+with a thin coat of raw umber water color paint. Bedroom shades follow
+the same rule of appropriateness that applies to the other shades in the
+house. There should be several sets of candle shades for the
+dining-room.
+
+There is really no reason why so many houses should be so badly lighted.
+Often simply rearranging the lamps and changing the shape of the shades
+will do wonders in the way of improvement. Radical changes in the wiring
+should be carefully thought out so there will be no mistakes to
+rectify.
+
+
+
+
+_Painted Furniture_
+
+
+The love of color which is strong in human nature is shown in the
+welcome which has been given to painted furniture. If we turn back to
+review the past we find this same feeling cropping out in the different
+periods and in the different grades of furniture. The furniture of the
+Italian Renaissance was often richly gilded and painted; the carved
+swags of fruit, arabesques, and the entwined human figures, were painted
+in natural colors, or some of the important lines of the furniture were
+picked out with color or gold, or both. As the influence of the
+Renaissance spread to France and England, changed by the national
+temperament of the different countries, we find their furniture often
+blossoming into color--not covered by a solid coat of paint but picked
+out here and there by lines and accenting points. During the time of
+Louis XIV everything was ablaze with gold and glory, but later, during
+the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, a gentler, more refined love of
+color came uppermost, and the lovely painted furniture was made which
+has given so much inspiration to our modern work. The simpler forms of
+the Louis XV period, and the beautiful furniture of the Louis XVI
+period, were often painted soft tones of ivory, blue, green, or yellow,
+and decorated with lovely branches of flowers, birds, and scenery where
+groups of people by Fragonard and other great painters disported with
+all their eighteenth century charm. These decorations were usually
+painted on reserves of old ivory with the ground color outside of some
+soft tone. Martin, the inventor of famous "vernis Martin," flourished at
+this time, and the glow of his beautiful amber-colored finish decorated
+many a piece of furniture from sewing boxes to sedan chairs. In England
+the vogue of painted furniture was given impetus by the genius of the
+Adam Brothers and the beautiful work of Angelica Kaufmann, Cipriani, and
+Pergolesi. In both France and England there was at this time the
+comprehension and appreciation of beauty and good taste combined with a
+carefree gaiety which made the ineffable charm of the eighteenth century
+a living thing. There are some of our modern workmen and painters of
+furniture who feel this so thoroughly that their work is very fine, but
+the majority have no knowledge or understanding of the period, and,
+although they may copy the lovely things of that time, the essence, the
+true spirit, is lacking. Cabinet making and painting in those days was a
+beloved and honored craft; to-day, alas, it is too often a matter of
+union rules.
+
+Chinese lacquer, while not strictly coming under the head of painted
+furniture, was another branch of decorated furniture which was in great
+demand at this time. The design in gold was done on a black or red or
+green ground and was beautiful in effect.
+
+[Illustration: The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam.]
+
+[Illustration: A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall.]
+
+[Illustration: A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture.]
+
+[Illustration: This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration.]
+
+While the upper classes were having this beautiful furniture made for
+their use, the peasant class was serenely going on its way decorating
+its furniture according to its own ideas and getting charming results.
+The designs were usually conventionalized field flowers done with great
+spirit and charm. From the peasants of Brittany and Flanders and Holland
+have come down to us many beautiful marriage chests and other pieces of
+furniture which are simple and straightforward and a bit crude in their
+design and color, but which have done much to serve as a help and guide
+in our modern work.
+
+The supply of painted furniture to-day is inspired by these different
+kinds of the great periods of decoration. There are many grades and
+kinds in the market, some very fine, keeping up the old traditions of
+beauty, some charming and effective in style and color, but with a
+modern touch, and some very very bad indeed; "and when they are bad they
+are horrid." I have said a great deal in other chapters on this subject,
+but I cannot too often urge those of my readers who have the good
+fortune to live near one of our great art museums to study for
+themselves the precious specimens of the great days of genius. It will
+give a standard by which to judge modern work, and it is only by keeping
+our ideals and demands high that we can save a very beautiful art from
+deteriorating into a commercial affair.
+
+When selecting painted furniture, one can often have some special color
+scheme or decoration carried out at a little extra expense; and this is
+well worth while, for it takes away the "ready made" feeling and gives
+the touch of personality which adds so much to a home. One must see that
+the furniture is well made, that the painting and finishing are properly
+done, and that the decoration is appropriate. If the furniture is of one
+of the French periods, it should be one of the simpler styles and should
+be painted one of the soft ground colors used at the time, and the
+decoration should have the correct feeling--flowers and birds like those
+on old French brocade or _toile de Jouy_ or old prints. The striping
+should be done in some contrasting color or in the wonderful brownish
+black which they used. The design may be taken from the chintz or
+brocade chosen for the room, but the painting must be done in the manner
+of the period. This holds true of any English period chosen, such as
+Adam furniture or the painted furniture of Sheraton. There are several
+firms who make a specialty of this fine grade of furniture, but it is
+not made by the car load; in fact it is usually special order work. The
+kind one finds most often in the shops is furniture copied from the
+simpler Georgian styles or simple modern pieces slightly reminiscent of
+Craftsmen furniture, but not heavy or awkward in build. This furniture
+is painted in different stock colors and designs, or can be painted
+according to the purchaser's wishes as a special order. These "stock"
+designs are often stenciled, but some of them have an effective charm
+and are suitable to country houses, and also many city ones. When there
+is much chintz used, the furniture will often be more attractive if it
+is only striped with the chief color used in the room. The designs which
+are to be avoided are of the Art Nouveau and Cubist variety, roses that
+look like cabbages gone crazy, badly conventionalized flowers, and crude
+and revolting color schemes. It sounds as if it should not be necessary
+to warn people against these monstrosities, and I have never heard of
+any one who buys them, but some one must do so or they would not be in
+the shops.
+
+Attractive and inexpensive painted furniture can be made to be used in
+simple surroundings by buying slat-backed chairs with splint seats and a
+drop-leaf pine table and having them painted the desired ground color
+and then striped and decorated with a motif from the chintz to be used
+in the room. A country house dining-room or bedroom could be most
+charmingly fitted up in this way, chintz cushions could be used on the
+chairs, and candle shades could be made to match. One can sometimes find
+a bed or chest of drawers or other piece of furniture which is a bit
+shopworn and can be had for a bargain. Old bureaus can be made to serve
+as chests of drawers by taking the mirror off and using it as a wall
+mirror. In many houses there are old sets of ugly furniture which can be
+made useful and often attractive by having the jigsaw carving removed
+and painting them. In a set of this kind, which I was doing over for a
+client, there happened to be two beds with towering headboards, quite
+impossible to use, but I combined the two footboards, thus making one
+attractive bed. The furniture was painted a soft pumpkin yellow, striped
+with blue and with little, old-fashioned nosegays, and a lovely linen
+with yellow and cream stripes and baskets of flowers was used and turned
+a dark and dreary room into a cheerful and pretty one.
+
+One can find some kind of suitable painted furniture for nearly every
+room in the average modern house. People everywhere are turning away
+more and more from the heavy, depressing effects of a few years ago; but
+unless they know the ground they are walking on they must tread with
+care. The style chosen must be appropriate and in scale with the style
+of house. The fine examples would look quite out of place in a bungalow
+or very simple house, and the simple kind founded on peasant designs
+would not be suitable in rooms with paneled walls and lovely taffeta
+curtains. In Georgian and simple French designs there are fascinating
+examples of chairs, settees and tables, corner cupboards and sideboards,
+beds and dressing-tables and chests of drawers, mirrors and footstools
+and candlesticks, everything both big and little which can be used in
+almost any of our charming rooms in the average house, with their fresh
+chintz and taffeta and well planned color schemes.
+
+Lacquered furniture is more formal than the average painted furniture,
+and often one or two pieces are sufficient for a room. A beautiful
+lacquered cabinet with its fascinating mounts and its soft, wonderful
+red or black and gold tones is a thing to conjure with. Lacquered
+furniture is lovely for some dining-rooms and morning-rooms. The tables
+should always be protected with glass tops, which also applies to other
+painted furniture.
+
+One or two pieces of painted furniture may be used in a room with other
+furniture if they happen to be just the thing needed to complete the
+scheme. A console table, for instance, with a mirror over it and
+sidelights, might be just the touch needed between two windows hung with
+plain taffeta curtains. Like all good things there must be restraint in
+using it, but there are few things that have greater possibilities than
+painted furniture when properly used.
+
+
+
+
+_Synopsis of Period Styles as an Aid in Buying Furniture._
+
+
+When trying to select furniture for the home, people often become
+bewildered by the amount and variety to be found in the shops, and, not
+knowing exactly what to look for in the different styles, make an
+inappropriate or bad selection. One does not have to be so very learned
+to have things right, but there are certain anachronisms which cry to
+heaven and a little knowledge in advance goes a long way. A purchaser
+should also know something about the construction and grade of the
+furniture he wishes to buy. There are good designs in all the grades,
+which, for the sake of convenience, may be divided into the expensive,
+the medium in price, and the cheap. The amount one wishes to spend will
+decide the grade, and one naturally must not expect to find all the
+beauties and virtues of the first in the last. The differences in these
+grades lie chiefly in the matters of the fit and balance of doors and
+drawers; the joining of corners where, in the better grade, the interior
+blocks used to keep the sides from spreading are screwed as well as
+glued; the selection of well seasoned wood of fine grain; careful
+matching of figures made by the grain of the wood in veneer; panels
+properly made and fitted so they will not shrink or split; careful
+finish both inside and out, and the correct color of the stain used;
+appropriate hardware; hand or machine or "applied" carving. In the cheap
+grades it is best to leave carving out of the question entirely, for it
+is sure to be bad. Then there are the matters of the correctness of
+design and detail, in which all the knowledge one has collected of
+period furniture will be called upon; and in painted furniture the color
+of the background and the charm and execution of the design must be
+taken into account, whether it is done by hand or stenciled. Nearly all
+kinds of woods are used, the difference in cost being caused by the
+grade and amount of labor needed, the kind of wood chosen and its
+abundance and the fineness of grain and the seasoning. Mahogany costs
+more than stained birch, and walnut than gum wood, but there are certain
+people who for some strange reason feel that they are getting something
+a little smarter and better if it is tagged "birch mahogany" than if it
+were simply called birch. Some of the furniture is well stained and some
+shockingly done, the would-be mahogany being either a dead and dreary
+brown or a most hideous shade of red, a very Bolshevik among woods. One
+must remember that the mahogany of the 18th century, the best that there
+has ever been, was a beautiful glowing golden brown, and when a red
+stain was used it was only a little to enhance the richness of the
+natural color of the wood, more of a suggestion than a blazing fact.
+The wood was carefully rubbed with oil and pumice, and the shellac
+finish was rubbed to a soft glow. Modern furniture, especially in the
+medium and cheap grades, is apt to look as if it were encased in a hard
+and shining armor of varnish.
+
+[Illustration: This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance.]
+
+[Illustration: An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced.]
+
+[Illustration: This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable.]
+
+[Illustration: This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs.]
+
+Beside this practical knowledge one should have a general idea of the
+artistic side or the appearance of the different period styles and the
+manner in which they were used. To achieve this, one must study the best
+examples it is possible to find in originals, pictures, and properly
+made reproductions. Many of the plates in this book are from extremely
+valuable originals and should be studied carefully as they give a fine
+idea of some of the chief points in the different styles. One should
+also go to libraries and Art Museums whenever possible and study their
+collections. The more knowledge gained the more ease one will have in
+furnishing one's home whether there is everything to buy, or one is
+planning to add a few articles to complete a charming interior, or, with
+an eye to a future plan, is buying good things piece by piece and slowly
+eliminating the bad. It is this knowledge which will help you to study
+your own possessions and decide what is needed and what will be correct
+to buy. That, is one of the most important points, to have a well
+thought out plan, and never to be haphazard in your purchases. Very few
+of us have houses completely furnished in one period, but we do try to
+have a certain unity of spirit kept throughout the whole, whether it be
+French, Italian, English, or our own charming Colonial. There can be a
+great variety in any one of these divisions, and suitable furniture can
+be found for all rooms, from the simplest kind to the most elaborate. It
+is easier to find good reproductions in the English periods of Jacobean,
+Charles II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and the Georgian time, and the
+French periods of Louis XV and Louis XVI.
+
+
+[Illustration: The upholstery of this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons.]
+
+[Illustration: Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair.]
+
+[Illustration: The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed.]
+
+[Illustration: As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs.]
+
+If one wishes a house furnished in the Gothic period it will be
+necessary to have nearly all the different pieces made to order, as
+there are few reproductions made. As our modern necessities of furniture
+were not known in those days, the designs would have to be carried out
+more in the spirit of the style than the letter, and one must be certain
+to have advice and designs from some person who thoroughly understands
+the period and who will see that the whole is properly carried out.
+Gothic days were rough and strenuous, and the furniture was strong and
+heavy and was made chiefly of oak with no varnish of any kind. The
+characteristic lines of the furniture and the designs for carving were
+architectural, and a careful study of the Gothic cathedrals of France,
+Belgium, and England will give a very satisfactory idea of this
+wonderful time. The idea of the pointed arch, rose window, trefoil,
+quatrefoil, animal grotesques, and geometric designs, as well as the
+beautiful linen-fold design, were all adapted for use as carving in the
+panels of the furniture of the day, which consisted of chests that
+served as seats, buffets, armoires, screens, trestle tables, as well as
+the choir stalls of churches.
+
+This style is appropriate to large and dignified country houses. The
+architect must see that the background is correct.
+
+The Renaissance period should not be attempted as a style to furnish
+one's house unless it can be carried out properly. The house should be
+large and architecturally correct, and there should be at least a near
+relation of a Fortunatus purse to draw upon. It is one of the
+magnificent and dignified periods, and makeshifts and poor copies have a
+pitiful appearance and are really time and money wasted.
+
+Much of the furniture of the Renaissance was architectural in design,
+many chests and cupboards and cabinets having the appearance of temple
+façades. The carving was in both low and high relief and was extremely
+beautiful, but in the later part of the period became too ornate. Walnut
+and chestnut were the chief woods used, and there was much inlay of
+tortoise shell, ivory, brass, mother-of-pearl, lapis-lazuli, and fine
+woods. There was much gilding, and paint was also used, and the metal
+mounts were of the finest workmanship. The bronze andirons, knockers,
+candlesticks, of this time have never been equalled. There was a strong
+feeling of balance in the decorations, and the chief motifs were the
+acanthus beautifully carved, conventionalized flowers and fruit, horns
+of plenty, swags and wreaths of fruit and flowers, the scroll, dolphin,
+human figure, and half figure ending in fanciful designs of foliage.
+Beautiful and fascinating arabesques were carved and painted on the
+walls and pilasters. The chief pieces of furniture were magnificently
+carved chests and coffers which were also sometimes gilded and painted,
+oblong tables with elaborately carved supports at each end, usually with
+a connecting shelf on which were smaller carved supports. The chairs
+were high backed with much carving and gilding, and there were others of
+simpler form with leather or tapestry or damask seats and backs. The
+Savanarola chair was in the form of a curved X with seat and back of
+velvet or leather or sometimes wood on which a cushion was used. Mirror
+frames were magnificently carved and gilded and picked out with color.
+The rooms were a fitting background for all this splendor, for the
+woodwork and walls were paneled and carved and painted, the work often
+being done by the greatest painters of the day.
+
+The French Renaissance followed the general line of the Italian but was
+lighter and less architectural in its furniture designs and ornament.
+Chairs were slowly becoming more common, and rooms began to be more
+livable.
+
+[Illustration: This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period.]
+
+The English Renaissance was of slow growth and was always marked by a
+certain English sturdiness, which is one of the reasons why it is more
+easily used in our modern houses. It began in the time of Henry VIII
+and lasted through the Tudor and Jacobean periods.
+
+[Illustration: A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture.]
+
+[Illustration: This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century.]
+
+[Illustration: The painted scene is often an important feature.]
+
+[Illustration: The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments.]
+
+The best modern copies of Renaissance furniture are not to be found in
+every shop and are usually in the special order class. There are some
+makers in America, however, who make extraordinarily fine copies, and
+there is the supply from Europe of fine copies and "faked" originals--a
+guaranteed original is a very rare and expensive thing.
+
+The period of Louis XIV in France was another "magnificent" period and
+should not be used in small or simple houses. Louis XIV furniture was
+large and massive, lavish in gilding and carving and ornament, but had
+dignity as well as splendor. The Gobelin and Beauvais Tapestry Works
+produced their wonderful series of tapestries, and Boulle inlay of brass
+and tortoise shell was lavished on furniture, and the ormolu mounts were
+beautiful and elaborate. All workmanship was of the highest. During the
+early part of the period the legs of chairs and tables were straight and
+square in shape, sometimes tapering, and much carved, and had
+underframing. Later they were curved and carved, a kind of elaborate
+cabriole leg, and had carved underframing. Toward the end of the period
+the curved leg and underframing became much simpler, some of the
+furniture having no underframing, and slowly the style merged into that
+of the Regency and Louis XV. The illustrations for the long chapter on
+Louis XIV show some very fine examples of both the grand and simple
+form of chair, and also show that comfort was becoming more of a fact.
+The materials used for upholstery were brocades of large pattern,
+tapestries, and splendid velvets. Tables, chests, armoires, desks,
+console tables, mirrors, screens, all were carved or painted or inlaid,
+gilded and mounted with wonderful metal mounts.
+
+There is great danger, in buying furniture for both this period and the
+Renaissance, that the reproductions chosen may be too florid, the
+gilding too bright, the carving too ornate, with an indescribable
+vulgarity of line in place of the beauty of line which the best
+originals have. Some of the best makers are, however, making some very
+fine reproductions of the simpler forms of this time which are beautiful
+to use in houses of fair size and importance.
+
+If one wishes to use Louis XV furniture it is better to choose the
+simpler and more beautiful designs rather than the over-elaborate
+rococo. The period was a long one, sixty-nine years, and began with a
+reminiscence of the grandeur and dignity of the time of Louis XIV, which
+was soon lost in the orgy of curves and excessive ornament of the rococo
+portion; and toward the end came the reaction to simpler and finer taste
+which reached its perfection in the next reign of Louis XVI. The legs of
+the furniture of Louis XV time were curved and carved, light and
+slender, and had no underframes or stretchers. The frames which showed
+around the upholstery or cane were carved elaborately and later more
+simply (see illustration at end of chapter on Louis XV). Walnut,
+chestnut, ebony, and some mahogany were used. Some of the furniture was
+veneered, and there was a great deal of gilding used and also much
+painted furniture. The ormolu mounts were most elaborate, curved and
+ornate like the carving, and were used wherever possible. The brocades
+used for furniture coverings were lovely in color and design. Garlands,
+flowers, lace and ribbon effects, baskets of flowers, shells, curled
+endive, feathers, scrolls, all were used, as well as pastoral scenes by
+Boucher and Watteau for tapestry and paintings. Comfort had made a long
+step forward.
+
+The period of Louis XVI was much more beautiful in style than the
+preceding one, as it was more restrained and exquisite because of the
+use of the straight line or a gracious, simple curve. This comparative
+simplicity does not come from lack of true feeling for beauty but rather
+because of it. The sense of proper proportion was shown in both the
+furniture and the room decoration. The backs of chairs and settees were
+round or rectangular, and the legs were square, round, or fluted, and
+were tapering in all cases. The fluting was sometimes filled with metal
+husks at top and bottom, leaving a plain stretch between. Walnut and
+mahogany were much used and were beautifully polished, but had no vulgar
+and hard varnished glare. There was wonderful inlay and veneer, and much
+of the furniture was enamelled in soft colors and picked out with gold
+or some harmonizing color. Gilding was also used for the entire frame.
+The metal mounts were very fine. Brocades of lovely color and designs of
+flowers, bowknots, wreaths, festoons, lace, feathers, etc.; chintz, the
+lovely "_toil de Jouy_," which is so well copied nowadays; soft toned
+taffeta, Gobelin and Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries, were all used for
+hanging and furniture coverings. Cane also became much more popular.
+Walls were paneled with moldings, and fluted pilasters divided too large
+spaces into good proportions. Tapestry and paintings were paneled on the
+walls, and the colors chosen for the backgrounds were light and soft.
+
+The charm and beauty of this style as well as its dignity make it one
+which may be used in almost any modern house, as it ranges from
+simplicity to a beautiful restrained elaborateness suitable to the
+formal rooms.
+
+[Illustration: The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving.]
+
+[Illustration: This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it.]
+
+The change from Louis XVI to the Empire was a violent one both
+politically and artistically. The influence of the great days of the
+Roman empire and the mystery of ancient Egypt stirred Napoleon's
+imagination and formed his taste. Empire furniture was solid and heavy,
+with little or no carving, and much ornamentation of metal mounts.
+Mahogany was chiefly used, and some furniture was gilded or bronzed.
+Round columns finished with metal capitals and bases appeared on large
+desks and other pieces of furniture. Chairs were solid, many of them
+throne-like in design, and many with elaborately carved arms in the
+form of swans and sphinxes, and metal ornaments. The simpler form of
+chair, which was copied and used extensively in America, as a
+dining-chair, often had a curved back and graceful lines. Furniture
+coverings were very bright satins and velvets brocaded with the
+Emperor's favorite emblems, the bee, torch, wreath, anthemion. It is a
+heavy and gaudy style and must be used with great discretion. American
+Empire furniture was far simpler and is better suited to many American
+homes. In buying it, however, one must be careful to select copies from
+the earlier part of the time, for it fast deteriorated into heavy and
+vulgar curves. This American Empire furniture is often shown in the
+shops under the name of Colonial, which is a misnomer, as we had ceased
+to be colonies years before it came into existence. It was used during
+the first half of the nineteenth century.
+
+[Illustration: These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite.]
+
+[Illustration: The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this "stretcher," as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet.]
+
+When we come to English furniture, I think we all take heart of grace a
+little, for there is something about its sturdiness that seems to appeal
+to our American sense of appropriateness. By inheritance we have more of
+the English point of view about the standards of life and living and we
+seem to settle down with more comfort in a house furnished in any one of
+the English periods than we do with any of the other great styles.
+
+The English Renaissance is often called the age of oak, and all through
+the long years of its slow development this oaken bond, so to speak,
+gave it a certain unity which makes it possible to use much of the
+furniture of its different divisions together. There are many fine
+reproductions made of the Tudor and Elizabethan times, but from the
+early Stuart days, the time of James I onward, good reproductions become
+more plentiful. This does not mean, however, that one is safe in buying
+anything called Jacobean or Queen Anne or Georgian. One must still be
+careful and go armed with as much knowledge as possible. For instance,
+do not buy any Tudor, Elizabethan, Jacobean, or Charles II furniture
+made of mahogany or with a high polish. Do not buy any with finicky or
+delicate brass handles. This may seem an unnecessary warning, but I have
+seen dainty oval Hepplewhite handles used on a heavy Jacobean chest.
+This does not happen often, but a word to the wise--. The handles which
+were used were some times of iron and sometimes of brass, often with a
+little design etched on them, and the drop handles were either oblong or
+round rings, or pear- or tear-shaped drops with either a round or oblong
+plate. H-hinges of iron were used. Chairs of the time of James I, which
+are much like those of Louis XIII in France, were square and strong with
+plain or spiral turned legs, and stretchers, and had seats and half
+backs covered with needlework, leather, velvet, or damask. They would
+make very comfortable dining chairs and would harmonize with sturdy
+gate-legged tables, or the long narrow tables which show the influence
+of Elizabeth's time in the carved drum or acorn-like bulbs of the legs.
+A court-cupboard would make a beautiful sideboard, and one of the long
+tables spoken of above would make an appropriate serving-table. Carved
+chests, and screens covered with leather or needlework, may be used in
+rooms of this kind, and for modern comfort one may add stuffed chairs
+and sofas if the proper materials for coverings are chosen. There are
+some very fine copies made of old needlework of different kinds and also
+of damasks and other stuffs. One must have the right background for all
+this, oak paneled walls and tapestry and plain or figured velvet or
+damask hangings. There are also some finely designed heavy linens which
+are correct to use.
+
+The furniture of Cromwell's time was much like that of the time of James
+I and Charles I, but was simplified wherever possible. There were no
+pomps and vanities in those stern days.
+
+When Charles II came to the throne, there was a reaction against Puritan
+gloom which showed in the furniture being of a more elaborate design.
+Chair backs were high and narrow with carved and pierced panels of wood,
+or carved backs with cane panels, and the carved front rail carried out
+the feeling and balanced the carved top rail. The crown and rose and
+shell were used, supported by cherubs and opposed S curves. The
+illustration opposite page 65 will give a very good idea of the general
+style. Upholstery was also used, and day-beds and high-boys made their
+appearance. The chests of earlier days became chests of drawers. Rooms
+were paneled in oak, and much beautiful tapestry was used. Walnut began
+to take the place of oak in the later days of Charles II and those of
+James II, and introduced the age of walnut which lasted through the
+reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne.
+
+The furniture of the early days of William and Mary was much like that
+of the time of Charles II. The chair backs remained high and narrow, but
+the carving slowly grew simpler and the caning at last went entirely
+across the back. Many of the early chairs had three carved splats or
+balusters in the back, and a feature which added greatly to comfort was
+the slight curve the backs were given instead of the perfectly straight
+backs of Jacobean days. Dutch influence at least conquered the old
+style, and the more characteristic furniture of William and Mary was
+made. A rather elaborate form of the cabriole leg was used, ending in a
+species of hoof with a scroll-like stretcher between the front legs and
+curved stretchers connecting all four legs. The cabriole leg became
+simpler as time passed until in the days of Queen Mary it became the one
+we all know so well in the Dutch chairs and the early work of
+Chippendale.
+
+[Illustration: These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer.]
+
+There was much beautiful marquetry used; in fact it is a marked
+characteristic of much of the furniture of William and Mary. After she
+died in 1694, the white jasmine flower and green leaves were not used
+so much, and the sea-weed pattern and acanthus became more popular.
+
+[Illustration: An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers.]
+
+[Illustration: The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century.]
+
+The cup-and-ball design of turned legs with curved stretchers was used
+for chairs, settees, tables, cabinets. China cupboards with their
+double-hooded tops and soft colored brocade linings were used to display
+the wonderful china collections so much in vogue. There was much
+upholstered furniture covered with beautiful petit-point, which is
+perfectly reproduced nowadays, but is naturally expensive. Silks,
+velvets, and damasks were also used, and Queen Mary had a "beautiful
+chintz bed."
+
+The handles used were of various kinds, the favorite being the drop from
+a round or star-shaped boss. The furniture was beautifully polished but
+did not have a bright gloss.
+
+When Anne came to the throne in 1702, the English cabinet maker had
+became an expert craftsman, and we have the beginning of the finest
+period of English cabinet-making, which later, in the Georgian period,
+blossomed into its full glory. The furniture of this time was of walnut.
+The chairs had a narrow, fairly high back, with a central splat
+spoon-shaped and later fiddle-shaped. The corners of the back were
+always rounded. The cabriole legs were often carved with a shell on the
+knees, the acanthus being used in the more elaborate pieces of
+furniture, and ended chiefly in a club foot. Stretchers became less
+common, but if they were used were pushed back and did not form such an
+important part of the chair design. Seats were broader at the front
+than at the back, and all furniture showed a real desire for comfort and
+convenience. Marquetry and lacquer were both in great favor, and there
+are wonderful examples of both reproduced, but especially lacquer.
+Petit-point, damask, velvet, and chintz were all used for upholstery and
+hangings. Chintz was becoming more plentiful, but it was not until the
+Georgian period that it reached its perfection.
+
+The Georgian period covers the work of Chippendale, the Adam Brothers,
+Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, who gave to the eighteenth century its
+undying decorative fame.
+
+[Illustration: A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life.]
+
+When Chippendale began his fine work, the Dutch influence of Queen
+Anne's reign was still strong, and this shows in his furniture; but his
+genius lightened and improved it. The characteristics of his style which
+remained fairly stable through his different phases were the use of
+mahogany, a certain squareness and solidity of design which has no
+appearance of heaviness because of the fine proportions, chair backs
+with a center splat reaching to the seat. The curving top rail always
+had curving up corners (see drawings page 84). The center splat was
+solid at first, but soon was pierced and carved, and went through the
+many developments of his style such as ribbon-back, Chinese, and Gothic.
+In some chairs he also used horizontal rails, and what are called
+"all-over backs." The legs of his earlier furniture were cabriole, and
+later they were straight. He used much and beautiful carving, gave
+great attention to the beauty of the wood and the perfection of
+workmanship and finish. Chippendale's settees were at first designed
+like two chair backs side by side, and if a larger settee was made
+either a third chair back of the same design or a different but
+harmonizing one was used. His dining-tables were made up of two center
+pieces with wide flaps on each side, and two semicircular tables, and
+all four pieces could be fastened together into one long table by brass
+fasteners. The end pieces were used as side tables or sideboards, for
+the sideboard as we know it did not come until later. He also made
+oblong sidetables, some with marble tops, which were used as sideboards
+with wine-coolers placed underneath, and usually a large tea-caddy or
+tea box on top. The beds which Chippendale made were large and elaborate
+four-posters, with beautiful carved cornices and posts. The curtains
+hung from the inside of the cornice, and silks or chintz were used for
+the curtains. His mirror frames were very elaborately carved, and in his
+rococo period were fairly fantastic with dripping water, Chinese
+pagodas, rocks, birds with long beaks, and figures. They were gilded,
+and some were left in the natural mahogany. He made folding card-tables
+with saucer-like places at the corners for candles, and later when the
+candle-stand came into fashion, the tables were made without them.
+
+
+[Illustration: An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering.]
+
+[Illustration: While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table.]
+
+[Illustration: A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy.]
+
+There are many fine reproductions of Chippendale's furniture made which
+carry out the spirit of his work. In the medium and inexpensive grades,
+however, there is danger of bad carving, a clumsy thickening of
+proportions, a jumble of his different periods, and too red a stain and
+too high a varnish glitter. Good examples can be found in these grades,
+but one must spend time looking for them, and perhaps it may be
+necessary to have them rubbed down with powdered pumice and linseed oil.
+If one uses Chippendale furniture, or that of any of the other Georgian
+makers, the walls should not be covered with a modern design of wall
+paper. Plain walls or molding may be used, or one of the fine old
+designs of figured paper, and this must be used with great discretion
+and is better if there is a wainscot. Chippendale was very fond of using
+morocco, but damask and velvet and chintz may also be used. The chintzes
+were charming in design, and many good copies are made.
+
+[Illustration: This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds.]
+
+[Illustration: The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors.]
+
+The Adam Brothers, of whom Robert was the more important, showed strong
+classical influence in their work, and much of it resembles that of
+Louis XVI, which was influenced from the same source. Chairs had square
+or round or oval backs, and they also used a lyre-shaped splat which was
+copied later by Sheraton. Often the top rail was decorated by small and
+charming painted panels. These little panels were also used in the
+center of cobweb caning in chair backs and settees. Legs of chairs and
+tables were tapering and round or square and often reeded or fluted.
+Adam used much mahogany and kept its beautiful golden brown tone (not
+the dead brown called "Adam" too often in the shops), and also
+satin-wood and painted wood. The best artists of the day did the
+painting. Wedgwood medallions were introduced into the more important
+pieces of furniture. Painted placques, lovely festoons, and charming
+groups of figures, vases of flowers, and Wedgwood designs, and designs
+radiating from a center, as on semicircular console table tops, are all
+characteristic of his work. He also used much inlay. As Adam usually
+planned all the furniture and the interior of the house, even to the
+door-knobs, he kept the feeling of unity in both background and
+furnishings.
+
+[Illustration: The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750.]
+
+[Illustration: The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750.]
+
+Hepplewhite's furniture has much of the delicacy of Adam's work, by
+whom, without doubt, he was influenced, as he was also by the French
+styles of the time. Luckily his own personality and sense of beauty and
+ingenuity were strong enough to develop a marked and beautiful style of
+his own. His favorite chair back was shield-shaped (see page 83), and he
+also used heart-shaped and wheel backs, either round or oval, and
+charmingly painted little panels. The three feathers of the Prince of
+Wales was a favorite design. He also made ladder-back chairs, usually
+with four rails. On much of his furniture the legs tapered on the inside
+edge only and were put in at a slight angle which gave security both in
+fact and appearance. He also used reeded legs. His console and other
+tables are beautiful in design and workmanship, being painted usually in
+different forms of the radiating fan design, or inlaid with beautiful
+colored woods. The inlay used was often oval in shape, sometimes only a
+line and sometimes panels of different woods or matched veneer. The
+handles used were round or oval. He made sofas and settees with either
+chair-back backs or all upholstered with the frame showing and the
+covering tacked on with brass tacks close together. His cabinets are
+fascinating, with their beautiful inlay and delicate strap work over the
+glass. He made four-post beds with fluted posts, and chests of drawers
+and little work tables and candle-stands and screens; and one thing we
+must be deeply grateful to him for is that he developed the sideboard
+into a really useful and beautiful piece of furniture. He made nearly
+everything in the way of necessities, and all show the marks of his
+taste. His dining-tables were on the plan of those of Chippendale but
+lighter in effect with tapering legs instead of the long cabriole leg
+ending in claw feet. His mirrors were usually oval with charming
+festoons. His favorite woods were mahogany and satin-wood, and he used
+many fine woods for inlay. Chintz and taffeta and fine velvet are all
+appropriate to use.
+
+In his best designs Sheraton was much influenced by Adam and Hepplewhite
+and the style of Louis XVI, but like them he also developed his own
+special and beautiful style. He used mahogany and a great deal of
+satin-wood of beautiful grain and of a delightful straw color, which was
+often veneered on oak frames. He was exceedingly fond of inlay, and his
+designs called for inlaid panels, borders, and festoons. He used the
+shell, bell-flower, fan, etc., all carried out in fine colored woods. He
+also used much painted furniture, and often designed white and gold
+furniture for drawing-rooms. His characteristic chair back was
+rectangular in shape with a central splat resting on a rail a few inches
+above the seat (see page 83). This splat was in many different forms,
+both inlaid and painted. The legs of his furniture were tapering and
+either square or reeded, the square usually being inlaid. He made
+beautiful sideboards which were inlaid and finished with a brass rail
+around the sides and back of the top, and round or oval or lion's-head
+handles with rings. He also designed most graceful inlaid knife boxes.
+Like Hepplewhite, he designed all kinds of furniture both large and
+small, and, until his deterioration came when he designed his
+astonishing Empire furniture, his style is full of beauty and charm and
+delicacy, and is copied very successfully by our modern makers.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14824 ***
diff --git a/14824-h/14824-h.htm b/14824-h/14824-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..597082b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/14824-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,5684 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
+<!DOCTYPE html
+     PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
+     "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Furnishing The Home Of Good Taste, by Lucy Abbot Throop.
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css">
+/*<![CDATA[  XML blockout */
+<!--
+    P {  margin-top: .75em;
+         text-align: justify;
+         margin-bottom: .75em;
+         }
+    .caption {font-size: smaller; text-align: center;}
+    LI {list-style-type: none}
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 {
+         text-align: center; /* all headings centered */
+         }
+    HR { width: 33%;
+	margin-top: 1em;
+	margin-bottom: 1em;
+       }
+    BODY{margin-left: 10%;
+         margin-right: 10%;
+        }
+    .linenum  {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */
+    .note     {margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} /* footnote */
+    .blkquot  {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */
+    .pagenum  {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */
+    .sidenote {width: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 1em; font-size: smaller; float: right; clear: right;}
+
+    .poem             {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;}
+    .poem br          {display: none;}
+    .poem .stanza     {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;}
+    .poem span        {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;}
+    .poem span.i2     {display: block; margin-left: 2em;}
+    .poem span.i4     {display: block; margin-left: 4em;}
+    .poem span.i12     {display: block; margin-left: 12em;}
+    // -->
+    /* XML end  ]]>*/
+    </style>
+   </head>
+<body>
+<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14824 ***</div>
+
+<h1>FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE</h1>
+
+<h3>A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE PERIOD STYLES IN INTERIOR DECORATION WITH
+SUGGESTIONS AS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOMES OF TODAY</h3>
+
+<h4>BY</h4>
+
+<h2>LUCY ABBOT THROOP</h2>
+<br />
+
+<h5>NEW YORK ROBERT M. MCBRIDE &amp; CO.</h5>
+
+<h5>1920</h5>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+<h6>1910,  THE CROWELL PUBLISHING CO.</h6>
+
+<h6>1911, 1912,  MCBRIDE, NAST &amp; CO.</h6>
+
+<h6>1920,  ROBERT M. MCBRIDE &amp; CO.</h6>
+
+<hr style="width: 15%;" />
+
+<h5>NEW AND REVISED EDITION</h5>
+
+<h5>Published, September, 1920</h5>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<a name="frontispiece"></a>
+<center>
+<a href="images/271.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_271.jpg" width="392" height="258" alt="A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters" title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'><i>Trowbridge &amp; Livingston, architects.</i> A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters</p>
+<br />
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><i>Contents</i></h2>
+
+
+
+
+<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Preface">PREFACE</a></td><td align='left'>i</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Egypt_and_Greece">EGYPT AND GREECE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Renaissance_in_Italy">THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_7'>7</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Development_of_Decoration_in_France">THE DEVELOPMENT OF DECORATION IN FRANCE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Louis_XIV">LOUIS XIV</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_29'>29</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Regency_and_Louis_XV">THE REGENCY AND LOUIS XV</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_37'>37</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Louis_XVI">LOUIS XVI</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_47'>47</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Empire">THE EMPIRE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_58'>58</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#English_Furniture_from_Gothic_Days_to_the_Period_of_Queen_Anne">ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM GOTHIC DAYS TO THE PERIOD OF QUEEN ANNE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_59'>59</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Queen_Anne">QUEEN ANNE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Chippendale_and_the_Eighteenth_Century_in_England">CHIPPENDALE AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Robert_Adam">ROBERT ADAM</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_91'>91</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Hepplewhite">HEPPLEWHITE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Sheraton">SHERATON</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#A_General_Talk">A GENERAL TALK</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_111'>111</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Georgian_Furniture">GEORGIAN FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_135'>135</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Furnishing_With_French_Furniture">FURNISHING WITH FRENCH FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_149'>149</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Country_Houses">COUNTRY HOUSES</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_159'>159</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Nursery_and_Play_room">THE NURSERY AND PLAY-ROOM</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Curtains">CURTAINS</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_175'>175</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Floors_and_Floor_Coverings">FLOORS AND FLOOR COVERINGS</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_185'>185</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Treatment_of_Walls">THE TREATMENT OF WALLS</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_195'>195</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Artificial_Lighting">ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_209'>209</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Painted_Furniture">PAINTED FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_221'>221</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Synopsis_of_Period_Styles_as_an_Aid_in_Buying_Furniture">SYNOPSIS OF PERIOD STYLES AS AN AID IN BUYING FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_231'>231</a></td></tr></table>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><i>The Illustrations</i></h2>
+
+
+<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern dining-room</td><td align='left'><i><a href="#frontispiece">Frontispiece</a></i></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='right' colspan='2'>FACING PAGE</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Italian Renaissance fireplace and overmantel, modern</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Doorways and pilaster details, Italian Renaissance</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_9'>9</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two Louis XIII chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_22'>22</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A Gothic chair of the fifteenth century</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_23'>23</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A Louis XIV chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_32'>32</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XIV inlaid desk-table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XIV chair with underbracing</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern French drawing-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_40'>40</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A drawing-room, old French furniture and tapestry</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Early Louis XIV chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XV <i>berg&egrave;re</i></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XVI bench</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_45'>45</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XVI from Fontainebleau</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_50'>50</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>American Empire bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_51'>51</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>An Apostles bed of the Tudor period</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_60'>60</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Adaptation of the style of William and Mary to dressing table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_61'>61</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Charles II chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_61'>61</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Living-room with reproductions of different periods</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_64'>64</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Original Jacobean sofa</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Charles II chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Queen Anne period</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_72'>72</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of James II chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of William and Mary chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Gothic and Ribbonback types of Chippendale chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale mantel mirror showing French influence</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale fretwork tea-table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale china cupboard</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_82'>82</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Typical chairs of the eighteenth century</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_83'>83</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale and Hepplewhite sofas</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_86'>86</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Adam mirror, block-front chest of drawers, and Hepplewhite chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_87'>87</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two Adam mantels</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_92'>92</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A group of old mirrors</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room furnished with Hepplewhite furniture</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_96'>96</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Old Hepplewhite sideboard</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Hepplewhite settee</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_104'>104</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton desk and sewing-table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_105'>105</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room in simple country house</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_112'>112</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room furnished with fine old furniture</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_113'>113</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dorothy Quincy's bed-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_124'>124</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two valuable old desks</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_125'>125</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Pembroke inlaid table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_144'>144</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton sideboard</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_144'>144</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Four post bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Doorway detail, Compi&egrave;gne</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_152'>152</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of a bed owned by Marie Antoinette</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_153'>153</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Louis XVI bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_153'>153</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A Georgian hallway</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_162'>162</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Rare block-front chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_163'>163</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern living-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_178'>178</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Curtain treatment for a summer home</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_179'>179</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hallway showing rugs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_188'>188</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hallway showing rugs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_189'>189</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Colonial bed-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_189'>189</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room with paneled walls</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_196'>196</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Four post bed owned by Lafayette</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_197'>197</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Modern dining-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_204'>204</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Four post bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_205'>205</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Adam painted furniture</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_222'>222</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Three-chair Sheraton settee</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of a Sheraton wing-chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Slat-backed chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Group of chairs and pie-crust table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_232'>232</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Groups of chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_233'>233</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Jacobean buffet</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_236'>236</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Group of mirrors</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_237'>237</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of William and Mary settee</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_240'>240</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Adaptation of Georgian ideas to William and Mary dressing table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_240'>240</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two Adam chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Jacobean day-bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Chippendale table and Hepplewhite desk</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_244'>244</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Sheraton chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_245'>245</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of William and Mary chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_245'>245</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern sun-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_246'>246</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton sofa</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hepplewhite chair and nest of tables</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale wing-chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Modern paneled living-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_248'>248</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Empire bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_248'>248</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hancock desk, and fine old highboy</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_249'>249</a></td></tr>
+
+</table>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Preface"></a><h2><i>Preface</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>To try to write a history of furniture in a fairly short space is almost
+as hard as the square peg and round hole problem. No matter how one
+tries, it will not fit. One has to leave out so much of importance, so
+much of historic and artistic interest, so much of the life of the
+people that helps to make the subject vivid, and has to take so much for
+granted, that the task seems almost impossible. In spite of this I shall
+try to give in the following pages a general but necessarily short
+review of the field, hoping that it may help those wishing to furnish
+their homes in some special period style. The average person cannot
+study all the subject thoroughly, but it certainly adds interest to the
+problems of one's own home to know something of how the great periods of
+decoration grew one from another, how the influence of art in one
+country made itself felt in the next, molding and changing taste and
+educating the people to a higher sense of beauty.</p>
+
+<p>It is the lack of general knowledge which makes it possible for
+furniture built on amazingly bad lines to be sold masquerading under the
+name of some great period. The customer soon becomes bewildered, and,
+unless he has a decided taste of his own, is apt to get something which
+will prove a white elephant on his hands. One must have some standard
+of comparison, and the best and simplest way is to study the great work
+of the past. To study its rise and climax rather than the decline; to
+know the laws of its perfection so that one can recognize the
+exaggeration which leads to degeneracy. This ebb and flow is most
+interesting: the feeling the way at the beginning, ever growing surer
+and surer until the high level of perfection is reached; and then the
+desire to &quot;gild the lily&quot; leading to over-ornamentation, and so to
+decline. However, the germ of good taste and the sense of truth and
+beauty is never dead, and asserts itself slowly in a transition period,
+and then once more one of the great periods of decoration is born.</p>
+
+<p>There are several ways to study the subject, one of the pleasantest
+naturally being travel, as the great museums, palaces, and private
+collections of Europe offer the widest field. In this country, also, the
+museums and many private collections are rich in treasures, and there
+are many proud possessors of beautiful isolated pieces of furniture. If
+one cannot see originals the libraries will come to the rescue with many
+books showing research and a thorough knowledge and appreciation of the
+beauty and importance of the subject in all its branches.</p>
+
+<p>I have tried to give an outline, (which I hope the reader will care to
+enlarge for himself), not from a collector's standpoint, but from the
+standpoint of the modern home-maker, to help him furnish his house
+consistently,&mdash;to try to spread the good word that period furnishing
+does not necessitate great wealth, and that it is as easy and far more
+interesting to furnish a house after good models, as to have it banal
+and commonplace.</p>
+
+<p>The first part of this little book is devoted to a short review of the
+great periods, and the second part is an effort to help adapt them to
+modern needs, with a few chapters added of general interest to the
+home-maker.</p>
+
+<p>A short bibliography is also added, both to express my thanks and
+indebtedness to many learned and delightful writers on this subject of
+house furnishing in all its branches, and also as a help to others who
+may wish to go more deeply into its different divisions than is possible
+within the covers of a book.</p>
+
+<p>I wish to thank the Editors of <i>House and Garden</i> and <i>The Woman's Home
+Companion</i> for kindly allowing me to reprint articles and portions of
+articles which have appeared in their magazines.</p>
+
+<p>I wish also to thank the owners of the different houses illustrated, and
+Messrs. Trowbridge and Livingston, architects, for their kindness in
+allowing me to use photographs.</p>
+
+<p>Thanks are also due Messrs. Bergen &amp; Orsenigo, Nahon &amp; Company, Tiffany
+Studios, Joseph Wild &amp; Co. and the John Somma Co. for the use of
+photographs to illustrate the reproduction of period furniture and rugs
+of different types.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><a name="Page_1"></a>
+<a name="Egypt_and_Greece"></a><h2><i>Egypt and Greece</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The early history of art in all countries is naturally connected more
+closely with architecture than with decoration, for architecture had to
+be developed before the demand for decoration could come. But the two
+have much in common. Noble architecture calls for noble decoration.
+Decoration is one of the natural instincts of man, and from the earliest
+records of his existence we find him striving to give expression to it,
+we see it in the scratched pieces of bone and stone of the cave
+dwellers, in the designs of savage tribes, and in Druidical and Celtic
+remains, and in the great ruins of Yucatan. The meaning of these
+monuments may be lost to us, but we understand the spirit of trying to
+express the sense of beauty in the highest way possible, for it is the
+spirit which is still moving the world, and is the foundation of all
+worthy achievement.</p>
+
+<p>Egypt and Assyria stand out against the almost impenetrable curtain of
+pre-historic days in all the majesty of their so-called civilization.
+Huge, massive, aloof from the world, their temples and tombs and ruins
+remain. Research has given us the key to their religion, so we
+understand much of the meaning of their wall-paintings and the buildings
+themselves. The belief of the Egyptian that life was a short passage and
+his house a mere stopping-place on the <a name="Page_2"></a>way to the tomb, which was to be
+his permanent dwelling-place, explains the great care and labor spent on
+the pyramids, chapels, and rock sepulchers. They embalmed the dead for
+all eternity and put statues and images in the tombs to keep the mummy
+company. Colossal figures of their gods and goddesses guarded the tombs
+and temples, and still remain looking out over the desert with their
+strange, inscrutable Egyptian eyes. The people had technical skill which
+has never been surpassed, but the great size of the pyramids and temples
+and sphinxes gives one the feeling of despotism rather than
+civilization; of mass and permanency and the wonder of man's achievement
+rather than beauty, but they personify the mystery and power of ancient
+Egypt.</p>
+
+<p>The columns of the temples were massive, those of Karnak being seventy
+feet high, with capitals of lotus flowers and buds strictly
+conventionalized. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics and
+paintings. Perspective was never used, and figures were painted side
+view except for the eye and shoulder. In the tombs have been found many
+household belongings, beautiful gold and silver work, beside the
+offerings put there to appease the gods. Chairs have been found, which,
+humorous as it may sound, are certainly the ancestors of Empire chairs
+made thousands of years later. This is explained by the influence of
+Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, but there is something in common between
+the <a name="Page_3"></a>two times so far apart, of ambition and pride, of grandeur and
+colossal enterprise.</p>
+
+<p>Greece may well be called the Mother of Beauty, for with the Greeks came
+the dawn of a higher civilization, a striving for harmony of line and
+proportion, an ideal clear, high and persistent. When the Dorians from
+the northern part of Greece built their simple, beautiful temples to
+their gods and goddesses they gave the impetus to the movement which
+brought forth the highest art the world has known. Traces of Egyptian
+influence are to be found in the earliest temples, but the Greeks soon
+rose to their own great heights. The Doric column was thick, about six
+diameters in height, fluted, growing smaller toward the top, with a
+simple capital, and supported the entablature. The horizontal lines of
+the architrave and cornice were more marked than the vertical lines of
+the columns. The portico with its row of columns supported the pediment.
+The Parthenon is the most perfect example of the Doric order, and
+shattered as it is by time and man it is still one of the most beautiful
+buildings in the world. It was built in the time of Pericles, from about
+460 to 435 B.C., and the work was superintended by Phidias, who did much
+of the work himself and left the mark of his genius on the whole.</p>
+
+<p>The Ionic order of architecture was a development of the Doric, but was
+lighter and more graceful. The columns were more slender and had a
+greater number of flutes and <a name="Page_4"></a>the capitals formed of scrolls or volutes
+were more ornamental.</p>
+
+<p>The Corinthian order was more elaborate than the Ionic as the capitals
+were foliated (the acanthus being used), the columns higher, and the
+entablature more richly decorated. This order was copied by the Romans
+more than the other two as it suited their more florid taste. All the
+orders have the horizontal feeling in common (as Gothic architecture has
+the vertical), and the simple plan with its perfect harmony of
+proportion leaves no sense of lack of variety.</p>
+
+<p>The perfection attained in architecture was also attained in sculpture,
+and we see the same aspiration toward the ideal, the same wonderful
+achievement. This purity of taste of the Greeks has formed a standard to
+which the world has returned again and again and whose influence will
+continue to be felt as long as the world lasts.</p>
+
+<p>The minor arts were carried to the same state of perfection as their
+greater sisters, for the artists and artisans had the same noble ideal
+of beauty and the same unerring taste. We have carved gems and coins,
+and wonderful gold ornaments, painted and silver vases, and terra-cotta
+figurines, to show what a high point the household arts reached. No work
+of the great Grecian painters remains; Apelles, Zeuxis, are only names
+to us, but from the wall paintings at Pompeii where late Greek influence
+was strongly felt we can imagine how charming the decorations must have
+been. Egypt and Greece were the torch bearers of civilization.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<a name="Page_5"></a>
+<a name="Page_6"></a>
+<a name="Page_7"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Renaissance_in_Italy"></a><h2><i>The Renaissance in Italy</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The Gothic period has been treated in later chapters on France and
+England, as it is its development in these countries which most affects
+us, but the Renaissance in Italy stands alone. So great was its strength
+that it could supply both inspiration and leaders to other countries,
+and still remain pre&euml;minent.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that this great
+classical revival in Italy came, this re-birth of a true sense of beauty
+which is called the Renaissance. It was an age of wonders, of great
+artistic creations, and was one of the great epochs of the world, one of
+the turning points of human existence. It covered so large a field and
+was so many-sided that only careful study can give a full realization of
+the giants of intellect and power who made its greatness, and who left
+behind them work that shows the very quintessence of genius.</p>
+
+<p>Italy, stirring slightly in the fourteenth century, woke and rose to her
+greatest heights in the fifteenth and sixteenth. The whole people
+responded to the new joy of life, the love of learning, the expression
+of beauty in all its forms. All notes were struck,&mdash;gay, graceful,
+beautiful, grave, cruel, dignified, reverential, magnificent, but all
+with <a name="Page_8"></a>an exuberance of life and power that gave to Italian art its great
+place in human culture. The great names of the period speak for
+themselves,&mdash;Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Leonardo da
+Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Machiavelli, Benvenuto Cellini, and a host of
+others.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/273.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_273.jpg" width="275" height="399" alt="An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters.</p>
+
+<p>The inspiration of the Renaissance came largely from the later Greek
+schools of art and literature, Alexandria and Rhodes and the colonies in
+Sicily and Italy, rather than ancient Greece. It was also the influence
+which came to ancient Rome at its most luxurious period. The importance
+of the taking of Alexandria and Constantinople in 1453 must not be
+underestimated, as it drove scholars from the great libraries of the
+East carrying their manuscripts to the nobles and priests and merchant
+princes of Italy who thus became enthusiastic patrons of learning and
+art. This later type of Greek art lacked the austerity of the ancient
+type, and to the models full of joy and beauty and suffering, the
+Italians of the Renaissance added the touch of their own temperament and
+made them theirs in the glowing, rich and astounding way which has never
+been equaled and probably never will be. Perfection of line and beauty
+was not sufficient, the soul with its capacity for joy and suffering,
+&quot;the soul with all its maladies&quot; as Pater says, had become a factor. The
+impression made upon Michelangelo by seeing the Laoco&ouml;n disinterred is
+vividly described by Longfellow&mdash;</p>
+
+<a name="Page_9"></a>
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i12">&quot;Long, long years ago,<br /></span>
+<span>Standing one morning near the Baths of Titus,<br /></span>
+<span>I saw the statue of Laoc&ouml;on<br /></span>
+<span>Rise from its grave of centuries like a ghost<br /></span>
+<span>Writhing in pain; and as it tore away<br /></span>
+<span>The knotted serpents from its limbs, I heard,<br /></span>
+<span>Or seemed to hear, the cry of agony<br /></span>
+<span>From its white parted lips. And still I marvel<br /></span>
+<span>At the three Rhodian artists, by whose hands<br /></span>
+<span>This miracle was wrought. Yet he beholds<br /></span>
+<span>Far nobler works who looks upon the ruins<br /></span>
+<span>Of temples in the Forum here in Rome.<br /></span>
+<span>If God should give me power in my old age<br /></span>
+<span>To build for him a temple half as grand<br /></span>
+<span>As those were in their glory, I should count<br /></span>
+<span>My age more excellent than youth itself,<br /></span>
+<span>And all that I have hitherto accomplished<br /></span>
+<span>As only vanity.&quot;<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<center><a href="images/272.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_272.jpg" width="405" height="234" alt="The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period.</p>
+
+<p>&quot;It was an age productive in personalities, many-sided, centralized,
+complete. Artists and philosophers and those whom the action of the
+world had elevated and made keen, breathed a common air and caught light
+and heat from each other's thoughts. It is this unity of spirit which
+gives unity to all the various products of the Renaissance, and it is to
+this intimate alliance with mind, this participation in the best
+thoughts which that age produced, that the art of Italy in the fifteenth
+century owes much of its grave dignity and influence.&quot;<a name="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1"><sup>[A]</sup></a></p>
+
+<a name="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1">[A]</a><div class="note"><p> Walter Pater: &quot;Studies in the Renaissance.&quot;</p></div><a name="Page_10"></a>
+
+<p>It is to this unity of the arts we owe the fact that the art of
+beautifying the home took its proper place. During the Middle Ages the
+Church had absorbed the greater part of the best man had to give, and
+home life was rather a hit or miss affair, the house was a fortress, the
+family possessions so few that they could be packed into chests and
+easily moved. During the Renaissance the home ideal grew, and, although
+the Church still claimed the best, home life began to have comforts and
+beauties never dreamed of before. The walls glowed with color,
+tapestries and velvets added their beauties, and the noble proportions
+of the marble halls made a rich background for the elaborately carved
+furniture.</p>
+
+<p>The doors of Italian palaces were usually inlaid with woods of light
+shade, and the soft, golden tone given by the process was in beautiful,
+but not too strong, contrast with the marble architrave of the doorway,
+which in the fifteenth century was carved in low relief combined with
+disks of colored marble, sliced, by the way, from Roman temple pillars.
+Later as the classic taste became stronger the carving gave place to a
+plain architrave and the over-door took the form of a pediment.</p>
+
+<p>Mantels were of marble, large, beautifully carved, with the fireplace
+sunk into the thickness of the wall. The overmantel usually had a carved
+panel, but later, during the sixteenth century, this was sometimes
+replaced by a picture. The windows of the Renaissance were a part of the
+decora<a name="Page_11"></a>tion of the room, and curtains were not used in our modern
+manner, but served only to keep out the draughts. In those days the
+better the house the simpler the curtains. There were many kinds of
+ceilings used, marble, carved wood, stucco, and painting. They were
+elaborate and beautiful, and always gave the impression of being
+perfectly supported on the well-proportioned cornice and walls. The
+floors were usually of marble. Many of the houses kept to the plan of
+medi&aelig;val exteriors, great expanses of plain walls with few openings on
+the outsides, but as they were built around open courts, the interiors
+with their colonnades and open spaces showed the change the Renaissance
+had brought. The Riccardi Palace in Florence and the Palazzo della
+Cancelleria in Rome, are examples of this early type. The second phase
+was represented by the great Bramante, whose theory of restraining
+decoration and emphasizing the structure of the building has had such
+important influence. One of his successors was Andrea Palladio, whose
+work made such a deep impression on Inigo Jones. The Library of St.
+Mark's at Venice is a beautiful example of this part. The third phase
+was entirely dominated by Michelangelo.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture, to be in keeping with buildings of this kind, was large
+and richly carved. Chairs, seats, chests, cabinets, tables, and beds,
+were the chief pieces used, but they were not plentiful at all in our
+sense of the word. The chairs and benches had cushions to soften the
+hard wooden <a name="Page_12"></a>seats. The stuffs of the time were most beautiful Genoese
+velvet, cloth of gold, tapestries, and wonderful embroideries, all
+lending their color to the gorgeous picture. The carved marriage chest,
+or cassone, is one of the pieces of Renaissance furniture which has most
+often descended to our own day, for such chests formed a very important
+part of the furnishing in every household, and being large and heavy,
+were not so easily broken as chairs and tables. Beds were huge, and were
+architectural in form, a base and roof supported on four columns. The
+classical orders were used, touched with the spirit of the time, and the
+fluted columns rose from acanthus leaves set in an urn supported on
+lion's feet. The tester and cornice gave scope for carving and the
+panels of the tester usually had the lovely scrolls so characteristic of
+the period. The headboard was often carved with a coat-of-arms and the
+curtains hung from inside the cornice.</p>
+
+<p>Grotesques were largely used in ornament. The name is derived from
+grottoes, as the Roman tombs being excavated at the time were called,
+and were in imitation of the paintings found on their walls, and while
+they were fantastic, the word then had no unkindly humorous meaning as
+now. Scrolls, dolphins, birds, beasts, the human figure, flowers,
+everything was called into use for carving and painting by genius of the
+artisans of the Renaissance. They loved their work and felt the beauty
+and meaning of every <a name="Page_13"></a>line they made, and so it came about that when, in
+the course of years, they traveled to neighboring countries, they spread
+the influence of this great period, and it is most interesting to see
+how on the Italian foundation each country built her own distinctive
+style.</p>
+
+<p>Like all great movements the Renaissance had its beginning, its splendid
+climax, and its decline.</p><a name="Page_14"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><a name="Page_17"></a>
+<a name="The_Development_of_Decoration_in_France"></a><h2><i>The Development of Decoration in France.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he absorbed
+so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the Gauls lived,
+so far as household effects were concerned. The character which
+descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation was
+optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it
+through many dark days. It might be said to be responsible for the
+French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has
+enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and
+decoration. They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked
+them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often
+gaining greatly in the process.</p>
+
+<p>One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a <i>bahut</i> or chest
+dating from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church
+of Obazine. It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture,
+and also shows that there was no carving used on it. Large spaces were
+probably covered with painted canvas, glued on. Later, when panels
+became smaller and the furniture designs were modi<a name="Page_18"></a>fied, moldings, etc.,
+began to be used. These <i>bahuts</i> or <i>huches</i>, from which the term
+<i>huchiers</i> came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing
+more than chests standing on four feet. From all sources of information
+on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief
+pieces of furniture the people had. They served as a seat by day and,
+with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night. They were also used
+as tables with large pieces of silver <i>dress&eacute;</i> or arranged upon them in
+the daytime. From this comes our word &quot;dresser&quot; for the kitchen shelves.
+In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the household
+belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of speedy
+transportation would be small, and everything was packed into the
+chests. As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of
+chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out
+came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which
+were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible. The germ
+of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the
+arras and the &quot;ciel&quot; to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls. When
+life became a little more secure and people learned something of the
+beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the
+relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in
+themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of
+line. It was not until some time in the fif<a name="Page_19"></a>teenth century that the
+habit of traveling with all one's belongings ceased.</p>
+
+<p>The year 1000 was looked forward to with abject terror, for it was
+firmly believed by all that the world was then coming to an end. It cast
+a gloom over all the people and paralyzed all ambition. When, however,
+the fatal year was safely passed, there was a great religious
+thanksgiving and everyone joined in the praise of a merciful God. The
+semi-circular arch of the Romanesque style gave way to the pointed arch
+of the Gothic, and wonderful cathedrals slowly lifted their beautiful
+spires to the sky. The ideal was to build for the glory of God and not
+only for the eyes of man, so that exquisite carving was lavished upon
+all parts of the work. This deeply reverent feeling lasted through the
+best period of Gothic architecture, and while household furniture was at
+a standstill church furniture became more and more beautiful, for in the
+midst of the religious fervor nothing seemed too much to do for the
+Church. Slowly it died out, and a secular attitude crept into
+decoration. One finds grotesque carvings appearing on the choir stalls
+and other parts of churches and cathedrals and the standard of
+excellence was lowered.</p>
+
+<p>The chest, table, wooden arm-chair, bed, and bench, were as far as the
+imagination had gone in domestic furniture, and although we read of
+wonderful tapestries and leather hangings and clothes embroidered in
+gold and jewels, there was <a name="Page_20"></a>no comfort in our sense of the word, and
+those brave knights and fair ladies had need to be strong to stand the
+hardships of life. Glitter and show was the ideal and it was many more
+years before the standard of comfort and refinement gained a firm
+foothold.</p>
+
+<p>Gothic architecture and decoration declined from the perfection of the
+thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to the over-decorated, flamboyant
+Gothic of the fifteenth century, and it was in the latter period that
+the transition began between the Gothic and the Renaissance epochs.</p>
+
+<p>The Renaissance was at its height in Italy in the fifteenth century, and
+its influence began to make itself felt a little in France at that time.</p>
+
+<p>When the French under Louis XII seized Milan, the magnificence of the
+court of Ludovico Sforza, the great duke of Milan, made such an
+impression on them that they could not rest content with the old order,
+and took home many beautiful things. Italian artisans were also
+imported, and as France was ready for the change, their lessons were
+learned and the French Renaissance came slowly into existence. This
+transition is well shown by the Chateau de Gaillon, built by Cardinal
+d'Amboise. Gothic and Renaissance decoration were placed side by side in
+panels and furniture, and we also find some pure Gothic decoration as
+late as the early part of the sixteenth century, but they were in parts
+of France where tradition changed slowly. Styles <a name="Page_21"></a>overlap in every
+transition period, so it is often difficult to place the exact date on a
+piece of furniture; but the old dies out at last and gives way to the
+new.</p>
+
+<p>With the accession of Frances I in 1515 the Renaissance came into its
+own in France. He was a great patron of art and letters, and under his
+fostering care the people knew new luxuries, new beauties, and new
+comforts. He invited Andrea del Sarto and Leonardo da Vinci to come to
+France. The word Renaissance means simply revival and it is not
+correctly used when we mean a distinct style led or inspired by one
+person. It was a great epoch, with individuality as its leading spirit,
+led by the inspiration of the Italian artists brought from Italy and
+molded by the genius of France. This renewal of classic feeling came at
+the psychological moment, for the true spirit of the great Gothic period
+had died. The Renaissance movements in Italy, France, England and
+Germany all drew their inspiration from the same source, but in each
+case the national characteristics entered into the treatment. The
+Italians and Germans both used the grotesque a great deal, but the
+Germans used it in a coarser and heavier way than the Italians, who used
+it esthetically. The French used more especially conventional and
+beautiful floral forms, and the inborn French sense of the fitness of
+things gave the treatment a wonderful charm and beauty. If one studies
+the French chateaux one will feel the true beauty and spirit of the
+times&mdash;Blois with its history of <a name="Page_22"></a>many centuries, and then some of the
+purely Renaissance chateaux, like Chambord. Although great numbers of
+Italian artists came to France, one must not think they did all the
+beautiful work of the time. The French learned quickly and adapted what
+they learned to their own needs, so that the delicate and graceful
+decorations brought from Italy became more and more individualized until
+in the reign of Henry II the Renaissance reached its high-water mark.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the time did not show much change or become more varied
+or comfortable. It was large and solid and the chairs had the
+satisfactory effect of good proportion, while the general squareness of
+outline added to the feeling of solidity. Oak was used, and later
+walnut. The chair legs were straight, and often elaborately turned, and
+usually had strainers or under framing. Cushions were simply tied on at
+first, but the knowledge of upholstering was gaining ground, and by the
+time of Louis XIII was well understood. Cabinets had an architectural
+effect in their design. The style of the decorative motive changed, but
+it is chiefly in architecture and the decorative treatment of it that
+one sees the true spirit of the Renaissance. Two men who had great
+influence on the style of furniture of the time were Androuet du Cerceau
+and Hugues Sambin. They published books of plates that were eagerly
+copied in all parts of France. Sambin's influence can be traced in the
+later style of Louis XIV.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<table summary=""><tr><td align="center"><a href="images/274a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_274a.jpg" width="150" height="218" alt="Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align="center"><a href="images/274b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_274b.jpg" width="151" height="215" alt="A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+ with velvet or tapestry." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td  class='caption'>Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence.</td>
+
+<td  class='caption'>A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+ with velvet or tapestry.</td></tr></table>
+
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_23"></a>
+<center>
+<a href="images/275.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_275.jpg" width="150" height="304" alt="By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
+
+This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling" title="" /></a>
+
+<p class='caption'><i>By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.</i></p>
+
+<p class='caption'>This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling.</p>
+</center>
+
+<p>The marriage of Henry II and Catherine de Medici naturally continued the
+strong Italian influence. The portion of the Renaissance called after
+Henry II lasted about seventy-five years, and corresponds with the
+Elizabethan period in England.</p>
+
+<p>During the regency of Marie de Medici, Flemish influence became very
+strong, as she invited Rubens to Paris to decorate the Luxembourg. There
+were also many Italians called to do the work, and as Rubens had studied
+in Italy, Italian influence was not lacking.</p>
+
+<p>Degeneracy began during the reign of Henry IV, as ornament became
+meaningless and consistency of decoration was lost in a maze of
+superfluous design.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the reign of Louis XIII that furniture for the first time
+became really comfortable, and if one examines the engravings of Abraham
+Bosse one will see that the rooms have an air of homelikeness as well as
+richness. The characteristic chair of the period was short in the back
+and square in shape&mdash;it was usually covered with leather or tapestry,
+fastened to the chair with large brass nails, and the back and seat
+often had a fringe. A set of chairs usually consisted of arm-chairs,
+plain chairs, folding stools and a <i>lit-de-repos</i>. Many of the
+arm-chairs were entirely covered with velvet or tapestry, or, if the
+woodwork showed, it was stained to harmonize with the covering on the
+seat and back.</p>
+
+<p>The twisted columns used in chairs, bedposts, etc., were <a name="Page_24"></a>borrowed from
+Italy and were very popular. Another shape often used for chair legs was
+the X that shows Flemish influence. The <i>lit-de-repos</i>, or
+<i>chaise-longue</i>, was a seat about six feet long, sometimes with arms and
+sometimes not, and with a mattress and bolster. The beds were very
+elaborate and very important in the scheme of decoration, as the ladies
+of the time held receptions in their bedrooms and the king and nobles
+gave audiences to their subjects while in bed. These latter were
+therefore necessarily furnished with splendor. The woodwork was usually
+covered with the same material as the curtains, or stained to harmonize.
+The canopy never reached to the ceiling but was, from floor to top,
+about 7 ft. 3 in. high, and the bed was 6-1/2 ft. square. The curtains
+were arranged on rods and pulleys, and when closed this &quot;<i>lit en
+housse</i>&quot; looked like a huge square box. The counterpane, or &quot;<i>coverture
+de parade</i>,&quot; was of the curtain material. The four corners of the canopy
+were decorated with bunches of plumes or panache, or with a carved
+wooden ornament called pomme, or with a &quot;<i>bouquet</i>&quot; of silk. The beds
+were covered with rich stuffs, like tapestry, silk, satin, velvet,
+cloth-of-gold and silver, etc., all of which were embroidered or trimmed
+with gold or silver lace. One of the features of a Louis XIII room was
+the tapestry and hangings. A certain look of dignity was given to the
+rooms by the general square and heavy outlines of the furniture and the
+huge chimney-pieces.</p><a name="Page_25"></a>
+
+<p>The taste for cabinets kept up and the cabinets and presses were large,
+sometimes divided into two parts, sometimes with doors, sometimes with
+open frame underneath. The tables were richly carved and gilded, often
+ornamented with bronze and copper. The cartouche was used a great deal
+in decoration, with a curved surface. This rounded form appears in the
+posts used in various kinds of furniture. When rectangles were used they
+were always broader than high. The garlands of fruit were heavy, the
+cornucopias were slender, with an astonishing amount of fruit pouring
+from them, and the work was done in rather low relief. Carved and gilded
+mirrors were introduced by the Italians as were also sconces and glass
+chandeliers. It was a time of great magnificence, and shadowed forth the
+coming glory of Louis XIV. It seems a style well suited to large
+dining-rooms and libraries in modern houses of importance.</p>
+<a name="Page_26"></a>
+<a name="Page_27"></a>
+<a name="Page_28"></a>
+<a name="Page_29"></a>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Louis_XIV"></a><h2><i>Louis XIV</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>It is often a really difficult matter to decide the exact boundary lines
+between one period and another, for the new style shows its beginnings
+before the old one is passed, and the old style still appears during the
+early years of the new one. It is an overlapping process and the years
+of transition are ones of great interest. As one period follows another
+it usually shows a reaction from the previous one; a somber period is
+followed by a gay one; the excess of ornament in one is followed by
+restraint in the next. It is the same law that makes us want cake when
+we have had too much bread and butter.</p>
+
+<p>The world has changed so much since the seventeenth and eighteenth
+centuries that it seems almost impossible that we should ever again have
+great periods of decoration like those of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis
+XVI. Then the monarch was supreme. &quot;<i>L'&eacute;tat c'est moi</i>,&quot; said Louis XIV,
+and it was true. He established the great Gobelin works on a basis that
+made France the authority of the world and firmly imposed his taste and
+his will on the country. Now that this absolute power of one man is a
+thing of the past, we have the influence of many men forming and molding
+something that may turn into a beautiful epoch of decora<a name="Page_30"></a>tion, one that
+will have in it some of the feeling that brought the French Renaissance
+to its height, though not like it, for we have the same respect for
+individuality working within the laws of beauty that they had.</p>
+
+<p>The style that takes its name from Louis XIV was one of great
+magnificence and beauty with dignity and a certain solidity in its
+splendor. It was really the foundation of the styles that followed, and
+a great many people look upon the periods of Louis XIV, the Regency,
+Louis XV and Louis XVI as one great period with variations, or ups and
+downs&mdash;the complete swing and return of the pendulum.</p>
+
+<p>Louis XIV was a man with a will of iron and made it absolute law during
+his long reign of seventy-two years. His ideal was splendor, and he
+encouraged great men in the intellectual and artistic world to do their
+work, and shed their glory on the time. Cond&eacute;, Turenne, Colbert,
+Moli&egrave;re, Corneille, La Fontaine, Racine, F&eacute;n&eacute;lon, Boulle, Le Brun, are a
+few among the long and wonderful list. He was indeed Louis the
+Magnificent, the Sun King.</p>
+
+<p>One of the great elements toward achieving the stupendous results of
+this reign was the establishment of the &quot;Manufacture des Meubles de la
+Couronne,&quot; or, as it is usually called, &quot;Manufacture des Gobelins.&quot;
+Artists of all kinds were gathered together and given apartments in the
+Louvre and the wonderfully gifted and versatile Le Brun was put at the
+head. Tapestry, goldsmiths' work, furniture, jew<a name="Page_31"></a>elry, etc., were made,
+and with the royal protection and interest France rose to the position
+of world-wide supremacy in the arts. Le Brun had the same taste and love
+of magnificence as Louis, and had also extraordinary executive ability
+and an almost unlimited capacity for work, combined with the power of
+gathering about him the most eminent artists of the time. Andr&eacute; Charles
+Boulle was one, and his beautiful cabinets, commodes, tables, clocks,
+etc., are now almost priceless. He carried the inlay of metals,
+tortoise-shell, ivory and beautiful woods to its highest expression, and
+the mingling of colors with the exquisite workmanship gave most
+wonderful effects. Sheets of white metal or brass were glued together
+and the pattern was then cut out. When taken apart the brass scrolls
+could be fitted exactly into the shell background, and the shell scrolls
+into the brass background, thus making two decorations. The shell
+background was the more highly prized. The designs usually had a
+Renaissance feeling. The metal was softened in outline by engraving, and
+then ormolu mounts were added. Ormolu or gilt bronze mounts, formed one
+of the great decorations of furniture. The most exquisite workmanship
+was lavished on them, and after they had been cast they were cut and
+carved and polished until they became worthy ornaments for beautiful
+inlaid tables and cabinets. The taste for elaborately carved and gilded
+frames to chairs, tables, mirrors, etc., developed rapidly. Mirrors
+<a name="Page_32"></a>were made by the Gobelins works and were much less expensive than the
+Venetian ones of the previous reign. Walls were painted and covered with
+gold with a lavish hand. Tapestries were truly magnificent with gold and
+silver threads adding richness to their beauty of color, and were used
+purely as a decoration as well as in the old utilitarian way of keeping
+out the cold. The Gobelins works made at this time some of the most
+beautiful tapestries the world has known. The massive chimney-pieces
+were superseded by the &quot;<i>petite-chemin&eacute;e</i>&quot; and had great mirrors over
+them or elaborate over-mantels. The whole air of furnishing and
+decoration changed to one of greater lightness and brilliancy. The ideal
+was that everything, no matter how small, must be beautiful, and we find
+the most exquisite workmanship lavished on window-locks and door-knobs.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/276.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_276.jpg" width="275" height="409" alt="One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+ carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'>One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+ carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself.</p>
+
+<p>In the early style of Louis XIV, we find many trophies of war and
+mythological subjects used in the decorative schemes. The second style
+of this period was a softening and refining of the earlier one, becoming
+more and more delicate until it merged into the time of the Regency. It
+was during the reign of Louis XIV that the craze for Chinese decoration
+first appeared. <i>La Chinoiserie</i> it was called, and it has daintiness
+and a curious fascination about it, but many inappropriate things were
+done in its name. The furniture of the time was firmly placed upon the
+ground, the arm-chairs had strong straining-rails, square or curved
+<a name="Page_33"></a>backs, scroll arms carved and partly upholstered and stuffed seats
+and backs. The legs of chairs were usually tapering in form and
+ornamented with gilding, or marquetry, or richly carved, and later the
+feet ended in a carved leaf design. Some of the straining-rails were in
+the shape of the letter X, with an ornament at the intersection, and
+often there was a wooden molding below the seat in place of fringe. Many
+carved and gilded chairs had gold fringe and braid and were covered with
+velvet, tapestry or damask.</p>
+
+
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/277a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_277a.jpg" width="185" height="206" alt="By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
+Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts" title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/277b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_277b.jpg" width="176" height="204" alt="Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic
+underbracing" title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'><i>By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art </i><br /> Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts.</td>
+<td class='caption'>Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic underbracing.</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p>There were many new and elaborate styles of beds that came into fashion
+at this time. There was the <i>lit d'ange</i>, which had a canopy that did
+not extend over the entire bed, and had no pillars at the foot, the
+curtains were drawn back at the head and the counterpane went over the
+foot of the bed. There was the <i>lit d'alcove</i>, the <i>lit de bout</i>, <i>lit
+clos</i>, <i>lit de glace</i>, with a mirror framed in the ceiling, and many
+others. A <i>lit de parade</i> was like the great bed of Louis XIV at
+Versailles.</p>
+
+<p>Both the tall and bracket clocks showed this same love of ornament and
+they were carved and gilded and enriched with chased brass and wonderful
+inlay by Boulle. The dials also were beautifully designed. Consoles,
+tables, cabinets, etc., were all treated in this elaborate way. Many of
+the ceilings were painted by great artists, and those at Versailles,
+painted by Le Brun and others, are good examples. There was always a
+combination of the straight line and the curve, <a name="Page_34"></a>a strong feeling of
+balance, and a profusion of ornament in the way of scrolls, garlands,
+shells, the acanthus, anthemion, etc. The moldings were wide and
+sometimes a torus of laurel leaves was used, but in spite of the great
+amount of ornament lavished on everything, there is the feeling of
+balance and symmetry and strength that gives dignity and beauty.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was indeed fortunate in having the great Colbert for one of his
+ministers. He was a man of gigantic intellect, capable of originating
+and executing vast schemes. It was to his policy of state patronage,
+wisely directed, and energetically and lavishly carried out, that we owe
+the magnificent achievements of this period.</p>
+
+<p>Everywhere the impression is given of brilliancy and splendor&mdash;gold on
+the walls, gold on the furniture, rich velvets and damasks and
+tapestries, marbles and marquetry and painting, furniture worth a king's
+ransom. It all formed a beautiful and fitting background for the proud
+king, who could do no wrong, and the dazzling, care-free people who
+played their brilliant, selfish parts in the midst of its splendor. They
+never gave a thought to the great mass of the common people who were
+over-burdened with taxation; they never heard the first faint mutterings
+of discontent which were to grow, ever louder and louder, until the
+blood and horror of the Revolution paid the debt.</p>
+<a name="Page_35"></a>
+<a name="Page_36"></a>
+<a name="Page_37"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Regency_and_Louis_XV"></a><h2><i>The Regency and Louis XV</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When Louis XIV died in 1715, his great-grandson, Louis XV, was but five
+years old, so Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, became Regent. During the last
+years of Louis XIV's life the court had resented more or less the gloom
+cast over it by the influence of Madame de Maintenon, and turned with
+avidity to the new ruler. He was a vain and selfish man, feeling none of
+the responsibilities of his position, and living chiefly for pleasure.
+The change in decoration had been foreshadowed in the closing years of
+the previous reign, and it is often hard to say whether a piece of
+furniture is late Louis XIV or Regency.</p>
+
+<p>The new gained rapidly over the old, and the magnificent and stately
+extravagance of Louis XIV turned into the daintier but no less
+extravagant and rich decoration of the Regency and Louis XV. One of the
+noticeable changes was that rooms were smaller, and the reign of the
+boudoir began. It has been truly said that after the death of Louis XIV
+&quot;came the substitution of the finery of coquetry for the worship of the
+great in style.&quot; There was greater variety in the designs of furniture
+and a greater use of carved metal ornament and gilt bronze, beautifully
+chased. The ornaments took many shapes, such as shells, shaped foliage,
+<a name="Page_38"></a>roses, seaweed, strings of pearls, etc., and at its best there was
+great beauty in the treatment.</p>
+
+<p>It was during the Regency that the great artist and sculptor in metal,
+Charles Cressant, flourished. He was made <i>&eacute;beniste</i> of the Regent, and
+his influence was always to keep up the traditions when the reaction
+against the severe might easily have led to degeneration. There are
+beautiful examples of his work in many of the great collections of
+furniture, notably the wonderful commode in the Wallace collection. The
+dragon mounts of ormolu on it show the strong influence the Orient had
+at the time. He often used the figures of women with great delicacy on
+the corners of his furniture, and he also used tortoise-shell and many
+colored woods in marquetry, but his most wonderful work was done in
+brass and gilded bronze.</p>
+
+<p>In 1723, when Louis was thirteen years old, he was declared of age and
+became king. The influence of the Regent was, naturally, still strong,
+and unfortunately did much to form the character of the young king.
+Selfishness, pleasure, and low ideals, were the order of court life, and
+paved the way for the debased taste for rococo ornament which was one
+marked phase of the style of Louis XV.</p>
+
+<p>The great influence of the Orient at this time is very noticeable. There
+had been a beginning of it in the previous reign, but during the Regency
+and the reign of Louis XV it became very marked. &quot;<i>Singerie</i>&quot; and
+&quot;<i>Chinoiserie</i>&quot;<a name="Page_39"></a> were the rage, and gay little monkeys clambered and
+climbed over walls and furniture with a careless abandon that had a
+certain fascination and charm in spite of their being monkeys. The
+&quot;<i>Salon des Singes</i>&quot; in the Chateau de Chantilly gives one a good idea
+of this. The style was easily overdone and did not last a great while.</p>
+
+<p>During this time of Oriental influence lacquer was much used and
+beautiful lacquer panels became one of the great features of French
+furniture. Pieces of furniture were sent to China and Japan to be
+lacquered and this, combined with the expense of importing it, led many
+men in France to try to find out the Oriental secret. Le Sieur Dagly was
+supposed to have imported the secret and was established at the Gobelins
+works where he made what was called &quot;<i>vernis de Gobelins</i>.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>The Martin family evolved a most characteristically French style of
+decoration from the Chinese and Japanese lacquers. The varnish they
+made, called &quot;<i>vernis Martin</i>,&quot; gave its name to the furniture decorated
+by them, which was well suited to the dainty boudoirs of the day. All
+kinds of furniture were decorated in this way&mdash;sedan chairs and even
+snuff-boxes, until at last the supply became so great that the fashion
+died. There are many charming examples of it to be seen in museums and
+private collections, but the modern garish copies of it in many shops
+give no idea of the charm of the original. Watteau's delightful
+decorations <a name="Page_40"></a>also give the true spirit of the time, with their gayety
+and frivolity showing the Arcadian affectations&mdash;the fad of the moment.</p>
+
+<p>As the time passed decoration grew more and more ornate, and the
+followers of Cressant exaggerated his traits. One of these was Jules
+Aur&egrave;le Meissonier, an Italian by birth, who brought with him to France
+the decadent Italian taste. He had a most marvelous power of invention
+and lavished ornament on everything, carrying the rocaille style to its
+utmost limit. He broke up all straight lines, put curves and
+convolutions everywhere, and rarely had two sides alike, for symmetry
+had no charms for him. The curved endive decoration was used in
+architraves, in the panels of overdoors and panel moldings, everywhere
+it possibly could be used, in fact. His work was in great demand by the
+king and nobility. He designed furniture of all kinds, altars, sledges,
+candelabra and a great amount of silversmith's work, and also published
+a book of designs. Unfortunately it is this rococo style which is meant
+by many people when they speak of the style of Louis XV.</p>
+
+<p>Louis XV furniture and decoration at its best period is extremely
+beautiful, and the foremost architects of the day were undisturbed by
+the demand for rococo, knowing it was a vulgarism of taste which would
+pass. In France, bad as it was, it never went to such lengths as it did
+in Italy and Spain.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/278.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_278.jpg" width="376" height="260" alt="The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room.</p>
+<a name="Page_41"></a>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/279.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_279.jpg" width="345" height="261" alt="The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, &quot;Games of Children,&quot; show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly" title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, &quot;Games of Children,&quot; show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly.</p>
+
+<p>The easy generalization of the girl who said the difference between the
+styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI was like the difference in hair, one
+was curly and one was straight, has more than a grain of truth in it.
+The curved line was used persistently until the last years of Louis XV's
+time, but it was a beautiful, gracious curve, elaborate, and in
+furniture, richly carved, which was used during the best period. The
+decline came when good taste was lost in the craze for rococo.</p>
+
+<p>Chairs were carved and gilded, or painted, or lacquered, and also
+beautiful natural woods were used. The sofas and chairs had a general
+square appearance, but the framework was much curved and carved and
+gilded. They were upholstered in silks, brocades, velvets, damasks in
+flowered designs, edged with braid. Gobelin, Aubusson and Beauvais
+tapestry, with Watteau designs, were also used. Nothing more dainty or
+charming could be found than the tapestry seats and chair backs and
+screens which were woven especially to fit certain pieces of furniture.
+The tapestry weavers now used thousands of colors in place of the
+nineteen used in the early days, and this enabled them to copy with
+great exactness the charming pictures of Watteau and Boucher. The idea
+of sitting on beautiful ladies and gentlemen airily playing at country
+life, does not appeal to our modern taste, but it seems to be in accord
+with those days.</p>
+
+<p>Desks were much used and were conveniently arranged <a name="Page_42"></a>with drawers,
+pigeon-holes and shelves, and roll-top desks were made at this time.
+Commodes were painted, or richly ornamented with lacquer panels, or
+panels of rosewood or violet wood, and all were embellished with
+wonderful bronze or ormolu. Many pieces of furniture were inlaid with
+lovely S&egrave;vres plaques, a manner which is not always pleasing in effect.
+There were many different and elaborate kinds of beds, taking their
+names from their form and draping. &quot;<i>Lit d'anglaise</i>&quot; had a back,
+head-board and foot-board, and could be used as a sofa. &quot;<i>Lit a
+Romaine</i>&quot; had a canopy and four festooned curtains, and so on.</p>
+
+<p>The most common form of salon was rectangular, with proportions of 4 to
+3, or 2 to 1. There were also many square, round, octagonal and oval
+salons, these last being among the most beautiful. They all were
+decorated with great richness, the walls being paneled with carved and
+gilded&mdash;or partially gilded&mdash;wood. Tapestry and brocade and painted
+panels were used. Large mirrors with elaborate frames were placed over
+the mantels, with panels above reaching to the cornice or cove of the
+ceiling, and large mirrors were also used over console tables and as
+panels. The paneled overdoors reached to the cornice, and windows were
+also treated in this way. Windows and doors were not looked upon merely
+as openings to admit air and light and human beings, but formed a part
+of the scheme of decoration of the room. There were beautiful brackets
+and candelabra <a name="Page_43"></a>of ormolu to light the rooms, and the boudoirs and
+salons, with their white and gold and beautifully decorated walls and
+gilded furniture, gave an air of gayety and richness, extravagance and
+beauty.</p>
+
+<p>An apartment in the time of Louis XV usually had a vestibule, rather
+severely decorated with columns or pilasters and often statues in
+niches. The first ante-room was a waiting-room for servants and was
+plainly treated, the woodwork being the chief decoration. The second
+ante-room had mirrors, console tables, carved and gilded woodwork, and
+sometimes tapestry was used above a wainscot. Dining-rooms were
+elaborate, often having fountains and plants in the niches near the
+buffet. Bedrooms usually had an alcove, and the room, not counting the
+alcove, was an exact square. The bed faced the windows and a large
+mirror over a console table was just opposite it. The chimney faced the
+principal entrance.</p>
+
+<p>A &quot;<i>chambre en niche</i>&quot; was a room where the bed space was not so large
+as an alcove. The designs for sides of rooms by Meissonier, Blondel,
+Briseux Cuilles and others give a good idea of the arrangement and
+proportions of the different rooms. The cabinets or studies, and the
+<i>garde robes</i>, were entered usually from doors near the alcove. The
+ceilings were painted by Boucher and others in soft and charming colors,
+with cupids playing in the clouds, and other subjects of the kind. Great
+attention was given to clocks <a name="Page_44"></a>and they formed an important and
+beautiful part of the decoration.</p>
+
+<p>The natural consequence of the period of excessive rococo with its
+superabundance of curves and ornament, was that, during the last years
+of Louis's reign, the reaction slowly began to make itself felt. There
+was no sudden change to the use of the straight line, but people were
+tired of so much lavishness and motion in their decoration. There were
+other influences also at work, for Robert Adam had, in England,
+established the classic taste, and the excavations at Pompeii were
+causing widespread interest and admiration. The fact is proved that what
+we call Louis XVI decoration was well known before the death of Louis
+XV, by his furnishing Luciennes for Madam Du Barri in almost pure Louis
+XVI style.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/280a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_280a.jpg" width="154" height="204" alt="A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur" title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/280b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_280b.jpg" width="260" height="215" alt="This Louis XV berg&egrave;re is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period" title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This Louis XV berg&egrave;re is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period.</td></tr></table>
+
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_45"></a>
+<center>
+<a href="images/281.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_281.jpg" width="379" height="261" alt="There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+ with its Gobelin tapestry cover" title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+ with its Gobelin tapestry cover</p>
+
+<a name="Page_46"></a><a name="Page_47"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Louis_XVI"></a><h2><i>Louis XVI</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774, and reigned for nineteen years,
+until that fatal year of '93. He was kind, benign, and simple, and had
+no sympathy with the life of the court during the preceding reign. Marie
+Antoinette disliked the great pomp of court functions and liked to play
+at the simple life, so shepherdesses, shepherd's crooks, hats, wreaths
+of roses, watering-pots and many other rustic symbols became the
+fashion.</p>
+
+<p>Marie Antoinette was but fifteen years old when in 1770 she came to
+France as a bride, and it is hardly reasonable to think that the taste
+of a young girl would have originated a great period of decoration,
+although the idea is firmly fixed in many minds. It is known that the
+transition period was well advanced before she became queen, but there
+is no doubt that her simpler taste and that of Louis led them to accept
+with joy the classical ideas of beauty which were slowly gaining ground.
+As dauphin and dauphiness they naturally had a great following, and as
+king and queen their taste was paramount, and the style became
+established.</p>
+
+<p>Architecture became more simple and interior decoration followed suit.
+The restfulness and beauty of the straight line appeared again, and
+ornament took its proper place as a dec<a name="Page_48"></a>oration of the construction, and
+was subordinate to its design. During the period of Louis XVI the rooms
+had rectangular panels formed by simpler moldings than in the previous
+reign, with pilasters of delicate design between the panels. The
+overdoors and mantels were carried to the cornice and the paneling was
+usually of oak, painted in soft colors or white and gilded. Walls were
+also covered with tapestry and brocade. Some of the most characteristic
+marks of the style are the straight tapering legs of the furniture,
+usually fluted, with some carving. Fluted columns and pilasters often
+had metal quills filling them for a part of the distance at top and
+bottom, leaving a plain channel between. The laurel leaf was used in
+wreath form, and bell flowers were used on the legs of furniture. Oval
+medallions, surmounted by a wreath of flowers and a bow-knot, appear
+very often, and in about 1780 round medallions were used. Furniture was
+covered with brocade or tapestry, with shepherds and shepherdesses or
+pastoral scenes for the design. The gayest kinds of designs were used in
+the silks and brocades; ribbons and bow-knots and interlacing stripes
+with flowers and rustic symbols scattered over them. Curtains were less
+festooned and cut with great exactness. The canopies of beds became
+smaller, until often only a ring or crown held the draperies, and it
+became the fashion to place the bed sideways, &quot;<i>vu de face</i>.&quot;</p><a name="Page_49"></a>
+
+<p>There was a great deal of beautiful ornament in gilded bronze and ormolu
+on the furniture, and many colored woods were used in marquetry. The
+fashion of using S&egrave;vres plaques in inlay was continued. There was a
+great deal of white and colored marble used and very fine ironwork was
+made. Riesener, Roentgen, Gouthi&eacute;re, Fragonard and Boucher are some of
+the names that stand out most distinctly as authors of the beautiful
+decorations of the time. Marie Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainebleau is
+a perfect example of the style and many of the other rooms both there
+and at the Petit Trianon show its great beauty, gayety and dignity
+combined with its richness and magnificence.</p>
+
+<p>The influence of Pompeii must not be overlooked in studying the style of
+Louis XVI, for it appeared in much of the decoration of the time. The
+beautiful little boudoir of the Marquise de S&eacute;rilly is a charming
+example of its adaptation. The problem of bad proportion is also most
+interestingly overcome. The room was too high for its size, so it was
+divided into four arched openings separated by carved pilasters, and the
+walls covered with paintings. The ceiling was darker than the walls,
+which made it seem lower, and the whole color scheme was so arranged
+that the feeling of extreme height was lessened. The mantel is a
+beautiful example of the period. This room was furnished about 1780-82.</p>
+
+<p>Compared to the lavish curves of the style of Louis XV, <a name="Page_50"></a>the fine
+outlines and the beautiful ornament of Louis XVI appear to some people
+cold, but if they look carefully at the matter, they will find them not
+really so. The warmth of the Gallic temperament still shows through the
+new garb, giving life and beauty to the dainty but strong furniture.</p>
+
+<p>If one studies the examples of the styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and
+Louis XVI that one finds in the great palaces, collections, museums and
+books of prints and photographs, one will see that the wonderful
+foundation laid by Louis XIV was still there in the other two reigns.
+During the time of Louis XVI the pose of rustic simplicity was a very
+sophisticated pose indeed, but the reaction from the rocaille style of
+Louis XV led to one of the most beautiful styles of decoration that the
+world has seen. It had dignity, true beauty and the joy of life
+expressed in it.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/282.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_282.jpg" width="210" height="295" alt="Rare Louis XVI chair&mdash;an original from Fontainebleau." title="" /></a>
+</center><p class='caption'>Rare Louis XVI chair&mdash;an original from Fontainebleau.</p>
+
+<a name="Page_51"></a><center>
+<a href="images/283.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_283.jpg" width="329" height="170" alt="The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+ very beautiful article of furniture." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+ very beautiful article of furniture.</p>
+<a name="Page_52"></a><a name="Page_53"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Empire"></a><h2><i>The Empire</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The French Revolution made a tremendous change in the production of
+beautiful furniture, as royalty and the nobility could no longer
+encourage it. Many of the great artists died in poverty and many of them
+went to other countries where life was more secure.</p>
+
+<p>After the Revolution there was wholesale destruction of the wonderful
+works of art which had cost such vast sums to collect. Nothing was to
+remain that would remind the people of departed kings and queens, and a
+committee on art was appointed to make selections of what was to be
+saved and what was to be destroyed. That committee of &quot;tragic comedians&quot;
+set up a new standard of art criticism; it was not the artistic merits
+of a piece of tapestry, for instance, that interested them, but whether
+a king or queen dared show their heads upon it. If so, into the flames
+it went. Thousands of priceless things were destroyed before they
+finished their dreadful work.</p>
+
+<p>When Napoleon came into power he turned to ancient Rome for inspiration.
+The Imperial C&aelig;sars became his ideal and gave him a wide field in which
+to display his love for splendor, uncontrolled by any true artistic
+sense. It gave decoration a blow from which it was hard to recover.<a name="Page_54"></a>
+Massive furniture without real beauty of line, loaded with ormolu, took
+the place of the old. The furniture was simple in construction with
+little carving, until later when all kinds of animal heads and claws,
+and animals never seen by man, and horns of plenty, were used to support
+tables and chairs and sofas. Everywhere one turned the feeling of
+martial grandeur was in the air. Ormolu mounts of bay wreaths, torches,
+eagles, military emblems and trophies, winged figures, the sphinx, the
+bee, and the initial N, were used on furniture; and these same motives
+were used in wall decoration. The furniture was left the natural color
+of the wood, and mahogany, rosewood, and ebony, were used. Veneer was
+also extensively used. The front legs of chairs were usually straight,
+and the back legs slightly curved. Beds were massive, with head and
+foot-board of even height, and the tops rolled over into a scroll. Swans
+were used on the arms of chairs and sofas and the sides of beds. Tables
+were often round, with tripod legs; in fact, the tripod was a great
+favorite. There was a great deal of inlay of the favorite emblems but
+little carving. Plain columns with Doric caps and metal ornaments were
+used. The change in the use of color was very marked, for deep brown,
+blue and other dark colors were used instead of the light and gay ones
+of the previous period. The materials used were usually of solid colors
+with a design in golden yellow, a wreath, or a torch, or the bee, or one
+of the other favorite emblems being used in a spot <a name="Page_55"></a>design, or powdered
+on. Some of the color combinations in the rooms we read of sound quite
+alarming.</p>
+
+<p>Since the time of the Empire, France has done as the rest of the world
+has, gone without any special style.</p><a name="Page_56"></a><a name="Page_57"></a><a name="Page_58"></a><a name="Page_59"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="English_Furniture_from_Gothic_Days_to_the_Period_of_Queen_Anne"></a><h2><i>English Furniture from Gothic Days to the Period of Queen Anne.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The early history of furniture in all countries is very much the
+same&mdash;there is not any. We know about kings and queens, and war and
+sudden death, and fortresses and pyramids, but of that which the people
+used for furniture we know very little. Research has revealed the
+mention in old manuscripts once in a while of benches and chests, and
+the Bayeux tapestry and old seals show us that William the Conquerer and
+Richard Coeur de Lion sat on chairs, even if they were not very
+promising ones, but at best it is all very vague. It is natural to
+suppose that the early Saxons had furniture of some kind, for, as the
+remains of Saxon metalwork show great skill, it is probable they had
+skill also in woodworking.</p>
+
+<p>In England, as in France, the first pieces of furniture that we can be
+sure of are chests and benches. They served all purposes apparently, for
+the family slept on them by night and used them for seats and tables by
+day. The bedding was kept in the chests, and when traveling had to be
+done all the family possessions were packed in them. There is an old
+chest at Stoke d'Abernon church, dating from the thirteenth century,
+that has a little carving on it, and another <a name="Page_60"></a>at Brampton church of the
+twelfth or thirteenth century that has iron decorations. Some chests
+show great freedom in the carving, St. George and the Dragon and other
+stories being carved in high relief.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/284.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_284.jpg" width="236" height="335" alt="An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+ carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France&#39;s deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+ carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France&#39;s deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV.</p>
+
+<p>Nearly all the existing specimens of Gothic furniture are
+ecclesiastical, but there are a few that were evidently for household
+use. These show distinctly the architectural treatment of design in the
+furniture. Chairs were not commonly used until the sixteenth century.
+Our distinguished ancestors decided that one chair in a house was
+enough, and that was for the master, while his family and friends sat on
+benches and chests. It is a long step in comfort and manners from the
+fifteenth to the twentieth century. Later the guest of honor was given
+the chair, and from that may come the saying that a speaker &quot;takes the
+chair.&quot; Gothic tables were probably supported by trestles, and beds were
+probably very much like the early sixteenth century beds in general
+shape. There were cupboards and armoires also, but examples are very
+rare. From an old historical document we learn that Henry III, in 1233,
+ordered the sheriff to attend to the painting of the wainscoted chamber
+in Winchester Castle and to see that &quot;the pictures and histories were
+the same as before.&quot; Another order is for having the wall of the king's
+chamber at Westminster &quot;painted a good green color in imitation of a
+curtain.&quot; These painted walls and stained glass that we know they had,
+and the tapestry, must have given a <a name="Page_61"></a>cheerful color scheme to the
+houses of the wealthy class even if there was not much comfort.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/285a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_285a.jpg" width="207" height="226" alt="In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/285b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_285b.jpg" width="152" height="240" alt="This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'>In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs.</td>
+
+<td align='center'>This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>The history of the great houses of England, and also the smaller
+manor-houses, is full of interest in connection with the study of
+furniture. There are many manor-houses that show all the characteristics
+of the Gothic, Renaissance, Tudor and Jacobean periods, and from them we
+can learn much of the life of the times. The early ones show absolute
+simplicity in the arrangement, one large hall for everything, and later
+a small room or two added. The fire was on the floor and the smoke
+wandered around until it found its way out at the opening, or louvre, in
+the roof. Then a chimney was built at the dais end of the hall, and the
+mantelpiece became an important part of the decoration. The hall was
+divided by &quot;screens&quot; into smaller rooms, leaving the remainder for
+retainers, and causing the clergy to inveigh against the new custom of
+the lord of the manor &quot;eating in secret places.&quot; The staircase developed
+from the early winding stair about a newel or post to the beautiful
+broad stairs of the Tudor period. These were usually six or seven feet
+broad, with about six wide easy steps and then a landing, and the
+carving on the balusters was often very elaborate and sometimes very
+beautiful&mdash;a ladder raised to the <i>n</i>th power.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly the Gothic period died in England and slowly the Renaissance took
+its place. There was never the gayety of <a name="Page_62"></a>decorative treatment that we
+find in France, but the English workmen, while keeping their own
+individuality, learned a tremendous amount from the Italians who came to
+the country. Their influence is shown in the Henry VIIth Chapel in
+Westminster Abbey, and in the old part of Hampton Court Palace, built by
+Cardinal Wolsey.</p>
+
+<p>The religious troubles between Henry VIII and the Pope and the change of
+religion helped to drive the Italians from the country, so the
+Renaissance did not get such a firm foothold in England as it did in
+France. The mingling of Gothic and Renaissance forms what we call the
+Tudor period. During the time of Elizabeth all trace of Gothic
+disappeared, and the influence of the Germans and Flemings who came to
+the country in great numbers, helped to shorten the influence of the
+Renaissance. The over-elaboration of the late Tudor time corresponded
+with the deterioration shown in France in the time of Henry IV. The Hall
+of Gray's Inn, the Halls of Oxford, the Charterhouse and the Hall of the
+Middle Temple are all fine examples of the Tudor period.</p>
+
+<p>We find very few names of furniture makers of those days; in fact, there
+are very few names known in connection with the buildings themselves.
+The word architect was little used until after the Renaissance. The
+owner and the &quot;surveyor&quot; were the people responsible, and the plans,
+directions and details given to the workmen were astonishingly meager.</p><a name="Page_63"></a>
+
+<p>The great charm that we all feel in the Tudor and Jacobean periods is
+largely due to the beautiful paneled walls. Their woodwork has a color
+that only age can give and that no stain can copy. The first panels were
+longer than the later ones. Wide use was made of the beautiful
+&quot;linen-fold&quot; design in the wainscoting, and there was also much
+elaborate carving and strapwork. Scenes like the temptation of Adam and
+Eve were represented, heads in circular medallions, and simply
+decorative designs were used. In the days of Elizabeth it became the
+fashion to have the carving at the top of the paneling with plain panels
+below. Tudor and Jacobean mantelpieces were most elaborate and were of
+wood, stone, or marble richly carved, to say nothing of the beautiful
+plaster ones, and there are many fine examples in existence. They were
+fond of figure decoration, and many subjects were taken from the Bible.
+The overmantels were decorated with coats-of-arms and other carving, and
+the entablature over the fireplace often had Latin mottoes. The earliest
+firebacks date from the fifteenth century. Coats-of-arms and many
+curious designs were used upon them.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the Tudor period was much carved, and was made chiefly
+of oak. Cornices of beds and cabinets often had the egg-and-dart molding
+used on them, and the S-curve is often seen opposed on the backs of
+settees and chairs. It has a suggestion of a dolphin and is reminiscent
+<a name="Page_64"></a>of the dolphins of the Renaissance. The beds were very large, the
+&quot;great bed of Ware&quot; being twelve feet square. The cornice, the bed-head,
+the pedestals and pillars supporting the cornice were all richly carved.
+Frequently the pillars at the foot of the bed were not connected with
+it, but supported the cornice which was longer than the bed. The
+&quot;Courtney bedstead,&quot; dated 1593, showing many of the characteristics of
+the ornament of the time, is 103-1/2 inches high, 94 inches long, 68
+inches wide. The majority of the beds were smaller and lower, however,
+and the pillars usually rose out of drum-like members, huge acorn-like
+bulbs that were often so large as to be ugly. They appeared also on
+other articles of furniture. When in good proportion, with pillars
+tapering from them, they were very effective, and gradually they grew
+smaller. Some of the beds had the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
+John, carved on the posts. They were probably the origin of the nursery
+rhyme:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span>&quot;Four corners to my bed,<br /></span>
+<span>Four angels round my head,<br /></span>
+<span>Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,<br /></span>
+<span>Bless the bed that I lie on.&quot;<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/286.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_286.jpg" width="427" height="209" alt="In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+ stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+ stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping.</p>
+
+<p>Bed hanging were of silk, velvet, damask, wool damask, tapestry, etc.,
+and there were fine linen sheets and blankets and counterpanes of wool
+work. The chairs were high-<a name="Page_65"></a>backed of solid oak with cushions. There
+were also jointed stools, folding screens, chests, cabinets, tables with
+carpets (table covers) tapestry hangings, curtains, cushions, silver
+sconces, etc.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/287a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_287a.jpg" width="235" height="178" alt="Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+ pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+ pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/287b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_287b.jpg" width="183" height="159" alt="Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+ Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+ Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly.</p>
+
+<p>The Jacobean period began with James I, and lasted until the time of
+William and Mary, or from 1603 to about 1689. In the early part there
+was still a strong Tudor feeling, and toward the end foreign influence
+made itself felt until the Dutch under William became paramount. Inigo
+Jones did his great work at this time in the Palladian style of
+architecture. His simpler taste did much to reduce the exaggeration of
+the late Tudor days.</p>
+
+<p>Chests of various kinds still remained of importance. Their growth is
+interesting: first the plain ones of very early days, then panels
+appeared, then the pointed arch with its architectural effect, then the
+low-pointed arch of Tudor and early Jacobian times, and the geometrical
+ornament. Then came a change in the general shape, a drawer being added
+at the bottom, and at last it turned into a complete chest of drawers.</p>
+
+<p>Cabinets or cupboards were also used a great deal, and the most
+interesting are the court-and livery-cupboards. The derivation of the
+names is a bit obscure, but the court cupboard probably comes from the
+French <i>court</i>, short. The first ones were high and unwieldy and the
+later ones were lower with some enclosed shelves. They were used for <a name="Page_66"></a>a
+display of plate, much as the modern sideboard is used. The number of
+shelves was limited by rank; the wife of a baronet could have two, a
+countess three, a princess four, a queen five. They were beautifully
+carved, very often, the doors to the enclosed portions having heads,
+Tudor roses, arches, spindle ornaments and many other designs common to
+the Tudor and Jacobean periods. They had a silk &quot;carpet&quot; put on the
+shelves with the fringe hanging over the ends, but not the front, and on
+this was placed the silver.</p>
+
+<p>The livery-cupboard was used for food, and the word probably comes from
+the French <i>livrer</i>, to deliver. It had several shelves enclosed by
+rails, not panels, so the air could circulate, and some of them had open
+shelves and a drawer for linen. They were used much as we use a
+serving-table, or as the kitchen dresser was used in old New England
+days. In them were kept food and drink for people to take to their
+bedrooms to keep starvation at bay until breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>Drawing-tables were very popular during Jacobean times. They were
+described as having two ends that were drawn out and supported by
+sliders, while the center, previously held by them, fell into place by
+its own weight. Another characteristic table was the gate-legged or
+thousand-legged table, that was used so much in our own Colonial times.
+There were also round, oval and square tables which had flaps supported
+by legs that were drawn out. Tables were almost invariably covered with
+a table cloth.</p><a name="Page_67"></a>
+
+<p>Some of the chairs of the time of James I were much like those of Louis
+XIII, having the short back covered with leather, damask, or tapestry,
+put on with brass or silver nails and fringe around the edge of the
+seat. The chief characteristic of the chairs of this time was solidity,
+with the ornament chiefly on the upper parts, which were molded oftener
+than carved, with the backs usually high. A plain leather chair called
+the &quot;Cromwell chair,&quot; was imported from Holland. The solid oak back gave
+way at last to the half solid back, then came the open back with rails,
+and then the Charles II chair, with its carved or turned uprights, its
+high back of cane, and an ornamental stretcher like the top of the chair
+back, between the front legs. This is a very attractive feature, as it
+serves to give balance of decoration and also partly hides the plain
+stretcher from sight. A typical detail of Charles II furniture is the
+crown supported by cherubs or opposed S-curves. James II used a crown
+and palm leaves.</p>
+
+<p>Grinling Gibbons did his wonderful work in carving at this time, using
+chiefly pear and lime wood. The greater part of his work was wall
+decoration, but he made tables, mirrors and other furniture as well. The
+carving was often in lighter wood than the background, and was in such
+high relief that portions of it had often to be &quot;pinned&quot; together, for
+it seemed almost in the round. Evelyn discovered Gibbons in a little
+shop working away at such a wonderful piece <a name="Page_68"></a>of carving that he could
+not rest until he had taken him to Sir Christopher Wrenn. From this
+introduction came the great amount of work they did together. The
+influence of his work was still seen in the early eighteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>The room at Knole House that was furnished for James I is of great
+interest, as it is the same to-day as when first furnished. The bed is
+said to have cost &pound;8,000. As it is one of the show places of England one
+should not miss a chance of seeing it.</p>
+
+<p>Until the time of the Restoration the furniture of England could not
+compare in sumptuousness with that of the Continental countries.
+England, besides having a simpler point of view, was in a perpetual
+state of unrest. The honest and hard-working English joiners and
+carpenters adapted in a plain and often clumsy way the styles of the
+different foreigners who came to the country. Through it all, however,
+they kept the touch of national character that makes the furniture so
+interesting, and they often did work of great beauty and worth. When
+Charles II came to the throne he brought with him the ideas of France,
+where he had spent so many years, and the change became very marked. The
+natural Stuart extravagance also helped to form his taste, and soon we
+hear of much more elaborate decoration throughout the land.</p>
+
+<p>Many of the country towns were far behind London in the style of
+furniture, and this explains why some furniture <a name="Page_69"></a>that is dated 1670, for
+instance, seems to belong to an earlier time. The famous silver
+furniture of Knole House, Seven-oaks, belongs to this time. Evelyn
+mentions in his diary that the rooms of the Duchess of Portsmouth were
+full of &quot;Japan cabinets and screens, pendule clocks, greate vases of
+wrought plate, tables, stands, chimney furniture, sconces, branches,
+baseras, etc., all of massive silver,&quot; and later he mentions again her
+&quot;massy pieces of plate, whole tables and stands of incredible value.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>In the reign of William and Mary, Dutch influence was naturally very
+pronounced, as William disliked everything English. The English, being
+now well grounded in the knowledge of construction, took the Dutch ideas
+as a foundation and developed them along their own lines, until we have
+the late Queen Anne type made by Chippendale.</p>
+
+<p>The change in the style of chairs was most marked and noticeable. They
+were more open backed than in Charles's time and had two uprights and a
+spoon-or fiddle-shaped splat to support the sitter's back. The chair
+backs took more the curve of the human figure, and the seats were
+broader in front than in the back; the cabriole legs were broad at the
+top and ended in claw or pad feet, and there were no straining-rails.
+The shell was a common form of ornament, and all crowns and cherubs had
+disappeared. Inlay and marquetry came to be generously used, but there
+had been many cabinets of Dutch marquetry brought to<a name="Page_70"></a> England even
+before the time of William and Mary. Flower designs in dyed woods,
+shell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory were used.</p>
+
+<p>The marquetry clocks made at this time are wonderful and characteristic
+examples of the work, and are among the finest clocks ever made for
+beauty of line and finish, and proportion.</p>
+
+<p>Although marquetry and inlay have much in common there is one great
+difference between them, and they should not be used as synonymous
+terms. In marquetry the entire surface of the article is covered with
+pieces of different colored woods cut very thin and glued on. It is like
+a modern picture puzzle done with regard to the design. In inlay, the
+design only is inlaid in the wood, leaving a much larger plain
+background. Veneering is a thin layer of beautiful and often rare wood
+glued to a foundation of some cheaper kind. The tall clocks and cabinets
+of William and Mary's time and the wonderful work of Boulle in France
+are examples of marquetry, the fine furniture of Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton are masterly examples of inlay.</p>
+
+<a name="Page_72"></a><center>
+<a href="images/288a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_288a.jpg" width="236" height="161" alt="Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+ out the true feeling of the old with great skill." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<center>
+<a href="images/288b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_288b.jpg" width="236" height="161" alt="Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+ out the true feeling of the old with great skill." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'>Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+ out the true feeling of the old with great skill.</p>
+
+
+<br />
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/289a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_289a.jpg" width="153" height="253" alt="A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/289b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_289b.jpg" width="163" height="215" alt="Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_73"></a>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Queen_Anne"></a><h2><i>Queen Anne</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>&quot;Queen Anne&quot; furniture is a very elastic term, for it is often used to
+cover the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I, and a part
+of the reign of George II, or, in other words, all the time of Dutch
+influence. The more usual method is to leave out William and Mary, but
+at best the classification of furniture is more or less arbitrary, for
+in England, as well as other countries, the different styles overlap
+each other. Chippendale's early work was distinctly influenced by the
+Dutch.</p>
+
+<p>Walnut superseded oak in popularity, and after 1720 mahogany gradually
+became the favorite. There was a good deal of walnut veneering done, and
+the best logs were saved for the purpose. Marquetry died out and gave
+place to carving, and the cabriole leg, one of the chief marks of Dutch
+influence, became a firmly fixed style. The carving was put on the knees
+and the legs ended in claw and ball and pad feet. Some chairs were
+simply carved with a shell or leaf or scroll on top rail and knees of
+the legs. In the more elaborately carved chairs the arms, legs, splat,
+and top rail were all carved with acanthus leaves, or designs from
+Gibbons's decoration. Chairs were broad in the seat and high of back
+with wide <a name="Page_74"></a>splats, often decorated with inlay, in the early part of the
+period. The top rail curved into the side uprights, and the seat was set
+into a rebate or box-seat. The chair backs slowly changed in shape,
+becoming broader and lower, the splat ceased to be inlaid and was
+pierced and carved, and the whole chair assumed the shape made so
+familiar to us by Chippendale.</p>
+
+<p>Tables usually had cabriole legs, although there were some gate-or
+thousand-legged, tables, and card tables, writing-tables, and
+flap-tables, were all used. It was in the Queen Anne period that
+highboys and lowboys made their first appearance.</p>
+
+<p>In the short reign of Anne it also became the fashion to have great
+displays of Chinese porcelain, and over-mantels, cupboards, shelves and
+tables were covered with wonderful pieces of it. Addison, in Sir Roger
+de Coverley, humorously describes a lady's library of the time.</p>
+
+<p>&quot;... And as it was some time before the lady came to me I had an
+opportunity of turning over a great many of her books, which were ranged
+in a very beautiful order. At the end of the folios (which were finely
+bound and gilt) were great jars of china placed one above another in a
+very noble piece of architecture. The quartos were separated from the
+octavos by a pile of smaller vessels, which rose in a delightful
+pyramid. The octavos were bounded by tea-dishes of all shapes, colors,
+and sizes, which were so disposed on a wooden frame that they looked
+like one continued pillar <a name="Page_75"></a>indented with the finest strokes of sculpture
+and stained with the greatest variety of dyes. Part of the library was
+enclosed in a kind of square, consisting of one of the prettiest
+grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions,
+monkeys, mandarins, trees, shells, and a thousand other odd figures in
+china ware. In the midst of the room was a little Japan table.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>Between 1710 and 1730 lacquer ware became very fashionable, and many
+experiments were made to imitate the beautiful Oriental articles brought
+home by Dutch traders. In Holland a fair amount of success was attained
+and a good deal of lacquered furniture was sent from there to England
+where the brass and silver mounts were added. English and French were
+experimenting, the French with the greatest success in their Vernis
+Martin, mentioned elsewhere, which really stood quite in a class by
+itself, but the imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer were inferior
+to the originals. Pine, oak, lime, and many other woods, were used as a
+base, and the fashion was so decided that nearly all kinds of furniture
+were covered with it. This lacquer ware of William and Mary's and Queen
+Anne's time must not be confounded with the Japanned furniture of
+Hepplewhite's and Sheraton's time, which was quite different and of much
+lower grade.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the reign of Queen Anne that the sun began to rise on English
+cabinet work; it shone gloriously through the eighteenth century, and
+sank in early Victorian clouds.</p>
+
+<a name="Page_76"></a><a name="Page_77"></a><a name="Page_78"></a>
+<br /><br />
+
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/290a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_290a.jpg" width="163" height="215" alt="Two important phases of Chippendale&#39;s work&mdash;an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/290b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_290b.jpg" width="163" height="215" alt="Two important phases of Chippendale&#39;s work&mdash;an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption' colspan='2'>Two important phases of Chippendale&#39;s work&mdash;an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+
+<a name="Page_79"></a><center>
+<a href="images/291a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_291a.jpg" width="278" height="158" alt="An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+ mirror, showing French influence." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+ mirror, showing French influence.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/291b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_291b.jpg" width="274" height="214" alt="One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale&#39;s
+fretwork tea-tables in existence." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale&#39;s
+fretwork tea-tables in existence.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Chippendale_and_the_Eighteenth_Century_in_England"></a><h2><i>Chippendale and the Eighteenth Century in England.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The classification of furniture in England is on a different basis from
+that of France, as the rulers of England were not such patrons of art as
+were the French kings. Flemish, Dutch and French influences all helped
+to form the taste of the people. The Jacobean period lasted from the
+time of James I to the time of William and Mary. William brought with
+him from Holland the strong Dutch feeling that had a tremendous
+influence on the history of English furniture, and during Anne's short
+reign the Dutch feeling still lasted.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until the early years of the reign of George II that the
+Georgian period came into its own with Chippendale at its head. Some
+authorities include William and Mary and Queen Anne in the Georgian
+period, but the more usual idea is to divide it into several parts,
+better known as the times of Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton. French influence is marked throughout and is divided into
+parts. The period of Chippendale was contemporaneous with that of Louis
+XV, and the second part included the other three men and corresponded
+with the last years of<a name="Page_80"></a> Louis XV, when the transition to Louis XVI was
+beginning, and the time of Louis XVI.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until the latter part of Chippendale's life that he gave up
+his love of rococo curves and scrolls, dripping water effects, and his
+Chinese and Gothic styles. His early chairs had a Dutch feeling, and it
+is often only by ornamentation that one can date them.</p>
+
+<p>The top of the Dutch chair had a flowing curve, the splat was first
+solid and plain, then carved, and later pierced in geometrical designs;
+then came the curves that were used so much by Chippendale. The carving
+consisted of swags and pendants of fruit and flowers, shells, acanthus
+leaves, scrolls, eagle's heads, carved in relief on the surface.</p>
+
+<p>Dutch chairs were usually of walnut and some of the late ones were of
+mahogany. Mahogany was not used to any extent before 1720, but at that
+time it began to be imported in large quantities, and its lightness and
+the ease with which it could be worked made it appropriate for the
+lighter style of furniture then coming into vogue.</p>
+
+<p>Chippendale began to make chairs with the curved top that is so
+characteristic of his work. The splat back was always used, in spite of
+the French, and its treatment is one of the most interesting things in
+the history of English furniture. It gave scope for great originality.
+Although, as I have said before, foreign influence was strong, the ideas
+were adapted and worked out by the great cabinet-makers <a name="Page_81"></a>of the Georgian
+period with a vigor and beauty that made a distinct English style, and
+often went far, far ahead of the originals.</p>
+
+<p>There were, so far as we know, three Thomas Chippendales: the second was
+the great one. He was born in Worcester, England, about 1710, and died
+in 1779. He and his father, who was also a carver, came to London before
+1727. Very little is known about his life, but we may feel sure he was
+that rare combination: a man of genius with decided business ability. He
+not only designed the furniture which was made in his shop, but executed
+a large part of it also, and superintended all the work done there by
+others. That he was a man of originality shows distinctly through his
+work, for although he adapted and copied freely and was strongly
+influenced by the Dutch, French, and &quot;Chinese taste,&quot; there is always
+his own distinctive touch. The furniture of his best period, and those
+belonging to his school, has great beauty of line and proportion, and
+the exquisite carving shows a true feeling for ornament in relation to
+plain surfaces. There are a few examples in existence of carving in
+almost as high relief as that of Grinling Gibbons, swags, etc., and in
+his most rococo period his carving was very elaborate. It always had
+great clearness of edge and cut, and a wonderful feeling for light and
+shade. In what is called &quot;Irish Chippendale,&quot; which was furniture made
+in Ireland after the style of Chippendale, the carving was in low relief
+<a name="Page_82"></a>and the edges fairly smoothed off, which made it much less interesting.</p>
+
+<p>Chippendale looked upon his work as one of the arts and placed his ideal
+of achievement very high, and that he received the recognition of the
+best people of the time as an artist of merit is proved by his election
+to the Society of Arts with such men as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace
+Walpole, Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, and others.</p>
+
+<p>The genius of Chippendale justly puts him in the front rank of
+cabinet-makers and his influence was the foundation of much of the fine
+work done by many others during the eighteenth century. He is often
+criticized for his excessive rococo taste as displayed in the plates of
+the &quot;Gentleman's and Cabinet-maker's Director,&quot; and in some of his
+finished work. Many of the designs in the &quot;Director&quot; were probably never
+carried out, and some of them were probably added to by the soaring
+imaginations of the engraver. This is true of all the books published by
+the great cabinet-makers, and it always seems more fair to have their
+reputations rest on their finished work which has come down to us.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/292.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_292.jpg" width="275" height="404" alt="The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+ fine example of his work." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+ fine example of his work.</p>
+
+<p>Chippendale, of course, must bear the chief part of the charge of
+over-elaboration, and he frankly says that he thinks &quot;much enrichment is
+necessary.&quot; He copied Meissonier's designs and had a great love for
+gilding, but the display of rococo taste is not in all his work by any
+means, nor was it so excessive as that of the French. The more
+self-restrained <a name="Page_83"></a>temperament of the Anglo-Saxon race makes a deal of
+difference. He early used the ogee curve and cabriole leg, the knees of
+which he carved with cartouches and leaves or other designs. The front
+rail of the chair also was often carved. There were several styles of
+curved leg, the cabriole leg of Dutch influence, and the curved style of
+Louis XV. There were also several variations on the claw and ball foot.
+Many Chippendale chairs were without stretchers, but the straight legged
+style usually had four. The seats were sometimes in a box frame or
+rebate, and sometimes the covering was drawn over the frame and fastened
+with brass headed nails. Chippendale in the &quot;Director&quot; speaks of red
+morocco, Spanish leather, damask, tapestry and other needlework as being
+appropriate for the covering of his chairs.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/293a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293a.jpg" width="111" height="179" alt="A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/293b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293b.jpg" width="116" height="170" alt="One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/293c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293c.jpg" width="99" height="171" alt="Hepplewhite&#39;s characteristic shield-shaped back." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/293d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293d.jpg" width="110" height="174" alt="Thomas Sheraton&#39;s rectangular type of chair-back." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>Hepplewhite&#39;s characteristic shield-shaped back.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>Thomas Sheraton&#39;s rectangular type of chair-back.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>In about 1760 or 1765 he began to use the straight leg for his chairs.
+The different shapes of splats will often help in deciding the dates of
+their making, and its development is of great interest. The curves shown
+in the diagram on page 84 are the merest suggestions of the outline of
+the splat, and they were carved most beautifully in many different
+designs. Ribbon-back chairs are dated about 1755 and show the adapted
+French influence. His Gothic and Chinese designs were made about
+1760-1770. Ladder-back chairs nearly always had straight legs, either
+plain or with double ogee curve and bead moldings, but there are a few
+examples of ladder-back and cabriole legs combined, although these <a name="Page_84"></a>are
+very rare. The chair settees of the Dutch time, with backs having the
+appearance of chairs side by side, were also made by Chippendale. &quot;Love
+seats&quot; were small settees. It was na&iuml;vely said that &quot;they were too large
+for one and too small for two.&quot; A large armchair that shows a decided
+difference in the manners of the early eighteenth century and the
+present day was called the &quot;drunkard's chair.&quot;</p>
+
+<center>
+<img src="images/099.png" width="600" height="440" alt="DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE." title="" />
+<p class='caption'>DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE.</p>
+</center>
+
+<p>When the craze for &quot;Indian work&quot; was at its height, there were many
+pieces of old oak and walnut furniture covered with lacquer to bring it
+up to the fashionable standard, but their forms were not suitable, and
+oak especially, with its <a name="Page_85"></a>coarse grain did not lend itself to the
+process. The stands for lacquer cabinets vary in style, but were often
+gilded in late Louis XIV and Louis XV style. The difference between true
+lacquer and its imitations is hard to explain. The true was made by
+repeated coats of a special varnish, each rubbed down and allowed to
+become hard before the next was put on. This gave a hard, cool, smooth
+surface with no stickiness. Modern work, done with paint and French
+varnish, has not this delightful feeling, but is nearly always clammy to
+the touch, and the colors are hurt by the process of polishing.
+Chippendale did not use much lacquer, but in the &quot;Director&quot; he often
+says such and such designs would be suitable for it.</p>
+
+<p>Much of the furniture that Chippendale made was heavy, but the best of
+it had much beauty. His delicate fretwork tea-tables are a delight, with
+their fretwork cupboards and carving. He seemed to combine many sides in
+his artistic temperament, a fact that many people lay to his power of
+assimilating the work of others. He did not make sideboards in our sense
+of the word. His were large side-tables, sometimes with a drawer for
+silver and sometimes not. Pier-tables were very much like them in shape,
+but smaller, and were often gilded to match the mirrors which were
+placed above them.</p>
+
+<p>The larger pieces of Chippendale furniture have the same characteristic
+of perfect workmanship and detail which the <a name="Page_86"></a>chairs possess.
+Dining-tables were made in sections consisting of two semi-circular ends
+and two center pieces with flaps which could all be joined together and
+make a very large table. The beds he made had four posts and cornice
+tops elaborately carved and often gilded, with a strong Louis XV
+feeling. The curtains hung from the inside of the cornice. He also made
+many other styles of beds, such as canopy beds, tent beds, flat tester
+beds, Chinese beds, Gothic beds: there was almost nothing he did not
+make for the house from wall brackets to the largest wardrobes.</p>
+
+<p>To many people used to the simple Chippendale furniture which is
+commonly seen, the idea of rich and beautiful carving and gilding comes
+as a surprise, and even in the &quot;Director&quot; there are no plates which show
+his most beautiful work. His elaborate furniture was naturally chiefly
+order work, and so was not pictured, and much of it that is left is
+still in the possession of the descendants of the original owners. The
+small number of authentic pieces which have reached public sales have
+been eagerly snapped up by private collectors and museums at large
+prices.</p>
+<br />
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/294a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_294a.jpg" width="243" height="131" alt="It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite&#39;s taste." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/294b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_294b.jpg" width="243" height="131" alt="It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite&#39;s taste." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite&#39;s taste.</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>In America much of the furniture called Chippendale was not made by
+Chippendale himself, but was made after his designs and copied from
+imported pieces by clever cabinet-makers here in the, then, colonies.
+The average American of the eighteenth century was a simple and not over
+rich person of good breeding and refined taste who appreciated the
+<a name="Page_87"></a>fact that the elaborate furniture of England and France would not be
+in keeping with life in America, and so either imported the simpler
+kinds, or demanded that the home cabinet-maker choose good models for
+his work. This partly explains why we have so much really good Colonial
+furniture, and not so much of the elaborately carved and gilded variety.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/295.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_295.jpg" width="271" height="398" alt="A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+ knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+ knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair.</p><a name="Page_88"></a><a name="Page_89"></a><a name="Page_90"></a><a name="Page_91"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Robert_Adam"></a><h2><i>Robert Adam</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>Robert Adam was the second of the four sons of William Adam, and was
+born in 1728. The Adam family was Scotch of good social position. Robert
+early showed a talent for drawing. He was ambitious, and, as old Roman
+architecture interested him above all other subjects, he decided that he
+could attain his ideals only by study and travel in Italy. He returned
+to England in 1758 after four years of hard work with the results of his
+labors, the chief treasure being his careful drawings of Diocletian's
+villa. His classical taste was firmly established, and was to be one of
+the important influences of the eighteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>Robert and James Adam went into partnership and became the most noted
+architects of their day in England. The list of their buildings is long
+and interesting, and much of their architectural and decorative work is
+still in existence.</p>
+
+<p>To many people it will seem like putting the cart before the horse to
+say that Robert Adam had in any way influenced the style we call Louis
+XVI, but it is a plausible theory and certainly an interesting one. Mr.
+G. Owen Wheeler in his interesting book on &quot;Old English Furniture&quot; makes
+a strong case in favor of the Adam Brothers. Classical taste <a name="Page_92"></a>was well
+established in England by 1765, before the transition from Louis XV to
+Louis XVI began, and Robert Adam published his book in parallel columns
+of French and English, which shows it must have been in some demand in
+France. The great influence of the excavations at Pompeii must naturally
+not be underestimated, as it was far reaching, but with the beautiful
+Adam style well developed, just across the Channel, it seems probable
+that it may have had its share in forming French taste. The foundation
+being there, the French put their characteristic touch to it and
+developed a much richer style than that of the Adam Brothers, but the
+two have so much in common that Louis XVI furniture may be put into an
+Adam room with perfect fitness, and vice versa. As the Adams cared only
+to design furniture some one else had to carry out the designs, and
+Chippendale was master carver and cabinet-maker under them at Harewood
+House, Yorkshire, and probably was also in many other instances.</p>
+
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/296a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_296a.jpg" width="233" height="159" alt="A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire&mdash;the work of the brothers Adam." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire&mdash;the work of the brothers Adam.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/296b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_296b.jpg" width="234" height="161" alt="Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work.</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>The early furniture of Adam was plain, and the walls were treated with
+much decoration that was classic in feeling. He possessed the secret of
+a composition of which his exquisite decorations on walls and ceilings
+were made. After 1770 he simplified his walls and elaborated his
+furniture designs until they met in a beautiful and graceful harmony. He
+designed furniture to suit the room it was in, and with the dainty and
+charming coloring, the beauty of proportion <a name="Page_93"></a>and the charm of the wall
+decoration, the scheme had great beauty.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/297a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297a.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/297b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297b.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/297c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297c.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/297d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297d.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption' colspan='2'>This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>He used the ram's head, wreaths, honeysuckle, mythological subjects,
+lozenge-shaped, oval and octagonal panels, and many other designs. He
+was one of the first to use the French idea of decorating furniture with
+painting and porcelain plaques, and the furniture itself was simple and
+beautiful in line. The stucco ceilings designed by the brothers were
+picked out with delicate colors and have much beauty of line.</p>
+
+<p>A great deal of the most beautiful Adam decoration was the painting on
+walls and ceilings and furniture by Angelica Kaufmann, Zucchi,
+Pergolesi, Cipriani, and Columbani. The standard of work was so high
+that only the best was satisfactory.</p>
+
+<p>Adam usually designed his furniture for the room in which it was to
+stand, and he often planned the house and all its contents, even to the
+table silver, to say nothing of the door-locks. The chairs were of
+mahogany, or painted, or gilded, wood. Some had oval upholstered backs,
+with the covering specially designed for the room, and some had lyre
+backs, later used so much by Sheraton, and others had small painted
+panels placed in the top rail, with beautiful carving. Mirrors were
+among the most charming articles designed by Adam, and had composition
+wreaths and cupids and medallions for ornament. They were usually made
+in pairs in <a name="Page_94"></a>both large and small sizes. A pair of antique mirrors
+should be kept together, as they are very much more valuable than when
+separated.</p>
+
+<p>Adam was one of the first to assemble the pieces that later grew into
+the sideboard&mdash;a table, two pedestals, and a cellaret. There is a
+sideboard designed by him for Gillows, in which the parts are connected,
+and it is at least one of the ancestors of the beautiful Shearer and
+Hepplewhite ones and our modern useful, though not always beautiful,
+article. When, late in his career, Adam attempted to copy the French, he
+was not so successful, as he did not have their flexibility of
+temperament, and was unable to give the warmer touch to the classic,
+which they did so well. His paneled walls, however, have great dignity
+and purity of line and feeling, and the applied ornament was really an
+ornament, and not a disfigurement as too often happens in our day. With
+Adam one feels the surety of knowledge and the refinement of good taste
+led by a high ideal.</p><a name="Page_95"></a><a name="Page_96"></a>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/298.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_298.jpg" width="356" height="257" alt="There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen.</p>
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_97"></a><center>
+<a href="images/299a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_299a.jpg" width="277" height="201" alt="A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+ silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+ silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony.</p>
+
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/299b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_299b.jpg" width="252" height="175" alt="A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+ carving he used so much." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+ carving he used so much.</p>
+<br />
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Hepplewhite"></a><h2><i>Hepplewhite</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The work of Hepplewhite and his school lasted from about 1760 to 1795;
+the last nine years of the time the business was carried on by his
+widow, Alice, under the name of A. Hepplewhite &amp; Co. For five years
+after that some work was done after his manner, but it was distinctly
+inferior. In the early seventies Hepplewhite's work was so well known
+and so much admired that its influence was shown in the work of his
+contemporaries. There was a great difference between his style and that
+of Chippendale, his being much lighter in construction and effect,
+besides the many differences of design. Hepplewhite was strongly
+influenced by the French style of Louis XVI, and also the pure taste of
+Robert Adam at its height. Hepplewhite, however, like all the great
+cabinet-makers, both French and English, was a great genius himself and
+stamped the impress of his own personality upon his work.</p>
+
+<p>Many people date Hepplewhite's fame from the time of the publication of
+his book, &quot;The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide,&quot; in 1788, not
+realizing that he had been dead for two years when it appeared. Its
+publication was justified by the well established popularity of his
+furniture and the success with which his designs were carried out by A.
+Hepplewhite &amp; Co.</p><a name="Page_98"></a>
+
+<p>It is interesting to notice the difference in the size of chairs which
+became apparent during Hepplewhite's time. Hoop-skirts and stiffened
+coats went out of fashion, and with them went the need of large chair
+seats. The transition chairs made by Hepplewhite were not very
+attractive in proportion, as the backs were too low for the width. The
+transition from Chippendale to Hepplewhite was not sudden, as the last
+style of Chippendale was simpler and had more of the classic feeling in
+it. Hepplewhite says, in the preface to his book: &quot;To unite elegance and
+utility, and blend the useful with the agreeable, has ever been
+considered a difficult, but an honorable task.&quot; He sometimes failed and
+sometimes succeeded. His knowledge of construction enabled him to make
+his chairs with shield, oval, and heart-shaped backs. The tops were
+slightly curved, also the tops of the splats, and at the lower edge
+where the back and the splat join, a half rosette was carved. He often
+used the three feathers of the Prince of Wales, sheaves of wheat,
+anthemion, urns, and festoons of drapery, all beautifully carved, and
+forming the splat. The backs of his chairs were supported at the sides
+by uprights running into the shield-shaped back and did not touch the
+seat frame in any other way. With this apparent weakness of construction
+it is wonderful how many of his chairs have come down to us in perfect
+condition, but it was his knowledge of combining lightness with strength
+which made it possible.</p>
+
+<p>Hepplewhite used straight or tapering legs with spade feet <a name="Page_99"></a>for his
+furniture, often inlaid with bellflowers in satinwood. The legs were
+sometimes carved with a double ogee curve and bead molding. He did not
+use carving in the lavish manner of Chippendale, but it was always
+beautifully done, and he used a great deal of inlay of satinwood, etc.,
+oval panels, lines, urns, and many other motives common to the other
+cabinet-makers of the day, and also painted some of his furniture. His
+Japan work was inferior in every way to that of the early part of the
+eighteenth century. The upholstery was fastened to the chairs with
+brass-headed tacks, often in a festoon pattern. Oval-shaped brass
+handles were used on his bureaus, desks, and other furniture. He made
+many sideboards, some, in fact, going back to the side table and
+pedestal idea, and bottle-cases and knife-boxes were put on the ends of
+the sideboards. His regular sideboards were founded on Shearer's design.</p>
+
+<p>Shearer's furniture was simple and dainty in design, and he has the
+honor of making the first real serpentine sideboard, about 1780, which
+was not a more or less disconnected collection of tables and pedestals.
+It was the forerunner of the Hepplewhite and Sheraton sideboards that we
+know so well. Shearer is now hardly known even by name to the general
+world, but without doubt his ideal of lightness and strength in
+construction had a good deal of influence on his contemporaries and
+followers.</p>
+
+<p>Hepplewhite was very fond of oval and semi-circular <a name="Page_100"></a>shapes, and many of
+his tables are made in either one way or the other. His sideboards,
+founded on Shearer's designs, are very elegant, as he liked to say, in
+their simplicity of line, their inlay, and their general beauty of wood.
+He was most successful in his chairs, sideboards, tables, and small
+household articles, for his larger pieces of furniture were often too
+heavy. Some of the worst, however, were made by other cabinet-makers
+after his designs, and not by Hepplewhite himself.</p><a name="Page_101"></a><a name="Page_102"></a><a name="Page_103"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Sheraton"></a><h2><i>Sheraton</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>Thomas Sheraton was born in 1750, and was a journeyman cabinet-maker
+when he went to London. His great genius for furniture design was
+combined with a love of writing tracts and sermons. Unfortunately for
+his success in life, he had a most disagreeable personality, being
+conceited, jealous, and perfectly willing to pour scorn on his brother
+cabinet-makers. This impression he quite frankly gives about himself in
+his books. The name of Robert Adam is not mentioned, and this seems
+particularly unpleasant when one thinks of the latter's undoubted
+influence on Sheraton's work. Sheraton's unfortunate disposition
+probably helped to make his life a failure.</p>
+
+<p>It is very sad to see such possibilities as his not reaping their true
+reward, for poverty dogged his steps all through life, and he was always
+struggling for a bare livelihood. His books were not financially
+successful, and at last he gave up his workshop and ceased to make the
+furniture he designed. He was an expert draughtsman and his designs were
+carried out by the skillful cabinet-makers of the day. Adam Black gives
+a very pitiful account of the poverty in which Sheraton lived, and says:
+&quot;That by attempting to do everything he does nothing.&quot; His &quot;nothing,&quot;
+however, has proved a very <a name="Page_104"></a>big something in the years which have
+followed, for Sheraton is responsible for one of the most beautiful
+types of furniture the world has known, and although his life was hard
+and bitter, his fame is great.</p>
+
+<p>Sheraton took the style of Louis XVI as his standard, and some of his
+best work is quite equal to that of the French workmen. He felt the lack
+of the exquisite brass and ormolu work done in France, and said if it
+were only possible to get as fine in England, the superior
+cabinet-making of the English would put them far ahead in the ranks. To
+many of us this loss is not so great, for the beauty of the wood counts
+for more, and is not detracted from by an oversupply of metal ornament,
+as sometimes happened in France. &quot;Enough is as good as a feast.&quot;
+Sheraton, at his best, had beauty, grace, and refinement of line without
+weakness, lightness and yet perfect construction, combined with balance,
+and the ornament just sufficient to enhance the beauty of the article
+without overpowering it. It is this fine work which the world remembers
+and which gave him his fame, and so it is far better to forget his later
+period when nearly all trace of his former greatness was lost.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/300.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_300.jpg" width="209" height="301" alt="A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+ dressing-glass." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+ dressing-glass.</p>
+
+<p>Sheraton profited by the work of Chippendale, Adam, and Hepplewhite, for
+these great men blazed the trail for him, so to speak, in raising the
+art of cabinet-making to so high a plane that England was full of
+skilled workmen. The influence of Adam, Shearer, and Hepplewhite, was
+very great <a name="Page_105"></a>on his work, and it is often difficult to tell whether he
+or Hepplewhite or Shearer made some pieces. He evidently did not have
+business ability and his bitter nature hampered him at every turn. The
+Sheraton school lasted from about 1790 to 1806. He died in 1806, fairly
+worn out with his struggle for existence. Poor Sheraton, it certainly is
+a pitiful story.</p>
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/301a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_301a.jpg" width="203" height="212" alt="One of Sheraton&#39;s charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/301b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_301b.jpg" width="135" height="211" alt="A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>One of Sheraton&#39;s charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>Sheraton's chair backs are rectangular in type, with urn splats, and
+splats divided into seven radiates, and also many other designs. The
+chairs were made of mahogany and satinwood, some carved, some inlaid,
+and some painted. The splat never ran into the seat, but was supported
+on a cross rail running from side to side a few inches above the seat.
+The material used for upholstery was nailed over the frame with
+brass-headed tacks.</p>
+
+<p>Bookcases were of mahogany and satinwood veneer, and the large ones were
+often in three sections, the center section standing farther out than
+the two sides. The glass was covered with a graceful design in moldings,
+and the pediments were of various shapes, the swan-neck being a
+favorite.</p>
+
+<p>Sideboards were built on very much the lines of those made by Shearer
+and Hepplewhite. There were drawers and cupboards for various uses. The
+knife-boxes to put on the top came in sets of two, and sometimes there
+was a third box. The legs were light and tapering with inlay of
+satinwood, and sometimes they were reeded. There was inlay also on the
+doors and drawers. There were also sideboards without <a name="Page_106"></a>inlay. The legs
+for his furniture were at first plain, and then tapering and reeded. He
+used some carving, and a great deal of satinwood and tulip-wood were
+inlaid in the mahogany; he also used rosewood. The bellflower, urn,
+festoons, and acanthus were all favorites of his for decoration.</p>
+
+<p>He made some elaborate and startling designs for beds, but the best
+known ones are charming with slender turned posts or reeded posts, and
+often the plain ones were made of painted satinwood.</p>
+
+<p>The satinwood from the East Indies was fine and of a beautiful yellow
+color, while that from the West Indies was coarser in grain and darker
+in color. It is a slow growing tree, and that used nowadays cannot
+compare with the old, in spite of the gallant efforts of the hard
+working fakirs to copy its beautiful golden tone.</p>
+
+<p>All the cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century made ingenious
+contrivances in the way of furniture, washstands concealed in what
+appear to be corner cupboards, a table that looks as simple as a table
+possibly can, but has a small step-ladder and book rest hidden away in
+its useful inside, and many others. Sheraton was especially clever in
+making these conveniences, as these two examples show, and his books
+have many others pictured in them. Sheraton's list of articles of
+furniture is long, for he made almost everything from knife-boxes to
+&quot;chamber-horses,&quot; which were <a name="Page_107"></a>contrivances of a saddle and springs for
+people to take exercise upon at home.</p>
+
+<p>Sheraton's &quot;Drawing Book&quot; was the best of those he published. It was
+sold chiefly to other cabinet-makers and did not bring in many orders,
+as Chippendale's and Hepplewhite's did. His other books showed his
+decline, and his &quot;Encyclopedia,&quot; on which he was working at the time of
+his death, had many subjects in it beside furniture and cabinet-making.
+His sideboards, card-tables, sewing-tables, tables of every kind,
+chairs&mdash;in fact, everything he made during his best period&mdash;have a
+sureness and beauty of line that makes it doubly sad that through the
+stress of circumstances he should have deserted it for the style of the
+Empire that was then the fashion in France. One or two of his Empire
+designs have beauty, but most of them are too dreadful, but it was the
+beginning of the end, and the eighteenth century saw the beautiful
+principles of the eighteenth century lost in a bog of ugliness.</p>
+
+<p>There were many other cabinet-makers of merit that space does not allow
+me to mention, but the great four who stood head and shoulders above
+them all were Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. They, being
+human, did much work that is best forgotten, but the heights to which
+they all rose have set a standard for English furniture in beauty and
+construction that it would be well to keep in mind.</p>
+
+<p>The nineteenth century passed away without any especial <a name="Page_108"></a>genius, and in
+fact, with a very black mark against its name in the hideous early
+Victorian era. The twentieth century is moving along without anything we
+can really call a beautiful and worthy style being born. There are many
+working their way towards it, but there is apt to be too much of the
+bizarre in the attempts to make them satisfactory, and so we turn to the
+past for our models and are thankful for the legacy of beauty it has
+left to the world.</p><a name="Page_109"></a><a name="Page_110"></a><a name="Page_111"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="A_General_Talk"></a><h2><i>A General Talk</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When one faces the momentous question of furnishing a house, there are
+numerous things which must be looked into and thoroughly understood if
+success is to be assured. If one is building in the country the first
+question is the placing of the house in regard to the view, but in town
+there is not much choice. The architect being chosen with due regard to
+the style of house one wishes, the planning can go merrily on. The
+architect should be told if there are any especially large and beautiful
+pieces of furniture or tapestry to be planned for, so they shall receive
+their rightful setting. After all, architects are but human, and cannot
+tell by intuition what furniture is in storage.</p>
+
+<p>It is sad to see how often architecture and decoration are looked upon
+as two entirely disconnected subjects, instead of being closely allied,
+playing into each other's hands, as it were, to make a perfect whole. To
+many people, a room is simply a room to be treated as they wish; whereas
+many rooms are absolute laws unto themselves, and demand a certain kind
+of treatment, or disaster follows. In America this kind of house is not
+found so often as in Europe, but the number is growing rapidly as
+architects and their clients realize more <a name="Page_112"></a>and more the beauties and
+possibilities of the great periods as applied to the modern house. It is
+only to the well-trained architect and decorator with correct taste that
+one may safely turn, for the ill-trained and commonplace still continue
+to make their astounding errors, and so to have the decoration of a room
+truly successful one must begin with the architect, for he knows the
+correct proportions of the different styles and appreciates their
+importance. He will plan the rooms so that they, when decorated, may
+complete his work and form a beautiful and convincing whole. This will
+give the restfulness and beauty that absolute appropriateness always
+lends.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/302.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_302.jpg" width="351" height="257" alt="This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+ simplicity can be." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+ simplicity can be.</p>
+
+<p>This matter of appropriateness must not be overlooked, and the whole
+house should express the spirit of the owner; it should be in absolute
+keeping with his circumstances. There are few houses which naturally
+demand the treatment of palaces, but there are many which correspond
+with the smaller chateaux of France and the manor-houses of England. It
+is to these we must turn for our inspiration, for they have the beauty
+of good taste and high standards without the lavishness of royalty; but
+even royalty did not always live in rooms of state, for at Versailles,
+and Petit Trianon, there is much simple exquisite furniture. The
+wonderful and elaborate furniture of the past must be studied of course,
+but to the majority of people, then as now, the simpler expression of
+its fundamental lines of beauty are more <a name="Page_113"></a>satisfactory. The trouble
+with many houses is that their furnishings are copied from too grand
+models, and the effect in an average modern house is unsuitable in every
+way. They cannot give the large vistas and appropriate background in
+color and proportion which are necessary. Beauty does not depend upon
+magnificence.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/303.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_303.jpg" width="357" height="267" alt="The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+ attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+ attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting.</p>
+
+<p>If one has to live in a house planned and built by others one often has
+to give up some long cherished scheme and adopt something else more
+suited to the surroundings. For instance, the rooms of the great French
+periods were high, and often the modern house has very low ceilings,
+that would not allow space for the cornice, over-doors and correctly
+proportioned paneling, that are marked features of those times. Mrs.
+Wharton has aptly said: &quot;Proportion is the good breeding of
+architecture,&quot; and one might add that proportion is good breeding
+itself. One little slip from the narrow path into false proportion in
+line or color or mass and the perfection of effect is gone.</p>
+
+<p>Proportion is another word for the fitness of things, and that little
+phrase, &quot;the fitness of things,&quot; is what Alice in Wonderland calls a
+&quot;portmanteau&quot; phrase, for it holds so much, and one must feel it
+strongly to escape the pitfalls of period furnishing. Most amazing
+things are done with perfect complacency, but although the French and
+English kings who gave their names to the various periods were far from
+models of virtue, they certainly deserved no such cruel <a name="Page_114"></a>punishment as
+to have some of the modern rooms, such as we have all seen, called after
+them.</p>
+
+<p>The best decorators refuse to mix styles in one room and they thus save
+people from many mistakes, but a decorator without a thorough
+understanding of the subject, often leads one to disaster. A case in
+point is an apartment where a small Louis XV room opens on a narrow hall
+of nondescript modern style, with a wide archway opening into a Mission
+dining-room. As one sits in the midst of pink brocade and gilding and
+looks across to the dining-room, fitted out in all the heavy
+paraphernalia of Mission furniture, one's head fairly reels. No contrast
+could be more marked or more unsuitable, and yet this is by no means an
+uncommon case.</p>
+
+<p>If one intends to adopt a style in decorating one's house, there should
+be a uniformity of treatment in all connecting rooms, and there must be
+harmony in the furniture and architecture and ornament, as well as
+harmony in the color scheme. The foundation must be right before the
+decoration is added. The proportion of doors and windows, for instance,
+is very important, with the decorated over-door reaching to the ceiling.
+The over-doors and mantels were architectural features of the rooms, and
+it was not until wallpapers came into common use, in the early part of
+the nineteenth century, that these decorative features slowly died out.</p>
+
+<p>The mantel and fireplace should be a center of interest and should be
+balanced with something of importance on the other <a name="Page_115"></a>side of the room,
+either architectural or decorative. It was this regard for symmetry,
+balance, proportion, and harmony, which made the old rooms so
+satisfying; there was no magic about it, it was artistic common sense.</p>
+
+<p>The use for which a room is intended must be kept in view and carried
+out with real understanding of its needs. The individuality of the owner
+is of course a factor. Unfortunately the word individuality is often
+confounded with eccentricity and to many people it means putting
+perfectly worthy and unassuming articles to startling uses. By
+individuality one should really mean the best expression of one's sense
+of beauty and the fitness of things, and when it is guided by the laws
+of harmony and proportion the result is usually one of great charm,
+convenience, and comfort. These qualities must be in every successful
+house.</p>
+
+<p>In furnishing any house, whether in some special period or not, there
+are certain things which must be taken into account. One of these is the
+general color scheme. Arranging a color scheme for a house is not such a
+difficult matter as many people suppose, nor is it the simple thing that
+many others seem to think. There is a happy land between the two
+extremes, and the guide posts pointing to it are a good color sense, a
+true feeling for the proportion and harmony of color, and an
+understanding of the laws of light. The trouble is that people often do
+not use their eyes; red is red to them, blue is blue, and green is
+green. They have never appeared <a name="Page_116"></a>to notice that there are dozens of
+tones in these colors. Nature is one of the greatest teachers of color
+harmony if we would but learn from her. Look at a salt marsh on an
+autumn day and notice the wonderful browns and yellows and golds in it,
+the reds and russets and touches of green in the woods on its edge, and
+the clear blue sky over all with the reflections in the little pools. It
+is a picture of such splendor of color that one fairly gasps. Then look
+at the same marsh under gray skies and see the change; there is just as
+much beauty as before, the same russets and golds and reds, but
+exquisitely softened. One is sparkling, gay, a harmony of brilliancy;
+the other is more gentle, sweet and appealing, a harmony of softened
+glory.</p>
+
+<p>Again, Nature makes a thousand and one shades of green leaves to
+harmonize with her flowers; the yellow green of the golden rod, the
+silver green of the milkweed, the bright green of the nasturtium. Notice
+the woods in wintertime with the wonderful purple browns and grays of
+the tree trunks and branches, the bronze and russet of the dead leaves,
+and the deep shadows in the snow. Everywhere one turns there are lessons
+to learn if one will only use seeing eyes and a thinking mind.</p>
+
+<p>A house should be looked at as a whole, not as so many units to be
+treated in a care-free manner. A room is affected by all the rooms
+opening from it, as they, in turn, are affected by it. There can be
+variety of color with harmony of <a name="Page_117"></a>contrast, or there can be the same
+color used throughout, with the variety gained by the use of its
+different tones. The plan of each floor should be carefully studied to
+get the vistas in all directions so that harmony may reign and there
+will be no danger of a clashing color discord when a door is opened. The
+connecting rooms need not be all in one color, of course, but they
+should form a perfect color harmony one with another, with deft touches
+of contrast to accent and bring out the beauty of the whole scheme: This
+matter of harmony in contrast is an important one. The idea of using a
+predominant color is a restful one, and adds dignity and apparent size
+to a house. The walls, for instance, could be paneled in white enameled
+wood, or plaster, and the necessary color and variety could be supplied
+by the rugs, hangings, furniture, and pictures.</p>
+
+<p>Another charming plan is to have different tones of one color used&mdash;a
+scheme running from cream or old ivory through soft yellow and tan to a
+russet brown would be lovely, especially if the house did not have an
+over supply of light. Greens may be used with discretion, and a cool and
+attractive scheme is from white to soft blue through gray. If different
+colors are to be used in the different rooms the number of combinations
+is almost unlimited, but there must always be the restraining influence
+of a good color sense in forming the scheme or the result will be
+disappointing, to say the least.</p><a name="Page_118"></a>
+
+<p>A very important matter in the use of color is in its relation to the
+amount and quality of the light. Dreary rooms can be made cheerful, and
+too bright and dazzling rooms can be softened in effect, by the skillful
+use of color. The warm colors,&mdash;cream white, yellows&mdash;but not lemon
+yellow&mdash;orange, warm tans, russet, pinks, yellow greens, yellowish reds
+are to be used on the north or shady side of the house. The cool
+colors,&mdash;white, cream white, blues, grays, greens, and violet, are for
+the sunny side. Endless combinations may be made of these colors, and if
+a gray room, for example, is wished on the north side of the house, it
+can be used by first choosing a warm tone of gray and combining with it
+one of the warm colors, such as certain shades of soft pink or yellow.
+We can stand more brilliancy of color out-of-doors than we can in the
+house, where it is shut in with us. It is too exciting and we become
+restless and nervous. No matter on what scale a house is furnished one
+of its aims should be to be restful.</p>
+
+<p>There is one great mistake which many people make of thinking of red as
+a cheerful color, and one which is good to use in a dark room. The
+average red used in large quantities absorbs the light in a most
+disheartening manner, making a room seem smaller than it really is; it
+makes ugly gloomy shadows in the corners, for at night it seems to turn
+to a dingy black, and increases the electric light bill. Red is also a
+severe strain on the eyes, and many a red living-room <a name="Page_119"></a>is the cause of
+seemingly unaccountable headaches. I do not mean to say that red should
+never be used, for it is often a very necessary color, but it must be
+used with the greatest discretion, and one must remember that a little
+of it goes a long way. A room, for instance, paneled with oak, with an
+oriental rug with soft red in it, red hangings, and a touch of red in an
+old stained glass panel in the window, and red velvet cushions on the
+window seat, would have much more warmth and charm than if the walls
+were covered entirely with red. One red cushion is often enough to give
+the required note. The effect of color is very strong upon people,
+although a great many do not realize it, but nearly everyone will
+remember a sudden and apparently unexplained change of mood in going
+into some room. One can learn a deal by analyzing one's own sensations.
+Figured wall-papers should also be chosen with the greatest care for
+this same reason. Papers which have perpetual motion in their design, or
+eyes which seem to peer, or an unstable pattern of gold running over it,
+must all be ignored. People who choose this kind of paper are blest, or
+cursed, whichever way one looks at it, by an utter lack of imagination.</p>
+
+<p>A room is divided into three parts, the floor, the walls, and the
+ceiling, and the color of the room naturally follows the law of nature;
+the heaviest or darkest at the bottom, or floor; the medium tone in the
+center, or walls; and the lightest at the top, or ceiling. It is only
+when one has to artifi<a name="Page_120"></a>cially correct the architectural proportions of a
+room that the ceiling should be as dark, or darker, than the walls. A
+ceiling can also be seemingly lowered by bringing the ceiling color down
+on the side walls. A low room should never have a dark ceiling, as it
+makes the room seem lower.</p>
+
+<p>Walls should be treated as a background or as a decoration in
+themselves. In the latter case any pictures should be set in specially
+arranged panels and should be pictures of importance, or fresco
+painting. The walls of the great periods were of this decorative order.
+They were treated architecturally and the feeling of absolute support
+which they gave was most satisfactory. The pilasters ran from base or
+dado to the cornice and the over-doors made the doors a dignified part
+of the scheme, rather than mere useful holes in the wall as they too
+often are nowadays.</p>
+
+<p>Paneling is one of the most beautiful methods of wall decoration. There
+are many styles of paneling, stone, marble, stucco, plaster, and wood,
+and each period has its own distinctive way of using them, and should be
+the correct type for the style chosen. The paneling of a Tudor room is
+quite different from a Louis XVI room. In the course of a long period
+like that of Louis XV the paneling slowly changed its character and the
+rococo style was followed by the more dignified one that later became
+the style of Louis XVI.</p>
+
+<p>Tapestry and paintings of importance should have panels especially
+planned for them. If one does not wish to have <a name="Page_121"></a>the paneling cover the
+entire wall, a wainscot or dado with the wall above it covered with
+tapestry, silk, painting, or paper, will make a beautiful and
+appropriate room for many of the different styles of furniture. A
+wainscot should not be too high; about thirty-six inches is a good
+height, but should form a background for the chairs, sofas, and tables,
+placed around the room.</p>
+
+<p>A wainscot six or more feet high is not as architecturally correct as a
+lower one, because a wall is, in a way, like an order in its divisions,
+and if the base, or wainscot, is too high it does not allow the wall,
+which corresponds to the column, to have its fair proportion. This
+feeling is very strong in many apartment houses where small rooms are
+overburdened by this kind of wainscot, and to make matters worse, the
+top is used as a plate-rail. A high wainscot should be used only in a
+large room, and if there are pilasters arranged to connect it with the
+cornice, and the wall covering is put on in panel effect between, the
+result is much better than if the wall were left plain, as it seems to
+give more of a <i>raison d'&ecirc;tre</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Tapestry is another of the beautiful and important wall coverings, and
+the happy possessor of Flemish or Gobelin, or Beauvais, tapestries, is
+indeed to be envied. A rare old tapestry should be paneled or hung so it
+will serve as a background. Used as porti&egrave;res, tapestry does not show
+the full beauty of its wonderful time-worn colors and its fasci<a name="Page_122"></a>nation
+of texture. It is not everyone, however, who is able to own these almost
+priceless treasures of the past, and so modern machinery has been called
+to the aid of those who wish to cover their walls and furniture with
+tapestry. Many of these modern manufactures are really beautiful, thick
+in texture, soft in color, and often have the little imperfections and
+unevennesses of hand weaving reproduced, so that we feel the charm of
+the old in the new. Many do not realize that in New York there are looms
+making wonderful hand-woven tapestries with the true decorative feeling
+of the best days of the past. On the top floor of a large modern
+building stand the looms of various sizes, the dyeing tubs, the dripping
+skeins of wool and silk, the spindles and bobbins, and the weavers hard
+at work carrying out the beautiful designs of the artist owner. There
+are few colors used, as in medi&aelig;val days, but wonderful effects are
+produced by a method of winding the threads together which gives a
+vibrating quality to the color. When the warp in some of the coarser
+fabrics is not entirely covered it is sometimes dyed, which gives an
+indescribable charm. Tapestries of all sizes have been made on these
+looms, from the important decoration of a great hall, to sofa and chair
+coverings. Special rugs are also made. It is a pleasure to think that an
+art which many considered dead is being practiced with the highest
+artistic aim and knowledge and skill in the midst of our modern rush.
+This hand-woven tapestry is made to fit spe<a name="Page_123"></a>cial spaces and rooms, and
+there is nothing more beautiful and suitable for rooms of importance to
+be found in all the long list of possibilities.</p>
+
+<p>The effect of modern tapestry, like the old, is enhanced if the walls
+are planned to receive it, for it was never intended to be used as
+wall-paper. It is sometimes used as a free hanging frieze, so to speak,
+and sometimes a great piece of it is hung flat against the wall, but as
+a general thing to panel it is the better way.</p>
+
+<p>Another beautiful wall covering is leather. It should be used much more
+than it is, and is especially well adapted for halls, libraries,
+dining-rooms, smoking-and billiard-rooms, and dens. Its wonderful
+possibilities for rooms which are to be furnished in a dignified and
+beautiful manner are unsurpassed. It may be used in connection with
+paneling or cover the wall above a wainscot.</p>
+
+<p>Fresco painting is another of the noble army of wall treatments which
+lends itself beautifully to all kinds and styles of rooms.</p>
+
+<p>Amidst all the grandeur of tapestry and painting one must not lose sight
+of the simpler methods, for they are not to be distained. Wall-papers
+are growing more and more beautiful in color, design, and texture, and
+one can find among them papers suited to all needs. Fabrics of all kinds
+have become possibilities since their dust-collecting capacity is now no
+longer a source of terror, as vacuum cleaners <a name="Page_124"></a>are one of the
+commonplaces of existence. Painting or tinting the walls, when done
+correctly, is very satisfactory in many rooms.</p>
+
+<p>There is no doubt that in many houses are wonderful collections of
+furniture, tapestries and treasures of many kinds, that are placed
+without regard to the absolute harmony of period, although the general
+feeling of French or Italian or English is kept. They are usually great
+houses where the sense of space keeps one from feeling discrepancies
+that would be too marked in a smaller one, and the interest and beauty
+of the rare originals against the old tapestries have an atmosphere all
+their own that no modern reproduction can have. There are few of us,
+however, who can live in this semi-museum kind of house, and so one
+would better stick to the highway of good usage, or there is danger of
+making the house look like an antique shop.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/304.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_304.jpg" width="353" height="233" alt="Dorothy Quincy&#39;s bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+ all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+ room and hall." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Dorothy Quincy&#39;s bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+ all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+ room and hall.</p>
+
+<p>To carry out a style perfectly, all the small details should be attended
+to&mdash;the door-locks, the framework of the doors and windows, the carving.
+All these must be taken into account if one wishes success. It is better
+not to attempt a style throughout if it is to be a makeshift affair and
+show the effects of inadequate knowledge. The elaborate side of any
+style carried out to the last detail is really only possible and also
+only appropriate for those who have houses to correspond, but one can
+choose the simpler side and have beautiful and charming rooms that are
+perfectly suited to the <a name="Page_125"></a>average home. For instance, if one does not
+wish elaborate gilded Louis XVI furniture, upholstered in brocade, one
+can choose beautiful cane furniture of the time and have it either in
+the natural French walnut or enameled a soft gray or white to match the
+woodwork, with cushion of cretonne or silk in an appropriate design.
+Period furnishing does not necessarily mean a greater outlay than the
+nondescript and miscellaneous method so often seen.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/305a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_305a.jpg" width="182" height="161" alt="A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/305b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_305b.jpg" width="157" height="166" alt="The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>Whatever the plan for furnishing a house may be, the balance of
+decoration must be kept; the same general feeling throughout all
+connecting parts. If a drawing-room is too fine for the hall through
+which one has to pass to reach it, the balance is upset. If too simple
+chairs are used in a grand dining-room the balance is upset, the fitness
+of things is not observed. When the happy medium is struck throughout
+the house one feels the delightful well-bred charm which a regard for
+the unities always gives. It is not only in the quality of the
+decorations that this feeling of balance must be kept, but in the style
+also. If one chooses a period style for the drawing-room it is better to
+keep to it through the house, using it in its different expressions
+according to the needs of the different rooms. If one style throughout
+should seem a bit monotonous at least one nationality should be kept,
+such as French, or English. If several styles of French furniture are
+used do not have them in the same room; for instance, Louis XV and
+Empire have absolutely nothing in <a name="Page_126"></a>common, but very late Louis XVI and
+early Empire have to a certain extent. It does not give the average
+person a severe shock to walk from a Louis XVI hall into a Louis XV
+drawing-room, but the two mixed in one room do not give a pleasing
+effect. The oak furniture of Jacobean days does not harmonize with the
+delicate mahogany furniture of the eighteenth century in England. The
+delicate beauty of Adam furniture would be lost in the greatness of a
+Renaissance salon. A lady whose dining-room was furnished in Sheraton
+furniture one day saw two elaborate rococo Louis XV console tables which
+she instantly bought to add to it. The shopman luckily had more sense of
+the fitness of things than a mere desire to sell his wares, and was so
+appalled when he saw the room that he absolutely refused to have them
+placed in it. She saw the point, and learned a valuable lesson. One
+could go on indefinitely, giving examples to warn people against
+startling and inappropriate mixtures which put the whole scheme out of
+key.</p>
+
+<p>I am taking it for granted that reproductions are to be chosen, as
+originals are not only very rare, but also almost prohibitive in price.
+Good reproductions are carefully made and finished to harmonize with the
+color scheme. The styles most used at present are, Louis XIV, XV, XVI,
+Jacobean, William and Mary, and Georgian. Gothic, Italian and French
+Renaissance, Louis XIII, and Tudor styles are not so commonly used. We
+naturally associate dignity and <a name="Page_127"></a>grandeur with the Renaissance, and it
+is rather difficult to make it seem appropriate for the average American
+house, so it is usually used only for important houses and buildings.
+Some of the Tudor manor houses can be copied with delightful effect. The
+styles of Henri II and Louis XIII can both be used in libraries and
+dining-rooms with most effective and dignified results.</p>
+
+<p>The best period of the style of Louis XV is very beautiful and is
+delightfully suited to ball-rooms, small reception-rooms, boudoirs, and
+some bedrooms. In regard to these last, one must use discretion, for one
+would not expect one's aged grandmother to take real comfort in one. Nor
+does this style appeal to one for use in a library, as its gayety and
+curves would not harmonize with the necessarily straight lines of the
+bookcases and rows of books. Any one of the other styles may be chosen
+for a library.</p>
+
+<p>The English developed the dining-room in our modern sense of the word,
+while the French used small ante-chambers, or rooms that were used for
+other purposes between meals, and I suppose this is partly the reason we
+so often turn to an English ideal for one. There are many beautiful
+dining-rooms done in the styles of Louis XV and XVI, but they seem more
+like gala rooms and are usually distinctly formal in treatment. Georgian
+furniture, or as we so often say, Colonial, is especially well suited to
+our American life, as one can have a very simple room, or one carried
+out in the <a name="Page_128"></a>most delightful detail. In either case the true feeling must
+be kept and no startling anachronisms should be allowed; radiators, for
+instance, should be hidden in window-seats. This same style may be used
+for any room in the house, and there are beautiful reproductions of
+Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton furniture that are
+appropriate for any need.</p>
+
+<p>In choosing new &quot;old&quot; furniture, do not buy any that has a bright and
+hideous finish. The great cabinet-makers and their followers used wax,
+or oil, and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed. This dull finish is imitated, but
+not equaled, by all good furniture makers, and the bright finish simply
+proclaims the cheap department store.</p>
+
+<p>In parts of the country Georgian furniture has been used and served as a
+standard from the first, and it is a happy thing for the beauty of our
+homes that once more it has come into its own. It is the high grade of
+reproduction which has made it possible.</p>
+
+<p>The mahogany used by Chippendale, and in fact by all the eighteenth
+century cabinet-makers, was much more beautiful than is possible to get
+to-day, for the logs were old and well seasoned wood, allowed to dry by
+the true process of time, which leaves a wonderful depth of color quite
+impossible to find in young kiln-dried wood. The best furniture makers
+nowadays, those who have a high standard and pride in their work, have
+by careful and artistic staining and beau<a name="Page_129"></a>tiful finish, achieved very
+fine results, but the factory article with its dreadful &quot;mahogany&quot;
+stain, its coarse carving, and its brilliant finish, shows a sad
+difference in ideal. The best reproductions are well worth buying, and,
+as they are made with regard to the laws of construction, they stand a
+very good chance of becoming valued heirlooms. There are certain
+characteristics of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers, both
+English and French, which are picked out and overdone by ill-informed
+manufacturers. The rococo of Chippendale is coarsened, his Chinese style
+loses its fine, if eccentric, distinction, and the inlay of Hepplewhite
+and Sheraton is another example of spoiling a beautiful thing.
+Thickening a line here and there, or curving a curve a bit more or less,
+or enlarging the amount of inlay, achieves a vulgarity of appearance
+quite different from the beautiful proportions of the originals, and it
+is this which one must guard against in buying reproductions. The lack
+of knowledge of correct proportion is not confined to the cheaper
+grades, where necessary simplicity is often a protection, but is apt to
+be found in all. The best makers, as I have said, take a pride in their
+work and one can rely on them for fine workmanship and being true to the
+spirit of the originals.</p>
+
+<p>There is one matter of great importance to be kept in mind and practiced
+with the sternest self-control, and that is, to eliminate, eliminate,
+eliminate. Walk into the center of <a name="Page_130"></a>a room and look about with seeing,
+but impersonal eyes, and you will be astonished to find how many things
+there are which are unnecessary, in fact, how much the room would be
+improved without them. In every house the useless things which go under
+the generic name of &quot;trash&quot; accumulate with alarming swiftness, and one
+must be up with the lark to keep ahead of the supply. If something is
+ugly and spoils a room, and there is no hope of bringing it into
+harmony, discard it; turn your eyes aside if you must while the deed is
+being done, but screw your courage to the sticking point, and do it. She
+is, indeed, a lucky woman who can start from the beginning or has only
+beautiful heritages from the past, for the majority of people have some
+distressingly strong pieces of ugly furniture which, for one reason or
+another, must be kept. One sensible woman furnished a room with all her
+pieces of this kind, called it the Chamber of Horrors, and used it only
+under great stress and strain, which was much better than letting her
+house be spoiled.</p>
+
+<p>A home should not be a museum, where one grows exhausted going from one
+room to another looking at wonderful things. Rather should it have as
+many beautiful things in it as can be done full justice to, where the
+feeling of simplicity and restfulness and charm adds to their beauty,
+and the whole is convincingly right. The fussy house is, luckily, a
+thing of the past, or fast getting to be so, but we should all help the
+good cause of true simplicity. It does not debar one from the most
+beautiful things in the world, but adds dignity and worth to them. It
+does not make rooms stiff and solemn, but makes it possible to have the
+true gayety and joy of life expressed in the best periods.</p><a name="Page_131"></a><a name="Page_132"></a><a name="Page_133"></a><a name="Page_134"></a><a name="Page_135"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Georgian_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Georgian Furniture</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>A delightful renaissance of the Georgian period in house decoration is
+being felt more and more, and every day we see new evidence that people
+are turning with thanksgiving to the light and graceful designs of the
+eighteenth century English cabinet-makers. There is a charm and
+distinction about their work which appeals very strongly to us, and its
+beauty and simplicity of line makes delightful schemes possible.</p>
+
+<p>The Georgian period seems especially fitted for use in our homes, for it
+was the inspiration of our Colonial houses and furniture, which we
+adapted and made our own in many ways. The best examples of Colonial
+architecture are found in the thirteen original states. In many of these
+houses we find an almost perfect sense of proportion, of harmony and
+balance, of dignity, and a spaciousness and sense of hospitality, which
+few of our modern houses achieve. The halls were broad and often went
+directly through the house, giving a glimpse of the garden beyond; the
+stairs with their carefully thought-out curve and sweep and well placed
+landings, gave at once an air of importance to the house, while the
+large rooms opening from the hall, with their white woodwork, their
+large fire<a name="Page_136"></a>places, and comfortable window-seats, confirmed the
+impression.</p>
+
+<p>It is to this ideal of simple and beautiful elegance that many people
+are turning. By simplicity I do not mean poverty of line and decoration,
+but the simplicity given by the fundamental lines being simple and
+beautiful with decoration which enhances their charms, but does not
+overload them. Even the most elaborate Adam room with its exquisite
+painted furniture, its beautifully designed mantel and ceiling and
+paneled walls, gave the feeling of delightful and beautiful simplicity.
+This same feeling is expressed in the furniture of Louis XVI, for no
+matter how elaborate it may be, it is fundamentally simple, but with a
+warmer touch than is found in the English furniture of the same time.</p>
+
+<p>The question of period furnishing has two sides, and by far the more
+delightful side is the one of having originals. There is a glamor about
+old furniture, a certain air of fragility, although in reality it is
+usually much stronger than most of our modern factory output, which adds
+to the charm. With furniture, as with people, breeding will out. When
+one has inherited the furniture, the charm is still greater, for it is
+pleasant to think of one's own ancestors as having used the chairs and
+tables, and danced the stately minuet, with soft candle-light falling
+from the candelabra, and the great logs burning on the old brass
+andirons. But if one cannot have one's own family traditions, the next
+best thing is to have <a name="Page_137"></a>furniture with some other family's traditions,
+and the third choice is to have the best modern reproductions, and build
+up one's own traditions oneself.</p>
+
+<p>The feeling which many people have that Georgian furniture was stiff and
+uncomfortable is not borne out by the facts. The sofas were large and
+roomy, the settees delightful, the arm-chairs and wing chairs regular
+havens of rest, and when one adds the comfort which modern upholstery
+gives, there is little left to desire. Even the regulation side-chair of
+the period, which some think was the only chair in very common use, is
+absolutely comfortable for its purpose. Lounging was much less in vogue
+then than nowadays and the old cabinet-makers realized that one must be
+comfortable when sitting up as well as when taking one's ease. One must
+not be deterred by this unfounded bugaboo of discomfort if one wishes a
+room or house done after the great period styles of the eighteenth
+century. With care and knowledge, the result is sure to be delightful
+and beautiful.</p>
+
+<p>This little book, as I have said before, is not intended to be a guide
+for collectors, for that is a very big subject in itself, but is meant
+to try to help a little about the modern side of the question. There are
+many grades of furniture made, and one should buy with circumspection,
+and the best grade which is possible for one to afford. The very best
+reproductions are made with as much care and knowledge and skill as the
+originals, and will last as long, and become treasured <a name="Page_138"></a>heirlooms like
+those handed down to us. They are works of art like their eighteenth
+century models. The wood is chosen with regard to its beauty of grain,
+and is treated and finished so the beauty and depth of color is brought
+out, and the surface is rubbed until there is a soft glow to it. If one
+could have the ages-old mahogany which Chippendale and his
+contemporaries used, there would be little to choose between the
+originals and our best reproductions, so far as soundness of
+construction and beauty of detail go. But the fact that they were the
+originals of a great style, that no one since then has been able to
+design any furniture of greater beauty than that of England and France
+in the eighteenth century, and that we are still copying it, gives an
+added charm to a rare old chair or sideboard or mirror. The modern
+workman in the best workshops is obliged to know the different styles so
+well that he cannot make mistakes, and if he ventures to take a little
+flight of fancy on his own account, it will be done with such
+correctness of feeling that one is glad he flew; but few attempt it. In
+the lower grade of reproductions one must have an eagle eye when buying.
+I saw a rather astounding looking Chippendale chair in a shop one day,
+with a touch of Gothic&mdash;a suspicion of his early Dutch manner&mdash;and, to
+give a final touch, tapering legs with carved bellflowers! &quot;What
+authority have you for that chair?&quot; I asked, for I really wanted to know
+what they would call the wonder.</p><a name="Page_139"></a>
+
+<p>&quot;That,&quot; the shopman answered, the pride of knowledge shining in his
+eyes, &quot;is Chinese Chippendale.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>Another anachronism which has appeared lately, and sad to say in some of
+the shops that should know better, is painted Adam furniture with
+pictures on it of the famous actresses of the eighteenth century. The
+painting of Angelica Kauffman, Cipriani, Pergolesi and the others, was
+charming and delightful. Nymphs and cupids, flowers, wreaths, musical
+instruments, and poetical little scenes, but never the head of a living
+woman! The bad taste of it would have been as apparent to them as
+putting the picture of Miss Marlowe, or Lillian Russell on a chair back
+would be to us.</p>
+
+<p>The finish is another matter to bear in mind. There is a thick red
+stain, which for some mysterious reason is called mahogany, which is put
+on cheaper grades of furniture and finished with a high polish.
+Fortunately, it is chiefly used on furniture of vulgar design, but it
+sometimes creeps in on better models. Shun it whenever seen. The handles
+must be correct also, and a glance at the different illustrations will
+be of help in this matter.</p>
+
+<p>The pieces of furniture used throughout a house, no matter what the
+period may be, are more or less the same, so many chairs, tables, beds,
+mirrors, etc., and when one has decided what one's needs are, the matter
+of selection is much simplified. Of course one's needs are influenced by
+the size of the house, one's circumstances, and one's manner of life.<a name="Page_140"></a>
+To be successful, a house must be furnished in absolute harmony with the
+life within its walls. A small house does not need an elaborate
+drawing-room, which could only be had at the expense of family comfort;
+a simple drawing-room would be far better, really more of a living-room.
+In a large house one may have as many as one wishes.</p>
+
+<p>A house could be furnished throughout with Chippendale furniture and
+show no sign of monotony of treatment. The walls could be paneled in
+some rooms, wainscoted in others, and papered in others. This question
+of paper is one we have taken in our own hands nowadays, and although it
+was not used much before the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
+centuries, there are so many lovely designs copied from old-time stuffs
+and landscape papers, which are in harmony with the furniture, that they
+are used with perfect propriety. One must be careful not to choose
+anything with a too modern air, and a plain wall is always safe.</p>
+
+<p>The average hall will probably need a pair of console tables and
+mirrors, some chairs, Oriental rugs, a tall clock if one wishes, and, if
+the hall is very large and calls for more furniture, there are many
+other interesting pieces to choose from. A hall should be treated with a
+certain amount of formality, and the greater the house, the greater the
+amount; but it also should have an air of hospitality, of impersonal
+welcome, which makes one wish to enter the rooms beyond where the real
+welcome waits.</p><a name="Page_141"></a>
+
+<p>The window frames of Colonial and Georgian houses were often of such
+good design that no curtains were used, and the wooden inside shutters
+were shut at night. Nowadays the average house has what might be called
+utility woodwork at its windows and so we cover them with curtains.
+These curtains may be of linen, cretonne, damask, or brocade, according
+to the house, and may either fall straight at the side with a slight
+drapery or shaped or plain valance at the top, or be drawn back from the
+center. A carved cornice or the regular box frame may be used.</p>
+
+<p>The stairs were often of beautifully polished hardwood, and they were
+sometimes covered with rugs. Large Chinese porcelain jars on the console
+tables are suitable, and other beautiful ornaments.</p>
+
+<p>As the drawing-room usually opens from the hall, it is better to keep
+both rooms in the same general scale of furnishing. The average sized
+drawing-room will need sofas, a small settee, two or three tables, one
+of them a gallery table if desired, chairs of different shapes and size,
+mirrors, a cabinet if one has rare pieces of old porcelain, and
+candelabra. Oriental rugs, a fire screen, ornaments, and pictures, but
+these last should not be of the modern impressionistic school. The
+woodwork should be white, or light, and the furniture covered with
+damask, needlework, brocade or tapestry.</p>
+
+<p>The dining-room can be made most charming with corner cupboards and
+cabinet, a large mahogany table and side <a name="Page_142"></a>table and beautiful morocco
+covered chairs. Chippendale did not make sideboards in our sense of the
+word, but used large side tables. One of the modern designs which many
+like to use, for to them it seems a necessity, is a sideboard made in
+the style of Chippendale. The screen may be leather painted after &quot;the
+Chinese taste,&quot; or it may be damask. The chairs may be covered with
+tapestry or damask if one does not care for morocco. Portraits are
+interesting in a dining-room, or old prints, or paintings, and if you
+can get the old dull gold carved frames, so much the better. They may
+also be set in panels.</p>
+
+<p>The bedrooms may have either four-post canopy beds or low-posts beds.
+Chippendale's canopy beds had usually a carved cornice with the curtains
+hung from the inside. The other furniture should consist of a
+dressing-table, a chest of drawers to correspond with a chiffonier, a
+highboy, a sewing table, a bedside table, a comfortable sofa, a fireside
+or wing chair and other chairs according to one's need. The walls may be
+covered with either an old-fashioned or plain paper,&mdash;or paneled, with
+hangings and chair coverings of chintz or cretonne. The bed hangings may
+be of cretonne also, for it makes a very charming room, but if one
+objects to colored bed hangings, white dimity, or muslin or linen may be
+used.</p>
+
+<p>It is the art of keeping the correct feeling which makes or mars a room
+of this kind, and no pieces of markedly modern and inharmonious
+furniture should be used. In furnish<a name="Page_143"></a>ing a house in Georgian or Colonial
+manner one need not keep all the rooms in the same division of the
+period, for there is a certain general air of harmony and relationship
+about them all, and the common bond of mahogany makes it possible to
+have a Chippendale library, an Adam drawing-room, a Hepplewhite
+dining-room and a Sheraton hall, or any other combination desired. The
+spirit of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers was one of honest
+construction and beauty of line and workmanship. When they took ideas
+from other sources they made them so distinctly their own, so
+essentially English that there is a family resemblance through all their
+work.</p>
+
+<p>Adam decoration and furniture makes most delightful rooms. The painted
+satinwood furniture for dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms, lends
+itself to lovely schemes with its soft golden tones, its delightfully
+woven cane chair backs and panels. A room on the sunny side of the
+house, with a soft old ivory colored wall, dull blue silk curtains, and
+a yellow and blue Chinese rug, would be most charming with this
+satinwood furniture.</p>
+
+<p>Then, as I have said before, there are the many different shades of
+enameled and carved furniture and also beautiful natural wood. One can
+have more of a sideboard in an Adam than in a Chippendale room, as he
+used two pedestals, one at each end of a large serving-table. He often
+made tables to fit in niches, which is a charming idea.</p><a name="Page_144"></a>
+
+<p>An Adam mantel is very distinctive and one should be careful in having
+it correct. There are beautiful reproductions made. The lamp and candle
+shades should also be designed in the spirit of the time. There are
+lovely Adam designs in nearly all materials suitable for hangings and
+chair coverings. Oriental rugs or plain colored carpets appeal to us
+more than large-figured rugs. Adam sometimes had special rugs made
+exactly reproducing the design of the ceiling, but it is an idea that is
+better forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>With Hepplewhite and Sheraton the same general ideas hold; keep to the
+spirit of the furniture, try to have a central idea in the house
+furnishing, so that the restful effect of harmony may be given.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/306a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_306a.jpg" width="163" height="142" alt="Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/306b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_306b.jpg" width="208" height="150" alt="This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded.</p>
+<br />
+<p>The rugs which harmonize best with Georgian furniture are Orientals of
+different weaves and colors, or plain domestic carpet rugs. The floor
+should be the darkest of the three divisions of a room&mdash;the floor, the
+walls, the ceiling, but it should be an even gradation of color value,
+the walls half-way in tone between the other two. This is a safe general
+plan, to be varied when necessity demands. In drawing-rooms light and
+soft colors are usually in better harmony than dark ones, and a wide and
+beautiful choice can be made among Kermanshah, Kirman, Khorasan, Tabriz,
+Chinese, Oman rugs, and many others. It is more restful in effect if the
+greater part of the floor is covered with a large rug, but if one has
+beautiful small rugs they may be used if they are <a name="Page_145"></a>enough alike in
+general tone to escape the appearance of being spotty. One should try
+them in different positions until the best arrangement is found.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/307.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_307.jpg" width="297" height="191" alt="A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good.</p>
+
+<p>Living-rooms and libraries are usually more solid in color than
+drawing-rooms and so need deeper tones in the rugs. The choice is wide,
+and the color scheme can be the deciding note if one is buying new rugs.
+If one already has rugs they must be the foundation for the color scheme
+of the room.</p><a name="Page_146"></a><a name="Page_147"></a><a name="Page_148"></a><a name="Page_149"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Furnishing_With_French_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Furnishing With French Furniture</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>&quot;This is my Louis XVI drawing-room,&quot; said a lady, proudly displaying her
+house.</p>
+
+<p>&quot;What makes you think so?&quot; asked her well informed friend.</p>
+
+<p>To guard against the possibility of such biting humor one must be ever
+on the alert in furnishing a period room. It is not a bow-knot and a
+rococo curve or two that will turn a modern room, fresh from the
+builder's hands, into a Louis XV drawing-room.</p>
+
+<p>French furniture is not appropriate to all kinds of houses, and it is
+often difficult to adapt it to circumstances over which one has no
+control. The leisurely and pleasant custom of our ancestors of building
+a house as they wished it, and what is more, living in it for
+generations, is more or less a thing of the past. Nowadays a house is
+built, and is complete and beautiful in every way, but almost before the
+house-warming is over, business is sitting on the doorstep, and so the
+family moves on. We, as a nation, have not the comfortable point of view
+of the English who consider their home, their home, no matter how the
+outside world may be behaving. Their front doors are the protection
+which insures their cherished privacy, and the feeling that they are as
+set<a name="Page_150"></a>tled as the everlasting hills gives a calmness to their attitude
+toward life which is often missing from ours. How many times have we
+heard people say when talking over plans&mdash;&quot;Have it thus and so, for it
+would be much better in case we ever care to sell.&quot; This attitude, to
+which of course there are hundreds of exceptions, is an outgrowth of our
+busy life and our tremendous country. The larger part of the home ideal
+is the one which Americans so firmly believe in and act upon&mdash;that it is
+the spirit and atmosphere which makes a home, and not only the bricks
+and mortar.</p>
+
+<p>It is this point of view which makes it possible for many of us to live
+happily in rented houses whose architecture and arrangement often give
+us cold shivers. We are not to blame if all the proportions are wrong;
+and there is a certain pleasure in getting the better of difficulties.</p>
+
+<p>If one is building a house, or is living in one planned with a due
+regard to some special period, and has a well thought out scheme of
+decoration, the work is much simplified; but if one has to live in the
+average nondescript house and wishes to use French furniture, the
+problem will take time and thought to solve. In this kind of house, if
+one cannot change it at all, it is better to keep as simple and
+unobtrusive a background as possible, to have the color scheme and
+hangings and furniture so beautiful that they are a convincing reason
+themselves of the need of their being there, but one should not try to
+turn the room itself into a period room, <a name="Page_151"></a>for it would mean failure. The
+walls may be covered with a light plain paper, or silk, the woodwork
+enameled white or cream or ivory, and then with one's mirrors and
+furnishings, the best thing possible has been done, and it ought to be a
+charming room, if not a perfect one. If one can make a few changes I
+advise new lighting fixtures and a new mantel, for these two important
+objects in the room are conspicuous and nearly always wrong.</p>
+
+<p>It is almost impossible to give a list of furniture for each room in a
+house, as each house is a law unto itself, but the fundamental
+principles of beauty and utility and appropriateness apply to all.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the time of Louis XIV, having so much that is
+magnificent about it, is especially well suited to large rooms for state
+occasions, great ballrooms and state drawing-rooms. These rooms not
+being destined for everyday use should be treated as a brilliant
+background; paneling, painting, tapestry, and gilding should decorate
+the walls, and beautiful lights and mirrors should aid in the effect of
+brilliancy. It must be done with such knowledge that there is no
+suggestion of an hotel about it. Console tables, and large and dignified
+chairs should be used for furniture. Nothing small and fussy in the way
+of ornaments should be put in the rooms, for they would be completely
+out of scale and ruin the effect.</p>
+
+<p>Every house does not need these rooms for the elaborate <a name="Page_152"></a>side of life,
+and the average drawing-room is a much simpler affair. If both kinds are
+required the simpler one should be in the same general style as the
+great rooms, but not on so grand a scale. If the style of Louis XV is
+chosen for all, in the family drawing-and living-rooms the paneling, or
+dado, and furniture should be of the simpler kind, and beautiful, gay,
+and home-like rooms, evolved with soft colored brocades, Beauvais or
+Gobelin tapestry, and either gilded or enameled or natural walnut
+furniture. The arm-chairs or <i>berg&egrave;res</i> of both Louis XV and Louis XVI
+are very comfortable, the <i>chaise-longue</i> cannot be surpassed, and the
+settees of different shapes and sizes are delightful. There need be no
+lack of comfort in any period room, whether French or English.</p>
+
+<p>A music room, to be perfect, should not have heavy draperies to deaden
+the sound, and the window and door openings should be treated
+architecturally to make this possible. In a French music room the walls
+may be either paneled, or have a dado with a soft tint above it. This
+space may be treated in several ways: it may have silk panels outlined
+with moldings, or dainty pastoral scenes painted and framed with wreaths
+and garlands of composition. The style of the Regency with its use of
+musical instruments for decorative motifs is also attractive. The chairs
+should be comfortable, the lights soft and well shaded side-lights, with
+a plentiful supply near the piano.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/308.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_308.jpg" width="272" height="350" alt="A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compi&egrave;gne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compi&egrave;gne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI.</p>
+<br />
+<a name="Page_153"></a><center>
+<a href="images/309a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_309a.jpg" width="172" height="151" alt="An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/309b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_309b.jpg" width="167" height="172" alt="A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane.</p>
+<br />
+<p>A piano is usually a difficulty, for they are so unwieldy and dark that
+they are quite out of key with the rest of the room. We have become so
+used to its ugliness, however, that, sad to say, we are not so much
+shocked by it as we should be, thinking it a necessary evil. If we walk
+through the show rooms of one of the great piano companies we shall see
+that this is a mistake, for there are many cases made of light colored
+woods, and some have a much more graceful outline than the regulation
+piano. Cases can be made to order to suit any scheme, if one has a
+competent designer. A music room should not have small and meaningless
+ornaments in it; the ideal is a restful and charming room where one may
+listen with an undistracted mind.</p>
+
+<p>The modern dining-room with all its comforts is really of English
+descent. In France, even in the eighteenth century, only the palaces and
+great houses had rooms especially set apart for dining-rooms. Usually a
+small ante-chamber was used, which served as a boudoir or reception room
+between meals. To our more established point of view it seems a very
+casual method. At last, late in the century, the real ideal of a
+dining-room began to gain ground, and although they were very different
+from ours, we find really charming ones described and pictured. The
+walls were usually light in tone, paneled, with graceful ornamentation,
+and often there were niches containing wall-fountains of delightful
+design. The sideboards were either large side-tables, or a species of
+side-<a name="Page_154"></a>table built in niches, with a fountain between them which was used
+as a wine cooler. These fountains where cupids and dolphins disported
+themselves would be a most attractive feature to copy in some of our
+rooms, in country houses especially. The tables were round or square,
+but not the extension type which came later from England, and the chairs
+were comfortable, with broad upholstered or cane seats, and rather low
+backs. There should be a screen to harmonize with the room in front of
+the pantry door. We also add hangings, for, as I have said many times,
+our window-frames are not a decoration in themselves. Old prints show
+most delightfully the manner in which curtains were hung when they were
+used; the very elaborate methods, however, were not used by the better
+class.</p>
+
+<p>A morning-room should be furnished as a small informal living-room, and
+the simpler style of the chosen period used.</p>
+
+<p>The style of Louis XVI is beautifully adapted to libraries, for they do
+not have to be dark and solid in style, as many seem to think. In fact a
+library may be in any style if carried out with the true feeling and
+love of books, but of course some styles are more appropriate than
+others. In a Louis XVI library the paneling gives way to the built-in
+bookcases which are spaced with due regard to keeping the correct
+proportions. There is usually a cupboard space running round the room
+about the height of a dado and projecting a little beyond the bookcases
+above. The colors of the <a name="Page_155"></a>rugs and hangings may be warm and rich as the
+books give the walls a certain strength.</p>
+
+<p>There are also beautiful reproductions of bedroom furniture, chairs and
+dressing-tables, desks, chiffoniers and <i>Chaises-longues,</i> and beds.</p>
+
+<p>Andirons, side-lights for the walls and dressing-table, doorknobs and
+locks, can all be carried out perfectly. Lamp and candle shades and sofa
+cushions should all be in keeping. The walls may be paneled in wood
+enameled with white or some light color, or they may be covered with
+silk or paper, in a panel design, with curtains to match. There are
+lovely designs in French period stuffs.</p>
+
+<p>The rugs most appropriate for French period rooms are light or medium in
+tone, and of Persian design. The floral patterns of the Persians seem to
+harmonize better with the curves and style of furniture than do the
+geometrical designs of the Caucasian rugs. Savonnerie and Aubusson rugs
+may also be used, if chosen with care, and the plain carpets and rugs
+mentioned later are a far better choice than gaudy Orientals of modern
+make, or bad imitations.</p><a name="Page_156"></a><a name="Page_157"></a><a name="Page_158"></a><a name="Page_159"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Country_Houses"></a><h2><i>Country Houses</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The Country House is a comparatively modern idea, and one which has
+added much to the joy of life. There are all kinds and conditions of
+them, great and small, grand and simple, and each is a joy to the proud
+possessor.</p>
+
+<p>Life was such a turbulent affair in the Middle Ages that country life in
+the modern sense was an impossibility. The chateaux and castles and
+large manor-houses were strongly fortified, and there were inner courts
+for exercise. When war became the exception and not the rule, the
+inherent love in all human beings for the open began to assert itself,
+and the country house idea began to grow.</p>
+
+<p>Italy was the first country where we find this freedom of attitude
+exemplified in the beautiful Renaissance villas near Rome and Florence.
+The best were built during the sixteenth century, and were owned by the
+great Italian families, like the de Medici and d'Este. They seem more
+like places built for the parade and show of life than homes, but the
+home ideal with all its conveniences was another outgrowth of peace.</p>
+
+<p>The plan of an Italian villa is very interesting to study, <a name="Page_160"></a>to see how
+every advantage was taken of the land, how the residence, or casino, was
+placed in regard to the formal garden and the view over the valley, for
+they were usually on a hillside and the slope was terraced, how the
+statues and fountains, the beautiful ilex and cypress and orange trees,
+the box-edged flower-beds and gravel paths, all formed a wonderful
+setting for the house, and together made a perfect whole. The Italian
+villa was not necessarily large, in fact the Villa Lante contains only
+six acres, which are divided into four terraces, the house being on the
+second and built in two parts, one on each side. Each terrace has a
+beautiful fountain, with a cascade connecting those on the fourth and
+third. This villa is indeed, an example of taking advantage of a fairly
+small space. It was built by the great Vignola in 1547, and although
+slightly showing the wear of time, has all the beauty and charm and
+romance which only centuries can give.</p>
+
+<p>The Italian villa can be adapted to the American climate and scenery and
+point of view, but it must be done by one of the architects who have
+made a deep study of the Italian Renaissance so the true feeling will be
+kept. There are some beautiful examples already in the country.</p>
+
+<p>In France, the chateaux which have most influenced country house
+building are those which were built during the sixteenth century, many
+of them during the reign of Francis 1st. Among the number are Azay le
+Rideau, Chenonceaux, <a name="Page_161"></a>and Chaumont. Blois and Amboise are also
+absorbingly interesting, but belong partly to an earlier time. The
+chateau region in Touraine is a treasure land of architectural beauty.
+In the time of Louis XIV Le N&ocirc;tre changed many of these old chateaux
+from their fortified state to the more open form made possible by a
+peaceful life.</p>
+
+<p>We turn to England for the most perfect examples of country houses, for
+the theory of country living is so thoroughly understood there, one
+might really say it is a national institution. Many of the manor-houses,
+both great and small, are beautiful examples of Tudor architecture,
+which seems especially suited to their setting of lovely green parks.
+The smaller country house, which has no pretention to being a show
+place, is as perfect in its way. The English love for out-of-doors makes
+them achieve wonders with even small gardens, and the climate, being
+gentle, helps matters immensely.</p>
+
+<p>In America we are taking up the English country house ideal more and
+more and adapting it to our own needs. The question of architecture is a
+question of personal choice influenced by climate, and there are now
+numberless charming houses scattered over the length and breadth of the
+land which have been built with the purpose of being country homes. They
+are not for summer use only, but all the year round keep their
+hospitable doors open, or else the season begins so early and ends so
+late, that, with the holiday time be<a name="Page_162"></a>tween, the house hardly seems
+closed at all. It is this attitude which is changing country house
+architecture to a great extent. The terraces and porches and gardens and
+glasshouses are all there, but the house itself is more solidly built
+and is prepared to stand cold weather.</p>
+
+<p>For the average American the best types of country house to choose from
+are the smaller Tudor manor-houses, Italian villas, Georgian
+architecture in England, and our own Colonial style which of course was
+founded on the Georgian. In the south and southwestern parts of this
+country a modified Spanish type may be used in place of Tudor, which
+does not give the feeling of cool spaces so necessary in hot climates.
+The bungalow type is also popular in the South.</p>
+
+<p>There are many architects in this country who understand thoroughly the
+plan and spirit of Colonial times, and who succeed in giving to the
+comforts of modern days the true stamp of the eighteenth century. The
+style makes most delightful houses, and with the great supply of
+appropriate furniture from which to choose, it would be hard to fail in
+having a charming whole.</p>
+
+<p>The house and garden should be planned together to have the best effect.
+Each can be added to as time goes on, but when a plan is followed there
+is a look of belonging together which adds greatly to the charm.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/310.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_310.jpg" width="270" height="375" alt="A hall to conjure with&mdash;although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A hall to conjure with&mdash;although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping.</p>
+
+<p>In an all-the-year country house a vestibule is a necessity as much as
+in a town house, and the hall should be treated <a name="Page_163"></a>with the dignity a
+hall deserves, and not as a second living-room. In many English houses
+of Tudor days the stairs were behind a carved screen, or concealed in
+some manner, which made it possible to use the hall as a gathering
+place. Our modern hall is not a descendant of this old hall of a past
+day (the living-room is much more so), but is really only a passage,
+often raised to the <i>n</i>th power, connecting the different rooms of the
+house, and should be treated as such. The stairs and landing and vista
+should be beautiful, and the furnishing should be dignified and in
+perfect scale with the rest of the house. Marble stairs and tapestry and
+old carved furniture and beautiful rugs, or the simplest possible
+furniture, may be used, but the hall should have an impersonally
+hospitable air, one which gives the keynote of the house, but reserves
+its full expression until the privacy of the living-rooms is reached.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/311.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_311.jpg" width="265" height="398" alt="A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses.</p>
+
+<p>The average country house is neither very magnificent nor very simple,
+but strikes the happy medium and achieves a most delightful home-like
+charm, which at the very outset makes life seem well worth living. It is
+rarely furnished in a period style throughout, but has the modern air of
+comfort which good taste and correct feeling give. For instance, the
+hall may have paneling and Chippendale mirror, a table, and chairs; the
+living-room furnished in a general Colonial manner mixed with some
+comfortable stuffed furniture, but not over-stuffed, lovely chintz or
+silk hang<a name="Page_164"></a>ings, and a wide fireplace; the morning-room on something the
+same plan, but a little less formal; and the drawing-room a little more
+so, say in Adam or simple Louis XVI furniture. The library should have
+plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs, and a large table (it is hard to
+get one too large), some of the bookcases should be built in to form
+part of the architectural plan of the room, and personally I think it is
+a better idea to have all the space intended for bookcases built in in
+the first place, as this insures harmony of plan. Another important
+thing in a library is to have the lights precisely right, and the
+window-seats and the fireplace should be all that their names imply in
+the way of added charm and comfort to the room. The dining-room should
+be bright and cheerful and in harmony with the near-by rooms. A
+breakfast-room done in lacquer is very charming.</p>
+
+<p>The bedrooms should be light and airy, and so planned that the beds can
+be properly placed. They may be furnished in old mahogany, French walnut
+in either Louis XV or XVI style, or in carefully chosen Empire; painted
+Adam furniture is also lovely, and willow furniture makes a fresh and
+attractive room. The curtains should be hung so they can be drawn at
+night if desired, and the material should be chosen to harmonize in
+design with the room.</p>
+
+<p>The children's rooms should be sunny and bright and furnished according
+to their special tastes, which if too <a name="Page_165"></a>astounding, as sometimes happens,
+can be tactfully guided into safe channels.</p>
+
+<p>The servants should be given separate bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
+comfortable sitting-room beside their dining-room. Making them
+comfortable seems a simple way of solving the servant question.</p>
+
+<p>The bungalow type of small country house is usually very simply
+furnished, and the best type of Mission furniture or willow is
+especially well suited to it. Bungalows are growing more and more in
+favor, and, although they originated in America in the West, we find
+delightful ones everywhere, on the Maine coast and in the woods and
+mountains. They are a tremendous advance over the small and elaborate
+house of a few years ago.</p>
+
+<p>Cretonne and chintz can be used in all the rooms of a country house with
+perfect propriety, and is a really lovely method of furnishing, as it is
+fresh and washable, and comes in all gradations of price. Willow
+furniture with cretonne cushions makes a pleasant variety with mahogany
+in simple rooms.</p>
+
+<p>Fresh air and sunlight, lovely vistas through doors and windows of the
+garden beyond, cool and comfortable rooms furnished appropriately, and
+with an atmosphere about them which expresses a hospitable and charming
+home spirit, is the ideal standard for a country house.</p><a name="Page_166"></a><a name="Page_167"></a><a name="Page_168"></a><a name="Page_169"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Nursery_and_Play_room"></a><h2><i>The Nursery and Play-room</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>We should be thankful that the old idea of a nursery has passed away and
+instead of the dreary and rather shabby room has come the charming
+modern nursery with its special furniture and papers, its common sense
+and sanitary wisdom and its regard for the childish point of view. The
+influence of surroundings during the formative years of childhood has a
+deal to do with the child's future attitude toward life, and now that
+parents realize this more, the ideal nursery has simplicity, charm and
+artistic merit, all suited to the needs of its romping inhabitants.</p>
+
+<p>The wall-papers for nurseries are especially attractive with their gay
+friezes of wonderful fairy-tale people, Mother Goose, Noah's Ark and
+happy little children playing among the flowers. Some of the designs
+come in sets of four panels that can be framed if desired. A Noah's Ark
+frieze with the animals marching two by two under the watchful eyes of
+the Noah family, with an ark and stiff little Noah's Ark trees, will
+give endless pleasure if placed about three feet from the floor where
+small tots can take in its charm. If placed too high, it is very often
+not noticed at all. Some of the most attractive nurseries have painted
+walls with special designs stenciled on them.</p><a name="Page_170"></a>
+
+<p>If any one of these friezes is placed above a simple wainscot, the
+effect is charming. The paper for nurseries is usually waterproof, for a
+nursery must be absolutely spick and span. Another thing that gives much
+pleasure in a nursery is to build on one side of the room a platform
+about a yard wide and six inches high, and cover it with cushions.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture in a day nursery should consist of a toy cupboard stained
+to match the color scheme of the room and large enough for each child to
+have his own special compartment in it. If the children's initials are
+painted or burned on the doors, it gives an added feeling of pride in
+keeping the toys in order. There are many designs of small tables and
+chairs made with good lines, and the wicker ones with gay cretonne
+cushions are very attractive. The tables and chairs should not have
+sharp corners and should be heavy enough not to tip over easily. There
+should be a bookcase for favorite picture-books. Besides the special
+china for the children's own meals there should be a set of play china
+for doll's parties. A sand table, with a lump of clay for modeling, a
+blackboard and, in the spring, window-boxes where the children can plant
+seeds, will all add vastly to the joy of life.</p>
+
+<p>And do not forget a comfortable chair for the nurse-maid. White muslin
+curtains with side hangings of washable chintz or linen or some special
+nursery design in cretonne should hang to the sill.</p><a name="Page_171"></a>
+
+<p>The colors in both day and night nurseries should be soft and cheerful,
+and the color scheme as carefully thought out as for the rest of the
+house. Both rooms should be on the sunny side of the house, and far
+enough away from the family living-room to avoid any one's being
+disturbed when armies charge up and down the play-room battle-ground or
+Indians start out on the warpath.</p>
+
+<p>The best floor covering for a day nursery is plain linoleum, as it is
+not dangerously slippery and is easily kept clean. If the floor is hard
+wood, it must not have a slippery wax finish. It will also save tumbles
+if the day nursery has no rugs, but the night nursery ought to have one
+large one or several small ones by the beds and in front of the open
+fire. Washable cotton rugs are best to use for this purpose.</p>
+
+<p>When children are very small, it is necessary to have sides to the beds
+to keep them from falling out. The beds should be placed so that the
+light does not shine directly in the children's eyes in the morning, and
+there should be plenty of fresh air. The rest of the night nursery
+furniture should consist of a dressing-table, a chest of drawers, a
+night table and some chairs. There should be a few pictures on the walls
+hung low, and beautiful and interesting in subjects and treatment. The
+fire should be well screened.</p>
+
+<p>Pictures like the &quot;Songs of Childhood,&quot; for instance, would be charming
+simply framed. If there is only one nursery for both day and night use,
+the room should be deco<a name="Page_172"></a>rated as a day nursery and the bed-cover made of
+white dimity with a border of the curtain stuff or made entirely of it.</p><a name="Page_173"></a><a name="Page_174"></a><a name="Page_175"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Curtains"></a><h2><i>Curtains</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The modern window, with its huge panes of glass and simple framework,
+makes an insistent demand for curtains. Without curtains windows of this
+kind give a blank, staring appearance to the room and also a sense of
+insecurity in having so many holes in the walls. The beautiful windows
+of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy, England and
+France, give no such feeling of incompleteness, for their well-carved
+frames, and over-windows, and their small panes of glass, were important
+parts of the decorative scheme. Windows and doors were more than mere
+openings in those days, but things have changed, and the hard lines of
+our perfectly useful windows get on our nerves if we do not soften them
+with drapery. In that hopeless time in the last century called &quot;Early
+Victorian,&quot; when black walnut reigned supreme, the curtains were as
+terrifying as the curves of the furniture and the colors of the carpets.
+Luckily most of us know only from pictures what that time was, but we
+all have seen enough remnants of its past glories to be thankful for
+modern ways and days. The over-draped, stuffy, upholstered nightmares
+have entirely disappeared, and in their place have come curtains of a
+high <a name="Page_176"></a>standard of beauty and practicality&mdash;simple, appropriate, and
+serving the ends they were intended for.</p>
+
+<p>The effect of curtains must be taken into account from both the outside
+and the inside of the house. The outside view should show a general
+similarity of appearance in the windows of each story, in the manner of
+hanging the curtains and also of material. The shades throughout the
+house should be of the same color, and if a different color is needed
+inside for the sake of the color scheme, either two shades should be
+used or they should be the double-faced kind. Shades should also be kept
+drawn down to the same line, or else be rolled up out of sight, for
+there is nothing that gives a more ill-kept look to a house than having
+the shades and curtains at any haphazard height or angle.</p>
+
+<p>And now to &quot;return to our muttons.&quot; The average window needs two sets of
+curtains and a shade. Sometimes a thin net or lace curtain, a <i>&quot;bonne
+femme&quot;</i> is hung close to the glass, but this is usual only in cities
+where privacy has to be maintained by main force, or where the curtains
+of a floor differ greatly. Thin curtains in combination with side
+curtains of some thicker material are most often used.</p>
+
+<p>Curtains either make or mar a room, and they should be carefully planned
+to make it a perfect whole. They must be so convincingly right that one
+only thinks at first how restful and pleasant and charming the whole
+room is; the details come later. When curtains stand out and astound
+<a name="Page_177"></a>one, they are wrong. It is not upholstery one is trying to display, but
+to make a perfect background for one's furniture, one's pictures and
+one's friends.</p>
+
+<p>There are so many materials to choose from that all tastes and purses
+can be suited; nets, thin silk and gauzes; scrims and batistes; cotton
+and silk crepes, muslin or dotted Swiss, cheesecloth, soleil cloth,
+madras, and a host of other fascinating fabrics which may be used in any
+room of the house. The ready-made curtains are also charming. There are
+muslin curtains with appliqu&eacute; borders cut from flowered cretonne;
+sometimes the cretonne is appliqu&eacute; on net which is let into the curtain
+with a four-inch hem at the bottom and sides. A simpler style has a band
+of flowered muslin sewed on the white muslin, or used as a ruffle. It is
+also added to the valance. There are many kinds of net and lace curtains
+ready for use that will harmonize with any kind of room. Some of the
+expensive ones are really beautiful examples of needlecraft, with lace
+medallions and insertions and embroidery stitches.</p>
+
+<p>When it comes to the question of side curtains the supply to choose from
+is almost unlimited, and this great supply forms the bog in which so
+many are lost. A thing may be beautiful in itself and yet cause woe and
+havoc in an otherwise charming room. There are linens of all prices, and
+cretonnes, both the inexpensive kind and the wonderful shadow ones;
+there are silks and velvets and velours, aurora <a name="Page_178"></a>cloth, cotton cr&ecirc;pe and
+arras cloth, and a thousand other beautiful stuffs that are cheap or
+medium-priced or expensive, whose names only the shopman knows, but
+which win our admiration from afar. The curtains for a country house are
+usually of less valuable materials than those for a town house, and this
+is as it should be, for winter life is usually more formal than summer
+life. Nothing can be prettier, however, for a country house than
+cretonne. It is fresh and dainty and gives a cool and delightful
+appearance to a room. Among the many designs there are some for every
+style of decoration.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/312.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_312.jpg" width="438" height="278" alt="The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one.</p>
+
+<p>The height and size of a room must be taken into account in hanging
+curtains, for with their aid, and also that of wallpaper, we can often
+change a room of bad proportions to one of seemingly good ones. If a
+room is very low, a stripe more or less marked in the design, and the
+curtains straight to the floor, will make it seem higher. A high room
+may have the curtains reach only to the sills with a valance across the
+top. This style may be used in a fairly low room if the curtain material
+is chosen with discretion and is not of a marked design. If the windows
+are narrow they can be made to seem wider by having the rod for the side
+curtains extend about eight inches on each side of the window, and the
+curtain cover the frame and a part of the wall. This leaves all the
+window for light and air. A valance connecting the side curtains and
+covering the top of the net curtains <a name="Page_179"></a>will also make the window seem
+broader. A group of three windows can be treated as one by using only
+one pair of side curtains with a connecting ruffle, and a pair of net
+curtains at each window. Curtains may hang in straight lines or be
+simply looped back, but fancy festooning is not permissible. There is
+another attractive method of dividing the curtains in halves, the upper
+sections to hang so they just cover the brass rod for the lower
+sections, which are pushed back at the sides. These lower sections may
+have the rod on which they are run fastened to the window-sash if one
+wishes. They will then go up with the window and of course keep clean
+much longer, but to my mind it is not so alluring as a gently blowing
+curtain on a hot day. I have seen a whole house curtained most
+charmingly in this manner, with curtains of unbleached muslin edged with
+a narrow little ruffle. They hung close to the glass and reached just to
+the sill with the lower part pushed back at the sides. The outside view
+was most attractive, and the inside curtains varied according to the
+needs of each room.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/313.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_313.jpg" width="389" height="257" alt="A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch.</p>
+
+<p>Casement windows should have the muslin curtains drawn back with a cord
+or a muslin band, and the side curtains should hang straight, with a
+little top ruffle; if the windows open into the room the curtains may be
+hung on the frames. The muslin curtains may be left out entirely if one
+wishes. Net curtains on French doors should be run on small brass rods
+at top and bottom, and the heavy curtains that are <a name="Page_180"></a>drawn together at
+night for privacy's sake should be so hung that they will not interfere
+with the opening of the door. There should be plenty of room under all
+ruffles or shaped valances where the curtains are to be drawn to allow
+for easy working of the cords, otherwise tempers are liable to be
+suddenly lost.</p>
+
+<p>All windows over eighteen inches wide need two curtains, and the average
+allowance of fullness is at least twice the width of the window for net
+and any very soft material, while once and a half is usually enough for
+material with more body. Great care must be taken to measure curtains
+correctly and have them cut evenly. It is also a good plan to allow for
+extra length, which can be folded into the top hem and will not show,
+but will allow for shrinking.</p>
+
+<p>Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and porti&egrave;res for
+country houses. Cheesecloth, scrim, aurora cloth, pongee, linen, and
+velours, are a few of the materials that can be used. The design and
+kind used in a room should be chosen with due regard to its suitability.
+A Louis XVI room could not possibly have arras cloth used in it, while
+it would be charming and appropriate in a modern bungalow. Arras cloth
+with an appliqu&eacute; design of linen couched on it makes beautiful curtains
+and porti&egrave;res to go with the Mission or Craftsman furniture.</p>
+
+<p>There is an old farmhouse on Long Island that has been made over into a
+most delightful country house, and the <a name="Page_181"></a>furnishing throughout is
+consistent and charming. The curtains are reproductions of old designs
+in chintz and cretonne. The living-room, with its white paneling to the
+ceiling, its wide fireplace, old mahogany furniture, and curtains gay
+with parrots and flowers, hanging over cool white muslin, is a room to
+conjure with.</p>
+
+<p>In town houses the curtains and hangings must also harmonize with the
+style of furnishing. When the windows are hung with soft colored
+brocade, the porti&egrave;res are usually beautiful tapestry or rich toned
+velvets, and care is always taken to have the balance of color kept and
+the color values correct. There are silks and damasks and velvets, and
+many lesser stuffs, made for all the period styles, whether carried out
+simply or elaborately, and it is the art of getting the suitable ones
+for the different rooms which gives the air of harmony, beauty, and
+restfulness, for which the word home stands.</p>
+
+<p>In hanging these more formal curtains the shaped valance is usually used
+with the curtains hanging straight at the sides of the window, so they
+can be drawn together at night. The cords and pulleys should always be
+in perfect working order. Another method is to have the curtains simply
+parted in the center, either with a valance or without, and drawn back
+at the sides with heavy cords and tassels, or bands of the stuff. If a
+draped effect is desired great care must be taken not to have it too
+elaborate.</p><a name="Page_182"></a>
+
+<p>If the walls of a room are plain in color one may have either plain or
+figured hangings, but if the wall covering is figured it gives a feeling
+of unrest if the curtains are also figured. Sometimes one sees bedrooms
+and small boudoirs where the walls and curtains show the same design,
+but it must be done with skill, or disaster is sure to follow.</p>
+
+<p>Plain casement cloth or the different &quot;Sunfast&quot; fabrics are attractive
+with plain or figured papers, especially in bedrooms of country houses.</p>
+
+<p>If one has to live in the town house through the summer do not make the
+fatal mistake of taking down the curtains and living in bare discomfort
+during the hot season. If the curtains are too handsome to be kept up,
+buy a second set of inexpensive ones that can be washed without injury.
+It is better that they should stop the dust, and then go into the tub,
+than that one's lungs should collect it all. Curtains are useful as well
+as ornamental, and a house without them is as dreary as breakfast
+without coffee.</p><a name="Page_183"></a><a name="Page_184"></a><a name="Page_185"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Floors_and_Floor_Coverings"></a><h2><i>Floors and Floor Coverings</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>In planning a room the color values should be divided into the natural
+divisions of the heaviest, or darkest, part at the bottom, which is the
+floor; the medium color tone in the middle, which is the wall; and the
+lightest at the top, which is the ceiling. This keeps the room from
+seeming top-heavy and gives the necessary feeling of support for the
+wall and ceiling. The walls and floor serve as a background and should
+not be insistant or startling in color; and the size and height of the
+room, the amount of wall space, the position of doors, windows and
+fireplace, the quantity and quality of the light, and the connecting
+rooms will all be factors in the color scheme and materials chosen.</p>
+
+<p>The floor of a room must be right or all the character of the
+furnishings will be lost. One should first see that it is in perfect
+condition. If it is a hardwood or parquetry floor it should not be
+finished the bright and glaring yellow which is sometimes seen, but
+should be slightly toned down before the finish is put on. Samples of
+different tones should be submitted to be tried with samples of the rug
+and stuffs to be used before the decision is made. A wax finish is
+better than the usual coats of shellac, for the wax has a soft and
+beautiful glow, while shellac has a hard commercial glare.<a name="Page_186"></a> A waxed
+floor, if properly taken care of, which is not difficult, wears
+extremely well and does not have the distressingly shabby appearance of
+a partly worn shellaced floor. If the floor is old and worn and is to be
+painted or stained all cracks should be filled, and the color chosen
+should be a neutral color-in harmony with the rest of the room, the wood
+shades usually being the best, with the exception of cherry and the red
+tones of mahogany. Teak is a good tone for hard wood. Soft wood floors
+of such woods as pine, fir, and cypress can be made to have the
+appearance of hardwood if first scraped or sandpapered and then stained
+with an oil stain and finished with a thin coat of shellac and two coats
+of prepared floor wax.</p>
+
+<p>The usual ways of using floor covering are: one large rug which leaves a
+border of hard wood floor of about a foot all around it; several small
+rugs placed with a well balanced plan upon the floor; and carpet, either
+seamless or of strips sewed together, made into one rug or entirely
+covering the floor.</p>
+
+<p>In the majority of cases the use of a single large plain rug is by far
+the best plan, for it gives the feeling of an unobtrusive background
+whose beauty of color serves to bind the room in the unity of a well
+planned scheme; and this sense of dignity and solidity goes a long way
+on the road to success. It is one of the most satisfactory methods of
+covering a floor imaginable. These plain carpets come in several grades
+and <a name="Page_187"></a>many colors and are woven in widths from nine to thirty feet which
+can be cut in any desired length. This makes it possible to have a rug
+which will be a suitable size for a room. The colors are very good,
+especially the soft grays, tans, putty color, and taupe. There are also
+some good blues and greens, a very beautiful dark blue having great
+possibilities. There are also, besides these wide carpets, narrow
+carpets from twenty-seven inches to four feet wide which can be sewed
+together and made into rugs, or the carpet can cover the entire floor.
+In some cases this is the most attractive thing to do, for it will make
+a room seem larger by carrying the vision all the way to the wall
+without the break of a border; and it also covers a multitude of sins in
+the way of a rough floor. In these days of vacuum cleaners the old
+terrors of dust have lost their sting.</p>
+
+<p>A plain carpet or rug may be used with propriety in any room in the
+house, provided the right color is chosen for the surroundings. Some
+people, however, prefer a figured carpet in the dining-room on account
+of the wear and tear around the table. This risk is not very great if
+the rug is of good quality in the first place. A two-toned all-over
+design is often chosen for halls and stairs because of the special wear
+which they receive, and a Chinese rug is a good selection to make with a
+stair carpet of soft blue and yellow Chinese design to match. A small,
+figured, all-over design is a good choice for a nursery.</p><a name="Page_188"></a>
+
+<p>Bedrooms may have either one large rug or be covered entirely with
+carpet, or have several rugs so placed that the floor is practically
+covered but is easily kept clean. Plain rugs are more restful in effect
+in bedrooms than figured rugs, and with plain walls and chintz are fresh
+and charming. These carpet rugs should be made with a flat binding which
+turns under and is sewed down, as this looks far better and lies flatter
+on the floor than the usual over-and-over finish, which is apt to
+stretch. All rugs should be thoroughly stretched before they are
+delivered as otherwise they will not lie flat.</p>
+
+<p>There is a kind of plain woven linen rug, with a different colored
+border if desired, which is very good to use in many country houses.
+These rugs come in a large assortment of colors and sizes, and, when
+sufficient time is allowed, they can be made in special sizes.
+Old-fashioned woven and hooked rag rugs are not appropriate in all kinds
+of rooms, even in the country. They should only be used in the simple
+farm house type and in some bungalows, and should be used with the
+simple styles of old furniture and never with fine examples, whether
+copies or originals.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/314.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_314.jpg" width="235" height="276" alt="This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the porti&egrave;res spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the porti&egrave;res spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen.</p>
+
+<p>The light in a room must be taken into account in choosing a rug, and
+cold colors should not be used in north or cheerless rooms. The theory
+of color in regard to light has been explained in other chapters, very
+fully in the chapter on wallpapers, and its principles should be applied
+to all ques<a name="Page_189"></a>tions of furnishing, or disappointment will be the result.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/315a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_315a.jpg" width="234" height="179" alt="The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/315b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_315b.jpg" width="237" height="187" alt="This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole.</p>
+
+<p>The question of whether to use Oriental rugs or plain rugs is one which
+many people find hard to solve. One of the deciding factors is often
+finding just what is right for the room, for really beautiful Oriental
+rugs in large or carpet size are rare and also expensive, but soft-toned
+Persian rugs with their interesting floral designs, and Chinese rugs
+with their wonderful tones of blue and yellow are works of art and well
+worth the trouble necessary to discover them and the price asked. They
+are best adapted to some libraries and halls and some dining-rooms, but
+they should not be startling in either design or color. To my mind
+Oriental rugs are not well suited to the majority of living-rooms and
+bedrooms because of the constant and varied use of these rooms. When
+Oriental rugs are used there should be plenty of plain effect in the
+room; the walls, for instance, should be plain. I have never seen a room
+which was successful if both walls and rug were figured. A fine tapestry
+may be used with Oriental rugs, but that is quite different from a
+figured wall. If several rugs are to be used in one room they must be of
+the same color value and the same general color tone or the floor will
+appear uneven. One does not wish to have a room give the uncomfortable
+effect of &quot;the rocky road to Dublin.&quot; A rug with a general blue tone
+must not be put with other rugs of many colors or an overpowering amount
+of red, but should be matched in color by having blue the chief color of
+the <a name="Page_190"></a>other rugs also. The color value, too, must be even, for a light
+rug next to a dark has the same disagreeable effect. It is impossible to
+have a beautiful room if the rug seems to rise up and smite you as you
+enter. Persian rugs with their conventional floral designs should not be
+used with the marked color and geometrical designs of Caucasian rugs.
+These points are important to remember and follow, for otherwise unity
+of scheme for the room will be impossible.</p>
+
+<p>If one has several fine rugs well matched in color value and design they
+should be placed with a due regard to the shape of the room and the
+position of the furniture. A rug placed cat-a-cornered breaks up the
+structural plan of the room and makes it appear smaller than it really
+is. The new lines formed are at odds with the lines of the walls and
+interfere with the sense of space by stopping the eye in its instinctive
+journey to the boundary of things. Oriental rugs should be tried if
+possible in the rooms in which they are to be used before the final
+choice is made, and one must always try the rug with the light falling
+across the nap and also with the nap, for one way makes the rug lighter
+and the other darker, and one of the two may be just what is wanted.</p>
+
+<p>If one owns a rug which seems far too bright to use it can be toned
+down, but the owner must take the risk of its being spoiled in the
+process. To me it does not seem a great risk, because if the rug is so
+bright that it is absolutely nerve-destroying and useless, and there is
+a chance that for a small <a name="Page_191"></a>sum it can be made charming, why not take it?
+I have never heard of one failing, but I suppose some of them must or
+the stipulation would not be made.</p>
+
+<p>If an Oriental rug is used it should give the keynote for the color
+scheme, and the design of the rug will decide whether there can be any
+figured material used in the room. It is far easier to build up a scheme
+from a satisfactory rug than it is to try to fit one into a room which
+is otherwise finished. One's field of choice is much wider. Samples of
+wallpaper, curtain material and furniture coverings should always be
+tried with the rugs, whether Oriental or plain in color, for the scheme
+of a room must be worked out as a whole, not piece-meal. Each room must
+be considered in relation to the other rooms near it, because, although
+it may be beautiful in itself, if it does not harmonize with the
+connecting rooms the whole effect will be a failure. Vistas from one
+room to another should be alluring and charming; there should be no
+violent and clashing contrasts of color or styles of furniture or sudden
+change in the scale of furnishings. One room cannot shake off its
+relationship to the rest of the house and be a success, and floor
+coverings must bear their full share of responsibility in making the
+whole house beautiful.</p><a name="Page_192"></a><a name="Page_193"></a><a name="Page_194"></a><a name="Page_195"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Treatment_of_Walls"></a><h2><i>The Treatment of Walls</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The walls of a house hold a most important place in the order of things
+and their treatment requires much thought. The floor is the darkest
+color value in a room, as it is the foundation, and the walls come next
+in color value and consideration. What I have said in other chapters
+about the necessity of connecting rooms being harmonious applies of
+course to the selection of wall coverings.</p>
+
+<p>The first question to be settled is: shall paint or paper be used?</p>
+
+<p>If a house is new the walls are apt to settle a little making the
+plaster crack, and it is far better in such a case to allow the walls to
+remain white for a year. If the effect of plain white plaster strikes
+one as too cold one of the many water tints may be used as this will not
+interfere with any later scheme. In houses that have been built for a
+number of years the walls are often so badly cracked and marred that to
+put them into condition for painting would be more expensive than
+preparing them for paper. Estimates should be given for both paint and
+paper.</p>
+
+<p>When the plaster has done its worst and settled down to a quiet life the
+work of covering the walls appropriately begun.</p>
+
+<p>Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more <a name="Page_196"></a>restful in
+effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls. This is not a
+question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but
+simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall,
+even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less
+of a background. If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a
+figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls. If one
+has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be
+treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain
+background. A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made
+to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral
+color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion
+more pronounced. Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls,
+as they then appear larger. Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter
+of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and
+various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of
+the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and
+lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the
+scheme, instead of making another distracting note.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/316.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_316.jpg" width="331" height="227" alt="A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.</p>
+
+<p>The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances,
+such as the condition of the walls or the climate. With paint one can
+have the exact shade desired and either a &quot;glossy&quot; or eggshell finish.
+With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color
+wanted and <a name="Page_197"></a>changing the other colors to harmonize. Paint is better to
+use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the
+course of time.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/317.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_317.jpg" width="359" height="270" alt="This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.</p>
+
+<p>Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
+are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
+requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
+the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
+the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
+background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
+suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
+some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
+room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
+different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
+colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
+picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
+I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
+walls have been painted by great artists.</p>
+
+<p>Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
+elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
+or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
+walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
+plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.</p>
+
+<p>Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is <a name="Page_198"></a>to be used.
+Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
+only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
+is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
+in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
+very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
+people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
+that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
+realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
+when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
+figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
+to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
+as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
+should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
+environment. Samples of the curtains and furniture coverings should also
+be tried with the sample of paper before the final choice is made. If a
+paper with a decided figure is chosen pictures should be banished, for
+their beauty will be killed by the repeated design. The scale of the
+design in relation to the size of the room must also be taken into
+account. A small room will be overpowered by a large figure, but often
+the repeat of a small figure is quite correct in a large room as it
+gives an all-over, unobtrusive effect. If the wall space is much cut by
+doors and windows one should select a plain, <a name="Page_199"></a>neutral toned paper. It
+would be a fatal error to use a figured paper, for the room would look
+restless and chaotic and probably out of balance. If the windows are in
+groups and the doors balance each other the danger is lessened, but not
+done away with. One of the beautiful features in fine old Colonial
+houses is this ordered position of doors, but in many a modern house the
+doors have a trying way of appearing in a corner, as if they were a bit
+ashamed of themselves; and they have good cause to be, for a badly
+placed door is a calamity. If one is fortunate enough to plan one's own
+house, this matter can be taken care of properly, but in the average
+ready made house one has to try to make the doors less conspicuous by
+having them painted in very much the tone of the wall. With a gray wall,
+for instance, there should have a slightly lighter tone of gray for the
+woodwork, with a white and gray striped paper white paint may be used,
+with a soft tan a deep old ivory, and so on.</p>
+
+<p>If a room is badly proportioned it can often be improved by the simple
+expedient of using a correct paper. If the room is too high for its size
+the ceiling color may be brought down on the side wall for eighteen
+inches or so and finished with a moulding. This stops the eye before it
+reaches the ceiling and so makes the room seem lower. If the room is too
+low a striped paper may be used which will make the room seem higher by
+carrying the eye up to the ceiling where the paper is finished with a
+moulding. Vertical lines give <a name="Page_200"></a>the appearance of height, horizontal
+lines of width. Striped paper should not be used in narrow halls, for it
+makes them seem narrower and gives one the feeling of being in a cage.
+Two-toned striped papers of nearly the same color value, such as gray
+and white, yellow and cream-white, and white and cream color, are better
+to use than those of more marked contrast, although some of the green
+and white and blue and white are charming and fresh looking for
+bedrooms. Black and white is too eccentric for the average house; one
+should beware of all eccentric papers. There are a few kinds of paper
+which should be left severely alone, for they will spoil any room. One
+of them has a plain general tone but a suggestion of other colors which
+give it a blurred and mottled appearance which is singularly
+disagreeable. Another is plain in color but has a lumpy effect like a
+toad's back, and is really quite awful. Others are metallic papers, and
+there is a heavy paper embossed in self color with a conventional design
+which is apt to have a shining surface. Papers with dashes and little
+flecks of gold should be avoided, for the gold gives the wall an
+unstable and cheap appearance. Papers with small single figures repeated
+all over the surface are apt to look as if a plague of flies or beetles
+had arrived and are quite impossible to live with. Borders and cut out
+borders have a commonplace appearance and are not in the best of taste.
+And then there are papers with vulgarity of design. This quality is hard
+to define clearly, for it may be <a name="Page_201"></a>only a slightly redundant curve or
+other lack of true feeling for the beauty of line, or a bit too much, or
+too little, color, or a bad combination of color, or a lack of knowledge
+of the laws of balance and harmony and ornament, or a wrong surface of
+texture to the paper. But whatever the cause, a vulgar paper will
+vulgarize any room, no matter what is done in the way of furniture. It
+will assert itself like an ill-bred person. Luckily both are easily
+recognized.</p>
+
+<p>But the picture is not all dark by any means, for some of the American
+made papers, as well as the imported papers, are very beautiful. The
+makers are taking great pains to have fine designs and beautiful colors
+which will appeal to people of knowledge and taste. The situation is
+much better than it was a few years ago. Some of the copies of old
+figured and scenic papers are exceptionally fine, and can be used with
+great distinction in dining-rooms or halls with ivory or cream-white
+woodwork and wainscoting, and Georgian or Colonial furniture. One should
+not use pictures with these papers, but mirrors are permissable and will
+have the best effect if placed on a wood-paneled over-mantel. These
+papers come in tones of gray and white and also sepia. Oriental rugs, if
+not of too conspicuous a design, may be used with them, but plain rugs
+are better with plain hangings and striped silk chair seats. These
+papers are very attractive in country houses. There are also colored
+scenic papers, an especially fascinating one having a Chinese design
+which <a name="Page_202"></a>could be used as a connected scene or in panels, and would be
+lovely in a country house drawing-room or dining-room or hall. It could
+also be used in a city house with beautiful effect if due thought be
+given to the question of hangings, woodwork, rug, and furniture.
+Introduce a false note, and a room of this kind is ruined. These scenic
+papers come in sets, but the copies of the other old papers come in the
+regular rolls. Some of the lovely old &quot;<i>Toile de Jouy</i>&quot; designs have
+been used for wall paper, and these with other chintz designs, can be
+softened in effect by a special method of glazing which makes them very
+harmonious and charming with antique furniture or reproductions of fine
+old models. These old chintz papers are lovely for bedrooms or
+morning-rooms, with fresh crisp muslin curtains and plain silk or linen
+or chambray side-curtains. Either painted or mahogany furniture could be
+employed. A motif from the paper can be used for the furniture or it can
+simply be striped with the color chosen for the plain curtains. Some of
+the good and rather stunning bird design papers treated with this
+special glazing make beautiful halls with plain rugs and hangings and
+chair covers.</p>
+
+<p>Papers cost from about forty cents to several dollars a roll, but the
+choice is large and attractive between one and three dollars a roll, and
+there are also excellent ones for eighty-five cents. It is almost
+impossible, however, to give a satisfactory list of prices as they vary
+in different parts of <a name="Page_203"></a>the country. The reproductions of old scenic
+papers of which I have spoken are expensive, costing about one hundred
+dollars a set, but they may go down again now that the war is over. The
+difference in expense between paint and paper is not very great, in
+fact, with the average paper at a dollar or a dollar and a half a roll,
+paint is about the same, or perhaps a bit cheaper if the walls are in
+fairly good condition. It is a mistake to use inferior paper, and there
+should never be more than a lining paper and the paper itself on the
+wall. In some cases where there is only one paper of soft color on the
+wall, with no lining paper, this paper may be used as a lining paper if
+it is absolutely tight and firm. The risk is that the new paste may
+loosen the old a bit and so let all come down. Old paper must be
+entirely removed if there are any marred places as they will show
+through the new and ruin the effect.</p>
+
+<p>The amount of wall space and the quality and the quantity of the light
+are important factors in deciding the color scheme because by using them
+correctly we can brighten a cheerless, dark room or soften the blaze in
+a too sunny one.</p>
+
+<p>If the light is a cold dreary one from the north, the room will be
+vastly improved if warm, cheerful colors are used: warm ivory, deep
+cream color, soft or bright yellow without any greenish tinge in it,
+soft yellow pinks (there is a hard pink which is very ugly), yellow
+green (but not olive), and tones of golden tan. It is the dash of yellow
+in these colors <a name="Page_204"></a>which makes them cheerful and gives the impression of
+sunlight. Tans should never come too close to brown for a dark room, for
+nothing is more dreary or hopeless than a room done in that depressing
+color. The beautiful tones of old oak, or properly treated modern oak
+paneling, are quite a different matter. Small amounts of red or orange
+will do wonders, if used with discretion, in brightening a dull room,
+and are often just what are needed to bring out the beauty of the rest
+of the scheme; but it is a great mistake to think that red walls and a
+great deal of red in the hangings and furniture covering will make a
+cheerful or pleasant room. Red absorbs light and is also an irritant to
+the eyes and nerves, and, unless it is used with great skill, it is apt
+to look extremely commonplace and ugly or like an ostentatious hotel or
+public building. Few of us have large enough houses to make it possible
+to use red in great amounts, and it is well for the average person to
+shun it and remember that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a red
+wall will spoil a room.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/318.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_318.jpg" width="402" height="258" alt="There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated.</p>
+
+<p>Cool colors should be used in bright and sunny rooms&mdash;blues, greens,
+grays, grayish tans, and those delightful colors, old ivory, and soft
+deep cream color and linen color. Colors with a tone of yellow in them
+are easier to use than cold blues and greens and violets, for the yellow
+tinge, be it ever so little, brings them into relation with the majority
+of woods used in floors and furniture frames. Light colors make a
+<a name="Page_205"></a>room seem larger by apparently making the walls recede, and dark
+colors make it seem smaller, as they make us conscious of the walls and
+so seem to bring them nearer. Any very bright room may have dark walls
+to soften the glare, but if it has to be used by artificial light it
+will then be heavy and cheerless in effect; and so a better choice would
+be some soft neutral color of medium or lighter color values, such as
+gray green, and use awnings and dark shades. This matter of color in
+relation to light is important to remember when planning one's house.
+There is also another question which has great influence on one's choice
+of paper, and that is the amount and kind of furniture to be used in the
+room. Georgian furniture calls for plain or paneled walls, or if a
+figured paper is used it should be one of the old-fashioned designs or
+one of the striped papers. Old-fashioned chintz designs are also
+appropriate for bedrooms with mahogany or painted furniture. Plain or
+paneled walls, striped paper, and some of the fine floral designs, which
+can also be used as panels, and the charming <i>Toile de Jouy</i> designs,
+are all appropriate when used with French furniture. Heavily made
+furniture like Craftsman or Mission needs the support of strong walls
+which may be rough-finished natural-colored or painted plaster, or grass
+cloth, or one of the many good plain papers of heavy texture. There are
+also figured papers which are appropriate. Wicker furniture will go with
+almost any kind of attractive paper which is correct for the room, but
+when <a name="Page_206"></a>there is much figure the cushions should be covered with plain
+stuff. All-over stuffed furniture when covered with chintz looks best
+with plain walls. Painted furniture looks well with plain walls and
+chintz. A motif from the chintz can be used on the furniture for the
+decoration, but if the wall paper is figured the effect will be more
+restful if the furniture is only striped.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/319.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_319.jpg" width="359" height="261" alt="This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples.</p>
+
+<p>In summing up: the important points which govern the choice and color of
+wall covering are the connecting rooms, the amount and quality of light,
+the size and shape of the room, its use, the furnishings which are to be
+used, the condition of the walls, and personal preference as to paint or
+paper. Do not be afraid of the idea that plain walls, whether paint or
+paper, may become tiresome, for one can stand well planned monotony year
+in and year out with a cheerful heart. If some rooms are to be papered
+with figured paper be sure the selection is made with care and with the
+idea in mind that a figured wall is in itself a decoration and should
+not have pictures crowded upon it.</p><a name="Page_207"></a><a name="Page_208"></a><a name="Page_209"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Artificial_Lighting"></a><h2><i>Artificial Lighting</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>To light a room successfully appropriate lights must be placed where
+they are needed to keep the feeling of balance and proportion and bring
+out the charm of the room by their relation to its furnishing. They
+should also be so placed that the life of the household can go on as
+cheerfully and smoothly in the evening as in the day time.</p>
+
+<p>The position and style of lighting fixtures is decided by the type of
+house, the size and height of the rooms, the amount of wall space, the
+use for which the rooms are intended, their style of furnishing, the
+chief centers of interest, such as mantels, doors, furniture, and
+pictures of importance, and also the manner in which the walls are
+treated, whether paneled or papered. If one is building a house one
+should give all possible data to the architect in regard to any special
+pieces of furniture or pictures which one may wish to use in certain
+places. By doing this the tragedy of a slightly too small wall space
+will be escaped, and the lights will be properly placed in the
+beginning.</p>
+
+<p>One must always remember in planning the position of the lights for a
+room that the eye naturally seeks the brightest spot, and badly placed
+lamps and sidelights will upset the balance of a room. The room must not
+be glaringly <a name="Page_210"></a>bright, but there should be a feeling of a certain
+evenness in the distribution of light. A top light makes the light come
+from the wrong direction. Artificial light in a room should take its
+general idea from the lighting of the room in the day time. The daylight
+comes from the windows, the sides of the room, and the decoration of the
+room is built up with that in mind; so when we are planning the lighting
+scheme we should remember this and realize that the light should come
+from lamps placed advantageously on tables, and wall lights placed
+slightly above eye level.</p>
+
+<p>Living-rooms should have a sufficient number of well placed sidelights
+to enhance the beauty of the room, and they should be placed near
+centers of importance such as each side of the fireplace, or wide door,
+or on each side of some important picture or mirror. If there is a group
+of two or three windows which need to be more convincingly drawn
+together to form a unit, lights may be placed on each side of the group.
+Sidelights can be placed in the center of panels, thus forming a
+decoration for the panel, and, flanking paintings or mirrors or
+tapestries, make beautiful and formal rooms, especially for the
+different periods of French, English, or Italian decoration. This
+treatment with simpler forms of fixtures may also be used in our
+charming, but more or less nondescript, chintz living-rooms and country
+house drawing-rooms or dining-rooms. With a sufficient number of lamps
+in the room the side-or wall-lights need not be <a name="Page_211"></a>lighted during the
+average stay-at-home evenings but are ready if there is some special
+occasion for brilliancy. There are some rooms which are much improved by
+having no side-lights at all, all the light coming from lamps. There
+should be plenty of floor sockets so placed that lamps may be used on
+tables near sofas and armchairs and on the writing table or large
+living-room table. It is this proper placing of lamps which has so much
+to do with the charm and comfort of a room when evening comes.</p>
+
+<p>In the average home there is no greater mistake in the matter of
+lighting than having a room lighted by chandelier or ceiling lights.
+Lights at the top of the room, or a foot or two from the ceiling, break
+up completely the artistic balance of the room by drawing attention to
+them as the brightest spot. They make the room seem smaller both by day
+and night, they cast ugly shadows, they do not give sufficient or
+correct light for reading or writing, and the glare above one's head is
+nerve destroying. When the sun is directly overhead we hasten to put up
+sunshades, so why should we deliberately reproduce in our homes the most
+trying position of light? The fixtures also are usually extremely ugly.
+One sees sometimes in private houses what is called the indirect method
+of lighting, which is usually an alabaster bowl suspended by chains from
+the ceiling in which the lights are concealed. The reflected light on
+the ceiling is supposed to give a suffused and bright light. To my mind
+there is something <a name="Page_212"></a>extremely obnoxious about this method used in homes,
+for it smacks of department stores and banks and public buildings
+generally. And then, too, the light is unpleasant. If I were the
+unfortunate possessor of such a light I should have it taken down and
+use the bowl on a high wrought iron tripod for growing ivy and ferns,
+and thus try to get a little good from the ill wind that blew it there.</p>
+
+<p>There are a few cases, however, where top lights may be used, such as
+large drawing-or music-rooms, rooms in which formal entertaining is to
+be done. Crystal ceiling lights are then best to use, or chandeliers
+with crystal drops or pendants. If these rooms are Italian Renaissance
+in style, the center lights must naturally harmonize in period. Large
+halls with marble stairs and wrought-iron balustrade can have this
+elaborate kind of light, but the average hall demands a simpler
+chandelier. If one is to be used there are some very good copies of old
+Colonial lights and lanterns, but personally I prefer wall brackets and
+a dignified lamp, or a floor lamp. Torch&egrave;res or lacquered floor lamps
+may be used in pairs if the hall is large enough to have them placed
+properly. In a long, narrow hall they would look a bit like lamp posts.
+Rather close fitting round shades, nearly the same size at top and
+bottom, made of painted parchment give a decorative touch and sufficient
+light. As one does not need an especially bright light in a hall, a
+beautiful lamp can be made of one of the fine old alabaster vases which
+many <a name="Page_213"></a>people have by dropping an electric bulb in it. Placed on a consol
+table before a mirror it makes a delightful spot in the hall. These
+lamps may also be used in other rooms where a light is needed for effect
+and not for use. In placing lamps the charm and utility of a reflection
+in a mirror must not be overlooked.</p>
+
+<p>A vestibule may have a lantern of some attractive design in harmony with
+the house, or side lights, if they can be so placed as not to be struck
+by the door.</p>
+
+<p>Dining-rooms are far more beautiful and also better lighted if
+sidelights are used, with candles on the table, rather than a drop
+light. Dining-room drop-lights or &quot;domes&quot; have all the disadvantages of
+other center lights and are extremely trying to the eyes of the diners,
+as well as being unbecoming. Even when screened with thin silk drawn
+across the bottom there is something deadening to one's brain in having
+a light just over one's head. Side lights with the added charm of
+candles will give plenty of light. It is a cause for thanksgiving that
+drop-lights over dining-tables are rarely seen now-a-days.</p>
+
+<p>Bedrooms should have a good light over the dressing table, and to my
+mind, two movable lights upon it, which may be in the form of wired
+candlesticks or small lamps. These are much more convenient than fixed
+lights. There should be a light over any long mirror, and one for the
+desk and sofa or <i>chaise longue</i>, and one for the bedside table. The
+dressing-<a name="Page_214"></a>room should be supplied with a light over the chiffonier and
+long mirror, and there should also be a table light. Clothes closets
+should have simple lights.</p>
+
+<p>And do not forget the kitchen if one wishes properly cooked meals. A
+light so placed that it shines into the oven has saved many a burned
+dish, and a light over the sink has saved many a broken one. The
+servants' sitting-room should have a good reading lamp.</p>
+
+<p>The question of the style of the fixtures is important, for if they are
+badly chosen they will quite spoil an otherwise perfect room. They must
+harmonize in period with the room, and also with its scale of
+furnishing. There is a wide choice in the shops, and some of the designs
+are very good indeed, having been carefully studied and adapted from
+beautiful museum specimens of old Italian, French, English, and Spanish,
+carvings and ornament. Some of our iron workers make very fine metal
+fixtures which are beautiful copies of old French and Italian work.
+There are graceful and sturdy designs, elaborate and simple, special
+period designs, and many which are appropriate for rooms of no
+particular period. There are charming lacquer sconces to go with lacquer
+furniture, and old-fashioned prism candelabra and sconces, and fixtures
+copied from choice old whale oil lamps in both brass and bronze. There
+are suitable designs for each and every room. The difficulty lies not in
+finding too few to choose from, but too many, and, growing weary,
+<a name="Page_215"></a>making a selection not quite so good as it should be. One should take
+blue prints to the shop if possible, but necessary measurements without
+fail. One must know not only the width of the wall spaces, but the width
+of the pictures and furniture to be put in the room, or the calamity may
+happen of having the fixtures a bit too wide. When fixtures are meant to
+be a special part of the decorative scheme, and support and enhance
+pictures and tapestries, they should have an appropriate decorative
+value also, but in the average home it is better and safer to choose the
+simpler, but still beautiful, designs. It is better to err on the side
+of simplicity than to have them too elaborate.</p>
+
+<p>Lamps should be chosen to harmonize with the room, to add their
+usefulness and beauty to it as a part of the whole and be convincingly
+right both by day and night. There are many possibilities for having
+lamps made of different kinds of pottery and porcelain jars; some
+crackle-ware jars are very good in color. Chinese porcelain jars, both
+single color and figured, make lovely lamps. Old and valuable specimens
+should not be used in this way, for they are works of art. Many modern
+jars are copies of the old and these should be used. There are lacquer
+lamps, bronze, and brass, and carved wood lamps, and lovely Wedgwood and
+alabaster vases. There are charming little floor lamps, some of wrought
+iron with smart little parchment shades, some in Sheraton design, some
+in lacquer or painted wood, which <a name="Page_216"></a>can be easily carried about to stand
+by bridge tables or a special chair. There are dozens of different jars
+and lamps to use, but the one absolutely necessary question to ask
+oneself is: is it right for my purpose?</p>
+
+<p>Lamp shades are a part of the scheme of the room's decoration and should
+be chosen or made to order to achieve the desired effect. Special shades
+are made by many clever people to harmonize with any room or period and
+are apt to be far better than the ready made variety. There are all
+manner of beautiful shades, lace, silk, plain and painted parchment and
+paper, mounted Japanese prints, embroidery, and any number of other
+attractive combinations. To be perfect, beside the fine workmanship,
+they must harmonize in line with the lamps on which they are to be used,
+and harmonize in color and style with the room, and have an absolute
+lack of frills and furbelows. The shade for a reading lamp should spread
+enough to allow the light to shine out. Lamp shades simply for
+illuminating purposes may be any desired shape if in harmony with the
+shape of the lamp. Lacquered painted tin shades are liked by some for
+lamps on writing tables. There should be a certain amount of uniformity
+in the style of the shades in a room, although they need not be exactly
+alike. Too much variety is ruinous to the effect of simple charm in the
+room. The chintz which is used for curtains will supply a motif for the
+painted shades if one wishes them, but if there is a great deal <a name="Page_217"></a>of
+chintz, plain shades will be more attractive. Side lights may have
+little screens or shades, as one prefers, or none may be used. In that
+case the bulbs may be toned down by using ground glass and painting them
+with a thin coat of raw umber water color paint. Bedroom shades follow
+the same rule of appropriateness that applies to the other shades in the
+house. There should be several sets of candle shades for the
+dining-room.</p>
+
+<p>There is really no reason why so many houses should be so badly lighted.
+Often simply rearranging the lamps and changing the shape of the shades
+will do wonders in the way of improvement. Radical changes in the wiring
+should be carefully thought out so there will be no mistakes to
+rectify.</p><a name="Page_218"></a><a name="Page_219"></a><a name="Page_220"></a><a name="Page_221"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Painted_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Painted Furniture</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The love of color which is strong in human nature is shown in the
+welcome which has been given to painted furniture. If we turn back to
+review the past we find this same feeling cropping out in the different
+periods and in the different grades of furniture. The furniture of the
+Italian Renaissance was often richly gilded and painted; the carved
+swags of fruit, arabesques, and the entwined human figures, were painted
+in natural colors, or some of the important lines of the furniture were
+picked out with color or gold, or both. As the influence of the
+Renaissance spread to France and England, changed by the national
+temperament of the different countries, we find their furniture often
+blossoming into color&mdash;not covered by a solid coat of paint but picked
+out here and there by lines and accenting points. During the time of
+Louis XIV everything was ablaze with gold and glory, but later, during
+the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, a gentler, more refined love of
+color came uppermost, and the lovely painted furniture was made which
+has given so much inspiration to our modern work. The simpler forms of
+the Louis XV period, and the beautiful furniture of the Louis XVI
+period, were often painted soft tones of ivory, blue, green, or yellow,
+and decorated with lovely branches of flowers, birds, and scenery <a name="Page_222"></a>where
+groups of people by Fragonard and other great painters disported with
+all their eighteenth century charm. These decorations were usually
+painted on reserves of old ivory with the ground color outside of some
+soft tone. Martin, the inventor of famous &quot;vernis Martin,&quot; flourished at
+this time, and the glow of his beautiful amber-colored finish decorated
+many a piece of furniture from sewing boxes to sedan chairs. In England
+the vogue of painted furniture was given impetus by the genius of the
+Adam Brothers and the beautiful work of Angelica Kaufmann, Cipriani, and
+Pergolesi. In both France and England there was at this time the
+comprehension and appreciation of beauty and good taste combined with a
+carefree gaiety which made the ineffable charm of the eighteenth century
+a living thing. There are some of our modern workmen and painters of
+furniture who feel this so thoroughly that their work is very fine, but
+the majority have no knowledge or understanding of the period, and,
+although they may copy the lovely things of that time, the essence, the
+true spirit, is lacking. Cabinet making and painting in those days was a
+beloved and honored craft; to-day, alas, it is too often a matter of
+union rules.</p>
+
+<p>Chinese lacquer, while not strictly coming under the head of painted
+furniture, was another branch of decorated furniture which was in great
+demand at this time. The design in gold was done on a black or red or
+green ground and was beautiful in effect.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/320a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_320a.jpg" width="275" height="176" alt="The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/320b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_320b.jpg" width="275" height="176" alt="The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/321a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_321a.jpg" width="176" height="125" alt="A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall.</p><br />
+<a name="Page_223"></a>
+
+
+
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/321b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_321b.jpg" width="88" height="117" alt="A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/321c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_321c.jpg" width="90" height="150" alt="This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>While the upper classes were having this beautiful furniture made for
+their use, the peasant class was serenely going on its way decorating
+its furniture according to its own ideas and getting charming results.
+The designs were usually conventionalized field flowers done with great
+spirit and charm. From the peasants of Brittany and Flanders and Holland
+have come down to us many beautiful marriage chests and other pieces of
+furniture which are simple and straightforward and a bit crude in their
+design and color, but which have done much to serve as a help and guide
+in our modern work.</p>
+
+<p>The supply of painted furniture to-day is inspired by these different
+kinds of the great periods of decoration. There are many grades and
+kinds in the market, some very fine, keeping up the old traditions of
+beauty, some charming and effective in style and color, but with a
+modern touch, and some very very bad indeed; &quot;and when they are bad they
+are horrid.&quot; I have said a great deal in other chapters on this subject,
+but I cannot too often urge those of my readers who have the good
+fortune to live near one of our great art museums to study for
+themselves the precious specimens of the great days of genius. It will
+give a standard by which to judge modern work, and it is only by keeping
+our ideals and demands high that we can save a very beautiful art from
+deteriorating into a commercial affair.</p>
+
+<p>When selecting painted furniture, one can often have some <a name="Page_224"></a>special color
+scheme or decoration carried out at a little extra expense; and this is
+well worth while, for it takes away the &quot;ready made&quot; feeling and gives
+the touch of personality which adds so much to a home. One must see that
+the furniture is well made, that the painting and finishing are properly
+done, and that the decoration is appropriate. If the furniture is of one
+of the French periods, it should be one of the simpler styles and should
+be painted one of the soft ground colors used at the time, and the
+decoration should have the correct feeling&mdash;flowers and birds like those
+on old French brocade or <i>toile de Jouy</i> or old prints. The striping
+should be done in some contrasting color or in the wonderful brownish
+black which they used. The design may be taken from the chintz or
+brocade chosen for the room, but the painting must be done in the manner
+of the period. This holds true of any English period chosen, such as
+Adam furniture or the painted furniture of Sheraton. There are several
+firms who make a specialty of this fine grade of furniture, but it is
+not made by the car load; in fact it is usually special order work. The
+kind one finds most often in the shops is furniture copied from the
+simpler Georgian styles or simple modern pieces slightly reminiscent of
+Craftsmen furniture, but not heavy or awkward in build. This furniture
+is painted in different stock colors and designs, or can be painted
+according to the purchaser's wishes as a special order. These &quot;stock&quot;
+designs are often stenciled, but some <a name="Page_225"></a>of them have an effective charm
+and are suitable to country houses, and also many city ones. When there
+is much chintz used, the furniture will often be more attractive if it
+is only striped with the chief color used in the room. The designs which
+are to be avoided are of the Art Nouveau and Cubist variety, roses that
+look like cabbages gone crazy, badly conventionalized flowers, and crude
+and revolting color schemes. It sounds as if it should not be necessary
+to warn people against these monstrosities, and I have never heard of
+any one who buys them, but some one must do so or they would not be in
+the shops.</p>
+
+<p>Attractive and inexpensive painted furniture can be made to be used in
+simple surroundings by buying slat-backed chairs with splint seats and a
+drop-leaf pine table and having them painted the desired ground color
+and then striped and decorated with a motif from the chintz to be used
+in the room. A country house dining-room or bedroom could be most
+charmingly fitted up in this way, chintz cushions could be used on the
+chairs, and candle shades could be made to match. One can sometimes find
+a bed or chest of drawers or other piece of furniture which is a bit
+shopworn and can be had for a bargain. Old bureaus can be made to serve
+as chests of drawers by taking the mirror off and using it as a wall
+mirror. In many houses there are old sets of ugly furniture which can be
+made useful and often attractive by having the jigsaw carving removed
+and painting them. In a set of this <a name="Page_226"></a>kind, which I was doing over for a
+client, there happened to be two beds with towering headboards, quite
+impossible to use, but I combined the two footboards, thus making one
+attractive bed. The furniture was painted a soft pumpkin yellow, striped
+with blue and with little, old-fashioned nosegays, and a lovely linen
+with yellow and cream stripes and baskets of flowers was used and turned
+a dark and dreary room into a cheerful and pretty one.</p>
+
+<p>One can find some kind of suitable painted furniture for nearly every
+room in the average modern house. People everywhere are turning away
+more and more from the heavy, depressing effects of a few years ago; but
+unless they know the ground they are walking on they must tread with
+care. The style chosen must be appropriate and in scale with the style
+of house. The fine examples would look quite out of place in a bungalow
+or very simple house, and the simple kind founded on peasant designs
+would not be suitable in rooms with paneled walls and lovely taffeta
+curtains. In Georgian and simple French designs there are fascinating
+examples of chairs, settees and tables, corner cupboards and sideboards,
+beds and dressing-tables and chests of drawers, mirrors and footstools
+and candlesticks, everything both big and little which can be used in
+almost any of our charming rooms in the average house, with their fresh
+chintz and taffeta and well planned color schemes.</p>
+
+<p>Lacquered furniture is more formal than the average <a name="Page_227"></a>painted furniture,
+and often one or two pieces are sufficient for a room. A beautiful
+lacquered cabinet with its fascinating mounts and its soft, wonderful
+red or black and gold tones is a thing to conjure with. Lacquered
+furniture is lovely for some dining-rooms and morning-rooms. The tables
+should always be protected with glass tops, which also applies to other
+painted furniture.</p>
+
+<p>One or two pieces of painted furniture may be used in a room with other
+furniture if they happen to be just the thing needed to complete the
+scheme. A console table, for instance, with a mirror over it and
+sidelights, might be just the touch needed between two windows hung with
+plain taffeta curtains. Like all good things there must be restraint in
+using it, but there are few things that have greater possibilities than
+painted furniture when properly used.</p><a name="Page_228"></a><a name="Page_229"></a><a name="Page_230"></a><a name="Page_231"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Synopsis_of_Period_Styles_as_an_Aid_in_Buying_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Synopsis of Period Styles as an Aid in Buying Furniture.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When trying to select furniture for the home, people often become
+bewildered by the amount and variety to be found in the shops, and, not
+knowing exactly what to look for in the different styles, make an
+inappropriate or bad selection. One does not have to be so very learned
+to have things right, but there are certain anachronisms which cry to
+heaven and a little knowledge in advance goes a long way. A purchaser
+should also know something about the construction and grade of the
+furniture he wishes to buy. There are good designs in all the grades,
+which, for the sake of convenience, may be divided into the expensive,
+the medium in price, and the cheap. The amount one wishes to spend will
+decide the grade, and one naturally must not expect to find all the
+beauties and virtues of the first in the last. The differences in these
+grades lie chiefly in the matters of the fit and balance of doors and
+drawers; the joining of corners where, in the better grade, the interior
+blocks used to keep the sides from spreading are screwed as well as
+glued; the selection of well seasoned wood of fine grain; careful
+matching of figures made by the grain of the wood in veneer; panels
+properly <a name="Page_232"></a>made and fitted so they will not shrink or split; careful
+finish both inside and out, and the correct color of the stain used;
+appropriate hardware; hand or machine or &quot;applied&quot; carving. In the cheap
+grades it is best to leave carving out of the question entirely, for it
+is sure to be bad. Then there are the matters of the correctness of
+design and detail, in which all the knowledge one has collected of
+period furniture will be called upon; and in painted furniture the color
+of the background and the charm and execution of the design must be
+taken into account, whether it is done by hand or stenciled. Nearly all
+kinds of woods are used, the difference in cost being caused by the
+grade and amount of labor needed, the kind of wood chosen and its
+abundance and the fineness of grain and the seasoning. Mahogany costs
+more than stained birch, and walnut than gum wood, but there are certain
+people who for some strange reason feel that they are getting something
+a little smarter and better if it is tagged &quot;birch mahogany&quot; than if it
+were simply called birch. Some of the furniture is well stained and some
+shockingly done, the would-be mahogany being either a dead and dreary
+brown or a most hideous shade of red, a very Bolshevik among woods. One
+must remember that the mahogany of the 18th century, the best that there
+has ever been, was a beautiful glowing golden brown, and when a red
+stain was used it was only a little to enhance the richness of the
+natural color of the wood, more of a suggestion than a <a name="Page_233"></a>blazing fact.
+The wood was carefully rubbed with oil and pumice, and the shellac
+finish was rubbed to a soft glow. Modern furniture, especially in the
+medium and cheap grades, is apt to look as if it were encased in a hard
+and shining armor of varnish.</p>
+
+
+<table border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/322a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322a.jpg" width="100" height="167" alt="This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/322b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322b.jpg" width="129" height="183" alt="An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced.</td></tr>
+
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/322c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322c.jpg" width="112" height="164" alt="This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/322d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322d.jpg" width="98" height="187" alt="This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs.</td></tr></table>
+
+<p>Beside this practical knowledge one should have a general idea of the
+artistic side or the appearance of the different period styles and the
+manner in which they were used. To achieve this, one must study the best
+examples it is possible to find in originals, pictures, and properly
+made reproductions. Many of the plates in this book are from extremely
+valuable originals and should be studied carefully as they give a fine
+idea of some of the chief points in the different styles. One should
+also go to libraries and Art Museums whenever possible and study their
+collections. The more knowledge gained the more ease one will have in
+furnishing one's home whether there is everything to buy, or one is
+planning to add a few articles to complete a charming interior, or, with
+an eye to a future plan, is buying good things piece by piece and slowly
+eliminating the bad. It is this knowledge which will help you to study
+your own possessions and decide what is needed and what will be correct
+to buy. That, is one of the most important points, to have a well
+thought out plan, and never to be haphazard in your purchases. Very few
+of us have houses completely furnished in one period, but we do try to
+have a certain unity <a name="Page_234"></a>of spirit kept throughout the whole, whether it be
+French, Italian, English, or our own charming Colonial. There can be a
+great variety in any one of these divisions, and suitable furniture can
+be found for all rooms, from the simplest kind to the most elaborate. It
+is easier to find good reproductions in the English periods of Jacobean,
+Charles II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and the Georgian time, and the
+French periods of Louis XV and Louis XVI.</p>
+<br />
+
+
+<table border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/323a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323a.jpg" width="98" height="145" alt="The upholstery of this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/323b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323b.jpg" width="94" height="146" alt="Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>The upholstery or this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/323c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323c.jpg" width="110" height="170" alt="The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/323d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323d.jpg" width="105" height="144" alt="As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+<p>If one wishes a house furnished in the Gothic period it will be
+necessary to have nearly all the different pieces made to order, as
+there are few reproductions made. As our modern necessities of furniture
+were not known in those days, the designs would have to be carried out
+more in the spirit of the style than the letter, and one must be certain
+to have advice and designs from some person who thoroughly understands
+the period and who will see that the whole is properly carried out.
+Gothic days were rough and strenuous, and the furniture was strong and
+heavy and was made chiefly of oak with no varnish of any kind. The
+characteristic lines of the furniture and the designs for carving were
+architectural, and a careful study of the Gothic cathedrals of France,
+Belgium, and England will give a very satisfactory idea of this
+wonderful time. The idea of the pointed arch, rose window, trefoil,
+quatrefoil, animal grotesques, and geometric designs, as well as the
+beautiful linen-fold design, were all adapted for use as carving in the
+panels of <a name="Page_235"></a>the furniture of the day, which consisted of chests that
+served as seats, buffets, armoires, screens, trestle tables, as well as
+the choir stalls of churches.</p>
+
+<p>This style is appropriate to large and dignified country houses. The
+architect must see that the background is correct.</p>
+
+<p>The Renaissance period should not be attempted as a style to furnish
+one's house unless it can be carried out properly. The house should be
+large and architecturally correct, and there should be at least a near
+relation of a Fortunatus purse to draw upon. It is one of the
+magnificent and dignified periods, and makeshifts and poor copies have a
+pitiful appearance and are really time and money wasted.</p>
+
+<p>Much of the furniture of the Renaissance was architectural in design,
+many chests and cupboards and cabinets having the appearance of temple
+fa&ccedil;ades. The carving was in both low and high relief and was extremely
+beautiful, but in the later part of the period became too ornate. Walnut
+and chestnut were the chief woods used, and there was much inlay of
+tortoise shell, ivory, brass, mother-of-pearl, lapis-lazuli, and fine
+woods. There was much gilding, and paint was also used, and the metal
+mounts were of the finest workmanship. The bronze andirons, knockers,
+candlesticks, of this time have never been equalled. There was a strong
+feeling of balance in the decorations, and the chief motifs were the
+acanthus beautifully carved, conventionalized <a name="Page_236"></a>flowers and fruit, horns
+of plenty, swags and wreaths of fruit and flowers, the scroll, dolphin,
+human figure, and half figure ending in fanciful designs of foliage.
+Beautiful and fascinating arabesques were carved and painted on the
+walls and pilasters. The chief pieces of furniture were magnificently
+carved chests and coffers which were also sometimes gilded and painted,
+oblong tables with elaborately carved supports at each end, usually with
+a connecting shelf on which were smaller carved supports. The chairs
+were high backed with much carving and gilding, and there were others of
+simpler form with leather or tapestry or damask seats and backs. The
+Savanarola chair was in the form of a curved X with seat and back of
+velvet or leather or sometimes wood on which a cushion was used. Mirror
+frames were magnificently carved and gilded and picked out with color.
+The rooms were a fitting background for all this splendor, for the
+woodwork and walls were paneled and carved and painted, the work often
+being done by the greatest painters of the day.</p>
+
+<p>The French Renaissance followed the general line of the Italian but was
+lighter and less architectural in its furniture designs and ornament.
+Chairs were slowly becoming more common, and rooms began to be more
+livable.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/324.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_324.jpg" width="315" height="176" alt="This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period.</p>
+
+<p>The English Renaissance was of slow growth and was always marked by a
+certain English sturdiness, which is one of the reasons why it is more
+easily used in our modern <a name="Page_237"></a>houses. It began in the time of Henry VIII
+and lasted through the Tudor and Jacobean periods.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<table align="center" border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/325a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325a.jpg" width="89" height="181" alt="A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/325b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325b.jpg" width="139" height="195" alt="This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/325c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325c.jpg" width="95" height="194" alt="The painted scene is often an important feature." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/325d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325d.jpg" width="100" height="195" alt="The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>The painted scene is often an important feature.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+<p>The best modern copies of Renaissance furniture are not to be found in
+every shop and are usually in the special order class. There are some
+makers in America, however, who make extraordinarily fine copies, and
+there is the supply from Europe of fine copies and &quot;faked&quot; originals&mdash;a
+guaranteed original is a very rare and expensive thing.</p>
+
+<p>The period of Louis XIV in France was another &quot;magnificent&quot; period and
+should not be used in small or simple houses. Louis XIV furniture was
+large and massive, lavish in gilding and carving and ornament, but had
+dignity as well as splendor. The Gobelin and Beauvais Tapestry Works
+produced their wonderful series of tapestries, and Boulle inlay of brass
+and tortoise shell was lavished on furniture, and the ormolu mounts were
+beautiful and elaborate. All workmanship was of the highest. During the
+early part of the period the legs of chairs and tables were straight and
+square in shape, sometimes tapering, and much carved, and had
+underframing. Later they were curved and carved, a kind of elaborate
+cabriole leg, and had carved underframing. Toward the end of the period
+the curved leg and underframing became much simpler, some of the
+furniture having no underframing, and slowly the style merged into that
+of the Regency and Louis XV. The illustrations for the long chapter on
+Louis XIV show some very fine <a name="Page_238"></a>examples of both the grand and simple
+form of chair, and also show that comfort was becoming more of a fact.
+The materials used for upholstery were brocades of large pattern,
+tapestries, and splendid velvets. Tables, chests, armoires, desks,
+console tables, mirrors, screens, all were carved or painted or inlaid,
+gilded and mounted with wonderful metal mounts.</p>
+
+<p>There is great danger, in buying furniture for both this period and the
+Renaissance, that the reproductions chosen may be too florid, the
+gilding too bright, the carving too ornate, with an indescribable
+vulgarity of line in place of the beauty of line which the best
+originals have. Some of the best makers are, however, making some very
+fine reproductions of the simpler forms of this time which are beautiful
+to use in houses of fair size and importance.</p>
+
+<p>If one wishes to use Louis XV furniture it is better to choose the
+simpler and more beautiful designs rather than the over-elaborate
+rococo. The period was a long one, sixty-nine years, and began with a
+reminiscence of the grandeur and dignity of the time of Louis XIV, which
+was soon lost in the orgy of curves and excessive ornament of the rococo
+portion; and toward the end came the reaction to simpler and finer taste
+which reached its perfection in the next reign of Louis XVI. The legs of
+the furniture of Louis XV time were curved and carved, light and
+slender, and had no underframes or stretchers. The frames which showed
+around the <a name="Page_239"></a>upholstery or cane were carved elaborately and later more
+simply (see illustration at end of chapter on Louis XV). Walnut,
+chestnut, ebony, and some mahogany were used. Some of the furniture was
+veneered, and there was a great deal of gilding used and also much
+painted furniture. The ormolu mounts were most elaborate, curved and
+ornate like the carving, and were used wherever possible. The brocades
+used for furniture coverings were lovely in color and design. Garlands,
+flowers, lace and ribbon effects, baskets of flowers, shells, curled
+endive, feathers, scrolls, all were used, as well as pastoral scenes by
+Boucher and Watteau for tapestry and paintings. Comfort had made a long
+step forward.</p>
+
+<p>The period of Louis XVI was much more beautiful in style than the
+preceding one, as it was more restrained and exquisite because of the
+use of the straight line or a gracious, simple curve. This comparative
+simplicity does not come from lack of true feeling for beauty but rather
+because of it. The sense of proper proportion was shown in both the
+furniture and the room decoration. The backs of chairs and settees were
+round or rectangular, and the legs were square, round, or fluted, and
+were tapering in all cases. The fluting was sometimes filled with metal
+husks at top and bottom, leaving a plain stretch between. Walnut and
+mahogany were much used and were beautifully polished, but had no vulgar
+and hard varnished glare. There was wonderful inlay and veneer, and much
+of the furniture was enamelled in soft <a name="Page_240"></a>colors and picked out with gold
+or some harmonizing color. Gilding was also used for the entire frame.
+The metal mounts were very fine. Brocades of lovely color and designs of
+flowers, bowknots, wreaths, festoons, lace, feathers, etc.; chintz, the
+lovely &quot;<i>toil de Jouy</i>,&quot; which is so well copied nowadays; soft toned
+taffeta, Gobelin and Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries, were all used for
+hanging and furniture coverings. Cane also became much more popular.
+Walls were paneled with moldings, and fluted pilasters divided too large
+spaces into good proportions. Tapestry and paintings were paneled on the
+walls, and the colors chosen for the backgrounds were light and soft.</p>
+
+<p>The charm and beauty of this style as well as its dignity make it one
+which may be used in almost any modern house, as it ranges from
+simplicity to a beautiful restrained elaborateness suitable to the
+formal rooms.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/326a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_326a.jpg" width="191" height="253" alt="The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/326b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_326b.jpg" width="220" height="250" alt="This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it.</p>
+
+<p>The change from Louis XVI to the Empire was a violent one both
+politically and artistically. The influence of the great days of the
+Roman empire and the mystery of ancient Egypt stirred Napoleon's
+imagination and formed his taste. Empire furniture was solid and heavy,
+with little or no carving, and much ornamentation of metal mounts.
+Mahogany was chiefly used, and some furniture was gilded or bronzed.
+Round columns finished with metal capitals and bases appeared on large
+desks and other pieces of furniture. Chairs were solid, many of them
+throne-like in design, and <a name="Page_241"></a>many with elaborately carved arms in the
+form of swans and sphinxes, and metal ornaments. The simpler form of
+chair, which was copied and used extensively in America, as a
+dining-chair, often had a curved back and graceful lines. Furniture
+coverings were very bright satins and velvets brocaded with the
+Emperor's favorite emblems, the bee, torch, wreath, anthemion. It is a
+heavy and gaudy style and must be used with great discretion. American
+Empire furniture was far simpler and is better suited to many American
+homes. In buying it, however, one must be careful to select copies from
+the earlier part of the time, for it fast deteriorated into heavy and
+vulgar curves. This American Empire furniture is often shown in the
+shops under the name of Colonial, which is a misnomer, as we had ceased
+to be colonies years before it came into existence. It was used during
+the first half of the nineteenth century.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/327a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_327a.jpg" width="233" height="172" alt="These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/327b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_327b.jpg" width="238" height="133" alt="The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this &quot;stretcher,&quot; as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this &quot;stretcher,&quot; as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet.</p>
+
+<p>When we come to English furniture, I think we all take heart of grace a
+little, for there is something about its sturdiness that seems to appeal
+to our American sense of appropriateness. By inheritance we have more of
+the English point of view about the standards of life and living and we
+seem to settle down with more comfort in a house furnished in any one of
+the English periods than we do with any of the other great styles.</p>
+
+<p>The English Renaissance is often called the age of oak, and all through
+the long years of its slow development this <a name="Page_242"></a>oaken bond, so to speak,
+gave it a certain unity which makes it possible to use much of the
+furniture of its different divisions together. There are many fine
+reproductions made of the Tudor and Elizabethan times, but from the
+early Stuart days, the time of James I onward, good reproductions become
+more plentiful. This does not mean, however, that one is safe in buying
+anything called Jacobean or Queen Anne or Georgian. One must still be
+careful and go armed with as much knowledge as possible. For instance,
+do not buy any Tudor, Elizabethan, Jacobean, or Charles II furniture
+made of mahogany or with a high polish. Do not buy any with finicky or
+delicate brass handles. This may seem an unnecessary warning, but I have
+seen dainty oval Hepplewhite handles used on a heavy Jacobean chest.
+This does not happen often, but a word to the wise&mdash;. The handles which
+were used were some times of iron and sometimes of brass, often with a
+little design etched on them, and the drop handles were either oblong or
+round rings, or pear- or tear-shaped drops with either a round or oblong
+plate. H-hinges of iron were used. Chairs of the time of James I, which
+are much like those of Louis XIII in France, were square and strong with
+plain or spiral turned legs, and stretchers, and had seats and half
+backs covered with needlework, leather, velvet, or damask. They would
+make very comfortable dining chairs and would harmonize with sturdy
+gate-legged tables, or the long narrow tables <a name="Page_243"></a>which show the influence
+of Elizabeth's time in the carved drum or acorn-like bulbs of the legs.
+A court-cupboard would make a beautiful sideboard, and one of the long
+tables spoken of above would make an appropriate serving-table. Carved
+chests, and screens covered with leather or needlework, may be used in
+rooms of this kind, and for modern comfort one may add stuffed chairs
+and sofas if the proper materials for coverings are chosen. There are
+some very fine copies made of old needlework of different kinds and also
+of damasks and other stuffs. One must have the right background for all
+this, oak paneled walls and tapestry and plain or figured velvet or
+damask hangings. There are also some finely designed heavy linens which
+are correct to use.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of Cromwell's time was much like that of the time of James
+I and Charles I, but was simplified wherever possible. There were no
+pomps and vanities in those stern days.</p>
+
+<p>When Charles II came to the throne, there was a reaction against Puritan
+gloom which showed in the furniture being of a more elaborate design.
+Chair backs were high and narrow with carved and pierced panels of wood,
+or carved backs with cane panels, and the carved front rail carried out
+the feeling and balanced the carved top rail. The crown and rose and
+shell were used, supported by cherubs and opposed S curves. The
+illustration opposite page 65 will give a very good idea of the general
+style. Upholstery <a name="Page_244"></a>was also used, and day-beds and high-boys made their
+appearance. The chests of earlier days became chests of drawers. Rooms
+were paneled in oak, and much beautiful tapestry was used. Walnut began
+to take the place of oak in the later days of Charles II and those of
+James II, and introduced the age of walnut which lasted through the
+reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the early days of William and Mary was much like that
+of the time of Charles II. The chair backs remained high and narrow, but
+the carving slowly grew simpler and the caning at last went entirely
+across the back. Many of the early chairs had three carved splats or
+balusters in the back, and a feature which added greatly to comfort was
+the slight curve the backs were given instead of the perfectly straight
+backs of Jacobean days. Dutch influence at least conquered the old
+style, and the more characteristic furniture of William and Mary was
+made. A rather elaborate form of the cabriole leg was used, ending in a
+species of hoof with a scroll-like stretcher between the front legs and
+curved stretchers connecting all four legs. The cabriole leg became
+simpler as time passed until in the days of Queen Mary it became the one
+we all know so well in the Dutch chairs and the early work of
+Chippendale.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/328a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_328a.jpg" width="274" height="195" alt="These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<center>
+<a href="images/328b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_328b.jpg" width="228" height="190" alt="These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'>These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer.</p>
+
+<p>There was much beautiful marquetry used; in fact it is a marked
+characteristic of much of the furniture of William and Mary. After she
+died in 1694, the white jasmine flower <a name="Page_245"></a>and green leaves were not used
+so much, and the sea-weed pattern and acanthus became more popular.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/329a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_329a.jpg" width="172" height="261" alt="An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/329b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_329b.jpg" width="210" height="260" alt="The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>The cup-and-ball design of turned legs with curved stretchers was used
+for chairs, settees, tables, cabinets. China cupboards with their
+double-hooded tops and soft colored brocade linings were used to display
+the wonderful china collections so much in vogue. There was much
+upholstered furniture covered with beautiful petit-point, which is
+perfectly reproduced nowadays, but is naturally expensive. Silks,
+velvets, and damasks were also used, and Queen Mary had a &quot;beautiful
+chintz bed.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>The handles used were of various kinds, the favorite being the drop from
+a round or star-shaped boss. The furniture was beautifully polished but
+did not have a bright gloss.</p>
+
+<p>When Anne came to the throne in 1702, the English cabinet maker had
+became an expert craftsman, and we have the beginning of the finest
+period of English cabinet-making, which later, in the Georgian period,
+blossomed into its full glory. The furniture of this time was of walnut.
+The chairs had a narrow, fairly high back, with a central splat
+spoon-shaped and later fiddle-shaped. The corners of the back were
+always rounded. The cabriole legs were often carved with a shell on the
+knees, the acanthus being used in the more elaborate pieces of
+furniture, and ended chiefly in a club foot. Stretchers became less
+common, but if they were used were pushed back and did not form such an
+<a name="Page_246"></a>important part of the chair design. Seats were broader at the front
+than at the back, and all furniture showed a real desire for comfort and
+convenience. Marquetry and lacquer were both in great favor, and there
+are wonderful examples of both reproduced, but especially lacquer.
+Petit-point, damask, velvet, and chintz were all used for upholstery and
+hangings. Chintz was becoming more plentiful, but it was not until the
+Georgian period that it reached its perfection.</p>
+
+<p>The Georgian period covers the work of Chippendale, the Adam Brothers,
+Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, who gave to the eighteenth century its
+undying decorative fame.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/330.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_330.jpg" width="323" height="201" alt="A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life.</p>
+
+<p>When Chippendale began his fine work, the Dutch influence of Queen
+Anne's reign was still strong, and this shows in his furniture; but his
+genius lightened and improved it. The characteristics of his style which
+remained fairly stable through his different phases were the use of
+mahogany, a certain squareness and solidity of design which has no
+appearance of heaviness because of the fine proportions, chair backs
+with a center splat reaching to the seat. The curving top rail always
+had curving up corners (see drawings page 84). The center splat was
+solid at first, but soon was pierced and carved, and went through the
+many developments of his style such as ribbon-back, Chinese, and Gothic.
+In some chairs he also used horizontal rails, and what are called
+&quot;all-over backs.&quot; The legs of his earlier furniture were cabriole, and
+later they were straight. He used much and beautiful carv<a name="Page_247"></a>ing, gave
+great attention to the beauty of the wood and the perfection of
+workmanship and finish. Chippendale's settees were at first designed
+like two chair backs side by side, and if a larger settee was made
+either a third chair back of the same design or a different but
+harmonizing one was used. His dining-tables were made up of two center
+pieces with wide flaps on each side, and two semicircular tables, and
+all four pieces could be fastened together into one long table by brass
+fasteners. The end pieces were used as side tables or sideboards, for
+the sideboard as we know it did not come until later. He also made
+oblong sidetables, some with marble tops, which were used as sideboards
+with wine-coolers placed underneath, and usually a large tea-caddy or
+tea box on top. The beds which Chippendale made were large and elaborate
+four-posters, with beautiful carved cornices and posts. The curtains
+hung from the inside of the cornice, and silks or chintz were used for
+the curtains. His mirror frames were very elaborately carved, and in his
+rococo period were fairly fantastic with dripping water, Chinese
+pagodas, rocks, birds with long beaks, and figures. They were gilded,
+and some were left in the natural mahogany. He made folding card-tables
+with saucer-like places at the corners for candles, and later when the
+candle-stand came into fashion, the tables were made without them.</p>
+<br />
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/331a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_331a.jpg" width="239" height="133" alt="An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering.</p>
+<br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/331b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_331b.jpg" width="143" height="186" alt="While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/331c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_331c.jpg" width="142" height="185" alt="A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy.</td></tr></table>
+
+<p>There are many fine reproductions of Chippendale's furniture made which
+carry out the spirit of his work. In the <a name="Page_248"></a>medium and inexpensive grades,
+however, there is danger of bad carving, a clumsy thickening of
+proportions, a jumble of his different periods, and too red a stain and
+too high a varnish glitter. Good examples can be found in these grades,
+but one must spend time looking for them, and perhaps it may be
+necessary to have them rubbed down with powdered pumice and linseed oil.
+If one uses Chippendale furniture, or that of any of the other Georgian
+makers, the walls should not be covered with a modern design of wall
+paper. Plain walls or molding may be used, or one of the fine old
+designs of figured paper, and this must be used with great discretion
+and is better if there is a wainscot. Chippendale was very fond of using
+morocco, but damask and velvet and chintz may also be used. The chintzes
+were charming in design, and many good copies are made.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/332a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_332a.jpg" width="300" height="168" alt="This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/332b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_332b.jpg" width="266" height="203" alt="The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors.</p>
+<br />
+<p>The Adam Brothers, of whom Robert was the more important, showed strong
+classical influence in their work, and much of it resembles that of
+Louis XVI, which was influenced from the same source. Chairs had square
+or round or oval backs, and they also used a lyre-shaped splat which was
+copied later by Sheraton. Often the top rail was decorated by small and
+charming painted panels. These little panels were also used in the
+center of cobweb caning in chair backs and settees. Legs of chairs and
+tables were tapering and round or square and often reeded or fluted.
+Adam used much mahogany and kept its beautiful golden brown tone<a name="Page_249"></a> (not
+the dead brown called &quot;Adam&quot; too often in the shops), and also
+satin-wood and painted wood. The best artists of the day did the
+painting. Wedgwood medallions were introduced into the more important
+pieces of furniture. Painted placques, lovely festoons, and charming
+groups of figures, vases of flowers, and Wedgwood designs, and designs
+radiating from a center, as on semicircular console table tops, are all
+characteristic of his work. He also used much inlay. As Adam usually
+planned all the furniture and the interior of the house, even to the
+door-knobs, he kept the feeling of unity in both background and
+furnishings.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/333a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_333a.jpg" width="151" height="192" alt="The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/333b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_333b.jpg" width="152" height="268" alt="The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750.</p>
+
+<p>Hepplewhite's furniture has much of the delicacy of Adam's work, by
+whom, without doubt, he was influenced, as he was also by the French
+styles of the time. Luckily his own personality and sense of beauty and
+ingenuity were strong enough to develop a marked and beautiful style of
+his own. His favorite chair back was shield-shaped (see page 83), and he
+also used heart-shaped and wheel backs, either round or oval, and
+charmingly painted little panels. The three feathers of the Prince of
+Wales was a favorite design. He also made ladder-back chairs, usually
+with four rails. On much of his furniture the legs tapered on the inside
+edge only and were put in at a slight angle which gave security both in
+fact and appearance. He also used reeded legs. His console and other
+tables are beautiful in design and workmanship, being painted usually in
+different <a name="Page_250"></a>forms of the radiating fan design, or inlaid with beautiful
+colored woods. The inlay used was often oval in shape, sometimes only a
+line and sometimes panels of different woods or matched veneer. The
+handles used were round or oval. He made sofas and settees with either
+chair-back backs or all upholstered with the frame showing and the
+covering tacked on with brass tacks close together. His cabinets are
+fascinating, with their beautiful inlay and delicate strap work over the
+glass. He made four-post beds with fluted posts, and chests of drawers
+and little work tables and candle-stands and screens; and one thing we
+must be deeply grateful to him for is that he developed the sideboard
+into a really useful and beautiful piece of furniture. He made nearly
+everything in the way of necessities, and all show the marks of his
+taste. His dining-tables were on the plan of those of Chippendale but
+lighter in effect with tapering legs instead of the long cabriole leg
+ending in claw feet. His mirrors were usually oval with charming
+festoons. His favorite woods were mahogany and satin-wood, and he used
+many fine woods for inlay. Chintz and taffeta and fine velvet are all
+appropriate to use.</p>
+
+<p>In his best designs Sheraton was much influenced by Adam and Hepplewhite
+and the style of Louis XVI, but like them he also developed his own
+special and beautiful style. He used mahogany and a great deal of
+satin-wood of beautiful grain and of a delightful straw color, which was
+<a name="Page_251"></a>often veneered on oak frames. He was exceedingly fond of inlay, and his
+designs called for inlaid panels, borders, and festoons. He used the
+shell, bell-flower, fan, etc., all carried out in fine colored woods. He
+also used much painted furniture, and often designed white and gold
+furniture for drawing-rooms. His characteristic chair back was
+rectangular in shape with a central splat resting on a rail a few inches
+above the seat (see page 83). This splat was in many different forms,
+both inlaid and painted. The legs of his furniture were tapering and
+either square or reeded, the square usually being inlaid. He made
+beautiful sideboards which were inlaid and finished with a brass rail
+around the sides and back of the top, and round or oval or lion's-head
+handles with rings. He also designed most graceful inlaid knife boxes.
+Like Hepplewhite, he designed all kinds of furniture both large and
+small, and, until his deterioration came when he designed his
+astonishing Empire furniture, his style is full of beauty and charm and
+delicacy, and is copied very successfully by our modern makers.</p>
+
+<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 14824 ***</div>
+</body>
+</html>
+
+
+
diff --git a/14824-h/images/099.png b/14824-h/images/099.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ef6039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/099.png
diff --git a/14824-h/images/271.jpg b/14824-h/images/271.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fbd469
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/271.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/272.jpg b/14824-h/images/272.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d2c8ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/272.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/273.jpg b/14824-h/images/273.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..905e6ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/273.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/274a.jpg b/14824-h/images/274a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46fbf39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/274a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/274b.jpg b/14824-h/images/274b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7c955e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/274b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/275.jpg b/14824-h/images/275.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1e9e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/275.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/276.jpg b/14824-h/images/276.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c59db0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/276.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/277a.jpg b/14824-h/images/277a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17a0a3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/277a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/277b.jpg b/14824-h/images/277b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de6ef01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/277b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/278.jpg b/14824-h/images/278.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de2860c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/278.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/279.jpg b/14824-h/images/279.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3a2960
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/279.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/280a.jpg b/14824-h/images/280a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f56467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/280a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/280b.jpg b/14824-h/images/280b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f2e6c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/280b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/281.jpg b/14824-h/images/281.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6227793
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/281.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/282.jpg b/14824-h/images/282.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09b6f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/282.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/283.jpg b/14824-h/images/283.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c729c28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/283.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/284.jpg b/14824-h/images/284.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b569dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/284.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/285a.jpg b/14824-h/images/285a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be4a024
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/285a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/285b.jpg b/14824-h/images/285b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..326e4c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/285b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/286.jpg b/14824-h/images/286.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e86d68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/286.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/287a.jpg b/14824-h/images/287a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30ac1b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/287a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/287b.jpg b/14824-h/images/287b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29e063b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/287b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/288a.jpg b/14824-h/images/288a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad40130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/288a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/288b.jpg b/14824-h/images/288b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69a386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/288b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/289a.jpg b/14824-h/images/289a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0806f78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/289a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/289b.jpg b/14824-h/images/289b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c02e7e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/289b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/290a.jpg b/14824-h/images/290a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..471ca4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/290a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/290b.jpg b/14824-h/images/290b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62049fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/290b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/291a.jpg b/14824-h/images/291a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3d390b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/291a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/291b.jpg b/14824-h/images/291b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a28748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/291b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/292.jpg b/14824-h/images/292.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10344c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/292.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/293a.jpg b/14824-h/images/293a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0203f7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/293a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/293b.jpg b/14824-h/images/293b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc60812
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/293b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/293c.jpg b/14824-h/images/293c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0212ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/293c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/293d.jpg b/14824-h/images/293d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0713266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/293d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/294a.jpg b/14824-h/images/294a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e778131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/294a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/294b.jpg b/14824-h/images/294b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84eaa48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/294b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/295.jpg b/14824-h/images/295.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1b1041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/295.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/296a.jpg b/14824-h/images/296a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8885134
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/296a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/296b.jpg b/14824-h/images/296b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a128a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/296b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/297a.jpg b/14824-h/images/297a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c06886
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/297a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/297b.jpg b/14824-h/images/297b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69579a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/297b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/297c.jpg b/14824-h/images/297c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd3cbfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/297c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/297d.jpg b/14824-h/images/297d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8bb439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/297d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/298.jpg b/14824-h/images/298.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c464aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/298.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/299a.jpg b/14824-h/images/299a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9023bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/299a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/299b.jpg b/14824-h/images/299b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2744acc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/299b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/300.jpg b/14824-h/images/300.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d1a9d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/300.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/301a.jpg b/14824-h/images/301a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26d8c7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/301a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/301b.jpg b/14824-h/images/301b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7a8fe7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/301b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/302.jpg b/14824-h/images/302.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..623f7f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/302.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/303.jpg b/14824-h/images/303.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c8ed86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/303.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/304.jpg b/14824-h/images/304.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1317ee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/304.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/305a.jpg b/14824-h/images/305a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b0cd9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/305a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/305b.jpg b/14824-h/images/305b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b67a5d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/305b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/306a.jpg b/14824-h/images/306a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8025c96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/306a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/306b.jpg b/14824-h/images/306b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..680f84f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/306b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/307.jpg b/14824-h/images/307.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ac9383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/307.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/308.jpg b/14824-h/images/308.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cf9459
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/308.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/309a.jpg b/14824-h/images/309a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3352520
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/309a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/309b.jpg b/14824-h/images/309b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c657ac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/309b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/310.jpg b/14824-h/images/310.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1a7f7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/310.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/311.jpg b/14824-h/images/311.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5646bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/311.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/312.jpg b/14824-h/images/312.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..713d23c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/312.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/313.jpg b/14824-h/images/313.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3a8348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/313.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/314.jpg b/14824-h/images/314.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf82241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/314.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/315a.jpg b/14824-h/images/315a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3d183e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/315a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/315b.jpg b/14824-h/images/315b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83dbeee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/315b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/316.jpg b/14824-h/images/316.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b049b9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/316.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/317.jpg b/14824-h/images/317.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..487c20b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/317.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/318.jpg b/14824-h/images/318.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98cd47b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/318.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/319.jpg b/14824-h/images/319.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2998a79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/319.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/320a.jpg b/14824-h/images/320a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87342ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/320a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/320b.jpg b/14824-h/images/320b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9debee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/320b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/321a.jpg b/14824-h/images/321a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f518e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/321a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/321b.jpg b/14824-h/images/321b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ba5005
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/321b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/321c.jpg b/14824-h/images/321c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c07d7e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/321c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/322a.jpg b/14824-h/images/322a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4fe767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/322a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/322b.jpg b/14824-h/images/322b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae1e63e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/322b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/322c.jpg b/14824-h/images/322c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29506bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/322c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/322d.jpg b/14824-h/images/322d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84ea1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/322d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/323a.jpg b/14824-h/images/323a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3156891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/323a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/323b.jpg b/14824-h/images/323b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21a69e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/323b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/323c.jpg b/14824-h/images/323c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40adec7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/323c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/323d.jpg b/14824-h/images/323d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3f7aca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/323d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/324.jpg b/14824-h/images/324.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acc3973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/324.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/325a.jpg b/14824-h/images/325a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b2d364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/325a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/325b.jpg b/14824-h/images/325b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5fd4f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/325b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/325c.jpg b/14824-h/images/325c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a68281c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/325c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/325d.jpg b/14824-h/images/325d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a36aa80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/325d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/326a.jpg b/14824-h/images/326a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbe2a02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/326a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/326b.jpg b/14824-h/images/326b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b32792b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/326b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/327a.jpg b/14824-h/images/327a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f87b4cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/327a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/327b.jpg b/14824-h/images/327b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d3c7ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/327b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/328a.jpg b/14824-h/images/328a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3db8de7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/328a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/328b.jpg b/14824-h/images/328b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4934fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/328b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/329a.jpg b/14824-h/images/329a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29abe16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/329a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/329b.jpg b/14824-h/images/329b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1a2ce2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/329b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/330.jpg b/14824-h/images/330.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0697265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/330.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/331a.jpg b/14824-h/images/331a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b92602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/331a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/331b.jpg b/14824-h/images/331b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..200b1ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/331b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/331c.jpg b/14824-h/images/331c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3009c5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/331c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/332a.jpg b/14824-h/images/332a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..488d514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/332a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/332b.jpg b/14824-h/images/332b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7cee14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/332b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/333a.jpg b/14824-h/images/333a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44312f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/333a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/333b.jpg b/14824-h/images/333b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8806b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/333b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_271.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_271.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..701c530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_271.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_272.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_272.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91017f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_272.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_273.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_273.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57cef83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_273.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_274a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_274a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b889597
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_274a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_274b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_274b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df8ca65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_274b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_275.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_275.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..007d280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_275.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_276.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_276.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7012b95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_276.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_277a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_277a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90b53c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_277a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_277b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_277b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..751a872
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_277b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_278.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_278.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb11e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_278.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_279.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_279.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d45d30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_279.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_280a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_280a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..647100d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_280a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_280b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_280b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07c44ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_280b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_281.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_281.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85aa635
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_281.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_282.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_282.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ec32a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_282.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_283.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_283.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76c5691
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_283.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_284.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_284.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d47b85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_284.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_285a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_285a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79a762b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_285a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_285b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_285b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0da42ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_285b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_286.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_286.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51064f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_286.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_287a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_287a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e614898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_287a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_287b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_287b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a6d9dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_287b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_288a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_288a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45f7129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_288a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_288b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_288b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d3c250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_288b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_289a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_289a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd7be27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_289a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_289b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_289b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1bbaaf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_289b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_290a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_290a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7f1b87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_290a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_290b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_290b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..054b44f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_290b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_291a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_291a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffe5ba0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_291a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_291b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_291b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61e09ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_291b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_292.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_292.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa91188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_292.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_293a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_293a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c30262
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_293a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_293b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_293b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0e37ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_293b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_293c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_293c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..445ec72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_293c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_293d.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_293d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45addce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_293d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_294a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_294a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1341a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_294a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_294b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_294b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ba5db6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_294b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_295.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_295.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cf5179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_295.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_296a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_296a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1d362b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_296a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_296b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_296b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a579d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_296b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_297a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_297a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..903088b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_297a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_297b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_297b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9b7648
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_297b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_297c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_297c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa3bec1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_297c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_297d.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_297d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca6a274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_297d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_298.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_298.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f115333
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_298.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_299a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_299a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b93d17d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_299a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_299b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_299b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e305a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_299b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_300.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_300.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed584c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_300.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_301a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_301a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a35384c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_301a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_301b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_301b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8841fa2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_301b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_302.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_302.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d63d71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_302.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_303.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_303.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4552d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_303.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_304.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_304.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f09c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_304.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_305a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_305a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a7ab75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_305a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_305b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_305b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c29e6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_305b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_306a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_306a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e20b997
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_306a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_306b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_306b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bedb222
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_306b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_307.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_307.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bcfb33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_307.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_308.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_308.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8e2c1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_308.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_309a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_309a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7e40ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_309a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_309b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_309b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..666ef5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_309b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_310.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_310.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c27c9c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_310.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_311.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_311.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed9591e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_311.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_312.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_312.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b62ae80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_312.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_313.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_313.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dced998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_313.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_314.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_314.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..110fe97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_314.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_315a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_315a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1616705
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_315a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_315b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_315b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8132fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_315b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_316.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_316.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e46f74c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_316.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_317.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_317.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee6d489
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_317.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_318.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_318.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39a1a82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_318.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_319.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_319.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4bd0e47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_319.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_320a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_320a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0f7c7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_320a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_320b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_320b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c0abd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_320b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_321a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_321a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8aa1c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_321a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_321b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_321b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4255ec6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_321b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_321c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_321c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62eb160
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_321c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_322a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_322a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40c0ad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_322a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_322b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_322b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9083aea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_322b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_322c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_322c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2049873
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_322c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_322d.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_322d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93799b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_322d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_323a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_323a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40bdad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_323a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_323b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_323b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f155a31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_323b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_323c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_323c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9bd44c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_323c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_323d.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_323d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f55673e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_323d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_324.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_324.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8033a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_324.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_325a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_325a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79d628c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_325a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_325b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_325b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35c1b95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_325b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_325c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_325c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b46740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_325c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_325d.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_325d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d31993
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_325d.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_326a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_326a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5580f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_326a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_326b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_326b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42f09f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_326b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_327a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_327a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68ccf96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_327a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_327b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_327b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16b05ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_327b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_328a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_328a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95b2ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_328a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_328b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_328b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b48dda2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_328b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_329a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_329a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb75c65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_329a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_329b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_329b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..150153c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_329b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_330.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_330.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cf8471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_330.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_331a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_331a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aad9cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_331a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_331b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_331b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39b086b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_331b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_331c.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_331c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a133a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_331c.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_332a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_332a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10261e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_332a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_332b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_332b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..58e1039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_332b.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_333a.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_333a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8e625a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_333a.jpg
diff --git a/14824-h/images/thumb_333b.jpg b/14824-h/images/thumb_333b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20f0910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/14824-h/images/thumb_333b.jpg
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c0453d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #14824 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14824)
diff --git a/old/14824-8.txt b/old/14824-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe4451f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5489 @@
+Project Gutenberg's Furnishing the Home of Good Taste, by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+       A Brief Sketch of the Period Styles in Interior Decoration with
+       Suggestions as to Their Employment in the Homes of Today
+       
+
+Author: Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+Release Date: January 28, 2005 [EBook #14824]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Susan Skinner and the PG Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE
+
+A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE PERIOD STYLES IN INTERIOR DECORATION WITH
+SUGGESTIONS AS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOMES OF TODAY
+
+BY
+
+LUCY ABBOT THROOP
+
+
+NEW YORK ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO.
+
+1920
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+1910          THE CROWELL PUBLISHING CO.
+
+1911, 1912,   MCBRIDE, NAST & CO.
+
+1920,         ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO.
+
+
+NEW AND REVISED EDITION
+
+Published, September, 1920
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+[Illustration: _Trowbridge & Livingston, architects._
+
+A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters.]
+
+
+_Contents_
+
+PREFACE                                                                i
+
+EGYPT AND GREECE                                                       1
+
+THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY                                               7
+
+THE DEVELOPMENT OF DECORATION IN FRANCE                               17
+
+LOUIS XIV                                                             29
+
+THE REGENCY AND LOUIS XV                                              87
+
+LOUIS XVI                                                             47
+
+THE EMPIRE                                                            58
+
+ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM GOTHIC DAYS TO THE PERIOD OF QUEEN ANNE        59
+
+QUEEN ANNE                                                            78
+
+CHIPPENDALE AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND                     79
+
+ROBERT ADAM                                                           91
+
+HEPPLEWHITE                                                           97
+
+SHERATON                                                             103
+
+A GENERAL TALK                                                       111
+
+GEORGIAN FURNITURE                                                   135
+
+FURNISHING WITH FRENCH FURNITURE                                     149
+
+COUNTRY HOUSES                                                       159
+
+THE NURSERY AND PLAY-ROOM                                            169
+
+CURTAINS                                                             175
+
+FLOORS AND FLOOR COVERINGS                                           185
+
+THE TREATMENT OF WALLS                                               195
+
+ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING                                                  209
+
+PAINTED FURNITURE                                                    221
+
+SYNOPSIS OF PERIOD STYLES AS AN AID IN BUYING FURNITURE              231
+
+
+
+
+_The Illustrations_
+
+A modern dining-room                                     _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                              FACING PAGE
+Italian Renaissance fireplace and overmantel, modern                   8
+
+Doorways and pilaster details, Italian Renaissance                     9
+
+Two Louis XIII chairs                                                 22
+
+A Gothic chair of the fifteenth century                               23
+
+A Louis XIV chair                                                     32
+
+Louis XIV inlaid desk-table                                           33
+
+Louis XIV chair with underbracing                                     33
+
+A modern French drawing-room                                          40
+
+A drawing-room, old French furniture and tapestry                     41
+
+Early Louis XIV chair                                                 44
+
+Louis XV _bergère_                                                    44
+
+Louis XVI bench                                                       45
+
+Louis XVI from Fontainebleau                                          50
+
+American Empire bed                                                   51
+
+An Apostles bed of the Tudor period                                   60
+
+Adaptation of the style of William and Mary to dressing table         61
+
+Reproduction of Charles II chair                                      61
+
+Living-room with reproductions of different periods                   64
+
+Original Jacobean sofa                                                65
+
+Reproductions of Charles II chairs                                    65
+
+Reproductions of Queen Anne period                                    72
+
+Reproduction of James II chair                                        73
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary chair                                73
+
+Gothic and Ribbonback types of Chippendale chairs                     78
+
+Chippendale mantel mirror showing French influence                    79
+
+Chippendale fretwork tea-table                                        79
+
+Chippendale china cupboard                                            82
+
+Typical chairs of the eighteenth century                              83
+
+Chippendale and Hepplewhite sofas                                     86
+
+Adam mirror, block-front chest of drawers, and Hepplewhite chair      87
+
+Two Adam mantels                                                      92
+
+A group of old mirrors                                                93
+
+Dining-room furnished with Hepplewhite furniture                      96
+
+Old Hepplewhite sideboard                                             97
+
+Reproduction of Hepplewhite settee                                    97
+
+Sheraton chest of drawers                                            104
+
+Sheraton desk and sewing-table                                       105
+
+Dining-room in simple country house                                  112
+
+Dining-room furnished with fine old furniture                        113
+
+Dorothy Quincy's bed-room                                            124
+
+Two valuable old desks                                               125
+
+Pembroke inlaid table                                                144
+
+Sheraton sideboard                                                   144
+
+Four post bed                                                        145
+
+Doorway detail, Compiègne                                            152
+
+Reproduction of a bed owned by Marie Antoinette                      153
+
+Reproduction of Louis XVI bed                                        153
+
+A Georgian hallway                                                   162
+
+Rare block-front chest of drawers                                    163
+
+A modern living-room                                                 178
+
+Curtain treatment for a summer home                                  179
+
+Hallway showing rugs                                                 188
+
+Hallway showing rugs                                                 189
+
+Colonial bed-room                                                    189
+
+Dining-room with paneled walls                                       196
+
+Four post bed owned by Lafayette                                     197
+
+Modern dining-room                                                   204
+
+Four post bed                                                        205
+
+Reproductions of Adam painted furniture                              222
+
+Three-chair Sheraton settee                                          223
+
+Reproduction of a Sheraton wing-chair                                223
+
+Slat-backed chair                                                    223
+
+Group of chairs and pie-crust table                                  232
+
+Groups of chairs                                                     233
+
+Reproduction of Jacobean buffet                                      236
+
+Group of mirrors                                                     237
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary settee                              240
+
+Adaptation of Georgian ideas to William and Mary dressing table      240
+
+Two Adam chairs                                                      241
+
+Jacobean day-bed                                                     241
+
+Reproductions of Chippendale table and Hepplewhite desk              244
+
+Reproduction of Sheraton chest of drawers                            245
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary chest of drawers                    245
+
+A modern sun-room                                                    246
+
+Sheraton sofa                                                        247
+
+Hepplewhite chair and nest of tables                                 247
+
+Chippendale wing-chair                                               247
+
+Modern paneled living-room                                           248
+
+Empire bed                                                           248
+
+Hancock desk, and fine old highboy                                   249
+
+
+
+
+_Preface_
+
+
+To try to write a history of furniture in a fairly short space is almost
+as hard as the square peg and round hole problem. No matter how one
+tries, it will not fit. One has to leave out so much of importance, so
+much of historic and artistic interest, so much of the life of the
+people that helps to make the subject vivid, and has to take so much for
+granted, that the task seems almost impossible. In spite of this I shall
+try to give in the following pages a general but necessarily short
+review of the field, hoping that it may help those wishing to furnish
+their homes in some special period style. The average person cannot
+study all the subject thoroughly, but it certainly adds interest to the
+problems of one's own home to know something of how the great periods of
+decoration grew one from another, how the influence of art in one
+country made itself felt in the next, molding and changing taste and
+educating the people to a higher sense of beauty.
+
+It is the lack of general knowledge which makes it possible for
+furniture built on amazingly bad lines to be sold masquerading under the
+name of some great period. The customer soon becomes bewildered, and,
+unless he has a decided taste of his own, is apt to get something which
+will prove a white elephant on his hands. One must have some standard
+of comparison, and the best and simplest way is to study the great work
+of the past. To study its rise and climax rather than the decline; to
+know the laws of its perfection so that one can recognize the
+exaggeration which leads to degeneracy. This ebb and flow is most
+interesting: the feeling the way at the beginning, ever growing surer
+and surer until the high level of perfection is reached; and then the
+desire to "gild the lily" leading to over-ornamentation, and so to
+decline. However, the germ of good taste and the sense of truth and
+beauty is never dead, and asserts itself slowly in a transition period,
+and then once more one of the great periods of decoration is born.
+
+There are several ways to study the subject, one of the pleasantest
+naturally being travel, as the great museums, palaces, and private
+collections of Europe offer the widest field. In this country, also, the
+museums and many private collections are rich in treasures, and there
+are many proud possessors of beautiful isolated pieces of furniture. If
+one cannot see originals the libraries will come to the rescue with many
+books showing research and a thorough knowledge and appreciation of the
+beauty and importance of the subject in all its branches.
+
+I have tried to give an outline, (which I hope the reader will care to
+enlarge for himself), not from a collector's standpoint, but from the
+standpoint of the modern home-maker, to help him furnish his house
+consistently,--to try to spread the good word that period furnishing
+does not necessitate great wealth, and that it is as easy and far more
+interesting to furnish a house after good models, as to have it banal
+and commonplace.
+
+The first part of this little book is devoted to a short review of the
+great periods, and the second part is an effort to help adapt them to
+modern needs, with a few chapters added of general interest to the
+home-maker.
+
+A short bibliography is also added, both to express my thanks and
+indebtedness to many learned and delightful writers on this subject of
+house furnishing in all its branches, and also as a help to others who
+may wish to go more deeply into its different divisions than is possible
+within the covers of a book.
+
+I wish to thank the Editors of _House and Garden_ and _The Woman's Home
+Companion_ for kindly allowing me to reprint articles and portions of
+articles which have appeared in their magazines.
+
+I wish also to thank the owners of the different houses illustrated, and
+Messrs. Trowbridge and Livingston, architects, for their kindness in
+allowing me to use photographs.
+
+Thanks are also due Messrs. Bergen & Orsenigo, Nahon & Company, Tiffany
+Studios, Joseph Wild & Co. and the John Somma Co. for the use of
+photographs to illustrate the reproduction of period furniture and rugs
+of different types.
+
+
+
+
+
+_Egypt and Greece_
+
+
+The early history of art in all countries is naturally connected more
+closely with architecture than with decoration, for architecture had to
+be developed before the demand for decoration could come. But the two
+have much in common. Noble architecture calls for noble decoration.
+Decoration is one of the natural instincts of man, and from the earliest
+records of his existence we find him striving to give expression to it,
+we see it in the scratched pieces of bone and stone of the cave
+dwellers, in the designs of savage tribes, and in Druidical and Celtic
+remains, and in the great ruins of Yucatan. The meaning of these
+monuments may be lost to us, but we understand the spirit of trying to
+express the sense of beauty in the highest way possible, for it is the
+spirit which is still moving the world, and is the foundation of all
+worthy achievement.
+
+Egypt and Assyria stand out against the almost impenetrable curtain of
+pre-historic days in all the majesty of their so-called civilization.
+Huge, massive, aloof from the world, their temples and tombs and ruins
+remain. Research has given us the key to their religion, so we
+understand much of the meaning of their wall-paintings and the buildings
+themselves. The belief of the Egyptian that life was a short passage and
+his house a mere stopping-place on the way to the tomb, which was to be
+his permanent dwelling-place, explains the great care and labor spent on
+the pyramids, chapels, and rock sepulchers. They embalmed the dead for
+all eternity and put statues and images in the tombs to keep the mummy
+company. Colossal figures of their gods and goddesses guarded the tombs
+and temples, and still remain looking out over the desert with their
+strange, inscrutable Egyptian eyes. The people had technical skill which
+has never been surpassed, but the great size of the pyramids and temples
+and sphinxes gives one the feeling of despotism rather than
+civilization; of mass and permanency and the wonder of man's achievement
+rather than beauty, but they personify the mystery and power of ancient
+Egypt.
+
+The columns of the temples were massive, those of Karnak being seventy
+feet high, with capitals of lotus flowers and buds strictly
+conventionalized. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics and
+paintings. Perspective was never used, and figures were painted side
+view except for the eye and shoulder. In the tombs have been found many
+household belongings, beautiful gold and silver work, beside the
+offerings put there to appease the gods. Chairs have been found, which,
+humorous as it may sound, are certainly the ancestors of Empire chairs
+made thousands of years later. This is explained by the influence of
+Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, but there is something in common between
+the two times so far apart, of ambition and pride, of grandeur and
+colossal enterprise.
+
+Greece may well be called the Mother of Beauty, for with the Greeks came
+the dawn of a higher civilization, a striving for harmony of line and
+proportion, an ideal clear, high and persistent. When the Dorians from
+the northern part of Greece built their simple, beautiful temples to
+their gods and goddesses they gave the impetus to the movement which
+brought forth the highest art the world has known. Traces of Egyptian
+influence are to be found in the earliest temples, but the Greeks soon
+rose to their own great heights. The Doric column was thick, about six
+diameters in height, fluted, growing smaller toward the top, with a
+simple capital, and supported the entablature. The horizontal lines of
+the architrave and cornice were more marked than the vertical lines of
+the columns. The portico with its row of columns supported the pediment.
+The Parthenon is the most perfect example of the Doric order, and
+shattered as it is by time and man it is still one of the most beautiful
+buildings in the world. It was built in the time of Pericles, from about
+460 to 435 B.C., and the work was superintended by Phidias, who did much
+of the work himself and left the mark of his genius on the whole.
+
+The Ionic order of architecture was a development of the Doric, but was
+lighter and more graceful. The columns were more slender and had a
+greater number of flutes and the capitals formed of scrolls or volutes
+were more ornamental.
+
+The Corinthian order was more elaborate than the Ionic as the capitals
+were foliated (the acanthus being used), the columns higher, and the
+entablature more richly decorated. This order was copied by the Romans
+more than the other two as it suited their more florid taste. All the
+orders have the horizontal feeling in common (as Gothic architecture has
+the vertical), and the simple plan with its perfect harmony of
+proportion leaves no sense of lack of variety.
+
+The perfection attained in architecture was also attained in sculpture,
+and we see the same aspiration toward the ideal, the same wonderful
+achievement. This purity of taste of the Greeks has formed a standard to
+which the world has returned again and again and whose influence will
+continue to be felt as long as the world lasts.
+
+The minor arts were carried to the same state of perfection as their
+greater sisters, for the artists and artisans had the same noble ideal
+of beauty and the same unerring taste. We have carved gems and coins,
+and wonderful gold ornaments, painted and silver vases, and terra-cotta
+figurines, to show what a high point the household arts reached. No work
+of the great Grecian painters remains; Apelles, Zeuxis, are only names
+to us, but from the wall paintings at Pompeii where late Greek influence
+was strongly felt we can imagine how charming the decorations must have
+been. Egypt and Greece were the torch bearers of civilization.
+
+
+
+
+_The Renaissance in Italy_
+
+
+The Gothic period has been treated in later chapters on France and
+England, as it is its development in these countries which most affects
+us, but the Renaissance in Italy stands alone. So great was its strength
+that it could supply both inspiration and leaders to other countries,
+and still remain preëminent.
+
+It was in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that this great
+classical revival in Italy came, this re-birth of a true sense of beauty
+which is called the Renaissance. It was an age of wonders, of great
+artistic creations, and was one of the great epochs of the world, one of
+the turning points of human existence. It covered so large a field and
+was so many-sided that only careful study can give a full realization of
+the giants of intellect and power who made its greatness, and who left
+behind them work that shows the very quintessence of genius.
+
+Italy, stirring slightly in the fourteenth century, woke and rose to her
+greatest heights in the fifteenth and sixteenth. The whole people
+responded to the new joy of life, the love of learning, the expression
+of beauty in all its forms. All notes were struck,--gay, graceful,
+beautiful, grave, cruel, dignified, reverential, magnificent, but all
+with an exuberance of life and power that gave to Italian art its great
+place in human culture. The great names of the period speak for
+themselves,--Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Leonardo da
+Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Machiavelli, Benvenuto Cellini, and a host of
+others.
+
+The inspiration of the Renaissance came largely from the later Greek
+schools of art and literature, Alexandria and Rhodes and the colonies in
+Sicily and Italy, rather than ancient Greece. It was also the influence
+which came to ancient Rome at its most luxurious period. The importance
+of the taking of Alexandria and Constantinople in 1453 must not be
+underestimated, as it drove scholars from the great libraries of the
+East carrying their manuscripts to the nobles and priests and merchant
+princes of Italy who thus became enthusiastic patrons of learning and
+art. This later type of Greek art lacked the austerity of the ancient
+type, and to the models full of joy and beauty and suffering, the
+Italians of the Renaissance added the touch of their own temperament and
+made them theirs in the glowing, rich and astounding way which has never
+been equaled and probably never will be. Perfection of line and beauty
+was not sufficient, the soul with its capacity for joy and suffering,
+"the soul with all its maladies" as Pater says, had become a factor. The
+impression made upon Michelangelo by seeing the Laocoön disinterred is
+vividly described by Longfellow--
+
+[Illustration: An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters.]
+
+[Illustration: The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period.]
+
+                "Long, long years ago,
+    Standing one morning near the Baths of Titus,
+    I saw the statue of Laocöon
+    Rise from its grave of centuries like a ghost
+    Writhing in pain; and as it tore away
+    The knotted serpents from its limbs, I heard,
+    Or seemed to hear, the cry of agony
+    From its white parted lips. And still I marvel
+    At the three Rhodian artists, by whose hands
+    This miracle was wrought. Yet he beholds
+    Far nobler works who looks upon the ruins
+    Of temples in the Forum here in Rome.
+    If God should give me power in my old age
+    To build for him a temple half as grand
+    As those were in their glory, I should count
+    My age more excellent than youth itself,
+    And all that I have hitherto accomplished
+    As only vanity."
+
+"It was an age productive in personalities, many-sided, centralized,
+complete. Artists and philosophers and those whom the action of the
+world had elevated and made keen, breathed a common air and caught light
+and heat from each other's thoughts. It is this unity of spirit which
+gives unity to all the various products of the Renaissance, and it is to
+this intimate alliance with mind, this participation in the best
+thoughts which that age produced, that the art of Italy in the fifteenth
+century owes much of its grave dignity and influence."[A]
+
+[A] Walter Pater: "Studies in the Renaissance."
+
+It is to this unity of the arts we owe the fact that the art of
+beautifying the home took its proper place. During the Middle Ages the
+Church had absorbed the greater part of the best man had to give, and
+home life was rather a hit or miss affair, the house was a fortress, the
+family possessions so few that they could be packed into chests and
+easily moved. During the Renaissance the home ideal grew, and, although
+the Church still claimed the best, home life began to have comforts and
+beauties never dreamed of before. The walls glowed with color,
+tapestries and velvets added their beauties, and the noble proportions
+of the marble halls made a rich background for the elaborately carved
+furniture.
+
+The doors of Italian palaces were usually inlaid with woods of light
+shade, and the soft, golden tone given by the process was in beautiful,
+but not too strong, contrast with the marble architrave of the doorway,
+which in the fifteenth century was carved in low relief combined with
+disks of colored marble, sliced, by the way, from Roman temple pillars.
+Later as the classic taste became stronger the carving gave place to a
+plain architrave and the over-door took the form of a pediment.
+
+Mantels were of marble, large, beautifully carved, with the fireplace
+sunk into the thickness of the wall. The overmantel usually had a carved
+panel, but later, during the sixteenth century, this was sometimes
+replaced by a picture. The windows of the Renaissance were a part of the
+decoration of the room, and curtains were not used in our modern
+manner, but served only to keep out the draughts. In those days the
+better the house the simpler the curtains. There were many kinds of
+ceilings used, marble, carved wood, stucco, and painting. They were
+elaborate and beautiful, and always gave the impression of being
+perfectly supported on the well-proportioned cornice and walls. The
+floors were usually of marble. Many of the houses kept to the plan of
+mediæval exteriors, great expanses of plain walls with few openings on
+the outsides, but as they were built around open courts, the interiors
+with their colonnades and open spaces showed the change the Renaissance
+had brought. The Riccardi Palace in Florence and the Palazzo della
+Cancelleria in Rome, are examples of this early type. The second phase
+was represented by the great Bramante, whose theory of restraining
+decoration and emphasizing the structure of the building has had such
+important influence. One of his successors was Andrea Palladio, whose
+work made such a deep impression on Inigo Jones. The Library of St.
+Mark's at Venice is a beautiful example of this part. The third phase
+was entirely dominated by Michelangelo.
+
+The furniture, to be in keeping with buildings of this kind, was large
+and richly carved. Chairs, seats, chests, cabinets, tables, and beds,
+were the chief pieces used, but they were not plentiful at all in our
+sense of the word. The chairs and benches had cushions to soften the
+hard wooden seats. The stuffs of the time were most beautiful Genoese
+velvet, cloth of gold, tapestries, and wonderful embroideries, all
+lending their color to the gorgeous picture. The carved marriage chest,
+or cassone, is one of the pieces of Renaissance furniture which has most
+often descended to our own day, for such chests formed a very important
+part of the furnishing in every household, and being large and heavy,
+were not so easily broken as chairs and tables. Beds were huge, and were
+architectural in form, a base and roof supported on four columns. The
+classical orders were used, touched with the spirit of the time, and the
+fluted columns rose from acanthus leaves set in an urn supported on
+lion's feet. The tester and cornice gave scope for carving and the
+panels of the tester usually had the lovely scrolls so characteristic of
+the period. The headboard was often carved with a coat-of-arms and the
+curtains hung from inside the cornice.
+
+Grotesques were largely used in ornament. The name is derived from
+grottoes, as the Roman tombs being excavated at the time were called,
+and were in imitation of the paintings found on their walls, and while
+they were fantastic, the word then had no unkindly humorous meaning as
+now. Scrolls, dolphins, birds, beasts, the human figure, flowers,
+everything was called into use for carving and painting by genius of the
+artisans of the Renaissance. They loved their work and felt the beauty
+and meaning of every line they made, and so it came about that when, in
+the course of years, they traveled to neighboring countries, they spread
+the influence of this great period, and it is most interesting to see
+how on the Italian foundation each country built her own distinctive
+style.
+
+Like all great movements the Renaissance had its beginning, its splendid
+climax, and its decline.
+
+
+
+
+_The Development of Decoration in France._
+
+
+When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he absorbed
+so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the Gauls lived,
+so far as household effects were concerned. The character which
+descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation was
+optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it
+through many dark days. It might be said to be responsible for the
+French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has
+enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and
+decoration. They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked
+them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often
+gaining greatly in the process.
+
+One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a _bahut_ or chest
+dating from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church
+of Obazine. It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture,
+and also shows that there was no carving used on it. Large spaces were
+probably covered with painted canvas, glued on. Later, when panels
+became smaller and the furniture designs were modified, moldings, etc.,
+began to be used. These _bahuts_ or _huches_, from which the term
+_huchiers_ came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing
+more than chests standing on four feet. From all sources of information
+on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief
+pieces of furniture the people had. They served as a seat by day and,
+with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night. They were also used
+as tables with large pieces of silver _dressé_ or arranged upon them in
+the daytime. From this comes our word "dresser" for the kitchen shelves.
+In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the household
+belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of speedy
+transportation would be small, and everything was packed into the
+chests. As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of
+chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out
+came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which
+were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible. The germ
+of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the
+arras and the "ciel" to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls. When
+life became a little more secure and people learned something of the
+beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the
+relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in
+themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of
+line. It was not until some time in the fifteenth century that the
+habit of traveling with all one's belongings ceased.
+
+The year 1000 was looked forward to with abject terror, for it was
+firmly believed by all that the world was then coming to an end. It cast
+a gloom over all the people and paralyzed all ambition. When, however,
+the fatal year was safely passed, there was a great religious
+thanksgiving and everyone joined in the praise of a merciful God. The
+semi-circular arch of the Romanesque style gave way to the pointed arch
+of the Gothic, and wonderful cathedrals slowly lifted their beautiful
+spires to the sky. The ideal was to build for the glory of God and not
+only for the eyes of man, so that exquisite carving was lavished upon
+all parts of the work. This deeply reverent feeling lasted through the
+best period of Gothic architecture, and while household furniture was at
+a standstill church furniture became more and more beautiful, for in the
+midst of the religious fervor nothing seemed too much to do for the
+Church. Slowly it died out, and a secular attitude crept into
+decoration. One finds grotesque carvings appearing on the choir stalls
+and other parts of churches and cathedrals and the standard of
+excellence was lowered.
+
+The chest, table, wooden arm-chair, bed, and bench, were as far as the
+imagination had gone in domestic furniture, and although we read of
+wonderful tapestries and leather hangings and clothes embroidered in
+gold and jewels, there was no comfort in our sense of the word, and
+those brave knights and fair ladies had need to be strong to stand the
+hardships of life. Glitter and show was the ideal and it was many more
+years before the standard of comfort and refinement gained a firm
+foothold.
+
+Gothic architecture and decoration declined from the perfection of the
+thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to the over-decorated, flamboyant
+Gothic of the fifteenth century, and it was in the latter period that
+the transition began between the Gothic and the Renaissance epochs.
+
+The Renaissance was at its height in Italy in the fifteenth century, and
+its influence began to make itself felt a little in France at that time.
+
+When the French under Louis XII seized Milan, the magnificence of the
+court of Ludovico Sforza, the great duke of Milan, made such an
+impression on them that they could not rest content with the old order,
+and took home many beautiful things. Italian artisans were also
+imported, and as France was ready for the change, their lessons were
+learned and the French Renaissance came slowly into existence. This
+transition is well shown by the Chateau de Gaillon, built by Cardinal
+d'Amboise. Gothic and Renaissance decoration were placed side by side in
+panels and furniture, and we also find some pure Gothic decoration as
+late as the early part of the sixteenth century, but they were in parts
+of France where tradition changed slowly. Styles overlap in every
+transition period, so it is often difficult to place the exact date on a
+piece of furniture; but the old dies out at last and gives way to the
+new.
+
+With the accession of Frances I in 1515 the Renaissance came into its
+own in France. He was a great patron of art and letters, and under his
+fostering care the people knew new luxuries, new beauties, and new
+comforts. He invited Andrea del Sarto and Leonardo da Vinci to come to
+France. The word Renaissance means simply revival and it is not
+correctly used when we mean a distinct style led or inspired by one
+person. It was a great epoch, with individuality as its leading spirit,
+led by the inspiration of the Italian artists brought from Italy and
+molded by the genius of France. This renewal of classic feeling came at
+the psychological moment, for the true spirit of the great Gothic period
+had died. The Renaissance movements in Italy, France, England and
+Germany all drew their inspiration from the same source, but in each
+case the national characteristics entered into the treatment. The
+Italians and Germans both used the grotesque a great deal, but the
+Germans used it in a coarser and heavier way than the Italians, who used
+it esthetically. The French used more especially conventional and
+beautiful floral forms, and the inborn French sense of the fitness of
+things gave the treatment a wonderful charm and beauty. If one studies
+the French chateaux one will feel the true beauty and spirit of the
+times--Blois with its history of many centuries, and then some of the
+purely Renaissance chateaux, like Chambord. Although great numbers of
+Italian artists came to France, one must not think they did all the
+beautiful work of the time. The French learned quickly and adapted what
+they learned to their own needs, so that the delicate and graceful
+decorations brought from Italy became more and more individualized until
+in the reign of Henry II the Renaissance reached its high-water mark.
+
+The furniture of the time did not show much change or become more varied
+or comfortable. It was large and solid and the chairs had the
+satisfactory effect of good proportion, while the general squareness of
+outline added to the feeling of solidity. Oak was used, and later
+walnut. The chair legs were straight, and often elaborately turned, and
+usually had strainers or under framing. Cushions were simply tied on at
+first, but the knowledge of upholstering was gaining ground, and by the
+time of Louis XIII was well understood. Cabinets had an architectural
+effect in their design. The style of the decorative motive changed, but
+it is chiefly in architecture and the decorative treatment of it that
+one sees the true spirit of the Renaissance. Two men who had great
+influence on the style of furniture of the time were Androuet du Cerceau
+and Hugues Sambin. They published books of plates that were eagerly
+copied in all parts of France. Sambin's influence can be traced in the
+later style of Louis XIV.
+
+[Illustration: Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence.]
+
+[Illustration: A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+with velvet or tapestry.]
+
+[Illustration: _By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_
+
+This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling.]
+
+The marriage of Henry II and Catherine de Medici naturally continued the
+strong Italian influence. The portion of the Renaissance called after
+Henry II lasted about seventy-five years, and corresponds with the
+Elizabethan period in England.
+
+During the regency of Marie de Medici, Flemish influence became very
+strong, as she invited Rubens to Paris to decorate the Luxembourg. There
+were also many Italians called to do the work, and as Rubens had studied
+in Italy, Italian influence was not lacking.
+
+Degeneracy began during the reign of Henry IV, as ornament became
+meaningless and consistency of decoration was lost in a maze of
+superfluous design.
+
+It was in the reign of Louis XIII that furniture for the first time
+became really comfortable, and if one examines the engravings of Abraham
+Bosse one will see that the rooms have an air of homelikeness as well as
+richness. The characteristic chair of the period was short in the back
+and square in shape--it was usually covered with leather or tapestry,
+fastened to the chair with large brass nails, and the back and seat
+often had a fringe. A set of chairs usually consisted of arm-chairs,
+plain chairs, folding stools and a _lit-de-repos_. Many of the
+arm-chairs were entirely covered with velvet or tapestry, or, if the
+woodwork showed, it was stained to harmonize with the covering on the
+seat and back.
+
+The twisted columns used in chairs, bedposts, etc., were borrowed from
+Italy and were very popular. Another shape often used for chair legs was
+the X that shows Flemish influence. The _lit-de-repos_, or
+_chaise-longue_, was a seat about six feet long, sometimes with arms and
+sometimes not, and with a mattress and bolster. The beds were very
+elaborate and very important in the scheme of decoration, as the ladies
+of the time held receptions in their bedrooms and the king and nobles
+gave audiences to their subjects while in bed. These latter were
+therefore necessarily furnished with splendor. The woodwork was usually
+covered with the same material as the curtains, or stained to harmonize.
+The canopy never reached to the ceiling but was, from floor to top,
+about 7 ft. 3 in. high, and the bed was 6-1/2 ft. square. The curtains
+were arranged on rods and pulleys, and when closed this "_lit en
+housse_" looked like a huge square box. The counterpane, or "_coverture
+de parade_," was of the curtain material. The four corners of the canopy
+were decorated with bunches of plumes or panache, or with a carved
+wooden ornament called pomme, or with a "_bouquet_" of silk. The beds
+were covered with rich stuffs, like tapestry, silk, satin, velvet,
+cloth-of-gold and silver, etc., all of which were embroidered or trimmed
+with gold or silver lace. One of the features of a Louis XIII room was
+the tapestry and hangings. A certain look of dignity was given to the
+rooms by the general square and heavy outlines of the furniture and the
+huge chimney-pieces.
+
+The taste for cabinets kept up and the cabinets and presses were large,
+sometimes divided into two parts, sometimes with doors, sometimes with
+open frame underneath. The tables were richly carved and gilded, often
+ornamented with bronze and copper. The cartouche was used a great deal
+in decoration, with a curved surface. This rounded form appears in the
+posts used in various kinds of furniture. When rectangles were used they
+were always broader than high. The garlands of fruit were heavy, the
+cornucopias were slender, with an astonishing amount of fruit pouring
+from them, and the work was done in rather low relief. Carved and gilded
+mirrors were introduced by the Italians as were also sconces and glass
+chandeliers. It was a time of great magnificence, and shadowed forth the
+coming glory of Louis XIV. It seems a style well suited to large
+dining-rooms and libraries in modern houses of importance.
+
+
+
+
+_Louis XIV_
+
+
+It is often a really difficult matter to decide the exact boundary lines
+between one period and another, for the new style shows its beginnings
+before the old one is passed, and the old style still appears during the
+early years of the new one. It is an overlapping process and the years
+of transition are ones of great interest. As one period follows another
+it usually shows a reaction from the previous one; a somber period is
+followed by a gay one; the excess of ornament in one is followed by
+restraint in the next. It is the same law that makes us want cake when
+we have had too much bread and butter.
+
+The world has changed so much since the seventeenth and eighteenth
+centuries that it seems almost impossible that we should ever again have
+great periods of decoration like those of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis
+XVI. Then the monarch was supreme. "_L'état c'est moi_," said Louis XIV,
+and it was true. He established the great Gobelin works on a basis that
+made France the authority of the world and firmly imposed his taste and
+his will on the country. Now that this absolute power of one man is a
+thing of the past, we have the influence of many men forming and molding
+something that may turn into a beautiful epoch of decoration, one that
+will have in it some of the feeling that brought the French Renaissance
+to its height, though not like it, for we have the same respect for
+individuality working within the laws of beauty that they had.
+
+The style that takes its name from Louis XIV was one of great
+magnificence and beauty with dignity and a certain solidity in its
+splendor. It was really the foundation of the styles that followed, and
+a great many people look upon the periods of Louis XIV, the Regency,
+Louis XV and Louis XVI as one great period with variations, or ups and
+downs--the complete swing and return of the pendulum.
+
+Louis XIV was a man with a will of iron and made it absolute law during
+his long reign of seventy-two years. His ideal was splendor, and he
+encouraged great men in the intellectual and artistic world to do their
+work, and shed their glory on the time. Condé, Turenne, Colbert,
+Molière, Corneille, La Fontaine, Racine, Fénélon, Boulle, Le Brun, are a
+few among the long and wonderful list. He was indeed Louis the
+Magnificent, the Sun King.
+
+One of the great elements toward achieving the stupendous results of
+this reign was the establishment of the "Manufacture des Meubles de la
+Couronne," or, as it is usually called, "Manufacture des Gobelins."
+Artists of all kinds were gathered together and given apartments in the
+Louvre and the wonderfully gifted and versatile Le Brun was put at the
+head. Tapestry, goldsmiths' work, furniture, jewelry, etc., were made,
+and with the royal protection and interest France rose to the position
+of world-wide supremacy in the arts. Le Brun had the same taste and love
+of magnificence as Louis, and had also extraordinary executive ability
+and an almost unlimited capacity for work, combined with the power of
+gathering about him the most eminent artists of the time. André Charles
+Boulle was one, and his beautiful cabinets, commodes, tables, clocks,
+etc., are now almost priceless. He carried the inlay of metals,
+tortoise-shell, ivory and beautiful woods to its highest expression, and
+the mingling of colors with the exquisite workmanship gave most
+wonderful effects. Sheets of white metal or brass were glued together
+and the pattern was then cut out. When taken apart the brass scrolls
+could be fitted exactly into the shell background, and the shell scrolls
+into the brass background, thus making two decorations. The shell
+background was the more highly prized. The designs usually had a
+Renaissance feeling. The metal was softened in outline by engraving, and
+then ormolu mounts were added. Ormolu or gilt bronze mounts, formed one
+of the great decorations of furniture. The most exquisite workmanship
+was lavished on them, and after they had been cast they were cut and
+carved and polished until they became worthy ornaments for beautiful
+inlaid tables and cabinets. The taste for elaborately carved and gilded
+frames to chairs, tables, mirrors, etc., developed rapidly. Mirrors
+were made by the Gobelins works and were much less expensive than the
+Venetian ones of the previous reign. Walls were painted and covered with
+gold with a lavish hand. Tapestries were truly magnificent with gold and
+silver threads adding richness to their beauty of color, and were used
+purely as a decoration as well as in the old utilitarian way of keeping
+out the cold. The Gobelins works made at this time some of the most
+beautiful tapestries the world has known. The massive chimney-pieces
+were superseded by the "_petite-cheminée_" and had great mirrors over
+them or elaborate over-mantels. The whole air of furnishing and
+decoration changed to one of greater lightness and brilliancy. The ideal
+was that everything, no matter how small, must be beautiful, and we find
+the most exquisite workmanship lavished on window-locks and door-knobs.
+
+[Illustration: One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself.]
+
+In the early style of Louis XIV, we find many trophies of war and
+mythological subjects used in the decorative schemes. The second style
+of this period was a softening and refining of the earlier one, becoming
+more and more delicate until it merged into the time of the Regency. It
+was during the reign of Louis XIV that the craze for Chinese decoration
+first appeared. _La Chinoiserie_ it was called, and it has daintiness
+and a curious fascination about it, but many inappropriate things were
+done in its name. The furniture of the time was firmly placed upon the
+ground, the arm-chairs had strong straining-rails, square or curved
+backs, scroll arms carved and partly upholstered and stuffed seats
+and backs. The legs of chairs were usually tapering in form and
+ornamented with gilding, or marquetry, or richly carved, and later the
+feet ended in a carved leaf design. Some of the straining-rails were in
+the shape of the letter X, with an ornament at the intersection, and
+often there was a wooden molding below the seat in place of fringe. Many
+carved and gilded chairs had gold fringe and braid and were covered with
+velvet, tapestry or damask.
+
+[Illustration: _By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_
+
+Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts.]
+
+[Illustration: Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic
+underbracing.]
+
+There were many new and elaborate styles of beds that came into fashion
+at this time. There was the _lit d'ange_, which had a canopy that did
+not extend over the entire bed, and had no pillars at the foot, the
+curtains were drawn back at the head and the counterpane went over the
+foot of the bed. There was the _lit d'alcove_, the _lit de bout_, _lit
+clos_, _lit de glace_, with a mirror framed in the ceiling, and many
+others. A _lit de parade_ was like the great bed of Louis XIV at
+Versailles.
+
+Both the tall and bracket clocks showed this same love of ornament and
+they were carved and gilded and enriched with chased brass and wonderful
+inlay by Boulle. The dials also were beautifully designed. Consoles,
+tables, cabinets, etc., were all treated in this elaborate way. Many of
+the ceilings were painted by great artists, and those at Versailles,
+painted by Le Brun and others, are good examples. There was always a
+combination of the straight line and the curve, a strong feeling of
+balance, and a profusion of ornament in the way of scrolls, garlands,
+shells, the acanthus, anthemion, etc. The moldings were wide and
+sometimes a torus of laurel leaves was used, but in spite of the great
+amount of ornament lavished on everything, there is the feeling of
+balance and symmetry and strength that gives dignity and beauty.
+
+Louis was indeed fortunate in having the great Colbert for one of his
+ministers. He was a man of gigantic intellect, capable of originating
+and executing vast schemes. It was to his policy of state patronage,
+wisely directed, and energetically and lavishly carried out, that we owe
+the magnificent achievements of this period.
+
+Everywhere the impression is given of brilliancy and splendor--gold on
+the walls, gold on the furniture, rich velvets and damasks and
+tapestries, marbles and marquetry and painting, furniture worth a king's
+ransom. It all formed a beautiful and fitting background for the proud
+king, who could do no wrong, and the dazzling, care-free people who
+played their brilliant, selfish parts in the midst of its splendor. They
+never gave a thought to the great mass of the common people who were
+over-burdened with taxation; they never heard the first faint mutterings
+of discontent which were to grow, ever louder and louder, until the
+blood and horror of the Revolution paid the debt.
+
+
+
+
+_The Regency and Louis XV_
+
+
+When Louis XIV died in 1715, his great-grandson, Louis XV, was but five
+years old, so Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, became Regent. During the last
+years of Louis XIV's life the court had resented more or less the gloom
+cast over it by the influence of Madame de Maintenon, and turned with
+avidity to the new ruler. He was a vain and selfish man, feeling none of
+the responsibilities of his position, and living chiefly for pleasure.
+The change in decoration had been foreshadowed in the closing years of
+the previous reign, and it is often hard to say whether a piece of
+furniture is late Louis XIV or Regency.
+
+The new gained rapidly over the old, and the magnificent and stately
+extravagance of Louis XIV turned into the daintier but no less
+extravagant and rich decoration of the Regency and Louis XV. One of the
+noticeable changes was that rooms were smaller, and the reign of the
+boudoir began. It has been truly said that after the death of Louis XIV
+"came the substitution of the finery of coquetry for the worship of the
+great in style." There was greater variety in the designs of furniture
+and a greater use of carved metal ornament and gilt bronze, beautifully
+chased. The ornaments took many shapes, such as shells, shaped foliage,
+roses, seaweed, strings of pearls, etc., and at its best there was
+great beauty in the treatment.
+
+It was during the Regency that the great artist and sculptor in metal,
+Charles Cressant, flourished. He was made _ébeniste_ of the Regent, and
+his influence was always to keep up the traditions when the reaction
+against the severe might easily have led to degeneration. There are
+beautiful examples of his work in many of the great collections of
+furniture, notably the wonderful commode in the Wallace collection. The
+dragon mounts of ormolu on it show the strong influence the Orient had
+at the time. He often used the figures of women with great delicacy on
+the corners of his furniture, and he also used tortoise-shell and many
+colored woods in marquetry, but his most wonderful work was done in
+brass and gilded bronze.
+
+In 1723, when Louis was thirteen years old, he was declared of age and
+became king. The influence of the Regent was, naturally, still strong,
+and unfortunately did much to form the character of the young king.
+Selfishness, pleasure, and low ideals, were the order of court life, and
+paved the way for the debased taste for rococo ornament which was one
+marked phase of the style of Louis XV.
+
+The great influence of the Orient at this time is very noticeable. There
+had been a beginning of it in the previous reign, but during the Regency
+and the reign of Louis XV it became very marked. "_Singerie_" and
+"_Chinoiserie_" were the rage, and gay little monkeys clambered and
+climbed over walls and furniture with a careless abandon that had a
+certain fascination and charm in spite of their being monkeys. The
+"_Salon des Singes_" in the Chateau de Chantilly gives one a good idea
+of this. The style was easily overdone and did not last a great while.
+
+During this time of Oriental influence lacquer was much used and
+beautiful lacquer panels became one of the great features of French
+furniture. Pieces of furniture were sent to China and Japan to be
+lacquered and this, combined with the expense of importing it, led many
+men in France to try to find out the Oriental secret. Le Sieur Dagly was
+supposed to have imported the secret and was established at the Gobelins
+works where he made what was called "_vernis de Gobelins_."
+
+The Martin family evolved a most characteristically French style of
+decoration from the Chinese and Japanese lacquers. The varnish they
+made, called "_vernis Martin_," gave its name to the furniture decorated
+by them, which was well suited to the dainty boudoirs of the day. All
+kinds of furniture were decorated in this way--sedan chairs and even
+snuff-boxes, until at last the supply became so great that the fashion
+died. There are many charming examples of it to be seen in museums and
+private collections, but the modern garish copies of it in many shops
+give no idea of the charm of the original. Watteau's delightful
+decorations also give the true spirit of the time, with their gayety
+and frivolity showing the Arcadian affectations--the fad of the moment.
+
+As the time passed decoration grew more and more ornate, and the
+followers of Cressant exaggerated his traits. One of these was Jules
+Aurèle Meissonier, an Italian by birth, who brought with him to France
+the decadent Italian taste. He had a most marvelous power of invention
+and lavished ornament on everything, carrying the rocaille style to its
+utmost limit. He broke up all straight lines, put curves and
+convolutions everywhere, and rarely had two sides alike, for symmetry
+had no charms for him. The curved endive decoration was used in
+architraves, in the panels of overdoors and panel moldings, everywhere
+it possibly could be used, in fact. His work was in great demand by the
+king and nobility. He designed furniture of all kinds, altars, sledges,
+candelabra and a great amount of silversmith's work, and also published
+a book of designs. Unfortunately it is this rococo style which is meant
+by many people when they speak of the style of Louis XV.
+
+Louis XV furniture and decoration at its best period is extremely
+beautiful, and the foremost architects of the day were undisturbed by
+the demand for rococo, knowing it was a vulgarism of taste which would
+pass. In France, bad as it was, it never went to such lengths as it did
+in Italy and Spain.
+
+[Illustration: The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room.]
+
+[Illustration: The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, "Games of Children," show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly.]
+
+The easy generalization of the girl who said the difference between the
+styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI was like the difference in hair, one
+was curly and one was straight, has more than a grain of truth in it.
+The curved line was used persistently until the last years of Louis XV's
+time, but it was a beautiful, gracious curve, elaborate, and in
+furniture, richly carved, which was used during the best period. The
+decline came when good taste was lost in the craze for rococo.
+
+Chairs were carved and gilded, or painted, or lacquered, and also
+beautiful natural woods were used. The sofas and chairs had a general
+square appearance, but the framework was much curved and carved and
+gilded. They were upholstered in silks, brocades, velvets, damasks in
+flowered designs, edged with braid. Gobelin, Aubusson and Beauvais
+tapestry, with Watteau designs, were also used. Nothing more dainty or
+charming could be found than the tapestry seats and chair backs and
+screens which were woven especially to fit certain pieces of furniture.
+The tapestry weavers now used thousands of colors in place of the
+nineteen used in the early days, and this enabled them to copy with
+great exactness the charming pictures of Watteau and Boucher. The idea
+of sitting on beautiful ladies and gentlemen airily playing at country
+life, does not appeal to our modern taste, but it seems to be in accord
+with those days.
+
+Desks were much used and were conveniently arranged with drawers,
+pigeon-holes and shelves, and roll-top desks were made at this time.
+Commodes were painted, or richly ornamented with lacquer panels, or
+panels of rosewood or violet wood, and all were embellished with
+wonderful bronze or ormolu. Many pieces of furniture were inlaid with
+lovely Sèvres plaques, a manner which is not always pleasing in effect.
+There were many different and elaborate kinds of beds, taking their
+names from their form and draping. "_Lit d'anglaise_" had a back,
+head-board and foot-board, and could be used as a sofa. "_Lit a
+Romaine_" had a canopy and four festooned curtains, and so on.
+
+The most common form of salon was rectangular, with proportions of 4 to
+3, or 2 to 1. There were also many square, round, octagonal and oval
+salons, these last being among the most beautiful. They all were
+decorated with great richness, the walls being paneled with carved and
+gilded--or partially gilded--wood. Tapestry and brocade and painted
+panels were used. Large mirrors with elaborate frames were placed over
+the mantels, with panels above reaching to the cornice or cove of the
+ceiling, and large mirrors were also used over console tables and as
+panels. The paneled overdoors reached to the cornice, and windows were
+also treated in this way. Windows and doors were not looked upon merely
+as openings to admit air and light and human beings, but formed a part
+of the scheme of decoration of the room. There were beautiful brackets
+and candelabra of ormolu to light the rooms, and the boudoirs and
+salons, with their white and gold and beautifully decorated walls and
+gilded furniture, gave an air of gayety and richness, extravagance and
+beauty.
+
+An apartment in the time of Louis XV usually had a vestibule, rather
+severely decorated with columns or pilasters and often statues in
+niches. The first ante-room was a waiting-room for servants and was
+plainly treated, the woodwork being the chief decoration. The second
+ante-room had mirrors, console tables, carved and gilded woodwork, and
+sometimes tapestry was used above a wainscot. Dining-rooms were
+elaborate, often having fountains and plants in the niches near the
+buffet. Bedrooms usually had an alcove, and the room, not counting the
+alcove, was an exact square. The bed faced the windows and a large
+mirror over a console table was just opposite it. The chimney faced the
+principal entrance.
+
+A "_chambre en niche_" was a room where the bed space was not so large
+as an alcove. The designs for sides of rooms by Meissonier, Blondel,
+Briseux Cuilles and others give a good idea of the arrangement and
+proportions of the different rooms. The cabinets or studies, and the
+_garde robes_, were entered usually from doors near the alcove. The
+ceilings were painted by Boucher and others in soft and charming colors,
+with cupids playing in the clouds, and other subjects of the kind. Great
+attention was given to clocks and they formed an important and
+beautiful part of the decoration.
+
+The natural consequence of the period of excessive rococo with its
+superabundance of curves and ornament, was that, during the last years
+of Louis's reign, the reaction slowly began to make itself felt. There
+was no sudden change to the use of the straight line, but people were
+tired of so much lavishness and motion in their decoration. There were
+other influences also at work, for Robert Adam had, in England,
+established the classic taste, and the excavations at Pompeii were
+causing widespread interest and admiration. The fact is proved that what
+we call Louis XVI decoration was well known before the death of Louis
+XV, by his furnishing Luciennes for Madam Du Barri in almost pure Louis
+XVI style.
+
+[Illustration: A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur.]
+
+[Illustration: This Louis XV bergère is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period.]
+
+[Illustration: There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+with its Gobelin tapestry cover.]
+
+
+
+
+_Louis XVI_
+
+
+Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774, and reigned for nineteen years,
+until that fatal year of '93. He was kind, benign, and simple, and had
+no sympathy with the life of the court during the preceding reign. Marie
+Antoinette disliked the great pomp of court functions and liked to play
+at the simple life, so shepherdesses, shepherd's crooks, hats, wreaths
+of roses, watering-pots and many other rustic symbols became the
+fashion.
+
+Marie Antoinette was but fifteen years old when in 1770 she came to
+France as a bride, and it is hardly reasonable to think that the taste
+of a young girl would have originated a great period of decoration,
+although the idea is firmly fixed in many minds. It is known that the
+transition period was well advanced before she became queen, but there
+is no doubt that her simpler taste and that of Louis led them to accept
+with joy the classical ideas of beauty which were slowly gaining ground.
+As dauphin and dauphiness they naturally had a great following, and as
+king and queen their taste was paramount, and the style became
+established.
+
+Architecture became more simple and interior decoration followed suit.
+The restfulness and beauty of the straight line appeared again, and
+ornament took its proper place as a decoration of the construction, and
+was subordinate to its design. During the period of Louis XVI the rooms
+had rectangular panels formed by simpler moldings than in the previous
+reign, with pilasters of delicate design between the panels. The
+overdoors and mantels were carried to the cornice and the paneling was
+usually of oak, painted in soft colors or white and gilded. Walls were
+also covered with tapestry and brocade. Some of the most characteristic
+marks of the style are the straight tapering legs of the furniture,
+usually fluted, with some carving. Fluted columns and pilasters often
+had metal quills filling them for a part of the distance at top and
+bottom, leaving a plain channel between. The laurel leaf was used in
+wreath form, and bell flowers were used on the legs of furniture. Oval
+medallions, surmounted by a wreath of flowers and a bow-knot, appear
+very often, and in about 1780 round medallions were used. Furniture was
+covered with brocade or tapestry, with shepherds and shepherdesses or
+pastoral scenes for the design. The gayest kinds of designs were used in
+the silks and brocades; ribbons and bow-knots and interlacing stripes
+with flowers and rustic symbols scattered over them. Curtains were less
+festooned and cut with great exactness. The canopies of beds became
+smaller, until often only a ring or crown held the draperies, and it
+became the fashion to place the bed sideways, "_vu de face_."
+
+There was a great deal of beautiful ornament in gilded bronze and ormolu
+on the furniture, and many colored woods were used in marquetry. The
+fashion of using Sèvres plaques in inlay was continued. There was a
+great deal of white and colored marble used and very fine ironwork was
+made. Riesener, Roentgen, Gouthiére, Fragonard and Boucher are some of
+the names that stand out most distinctly as authors of the beautiful
+decorations of the time. Marie Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainebleau is
+a perfect example of the style and many of the other rooms both there
+and at the Petit Trianon show its great beauty, gayety and dignity
+combined with its richness and magnificence.
+
+The influence of Pompeii must not be overlooked in studying the style of
+Louis XVI, for it appeared in much of the decoration of the time. The
+beautiful little boudoir of the Marquise de Sérilly is a charming
+example of its adaptation. The problem of bad proportion is also most
+interestingly overcome. The room was too high for its size, so it was
+divided into four arched openings separated by carved pilasters, and the
+walls covered with paintings. The ceiling was darker than the walls,
+which made it seem lower, and the whole color scheme was so arranged
+that the feeling of extreme height was lessened. The mantel is a
+beautiful example of the period. This room was furnished about 1780-82.
+
+Compared to the lavish curves of the style of Louis XV, the fine
+outlines and the beautiful ornament of Louis XVI appear to some people
+cold, but if they look carefully at the matter, they will find them not
+really so. The warmth of the Gallic temperament still shows through the
+new garb, giving life and beauty to the dainty but strong furniture.
+
+If one studies the examples of the styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and
+Louis XVI that one finds in the great palaces, collections, museums and
+books of prints and photographs, one will see that the wonderful
+foundation laid by Louis XIV was still there in the other two reigns.
+During the time of Louis XVI the pose of rustic simplicity was a very
+sophisticated pose indeed, but the reaction from the rocaille style of
+Louis XV led to one of the most beautiful styles of decoration that the
+world has seen. It had dignity, true beauty and the joy of life
+expressed in it.
+
+[Illustration: Rare Louis XVI chair--an original from Fontainebleau.]
+
+[Illustration: The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+very beautiful article of furniture.]
+
+
+
+
+_The Empire_
+
+
+The French Revolution made a tremendous change in the production of
+beautiful furniture, as royalty and the nobility could no longer
+encourage it. Many of the great artists died in poverty and many of them
+went to other countries where life was more secure.
+
+After the Revolution there was wholesale destruction of the wonderful
+works of art which had cost such vast sums to collect. Nothing was to
+remain that would remind the people of departed kings and queens, and a
+committee on art was appointed to make selections of what was to be
+saved and what was to be destroyed. That committee of "tragic comedians"
+set up a new standard of art criticism; it was not the artistic merits
+of a piece of tapestry, for instance, that interested them, but whether
+a king or queen dared show their heads upon it. If so, into the flames
+it went. Thousands of priceless things were destroyed before they
+finished their dreadful work.
+
+When Napoleon came into power he turned to ancient Rome for inspiration.
+The Imperial Cæsars became his ideal and gave him a wide field in which
+to display his love for splendor, uncontrolled by any true artistic
+sense. It gave decoration a blow from which it was hard to recover.
+Massive furniture without real beauty of line, loaded with ormolu, took
+the place of the old. The furniture was simple in construction with
+little carving, until later when all kinds of animal heads and claws,
+and animals never seen by man, and horns of plenty, were used to support
+tables and chairs and sofas. Everywhere one turned the feeling of
+martial grandeur was in the air. Ormolu mounts of bay wreaths, torches,
+eagles, military emblems and trophies, winged figures, the sphinx, the
+bee, and the initial N, were used on furniture; and these same motives
+were used in wall decoration. The furniture was left the natural color
+of the wood, and mahogany, rosewood, and ebony, were used. Veneer was
+also extensively used. The front legs of chairs were usually straight,
+and the back legs slightly curved. Beds were massive, with head and
+foot-board of even height, and the tops rolled over into a scroll. Swans
+were used on the arms of chairs and sofas and the sides of beds. Tables
+were often round, with tripod legs; in fact, the tripod was a great
+favorite. There was a great deal of inlay of the favorite emblems but
+little carving. Plain columns with Doric caps and metal ornaments were
+used. The change in the use of color was very marked, for deep brown,
+blue and other dark colors were used instead of the light and gay ones
+of the previous period. The materials used were usually of solid colors
+with a design in golden yellow, a wreath, or a torch, or the bee, or one
+of the other favorite emblems being used in a spot design, or powdered
+on. Some of the color combinations in the rooms we read of sound quite
+alarming.
+
+Since the time of the Empire, France has done as the rest of the world
+has, gone without any special style.
+
+
+
+
+_English Furniture from Gothic Days to the Period of Queen Anne._
+
+
+The early history of furniture in all countries is very much the
+same--there is not any. We know about kings and queens, and war and
+sudden death, and fortresses and pyramids, but of that which the people
+used for furniture we know very little. Research has revealed the
+mention in old manuscripts once in a while of benches and chests, and
+the Bayeux tapestry and old seals show us that William the Conquerer and
+Richard Coeur de Lion sat on chairs, even if they were not very
+promising ones, but at best it is all very vague. It is natural to
+suppose that the early Saxons had furniture of some kind, for, as the
+remains of Saxon metalwork show great skill, it is probable they had
+skill also in woodworking.
+
+In England, as in France, the first pieces of furniture that we can be
+sure of are chests and benches. They served all purposes apparently, for
+the family slept on them by night and used them for seats and tables by
+day. The bedding was kept in the chests, and when traveling had to be
+done all the family possessions were packed in them. There is an old
+chest at Stoke d'Abernon church, dating from the thirteenth century,
+that has a little carving on it, and another at Brampton church of the
+twelfth or thirteenth century that has iron decorations. Some chests
+show great freedom in the carving, St. George and the Dragon and other
+stories being carved in high relief.
+
+[Illustration: An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France's deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV.]
+
+Nearly all the existing specimens of Gothic furniture are
+ecclesiastical, but there are a few that were evidently for household
+use. These show distinctly the architectural treatment of design in the
+furniture. Chairs were not commonly used until the sixteenth century.
+Our distinguished ancestors decided that one chair in a house was
+enough, and that was for the master, while his family and friends sat on
+benches and chests. It is a long step in comfort and manners from the
+fifteenth to the twentieth century. Later the guest of honor was given
+the chair, and from that may come the saying that a speaker "takes the
+chair." Gothic tables were probably supported by trestles, and beds were
+probably very much like the early sixteenth century beds in general
+shape. There were cupboards and armoires also, but examples are very
+rare. From an old historical document we learn that Henry III, in 1233,
+ordered the sheriff to attend to the painting of the wainscoted chamber
+in Winchester Castle and to see that "the pictures and histories were
+the same as before." Another order is for having the wall of the king's
+chamber at Westminster "painted a good green color in imitation of a
+curtain." These painted walls and stained glass that we know they had,
+and the tapestry, must have given a cheerful color scheme to the
+houses of the wealthy class even if there was not much comfort.
+
+[Illustration: In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs.]
+
+[Illustration: This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns.]
+
+The history of the great houses of England, and also the smaller
+manor-houses, is full of interest in connection with the study of
+furniture. There are many manor-houses that show all the characteristics
+of the Gothic, Renaissance, Tudor and Jacobean periods, and from them we
+can learn much of the life of the times. The early ones show absolute
+simplicity in the arrangement, one large hall for everything, and later
+a small room or two added. The fire was on the floor and the smoke
+wandered around until it found its way out at the opening, or louvre, in
+the roof. Then a chimney was built at the dais end of the hall, and the
+mantelpiece became an important part of the decoration. The hall was
+divided by "screens" into smaller rooms, leaving the remainder for
+retainers, and causing the clergy to inveigh against the new custom of
+the lord of the manor "eating in secret places." The staircase developed
+from the early winding stair about a newel or post to the beautiful
+broad stairs of the Tudor period. These were usually six or seven feet
+broad, with about six wide easy steps and then a landing, and the
+carving on the balusters was often very elaborate and sometimes very
+beautiful--a ladder raised to the _n_th power.
+
+Slowly the Gothic period died in England and slowly the Renaissance took
+its place. There was never the gayety of decorative treatment that we
+find in France, but the English workmen, while keeping their own
+individuality, learned a tremendous amount from the Italians who came to
+the country. Their influence is shown in the Henry VIIth Chapel in
+Westminster Abbey, and in the old part of Hampton Court Palace, built by
+Cardinal Wolsey.
+
+The religious troubles between Henry VIII and the Pope and the change of
+religion helped to drive the Italians from the country, so the
+Renaissance did not get such a firm foothold in England as it did in
+France. The mingling of Gothic and Renaissance forms what we call the
+Tudor period. During the time of Elizabeth all trace of Gothic
+disappeared, and the influence of the Germans and Flemings who came to
+the country in great numbers, helped to shorten the influence of the
+Renaissance. The over-elaboration of the late Tudor time corresponded
+with the deterioration shown in France in the time of Henry IV. The Hall
+of Gray's Inn, the Halls of Oxford, the Charterhouse and the Hall of the
+Middle Temple are all fine examples of the Tudor period.
+
+We find very few names of furniture makers of those days; in fact, there
+are very few names known in connection with the buildings themselves.
+The word architect was little used until after the Renaissance. The
+owner and the "surveyor" were the people responsible, and the plans,
+directions and details given to the workmen were astonishingly meager.
+
+The great charm that we all feel in the Tudor and Jacobean periods is
+largely due to the beautiful paneled walls. Their woodwork has a color
+that only age can give and that no stain can copy. The first panels were
+longer than the later ones. Wide use was made of the beautiful
+"linen-fold" design in the wainscoting, and there was also much
+elaborate carving and strapwork. Scenes like the temptation of Adam and
+Eve were represented, heads in circular medallions, and simply
+decorative designs were used. In the days of Elizabeth it became the
+fashion to have the carving at the top of the paneling with plain panels
+below. Tudor and Jacobean mantelpieces were most elaborate and were of
+wood, stone, or marble richly carved, to say nothing of the beautiful
+plaster ones, and there are many fine examples in existence. They were
+fond of figure decoration, and many subjects were taken from the Bible.
+The overmantels were decorated with coats-of-arms and other carving, and
+the entablature over the fireplace often had Latin mottoes. The earliest
+firebacks date from the fifteenth century. Coats-of-arms and many
+curious designs were used upon them.
+
+The furniture of the Tudor period was much carved, and was made chiefly
+of oak. Cornices of beds and cabinets often had the egg-and-dart molding
+used on them, and the S-curve is often seen opposed on the backs of
+settees and chairs. It has a suggestion of a dolphin and is reminiscent
+of the dolphins of the Renaissance. The beds were very large, the
+"great bed of Ware" being twelve feet square. The cornice, the bed-head,
+the pedestals and pillars supporting the cornice were all richly carved.
+Frequently the pillars at the foot of the bed were not connected with
+it, but supported the cornice which was longer than the bed. The
+"Courtney bedstead," dated 1593, showing many of the characteristics of
+the ornament of the time, is 103-1/2 inches high, 94 inches long, 68
+inches wide. The majority of the beds were smaller and lower, however,
+and the pillars usually rose out of drum-like members, huge acorn-like
+bulbs that were often so large as to be ugly. They appeared also on
+other articles of furniture. When in good proportion, with pillars
+tapering from them, they were very effective, and gradually they grew
+smaller. Some of the beds had the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
+John, carved on the posts. They were probably the origin of the nursery
+rhyme:
+
+    "Four corners to my bed,
+    Four angels round my head,
+    Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
+    Bless the bed that I lie on."
+
+[Illustration: In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping.]
+
+Bed hanging were of silk, velvet, damask, wool damask, tapestry, etc.,
+and there were fine linen sheets and blankets and counterpanes of wool
+work. The chairs were high-backed of solid oak with cushions. There
+were also jointed stools, folding screens, chests, cabinets, tables with
+carpets (table covers) tapestry hangings, curtains, cushions, silver
+sconces, etc.
+
+[Illustration: Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400.]
+
+[Illustration: Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly.]
+
+The Jacobean period began with James I, and lasted until the time of
+William and Mary, or from 1603 to about 1689. In the early part there
+was still a strong Tudor feeling, and toward the end foreign influence
+made itself felt until the Dutch under William became paramount. Inigo
+Jones did his great work at this time in the Palladian style of
+architecture. His simpler taste did much to reduce the exaggeration of
+the late Tudor days.
+
+Chests of various kinds still remained of importance. Their growth is
+interesting: first the plain ones of very early days, then panels
+appeared, then the pointed arch with its architectural effect, then the
+low-pointed arch of Tudor and early Jacobian times, and the geometrical
+ornament. Then came a change in the general shape, a drawer being added
+at the bottom, and at last it turned into a complete chest of drawers.
+
+Cabinets or cupboards were also used a great deal, and the most
+interesting are the court-and livery-cupboards. The derivation of the
+names is a bit obscure, but the court cupboard probably comes from the
+French _court_, short. The first ones were high and unwieldy and the
+later ones were lower with some enclosed shelves. They were used for a
+display of plate, much as the modern sideboard is used. The number of
+shelves was limited by rank; the wife of a baronet could have two, a
+countess three, a princess four, a queen five. They were beautifully
+carved, very often, the doors to the enclosed portions having heads,
+Tudor roses, arches, spindle ornaments and many other designs common to
+the Tudor and Jacobean periods. They had a silk "carpet" put on the
+shelves with the fringe hanging over the ends, but not the front, and on
+this was placed the silver.
+
+The livery-cupboard was used for food, and the word probably comes from
+the French _livrer_, to deliver. It had several shelves enclosed by
+rails, not panels, so the air could circulate, and some of them had open
+shelves and a drawer for linen. They were used much as we use a
+serving-table, or as the kitchen dresser was used in old New England
+days. In them were kept food and drink for people to take to their
+bedrooms to keep starvation at bay until breakfast.
+
+Drawing-tables were very popular during Jacobean times. They were
+described as having two ends that were drawn out and supported by
+sliders, while the center, previously held by them, fell into place by
+its own weight. Another characteristic table was the gate-legged or
+thousand-legged table, that was used so much in our own Colonial times.
+There were also round, oval and square tables which had flaps supported
+by legs that were drawn out. Tables were almost invariably covered with
+a table cloth.
+
+Some of the chairs of the time of James I were much like those of Louis
+XIII, having the short back covered with leather, damask, or tapestry,
+put on with brass or silver nails and fringe around the edge of the
+seat. The chief characteristic of the chairs of this time was solidity,
+with the ornament chiefly on the upper parts, which were molded oftener
+than carved, with the backs usually high. A plain leather chair called
+the "Cromwell chair," was imported from Holland. The solid oak back gave
+way at last to the half solid back, then came the open back with rails,
+and then the Charles II chair, with its carved or turned uprights, its
+high back of cane, and an ornamental stretcher like the top of the chair
+back, between the front legs. This is a very attractive feature, as it
+serves to give balance of decoration and also partly hides the plain
+stretcher from sight. A typical detail of Charles II furniture is the
+crown supported by cherubs or opposed S-curves. James II used a crown
+and palm leaves.
+
+Grinling Gibbons did his wonderful work in carving at this time, using
+chiefly pear and lime wood. The greater part of his work was wall
+decoration, but he made tables, mirrors and other furniture as well. The
+carving was often in lighter wood than the background, and was in such
+high relief that portions of it had often to be "pinned" together, for
+it seemed almost in the round. Evelyn discovered Gibbons in a little
+shop working away at such a wonderful piece of carving that he could
+not rest until he had taken him to Sir Christopher Wrenn. From this
+introduction came the great amount of work they did together. The
+influence of his work was still seen in the early eighteenth century.
+
+The room at Knole House that was furnished for James I is of great
+interest, as it is the same to-day as when first furnished. The bed is
+said to have cost £8,000. As it is one of the show places of England one
+should not miss a chance of seeing it.
+
+Until the time of the Restoration the furniture of England could not
+compare in sumptuousness with that of the Continental countries.
+England, besides having a simpler point of view, was in a perpetual
+state of unrest. The honest and hard-working English joiners and
+carpenters adapted in a plain and often clumsy way the styles of the
+different foreigners who came to the country. Through it all, however,
+they kept the touch of national character that makes the furniture so
+interesting, and they often did work of great beauty and worth. When
+Charles II came to the throne he brought with him the ideas of France,
+where he had spent so many years, and the change became very marked. The
+natural Stuart extravagance also helped to form his taste, and soon we
+hear of much more elaborate decoration throughout the land.
+
+Many of the country towns were far behind London in the style of
+furniture, and this explains why some furniture that is dated 1670, for
+instance, seems to belong to an earlier time. The famous silver
+furniture of Knole House, Seven-oaks, belongs to this time. Evelyn
+mentions in his diary that the rooms of the Duchess of Portsmouth were
+full of "Japan cabinets and screens, pendule clocks, greate vases of
+wrought plate, tables, stands, chimney furniture, sconces, branches,
+baseras, etc., all of massive silver," and later he mentions again her
+"massy pieces of plate, whole tables and stands of incredible value."
+
+In the reign of William and Mary, Dutch influence was naturally very
+pronounced, as William disliked everything English. The English, being
+now well grounded in the knowledge of construction, took the Dutch ideas
+as a foundation and developed them along their own lines, until we have
+the late Queen Anne type made by Chippendale.
+
+The change in the style of chairs was most marked and noticeable. They
+were more open backed than in Charles's time and had two uprights and a
+spoon-or fiddle-shaped splat to support the sitter's back. The chair
+backs took more the curve of the human figure, and the seats were
+broader in front than in the back; the cabriole legs were broad at the
+top and ended in claw or pad feet, and there were no straining-rails.
+The shell was a common form of ornament, and all crowns and cherubs had
+disappeared. Inlay and marquetry came to be generously used, but there
+had been many cabinets of Dutch marquetry brought to England even
+before the time of William and Mary. Flower designs in dyed woods,
+shell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory were used.
+
+The marquetry clocks made at this time are wonderful and characteristic
+examples of the work, and are among the finest clocks ever made for
+beauty of line and finish, and proportion.
+
+Although marquetry and inlay have much in common there is one great
+difference between them, and they should not be used as synonymous
+terms. In marquetry the entire surface of the article is covered with
+pieces of different colored woods cut very thin and glued on. It is like
+a modern picture puzzle done with regard to the design. In inlay, the
+design only is inlaid in the wood, leaving a much larger plain
+background. Veneering is a thin layer of beautiful and often rare wood
+glued to a foundation of some cheaper kind. The tall clocks and cabinets
+of William and Mary's time and the wonderful work of Boulle in France
+are examples of marquetry, the fine furniture of Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton are masterly examples of inlay.
+
+[Illustration: Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+out the true feeling of the old with great skill.]
+
+[Illustration: A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period.]
+
+[Illustration: Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler.]
+
+
+
+
+_Queen Anne_
+
+
+"Queen Anne" furniture is a very elastic term, for it is often used to
+cover the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I, and a part
+of the reign of George II, or, in other words, all the time of Dutch
+influence. The more usual method is to leave out William and Mary, but
+at best the classification of furniture is more or less arbitrary, for
+in England, as well as other countries, the different styles overlap
+each other. Chippendale's early work was distinctly influenced by the
+Dutch.
+
+Walnut superseded oak in popularity, and after 1720 mahogany gradually
+became the favorite. There was a good deal of walnut veneering done, and
+the best logs were saved for the purpose. Marquetry died out and gave
+place to carving, and the cabriole leg, one of the chief marks of Dutch
+influence, became a firmly fixed style. The carving was put on the knees
+and the legs ended in claw and ball and pad feet. Some chairs were
+simply carved with a shell or leaf or scroll on top rail and knees of
+the legs. In the more elaborately carved chairs the arms, legs, splat,
+and top rail were all carved with acanthus leaves, or designs from
+Gibbons's decoration. Chairs were broad in the seat and high of back
+with wide splats, often decorated with inlay, in the early part of the
+period. The top rail curved into the side uprights, and the seat was set
+into a rebate or box-seat. The chair backs slowly changed in shape,
+becoming broader and lower, the splat ceased to be inlaid and was
+pierced and carved, and the whole chair assumed the shape made so
+familiar to us by Chippendale.
+
+Tables usually had cabriole legs, although there were some gate-or
+thousand-legged, tables, and card tables, writing-tables, and
+flap-tables, were all used. It was in the Queen Anne period that
+highboys and lowboys made their first appearance.
+
+In the short reign of Anne it also became the fashion to have great
+displays of Chinese porcelain, and over-mantels, cupboards, shelves and
+tables were covered with wonderful pieces of it. Addison, in Sir Roger
+de Coverley, humorously describes a lady's library of the time.
+
+"... And as it was some time before the lady came to me I had an
+opportunity of turning over a great many of her books, which were ranged
+in a very beautiful order. At the end of the folios (which were finely
+bound and gilt) were great jars of china placed one above another in a
+very noble piece of architecture. The quartos were separated from the
+octavos by a pile of smaller vessels, which rose in a delightful
+pyramid. The octavos were bounded by tea-dishes of all shapes, colors,
+and sizes, which were so disposed on a wooden frame that they looked
+like one continued pillar indented with the finest strokes of sculpture
+and stained with the greatest variety of dyes. Part of the library was
+enclosed in a kind of square, consisting of one of the prettiest
+grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions,
+monkeys, mandarins, trees, shells, and a thousand other odd figures in
+china ware. In the midst of the room was a little Japan table."
+
+Between 1710 and 1730 lacquer ware became very fashionable, and many
+experiments were made to imitate the beautiful Oriental articles brought
+home by Dutch traders. In Holland a fair amount of success was attained
+and a good deal of lacquered furniture was sent from there to England
+where the brass and silver mounts were added. English and French were
+experimenting, the French with the greatest success in their Vernis
+Martin, mentioned elsewhere, which really stood quite in a class by
+itself, but the imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer were inferior
+to the originals. Pine, oak, lime, and many other woods, were used as a
+base, and the fashion was so decided that nearly all kinds of furniture
+were covered with it. This lacquer ware of William and Mary's and Queen
+Anne's time must not be confounded with the Japanned furniture of
+Hepplewhite's and Sheraton's time, which was quite different and of much
+lower grade.
+
+It was in the reign of Queen Anne that the sun began to rise on English
+cabinet work; it shone gloriously through the eighteenth century, and
+sank in early Victorian clouds.
+
+[Illustration: Two important phases of Chippendale's work--an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type.]
+
+[Illustration: An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+mirror, showing French influence.]
+
+[Illustration: One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale's
+fretwork tea-tables in existence.]
+
+
+
+
+_Chippendale and the Eighteenth Century in England._
+
+
+The classification of furniture in England is on a different basis from
+that of France, as the rulers of England were not such patrons of art as
+were the French kings. Flemish, Dutch and French influences all helped
+to form the taste of the people. The Jacobean period lasted from the
+time of James I to the time of William and Mary. William brought with
+him from Holland the strong Dutch feeling that had a tremendous
+influence on the history of English furniture, and during Anne's short
+reign the Dutch feeling still lasted.
+
+It was not until the early years of the reign of George II that the
+Georgian period came into its own with Chippendale at its head. Some
+authorities include William and Mary and Queen Anne in the Georgian
+period, but the more usual idea is to divide it into several parts,
+better known as the times of Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton. French influence is marked throughout and is divided into
+parts. The period of Chippendale was contemporaneous with that of Louis
+XV, and the second part included the other three men and corresponded
+with the last years of Louis XV, when the transition to Louis XVI was
+beginning, and the time of Louis XVI.
+
+It was not until the latter part of Chippendale's life that he gave up
+his love of rococo curves and scrolls, dripping water effects, and his
+Chinese and Gothic styles. His early chairs had a Dutch feeling, and it
+is often only by ornamentation that one can date them.
+
+The top of the Dutch chair had a flowing curve, the splat was first
+solid and plain, then carved, and later pierced in geometrical designs;
+then came the curves that were used so much by Chippendale. The carving
+consisted of swags and pendants of fruit and flowers, shells, acanthus
+leaves, scrolls, eagle's heads, carved in relief on the surface.
+
+Dutch chairs were usually of walnut and some of the late ones were of
+mahogany. Mahogany was not used to any extent before 1720, but at that
+time it began to be imported in large quantities, and its lightness and
+the ease with which it could be worked made it appropriate for the
+lighter style of furniture then coming into vogue.
+
+Chippendale began to make chairs with the curved top that is so
+characteristic of his work. The splat back was always used, in spite of
+the French, and its treatment is one of the most interesting things in
+the history of English furniture. It gave scope for great originality.
+Although, as I have said before, foreign influence was strong, the ideas
+were adapted and worked out by the great cabinet-makers of the Georgian
+period with a vigor and beauty that made a distinct English style, and
+often went far, far ahead of the originals.
+
+There were, so far as we know, three Thomas Chippendales: the second was
+the great one. He was born in Worcester, England, about 1710, and died
+in 1779. He and his father, who was also a carver, came to London before
+1727. Very little is known about his life, but we may feel sure he was
+that rare combination: a man of genius with decided business ability. He
+not only designed the furniture which was made in his shop, but executed
+a large part of it also, and superintended all the work done there by
+others. That he was a man of originality shows distinctly through his
+work, for although he adapted and copied freely and was strongly
+influenced by the Dutch, French, and "Chinese taste," there is always
+his own distinctive touch. The furniture of his best period, and those
+belonging to his school, has great beauty of line and proportion, and
+the exquisite carving shows a true feeling for ornament in relation to
+plain surfaces. There are a few examples in existence of carving in
+almost as high relief as that of Grinling Gibbons, swags, etc., and in
+his most rococo period his carving was very elaborate. It always had
+great clearness of edge and cut, and a wonderful feeling for light and
+shade. In what is called "Irish Chippendale," which was furniture made
+in Ireland after the style of Chippendale, the carving was in low relief
+and the edges fairly smoothed off, which made it much less interesting.
+
+Chippendale looked upon his work as one of the arts and placed his ideal
+of achievement very high, and that he received the recognition of the
+best people of the time as an artist of merit is proved by his election
+to the Society of Arts with such men as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace
+Walpole, Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, and others.
+
+The genius of Chippendale justly puts him in the front rank of
+cabinet-makers and his influence was the foundation of much of the fine
+work done by many others during the eighteenth century. He is often
+criticized for his excessive rococo taste as displayed in the plates of
+the "Gentleman's and Cabinet-maker's Director," and in some of his
+finished work. Many of the designs in the "Director" were probably never
+carried out, and some of them were probably added to by the soaring
+imaginations of the engraver. This is true of all the books published by
+the great cabinet-makers, and it always seems more fair to have their
+reputations rest on their finished work which has come down to us.
+
+[Illustration: The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+fine example of his work.]
+
+Chippendale, of course, must bear the chief part of the charge of
+over-elaboration, and he frankly says that he thinks "much enrichment is
+necessary." He copied Meissonier's designs and had a great love for
+gilding, but the display of rococo taste is not in all his work by any
+means, nor was it so excessive as that of the French. The more
+self-restrained temperament of the Anglo-Saxon race makes a deal of
+difference. He early used the ogee curve and cabriole leg, the knees of
+which he carved with cartouches and leaves or other designs. The front
+rail of the chair also was often carved. There were several styles of
+curved leg, the cabriole leg of Dutch influence, and the curved style of
+Louis XV. There were also several variations on the claw and ball foot.
+Many Chippendale chairs were without stretchers, but the straight legged
+style usually had four. The seats were sometimes in a box frame or
+rebate, and sometimes the covering was drawn over the frame and fastened
+with brass headed nails. Chippendale in the "Director" speaks of red
+morocco, Spanish leather, damask, tapestry and other needlework as being
+appropriate for the covering of his chairs.
+
+[Illustration: A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type.]
+
+[Illustration: One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750.]
+
+[Illustration: Hepplewhite's characteristic shield-shaped back.]
+
+[Illustration: Thomas Sheraton's rectangular type of chair-back.]
+
+In about 1760 or 1765 he began to use the straight leg for his chairs.
+The different shapes of splats will often help in deciding the dates of
+their making, and its development is of great interest. The curves shown
+in the diagram on page 84 are the merest suggestions of the outline of
+the splat, and they were carved most beautifully in many different
+designs. Ribbon-back chairs are dated about 1755 and show the adapted
+French influence. His Gothic and Chinese designs were made about
+1760-1770. Ladder-back chairs nearly always had straight legs, either
+plain or with double ogee curve and bead moldings, but there are a few
+examples of ladder-back and cabriole legs combined, although these are
+very rare. The chair settees of the Dutch time, with backs having the
+appearance of chairs side by side, were also made by Chippendale. "Love
+seats" were small settees. It was naïvely said that "they were too large
+for one and too small for two." A large armchair that shows a decided
+difference in the manners of the early eighteenth century and the
+present day was called the "drunkard's chair."
+
+[Illustration: DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE.]
+
+When the craze for "Indian work" was at its height, there were many
+pieces of old oak and walnut furniture covered with lacquer to bring it
+up to the fashionable standard, but their forms were not suitable, and
+oak especially, with its coarse grain did not lend itself to the
+process. The stands for lacquer cabinets vary in style, but were often
+gilded in late Louis XIV and Louis XV style. The difference between true
+lacquer and its imitations is hard to explain. The true was made by
+repeated coats of a special varnish, each rubbed down and allowed to
+become hard before the next was put on. This gave a hard, cool, smooth
+surface with no stickiness. Modern work, done with paint and French
+varnish, has not this delightful feeling, but is nearly always clammy to
+the touch, and the colors are hurt by the process of polishing.
+Chippendale did not use much lacquer, but in the "Director" he often
+says such and such designs would be suitable for it.
+
+Much of the furniture that Chippendale made was heavy, but the best of
+it had much beauty. His delicate fretwork tea-tables are a delight, with
+their fretwork cupboards and carving. He seemed to combine many sides in
+his artistic temperament, a fact that many people lay to his power of
+assimilating the work of others. He did not make sideboards in our sense
+of the word. His were large side-tables, sometimes with a drawer for
+silver and sometimes not. Pier-tables were very much like them in shape,
+but smaller, and were often gilded to match the mirrors which were
+placed above them.
+
+The larger pieces of Chippendale furniture have the same characteristic
+of perfect workmanship and detail which the chairs possess.
+Dining-tables were made in sections consisting of two semi-circular ends
+and two center pieces with flaps which could all be joined together and
+make a very large table. The beds he made had four posts and cornice
+tops elaborately carved and often gilded, with a strong Louis XV
+feeling. The curtains hung from the inside of the cornice. He also made
+many other styles of beds, such as canopy beds, tent beds, flat tester
+beds, Chinese beds, Gothic beds: there was almost nothing he did not
+make for the house from wall brackets to the largest wardrobes.
+
+To many people used to the simple Chippendale furniture which is
+commonly seen, the idea of rich and beautiful carving and gilding comes
+as a surprise, and even in the "Director" there are no plates which show
+his most beautiful work. His elaborate furniture was naturally chiefly
+order work, and so was not pictured, and much of it that is left is
+still in the possession of the descendants of the original owners. The
+small number of authentic pieces which have reached public sales have
+been eagerly snapped up by private collectors and museums at large
+prices.
+
+[Illustration: It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite's taste..]
+
+In America much of the furniture called Chippendale was not made by
+Chippendale himself, but was made after his designs and copied from
+imported pieces by clever cabinet-makers here in the, then, colonies.
+The average American of the eighteenth century was a simple and not over
+rich person of good breeding and refined taste who appreciated the
+fact that the elaborate furniture of England and France would not be
+in keeping with life in America, and so either imported the simpler
+kinds, or demanded that the home cabinet-maker choose good models for
+his work. This partly explains why we have so much really good Colonial
+furniture, and not so much of the elaborately carved and gilded variety.
+
+[Illustration: A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair.]
+
+
+
+
+_Robert Adam_
+
+
+Robert Adam was the second of the four sons of William Adam, and was
+born in 1728. The Adam family was Scotch of good social position. Robert
+early showed a talent for drawing. He was ambitious, and, as old Roman
+architecture interested him above all other subjects, he decided that he
+could attain his ideals only by study and travel in Italy. He returned
+to England in 1758 after four years of hard work with the results of his
+labors, the chief treasure being his careful drawings of Diocletian's
+villa. His classical taste was firmly established, and was to be one of
+the important influences of the eighteenth century.
+
+Robert and James Adam went into partnership and became the most noted
+architects of their day in England. The list of their buildings is long
+and interesting, and much of their architectural and decorative work is
+still in existence.
+
+To many people it will seem like putting the cart before the horse to
+say that Robert Adam had in any way influenced the style we call Louis
+XVI, but it is a plausible theory and certainly an interesting one. Mr.
+G. Owen Wheeler in his interesting book on "Old English Furniture" makes
+a strong case in favor of the Adam Brothers. Classical taste was well
+established in England by 1765, before the transition from Louis XV to
+Louis XVI began, and Robert Adam published his book in parallel columns
+of French and English, which shows it must have been in some demand in
+France. The great influence of the excavations at Pompeii must naturally
+not be underestimated, as it was far reaching, but with the beautiful
+Adam style well developed, just across the Channel, it seems probable
+that it may have had its share in forming French taste. The foundation
+being there, the French put their characteristic touch to it and
+developed a much richer style than that of the Adam Brothers, but the
+two have so much in common that Louis XVI furniture may be put into an
+Adam room with perfect fitness, and vice versa. As the Adams cared only
+to design furniture some one else had to carry out the designs, and
+Chippendale was master carver and cabinet-maker under them at Harewood
+House, Yorkshire, and probably was also in many other instances.
+
+[Illustration: A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire--the work of the brothers Adam.]
+
+[Illustration: Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work.]
+
+The early furniture of Adam was plain, and the walls were treated with
+much decoration that was classic in feeling. He possessed the secret of
+a composition of which his exquisite decorations on walls and ceilings
+were made. After 1770 he simplified his walls and elaborated his
+furniture designs until they met in a beautiful and graceful harmony. He
+designed furniture to suit the room it was in, and with the dainty and
+charming coloring, the beauty of proportion and the charm of the wall
+decoration, the scheme had great beauty.
+
+[Illustration: This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England--the time of the great cabinet-makers.]
+
+He used the ram's head, wreaths, honeysuckle, mythological subjects,
+lozenge-shaped, oval and octagonal panels, and many other designs. He
+was one of the first to use the French idea of decorating furniture with
+painting and porcelain plaques, and the furniture itself was simple and
+beautiful in line. The stucco ceilings designed by the brothers were
+picked out with delicate colors and have much beauty of line.
+
+A great deal of the most beautiful Adam decoration was the painting on
+walls and ceilings and furniture by Angelica Kaufmann, Zucchi,
+Pergolesi, Cipriani, and Columbani. The standard of work was so high
+that only the best was satisfactory.
+
+Adam usually designed his furniture for the room in which it was to
+stand, and he often planned the house and all its contents, even to the
+table silver, to say nothing of the door-locks. The chairs were of
+mahogany, or painted, or gilded, wood. Some had oval upholstered backs,
+with the covering specially designed for the room, and some had lyre
+backs, later used so much by Sheraton, and others had small painted
+panels placed in the top rail, with beautiful carving. Mirrors were
+among the most charming articles designed by Adam, and had composition
+wreaths and cupids and medallions for ornament. They were usually made
+in pairs in both large and small sizes. A pair of antique mirrors
+should be kept together, as they are very much more valuable than when
+separated.
+
+Adam was one of the first to assemble the pieces that later grew into
+the sideboard--a table, two pedestals, and a cellaret. There is a
+sideboard designed by him for Gillows, in which the parts are connected,
+and it is at least one of the ancestors of the beautiful Shearer and
+Hepplewhite ones and our modern useful, though not always beautiful,
+article. When, late in his career, Adam attempted to copy the French, he
+was not so successful, as he did not have their flexibility of
+temperament, and was unable to give the warmer touch to the classic,
+which they did so well. His paneled walls, however, have great dignity
+and purity of line and feeling, and the applied ornament was really an
+ornament, and not a disfigurement as too often happens in our day. With
+Adam one feels the surety of knowledge and the refinement of good taste
+led by a high ideal.
+
+[Illustration: There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen.]
+
+[Illustration: A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony.]
+
+[Illustration: A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+carving he used so much.]
+
+
+
+
+_Hepplewhite_
+
+
+The work of Hepplewhite and his school lasted from about 1760 to 1795;
+the last nine years of the time the business was carried on by his
+widow, Alice, under the name of A. Hepplewhite & Co. For five years
+after that some work was done after his manner, but it was distinctly
+inferior. In the early seventies Hepplewhite's work was so well known
+and so much admired that its influence was shown in the work of his
+contemporaries. There was a great difference between his style and that
+of Chippendale, his being much lighter in construction and effect,
+besides the many differences of design. Hepplewhite was strongly
+influenced by the French style of Louis XVI, and also the pure taste of
+Robert Adam at its height. Hepplewhite, however, like all the great
+cabinet-makers, both French and English, was a great genius himself and
+stamped the impress of his own personality upon his work.
+
+Many people date Hepplewhite's fame from the time of the publication of
+his book, "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide," in 1788, not
+realizing that he had been dead for two years when it appeared. Its
+publication was justified by the well established popularity of his
+furniture and the success with which his designs were carried out by A.
+Hepplewhite & Co.
+
+It is interesting to notice the difference in the size of chairs which
+became apparent during Hepplewhite's time. Hoop-skirts and stiffened
+coats went out of fashion, and with them went the need of large chair
+seats. The transition chairs made by Hepplewhite were not very
+attractive in proportion, as the backs were too low for the width. The
+transition from Chippendale to Hepplewhite was not sudden, as the last
+style of Chippendale was simpler and had more of the classic feeling in
+it. Hepplewhite says, in the preface to his book: "To unite elegance and
+utility, and blend the useful with the agreeable, has ever been
+considered a difficult, but an honorable task." He sometimes failed and
+sometimes succeeded. His knowledge of construction enabled him to make
+his chairs with shield, oval, and heart-shaped backs. The tops were
+slightly curved, also the tops of the splats, and at the lower edge
+where the back and the splat join, a half rosette was carved. He often
+used the three feathers of the Prince of Wales, sheaves of wheat,
+anthemion, urns, and festoons of drapery, all beautifully carved, and
+forming the splat. The backs of his chairs were supported at the sides
+by uprights running into the shield-shaped back and did not touch the
+seat frame in any other way. With this apparent weakness of construction
+it is wonderful how many of his chairs have come down to us in perfect
+condition, but it was his knowledge of combining lightness with strength
+which made it possible.
+
+Hepplewhite used straight or tapering legs with spade feet for his
+furniture, often inlaid with bellflowers in satinwood. The legs were
+sometimes carved with a double ogee curve and bead molding. He did not
+use carving in the lavish manner of Chippendale, but it was always
+beautifully done, and he used a great deal of inlay of satinwood, etc.,
+oval panels, lines, urns, and many other motives common to the other
+cabinet-makers of the day, and also painted some of his furniture. His
+Japan work was inferior in every way to that of the early part of the
+eighteenth century. The upholstery was fastened to the chairs with
+brass-headed tacks, often in a festoon pattern. Oval-shaped brass
+handles were used on his bureaus, desks, and other furniture. He made
+many sideboards, some, in fact, going back to the side table and
+pedestal idea, and bottle-cases and knife-boxes were put on the ends of
+the sideboards. His regular sideboards were founded on Shearer's design.
+
+Shearer's furniture was simple and dainty in design, and he has the
+honor of making the first real serpentine sideboard, about 1780, which
+was not a more or less disconnected collection of tables and pedestals.
+It was the forerunner of the Hepplewhite and Sheraton sideboards that we
+know so well. Shearer is now hardly known even by name to the general
+world, but without doubt his ideal of lightness and strength in
+construction had a good deal of influence on his contemporaries and
+followers.
+
+Hepplewhite was very fond of oval and semi-circular shapes, and many of
+his tables are made in either one way or the other. His sideboards,
+founded on Shearer's designs, are very elegant, as he liked to say, in
+their simplicity of line, their inlay, and their general beauty of wood.
+He was most successful in his chairs, sideboards, tables, and small
+household articles, for his larger pieces of furniture were often too
+heavy. Some of the worst, however, were made by other cabinet-makers
+after his designs, and not by Hepplewhite himself.
+
+
+
+
+_Sheraton_
+
+
+Thomas Sheraton was born in 1750, and was a journeyman cabinet-maker
+when he went to London. His great genius for furniture design was
+combined with a love of writing tracts and sermons. Unfortunately for
+his success in life, he had a most disagreeable personality, being
+conceited, jealous, and perfectly willing to pour scorn on his brother
+cabinet-makers. This impression he quite frankly gives about himself in
+his books. The name of Robert Adam is not mentioned, and this seems
+particularly unpleasant when one thinks of the latter's undoubted
+influence on Sheraton's work. Sheraton's unfortunate disposition
+probably helped to make his life a failure.
+
+It is very sad to see such possibilities as his not reaping their true
+reward, for poverty dogged his steps all through life, and he was always
+struggling for a bare livelihood. His books were not financially
+successful, and at last he gave up his workshop and ceased to make the
+furniture he designed. He was an expert draughtsman and his designs were
+carried out by the skillful cabinet-makers of the day. Adam Black gives
+a very pitiful account of the poverty in which Sheraton lived, and says:
+"That by attempting to do everything he does nothing." His "nothing,"
+however, has proved a very big something in the years which have
+followed, for Sheraton is responsible for one of the most beautiful
+types of furniture the world has known, and although his life was hard
+and bitter, his fame is great.
+
+Sheraton took the style of Louis XVI as his standard, and some of his
+best work is quite equal to that of the French workmen. He felt the lack
+of the exquisite brass and ormolu work done in France, and said if it
+were only possible to get as fine in England, the superior
+cabinet-making of the English would put them far ahead in the ranks. To
+many of us this loss is not so great, for the beauty of the wood counts
+for more, and is not detracted from by an oversupply of metal ornament,
+as sometimes happened in France. "Enough is as good as a feast."
+Sheraton, at his best, had beauty, grace, and refinement of line without
+weakness, lightness and yet perfect construction, combined with balance,
+and the ornament just sufficient to enhance the beauty of the article
+without overpowering it. It is this fine work which the world remembers
+and which gave him his fame, and so it is far better to forget his later
+period when nearly all trace of his former greatness was lost.
+
+[Illustration: A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+dressing-glass.]
+
+Sheraton profited by the work of Chippendale, Adam, and Hepplewhite, for
+these great men blazed the trail for him, so to speak, in raising the
+art of cabinet-making to so high a plane that England was full of
+skilled workmen. The influence of Adam, Shearer, and Hepplewhite, was
+very great on his work, and it is often difficult to tell whether he
+or Hepplewhite or Shearer made some pieces. He evidently did not have
+business ability and his bitter nature hampered him at every turn. The
+Sheraton school lasted from about 1790 to 1806. He died in 1806, fairly
+worn out with his struggle for existence. Poor Sheraton, it certainly is
+a pitiful story.
+
+[Illustration: One of Sheraton's charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth.]
+
+[Illustration: A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton.]
+
+Sheraton's chair backs are rectangular in type, with urn splats, and
+splats divided into seven radiates, and also many other designs. The
+chairs were made of mahogany and satinwood, some carved, some inlaid,
+and some painted. The splat never ran into the seat, but was supported
+on a cross rail running from side to side a few inches above the seat.
+The material used for upholstery was nailed over the frame with
+brass-headed tacks.
+
+Bookcases were of mahogany and satinwood veneer, and the large ones were
+often in three sections, the center section standing farther out than
+the two sides. The glass was covered with a graceful design in moldings,
+and the pediments were of various shapes, the swan-neck being a
+favorite.
+
+Sideboards were built on very much the lines of those made by Shearer
+and Hepplewhite. There were drawers and cupboards for various uses. The
+knife-boxes to put on the top came in sets of two, and sometimes there
+was a third box. The legs were light and tapering with inlay of
+satinwood, and sometimes they were reeded. There was inlay also on the
+doors and drawers. There were also sideboards without inlay. The legs
+for his furniture were at first plain, and then tapering and reeded. He
+used some carving, and a great deal of satinwood and tulip-wood were
+inlaid in the mahogany; he also used rosewood. The bellflower, urn,
+festoons, and acanthus were all favorites of his for decoration.
+
+He made some elaborate and startling designs for beds, but the best
+known ones are charming with slender turned posts or reeded posts, and
+often the plain ones were made of painted satinwood.
+
+The satinwood from the East Indies was fine and of a beautiful yellow
+color, while that from the West Indies was coarser in grain and darker
+in color. It is a slow growing tree, and that used nowadays cannot
+compare with the old, in spite of the gallant efforts of the hard
+working fakirs to copy its beautiful golden tone.
+
+All the cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century made ingenious
+contrivances in the way of furniture, washstands concealed in what
+appear to be corner cupboards, a table that looks as simple as a table
+possibly can, but has a small step-ladder and book rest hidden away in
+its useful inside, and many others. Sheraton was especially clever in
+making these conveniences, as these two examples show, and his books
+have many others pictured in them. Sheraton's list of articles of
+furniture is long, for he made almost everything from knife-boxes to
+"chamber-horses," which were contrivances of a saddle and springs for
+people to take exercise upon at home.
+
+Sheraton's "Drawing Book" was the best of those he published. It was
+sold chiefly to other cabinet-makers and did not bring in many orders,
+as Chippendale's and Hepplewhite's did. His other books showed his
+decline, and his "Encyclopedia," on which he was working at the time of
+his death, had many subjects in it beside furniture and cabinet-making.
+His sideboards, card-tables, sewing-tables, tables of every kind,
+chairs--in fact, everything he made during his best period--have a
+sureness and beauty of line that makes it doubly sad that through the
+stress of circumstances he should have deserted it for the style of the
+Empire that was then the fashion in France. One or two of his Empire
+designs have beauty, but most of them are too dreadful, but it was the
+beginning of the end, and the eighteenth century saw the beautiful
+principles of the eighteenth century lost in a bog of ugliness.
+
+There were many other cabinet-makers of merit that space does not allow
+me to mention, but the great four who stood head and shoulders above
+them all were Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. They, being
+human, did much work that is best forgotten, but the heights to which
+they all rose have set a standard for English furniture in beauty and
+construction that it would be well to keep in mind.
+
+The nineteenth century passed away without any especial genius, and in
+fact, with a very black mark against its name in the hideous early
+Victorian era. The twentieth century is moving along without anything we
+can really call a beautiful and worthy style being born. There are many
+working their way towards it, but there is apt to be too much of the
+bizarre in the attempts to make them satisfactory, and so we turn to the
+past for our models and are thankful for the legacy of beauty it has
+left to the world.
+
+
+
+
+_A General Talk_
+
+
+When one faces the momentous question of furnishing a house, there are
+numerous things which must be looked into and thoroughly understood if
+success is to be assured. If one is building in the country the first
+question is the placing of the house in regard to the view, but in town
+there is not much choice. The architect being chosen with due regard to
+the style of house one wishes, the planning can go merrily on. The
+architect should be told if there are any especially large and beautiful
+pieces of furniture or tapestry to be planned for, so they shall receive
+their rightful setting. After all, architects are but human, and cannot
+tell by intuition what furniture is in storage.
+
+It is sad to see how often architecture and decoration are looked upon
+as two entirely disconnected subjects, instead of being closely allied,
+playing into each other's hands, as it were, to make a perfect whole. To
+many people, a room is simply a room to be treated as they wish; whereas
+many rooms are absolute laws unto themselves, and demand a certain kind
+of treatment, or disaster follows. In America this kind of house is not
+found so often as in Europe, but the number is growing rapidly as
+architects and their clients realize more and more the beauties and
+possibilities of the great periods as applied to the modern house. It is
+only to the well-trained architect and decorator with correct taste that
+one may safely turn, for the ill-trained and commonplace still continue
+to make their astounding errors, and so to have the decoration of a room
+truly successful one must begin with the architect, for he knows the
+correct proportions of the different styles and appreciates their
+importance. He will plan the rooms so that they, when decorated, may
+complete his work and form a beautiful and convincing whole. This will
+give the restfulness and beauty that absolute appropriateness always
+lends.
+
+[Illustration: This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+simplicity can be.]
+
+This matter of appropriateness must not be overlooked, and the whole
+house should express the spirit of the owner; it should be in absolute
+keeping with his circumstances. There are few houses which naturally
+demand the treatment of palaces, but there are many which correspond
+with the smaller chateaux of France and the manor-houses of England. It
+is to these we must turn for our inspiration, for they have the beauty
+of good taste and high standards without the lavishness of royalty; but
+even royalty did not always live in rooms of state, for at Versailles,
+and Petit Trianon, there is much simple exquisite furniture. The
+wonderful and elaborate furniture of the past must be studied of course,
+but to the majority of people, then as now, the simpler expression of
+its fundamental lines of beauty are more satisfactory. The trouble
+with many houses is that their furnishings are copied from too grand
+models, and the effect in an average modern house is unsuitable in every
+way. They cannot give the large vistas and appropriate background in
+color and proportion which are necessary. Beauty does not depend upon
+magnificence.
+
+[Illustration: The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting.]
+
+If one has to live in a house planned and built by others one often has
+to give up some long cherished scheme and adopt something else more
+suited to the surroundings. For instance, the rooms of the great French
+periods were high, and often the modern house has very low ceilings,
+that would not allow space for the cornice, over-doors and correctly
+proportioned paneling, that are marked features of those times. Mrs.
+Wharton has aptly said: "Proportion is the good breeding of
+architecture," and one might add that proportion is good breeding
+itself. One little slip from the narrow path into false proportion in
+line or color or mass and the perfection of effect is gone.
+
+Proportion is another word for the fitness of things, and that little
+phrase, "the fitness of things," is what Alice in Wonderland calls a
+"portmanteau" phrase, for it holds so much, and one must feel it
+strongly to escape the pitfalls of period furnishing. Most amazing
+things are done with perfect complacency, but although the French and
+English kings who gave their names to the various periods were far from
+models of virtue, they certainly deserved no such cruel punishment as
+to have some of the modern rooms, such as we have all seen, called after
+them.
+
+The best decorators refuse to mix styles in one room and they thus save
+people from many mistakes, but a decorator without a thorough
+understanding of the subject, often leads one to disaster. A case in
+point is an apartment where a small Louis XV room opens on a narrow hall
+of nondescript modern style, with a wide archway opening into a Mission
+dining-room. As one sits in the midst of pink brocade and gilding and
+looks across to the dining-room, fitted out in all the heavy
+paraphernalia of Mission furniture, one's head fairly reels. No contrast
+could be more marked or more unsuitable, and yet this is by no means an
+uncommon case.
+
+If one intends to adopt a style in decorating one's house, there should
+be a uniformity of treatment in all connecting rooms, and there must be
+harmony in the furniture and architecture and ornament, as well as
+harmony in the color scheme. The foundation must be right before the
+decoration is added. The proportion of doors and windows, for instance,
+is very important, with the decorated over-door reaching to the ceiling.
+The over-doors and mantels were architectural features of the rooms, and
+it was not until wallpapers came into common use, in the early part of
+the nineteenth century, that these decorative features slowly died out.
+
+The mantel and fireplace should be a center of interest and should be
+balanced with something of importance on the other side of the room,
+either architectural or decorative. It was this regard for symmetry,
+balance, proportion, and harmony, which made the old rooms so
+satisfying; there was no magic about it, it was artistic common sense.
+
+The use for which a room is intended must be kept in view and carried
+out with real understanding of its needs. The individuality of the owner
+is of course a factor. Unfortunately the word individuality is often
+confounded with eccentricity and to many people it means putting
+perfectly worthy and unassuming articles to startling uses. By
+individuality one should really mean the best expression of one's sense
+of beauty and the fitness of things, and when it is guided by the laws
+of harmony and proportion the result is usually one of great charm,
+convenience, and comfort. These qualities must be in every successful
+house.
+
+In furnishing any house, whether in some special period or not, there
+are certain things which must be taken into account. One of these is the
+general color scheme. Arranging a color scheme for a house is not such a
+difficult matter as many people suppose, nor is it the simple thing that
+many others seem to think. There is a happy land between the two
+extremes, and the guide posts pointing to it are a good color sense, a
+true feeling for the proportion and harmony of color, and an
+understanding of the laws of light. The trouble is that people often do
+not use their eyes; red is red to them, blue is blue, and green is
+green. They have never appeared to notice that there are dozens of
+tones in these colors. Nature is one of the greatest teachers of color
+harmony if we would but learn from her. Look at a salt marsh on an
+autumn day and notice the wonderful browns and yellows and golds in it,
+the reds and russets and touches of green in the woods on its edge, and
+the clear blue sky over all with the reflections in the little pools. It
+is a picture of such splendor of color that one fairly gasps. Then look
+at the same marsh under gray skies and see the change; there is just as
+much beauty as before, the same russets and golds and reds, but
+exquisitely softened. One is sparkling, gay, a harmony of brilliancy;
+the other is more gentle, sweet and appealing, a harmony of softened
+glory.
+
+Again, Nature makes a thousand and one shades of green leaves to
+harmonize with her flowers; the yellow green of the golden rod, the
+silver green of the milkweed, the bright green of the nasturtium. Notice
+the woods in wintertime with the wonderful purple browns and grays of
+the tree trunks and branches, the bronze and russet of the dead leaves,
+and the deep shadows in the snow. Everywhere one turns there are lessons
+to learn if one will only use seeing eyes and a thinking mind.
+
+A house should be looked at as a whole, not as so many units to be
+treated in a care-free manner. A room is affected by all the rooms
+opening from it, as they, in turn, are affected by it. There can be
+variety of color with harmony of contrast, or there can be the same
+color used throughout, with the variety gained by the use of its
+different tones. The plan of each floor should be carefully studied to
+get the vistas in all directions so that harmony may reign and there
+will be no danger of a clashing color discord when a door is opened. The
+connecting rooms need not be all in one color, of course, but they
+should form a perfect color harmony one with another, with deft touches
+of contrast to accent and bring out the beauty of the whole scheme: This
+matter of harmony in contrast is an important one. The idea of using a
+predominant color is a restful one, and adds dignity and apparent size
+to a house. The walls, for instance, could be paneled in white enameled
+wood, or plaster, and the necessary color and variety could be supplied
+by the rugs, hangings, furniture, and pictures.
+
+Another charming plan is to have different tones of one color used--a
+scheme running from cream or old ivory through soft yellow and tan to a
+russet brown would be lovely, especially if the house did not have an
+over supply of light. Greens may be used with discretion, and a cool and
+attractive scheme is from white to soft blue through gray. If different
+colors are to be used in the different rooms the number of combinations
+is almost unlimited, but there must always be the restraining influence
+of a good color sense in forming the scheme or the result will be
+disappointing, to say the least.
+
+A very important matter in the use of color is in its relation to the
+amount and quality of the light. Dreary rooms can be made cheerful, and
+too bright and dazzling rooms can be softened in effect, by the skillful
+use of color. The warm colors,--cream white, yellows--but not lemon
+yellow--orange, warm tans, russet, pinks, yellow greens, yellowish reds
+are to be used on the north or shady side of the house. The cool
+colors,--white, cream white, blues, grays, greens, and violet, are for
+the sunny side. Endless combinations may be made of these colors, and if
+a gray room, for example, is wished on the north side of the house, it
+can be used by first choosing a warm tone of gray and combining with it
+one of the warm colors, such as certain shades of soft pink or yellow.
+We can stand more brilliancy of color out-of-doors than we can in the
+house, where it is shut in with us. It is too exciting and we become
+restless and nervous. No matter on what scale a house is furnished one
+of its aims should be to be restful.
+
+There is one great mistake which many people make of thinking of red as
+a cheerful color, and one which is good to use in a dark room. The
+average red used in large quantities absorbs the light in a most
+disheartening manner, making a room seem smaller than it really is; it
+makes ugly gloomy shadows in the corners, for at night it seems to turn
+to a dingy black, and increases the electric light bill. Red is also a
+severe strain on the eyes, and many a red living-room is the cause of
+seemingly unaccountable headaches. I do not mean to say that red should
+never be used, for it is often a very necessary color, but it must be
+used with the greatest discretion, and one must remember that a little
+of it goes a long way. A room, for instance, paneled with oak, with an
+oriental rug with soft red in it, red hangings, and a touch of red in an
+old stained glass panel in the window, and red velvet cushions on the
+window seat, would have much more warmth and charm than if the walls
+were covered entirely with red. One red cushion is often enough to give
+the required note. The effect of color is very strong upon people,
+although a great many do not realize it, but nearly everyone will
+remember a sudden and apparently unexplained change of mood in going
+into some room. One can learn a deal by analyzing one's own sensations.
+Figured wall-papers should also be chosen with the greatest care for
+this same reason. Papers which have perpetual motion in their design, or
+eyes which seem to peer, or an unstable pattern of gold running over it,
+must all be ignored. People who choose this kind of paper are blest, or
+cursed, whichever way one looks at it, by an utter lack of imagination.
+
+A room is divided into three parts, the floor, the walls, and the
+ceiling, and the color of the room naturally follows the law of nature;
+the heaviest or darkest at the bottom, or floor; the medium tone in the
+center, or walls; and the lightest at the top, or ceiling. It is only
+when one has to artificially correct the architectural proportions of a
+room that the ceiling should be as dark, or darker, than the walls. A
+ceiling can also be seemingly lowered by bringing the ceiling color down
+on the side walls. A low room should never have a dark ceiling, as it
+makes the room seem lower.
+
+Walls should be treated as a background or as a decoration in
+themselves. In the latter case any pictures should be set in specially
+arranged panels and should be pictures of importance, or fresco
+painting. The walls of the great periods were of this decorative order.
+They were treated architecturally and the feeling of absolute support
+which they gave was most satisfactory. The pilasters ran from base or
+dado to the cornice and the over-doors made the doors a dignified part
+of the scheme, rather than mere useful holes in the wall as they too
+often are nowadays.
+
+Paneling is one of the most beautiful methods of wall decoration. There
+are many styles of paneling, stone, marble, stucco, plaster, and wood,
+and each period has its own distinctive way of using them, and should be
+the correct type for the style chosen. The paneling of a Tudor room is
+quite different from a Louis XVI room. In the course of a long period
+like that of Louis XV the paneling slowly changed its character and the
+rococo style was followed by the more dignified one that later became
+the style of Louis XVI.
+
+Tapestry and paintings of importance should have panels especially
+planned for them. If one does not wish to have the paneling cover the
+entire wall, a wainscot or dado with the wall above it covered with
+tapestry, silk, painting, or paper, will make a beautiful and
+appropriate room for many of the different styles of furniture. A
+wainscot should not be too high; about thirty-six inches is a good
+height, but should form a background for the chairs, sofas, and tables,
+placed around the room.
+
+A wainscot six or more feet high is not as architecturally correct as a
+lower one, because a wall is, in a way, like an order in its divisions,
+and if the base, or wainscot, is too high it does not allow the wall,
+which corresponds to the column, to have its fair proportion. This
+feeling is very strong in many apartment houses where small rooms are
+overburdened by this kind of wainscot, and to make matters worse, the
+top is used as a plate-rail. A high wainscot should be used only in a
+large room, and if there are pilasters arranged to connect it with the
+cornice, and the wall covering is put on in panel effect between, the
+result is much better than if the wall were left plain, as it seems to
+give more of a _raison d'être_.
+
+Tapestry is another of the beautiful and important wall coverings, and
+the happy possessor of Flemish or Gobelin, or Beauvais, tapestries, is
+indeed to be envied. A rare old tapestry should be paneled or hung so it
+will serve as a background. Used as portières, tapestry does not show
+the full beauty of its wonderful time-worn colors and its fascination
+of texture. It is not everyone, however, who is able to own these almost
+priceless treasures of the past, and so modern machinery has been called
+to the aid of those who wish to cover their walls and furniture with
+tapestry. Many of these modern manufactures are really beautiful, thick
+in texture, soft in color, and often have the little imperfections and
+unevennesses of hand weaving reproduced, so that we feel the charm of
+the old in the new. Many do not realize that in New York there are looms
+making wonderful hand-woven tapestries with the true decorative feeling
+of the best days of the past. On the top floor of a large modern
+building stand the looms of various sizes, the dyeing tubs, the dripping
+skeins of wool and silk, the spindles and bobbins, and the weavers hard
+at work carrying out the beautiful designs of the artist owner. There
+are few colors used, as in mediæval days, but wonderful effects are
+produced by a method of winding the threads together which gives a
+vibrating quality to the color. When the warp in some of the coarser
+fabrics is not entirely covered it is sometimes dyed, which gives an
+indescribable charm. Tapestries of all sizes have been made on these
+looms, from the important decoration of a great hall, to sofa and chair
+coverings. Special rugs are also made. It is a pleasure to think that an
+art which many considered dead is being practiced with the highest
+artistic aim and knowledge and skill in the midst of our modern rush.
+This hand-woven tapestry is made to fit special spaces and rooms, and
+there is nothing more beautiful and suitable for rooms of importance to
+be found in all the long list of possibilities.
+
+The effect of modern tapestry, like the old, is enhanced if the walls
+are planned to receive it, for it was never intended to be used as
+wall-paper. It is sometimes used as a free hanging frieze, so to speak,
+and sometimes a great piece of it is hung flat against the wall, but as
+a general thing to panel it is the better way.
+
+Another beautiful wall covering is leather. It should be used much more
+than it is, and is especially well adapted for halls, libraries,
+dining-rooms, smoking-and billiard-rooms, and dens. Its wonderful
+possibilities for rooms which are to be furnished in a dignified and
+beautiful manner are unsurpassed. It may be used in connection with
+paneling or cover the wall above a wainscot.
+
+Fresco painting is another of the noble army of wall treatments which
+lends itself beautifully to all kinds and styles of rooms.
+
+Amidst all the grandeur of tapestry and painting one must not lose sight
+of the simpler methods, for they are not to be distained. Wall-papers
+are growing more and more beautiful in color, design, and texture, and
+one can find among them papers suited to all needs. Fabrics of all kinds
+have become possibilities since their dust-collecting capacity is now no
+longer a source of terror, as vacuum cleaners are one of the
+commonplaces of existence. Painting or tinting the walls, when done
+correctly, is very satisfactory in many rooms.
+
+There is no doubt that in many houses are wonderful collections of
+furniture, tapestries and treasures of many kinds, that are placed
+without regard to the absolute harmony of period, although the general
+feeling of French or Italian or English is kept. They are usually great
+houses where the sense of space keeps one from feeling discrepancies
+that would be too marked in a smaller one, and the interest and beauty
+of the rare originals against the old tapestries have an atmosphere all
+their own that no modern reproduction can have. There are few of us,
+however, who can live in this semi-museum kind of house, and so one
+would better stick to the highway of good usage, or there is danger of
+making the house look like an antique shop.
+
+[Illustration: Dorothy Quincy's bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+room and hall.]
+
+To carry out a style perfectly, all the small details should be attended
+to--the door-locks, the framework of the doors and windows, the carving.
+All these must be taken into account if one wishes success. It is better
+not to attempt a style throughout if it is to be a makeshift affair and
+show the effects of inadequate knowledge. The elaborate side of any
+style carried out to the last detail is really only possible and also
+only appropriate for those who have houses to correspond, but one can
+choose the simpler side and have beautiful and charming rooms that are
+perfectly suited to the average home. For instance, if one does not
+wish elaborate gilded Louis XVI furniture, upholstered in brocade, one
+can choose beautiful cane furniture of the time and have it either in
+the natural French walnut or enameled a soft gray or white to match the
+woodwork, with cushion of cretonne or silk in an appropriate design.
+Period furnishing does not necessarily mean a greater outlay than the
+nondescript and miscellaneous method so often seen.
+
+[Illustration: A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables.]
+
+[Illustration: The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs.]
+
+Whatever the plan for furnishing a house may be, the balance of
+decoration must be kept; the same general feeling throughout all
+connecting parts. If a drawing-room is too fine for the hall through
+which one has to pass to reach it, the balance is upset. If too simple
+chairs are used in a grand dining-room the balance is upset, the fitness
+of things is not observed. When the happy medium is struck throughout
+the house one feels the delightful well-bred charm which a regard for
+the unities always gives. It is not only in the quality of the
+decorations that this feeling of balance must be kept, but in the style
+also. If one chooses a period style for the drawing-room it is better to
+keep to it through the house, using it in its different expressions
+according to the needs of the different rooms. If one style throughout
+should seem a bit monotonous at least one nationality should be kept,
+such as French, or English. If several styles of French furniture are
+used do not have them in the same room; for instance, Louis XV and
+Empire have absolutely nothing in common, but very late Louis XVI and
+early Empire have to a certain extent. It does not give the average
+person a severe shock to walk from a Louis XVI hall into a Louis XV
+drawing-room, but the two mixed in one room do not give a pleasing
+effect. The oak furniture of Jacobean days does not harmonize with the
+delicate mahogany furniture of the eighteenth century in England. The
+delicate beauty of Adam furniture would be lost in the greatness of a
+Renaissance salon. A lady whose dining-room was furnished in Sheraton
+furniture one day saw two elaborate rococo Louis XV console tables which
+she instantly bought to add to it. The shopman luckily had more sense of
+the fitness of things than a mere desire to sell his wares, and was so
+appalled when he saw the room that he absolutely refused to have them
+placed in it. She saw the point, and learned a valuable lesson. One
+could go on indefinitely, giving examples to warn people against
+startling and inappropriate mixtures which put the whole scheme out of
+key.
+
+I am taking it for granted that reproductions are to be chosen, as
+originals are not only very rare, but also almost prohibitive in price.
+Good reproductions are carefully made and finished to harmonize with the
+color scheme. The styles most used at present are, Louis XIV, XV, XVI,
+Jacobean, William and Mary, and Georgian. Gothic, Italian and French
+Renaissance, Louis XIII, and Tudor styles are not so commonly used. We
+naturally associate dignity and grandeur with the Renaissance, and it
+is rather difficult to make it seem appropriate for the average American
+house, so it is usually used only for important houses and buildings.
+Some of the Tudor manor houses can be copied with delightful effect. The
+styles of Henri II and Louis XIII can both be used in libraries and
+dining-rooms with most effective and dignified results.
+
+The best period of the style of Louis XV is very beautiful and is
+delightfully suited to ball-rooms, small reception-rooms, boudoirs, and
+some bedrooms. In regard to these last, one must use discretion, for one
+would not expect one's aged grandmother to take real comfort in one. Nor
+does this style appeal to one for use in a library, as its gayety and
+curves would not harmonize with the necessarily straight lines of the
+bookcases and rows of books. Any one of the other styles may be chosen
+for a library.
+
+The English developed the dining-room in our modern sense of the word,
+while the French used small ante-chambers, or rooms that were used for
+other purposes between meals, and I suppose this is partly the reason we
+so often turn to an English ideal for one. There are many beautiful
+dining-rooms done in the styles of Louis XV and XVI, but they seem more
+like gala rooms and are usually distinctly formal in treatment. Georgian
+furniture, or as we so often say, Colonial, is especially well suited to
+our American life, as one can have a very simple room, or one carried
+out in the most delightful detail. In either case the true feeling must
+be kept and no startling anachronisms should be allowed; radiators, for
+instance, should be hidden in window-seats. This same style may be used
+for any room in the house, and there are beautiful reproductions of
+Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton furniture that are
+appropriate for any need.
+
+In choosing new "old" furniture, do not buy any that has a bright and
+hideous finish. The great cabinet-makers and their followers used wax,
+or oil, and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed. This dull finish is imitated, but
+not equaled, by all good furniture makers, and the bright finish simply
+proclaims the cheap department store.
+
+In parts of the country Georgian furniture has been used and served as a
+standard from the first, and it is a happy thing for the beauty of our
+homes that once more it has come into its own. It is the high grade of
+reproduction which has made it possible.
+
+The mahogany used by Chippendale, and in fact by all the eighteenth
+century cabinet-makers, was much more beautiful than is possible to get
+to-day, for the logs were old and well seasoned wood, allowed to dry by
+the true process of time, which leaves a wonderful depth of color quite
+impossible to find in young kiln-dried wood. The best furniture makers
+nowadays, those who have a high standard and pride in their work, have
+by careful and artistic staining and beautiful finish, achieved very
+fine results, but the factory article with its dreadful "mahogany"
+stain, its coarse carving, and its brilliant finish, shows a sad
+difference in ideal. The best reproductions are well worth buying, and,
+as they are made with regard to the laws of construction, they stand a
+very good chance of becoming valued heirlooms. There are certain
+characteristics of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers, both
+English and French, which are picked out and overdone by ill-informed
+manufacturers. The rococo of Chippendale is coarsened, his Chinese style
+loses its fine, if eccentric, distinction, and the inlay of Hepplewhite
+and Sheraton is another example of spoiling a beautiful thing.
+Thickening a line here and there, or curving a curve a bit more or less,
+or enlarging the amount of inlay, achieves a vulgarity of appearance
+quite different from the beautiful proportions of the originals, and it
+is this which one must guard against in buying reproductions. The lack
+of knowledge of correct proportion is not confined to the cheaper
+grades, where necessary simplicity is often a protection, but is apt to
+be found in all. The best makers, as I have said, take a pride in their
+work and one can rely on them for fine workmanship and being true to the
+spirit of the originals.
+
+There is one matter of great importance to be kept in mind and practiced
+with the sternest self-control, and that is, to eliminate, eliminate,
+eliminate. Walk into the center of a room and look about with seeing,
+but impersonal eyes, and you will be astonished to find how many things
+there are which are unnecessary, in fact, how much the room would be
+improved without them. In every house the useless things which go under
+the generic name of "trash" accumulate with alarming swiftness, and one
+must be up with the lark to keep ahead of the supply. If something is
+ugly and spoils a room, and there is no hope of bringing it into
+harmony, discard it; turn your eyes aside if you must while the deed is
+being done, but screw your courage to the sticking point, and do it. She
+is, indeed, a lucky woman who can start from the beginning or has only
+beautiful heritages from the past, for the majority of people have some
+distressingly strong pieces of ugly furniture which, for one reason or
+another, must be kept. One sensible woman furnished a room with all her
+pieces of this kind, called it the Chamber of Horrors, and used it only
+under great stress and strain, which was much better than letting her
+house be spoiled.
+
+A home should not be a museum, where one grows exhausted going from one
+room to another looking at wonderful things. Rather should it have as
+many beautiful things in it as can be done full justice to, where the
+feeling of simplicity and restfulness and charm adds to their beauty,
+and the whole is convincingly right. The fussy house is, luckily, a
+thing of the past, or fast getting to be so, but we should all help the
+good cause of true simplicity. It does not debar one from the most
+beautiful things in the world, but adds dignity and worth to them. It
+does not make rooms stiff and solemn, but makes it possible to have the
+true gayety and joy of life expressed in the best periods.
+
+
+
+
+_Georgian Furniture_
+
+
+A delightful renaissance of the Georgian period in house decoration is
+being felt more and more, and every day we see new evidence that people
+are turning with thanksgiving to the light and graceful designs of the
+eighteenth century English cabinet-makers. There is a charm and
+distinction about their work which appeals very strongly to us, and its
+beauty and simplicity of line makes delightful schemes possible.
+
+The Georgian period seems especially fitted for use in our homes, for it
+was the inspiration of our Colonial houses and furniture, which we
+adapted and made our own in many ways. The best examples of Colonial
+architecture are found in the thirteen original states. In many of these
+houses we find an almost perfect sense of proportion, of harmony and
+balance, of dignity, and a spaciousness and sense of hospitality, which
+few of our modern houses achieve. The halls were broad and often went
+directly through the house, giving a glimpse of the garden beyond; the
+stairs with their carefully thought-out curve and sweep and well placed
+landings, gave at once an air of importance to the house, while the
+large rooms opening from the hall, with their white woodwork, their
+large fireplaces, and comfortable window-seats, confirmed the
+impression.
+
+It is to this ideal of simple and beautiful elegance that many people
+are turning. By simplicity I do not mean poverty of line and decoration,
+but the simplicity given by the fundamental lines being simple and
+beautiful with decoration which enhances their charms, but does not
+overload them. Even the most elaborate Adam room with its exquisite
+painted furniture, its beautifully designed mantel and ceiling and
+paneled walls, gave the feeling of delightful and beautiful simplicity.
+This same feeling is expressed in the furniture of Louis XVI, for no
+matter how elaborate it may be, it is fundamentally simple, but with a
+warmer touch than is found in the English furniture of the same time.
+
+The question of period furnishing has two sides, and by far the more
+delightful side is the one of having originals. There is a glamor about
+old furniture, a certain air of fragility, although in reality it is
+usually much stronger than most of our modern factory output, which adds
+to the charm. With furniture, as with people, breeding will out. When
+one has inherited the furniture, the charm is still greater, for it is
+pleasant to think of one's own ancestors as having used the chairs and
+tables, and danced the stately minuet, with soft candle-light falling
+from the candelabra, and the great logs burning on the old brass
+andirons. But if one cannot have one's own family traditions, the next
+best thing is to have furniture with some other family's traditions,
+and the third choice is to have the best modern reproductions, and build
+up one's own traditions oneself.
+
+The feeling which many people have that Georgian furniture was stiff and
+uncomfortable is not borne out by the facts. The sofas were large and
+roomy, the settees delightful, the arm-chairs and wing chairs regular
+havens of rest, and when one adds the comfort which modern upholstery
+gives, there is little left to desire. Even the regulation side-chair of
+the period, which some think was the only chair in very common use, is
+absolutely comfortable for its purpose. Lounging was much less in vogue
+then than nowadays and the old cabinet-makers realized that one must be
+comfortable when sitting up as well as when taking one's ease. One must
+not be deterred by this unfounded bugaboo of discomfort if one wishes a
+room or house done after the great period styles of the eighteenth
+century. With care and knowledge, the result is sure to be delightful
+and beautiful.
+
+This little book, as I have said before, is not intended to be a guide
+for collectors, for that is a very big subject in itself, but is meant
+to try to help a little about the modern side of the question. There are
+many grades of furniture made, and one should buy with circumspection,
+and the best grade which is possible for one to afford. The very best
+reproductions are made with as much care and knowledge and skill as the
+originals, and will last as long, and become treasured heirlooms like
+those handed down to us. They are works of art like their eighteenth
+century models. The wood is chosen with regard to its beauty of grain,
+and is treated and finished so the beauty and depth of color is brought
+out, and the surface is rubbed until there is a soft glow to it. If one
+could have the ages-old mahogany which Chippendale and his
+contemporaries used, there would be little to choose between the
+originals and our best reproductions, so far as soundness of
+construction and beauty of detail go. But the fact that they were the
+originals of a great style, that no one since then has been able to
+design any furniture of greater beauty than that of England and France
+in the eighteenth century, and that we are still copying it, gives an
+added charm to a rare old chair or sideboard or mirror. The modern
+workman in the best workshops is obliged to know the different styles so
+well that he cannot make mistakes, and if he ventures to take a little
+flight of fancy on his own account, it will be done with such
+correctness of feeling that one is glad he flew; but few attempt it. In
+the lower grade of reproductions one must have an eagle eye when buying.
+I saw a rather astounding looking Chippendale chair in a shop one day,
+with a touch of Gothic--a suspicion of his early Dutch manner--and, to
+give a final touch, tapering legs with carved bellflowers! "What
+authority have you for that chair?" I asked, for I really wanted to know
+what they would call the wonder.
+
+"That," the shopman answered, the pride of knowledge shining in his
+eyes, "is Chinese Chippendale."
+
+Another anachronism which has appeared lately, and sad to say in some of
+the shops that should know better, is painted Adam furniture with
+pictures on it of the famous actresses of the eighteenth century. The
+painting of Angelica Kauffman, Cipriani, Pergolesi and the others, was
+charming and delightful. Nymphs and cupids, flowers, wreaths, musical
+instruments, and poetical little scenes, but never the head of a living
+woman! The bad taste of it would have been as apparent to them as
+putting the picture of Miss Marlowe, or Lillian Russell on a chair back
+would be to us.
+
+The finish is another matter to bear in mind. There is a thick red
+stain, which for some mysterious reason is called mahogany, which is put
+on cheaper grades of furniture and finished with a high polish.
+Fortunately, it is chiefly used on furniture of vulgar design, but it
+sometimes creeps in on better models. Shun it whenever seen. The handles
+must be correct also, and a glance at the different illustrations will
+be of help in this matter.
+
+The pieces of furniture used throughout a house, no matter what the
+period may be, are more or less the same, so many chairs, tables, beds,
+mirrors, etc., and when one has decided what one's needs are, the matter
+of selection is much simplified. Of course one's needs are influenced by
+the size of the house, one's circumstances, and one's manner of life.
+To be successful, a house must be furnished in absolute harmony with the
+life within its walls. A small house does not need an elaborate
+drawing-room, which could only be had at the expense of family comfort;
+a simple drawing-room would be far better, really more of a living-room.
+In a large house one may have as many as one wishes.
+
+A house could be furnished throughout with Chippendale furniture and
+show no sign of monotony of treatment. The walls could be paneled in
+some rooms, wainscoted in others, and papered in others. This question
+of paper is one we have taken in our own hands nowadays, and although it
+was not used much before the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
+centuries, there are so many lovely designs copied from old-time stuffs
+and landscape papers, which are in harmony with the furniture, that they
+are used with perfect propriety. One must be careful not to choose
+anything with a too modern air, and a plain wall is always safe.
+
+The average hall will probably need a pair of console tables and
+mirrors, some chairs, Oriental rugs, a tall clock if one wishes, and, if
+the hall is very large and calls for more furniture, there are many
+other interesting pieces to choose from. A hall should be treated with a
+certain amount of formality, and the greater the house, the greater the
+amount; but it also should have an air of hospitality, of impersonal
+welcome, which makes one wish to enter the rooms beyond where the real
+welcome waits.
+
+The window frames of Colonial and Georgian houses were often of such
+good design that no curtains were used, and the wooden inside shutters
+were shut at night. Nowadays the average house has what might be called
+utility woodwork at its windows and so we cover them with curtains.
+These curtains may be of linen, cretonne, damask, or brocade, according
+to the house, and may either fall straight at the side with a slight
+drapery or shaped or plain valance at the top, or be drawn back from the
+center. A carved cornice or the regular box frame may be used.
+
+The stairs were often of beautifully polished hardwood, and they were
+sometimes covered with rugs. Large Chinese porcelain jars on the console
+tables are suitable, and other beautiful ornaments.
+
+As the drawing-room usually opens from the hall, it is better to keep
+both rooms in the same general scale of furnishing. The average sized
+drawing-room will need sofas, a small settee, two or three tables, one
+of them a gallery table if desired, chairs of different shapes and size,
+mirrors, a cabinet if one has rare pieces of old porcelain, and
+candelabra. Oriental rugs, a fire screen, ornaments, and pictures, but
+these last should not be of the modern impressionistic school. The
+woodwork should be white, or light, and the furniture covered with
+damask, needlework, brocade or tapestry.
+
+The dining-room can be made most charming with corner cupboards and
+cabinet, a large mahogany table and side table and beautiful morocco
+covered chairs. Chippendale did not make sideboards in our sense of the
+word, but used large side tables. One of the modern designs which many
+like to use, for to them it seems a necessity, is a sideboard made in
+the style of Chippendale. The screen may be leather painted after "the
+Chinese taste," or it may be damask. The chairs may be covered with
+tapestry or damask if one does not care for morocco. Portraits are
+interesting in a dining-room, or old prints, or paintings, and if you
+can get the old dull gold carved frames, so much the better. They may
+also be set in panels.
+
+The bedrooms may have either four-post canopy beds or low-posts beds.
+Chippendale's canopy beds had usually a carved cornice with the curtains
+hung from the inside. The other furniture should consist of a
+dressing-table, a chest of drawers to correspond with a chiffonier, a
+highboy, a sewing table, a bedside table, a comfortable sofa, a fireside
+or wing chair and other chairs according to one's need. The walls may be
+covered with either an old-fashioned or plain paper,--or paneled, with
+hangings and chair coverings of chintz or cretonne. The bed hangings may
+be of cretonne also, for it makes a very charming room, but if one
+objects to colored bed hangings, white dimity, or muslin or linen may be
+used.
+
+It is the art of keeping the correct feeling which makes or mars a room
+of this kind, and no pieces of markedly modern and inharmonious
+furniture should be used. In furnishing a house in Georgian or Colonial
+manner one need not keep all the rooms in the same division of the
+period, for there is a certain general air of harmony and relationship
+about them all, and the common bond of mahogany makes it possible to
+have a Chippendale library, an Adam drawing-room, a Hepplewhite
+dining-room and a Sheraton hall, or any other combination desired. The
+spirit of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers was one of honest
+construction and beauty of line and workmanship. When they took ideas
+from other sources they made them so distinctly their own, so
+essentially English that there is a family resemblance through all their
+work.
+
+Adam decoration and furniture makes most delightful rooms. The painted
+satinwood furniture for dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms, lends
+itself to lovely schemes with its soft golden tones, its delightfully
+woven cane chair backs and panels. A room on the sunny side of the
+house, with a soft old ivory colored wall, dull blue silk curtains, and
+a yellow and blue Chinese rug, would be most charming with this
+satinwood furniture.
+
+Then, as I have said before, there are the many different shades of
+enameled and carved furniture and also beautiful natural wood. One can
+have more of a sideboard in an Adam than in a Chippendale room, as he
+used two pedestals, one at each end of a large serving-table. He often
+made tables to fit in niches, which is a charming idea.
+
+An Adam mantel is very distinctive and one should be careful in having
+it correct. There are beautiful reproductions made. The lamp and candle
+shades should also be designed in the spirit of the time. There are
+lovely Adam designs in nearly all materials suitable for hangings and
+chair coverings. Oriental rugs or plain colored carpets appeal to us
+more than large-figured rugs. Adam sometimes had special rugs made
+exactly reproducing the design of the ceiling, but it is an idea that is
+better forgotten.
+
+With Hepplewhite and Sheraton the same general ideas hold; keep to the
+spirit of the furniture, try to have a central idea in the house
+furnishing, so that the restful effect of harmony may be given.
+
+[Illustration: Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table.]
+
+[Illustration: This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded.]
+
+The rugs which harmonize best with Georgian furniture are Orientals of
+different weaves and colors, or plain domestic carpet rugs. The floor
+should be the darkest of the three divisions of a room--the floor, the
+walls, the ceiling, but it should be an even gradation of color value,
+the walls half-way in tone between the other two. This is a safe general
+plan, to be varied when necessity demands. In drawing-rooms light and
+soft colors are usually in better harmony than dark ones, and a wide and
+beautiful choice can be made among Kermanshah, Kirman, Khorasan, Tabriz,
+Chinese, Oman rugs, and many others. It is more restful in effect if the
+greater part of the floor is covered with a large rug, but if one has
+beautiful small rugs they may be used if they are enough alike in
+general tone to escape the appearance of being spotty. One should try
+them in different positions until the best arrangement is found.
+
+[Illustration: A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good.]
+
+Living-rooms and libraries are usually more solid in color than
+drawing-rooms and so need deeper tones in the rugs. The choice is wide,
+and the color scheme can be the deciding note if one is buying new rugs.
+If one already has rugs they must be the foundation for the color scheme
+of the room.
+
+
+
+
+_Furnishing With French Furniture_
+
+
+"This is my Louis XVI drawing-room," said a lady, proudly displaying her
+house.
+
+"What makes you think so?" asked her well informed friend.
+
+To guard against the possibility of such biting humor one must be ever
+on the alert in furnishing a period room. It is not a bow-knot and a
+rococo curve or two that will turn a modern room, fresh from the
+builder's hands, into a Louis XV drawing-room.
+
+French furniture is not appropriate to all kinds of houses, and it is
+often difficult to adapt it to circumstances over which one has no
+control. The leisurely and pleasant custom of our ancestors of building
+a house as they wished it, and what is more, living in it for
+generations, is more or less a thing of the past. Nowadays a house is
+built, and is complete and beautiful in every way, but almost before the
+house-warming is over, business is sitting on the doorstep, and so the
+family moves on. We, as a nation, have not the comfortable point of view
+of the English who consider their home, their home, no matter how the
+outside world may be behaving. Their front doors are the protection
+which insures their cherished privacy, and the feeling that they are as
+settled as the everlasting hills gives a calmness to their attitude
+toward life which is often missing from ours. How many times have we
+heard people say when talking over plans--"Have it thus and so, for it
+would be much better in case we ever care to sell." This attitude, to
+which of course there are hundreds of exceptions, is an outgrowth of our
+busy life and our tremendous country. The larger part of the home ideal
+is the one which Americans so firmly believe in and act upon--that it is
+the spirit and atmosphere which makes a home, and not only the bricks
+and mortar.
+
+It is this point of view which makes it possible for many of us to live
+happily in rented houses whose architecture and arrangement often give
+us cold shivers. We are not to blame if all the proportions are wrong;
+and there is a certain pleasure in getting the better of difficulties.
+
+If one is building a house, or is living in one planned with a due
+regard to some special period, and has a well thought out scheme of
+decoration, the work is much simplified; but if one has to live in the
+average nondescript house and wishes to use French furniture, the
+problem will take time and thought to solve. In this kind of house, if
+one cannot change it at all, it is better to keep as simple and
+unobtrusive a background as possible, to have the color scheme and
+hangings and furniture so beautiful that they are a convincing reason
+themselves of the need of their being there, but one should not try to
+turn the room itself into a period room, for it would mean failure. The
+walls may be covered with a light plain paper, or silk, the woodwork
+enameled white or cream or ivory, and then with one's mirrors and
+furnishings, the best thing possible has been done, and it ought to be a
+charming room, if not a perfect one. If one can make a few changes I
+advise new lighting fixtures and a new mantel, for these two important
+objects in the room are conspicuous and nearly always wrong.
+
+It is almost impossible to give a list of furniture for each room in a
+house, as each house is a law unto itself, but the fundamental
+principles of beauty and utility and appropriateness apply to all.
+
+The furniture of the time of Louis XIV, having so much that is
+magnificent about it, is especially well suited to large rooms for state
+occasions, great ballrooms and state drawing-rooms. These rooms not
+being destined for everyday use should be treated as a brilliant
+background; paneling, painting, tapestry, and gilding should decorate
+the walls, and beautiful lights and mirrors should aid in the effect of
+brilliancy. It must be done with such knowledge that there is no
+suggestion of an hotel about it. Console tables, and large and dignified
+chairs should be used for furniture. Nothing small and fussy in the way
+of ornaments should be put in the rooms, for they would be completely
+out of scale and ruin the effect.
+
+Every house does not need these rooms for the elaborate side of life,
+and the average drawing-room is a much simpler affair. If both kinds are
+required the simpler one should be in the same general style as the
+great rooms, but not on so grand a scale. If the style of Louis XV is
+chosen for all, in the family drawing-and living-rooms the paneling, or
+dado, and furniture should be of the simpler kind, and beautiful, gay,
+and home-like rooms, evolved with soft colored brocades, Beauvais or
+Gobelin tapestry, and either gilded or enameled or natural walnut
+furniture. The arm-chairs or _bergères_ of both Louis XV and Louis XVI
+are very comfortable, the _chaise-longue_ cannot be surpassed, and the
+settees of different shapes and sizes are delightful. There need be no
+lack of comfort in any period room, whether French or English.
+
+A music room, to be perfect, should not have heavy draperies to deaden
+the sound, and the window and door openings should be treated
+architecturally to make this possible. In a French music room the walls
+may be either paneled, or have a dado with a soft tint above it. This
+space may be treated in several ways: it may have silk panels outlined
+with moldings, or dainty pastoral scenes painted and framed with wreaths
+and garlands of composition. The style of the Regency with its use of
+musical instruments for decorative motifs is also attractive. The chairs
+should be comfortable, the lights soft and well shaded side-lights, with
+a plentiful supply near the piano.
+
+[Illustration: A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compiègne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI.]
+
+[Illustration: An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette.]
+
+[Illustration: A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane.]
+
+A piano is usually a difficulty, for they are so unwieldy and dark that
+they are quite out of key with the rest of the room. We have become so
+used to its ugliness, however, that, sad to say, we are not so much
+shocked by it as we should be, thinking it a necessary evil. If we walk
+through the show rooms of one of the great piano companies we shall see
+that this is a mistake, for there are many cases made of light colored
+woods, and some have a much more graceful outline than the regulation
+piano. Cases can be made to order to suit any scheme, if one has a
+competent designer. A music room should not have small and meaningless
+ornaments in it; the ideal is a restful and charming room where one may
+listen with an undistracted mind.
+
+The modern dining-room with all its comforts is really of English
+descent. In France, even in the eighteenth century, only the palaces and
+great houses had rooms especially set apart for dining-rooms. Usually a
+small ante-chamber was used, which served as a boudoir or reception room
+between meals. To our more established point of view it seems a very
+casual method. At last, late in the century, the real ideal of a
+dining-room began to gain ground, and although they were very different
+from ours, we find really charming ones described and pictured. The
+walls were usually light in tone, paneled, with graceful ornamentation,
+and often there were niches containing wall-fountains of delightful
+design. The sideboards were either large side-tables, or a species of
+side-table built in niches, with a fountain between them which was used
+as a wine cooler. These fountains where cupids and dolphins disported
+themselves would be a most attractive feature to copy in some of our
+rooms, in country houses especially. The tables were round or square,
+but not the extension type which came later from England, and the chairs
+were comfortable, with broad upholstered or cane seats, and rather low
+backs. There should be a screen to harmonize with the room in front of
+the pantry door. We also add hangings, for, as I have said many times,
+our window-frames are not a decoration in themselves. Old prints show
+most delightfully the manner in which curtains were hung when they were
+used; the very elaborate methods, however, were not used by the better
+class.
+
+A morning-room should be furnished as a small informal living-room, and
+the simpler style of the chosen period used.
+
+The style of Louis XVI is beautifully adapted to libraries, for they do
+not have to be dark and solid in style, as many seem to think. In fact a
+library may be in any style if carried out with the true feeling and
+love of books, but of course some styles are more appropriate than
+others. In a Louis XVI library the paneling gives way to the built-in
+bookcases which are spaced with due regard to keeping the correct
+proportions. There is usually a cupboard space running round the room
+about the height of a dado and projecting a little beyond the bookcases
+above. The colors of the rugs and hangings may be warm and rich as the
+books give the walls a certain strength.
+
+There are also beautiful reproductions of bedroom furniture, chairs and
+dressing-tables, desks, chiffoniers and _Chaises-longues,_ and beds.
+
+Andirons, side-lights for the walls and dressing-table, doorknobs and
+locks, can all be carried out perfectly. Lamp and candle shades and sofa
+cushions should all be in keeping. The walls may be paneled in wood
+enameled with white or some light color, or they may be covered with
+silk or paper, in a panel design, with curtains to match. There are
+lovely designs in French period stuffs.
+
+The rugs most appropriate for French period rooms are light or medium in
+tone, and of Persian design. The floral patterns of the Persians seem to
+harmonize better with the curves and style of furniture than do the
+geometrical designs of the Caucasian rugs. Savonnerie and Aubusson rugs
+may also be used, if chosen with care, and the plain carpets and rugs
+mentioned later are a far better choice than gaudy Orientals of modern
+make, or bad imitations.
+
+
+
+
+_Country Houses_
+
+
+The Country House is a comparatively modern idea, and one which has
+added much to the joy of life. There are all kinds and conditions of
+them, great and small, grand and simple, and each is a joy to the proud
+possessor.
+
+Life was such a turbulent affair in the Middle Ages that country life in
+the modern sense was an impossibility. The chateaux and castles and
+large manor-houses were strongly fortified, and there were inner courts
+for exercise. When war became the exception and not the rule, the
+inherent love in all human beings for the open began to assert itself,
+and the country house idea began to grow.
+
+Italy was the first country where we find this freedom of attitude
+exemplified in the beautiful Renaissance villas near Rome and Florence.
+The best were built during the sixteenth century, and were owned by the
+great Italian families, like the de Medici and d'Este. They seem more
+like places built for the parade and show of life than homes, but the
+home ideal with all its conveniences was another outgrowth of peace.
+
+The plan of an Italian villa is very interesting to study, to see how
+every advantage was taken of the land, how the residence, or casino, was
+placed in regard to the formal garden and the view over the valley, for
+they were usually on a hillside and the slope was terraced, how the
+statues and fountains, the beautiful ilex and cypress and orange trees,
+the box-edged flower-beds and gravel paths, all formed a wonderful
+setting for the house, and together made a perfect whole. The Italian
+villa was not necessarily large, in fact the Villa Lante contains only
+six acres, which are divided into four terraces, the house being on the
+second and built in two parts, one on each side. Each terrace has a
+beautiful fountain, with a cascade connecting those on the fourth and
+third. This villa is indeed, an example of taking advantage of a fairly
+small space. It was built by the great Vignola in 1547, and although
+slightly showing the wear of time, has all the beauty and charm and
+romance which only centuries can give.
+
+The Italian villa can be adapted to the American climate and scenery and
+point of view, but it must be done by one of the architects who have
+made a deep study of the Italian Renaissance so the true feeling will be
+kept. There are some beautiful examples already in the country.
+
+In France, the chateaux which have most influenced country house
+building are those which were built during the sixteenth century, many
+of them during the reign of Francis 1st. Among the number are Azay le
+Rideau, Chenonceaux, and Chaumont. Blois and Amboise are also
+absorbingly interesting, but belong partly to an earlier time. The
+chateau region in Touraine is a treasure land of architectural beauty.
+In the time of Louis XIV Le Nôtre changed many of these old chateaux
+from their fortified state to the more open form made possible by a
+peaceful life.
+
+We turn to England for the most perfect examples of country houses, for
+the theory of country living is so thoroughly understood there, one
+might really say it is a national institution. Many of the manor-houses,
+both great and small, are beautiful examples of Tudor architecture,
+which seems especially suited to their setting of lovely green parks.
+The smaller country house, which has no pretention to being a show
+place, is as perfect in its way. The English love for out-of-doors makes
+them achieve wonders with even small gardens, and the climate, being
+gentle, helps matters immensely.
+
+In America we are taking up the English country house ideal more and
+more and adapting it to our own needs. The question of architecture is a
+question of personal choice influenced by climate, and there are now
+numberless charming houses scattered over the length and breadth of the
+land which have been built with the purpose of being country homes. They
+are not for summer use only, but all the year round keep their
+hospitable doors open, or else the season begins so early and ends so
+late, that, with the holiday time between, the house hardly seems
+closed at all. It is this attitude which is changing country house
+architecture to a great extent. The terraces and porches and gardens and
+glasshouses are all there, but the house itself is more solidly built
+and is prepared to stand cold weather.
+
+For the average American the best types of country house to choose from
+are the smaller Tudor manor-houses, Italian villas, Georgian
+architecture in England, and our own Colonial style which of course was
+founded on the Georgian. In the south and southwestern parts of this
+country a modified Spanish type may be used in place of Tudor, which
+does not give the feeling of cool spaces so necessary in hot climates.
+The bungalow type is also popular in the South.
+
+There are many architects in this country who understand thoroughly the
+plan and spirit of Colonial times, and who succeed in giving to the
+comforts of modern days the true stamp of the eighteenth century. The
+style makes most delightful houses, and with the great supply of
+appropriate furniture from which to choose, it would be hard to fail in
+having a charming whole.
+
+The house and garden should be planned together to have the best effect.
+Each can be added to as time goes on, but when a plan is followed there
+is a look of belonging together which adds greatly to the charm.
+
+[Illustration: A hall to conjure with--although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping.]
+
+In an all-the-year country house a vestibule is a necessity as much as
+in a town house, and the hall should be treated with the dignity a
+hall deserves, and not as a second living-room. In many English houses
+of Tudor days the stairs were behind a carved screen, or concealed in
+some manner, which made it possible to use the hall as a gathering
+place. Our modern hall is not a descendant of this old hall of a past
+day (the living-room is much more so), but is really only a passage,
+often raised to the _n_th power, connecting the different rooms of the
+house, and should be treated as such. The stairs and landing and vista
+should be beautiful, and the furnishing should be dignified and in
+perfect scale with the rest of the house. Marble stairs and tapestry and
+old carved furniture and beautiful rugs, or the simplest possible
+furniture, may be used, but the hall should have an impersonally
+hospitable air, one which gives the keynote of the house, but reserves
+its full expression until the privacy of the living-rooms is reached.
+
+[Illustration: A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses.]
+
+The average country house is neither very magnificent nor very simple,
+but strikes the happy medium and achieves a most delightful home-like
+charm, which at the very outset makes life seem well worth living. It is
+rarely furnished in a period style throughout, but has the modern air of
+comfort which good taste and correct feeling give. For instance, the
+hall may have paneling and Chippendale mirror, a table, and chairs; the
+living-room furnished in a general Colonial manner mixed with some
+comfortable stuffed furniture, but not over-stuffed, lovely chintz or
+silk hangings, and a wide fireplace; the morning-room on something the
+same plan, but a little less formal; and the drawing-room a little more
+so, say in Adam or simple Louis XVI furniture. The library should have
+plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs, and a large table (it is hard to
+get one too large), some of the bookcases should be built in to form
+part of the architectural plan of the room, and personally I think it is
+a better idea to have all the space intended for bookcases built in in
+the first place, as this insures harmony of plan. Another important
+thing in a library is to have the lights precisely right, and the
+window-seats and the fireplace should be all that their names imply in
+the way of added charm and comfort to the room. The dining-room should
+be bright and cheerful and in harmony with the near-by rooms. A
+breakfast-room done in lacquer is very charming.
+
+The bedrooms should be light and airy, and so planned that the beds can
+be properly placed. They may be furnished in old mahogany, French walnut
+in either Louis XV or XVI style, or in carefully chosen Empire; painted
+Adam furniture is also lovely, and willow furniture makes a fresh and
+attractive room. The curtains should be hung so they can be drawn at
+night if desired, and the material should be chosen to harmonize in
+design with the room.
+
+The children's rooms should be sunny and bright and furnished according
+to their special tastes, which if too astounding, as sometimes happens,
+can be tactfully guided into safe channels.
+
+The servants should be given separate bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
+comfortable sitting-room beside their dining-room. Making them
+comfortable seems a simple way of solving the servant question.
+
+The bungalow type of small country house is usually very simply
+furnished, and the best type of Mission furniture or willow is
+especially well suited to it. Bungalows are growing more and more in
+favor, and, although they originated in America in the West, we find
+delightful ones everywhere, on the Maine coast and in the woods and
+mountains. They are a tremendous advance over the small and elaborate
+house of a few years ago.
+
+Cretonne and chintz can be used in all the rooms of a country house with
+perfect propriety, and is a really lovely method of furnishing, as it is
+fresh and washable, and comes in all gradations of price. Willow
+furniture with cretonne cushions makes a pleasant variety with mahogany
+in simple rooms.
+
+Fresh air and sunlight, lovely vistas through doors and windows of the
+garden beyond, cool and comfortable rooms furnished appropriately, and
+with an atmosphere about them which expresses a hospitable and charming
+home spirit, is the ideal standard for a country house.
+
+
+
+
+_The Nursery and Play-room_
+
+
+We should be thankful that the old idea of a nursery has passed away and
+instead of the dreary and rather shabby room has come the charming
+modern nursery with its special furniture and papers, its common sense
+and sanitary wisdom and its regard for the childish point of view. The
+influence of surroundings during the formative years of childhood has a
+deal to do with the child's future attitude toward life, and now that
+parents realize this more, the ideal nursery has simplicity, charm and
+artistic merit, all suited to the needs of its romping inhabitants.
+
+The wall-papers for nurseries are especially attractive with their gay
+friezes of wonderful fairy-tale people, Mother Goose, Noah's Ark and
+happy little children playing among the flowers. Some of the designs
+come in sets of four panels that can be framed if desired. A Noah's Ark
+frieze with the animals marching two by two under the watchful eyes of
+the Noah family, with an ark and stiff little Noah's Ark trees, will
+give endless pleasure if placed about three feet from the floor where
+small tots can take in its charm. If placed too high, it is very often
+not noticed at all. Some of the most attractive nurseries have painted
+walls with special designs stenciled on them.
+
+If any one of these friezes is placed above a simple wainscot, the
+effect is charming. The paper for nurseries is usually waterproof, for a
+nursery must be absolutely spick and span. Another thing that gives much
+pleasure in a nursery is to build on one side of the room a platform
+about a yard wide and six inches high, and cover it with cushions.
+
+The furniture in a day nursery should consist of a toy cupboard stained
+to match the color scheme of the room and large enough for each child to
+have his own special compartment in it. If the children's initials are
+painted or burned on the doors, it gives an added feeling of pride in
+keeping the toys in order. There are many designs of small tables and
+chairs made with good lines, and the wicker ones with gay cretonne
+cushions are very attractive. The tables and chairs should not have
+sharp corners and should be heavy enough not to tip over easily. There
+should be a bookcase for favorite picture-books. Besides the special
+china for the children's own meals there should be a set of play china
+for doll's parties. A sand table, with a lump of clay for modeling, a
+blackboard and, in the spring, window-boxes where the children can plant
+seeds, will all add vastly to the joy of life.
+
+And do not forget a comfortable chair for the nurse-maid. White muslin
+curtains with side hangings of washable chintz or linen or some special
+nursery design in cretonne should hang to the sill.
+
+The colors in both day and night nurseries should be soft and cheerful,
+and the color scheme as carefully thought out as for the rest of the
+house. Both rooms should be on the sunny side of the house, and far
+enough away from the family living-room to avoid any one's being
+disturbed when armies charge up and down the play-room battle-ground or
+Indians start out on the warpath.
+
+The best floor covering for a day nursery is plain linoleum, as it is
+not dangerously slippery and is easily kept clean. If the floor is hard
+wood, it must not have a slippery wax finish. It will also save tumbles
+if the day nursery has no rugs, but the night nursery ought to have one
+large one or several small ones by the beds and in front of the open
+fire. Washable cotton rugs are best to use for this purpose.
+
+When children are very small, it is necessary to have sides to the beds
+to keep them from falling out. The beds should be placed so that the
+light does not shine directly in the children's eyes in the morning, and
+there should be plenty of fresh air. The rest of the night nursery
+furniture should consist of a dressing-table, a chest of drawers, a
+night table and some chairs. There should be a few pictures on the walls
+hung low, and beautiful and interesting in subjects and treatment. The
+fire should be well screened.
+
+Pictures like the "Songs of Childhood," for instance, would be charming
+simply framed. If there is only one nursery for both day and night use,
+the room should be decorated as a day nursery and the bed-cover made of
+white dimity with a border of the curtain stuff or made entirely of it.
+
+
+
+
+_Curtains_
+
+
+The modern window, with its huge panes of glass and simple framework,
+makes an insistent demand for curtains. Without curtains windows of this
+kind give a blank, staring appearance to the room and also a sense of
+insecurity in having so many holes in the walls. The beautiful windows
+of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy, England and
+France, give no such feeling of incompleteness, for their well-carved
+frames, and over-windows, and their small panes of glass, were important
+parts of the decorative scheme. Windows and doors were more than mere
+openings in those days, but things have changed, and the hard lines of
+our perfectly useful windows get on our nerves if we do not soften them
+with drapery. In that hopeless time in the last century called "Early
+Victorian," when black walnut reigned supreme, the curtains were as
+terrifying as the curves of the furniture and the colors of the carpets.
+Luckily most of us know only from pictures what that time was, but we
+all have seen enough remnants of its past glories to be thankful for
+modern ways and days. The over-draped, stuffy, upholstered nightmares
+have entirely disappeared, and in their place have come curtains of a
+high standard of beauty and practicality--simple, appropriate, and
+serving the ends they were intended for.
+
+The effect of curtains must be taken into account from both the outside
+and the inside of the house. The outside view should show a general
+similarity of appearance in the windows of each story, in the manner of
+hanging the curtains and also of material. The shades throughout the
+house should be of the same color, and if a different color is needed
+inside for the sake of the color scheme, either two shades should be
+used or they should be the double-faced kind. Shades should also be kept
+drawn down to the same line, or else be rolled up out of sight, for
+there is nothing that gives a more ill-kept look to a house than having
+the shades and curtains at any haphazard height or angle.
+
+And now to "return to our muttons." The average window needs two sets of
+curtains and a shade. Sometimes a thin net or lace curtain, a _"bonne
+femme"_ is hung close to the glass, but this is usual only in cities
+where privacy has to be maintained by main force, or where the curtains
+of a floor differ greatly. Thin curtains in combination with side
+curtains of some thicker material are most often used.
+
+Curtains either make or mar a room, and they should be carefully planned
+to make it a perfect whole. They must be so convincingly right that one
+only thinks at first how restful and pleasant and charming the whole
+room is; the details come later. When curtains stand out and astound
+one, they are wrong. It is not upholstery one is trying to display, but
+to make a perfect background for one's furniture, one's pictures and
+one's friends.
+
+There are so many materials to choose from that all tastes and purses
+can be suited; nets, thin silk and gauzes; scrims and batistes; cotton
+and silk crepes, muslin or dotted Swiss, cheesecloth, soleil cloth,
+madras, and a host of other fascinating fabrics which may be used in any
+room of the house. The ready-made curtains are also charming. There are
+muslin curtains with appliqué borders cut from flowered cretonne;
+sometimes the cretonne is appliqué on net which is let into the curtain
+with a four-inch hem at the bottom and sides. A simpler style has a band
+of flowered muslin sewed on the white muslin, or used as a ruffle. It is
+also added to the valance. There are many kinds of net and lace curtains
+ready for use that will harmonize with any kind of room. Some of the
+expensive ones are really beautiful examples of needlecraft, with lace
+medallions and insertions and embroidery stitches.
+
+When it comes to the question of side curtains the supply to choose from
+is almost unlimited, and this great supply forms the bog in which so
+many are lost. A thing may be beautiful in itself and yet cause woe and
+havoc in an otherwise charming room. There are linens of all prices, and
+cretonnes, both the inexpensive kind and the wonderful shadow ones;
+there are silks and velvets and velours, aurora cloth, cotton crêpe and
+arras cloth, and a thousand other beautiful stuffs that are cheap or
+medium-priced or expensive, whose names only the shopman knows, but
+which win our admiration from afar. The curtains for a country house are
+usually of less valuable materials than those for a town house, and this
+is as it should be, for winter life is usually more formal than summer
+life. Nothing can be prettier, however, for a country house than
+cretonne. It is fresh and dainty and gives a cool and delightful
+appearance to a room. Among the many designs there are some for every
+style of decoration.
+
+[Illustration: The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one.]
+
+The height and size of a room must be taken into account in hanging
+curtains, for with their aid, and also that of wallpaper, we can often
+change a room of bad proportions to one of seemingly good ones. If a
+room is very low, a stripe more or less marked in the design, and the
+curtains straight to the floor, will make it seem higher. A high room
+may have the curtains reach only to the sills with a valance across the
+top. This style may be used in a fairly low room if the curtain material
+is chosen with discretion and is not of a marked design. If the windows
+are narrow they can be made to seem wider by having the rod for the side
+curtains extend about eight inches on each side of the window, and the
+curtain cover the frame and a part of the wall. This leaves all the
+window for light and air. A valance connecting the side curtains and
+covering the top of the net curtains will also make the window seem
+broader. A group of three windows can be treated as one by using only
+one pair of side curtains with a connecting ruffle, and a pair of net
+curtains at each window. Curtains may hang in straight lines or be
+simply looped back, but fancy festooning is not permissible. There is
+another attractive method of dividing the curtains in halves, the upper
+sections to hang so they just cover the brass rod for the lower
+sections, which are pushed back at the sides. These lower sections may
+have the rod on which they are run fastened to the window-sash if one
+wishes. They will then go up with the window and of course keep clean
+much longer, but to my mind it is not so alluring as a gently blowing
+curtain on a hot day. I have seen a whole house curtained most
+charmingly in this manner, with curtains of unbleached muslin edged with
+a narrow little ruffle. They hung close to the glass and reached just to
+the sill with the lower part pushed back at the sides. The outside view
+was most attractive, and the inside curtains varied according to the
+needs of each room.
+
+[Illustration: A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch.]
+
+Casement windows should have the muslin curtains drawn back with a cord
+or a muslin band, and the side curtains should hang straight, with a
+little top ruffle; if the windows open into the room the curtains may be
+hung on the frames. The muslin curtains may be left out entirely if one
+wishes. Net curtains on French doors should be run on small brass rods
+at top and bottom, and the heavy curtains that are drawn together at
+night for privacy's sake should be so hung that they will not interfere
+with the opening of the door. There should be plenty of room under all
+ruffles or shaped valances where the curtains are to be drawn to allow
+for easy working of the cords, otherwise tempers are liable to be
+suddenly lost.
+
+All windows over eighteen inches wide need two curtains, and the average
+allowance of fullness is at least twice the width of the window for net
+and any very soft material, while once and a half is usually enough for
+material with more body. Great care must be taken to measure curtains
+correctly and have them cut evenly. It is also a good plan to allow for
+extra length, which can be folded into the top hem and will not show,
+but will allow for shrinking.
+
+Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and portières for
+country houses. Cheesecloth, scrim, aurora cloth, pongee, linen, and
+velours, are a few of the materials that can be used. The design and
+kind used in a room should be chosen with due regard to its suitability.
+A Louis XVI room could not possibly have arras cloth used in it, while
+it would be charming and appropriate in a modern bungalow. Arras cloth
+with an appliqué design of linen couched on it makes beautiful curtains
+and portières to go with the Mission or Craftsman furniture.
+
+There is an old farmhouse on Long Island that has been made over into a
+most delightful country house, and the furnishing throughout is
+consistent and charming. The curtains are reproductions of old designs
+in chintz and cretonne. The living-room, with its white paneling to the
+ceiling, its wide fireplace, old mahogany furniture, and curtains gay
+with parrots and flowers, hanging over cool white muslin, is a room to
+conjure with.
+
+In town houses the curtains and hangings must also harmonize with the
+style of furnishing. When the windows are hung with soft colored
+brocade, the portières are usually beautiful tapestry or rich toned
+velvets, and care is always taken to have the balance of color kept and
+the color values correct. There are silks and damasks and velvets, and
+many lesser stuffs, made for all the period styles, whether carried out
+simply or elaborately, and it is the art of getting the suitable ones
+for the different rooms which gives the air of harmony, beauty, and
+restfulness, for which the word home stands.
+
+In hanging these more formal curtains the shaped valance is usually used
+with the curtains hanging straight at the sides of the window, so they
+can be drawn together at night. The cords and pulleys should always be
+in perfect working order. Another method is to have the curtains simply
+parted in the center, either with a valance or without, and drawn back
+at the sides with heavy cords and tassels, or bands of the stuff. If a
+draped effect is desired great care must be taken not to have it too
+elaborate.
+
+If the walls of a room are plain in color one may have either plain or
+figured hangings, but if the wall covering is figured it gives a feeling
+of unrest if the curtains are also figured. Sometimes one sees bedrooms
+and small boudoirs where the walls and curtains show the same design,
+but it must be done with skill, or disaster is sure to follow.
+
+Plain casement cloth or the different "Sunfast" fabrics are attractive
+with plain or figured papers, especially in bedrooms of country houses.
+
+If one has to live in the town house through the summer do not make the
+fatal mistake of taking down the curtains and living in bare discomfort
+during the hot season. If the curtains are too handsome to be kept up,
+buy a second set of inexpensive ones that can be washed without injury.
+It is better that they should stop the dust, and then go into the tub,
+than that one's lungs should collect it all. Curtains are useful as well
+as ornamental, and a house without them is as dreary as breakfast
+without coffee.
+
+
+
+
+_Floors and Floor Coverings_
+
+
+In planning a room the color values should be divided into the natural
+divisions of the heaviest, or darkest, part at the bottom, which is the
+floor; the medium color tone in the middle, which is the wall; and the
+lightest at the top, which is the ceiling. This keeps the room from
+seeming top-heavy and gives the necessary feeling of support for the
+wall and ceiling. The walls and floor serve as a background and should
+not be insistant or startling in color; and the size and height of the
+room, the amount of wall space, the position of doors, windows and
+fireplace, the quantity and quality of the light, and the connecting
+rooms will all be factors in the color scheme and materials chosen.
+
+The floor of a room must be right or all the character of the
+furnishings will be lost. One should first see that it is in perfect
+condition. If it is a hardwood or parquetry floor it should not be
+finished the bright and glaring yellow which is sometimes seen, but
+should be slightly toned down before the finish is put on. Samples of
+different tones should be submitted to be tried with samples of the rug
+and stuffs to be used before the decision is made. A wax finish is
+better than the usual coats of shellac, for the wax has a soft and
+beautiful glow, while shellac has a hard commercial glare. A waxed
+floor, if properly taken care of, which is not difficult, wears
+extremely well and does not have the distressingly shabby appearance of
+a partly worn shellaced floor. If the floor is old and worn and is to be
+painted or stained all cracks should be filled, and the color chosen
+should be a neutral color-in harmony with the rest of the room, the wood
+shades usually being the best, with the exception of cherry and the red
+tones of mahogany. Teak is a good tone for hard wood. Soft wood floors
+of such woods as pine, fir, and cypress can be made to have the
+appearance of hardwood if first scraped or sandpapered and then stained
+with an oil stain and finished with a thin coat of shellac and two coats
+of prepared floor wax.
+
+The usual ways of using floor covering are: one large rug which leaves a
+border of hard wood floor of about a foot all around it; several small
+rugs placed with a well balanced plan upon the floor; and carpet, either
+seamless or of strips sewed together, made into one rug or entirely
+covering the floor.
+
+In the majority of cases the use of a single large plain rug is by far
+the best plan, for it gives the feeling of an unobtrusive background
+whose beauty of color serves to bind the room in the unity of a well
+planned scheme; and this sense of dignity and solidity goes a long way
+on the road to success. It is one of the most satisfactory methods of
+covering a floor imaginable. These plain carpets come in several grades
+and many colors and are woven in widths from nine to thirty feet which
+can be cut in any desired length. This makes it possible to have a rug
+which will be a suitable size for a room. The colors are very good,
+especially the soft grays, tans, putty color, and taupe. There are also
+some good blues and greens, a very beautiful dark blue having great
+possibilities. There are also, besides these wide carpets, narrow
+carpets from twenty-seven inches to four feet wide which can be sewed
+together and made into rugs, or the carpet can cover the entire floor.
+In some cases this is the most attractive thing to do, for it will make
+a room seem larger by carrying the vision all the way to the wall
+without the break of a border; and it also covers a multitude of sins in
+the way of a rough floor. In these days of vacuum cleaners the old
+terrors of dust have lost their sting.
+
+A plain carpet or rug may be used with propriety in any room in the
+house, provided the right color is chosen for the surroundings. Some
+people, however, prefer a figured carpet in the dining-room on account
+of the wear and tear around the table. This risk is not very great if
+the rug is of good quality in the first place. A two-toned all-over
+design is often chosen for halls and stairs because of the special wear
+which they receive, and a Chinese rug is a good selection to make with a
+stair carpet of soft blue and yellow Chinese design to match. A small,
+figured, all-over design is a good choice for a nursery.
+
+Bedrooms may have either one large rug or be covered entirely with
+carpet, or have several rugs so placed that the floor is practically
+covered but is easily kept clean. Plain rugs are more restful in effect
+in bedrooms than figured rugs, and with plain walls and chintz are fresh
+and charming. These carpet rugs should be made with a flat binding which
+turns under and is sewed down, as this looks far better and lies flatter
+on the floor than the usual over-and-over finish, which is apt to
+stretch. All rugs should be thoroughly stretched before they are
+delivered as otherwise they will not lie flat.
+
+There is a kind of plain woven linen rug, with a different colored
+border if desired, which is very good to use in many country houses.
+These rugs come in a large assortment of colors and sizes, and, when
+sufficient time is allowed, they can be made in special sizes.
+Old-fashioned woven and hooked rag rugs are not appropriate in all kinds
+of rooms, even in the country. They should only be used in the simple
+farm house type and in some bungalows, and should be used with the
+simple styles of old furniture and never with fine examples, whether
+copies or originals.
+
+[Illustration: This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the portières spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen.]
+
+The light in a room must be taken into account in choosing a rug, and
+cold colors should not be used in north or cheerless rooms. The theory
+of color in regard to light has been explained in other chapters, very
+fully in the chapter on wallpapers, and its principles should be applied
+to all questions of furnishing, or disappointment will be the result.
+
+[Illustration: The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor.]
+
+[Illustration: This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole.]
+
+The question of whether to use Oriental rugs or plain rugs is one which
+many people find hard to solve. One of the deciding factors is often
+finding just what is right for the room, for really beautiful Oriental
+rugs in large or carpet size are rare and also expensive, but soft-toned
+Persian rugs with their interesting floral designs, and Chinese rugs
+with their wonderful tones of blue and yellow are works of art and well
+worth the trouble necessary to discover them and the price asked. They
+are best adapted to some libraries and halls and some dining-rooms, but
+they should not be startling in either design or color. To my mind
+Oriental rugs are not well suited to the majority of living-rooms and
+bedrooms because of the constant and varied use of these rooms. When
+Oriental rugs are used there should be plenty of plain effect in the
+room; the walls, for instance, should be plain. I have never seen a room
+which was successful if both walls and rug were figured. A fine tapestry
+may be used with Oriental rugs, but that is quite different from a
+figured wall. If several rugs are to be used in one room they must be of
+the same color value and the same general color tone or the floor will
+appear uneven. One does not wish to have a room give the uncomfortable
+effect of "the rocky road to Dublin." A rug with a general blue tone
+must not be put with other rugs of many colors or an overpowering amount
+of red, but should be matched in color by having blue the chief color of
+the other rugs also. The color value, too, must be even, for a light
+rug next to a dark has the same disagreeable effect. It is impossible to
+have a beautiful room if the rug seems to rise up and smite you as you
+enter. Persian rugs with their conventional floral designs should not be
+used with the marked color and geometrical designs of Caucasian rugs.
+These points are important to remember and follow, for otherwise unity
+of scheme for the room will be impossible.
+
+If one has several fine rugs well matched in color value and design they
+should be placed with a due regard to the shape of the room and the
+position of the furniture. A rug placed cat-a-cornered breaks up the
+structural plan of the room and makes it appear smaller than it really
+is. The new lines formed are at odds with the lines of the walls and
+interfere with the sense of space by stopping the eye in its instinctive
+journey to the boundary of things. Oriental rugs should be tried if
+possible in the rooms in which they are to be used before the final
+choice is made, and one must always try the rug with the light falling
+across the nap and also with the nap, for one way makes the rug lighter
+and the other darker, and one of the two may be just what is wanted.
+
+If one owns a rug which seems far too bright to use it can be toned
+down, but the owner must take the risk of its being spoiled in the
+process. To me it does not seem a great risk, because if the rug is so
+bright that it is absolutely nerve-destroying and useless, and there is
+a chance that for a small sum it can be made charming, why not take it?
+I have never heard of one failing, but I suppose some of them must or
+the stipulation would not be made.
+
+If an Oriental rug is used it should give the keynote for the color
+scheme, and the design of the rug will decide whether there can be any
+figured material used in the room. It is far easier to build up a scheme
+from a satisfactory rug than it is to try to fit one into a room which
+is otherwise finished. One's field of choice is much wider. Samples of
+wallpaper, curtain material and furniture coverings should always be
+tried with the rugs, whether Oriental or plain in color, for the scheme
+of a room must be worked out as a whole, not piece-meal. Each room must
+be considered in relation to the other rooms near it, because, although
+it may be beautiful in itself, if it does not harmonize with the
+connecting rooms the whole effect will be a failure. Vistas from one
+room to another should be alluring and charming; there should be no
+violent and clashing contrasts of color or styles of furniture or sudden
+change in the scale of furnishings. One room cannot shake off its
+relationship to the rest of the house and be a success, and floor
+coverings must bear their full share of responsibility in making the
+whole house beautiful.
+
+
+
+
+_The Treatment of Walls_
+
+
+The walls of a house hold a most important place in the order of things
+and their treatment requires much thought. The floor is the darkest
+color value in a room, as it is the foundation, and the walls come next
+in color value and consideration. What I have said in other chapters
+about the necessity of connecting rooms being harmonious applies of
+course to the selection of wall coverings.
+
+The first question to be settled is: shall paint or paper be used?
+
+If a house is new the walls are apt to settle a little making the
+plaster crack, and it is far better in such a case to allow the walls to
+remain white for a year. If the effect of plain white plaster strikes
+one as too cold one of the many water tints may be used as this will not
+interfere with any later scheme. In houses that have been built for a
+number of years the walls are often so badly cracked and marred that to
+put them into condition for painting would be more expensive than
+preparing them for paper. Estimates should be given for both paint and
+paper.
+
+When the plaster has done its worst and settled down to a quiet life the
+work of covering the walls appropriately begun.
+
+Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more restful in
+effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls. This is not a
+question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but
+simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall,
+even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less
+of a background. If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a
+figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls. If one
+has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be
+treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain
+background. A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made
+to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral
+color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion
+more pronounced. Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls,
+as they then appear larger. Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter
+of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and
+various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of
+the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and
+lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the
+scheme, instead of making another distracting note.
+
+[Illustration: A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.]
+
+The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances,
+such as the condition of the walls or the climate. With paint one can
+have the exact shade desired and either a "glossy" or eggshell finish.
+With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color
+wanted and changing the other colors to harmonize. Paint is better to
+use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the
+course of time.
+
+[Illustration: This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.]
+
+Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
+are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
+requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
+the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
+the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
+background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
+suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
+some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
+room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
+different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
+colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
+picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
+I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
+walls have been painted by great artists.
+
+Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
+elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
+or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
+walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
+plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.
+
+Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is to be used.
+Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
+only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
+is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
+in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
+very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
+people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
+that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
+realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
+when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
+figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
+to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
+as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
+should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
+environment. Samples of the curtains and furniture coverings should also
+be tried with the sample of paper before the final choice is made. If a
+paper with a decided figure is chosen pictures should be banished, for
+their beauty will be killed by the repeated design. The scale of the
+design in relation to the size of the room must also be taken into
+account. A small room will be overpowered by a large figure, but often
+the repeat of a small figure is quite correct in a large room as it
+gives an all-over, unobtrusive effect. If the wall space is much cut by
+doors and windows one should select a plain, neutral toned paper. It
+would be a fatal error to use a figured paper, for the room would look
+restless and chaotic and probably out of balance. If the windows are in
+groups and the doors balance each other the danger is lessened, but not
+done away with. One of the beautiful features in fine old Colonial
+houses is this ordered position of doors, but in many a modern house the
+doors have a trying way of appearing in a corner, as if they were a bit
+ashamed of themselves; and they have good cause to be, for a badly
+placed door is a calamity. If one is fortunate enough to plan one's own
+house, this matter can be taken care of properly, but in the average
+ready made house one has to try to make the doors less conspicuous by
+having them painted in very much the tone of the wall. With a gray wall,
+for instance, there should have a slightly lighter tone of gray for the
+woodwork, with a white and gray striped paper white paint may be used,
+with a soft tan a deep old ivory, and so on.
+
+If a room is badly proportioned it can often be improved by the simple
+expedient of using a correct paper. If the room is too high for its size
+the ceiling color may be brought down on the side wall for eighteen
+inches or so and finished with a moulding. This stops the eye before it
+reaches the ceiling and so makes the room seem lower. If the room is too
+low a striped paper may be used which will make the room seem higher by
+carrying the eye up to the ceiling where the paper is finished with a
+moulding. Vertical lines give the appearance of height, horizontal
+lines of width. Striped paper should not be used in narrow halls, for it
+makes them seem narrower and gives one the feeling of being in a cage.
+Two-toned striped papers of nearly the same color value, such as gray
+and white, yellow and cream-white, and white and cream color, are better
+to use than those of more marked contrast, although some of the green
+and white and blue and white are charming and fresh looking for
+bedrooms. Black and white is too eccentric for the average house; one
+should beware of all eccentric papers. There are a few kinds of paper
+which should be left severely alone, for they will spoil any room. One
+of them has a plain general tone but a suggestion of other colors which
+give it a blurred and mottled appearance which is singularly
+disagreeable. Another is plain in color but has a lumpy effect like a
+toad's back, and is really quite awful. Others are metallic papers, and
+there is a heavy paper embossed in self color with a conventional design
+which is apt to have a shining surface. Papers with dashes and little
+flecks of gold should be avoided, for the gold gives the wall an
+unstable and cheap appearance. Papers with small single figures repeated
+all over the surface are apt to look as if a plague of flies or beetles
+had arrived and are quite impossible to live with. Borders and cut out
+borders have a commonplace appearance and are not in the best of taste.
+And then there are papers with vulgarity of design. This quality is hard
+to define clearly, for it may be only a slightly redundant curve or
+other lack of true feeling for the beauty of line, or a bit too much, or
+too little, color, or a bad combination of color, or a lack of knowledge
+of the laws of balance and harmony and ornament, or a wrong surface of
+texture to the paper. But whatever the cause, a vulgar paper will
+vulgarize any room, no matter what is done in the way of furniture. It
+will assert itself like an ill-bred person. Luckily both are easily
+recognized.
+
+But the picture is not all dark by any means, for some of the American
+made papers, as well as the imported papers, are very beautiful. The
+makers are taking great pains to have fine designs and beautiful colors
+which will appeal to people of knowledge and taste. The situation is
+much better than it was a few years ago. Some of the copies of old
+figured and scenic papers are exceptionally fine, and can be used with
+great distinction in dining-rooms or halls with ivory or cream-white
+woodwork and wainscoting, and Georgian or Colonial furniture. One should
+not use pictures with these papers, but mirrors are permissable and will
+have the best effect if placed on a wood-paneled over-mantel. These
+papers come in tones of gray and white and also sepia. Oriental rugs, if
+not of too conspicuous a design, may be used with them, but plain rugs
+are better with plain hangings and striped silk chair seats. These
+papers are very attractive in country houses. There are also colored
+scenic papers, an especially fascinating one having a Chinese design
+which could be used as a connected scene or in panels, and would be
+lovely in a country house drawing-room or dining-room or hall. It could
+also be used in a city house with beautiful effect if due thought be
+given to the question of hangings, woodwork, rug, and furniture.
+Introduce a false note, and a room of this kind is ruined. These scenic
+papers come in sets, but the copies of the other old papers come in the
+regular rolls. Some of the lovely old "_Toile de Jouy_" designs have
+been used for wall paper, and these with other chintz designs, can be
+softened in effect by a special method of glazing which makes them very
+harmonious and charming with antique furniture or reproductions of fine
+old models. These old chintz papers are lovely for bedrooms or
+morning-rooms, with fresh crisp muslin curtains and plain silk or linen
+or chambray side-curtains. Either painted or mahogany furniture could be
+employed. A motif from the paper can be used for the furniture or it can
+simply be striped with the color chosen for the plain curtains. Some of
+the good and rather stunning bird design papers treated with this
+special glazing make beautiful halls with plain rugs and hangings and
+chair covers.
+
+Papers cost from about forty cents to several dollars a roll, but the
+choice is large and attractive between one and three dollars a roll, and
+there are also excellent ones for eighty-five cents. It is almost
+impossible, however, to give a satisfactory list of prices as they vary
+in different parts of the country. The reproductions of old scenic
+papers of which I have spoken are expensive, costing about one hundred
+dollars a set, but they may go down again now that the war is over. The
+difference in expense between paint and paper is not very great, in
+fact, with the average paper at a dollar or a dollar and a half a roll,
+paint is about the same, or perhaps a bit cheaper if the walls are in
+fairly good condition. It is a mistake to use inferior paper, and there
+should never be more than a lining paper and the paper itself on the
+wall. In some cases where there is only one paper of soft color on the
+wall, with no lining paper, this paper may be used as a lining paper if
+it is absolutely tight and firm. The risk is that the new paste may
+loosen the old a bit and so let all come down. Old paper must be
+entirely removed if there are any marred places as they will show
+through the new and ruin the effect.
+
+The amount of wall space and the quality and the quantity of the light
+are important factors in deciding the color scheme because by using them
+correctly we can brighten a cheerless, dark room or soften the blaze in
+a too sunny one.
+
+If the light is a cold dreary one from the north, the room will be
+vastly improved if warm, cheerful colors are used: warm ivory, deep
+cream color, soft or bright yellow without any greenish tinge in it,
+soft yellow pinks (there is a hard pink which is very ugly), yellow
+green (but not olive), and tones of golden tan. It is the dash of yellow
+in these colors which makes them cheerful and gives the impression of
+sunlight. Tans should never come too close to brown for a dark room, for
+nothing is more dreary or hopeless than a room done in that depressing
+color. The beautiful tones of old oak, or properly treated modern oak
+paneling, are quite a different matter. Small amounts of red or orange
+will do wonders, if used with discretion, in brightening a dull room,
+and are often just what are needed to bring out the beauty of the rest
+of the scheme; but it is a great mistake to think that red walls and a
+great deal of red in the hangings and furniture covering will make a
+cheerful or pleasant room. Red absorbs light and is also an irritant to
+the eyes and nerves, and, unless it is used with great skill, it is apt
+to look extremely commonplace and ugly or like an ostentatious hotel or
+public building. Few of us have large enough houses to make it possible
+to use red in great amounts, and it is well for the average person to
+shun it and remember that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a red
+wall will spoil a room.
+
+[Illustration: There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated.]
+
+Cool colors should be used in bright and sunny rooms--blues, greens,
+grays, grayish tans, and those delightful colors, old ivory, and soft
+deep cream color and linen color. Colors with a tone of yellow in them
+are easier to use than cold blues and greens and violets, for the yellow
+tinge, be it ever so little, brings them into relation with the majority
+of woods used in floors and furniture frames. Light colors make a
+room seem larger by apparently making the walls recede, and dark
+colors make it seem smaller, as they make us conscious of the walls and
+so seem to bring them nearer. Any very bright room may have dark walls
+to soften the glare, but if it has to be used by artificial light it
+will then be heavy and cheerless in effect; and so a better choice would
+be some soft neutral color of medium or lighter color values, such as
+gray green, and use awnings and dark shades. This matter of color in
+relation to light is important to remember when planning one's house.
+There is also another question which has great influence on one's choice
+of paper, and that is the amount and kind of furniture to be used in the
+room. Georgian furniture calls for plain or paneled walls, or if a
+figured paper is used it should be one of the old-fashioned designs or
+one of the striped papers. Old-fashioned chintz designs are also
+appropriate for bedrooms with mahogany or painted furniture. Plain or
+paneled walls, striped paper, and some of the fine floral designs, which
+can also be used as panels, and the charming _Toile de Jouy_ designs,
+are all appropriate when used with French furniture. Heavily made
+furniture like Craftsman or Mission needs the support of strong walls
+which may be rough-finished natural-colored or painted plaster, or grass
+cloth, or one of the many good plain papers of heavy texture. There are
+also figured papers which are appropriate. Wicker furniture will go with
+almost any kind of attractive paper which is correct for the room, but
+when there is much figure the cushions should be covered with plain
+stuff. All-over stuffed furniture when covered with chintz looks best
+with plain walls. Painted furniture looks well with plain walls and
+chintz. A motif from the chintz can be used on the furniture for the
+decoration, but if the wall paper is figured the effect will be more
+restful if the furniture is only striped.
+
+[Illustration: This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples.]
+
+In summing up: the important points which govern the choice and color of
+wall covering are the connecting rooms, the amount and quality of light,
+the size and shape of the room, its use, the furnishings which are to be
+used, the condition of the walls, and personal preference as to paint or
+paper. Do not be afraid of the idea that plain walls, whether paint or
+paper, may become tiresome, for one can stand well planned monotony year
+in and year out with a cheerful heart. If some rooms are to be papered
+with figured paper be sure the selection is made with care and with the
+idea in mind that a figured wall is in itself a decoration and should
+not have pictures crowded upon it.
+
+
+
+
+_Artificial Lighting_
+
+
+To light a room successfully appropriate lights must be placed where
+they are needed to keep the feeling of balance and proportion and bring
+out the charm of the room by their relation to its furnishing. They
+should also be so placed that the life of the household can go on as
+cheerfully and smoothly in the evening as in the day time.
+
+The position and style of lighting fixtures is decided by the type of
+house, the size and height of the rooms, the amount of wall space, the
+use for which the rooms are intended, their style of furnishing, the
+chief centers of interest, such as mantels, doors, furniture, and
+pictures of importance, and also the manner in which the walls are
+treated, whether paneled or papered. If one is building a house one
+should give all possible data to the architect in regard to any special
+pieces of furniture or pictures which one may wish to use in certain
+places. By doing this the tragedy of a slightly too small wall space
+will be escaped, and the lights will be properly placed in the
+beginning.
+
+One must always remember in planning the position of the lights for a
+room that the eye naturally seeks the brightest spot, and badly placed
+lamps and sidelights will upset the balance of a room. The room must not
+be glaringly bright, but there should be a feeling of a certain
+evenness in the distribution of light. A top light makes the light come
+from the wrong direction. Artificial light in a room should take its
+general idea from the lighting of the room in the day time. The daylight
+comes from the windows, the sides of the room, and the decoration of the
+room is built up with that in mind; so when we are planning the lighting
+scheme we should remember this and realize that the light should come
+from lamps placed advantageously on tables, and wall lights placed
+slightly above eye level.
+
+Living-rooms should have a sufficient number of well placed sidelights
+to enhance the beauty of the room, and they should be placed near
+centers of importance such as each side of the fireplace, or wide door,
+or on each side of some important picture or mirror. If there is a group
+of two or three windows which need to be more convincingly drawn
+together to form a unit, lights may be placed on each side of the group.
+Sidelights can be placed in the center of panels, thus forming a
+decoration for the panel, and, flanking paintings or mirrors or
+tapestries, make beautiful and formal rooms, especially for the
+different periods of French, English, or Italian decoration. This
+treatment with simpler forms of fixtures may also be used in our
+charming, but more or less nondescript, chintz living-rooms and country
+house drawing-rooms or dining-rooms. With a sufficient number of lamps
+in the room the side-or wall-lights need not be lighted during the
+average stay-at-home evenings but are ready if there is some special
+occasion for brilliancy. There are some rooms which are much improved by
+having no side-lights at all, all the light coming from lamps. There
+should be plenty of floor sockets so placed that lamps may be used on
+tables near sofas and armchairs and on the writing table or large
+living-room table. It is this proper placing of lamps which has so much
+to do with the charm and comfort of a room when evening comes.
+
+In the average home there is no greater mistake in the matter of
+lighting than having a room lighted by chandelier or ceiling lights.
+Lights at the top of the room, or a foot or two from the ceiling, break
+up completely the artistic balance of the room by drawing attention to
+them as the brightest spot. They make the room seem smaller both by day
+and night, they cast ugly shadows, they do not give sufficient or
+correct light for reading or writing, and the glare above one's head is
+nerve destroying. When the sun is directly overhead we hasten to put up
+sunshades, so why should we deliberately reproduce in our homes the most
+trying position of light? The fixtures also are usually extremely ugly.
+One sees sometimes in private houses what is called the indirect method
+of lighting, which is usually an alabaster bowl suspended by chains from
+the ceiling in which the lights are concealed. The reflected light on
+the ceiling is supposed to give a suffused and bright light. To my mind
+there is something extremely obnoxious about this method used in homes,
+for it smacks of department stores and banks and public buildings
+generally. And then, too, the light is unpleasant. If I were the
+unfortunate possessor of such a light I should have it taken down and
+use the bowl on a high wrought iron tripod for growing ivy and ferns,
+and thus try to get a little good from the ill wind that blew it there.
+
+There are a few cases, however, where top lights may be used, such as
+large drawing-or music-rooms, rooms in which formal entertaining is to
+be done. Crystal ceiling lights are then best to use, or chandeliers
+with crystal drops or pendants. If these rooms are Italian Renaissance
+in style, the center lights must naturally harmonize in period. Large
+halls with marble stairs and wrought-iron balustrade can have this
+elaborate kind of light, but the average hall demands a simpler
+chandelier. If one is to be used there are some very good copies of old
+Colonial lights and lanterns, but personally I prefer wall brackets and
+a dignified lamp, or a floor lamp. Torchères or lacquered floor lamps
+may be used in pairs if the hall is large enough to have them placed
+properly. In a long, narrow hall they would look a bit like lamp posts.
+Rather close fitting round shades, nearly the same size at top and
+bottom, made of painted parchment give a decorative touch and sufficient
+light. As one does not need an especially bright light in a hall, a
+beautiful lamp can be made of one of the fine old alabaster vases which
+many people have by dropping an electric bulb in it. Placed on a consol
+table before a mirror it makes a delightful spot in the hall. These
+lamps may also be used in other rooms where a light is needed for effect
+and not for use. In placing lamps the charm and utility of a reflection
+in a mirror must not be overlooked.
+
+A vestibule may have a lantern of some attractive design in harmony with
+the house, or side lights, if they can be so placed as not to be struck
+by the door.
+
+Dining-rooms are far more beautiful and also better lighted if
+sidelights are used, with candles on the table, rather than a drop
+light. Dining-room drop-lights or "domes" have all the disadvantages of
+other center lights and are extremely trying to the eyes of the diners,
+as well as being unbecoming. Even when screened with thin silk drawn
+across the bottom there is something deadening to one's brain in having
+a light just over one's head. Side lights with the added charm of
+candles will give plenty of light. It is a cause for thanksgiving that
+drop-lights over dining-tables are rarely seen now-a-days.
+
+Bedrooms should have a good light over the dressing table, and to my
+mind, two movable lights upon it, which may be in the form of wired
+candlesticks or small lamps. These are much more convenient than fixed
+lights. There should be a light over any long mirror, and one for the
+desk and sofa or _chaise longue_, and one for the bedside table. The
+dressing-room should be supplied with a light over the chiffonier and
+long mirror, and there should also be a table light. Clothes closets
+should have simple lights.
+
+And do not forget the kitchen if one wishes properly cooked meals. A
+light so placed that it shines into the oven has saved many a burned
+dish, and a light over the sink has saved many a broken one. The
+servants' sitting-room should have a good reading lamp.
+
+The question of the style of the fixtures is important, for if they are
+badly chosen they will quite spoil an otherwise perfect room. They must
+harmonize in period with the room, and also with its scale of
+furnishing. There is a wide choice in the shops, and some of the designs
+are very good indeed, having been carefully studied and adapted from
+beautiful museum specimens of old Italian, French, English, and Spanish,
+carvings and ornament. Some of our iron workers make very fine metal
+fixtures which are beautiful copies of old French and Italian work.
+There are graceful and sturdy designs, elaborate and simple, special
+period designs, and many which are appropriate for rooms of no
+particular period. There are charming lacquer sconces to go with lacquer
+furniture, and old-fashioned prism candelabra and sconces, and fixtures
+copied from choice old whale oil lamps in both brass and bronze. There
+are suitable designs for each and every room. The difficulty lies not in
+finding too few to choose from, but too many, and, growing weary,
+making a selection not quite so good as it should be. One should take
+blue prints to the shop if possible, but necessary measurements without
+fail. One must know not only the width of the wall spaces, but the width
+of the pictures and furniture to be put in the room, or the calamity may
+happen of having the fixtures a bit too wide. When fixtures are meant to
+be a special part of the decorative scheme, and support and enhance
+pictures and tapestries, they should have an appropriate decorative
+value also, but in the average home it is better and safer to choose the
+simpler, but still beautiful, designs. It is better to err on the side
+of simplicity than to have them too elaborate.
+
+Lamps should be chosen to harmonize with the room, to add their
+usefulness and beauty to it as a part of the whole and be convincingly
+right both by day and night. There are many possibilities for having
+lamps made of different kinds of pottery and porcelain jars; some
+crackle-ware jars are very good in color. Chinese porcelain jars, both
+single color and figured, make lovely lamps. Old and valuable specimens
+should not be used in this way, for they are works of art. Many modern
+jars are copies of the old and these should be used. There are lacquer
+lamps, bronze, and brass, and carved wood lamps, and lovely Wedgwood and
+alabaster vases. There are charming little floor lamps, some of wrought
+iron with smart little parchment shades, some in Sheraton design, some
+in lacquer or painted wood, which can be easily carried about to stand
+by bridge tables or a special chair. There are dozens of different jars
+and lamps to use, but the one absolutely necessary question to ask
+oneself is: is it right for my purpose?
+
+Lamp shades are a part of the scheme of the room's decoration and should
+be chosen or made to order to achieve the desired effect. Special shades
+are made by many clever people to harmonize with any room or period and
+are apt to be far better than the ready made variety. There are all
+manner of beautiful shades, lace, silk, plain and painted parchment and
+paper, mounted Japanese prints, embroidery, and any number of other
+attractive combinations. To be perfect, beside the fine workmanship,
+they must harmonize in line with the lamps on which they are to be used,
+and harmonize in color and style with the room, and have an absolute
+lack of frills and furbelows. The shade for a reading lamp should spread
+enough to allow the light to shine out. Lamp shades simply for
+illuminating purposes may be any desired shape if in harmony with the
+shape of the lamp. Lacquered painted tin shades are liked by some for
+lamps on writing tables. There should be a certain amount of uniformity
+in the style of the shades in a room, although they need not be exactly
+alike. Too much variety is ruinous to the effect of simple charm in the
+room. The chintz which is used for curtains will supply a motif for the
+painted shades if one wishes them, but if there is a great deal of
+chintz, plain shades will be more attractive. Side lights may have
+little screens or shades, as one prefers, or none may be used. In that
+case the bulbs may be toned down by using ground glass and painting them
+with a thin coat of raw umber water color paint. Bedroom shades follow
+the same rule of appropriateness that applies to the other shades in the
+house. There should be several sets of candle shades for the
+dining-room.
+
+There is really no reason why so many houses should be so badly lighted.
+Often simply rearranging the lamps and changing the shape of the shades
+will do wonders in the way of improvement. Radical changes in the wiring
+should be carefully thought out so there will be no mistakes to
+rectify.
+
+
+
+
+_Painted Furniture_
+
+
+The love of color which is strong in human nature is shown in the
+welcome which has been given to painted furniture. If we turn back to
+review the past we find this same feeling cropping out in the different
+periods and in the different grades of furniture. The furniture of the
+Italian Renaissance was often richly gilded and painted; the carved
+swags of fruit, arabesques, and the entwined human figures, were painted
+in natural colors, or some of the important lines of the furniture were
+picked out with color or gold, or both. As the influence of the
+Renaissance spread to France and England, changed by the national
+temperament of the different countries, we find their furniture often
+blossoming into color--not covered by a solid coat of paint but picked
+out here and there by lines and accenting points. During the time of
+Louis XIV everything was ablaze with gold and glory, but later, during
+the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, a gentler, more refined love of
+color came uppermost, and the lovely painted furniture was made which
+has given so much inspiration to our modern work. The simpler forms of
+the Louis XV period, and the beautiful furniture of the Louis XVI
+period, were often painted soft tones of ivory, blue, green, or yellow,
+and decorated with lovely branches of flowers, birds, and scenery where
+groups of people by Fragonard and other great painters disported with
+all their eighteenth century charm. These decorations were usually
+painted on reserves of old ivory with the ground color outside of some
+soft tone. Martin, the inventor of famous "vernis Martin," flourished at
+this time, and the glow of his beautiful amber-colored finish decorated
+many a piece of furniture from sewing boxes to sedan chairs. In England
+the vogue of painted furniture was given impetus by the genius of the
+Adam Brothers and the beautiful work of Angelica Kaufmann, Cipriani, and
+Pergolesi. In both France and England there was at this time the
+comprehension and appreciation of beauty and good taste combined with a
+carefree gaiety which made the ineffable charm of the eighteenth century
+a living thing. There are some of our modern workmen and painters of
+furniture who feel this so thoroughly that their work is very fine, but
+the majority have no knowledge or understanding of the period, and,
+although they may copy the lovely things of that time, the essence, the
+true spirit, is lacking. Cabinet making and painting in those days was a
+beloved and honored craft; to-day, alas, it is too often a matter of
+union rules.
+
+Chinese lacquer, while not strictly coming under the head of painted
+furniture, was another branch of decorated furniture which was in great
+demand at this time. The design in gold was done on a black or red or
+green ground and was beautiful in effect.
+
+[Illustration: The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam.]
+
+[Illustration: A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall.]
+
+[Illustration: A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture.]
+
+[Illustration: This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration.]
+
+While the upper classes were having this beautiful furniture made for
+their use, the peasant class was serenely going on its way decorating
+its furniture according to its own ideas and getting charming results.
+The designs were usually conventionalized field flowers done with great
+spirit and charm. From the peasants of Brittany and Flanders and Holland
+have come down to us many beautiful marriage chests and other pieces of
+furniture which are simple and straightforward and a bit crude in their
+design and color, but which have done much to serve as a help and guide
+in our modern work.
+
+The supply of painted furniture to-day is inspired by these different
+kinds of the great periods of decoration. There are many grades and
+kinds in the market, some very fine, keeping up the old traditions of
+beauty, some charming and effective in style and color, but with a
+modern touch, and some very very bad indeed; "and when they are bad they
+are horrid." I have said a great deal in other chapters on this subject,
+but I cannot too often urge those of my readers who have the good
+fortune to live near one of our great art museums to study for
+themselves the precious specimens of the great days of genius. It will
+give a standard by which to judge modern work, and it is only by keeping
+our ideals and demands high that we can save a very beautiful art from
+deteriorating into a commercial affair.
+
+When selecting painted furniture, one can often have some special color
+scheme or decoration carried out at a little extra expense; and this is
+well worth while, for it takes away the "ready made" feeling and gives
+the touch of personality which adds so much to a home. One must see that
+the furniture is well made, that the painting and finishing are properly
+done, and that the decoration is appropriate. If the furniture is of one
+of the French periods, it should be one of the simpler styles and should
+be painted one of the soft ground colors used at the time, and the
+decoration should have the correct feeling--flowers and birds like those
+on old French brocade or _toile de Jouy_ or old prints. The striping
+should be done in some contrasting color or in the wonderful brownish
+black which they used. The design may be taken from the chintz or
+brocade chosen for the room, but the painting must be done in the manner
+of the period. This holds true of any English period chosen, such as
+Adam furniture or the painted furniture of Sheraton. There are several
+firms who make a specialty of this fine grade of furniture, but it is
+not made by the car load; in fact it is usually special order work. The
+kind one finds most often in the shops is furniture copied from the
+simpler Georgian styles or simple modern pieces slightly reminiscent of
+Craftsmen furniture, but not heavy or awkward in build. This furniture
+is painted in different stock colors and designs, or can be painted
+according to the purchaser's wishes as a special order. These "stock"
+designs are often stenciled, but some of them have an effective charm
+and are suitable to country houses, and also many city ones. When there
+is much chintz used, the furniture will often be more attractive if it
+is only striped with the chief color used in the room. The designs which
+are to be avoided are of the Art Nouveau and Cubist variety, roses that
+look like cabbages gone crazy, badly conventionalized flowers, and crude
+and revolting color schemes. It sounds as if it should not be necessary
+to warn people against these monstrosities, and I have never heard of
+any one who buys them, but some one must do so or they would not be in
+the shops.
+
+Attractive and inexpensive painted furniture can be made to be used in
+simple surroundings by buying slat-backed chairs with splint seats and a
+drop-leaf pine table and having them painted the desired ground color
+and then striped and decorated with a motif from the chintz to be used
+in the room. A country house dining-room or bedroom could be most
+charmingly fitted up in this way, chintz cushions could be used on the
+chairs, and candle shades could be made to match. One can sometimes find
+a bed or chest of drawers or other piece of furniture which is a bit
+shopworn and can be had for a bargain. Old bureaus can be made to serve
+as chests of drawers by taking the mirror off and using it as a wall
+mirror. In many houses there are old sets of ugly furniture which can be
+made useful and often attractive by having the jigsaw carving removed
+and painting them. In a set of this kind, which I was doing over for a
+client, there happened to be two beds with towering headboards, quite
+impossible to use, but I combined the two footboards, thus making one
+attractive bed. The furniture was painted a soft pumpkin yellow, striped
+with blue and with little, old-fashioned nosegays, and a lovely linen
+with yellow and cream stripes and baskets of flowers was used and turned
+a dark and dreary room into a cheerful and pretty one.
+
+One can find some kind of suitable painted furniture for nearly every
+room in the average modern house. People everywhere are turning away
+more and more from the heavy, depressing effects of a few years ago; but
+unless they know the ground they are walking on they must tread with
+care. The style chosen must be appropriate and in scale with the style
+of house. The fine examples would look quite out of place in a bungalow
+or very simple house, and the simple kind founded on peasant designs
+would not be suitable in rooms with paneled walls and lovely taffeta
+curtains. In Georgian and simple French designs there are fascinating
+examples of chairs, settees and tables, corner cupboards and sideboards,
+beds and dressing-tables and chests of drawers, mirrors and footstools
+and candlesticks, everything both big and little which can be used in
+almost any of our charming rooms in the average house, with their fresh
+chintz and taffeta and well planned color schemes.
+
+Lacquered furniture is more formal than the average painted furniture,
+and often one or two pieces are sufficient for a room. A beautiful
+lacquered cabinet with its fascinating mounts and its soft, wonderful
+red or black and gold tones is a thing to conjure with. Lacquered
+furniture is lovely for some dining-rooms and morning-rooms. The tables
+should always be protected with glass tops, which also applies to other
+painted furniture.
+
+One or two pieces of painted furniture may be used in a room with other
+furniture if they happen to be just the thing needed to complete the
+scheme. A console table, for instance, with a mirror over it and
+sidelights, might be just the touch needed between two windows hung with
+plain taffeta curtains. Like all good things there must be restraint in
+using it, but there are few things that have greater possibilities than
+painted furniture when properly used.
+
+
+
+
+_Synopsis of Period Styles as an Aid in Buying Furniture._
+
+
+When trying to select furniture for the home, people often become
+bewildered by the amount and variety to be found in the shops, and, not
+knowing exactly what to look for in the different styles, make an
+inappropriate or bad selection. One does not have to be so very learned
+to have things right, but there are certain anachronisms which cry to
+heaven and a little knowledge in advance goes a long way. A purchaser
+should also know something about the construction and grade of the
+furniture he wishes to buy. There are good designs in all the grades,
+which, for the sake of convenience, may be divided into the expensive,
+the medium in price, and the cheap. The amount one wishes to spend will
+decide the grade, and one naturally must not expect to find all the
+beauties and virtues of the first in the last. The differences in these
+grades lie chiefly in the matters of the fit and balance of doors and
+drawers; the joining of corners where, in the better grade, the interior
+blocks used to keep the sides from spreading are screwed as well as
+glued; the selection of well seasoned wood of fine grain; careful
+matching of figures made by the grain of the wood in veneer; panels
+properly made and fitted so they will not shrink or split; careful
+finish both inside and out, and the correct color of the stain used;
+appropriate hardware; hand or machine or "applied" carving. In the cheap
+grades it is best to leave carving out of the question entirely, for it
+is sure to be bad. Then there are the matters of the correctness of
+design and detail, in which all the knowledge one has collected of
+period furniture will be called upon; and in painted furniture the color
+of the background and the charm and execution of the design must be
+taken into account, whether it is done by hand or stenciled. Nearly all
+kinds of woods are used, the difference in cost being caused by the
+grade and amount of labor needed, the kind of wood chosen and its
+abundance and the fineness of grain and the seasoning. Mahogany costs
+more than stained birch, and walnut than gum wood, but there are certain
+people who for some strange reason feel that they are getting something
+a little smarter and better if it is tagged "birch mahogany" than if it
+were simply called birch. Some of the furniture is well stained and some
+shockingly done, the would-be mahogany being either a dead and dreary
+brown or a most hideous shade of red, a very Bolshevik among woods. One
+must remember that the mahogany of the 18th century, the best that there
+has ever been, was a beautiful glowing golden brown, and when a red
+stain was used it was only a little to enhance the richness of the
+natural color of the wood, more of a suggestion than a blazing fact.
+The wood was carefully rubbed with oil and pumice, and the shellac
+finish was rubbed to a soft glow. Modern furniture, especially in the
+medium and cheap grades, is apt to look as if it were encased in a hard
+and shining armor of varnish.
+
+[Illustration: This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance.]
+
+[Illustration: An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced.]
+
+[Illustration: This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable.]
+
+[Illustration: This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs.]
+
+Beside this practical knowledge one should have a general idea of the
+artistic side or the appearance of the different period styles and the
+manner in which they were used. To achieve this, one must study the best
+examples it is possible to find in originals, pictures, and properly
+made reproductions. Many of the plates in this book are from extremely
+valuable originals and should be studied carefully as they give a fine
+idea of some of the chief points in the different styles. One should
+also go to libraries and Art Museums whenever possible and study their
+collections. The more knowledge gained the more ease one will have in
+furnishing one's home whether there is everything to buy, or one is
+planning to add a few articles to complete a charming interior, or, with
+an eye to a future plan, is buying good things piece by piece and slowly
+eliminating the bad. It is this knowledge which will help you to study
+your own possessions and decide what is needed and what will be correct
+to buy. That, is one of the most important points, to have a well
+thought out plan, and never to be haphazard in your purchases. Very few
+of us have houses completely furnished in one period, but we do try to
+have a certain unity of spirit kept throughout the whole, whether it be
+French, Italian, English, or our own charming Colonial. There can be a
+great variety in any one of these divisions, and suitable furniture can
+be found for all rooms, from the simplest kind to the most elaborate. It
+is easier to find good reproductions in the English periods of Jacobean,
+Charles II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and the Georgian time, and the
+French periods of Louis XV and Louis XVI.
+
+
+[Illustration: The upholstery of this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons.]
+
+[Illustration: Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair.]
+
+[Illustration: The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed.]
+
+[Illustration: As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs.]
+
+If one wishes a house furnished in the Gothic period it will be
+necessary to have nearly all the different pieces made to order, as
+there are few reproductions made. As our modern necessities of furniture
+were not known in those days, the designs would have to be carried out
+more in the spirit of the style than the letter, and one must be certain
+to have advice and designs from some person who thoroughly understands
+the period and who will see that the whole is properly carried out.
+Gothic days were rough and strenuous, and the furniture was strong and
+heavy and was made chiefly of oak with no varnish of any kind. The
+characteristic lines of the furniture and the designs for carving were
+architectural, and a careful study of the Gothic cathedrals of France,
+Belgium, and England will give a very satisfactory idea of this
+wonderful time. The idea of the pointed arch, rose window, trefoil,
+quatrefoil, animal grotesques, and geometric designs, as well as the
+beautiful linen-fold design, were all adapted for use as carving in the
+panels of the furniture of the day, which consisted of chests that
+served as seats, buffets, armoires, screens, trestle tables, as well as
+the choir stalls of churches.
+
+This style is appropriate to large and dignified country houses. The
+architect must see that the background is correct.
+
+The Renaissance period should not be attempted as a style to furnish
+one's house unless it can be carried out properly. The house should be
+large and architecturally correct, and there should be at least a near
+relation of a Fortunatus purse to draw upon. It is one of the
+magnificent and dignified periods, and makeshifts and poor copies have a
+pitiful appearance and are really time and money wasted.
+
+Much of the furniture of the Renaissance was architectural in design,
+many chests and cupboards and cabinets having the appearance of temple
+façades. The carving was in both low and high relief and was extremely
+beautiful, but in the later part of the period became too ornate. Walnut
+and chestnut were the chief woods used, and there was much inlay of
+tortoise shell, ivory, brass, mother-of-pearl, lapis-lazuli, and fine
+woods. There was much gilding, and paint was also used, and the metal
+mounts were of the finest workmanship. The bronze andirons, knockers,
+candlesticks, of this time have never been equalled. There was a strong
+feeling of balance in the decorations, and the chief motifs were the
+acanthus beautifully carved, conventionalized flowers and fruit, horns
+of plenty, swags and wreaths of fruit and flowers, the scroll, dolphin,
+human figure, and half figure ending in fanciful designs of foliage.
+Beautiful and fascinating arabesques were carved and painted on the
+walls and pilasters. The chief pieces of furniture were magnificently
+carved chests and coffers which were also sometimes gilded and painted,
+oblong tables with elaborately carved supports at each end, usually with
+a connecting shelf on which were smaller carved supports. The chairs
+were high backed with much carving and gilding, and there were others of
+simpler form with leather or tapestry or damask seats and backs. The
+Savanarola chair was in the form of a curved X with seat and back of
+velvet or leather or sometimes wood on which a cushion was used. Mirror
+frames were magnificently carved and gilded and picked out with color.
+The rooms were a fitting background for all this splendor, for the
+woodwork and walls were paneled and carved and painted, the work often
+being done by the greatest painters of the day.
+
+The French Renaissance followed the general line of the Italian but was
+lighter and less architectural in its furniture designs and ornament.
+Chairs were slowly becoming more common, and rooms began to be more
+livable.
+
+[Illustration: This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period.]
+
+The English Renaissance was of slow growth and was always marked by a
+certain English sturdiness, which is one of the reasons why it is more
+easily used in our modern houses. It began in the time of Henry VIII
+and lasted through the Tudor and Jacobean periods.
+
+[Illustration: A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture.]
+
+[Illustration: This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century.]
+
+[Illustration: The painted scene is often an important feature.]
+
+[Illustration: The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments.]
+
+The best modern copies of Renaissance furniture are not to be found in
+every shop and are usually in the special order class. There are some
+makers in America, however, who make extraordinarily fine copies, and
+there is the supply from Europe of fine copies and "faked" originals--a
+guaranteed original is a very rare and expensive thing.
+
+The period of Louis XIV in France was another "magnificent" period and
+should not be used in small or simple houses. Louis XIV furniture was
+large and massive, lavish in gilding and carving and ornament, but had
+dignity as well as splendor. The Gobelin and Beauvais Tapestry Works
+produced their wonderful series of tapestries, and Boulle inlay of brass
+and tortoise shell was lavished on furniture, and the ormolu mounts were
+beautiful and elaborate. All workmanship was of the highest. During the
+early part of the period the legs of chairs and tables were straight and
+square in shape, sometimes tapering, and much carved, and had
+underframing. Later they were curved and carved, a kind of elaborate
+cabriole leg, and had carved underframing. Toward the end of the period
+the curved leg and underframing became much simpler, some of the
+furniture having no underframing, and slowly the style merged into that
+of the Regency and Louis XV. The illustrations for the long chapter on
+Louis XIV show some very fine examples of both the grand and simple
+form of chair, and also show that comfort was becoming more of a fact.
+The materials used for upholstery were brocades of large pattern,
+tapestries, and splendid velvets. Tables, chests, armoires, desks,
+console tables, mirrors, screens, all were carved or painted or inlaid,
+gilded and mounted with wonderful metal mounts.
+
+There is great danger, in buying furniture for both this period and the
+Renaissance, that the reproductions chosen may be too florid, the
+gilding too bright, the carving too ornate, with an indescribable
+vulgarity of line in place of the beauty of line which the best
+originals have. Some of the best makers are, however, making some very
+fine reproductions of the simpler forms of this time which are beautiful
+to use in houses of fair size and importance.
+
+If one wishes to use Louis XV furniture it is better to choose the
+simpler and more beautiful designs rather than the over-elaborate
+rococo. The period was a long one, sixty-nine years, and began with a
+reminiscence of the grandeur and dignity of the time of Louis XIV, which
+was soon lost in the orgy of curves and excessive ornament of the rococo
+portion; and toward the end came the reaction to simpler and finer taste
+which reached its perfection in the next reign of Louis XVI. The legs of
+the furniture of Louis XV time were curved and carved, light and
+slender, and had no underframes or stretchers. The frames which showed
+around the upholstery or cane were carved elaborately and later more
+simply (see illustration at end of chapter on Louis XV). Walnut,
+chestnut, ebony, and some mahogany were used. Some of the furniture was
+veneered, and there was a great deal of gilding used and also much
+painted furniture. The ormolu mounts were most elaborate, curved and
+ornate like the carving, and were used wherever possible. The brocades
+used for furniture coverings were lovely in color and design. Garlands,
+flowers, lace and ribbon effects, baskets of flowers, shells, curled
+endive, feathers, scrolls, all were used, as well as pastoral scenes by
+Boucher and Watteau for tapestry and paintings. Comfort had made a long
+step forward.
+
+The period of Louis XVI was much more beautiful in style than the
+preceding one, as it was more restrained and exquisite because of the
+use of the straight line or a gracious, simple curve. This comparative
+simplicity does not come from lack of true feeling for beauty but rather
+because of it. The sense of proper proportion was shown in both the
+furniture and the room decoration. The backs of chairs and settees were
+round or rectangular, and the legs were square, round, or fluted, and
+were tapering in all cases. The fluting was sometimes filled with metal
+husks at top and bottom, leaving a plain stretch between. Walnut and
+mahogany were much used and were beautifully polished, but had no vulgar
+and hard varnished glare. There was wonderful inlay and veneer, and much
+of the furniture was enamelled in soft colors and picked out with gold
+or some harmonizing color. Gilding was also used for the entire frame.
+The metal mounts were very fine. Brocades of lovely color and designs of
+flowers, bowknots, wreaths, festoons, lace, feathers, etc.; chintz, the
+lovely "_toil de Jouy_," which is so well copied nowadays; soft toned
+taffeta, Gobelin and Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries, were all used for
+hanging and furniture coverings. Cane also became much more popular.
+Walls were paneled with moldings, and fluted pilasters divided too large
+spaces into good proportions. Tapestry and paintings were paneled on the
+walls, and the colors chosen for the backgrounds were light and soft.
+
+The charm and beauty of this style as well as its dignity make it one
+which may be used in almost any modern house, as it ranges from
+simplicity to a beautiful restrained elaborateness suitable to the
+formal rooms.
+
+[Illustration: The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving.]
+
+[Illustration: This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it.]
+
+The change from Louis XVI to the Empire was a violent one both
+politically and artistically. The influence of the great days of the
+Roman empire and the mystery of ancient Egypt stirred Napoleon's
+imagination and formed his taste. Empire furniture was solid and heavy,
+with little or no carving, and much ornamentation of metal mounts.
+Mahogany was chiefly used, and some furniture was gilded or bronzed.
+Round columns finished with metal capitals and bases appeared on large
+desks and other pieces of furniture. Chairs were solid, many of them
+throne-like in design, and many with elaborately carved arms in the
+form of swans and sphinxes, and metal ornaments. The simpler form of
+chair, which was copied and used extensively in America, as a
+dining-chair, often had a curved back and graceful lines. Furniture
+coverings were very bright satins and velvets brocaded with the
+Emperor's favorite emblems, the bee, torch, wreath, anthemion. It is a
+heavy and gaudy style and must be used with great discretion. American
+Empire furniture was far simpler and is better suited to many American
+homes. In buying it, however, one must be careful to select copies from
+the earlier part of the time, for it fast deteriorated into heavy and
+vulgar curves. This American Empire furniture is often shown in the
+shops under the name of Colonial, which is a misnomer, as we had ceased
+to be colonies years before it came into existence. It was used during
+the first half of the nineteenth century.
+
+[Illustration: These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite.]
+
+[Illustration: The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this "stretcher," as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet.]
+
+When we come to English furniture, I think we all take heart of grace a
+little, for there is something about its sturdiness that seems to appeal
+to our American sense of appropriateness. By inheritance we have more of
+the English point of view about the standards of life and living and we
+seem to settle down with more comfort in a house furnished in any one of
+the English periods than we do with any of the other great styles.
+
+The English Renaissance is often called the age of oak, and all through
+the long years of its slow development this oaken bond, so to speak,
+gave it a certain unity which makes it possible to use much of the
+furniture of its different divisions together. There are many fine
+reproductions made of the Tudor and Elizabethan times, but from the
+early Stuart days, the time of James I onward, good reproductions become
+more plentiful. This does not mean, however, that one is safe in buying
+anything called Jacobean or Queen Anne or Georgian. One must still be
+careful and go armed with as much knowledge as possible. For instance,
+do not buy any Tudor, Elizabethan, Jacobean, or Charles II furniture
+made of mahogany or with a high polish. Do not buy any with finicky or
+delicate brass handles. This may seem an unnecessary warning, but I have
+seen dainty oval Hepplewhite handles used on a heavy Jacobean chest.
+This does not happen often, but a word to the wise--. The handles which
+were used were some times of iron and sometimes of brass, often with a
+little design etched on them, and the drop handles were either oblong or
+round rings, or pear- or tear-shaped drops with either a round or oblong
+plate. H-hinges of iron were used. Chairs of the time of James I, which
+are much like those of Louis XIII in France, were square and strong with
+plain or spiral turned legs, and stretchers, and had seats and half
+backs covered with needlework, leather, velvet, or damask. They would
+make very comfortable dining chairs and would harmonize with sturdy
+gate-legged tables, or the long narrow tables which show the influence
+of Elizabeth's time in the carved drum or acorn-like bulbs of the legs.
+A court-cupboard would make a beautiful sideboard, and one of the long
+tables spoken of above would make an appropriate serving-table. Carved
+chests, and screens covered with leather or needlework, may be used in
+rooms of this kind, and for modern comfort one may add stuffed chairs
+and sofas if the proper materials for coverings are chosen. There are
+some very fine copies made of old needlework of different kinds and also
+of damasks and other stuffs. One must have the right background for all
+this, oak paneled walls and tapestry and plain or figured velvet or
+damask hangings. There are also some finely designed heavy linens which
+are correct to use.
+
+The furniture of Cromwell's time was much like that of the time of James
+I and Charles I, but was simplified wherever possible. There were no
+pomps and vanities in those stern days.
+
+When Charles II came to the throne, there was a reaction against Puritan
+gloom which showed in the furniture being of a more elaborate design.
+Chair backs were high and narrow with carved and pierced panels of wood,
+or carved backs with cane panels, and the carved front rail carried out
+the feeling and balanced the carved top rail. The crown and rose and
+shell were used, supported by cherubs and opposed S curves. The
+illustration opposite page 65 will give a very good idea of the general
+style. Upholstery was also used, and day-beds and high-boys made their
+appearance. The chests of earlier days became chests of drawers. Rooms
+were paneled in oak, and much beautiful tapestry was used. Walnut began
+to take the place of oak in the later days of Charles II and those of
+James II, and introduced the age of walnut which lasted through the
+reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne.
+
+The furniture of the early days of William and Mary was much like that
+of the time of Charles II. The chair backs remained high and narrow, but
+the carving slowly grew simpler and the caning at last went entirely
+across the back. Many of the early chairs had three carved splats or
+balusters in the back, and a feature which added greatly to comfort was
+the slight curve the backs were given instead of the perfectly straight
+backs of Jacobean days. Dutch influence at least conquered the old
+style, and the more characteristic furniture of William and Mary was
+made. A rather elaborate form of the cabriole leg was used, ending in a
+species of hoof with a scroll-like stretcher between the front legs and
+curved stretchers connecting all four legs. The cabriole leg became
+simpler as time passed until in the days of Queen Mary it became the one
+we all know so well in the Dutch chairs and the early work of
+Chippendale.
+
+[Illustration: These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer.]
+
+There was much beautiful marquetry used; in fact it is a marked
+characteristic of much of the furniture of William and Mary. After she
+died in 1694, the white jasmine flower and green leaves were not used
+so much, and the sea-weed pattern and acanthus became more popular.
+
+[Illustration: An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers.]
+
+[Illustration: The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century.]
+
+The cup-and-ball design of turned legs with curved stretchers was used
+for chairs, settees, tables, cabinets. China cupboards with their
+double-hooded tops and soft colored brocade linings were used to display
+the wonderful china collections so much in vogue. There was much
+upholstered furniture covered with beautiful petit-point, which is
+perfectly reproduced nowadays, but is naturally expensive. Silks,
+velvets, and damasks were also used, and Queen Mary had a "beautiful
+chintz bed."
+
+The handles used were of various kinds, the favorite being the drop from
+a round or star-shaped boss. The furniture was beautifully polished but
+did not have a bright gloss.
+
+When Anne came to the throne in 1702, the English cabinet maker had
+became an expert craftsman, and we have the beginning of the finest
+period of English cabinet-making, which later, in the Georgian period,
+blossomed into its full glory. The furniture of this time was of walnut.
+The chairs had a narrow, fairly high back, with a central splat
+spoon-shaped and later fiddle-shaped. The corners of the back were
+always rounded. The cabriole legs were often carved with a shell on the
+knees, the acanthus being used in the more elaborate pieces of
+furniture, and ended chiefly in a club foot. Stretchers became less
+common, but if they were used were pushed back and did not form such an
+important part of the chair design. Seats were broader at the front
+than at the back, and all furniture showed a real desire for comfort and
+convenience. Marquetry and lacquer were both in great favor, and there
+are wonderful examples of both reproduced, but especially lacquer.
+Petit-point, damask, velvet, and chintz were all used for upholstery and
+hangings. Chintz was becoming more plentiful, but it was not until the
+Georgian period that it reached its perfection.
+
+The Georgian period covers the work of Chippendale, the Adam Brothers,
+Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, who gave to the eighteenth century its
+undying decorative fame.
+
+[Illustration: A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life.]
+
+When Chippendale began his fine work, the Dutch influence of Queen
+Anne's reign was still strong, and this shows in his furniture; but his
+genius lightened and improved it. The characteristics of his style which
+remained fairly stable through his different phases were the use of
+mahogany, a certain squareness and solidity of design which has no
+appearance of heaviness because of the fine proportions, chair backs
+with a center splat reaching to the seat. The curving top rail always
+had curving up corners (see drawings page 84). The center splat was
+solid at first, but soon was pierced and carved, and went through the
+many developments of his style such as ribbon-back, Chinese, and Gothic.
+In some chairs he also used horizontal rails, and what are called
+"all-over backs." The legs of his earlier furniture were cabriole, and
+later they were straight. He used much and beautiful carving, gave
+great attention to the beauty of the wood and the perfection of
+workmanship and finish. Chippendale's settees were at first designed
+like two chair backs side by side, and if a larger settee was made
+either a third chair back of the same design or a different but
+harmonizing one was used. His dining-tables were made up of two center
+pieces with wide flaps on each side, and two semicircular tables, and
+all four pieces could be fastened together into one long table by brass
+fasteners. The end pieces were used as side tables or sideboards, for
+the sideboard as we know it did not come until later. He also made
+oblong sidetables, some with marble tops, which were used as sideboards
+with wine-coolers placed underneath, and usually a large tea-caddy or
+tea box on top. The beds which Chippendale made were large and elaborate
+four-posters, with beautiful carved cornices and posts. The curtains
+hung from the inside of the cornice, and silks or chintz were used for
+the curtains. His mirror frames were very elaborately carved, and in his
+rococo period were fairly fantastic with dripping water, Chinese
+pagodas, rocks, birds with long beaks, and figures. They were gilded,
+and some were left in the natural mahogany. He made folding card-tables
+with saucer-like places at the corners for candles, and later when the
+candle-stand came into fashion, the tables were made without them.
+
+
+[Illustration: An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering.]
+
+[Illustration: While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table.]
+
+[Illustration: A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy.]
+
+There are many fine reproductions of Chippendale's furniture made which
+carry out the spirit of his work. In the medium and inexpensive grades,
+however, there is danger of bad carving, a clumsy thickening of
+proportions, a jumble of his different periods, and too red a stain and
+too high a varnish glitter. Good examples can be found in these grades,
+but one must spend time looking for them, and perhaps it may be
+necessary to have them rubbed down with powdered pumice and linseed oil.
+If one uses Chippendale furniture, or that of any of the other Georgian
+makers, the walls should not be covered with a modern design of wall
+paper. Plain walls or molding may be used, or one of the fine old
+designs of figured paper, and this must be used with great discretion
+and is better if there is a wainscot. Chippendale was very fond of using
+morocco, but damask and velvet and chintz may also be used. The chintzes
+were charming in design, and many good copies are made.
+
+[Illustration: This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds.]
+
+[Illustration: The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors.]
+
+The Adam Brothers, of whom Robert was the more important, showed strong
+classical influence in their work, and much of it resembles that of
+Louis XVI, which was influenced from the same source. Chairs had square
+or round or oval backs, and they also used a lyre-shaped splat which was
+copied later by Sheraton. Often the top rail was decorated by small and
+charming painted panels. These little panels were also used in the
+center of cobweb caning in chair backs and settees. Legs of chairs and
+tables were tapering and round or square and often reeded or fluted.
+Adam used much mahogany and kept its beautiful golden brown tone (not
+the dead brown called "Adam" too often in the shops), and also
+satin-wood and painted wood. The best artists of the day did the
+painting. Wedgwood medallions were introduced into the more important
+pieces of furniture. Painted placques, lovely festoons, and charming
+groups of figures, vases of flowers, and Wedgwood designs, and designs
+radiating from a center, as on semicircular console table tops, are all
+characteristic of his work. He also used much inlay. As Adam usually
+planned all the furniture and the interior of the house, even to the
+door-knobs, he kept the feeling of unity in both background and
+furnishings.
+
+[Illustration: The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750.]
+
+[Illustration: The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750.]
+
+Hepplewhite's furniture has much of the delicacy of Adam's work, by
+whom, without doubt, he was influenced, as he was also by the French
+styles of the time. Luckily his own personality and sense of beauty and
+ingenuity were strong enough to develop a marked and beautiful style of
+his own. His favorite chair back was shield-shaped (see page 83), and he
+also used heart-shaped and wheel backs, either round or oval, and
+charmingly painted little panels. The three feathers of the Prince of
+Wales was a favorite design. He also made ladder-back chairs, usually
+with four rails. On much of his furniture the legs tapered on the inside
+edge only and were put in at a slight angle which gave security both in
+fact and appearance. He also used reeded legs. His console and other
+tables are beautiful in design and workmanship, being painted usually in
+different forms of the radiating fan design, or inlaid with beautiful
+colored woods. The inlay used was often oval in shape, sometimes only a
+line and sometimes panels of different woods or matched veneer. The
+handles used were round or oval. He made sofas and settees with either
+chair-back backs or all upholstered with the frame showing and the
+covering tacked on with brass tacks close together. His cabinets are
+fascinating, with their beautiful inlay and delicate strap work over the
+glass. He made four-post beds with fluted posts, and chests of drawers
+and little work tables and candle-stands and screens; and one thing we
+must be deeply grateful to him for is that he developed the sideboard
+into a really useful and beautiful piece of furniture. He made nearly
+everything in the way of necessities, and all show the marks of his
+taste. His dining-tables were on the plan of those of Chippendale but
+lighter in effect with tapering legs instead of the long cabriole leg
+ending in claw feet. His mirrors were usually oval with charming
+festoons. His favorite woods were mahogany and satin-wood, and he used
+many fine woods for inlay. Chintz and taffeta and fine velvet are all
+appropriate to use.
+
+In his best designs Sheraton was much influenced by Adam and Hepplewhite
+and the style of Louis XVI, but like them he also developed his own
+special and beautiful style. He used mahogany and a great deal of
+satin-wood of beautiful grain and of a delightful straw color, which was
+often veneered on oak frames. He was exceedingly fond of inlay, and his
+designs called for inlaid panels, borders, and festoons. He used the
+shell, bell-flower, fan, etc., all carried out in fine colored woods. He
+also used much painted furniture, and often designed white and gold
+furniture for drawing-rooms. His characteristic chair back was
+rectangular in shape with a central splat resting on a rail a few inches
+above the seat (see page 83). This splat was in many different forms,
+both inlaid and painted. The legs of his furniture were tapering and
+either square or reeded, the square usually being inlaid. He made
+beautiful sideboards which were inlaid and finished with a brass rail
+around the sides and back of the top, and round or oval or lion's-head
+handles with rings. He also designed most graceful inlaid knife boxes.
+Like Hepplewhite, he designed all kinds of furniture both large and
+small, and, until his deterioration came when he designed his
+astonishing Empire furniture, his style is full of beauty and charm and
+delicacy, and is copied very successfully by our modern makers.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 14824-8.txt or 14824-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/4/8/2/14824/
+
+Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Susan Skinner and the PG Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/old/14824-8.zip b/old/14824-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f548086
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-8.zip
diff --git a/old/14824-h.zip b/old/14824-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a2187c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h.zip
diff --git a/old/14824-h/14824-h.htm b/old/14824-h/14824-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83b1c41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/14824-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,6104 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
+<!DOCTYPE html
+     PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN"
+     "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of Furnishing The Home Of Good Taste, by Lucy Abbot Throop.
+    </title>
+    <style type="text/css">
+/*<![CDATA[  XML blockout */
+<!--
+    P {  margin-top: .75em;
+         text-align: justify;
+         margin-bottom: .75em;
+         }
+    .caption {font-size: smaller; text-align: center;}
+    LI {list-style-type: none}
+    H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 {
+         text-align: center; /* all headings centered */
+         }
+    HR { width: 33%;
+	margin-top: 1em;
+	margin-bottom: 1em;
+       }
+    BODY{margin-left: 10%;
+         margin-right: 10%;
+        }
+    .linenum  {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */
+    .note     {margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} /* footnote */
+    .blkquot  {margin-left: 4em; margin-right: 4em;} /* block indent */
+    .pagenum  {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */
+    .sidenote {width: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 1em; font-size: smaller; float: right; clear: right;}
+
+    .poem             {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;}
+    .poem br          {display: none;}
+    .poem .stanza     {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;}
+    .poem span        {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;}
+    .poem span.i2     {display: block; margin-left: 2em;}
+    .poem span.i4     {display: block; margin-left: 4em;}
+    .poem span.i12     {display: block; margin-left: 12em;}
+    // -->
+    /* XML end  ]]>*/
+    </style>
+   </head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+Project Gutenberg's Furnishing the Home of Good Taste, by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+       A Brief Sketch of the Period Styles in Interior Decoration with
+              Suggestions as to Their Employment in the Homes of Today
+              
+
+Author: Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+Release Date: January 28, 2005 [EBook #14824]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Susan Skinner and the PG Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+<h1>FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE</h1>
+
+<h3>A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE PERIOD STYLES IN INTERIOR DECORATION WITH
+SUGGESTIONS AS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOMES OF TODAY</h3>
+
+<h4>BY</h4>
+
+<h2>LUCY ABBOT THROOP</h2>
+<br />
+
+<h5>NEW YORK ROBERT M. MCBRIDE &amp; CO.</h5>
+
+<h5>1920</h5>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+
+<h6>1910,  THE CROWELL PUBLISHING CO.</h6>
+
+<h6>1911, 1912,  MCBRIDE, NAST &amp; CO.</h6>
+
+<h6>1920,  ROBERT M. MCBRIDE &amp; CO.</h6>
+
+<hr style="width: 15%;" />
+
+<h5>NEW AND REVISED EDITION</h5>
+
+<h5>Published, September, 1920</h5>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<a name="frontispiece"></a>
+<center>
+<a href="images/271.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_271.jpg" width="392" height="258" alt="A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters" title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'><i>Trowbridge &amp; Livingston, architects.</i> A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters</p>
+<br />
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+
+<h2><i>Contents</i></h2>
+
+
+
+
+<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Preface">PREFACE</a></td><td align='left'>i</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Egypt_and_Greece">EGYPT AND GREECE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_1'>1</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Renaissance_in_Italy">THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_7'>7</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Development_of_Decoration_in_France">THE DEVELOPMENT OF DECORATION IN FRANCE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_17'>17</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Louis_XIV">LOUIS XIV</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_29'>29</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Regency_and_Louis_XV">THE REGENCY AND LOUIS XV</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_37'>37</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Louis_XVI">LOUIS XVI</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_47'>47</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Empire">THE EMPIRE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_58'>58</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#English_Furniture_from_Gothic_Days_to_the_Period_of_Queen_Anne">ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM GOTHIC DAYS TO THE PERIOD OF QUEEN ANNE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_59'>59</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Queen_Anne">QUEEN ANNE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Chippendale_and_the_Eighteenth_Century_in_England">CHIPPENDALE AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Robert_Adam">ROBERT ADAM</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_91'>91</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Hepplewhite">HEPPLEWHITE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Sheraton">SHERATON</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_103'>103</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#A_General_Talk">A GENERAL TALK</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_111'>111</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Georgian_Furniture">GEORGIAN FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_135'>135</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Furnishing_With_French_Furniture">FURNISHING WITH FRENCH FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_149'>149</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Country_Houses">COUNTRY HOUSES</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_159'>159</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Nursery_and_Play_room">THE NURSERY AND PLAY-ROOM</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_169'>169</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Curtains">CURTAINS</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_175'>175</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Floors_and_Floor_Coverings">FLOORS AND FLOOR COVERINGS</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_185'>185</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#The_Treatment_of_Walls">THE TREATMENT OF WALLS</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_195'>195</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Artificial_Lighting">ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_209'>209</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Painted_Furniture">PAINTED FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_221'>221</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Synopsis_of_Period_Styles_as_an_Aid_in_Buying_Furniture">SYNOPSIS OF PERIOD STYLES AS AN AID IN BUYING FURNITURE</a></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_231'>231</a></td></tr></table>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><i>The Illustrations</i></h2>
+
+
+<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="">
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern dining-room</td><td align='left'><i><a href="#frontispiece">Frontispiece</a></i></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='right' colspan='2'>FACING PAGE</td></tr>
+<tr><td align='left'>Italian Renaissance fireplace and overmantel, modern</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_8'>8</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Doorways and pilaster details, Italian Renaissance</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_9'>9</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two Louis XIII chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_22'>22</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A Gothic chair of the fifteenth century</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_23'>23</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A Louis XIV chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_32'>32</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XIV inlaid desk-table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XIV chair with underbracing</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern French drawing-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_40'>40</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A drawing-room, old French furniture and tapestry</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_41'>41</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Early Louis XIV chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XV <i>berg&egrave;re</i></td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XVI bench</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_45'>45</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Louis XVI from Fontainebleau</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_50'>50</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>American Empire bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_51'>51</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>An Apostles bed of the Tudor period</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_60'>60</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Adaptation of the style of William and Mary to dressing table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_61'>61</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Charles II chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_61'>61</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Living-room with reproductions of different periods</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_64'>64</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Original Jacobean sofa</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Charles II chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_65'>65</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Queen Anne period</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_72'>72</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of James II chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of William and Mary chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_73'>73</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Gothic and Ribbonback types of Chippendale chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_78'>78</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale mantel mirror showing French influence</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale fretwork tea-table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_79'>79</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale china cupboard</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_82'>82</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Typical chairs of the eighteenth century</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_83'>83</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale and Hepplewhite sofas</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_86'>86</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Adam mirror, block-front chest of drawers, and Hepplewhite chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_87'>87</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two Adam mantels</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_92'>92</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A group of old mirrors</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_93'>93</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room furnished with Hepplewhite furniture</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_96'>96</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Old Hepplewhite sideboard</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Hepplewhite settee</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_97'>97</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_104'>104</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton desk and sewing-table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_105'>105</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room in simple country house</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_112'>112</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room furnished with fine old furniture</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_113'>113</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dorothy Quincy's bed-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_124'>124</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two valuable old desks</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_125'>125</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Pembroke inlaid table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_144'>144</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton sideboard</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_144'>144</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Four post bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_145'>145</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Doorway detail, Compi&egrave;gne</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_152'>152</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of a bed owned by Marie Antoinette</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_153'>153</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Louis XVI bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_153'>153</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A Georgian hallway</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_162'>162</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Rare block-front chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_163'>163</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern living-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_178'>178</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Curtain treatment for a summer home</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_179'>179</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hallway showing rugs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_188'>188</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hallway showing rugs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_189'>189</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Colonial bed-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_189'>189</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Dining-room with paneled walls</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_196'>196</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Four post bed owned by Lafayette</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_197'>197</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Modern dining-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_204'>204</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Four post bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_205'>205</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Adam painted furniture</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_222'>222</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Three-chair Sheraton settee</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of a Sheraton wing-chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Slat-backed chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Group of chairs and pie-crust table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_232'>232</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Groups of chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_233'>233</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Jacobean buffet</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_236'>236</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Group of mirrors</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_237'>237</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of William and Mary settee</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_240'>240</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Adaptation of Georgian ideas to William and Mary dressing table</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_240'>240</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Two Adam chairs</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Jacobean day-bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproductions of Chippendale table and Hepplewhite desk</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_244'>244</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of Sheraton chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_245'>245</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Reproduction of William and Mary chest of drawers</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_245'>245</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>A modern sun-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_246'>246</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Sheraton sofa</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hepplewhite chair and nest of tables</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Chippendale wing-chair</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_247'>247</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Modern paneled living-room</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_248'>248</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Empire bed</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_248'>248</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='left'>Hancock desk, and fine old highboy</td><td align='left'><a href='#Page_249'>249</a></td></tr>
+
+</table>
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Preface"></a><h2><i>Preface</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>To try to write a history of furniture in a fairly short space is almost
+as hard as the square peg and round hole problem. No matter how one
+tries, it will not fit. One has to leave out so much of importance, so
+much of historic and artistic interest, so much of the life of the
+people that helps to make the subject vivid, and has to take so much for
+granted, that the task seems almost impossible. In spite of this I shall
+try to give in the following pages a general but necessarily short
+review of the field, hoping that it may help those wishing to furnish
+their homes in some special period style. The average person cannot
+study all the subject thoroughly, but it certainly adds interest to the
+problems of one's own home to know something of how the great periods of
+decoration grew one from another, how the influence of art in one
+country made itself felt in the next, molding and changing taste and
+educating the people to a higher sense of beauty.</p>
+
+<p>It is the lack of general knowledge which makes it possible for
+furniture built on amazingly bad lines to be sold masquerading under the
+name of some great period. The customer soon becomes bewildered, and,
+unless he has a decided taste of his own, is apt to get something which
+will prove a white elephant on his hands. One must have some standard
+of comparison, and the best and simplest way is to study the great work
+of the past. To study its rise and climax rather than the decline; to
+know the laws of its perfection so that one can recognize the
+exaggeration which leads to degeneracy. This ebb and flow is most
+interesting: the feeling the way at the beginning, ever growing surer
+and surer until the high level of perfection is reached; and then the
+desire to &quot;gild the lily&quot; leading to over-ornamentation, and so to
+decline. However, the germ of good taste and the sense of truth and
+beauty is never dead, and asserts itself slowly in a transition period,
+and then once more one of the great periods of decoration is born.</p>
+
+<p>There are several ways to study the subject, one of the pleasantest
+naturally being travel, as the great museums, palaces, and private
+collections of Europe offer the widest field. In this country, also, the
+museums and many private collections are rich in treasures, and there
+are many proud possessors of beautiful isolated pieces of furniture. If
+one cannot see originals the libraries will come to the rescue with many
+books showing research and a thorough knowledge and appreciation of the
+beauty and importance of the subject in all its branches.</p>
+
+<p>I have tried to give an outline, (which I hope the reader will care to
+enlarge for himself), not from a collector's standpoint, but from the
+standpoint of the modern home-maker, to help him furnish his house
+consistently,&mdash;to try to spread the good word that period furnishing
+does not necessitate great wealth, and that it is as easy and far more
+interesting to furnish a house after good models, as to have it banal
+and commonplace.</p>
+
+<p>The first part of this little book is devoted to a short review of the
+great periods, and the second part is an effort to help adapt them to
+modern needs, with a few chapters added of general interest to the
+home-maker.</p>
+
+<p>A short bibliography is also added, both to express my thanks and
+indebtedness to many learned and delightful writers on this subject of
+house furnishing in all its branches, and also as a help to others who
+may wish to go more deeply into its different divisions than is possible
+within the covers of a book.</p>
+
+<p>I wish to thank the Editors of <i>House and Garden</i> and <i>The Woman's Home
+Companion</i> for kindly allowing me to reprint articles and portions of
+articles which have appeared in their magazines.</p>
+
+<p>I wish also to thank the owners of the different houses illustrated, and
+Messrs. Trowbridge and Livingston, architects, for their kindness in
+allowing me to use photographs.</p>
+
+<p>Thanks are also due Messrs. Bergen &amp; Orsenigo, Nahon &amp; Company, Tiffany
+Studios, Joseph Wild &amp; Co. and the John Somma Co. for the use of
+photographs to illustrate the reproduction of period furniture and rugs
+of different types.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><a name="Page_1"></a>
+<a name="Egypt_and_Greece"></a><h2><i>Egypt and Greece</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The early history of art in all countries is naturally connected more
+closely with architecture than with decoration, for architecture had to
+be developed before the demand for decoration could come. But the two
+have much in common. Noble architecture calls for noble decoration.
+Decoration is one of the natural instincts of man, and from the earliest
+records of his existence we find him striving to give expression to it,
+we see it in the scratched pieces of bone and stone of the cave
+dwellers, in the designs of savage tribes, and in Druidical and Celtic
+remains, and in the great ruins of Yucatan. The meaning of these
+monuments may be lost to us, but we understand the spirit of trying to
+express the sense of beauty in the highest way possible, for it is the
+spirit which is still moving the world, and is the foundation of all
+worthy achievement.</p>
+
+<p>Egypt and Assyria stand out against the almost impenetrable curtain of
+pre-historic days in all the majesty of their so-called civilization.
+Huge, massive, aloof from the world, their temples and tombs and ruins
+remain. Research has given us the key to their religion, so we
+understand much of the meaning of their wall-paintings and the buildings
+themselves. The belief of the Egyptian that life was a short passage and
+his house a mere stopping-place on the <a name="Page_2"></a>way to the tomb, which was to be
+his permanent dwelling-place, explains the great care and labor spent on
+the pyramids, chapels, and rock sepulchers. They embalmed the dead for
+all eternity and put statues and images in the tombs to keep the mummy
+company. Colossal figures of their gods and goddesses guarded the tombs
+and temples, and still remain looking out over the desert with their
+strange, inscrutable Egyptian eyes. The people had technical skill which
+has never been surpassed, but the great size of the pyramids and temples
+and sphinxes gives one the feeling of despotism rather than
+civilization; of mass and permanency and the wonder of man's achievement
+rather than beauty, but they personify the mystery and power of ancient
+Egypt.</p>
+
+<p>The columns of the temples were massive, those of Karnak being seventy
+feet high, with capitals of lotus flowers and buds strictly
+conventionalized. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics and
+paintings. Perspective was never used, and figures were painted side
+view except for the eye and shoulder. In the tombs have been found many
+household belongings, beautiful gold and silver work, beside the
+offerings put there to appease the gods. Chairs have been found, which,
+humorous as it may sound, are certainly the ancestors of Empire chairs
+made thousands of years later. This is explained by the influence of
+Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, but there is something in common between
+the <a name="Page_3"></a>two times so far apart, of ambition and pride, of grandeur and
+colossal enterprise.</p>
+
+<p>Greece may well be called the Mother of Beauty, for with the Greeks came
+the dawn of a higher civilization, a striving for harmony of line and
+proportion, an ideal clear, high and persistent. When the Dorians from
+the northern part of Greece built their simple, beautiful temples to
+their gods and goddesses they gave the impetus to the movement which
+brought forth the highest art the world has known. Traces of Egyptian
+influence are to be found in the earliest temples, but the Greeks soon
+rose to their own great heights. The Doric column was thick, about six
+diameters in height, fluted, growing smaller toward the top, with a
+simple capital, and supported the entablature. The horizontal lines of
+the architrave and cornice were more marked than the vertical lines of
+the columns. The portico with its row of columns supported the pediment.
+The Parthenon is the most perfect example of the Doric order, and
+shattered as it is by time and man it is still one of the most beautiful
+buildings in the world. It was built in the time of Pericles, from about
+460 to 435 B.C., and the work was superintended by Phidias, who did much
+of the work himself and left the mark of his genius on the whole.</p>
+
+<p>The Ionic order of architecture was a development of the Doric, but was
+lighter and more graceful. The columns were more slender and had a
+greater number of flutes and <a name="Page_4"></a>the capitals formed of scrolls or volutes
+were more ornamental.</p>
+
+<p>The Corinthian order was more elaborate than the Ionic as the capitals
+were foliated (the acanthus being used), the columns higher, and the
+entablature more richly decorated. This order was copied by the Romans
+more than the other two as it suited their more florid taste. All the
+orders have the horizontal feeling in common (as Gothic architecture has
+the vertical), and the simple plan with its perfect harmony of
+proportion leaves no sense of lack of variety.</p>
+
+<p>The perfection attained in architecture was also attained in sculpture,
+and we see the same aspiration toward the ideal, the same wonderful
+achievement. This purity of taste of the Greeks has formed a standard to
+which the world has returned again and again and whose influence will
+continue to be felt as long as the world lasts.</p>
+
+<p>The minor arts were carried to the same state of perfection as their
+greater sisters, for the artists and artisans had the same noble ideal
+of beauty and the same unerring taste. We have carved gems and coins,
+and wonderful gold ornaments, painted and silver vases, and terra-cotta
+figurines, to show what a high point the household arts reached. No work
+of the great Grecian painters remains; Apelles, Zeuxis, are only names
+to us, but from the wall paintings at Pompeii where late Greek influence
+was strongly felt we can imagine how charming the decorations must have
+been. Egypt and Greece were the torch bearers of civilization.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<a name="Page_5"></a>
+<a name="Page_6"></a>
+<a name="Page_7"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Renaissance_in_Italy"></a><h2><i>The Renaissance in Italy</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The Gothic period has been treated in later chapters on France and
+England, as it is its development in these countries which most affects
+us, but the Renaissance in Italy stands alone. So great was its strength
+that it could supply both inspiration and leaders to other countries,
+and still remain pre&euml;minent.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that this great
+classical revival in Italy came, this re-birth of a true sense of beauty
+which is called the Renaissance. It was an age of wonders, of great
+artistic creations, and was one of the great epochs of the world, one of
+the turning points of human existence. It covered so large a field and
+was so many-sided that only careful study can give a full realization of
+the giants of intellect and power who made its greatness, and who left
+behind them work that shows the very quintessence of genius.</p>
+
+<p>Italy, stirring slightly in the fourteenth century, woke and rose to her
+greatest heights in the fifteenth and sixteenth. The whole people
+responded to the new joy of life, the love of learning, the expression
+of beauty in all its forms. All notes were struck,&mdash;gay, graceful,
+beautiful, grave, cruel, dignified, reverential, magnificent, but all
+with <a name="Page_8"></a>an exuberance of life and power that gave to Italian art its great
+place in human culture. The great names of the period speak for
+themselves,&mdash;Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Leonardo da
+Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Machiavelli, Benvenuto Cellini, and a host of
+others.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/273.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_273.jpg" width="275" height="399" alt="An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters.</p>
+
+<p>The inspiration of the Renaissance came largely from the later Greek
+schools of art and literature, Alexandria and Rhodes and the colonies in
+Sicily and Italy, rather than ancient Greece. It was also the influence
+which came to ancient Rome at its most luxurious period. The importance
+of the taking of Alexandria and Constantinople in 1453 must not be
+underestimated, as it drove scholars from the great libraries of the
+East carrying their manuscripts to the nobles and priests and merchant
+princes of Italy who thus became enthusiastic patrons of learning and
+art. This later type of Greek art lacked the austerity of the ancient
+type, and to the models full of joy and beauty and suffering, the
+Italians of the Renaissance added the touch of their own temperament and
+made them theirs in the glowing, rich and astounding way which has never
+been equaled and probably never will be. Perfection of line and beauty
+was not sufficient, the soul with its capacity for joy and suffering,
+&quot;the soul with all its maladies&quot; as Pater says, had become a factor. The
+impression made upon Michelangelo by seeing the Laoco&ouml;n disinterred is
+vividly described by Longfellow&mdash;</p>
+
+<a name="Page_9"></a>
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i12">&quot;Long, long years ago,<br /></span>
+<span>Standing one morning near the Baths of Titus,<br /></span>
+<span>I saw the statue of Laoc&ouml;on<br /></span>
+<span>Rise from its grave of centuries like a ghost<br /></span>
+<span>Writhing in pain; and as it tore away<br /></span>
+<span>The knotted serpents from its limbs, I heard,<br /></span>
+<span>Or seemed to hear, the cry of agony<br /></span>
+<span>From its white parted lips. And still I marvel<br /></span>
+<span>At the three Rhodian artists, by whose hands<br /></span>
+<span>This miracle was wrought. Yet he beholds<br /></span>
+<span>Far nobler works who looks upon the ruins<br /></span>
+<span>Of temples in the Forum here in Rome.<br /></span>
+<span>If God should give me power in my old age<br /></span>
+<span>To build for him a temple half as grand<br /></span>
+<span>As those were in their glory, I should count<br /></span>
+<span>My age more excellent than youth itself,<br /></span>
+<span>And all that I have hitherto accomplished<br /></span>
+<span>As only vanity.&quot;<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+
+<center><a href="images/272.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_272.jpg" width="405" height="234" alt="The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period.</p>
+
+<p>&quot;It was an age productive in personalities, many-sided, centralized,
+complete. Artists and philosophers and those whom the action of the
+world had elevated and made keen, breathed a common air and caught light
+and heat from each other's thoughts. It is this unity of spirit which
+gives unity to all the various products of the Renaissance, and it is to
+this intimate alliance with mind, this participation in the best
+thoughts which that age produced, that the art of Italy in the fifteenth
+century owes much of its grave dignity and influence.&quot;<a name="FNanchor_A_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_A_1"><sup>[A]</sup></a></p>
+
+<a name="Footnote_A_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_A_1">[A]</a><div class="note"><p> Walter Pater: &quot;Studies in the Renaissance.&quot;</p></div><a name="Page_10"></a>
+
+<p>It is to this unity of the arts we owe the fact that the art of
+beautifying the home took its proper place. During the Middle Ages the
+Church had absorbed the greater part of the best man had to give, and
+home life was rather a hit or miss affair, the house was a fortress, the
+family possessions so few that they could be packed into chests and
+easily moved. During the Renaissance the home ideal grew, and, although
+the Church still claimed the best, home life began to have comforts and
+beauties never dreamed of before. The walls glowed with color,
+tapestries and velvets added their beauties, and the noble proportions
+of the marble halls made a rich background for the elaborately carved
+furniture.</p>
+
+<p>The doors of Italian palaces were usually inlaid with woods of light
+shade, and the soft, golden tone given by the process was in beautiful,
+but not too strong, contrast with the marble architrave of the doorway,
+which in the fifteenth century was carved in low relief combined with
+disks of colored marble, sliced, by the way, from Roman temple pillars.
+Later as the classic taste became stronger the carving gave place to a
+plain architrave and the over-door took the form of a pediment.</p>
+
+<p>Mantels were of marble, large, beautifully carved, with the fireplace
+sunk into the thickness of the wall. The overmantel usually had a carved
+panel, but later, during the sixteenth century, this was sometimes
+replaced by a picture. The windows of the Renaissance were a part of the
+decora<a name="Page_11"></a>tion of the room, and curtains were not used in our modern
+manner, but served only to keep out the draughts. In those days the
+better the house the simpler the curtains. There were many kinds of
+ceilings used, marble, carved wood, stucco, and painting. They were
+elaborate and beautiful, and always gave the impression of being
+perfectly supported on the well-proportioned cornice and walls. The
+floors were usually of marble. Many of the houses kept to the plan of
+medi&aelig;val exteriors, great expanses of plain walls with few openings on
+the outsides, but as they were built around open courts, the interiors
+with their colonnades and open spaces showed the change the Renaissance
+had brought. The Riccardi Palace in Florence and the Palazzo della
+Cancelleria in Rome, are examples of this early type. The second phase
+was represented by the great Bramante, whose theory of restraining
+decoration and emphasizing the structure of the building has had such
+important influence. One of his successors was Andrea Palladio, whose
+work made such a deep impression on Inigo Jones. The Library of St.
+Mark's at Venice is a beautiful example of this part. The third phase
+was entirely dominated by Michelangelo.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture, to be in keeping with buildings of this kind, was large
+and richly carved. Chairs, seats, chests, cabinets, tables, and beds,
+were the chief pieces used, but they were not plentiful at all in our
+sense of the word. The chairs and benches had cushions to soften the
+hard wooden <a name="Page_12"></a>seats. The stuffs of the time were most beautiful Genoese
+velvet, cloth of gold, tapestries, and wonderful embroideries, all
+lending their color to the gorgeous picture. The carved marriage chest,
+or cassone, is one of the pieces of Renaissance furniture which has most
+often descended to our own day, for such chests formed a very important
+part of the furnishing in every household, and being large and heavy,
+were not so easily broken as chairs and tables. Beds were huge, and were
+architectural in form, a base and roof supported on four columns. The
+classical orders were used, touched with the spirit of the time, and the
+fluted columns rose from acanthus leaves set in an urn supported on
+lion's feet. The tester and cornice gave scope for carving and the
+panels of the tester usually had the lovely scrolls so characteristic of
+the period. The headboard was often carved with a coat-of-arms and the
+curtains hung from inside the cornice.</p>
+
+<p>Grotesques were largely used in ornament. The name is derived from
+grottoes, as the Roman tombs being excavated at the time were called,
+and were in imitation of the paintings found on their walls, and while
+they were fantastic, the word then had no unkindly humorous meaning as
+now. Scrolls, dolphins, birds, beasts, the human figure, flowers,
+everything was called into use for carving and painting by genius of the
+artisans of the Renaissance. They loved their work and felt the beauty
+and meaning of every <a name="Page_13"></a>line they made, and so it came about that when, in
+the course of years, they traveled to neighboring countries, they spread
+the influence of this great period, and it is most interesting to see
+how on the Italian foundation each country built her own distinctive
+style.</p>
+
+<p>Like all great movements the Renaissance had its beginning, its splendid
+climax, and its decline.</p><a name="Page_14"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" /><a name="Page_17"></a>
+<a name="The_Development_of_Decoration_in_France"></a><h2><i>The Development of Decoration in France.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he absorbed
+so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the Gauls lived,
+so far as household effects were concerned. The character which
+descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation was
+optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it
+through many dark days. It might be said to be responsible for the
+French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has
+enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and
+decoration. They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked
+them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often
+gaining greatly in the process.</p>
+
+<p>One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a <i>bahut</i> or chest
+dating from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church
+of Obazine. It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture,
+and also shows that there was no carving used on it. Large spaces were
+probably covered with painted canvas, glued on. Later, when panels
+became smaller and the furniture designs were modi<a name="Page_18"></a>fied, moldings, etc.,
+began to be used. These <i>bahuts</i> or <i>huches</i>, from which the term
+<i>huchiers</i> came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing
+more than chests standing on four feet. From all sources of information
+on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief
+pieces of furniture the people had. They served as a seat by day and,
+with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night. They were also used
+as tables with large pieces of silver <i>dress&eacute;</i> or arranged upon them in
+the daytime. From this comes our word &quot;dresser&quot; for the kitchen shelves.
+In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the household
+belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of speedy
+transportation would be small, and everything was packed into the
+chests. As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of
+chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out
+came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which
+were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible. The germ
+of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the
+arras and the &quot;ciel&quot; to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls. When
+life became a little more secure and people learned something of the
+beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the
+relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in
+themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of
+line. It was not until some time in the fif<a name="Page_19"></a>teenth century that the
+habit of traveling with all one's belongings ceased.</p>
+
+<p>The year 1000 was looked forward to with abject terror, for it was
+firmly believed by all that the world was then coming to an end. It cast
+a gloom over all the people and paralyzed all ambition. When, however,
+the fatal year was safely passed, there was a great religious
+thanksgiving and everyone joined in the praise of a merciful God. The
+semi-circular arch of the Romanesque style gave way to the pointed arch
+of the Gothic, and wonderful cathedrals slowly lifted their beautiful
+spires to the sky. The ideal was to build for the glory of God and not
+only for the eyes of man, so that exquisite carving was lavished upon
+all parts of the work. This deeply reverent feeling lasted through the
+best period of Gothic architecture, and while household furniture was at
+a standstill church furniture became more and more beautiful, for in the
+midst of the religious fervor nothing seemed too much to do for the
+Church. Slowly it died out, and a secular attitude crept into
+decoration. One finds grotesque carvings appearing on the choir stalls
+and other parts of churches and cathedrals and the standard of
+excellence was lowered.</p>
+
+<p>The chest, table, wooden arm-chair, bed, and bench, were as far as the
+imagination had gone in domestic furniture, and although we read of
+wonderful tapestries and leather hangings and clothes embroidered in
+gold and jewels, there was <a name="Page_20"></a>no comfort in our sense of the word, and
+those brave knights and fair ladies had need to be strong to stand the
+hardships of life. Glitter and show was the ideal and it was many more
+years before the standard of comfort and refinement gained a firm
+foothold.</p>
+
+<p>Gothic architecture and decoration declined from the perfection of the
+thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to the over-decorated, flamboyant
+Gothic of the fifteenth century, and it was in the latter period that
+the transition began between the Gothic and the Renaissance epochs.</p>
+
+<p>The Renaissance was at its height in Italy in the fifteenth century, and
+its influence began to make itself felt a little in France at that time.</p>
+
+<p>When the French under Louis XII seized Milan, the magnificence of the
+court of Ludovico Sforza, the great duke of Milan, made such an
+impression on them that they could not rest content with the old order,
+and took home many beautiful things. Italian artisans were also
+imported, and as France was ready for the change, their lessons were
+learned and the French Renaissance came slowly into existence. This
+transition is well shown by the Chateau de Gaillon, built by Cardinal
+d'Amboise. Gothic and Renaissance decoration were placed side by side in
+panels and furniture, and we also find some pure Gothic decoration as
+late as the early part of the sixteenth century, but they were in parts
+of France where tradition changed slowly. Styles <a name="Page_21"></a>overlap in every
+transition period, so it is often difficult to place the exact date on a
+piece of furniture; but the old dies out at last and gives way to the
+new.</p>
+
+<p>With the accession of Frances I in 1515 the Renaissance came into its
+own in France. He was a great patron of art and letters, and under his
+fostering care the people knew new luxuries, new beauties, and new
+comforts. He invited Andrea del Sarto and Leonardo da Vinci to come to
+France. The word Renaissance means simply revival and it is not
+correctly used when we mean a distinct style led or inspired by one
+person. It was a great epoch, with individuality as its leading spirit,
+led by the inspiration of the Italian artists brought from Italy and
+molded by the genius of France. This renewal of classic feeling came at
+the psychological moment, for the true spirit of the great Gothic period
+had died. The Renaissance movements in Italy, France, England and
+Germany all drew their inspiration from the same source, but in each
+case the national characteristics entered into the treatment. The
+Italians and Germans both used the grotesque a great deal, but the
+Germans used it in a coarser and heavier way than the Italians, who used
+it esthetically. The French used more especially conventional and
+beautiful floral forms, and the inborn French sense of the fitness of
+things gave the treatment a wonderful charm and beauty. If one studies
+the French chateaux one will feel the true beauty and spirit of the
+times&mdash;Blois with its history of <a name="Page_22"></a>many centuries, and then some of the
+purely Renaissance chateaux, like Chambord. Although great numbers of
+Italian artists came to France, one must not think they did all the
+beautiful work of the time. The French learned quickly and adapted what
+they learned to their own needs, so that the delicate and graceful
+decorations brought from Italy became more and more individualized until
+in the reign of Henry II the Renaissance reached its high-water mark.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the time did not show much change or become more varied
+or comfortable. It was large and solid and the chairs had the
+satisfactory effect of good proportion, while the general squareness of
+outline added to the feeling of solidity. Oak was used, and later
+walnut. The chair legs were straight, and often elaborately turned, and
+usually had strainers or under framing. Cushions were simply tied on at
+first, but the knowledge of upholstering was gaining ground, and by the
+time of Louis XIII was well understood. Cabinets had an architectural
+effect in their design. The style of the decorative motive changed, but
+it is chiefly in architecture and the decorative treatment of it that
+one sees the true spirit of the Renaissance. Two men who had great
+influence on the style of furniture of the time were Androuet du Cerceau
+and Hugues Sambin. They published books of plates that were eagerly
+copied in all parts of France. Sambin's influence can be traced in the
+later style of Louis XIV.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<table summary=""><tr><td align="center"><a href="images/274a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_274a.jpg" width="150" height="218" alt="Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align="center"><a href="images/274b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_274b.jpg" width="151" height="215" alt="A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+ with velvet or tapestry." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td  class='caption'>Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence.</td>
+
+<td  class='caption'>A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+ with velvet or tapestry.</td></tr></table>
+
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_23"></a>
+<center>
+<a href="images/275.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_275.jpg" width="150" height="304" alt="By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
+
+This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling" title="" /></a>
+
+<p class='caption'><i>By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.</i></p>
+
+<p class='caption'>This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling.</p>
+</center>
+
+<p>The marriage of Henry II and Catherine de Medici naturally continued the
+strong Italian influence. The portion of the Renaissance called after
+Henry II lasted about seventy-five years, and corresponds with the
+Elizabethan period in England.</p>
+
+<p>During the regency of Marie de Medici, Flemish influence became very
+strong, as she invited Rubens to Paris to decorate the Luxembourg. There
+were also many Italians called to do the work, and as Rubens had studied
+in Italy, Italian influence was not lacking.</p>
+
+<p>Degeneracy began during the reign of Henry IV, as ornament became
+meaningless and consistency of decoration was lost in a maze of
+superfluous design.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the reign of Louis XIII that furniture for the first time
+became really comfortable, and if one examines the engravings of Abraham
+Bosse one will see that the rooms have an air of homelikeness as well as
+richness. The characteristic chair of the period was short in the back
+and square in shape&mdash;it was usually covered with leather or tapestry,
+fastened to the chair with large brass nails, and the back and seat
+often had a fringe. A set of chairs usually consisted of arm-chairs,
+plain chairs, folding stools and a <i>lit-de-repos</i>. Many of the
+arm-chairs were entirely covered with velvet or tapestry, or, if the
+woodwork showed, it was stained to harmonize with the covering on the
+seat and back.</p>
+
+<p>The twisted columns used in chairs, bedposts, etc., were <a name="Page_24"></a>borrowed from
+Italy and were very popular. Another shape often used for chair legs was
+the X that shows Flemish influence. The <i>lit-de-repos</i>, or
+<i>chaise-longue</i>, was a seat about six feet long, sometimes with arms and
+sometimes not, and with a mattress and bolster. The beds were very
+elaborate and very important in the scheme of decoration, as the ladies
+of the time held receptions in their bedrooms and the king and nobles
+gave audiences to their subjects while in bed. These latter were
+therefore necessarily furnished with splendor. The woodwork was usually
+covered with the same material as the curtains, or stained to harmonize.
+The canopy never reached to the ceiling but was, from floor to top,
+about 7 ft. 3 in. high, and the bed was 6-1/2 ft. square. The curtains
+were arranged on rods and pulleys, and when closed this &quot;<i>lit en
+housse</i>&quot; looked like a huge square box. The counterpane, or &quot;<i>coverture
+de parade</i>,&quot; was of the curtain material. The four corners of the canopy
+were decorated with bunches of plumes or panache, or with a carved
+wooden ornament called pomme, or with a &quot;<i>bouquet</i>&quot; of silk. The beds
+were covered with rich stuffs, like tapestry, silk, satin, velvet,
+cloth-of-gold and silver, etc., all of which were embroidered or trimmed
+with gold or silver lace. One of the features of a Louis XIII room was
+the tapestry and hangings. A certain look of dignity was given to the
+rooms by the general square and heavy outlines of the furniture and the
+huge chimney-pieces.</p><a name="Page_25"></a>
+
+<p>The taste for cabinets kept up and the cabinets and presses were large,
+sometimes divided into two parts, sometimes with doors, sometimes with
+open frame underneath. The tables were richly carved and gilded, often
+ornamented with bronze and copper. The cartouche was used a great deal
+in decoration, with a curved surface. This rounded form appears in the
+posts used in various kinds of furniture. When rectangles were used they
+were always broader than high. The garlands of fruit were heavy, the
+cornucopias were slender, with an astonishing amount of fruit pouring
+from them, and the work was done in rather low relief. Carved and gilded
+mirrors were introduced by the Italians as were also sconces and glass
+chandeliers. It was a time of great magnificence, and shadowed forth the
+coming glory of Louis XIV. It seems a style well suited to large
+dining-rooms and libraries in modern houses of importance.</p>
+<a name="Page_26"></a>
+<a name="Page_27"></a>
+<a name="Page_28"></a>
+<a name="Page_29"></a>
+
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Louis_XIV"></a><h2><i>Louis XIV</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>It is often a really difficult matter to decide the exact boundary lines
+between one period and another, for the new style shows its beginnings
+before the old one is passed, and the old style still appears during the
+early years of the new one. It is an overlapping process and the years
+of transition are ones of great interest. As one period follows another
+it usually shows a reaction from the previous one; a somber period is
+followed by a gay one; the excess of ornament in one is followed by
+restraint in the next. It is the same law that makes us want cake when
+we have had too much bread and butter.</p>
+
+<p>The world has changed so much since the seventeenth and eighteenth
+centuries that it seems almost impossible that we should ever again have
+great periods of decoration like those of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis
+XVI. Then the monarch was supreme. &quot;<i>L'&eacute;tat c'est moi</i>,&quot; said Louis XIV,
+and it was true. He established the great Gobelin works on a basis that
+made France the authority of the world and firmly imposed his taste and
+his will on the country. Now that this absolute power of one man is a
+thing of the past, we have the influence of many men forming and molding
+something that may turn into a beautiful epoch of decora<a name="Page_30"></a>tion, one that
+will have in it some of the feeling that brought the French Renaissance
+to its height, though not like it, for we have the same respect for
+individuality working within the laws of beauty that they had.</p>
+
+<p>The style that takes its name from Louis XIV was one of great
+magnificence and beauty with dignity and a certain solidity in its
+splendor. It was really the foundation of the styles that followed, and
+a great many people look upon the periods of Louis XIV, the Regency,
+Louis XV and Louis XVI as one great period with variations, or ups and
+downs&mdash;the complete swing and return of the pendulum.</p>
+
+<p>Louis XIV was a man with a will of iron and made it absolute law during
+his long reign of seventy-two years. His ideal was splendor, and he
+encouraged great men in the intellectual and artistic world to do their
+work, and shed their glory on the time. Cond&eacute;, Turenne, Colbert,
+Moli&egrave;re, Corneille, La Fontaine, Racine, F&eacute;n&eacute;lon, Boulle, Le Brun, are a
+few among the long and wonderful list. He was indeed Louis the
+Magnificent, the Sun King.</p>
+
+<p>One of the great elements toward achieving the stupendous results of
+this reign was the establishment of the &quot;Manufacture des Meubles de la
+Couronne,&quot; or, as it is usually called, &quot;Manufacture des Gobelins.&quot;
+Artists of all kinds were gathered together and given apartments in the
+Louvre and the wonderfully gifted and versatile Le Brun was put at the
+head. Tapestry, goldsmiths' work, furniture, jew<a name="Page_31"></a>elry, etc., were made,
+and with the royal protection and interest France rose to the position
+of world-wide supremacy in the arts. Le Brun had the same taste and love
+of magnificence as Louis, and had also extraordinary executive ability
+and an almost unlimited capacity for work, combined with the power of
+gathering about him the most eminent artists of the time. Andr&eacute; Charles
+Boulle was one, and his beautiful cabinets, commodes, tables, clocks,
+etc., are now almost priceless. He carried the inlay of metals,
+tortoise-shell, ivory and beautiful woods to its highest expression, and
+the mingling of colors with the exquisite workmanship gave most
+wonderful effects. Sheets of white metal or brass were glued together
+and the pattern was then cut out. When taken apart the brass scrolls
+could be fitted exactly into the shell background, and the shell scrolls
+into the brass background, thus making two decorations. The shell
+background was the more highly prized. The designs usually had a
+Renaissance feeling. The metal was softened in outline by engraving, and
+then ormolu mounts were added. Ormolu or gilt bronze mounts, formed one
+of the great decorations of furniture. The most exquisite workmanship
+was lavished on them, and after they had been cast they were cut and
+carved and polished until they became worthy ornaments for beautiful
+inlaid tables and cabinets. The taste for elaborately carved and gilded
+frames to chairs, tables, mirrors, etc., developed rapidly. Mirrors
+<a name="Page_32"></a>were made by the Gobelins works and were much less expensive than the
+Venetian ones of the previous reign. Walls were painted and covered with
+gold with a lavish hand. Tapestries were truly magnificent with gold and
+silver threads adding richness to their beauty of color, and were used
+purely as a decoration as well as in the old utilitarian way of keeping
+out the cold. The Gobelins works made at this time some of the most
+beautiful tapestries the world has known. The massive chimney-pieces
+were superseded by the &quot;<i>petite-chemin&eacute;e</i>&quot; and had great mirrors over
+them or elaborate over-mantels. The whole air of furnishing and
+decoration changed to one of greater lightness and brilliancy. The ideal
+was that everything, no matter how small, must be beautiful, and we find
+the most exquisite workmanship lavished on window-locks and door-knobs.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/276.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_276.jpg" width="275" height="409" alt="One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+ carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'>One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+ carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself.</p>
+
+<p>In the early style of Louis XIV, we find many trophies of war and
+mythological subjects used in the decorative schemes. The second style
+of this period was a softening and refining of the earlier one, becoming
+more and more delicate until it merged into the time of the Regency. It
+was during the reign of Louis XIV that the craze for Chinese decoration
+first appeared. <i>La Chinoiserie</i> it was called, and it has daintiness
+and a curious fascination about it, but many inappropriate things were
+done in its name. The furniture of the time was firmly placed upon the
+ground, the arm-chairs had strong straining-rails, square or curved
+<a name="Page_33"></a>backs, scroll arms carved and partly upholstered and stuffed seats
+and backs. The legs of chairs were usually tapering in form and
+ornamented with gilding, or marquetry, or richly carved, and later the
+feet ended in a carved leaf design. Some of the straining-rails were in
+the shape of the letter X, with an ornament at the intersection, and
+often there was a wooden molding below the seat in place of fringe. Many
+carved and gilded chairs had gold fringe and braid and were covered with
+velvet, tapestry or damask.</p>
+
+
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/277a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_277a.jpg" width="185" height="206" alt="By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
+Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts" title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/277b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_277b.jpg" width="176" height="204" alt="Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic
+underbracing" title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'><i>By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art </i><br /> Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts.</td>
+<td class='caption'>Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic underbracing.</td></tr>
+</table>
+
+
+<p>There were many new and elaborate styles of beds that came into fashion
+at this time. There was the <i>lit d'ange</i>, which had a canopy that did
+not extend over the entire bed, and had no pillars at the foot, the
+curtains were drawn back at the head and the counterpane went over the
+foot of the bed. There was the <i>lit d'alcove</i>, the <i>lit de bout</i>, <i>lit
+clos</i>, <i>lit de glace</i>, with a mirror framed in the ceiling, and many
+others. A <i>lit de parade</i> was like the great bed of Louis XIV at
+Versailles.</p>
+
+<p>Both the tall and bracket clocks showed this same love of ornament and
+they were carved and gilded and enriched with chased brass and wonderful
+inlay by Boulle. The dials also were beautifully designed. Consoles,
+tables, cabinets, etc., were all treated in this elaborate way. Many of
+the ceilings were painted by great artists, and those at Versailles,
+painted by Le Brun and others, are good examples. There was always a
+combination of the straight line and the curve, <a name="Page_34"></a>a strong feeling of
+balance, and a profusion of ornament in the way of scrolls, garlands,
+shells, the acanthus, anthemion, etc. The moldings were wide and
+sometimes a torus of laurel leaves was used, but in spite of the great
+amount of ornament lavished on everything, there is the feeling of
+balance and symmetry and strength that gives dignity and beauty.</p>
+
+<p>Louis was indeed fortunate in having the great Colbert for one of his
+ministers. He was a man of gigantic intellect, capable of originating
+and executing vast schemes. It was to his policy of state patronage,
+wisely directed, and energetically and lavishly carried out, that we owe
+the magnificent achievements of this period.</p>
+
+<p>Everywhere the impression is given of brilliancy and splendor&mdash;gold on
+the walls, gold on the furniture, rich velvets and damasks and
+tapestries, marbles and marquetry and painting, furniture worth a king's
+ransom. It all formed a beautiful and fitting background for the proud
+king, who could do no wrong, and the dazzling, care-free people who
+played their brilliant, selfish parts in the midst of its splendor. They
+never gave a thought to the great mass of the common people who were
+over-burdened with taxation; they never heard the first faint mutterings
+of discontent which were to grow, ever louder and louder, until the
+blood and horror of the Revolution paid the debt.</p>
+<a name="Page_35"></a>
+<a name="Page_36"></a>
+<a name="Page_37"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Regency_and_Louis_XV"></a><h2><i>The Regency and Louis XV</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When Louis XIV died in 1715, his great-grandson, Louis XV, was but five
+years old, so Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, became Regent. During the last
+years of Louis XIV's life the court had resented more or less the gloom
+cast over it by the influence of Madame de Maintenon, and turned with
+avidity to the new ruler. He was a vain and selfish man, feeling none of
+the responsibilities of his position, and living chiefly for pleasure.
+The change in decoration had been foreshadowed in the closing years of
+the previous reign, and it is often hard to say whether a piece of
+furniture is late Louis XIV or Regency.</p>
+
+<p>The new gained rapidly over the old, and the magnificent and stately
+extravagance of Louis XIV turned into the daintier but no less
+extravagant and rich decoration of the Regency and Louis XV. One of the
+noticeable changes was that rooms were smaller, and the reign of the
+boudoir began. It has been truly said that after the death of Louis XIV
+&quot;came the substitution of the finery of coquetry for the worship of the
+great in style.&quot; There was greater variety in the designs of furniture
+and a greater use of carved metal ornament and gilt bronze, beautifully
+chased. The ornaments took many shapes, such as shells, shaped foliage,
+<a name="Page_38"></a>roses, seaweed, strings of pearls, etc., and at its best there was
+great beauty in the treatment.</p>
+
+<p>It was during the Regency that the great artist and sculptor in metal,
+Charles Cressant, flourished. He was made <i>&eacute;beniste</i> of the Regent, and
+his influence was always to keep up the traditions when the reaction
+against the severe might easily have led to degeneration. There are
+beautiful examples of his work in many of the great collections of
+furniture, notably the wonderful commode in the Wallace collection. The
+dragon mounts of ormolu on it show the strong influence the Orient had
+at the time. He often used the figures of women with great delicacy on
+the corners of his furniture, and he also used tortoise-shell and many
+colored woods in marquetry, but his most wonderful work was done in
+brass and gilded bronze.</p>
+
+<p>In 1723, when Louis was thirteen years old, he was declared of age and
+became king. The influence of the Regent was, naturally, still strong,
+and unfortunately did much to form the character of the young king.
+Selfishness, pleasure, and low ideals, were the order of court life, and
+paved the way for the debased taste for rococo ornament which was one
+marked phase of the style of Louis XV.</p>
+
+<p>The great influence of the Orient at this time is very noticeable. There
+had been a beginning of it in the previous reign, but during the Regency
+and the reign of Louis XV it became very marked. &quot;<i>Singerie</i>&quot; and
+&quot;<i>Chinoiserie</i>&quot;<a name="Page_39"></a> were the rage, and gay little monkeys clambered and
+climbed over walls and furniture with a careless abandon that had a
+certain fascination and charm in spite of their being monkeys. The
+&quot;<i>Salon des Singes</i>&quot; in the Chateau de Chantilly gives one a good idea
+of this. The style was easily overdone and did not last a great while.</p>
+
+<p>During this time of Oriental influence lacquer was much used and
+beautiful lacquer panels became one of the great features of French
+furniture. Pieces of furniture were sent to China and Japan to be
+lacquered and this, combined with the expense of importing it, led many
+men in France to try to find out the Oriental secret. Le Sieur Dagly was
+supposed to have imported the secret and was established at the Gobelins
+works where he made what was called &quot;<i>vernis de Gobelins</i>.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>The Martin family evolved a most characteristically French style of
+decoration from the Chinese and Japanese lacquers. The varnish they
+made, called &quot;<i>vernis Martin</i>,&quot; gave its name to the furniture decorated
+by them, which was well suited to the dainty boudoirs of the day. All
+kinds of furniture were decorated in this way&mdash;sedan chairs and even
+snuff-boxes, until at last the supply became so great that the fashion
+died. There are many charming examples of it to be seen in museums and
+private collections, but the modern garish copies of it in many shops
+give no idea of the charm of the original. Watteau's delightful
+decorations <a name="Page_40"></a>also give the true spirit of the time, with their gayety
+and frivolity showing the Arcadian affectations&mdash;the fad of the moment.</p>
+
+<p>As the time passed decoration grew more and more ornate, and the
+followers of Cressant exaggerated his traits. One of these was Jules
+Aur&egrave;le Meissonier, an Italian by birth, who brought with him to France
+the decadent Italian taste. He had a most marvelous power of invention
+and lavished ornament on everything, carrying the rocaille style to its
+utmost limit. He broke up all straight lines, put curves and
+convolutions everywhere, and rarely had two sides alike, for symmetry
+had no charms for him. The curved endive decoration was used in
+architraves, in the panels of overdoors and panel moldings, everywhere
+it possibly could be used, in fact. His work was in great demand by the
+king and nobility. He designed furniture of all kinds, altars, sledges,
+candelabra and a great amount of silversmith's work, and also published
+a book of designs. Unfortunately it is this rococo style which is meant
+by many people when they speak of the style of Louis XV.</p>
+
+<p>Louis XV furniture and decoration at its best period is extremely
+beautiful, and the foremost architects of the day were undisturbed by
+the demand for rococo, knowing it was a vulgarism of taste which would
+pass. In France, bad as it was, it never went to such lengths as it did
+in Italy and Spain.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/278.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_278.jpg" width="376" height="260" alt="The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room.</p>
+<a name="Page_41"></a>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/279.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_279.jpg" width="345" height="261" alt="The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, &quot;Games of Children,&quot; show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly" title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, &quot;Games of Children,&quot; show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly.</p>
+
+<p>The easy generalization of the girl who said the difference between the
+styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI was like the difference in hair, one
+was curly and one was straight, has more than a grain of truth in it.
+The curved line was used persistently until the last years of Louis XV's
+time, but it was a beautiful, gracious curve, elaborate, and in
+furniture, richly carved, which was used during the best period. The
+decline came when good taste was lost in the craze for rococo.</p>
+
+<p>Chairs were carved and gilded, or painted, or lacquered, and also
+beautiful natural woods were used. The sofas and chairs had a general
+square appearance, but the framework was much curved and carved and
+gilded. They were upholstered in silks, brocades, velvets, damasks in
+flowered designs, edged with braid. Gobelin, Aubusson and Beauvais
+tapestry, with Watteau designs, were also used. Nothing more dainty or
+charming could be found than the tapestry seats and chair backs and
+screens which were woven especially to fit certain pieces of furniture.
+The tapestry weavers now used thousands of colors in place of the
+nineteen used in the early days, and this enabled them to copy with
+great exactness the charming pictures of Watteau and Boucher. The idea
+of sitting on beautiful ladies and gentlemen airily playing at country
+life, does not appeal to our modern taste, but it seems to be in accord
+with those days.</p>
+
+<p>Desks were much used and were conveniently arranged <a name="Page_42"></a>with drawers,
+pigeon-holes and shelves, and roll-top desks were made at this time.
+Commodes were painted, or richly ornamented with lacquer panels, or
+panels of rosewood or violet wood, and all were embellished with
+wonderful bronze or ormolu. Many pieces of furniture were inlaid with
+lovely S&egrave;vres plaques, a manner which is not always pleasing in effect.
+There were many different and elaborate kinds of beds, taking their
+names from their form and draping. &quot;<i>Lit d'anglaise</i>&quot; had a back,
+head-board and foot-board, and could be used as a sofa. &quot;<i>Lit a
+Romaine</i>&quot; had a canopy and four festooned curtains, and so on.</p>
+
+<p>The most common form of salon was rectangular, with proportions of 4 to
+3, or 2 to 1. There were also many square, round, octagonal and oval
+salons, these last being among the most beautiful. They all were
+decorated with great richness, the walls being paneled with carved and
+gilded&mdash;or partially gilded&mdash;wood. Tapestry and brocade and painted
+panels were used. Large mirrors with elaborate frames were placed over
+the mantels, with panels above reaching to the cornice or cove of the
+ceiling, and large mirrors were also used over console tables and as
+panels. The paneled overdoors reached to the cornice, and windows were
+also treated in this way. Windows and doors were not looked upon merely
+as openings to admit air and light and human beings, but formed a part
+of the scheme of decoration of the room. There were beautiful brackets
+and candelabra <a name="Page_43"></a>of ormolu to light the rooms, and the boudoirs and
+salons, with their white and gold and beautifully decorated walls and
+gilded furniture, gave an air of gayety and richness, extravagance and
+beauty.</p>
+
+<p>An apartment in the time of Louis XV usually had a vestibule, rather
+severely decorated with columns or pilasters and often statues in
+niches. The first ante-room was a waiting-room for servants and was
+plainly treated, the woodwork being the chief decoration. The second
+ante-room had mirrors, console tables, carved and gilded woodwork, and
+sometimes tapestry was used above a wainscot. Dining-rooms were
+elaborate, often having fountains and plants in the niches near the
+buffet. Bedrooms usually had an alcove, and the room, not counting the
+alcove, was an exact square. The bed faced the windows and a large
+mirror over a console table was just opposite it. The chimney faced the
+principal entrance.</p>
+
+<p>A &quot;<i>chambre en niche</i>&quot; was a room where the bed space was not so large
+as an alcove. The designs for sides of rooms by Meissonier, Blondel,
+Briseux Cuilles and others give a good idea of the arrangement and
+proportions of the different rooms. The cabinets or studies, and the
+<i>garde robes</i>, were entered usually from doors near the alcove. The
+ceilings were painted by Boucher and others in soft and charming colors,
+with cupids playing in the clouds, and other subjects of the kind. Great
+attention was given to clocks <a name="Page_44"></a>and they formed an important and
+beautiful part of the decoration.</p>
+
+<p>The natural consequence of the period of excessive rococo with its
+superabundance of curves and ornament, was that, during the last years
+of Louis's reign, the reaction slowly began to make itself felt. There
+was no sudden change to the use of the straight line, but people were
+tired of so much lavishness and motion in their decoration. There were
+other influences also at work, for Robert Adam had, in England,
+established the classic taste, and the excavations at Pompeii were
+causing widespread interest and admiration. The fact is proved that what
+we call Louis XVI decoration was well known before the death of Louis
+XV, by his furnishing Luciennes for Madam Du Barri in almost pure Louis
+XVI style.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/280a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_280a.jpg" width="154" height="204" alt="A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur" title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/280b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_280b.jpg" width="260" height="215" alt="This Louis XV berg&egrave;re is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period" title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This Louis XV berg&egrave;re is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period.</td></tr></table>
+
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_45"></a>
+<center>
+<a href="images/281.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_281.jpg" width="379" height="261" alt="There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+ with its Gobelin tapestry cover" title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+ with its Gobelin tapestry cover</p>
+
+<a name="Page_46"></a><a name="Page_47"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Louis_XVI"></a><h2><i>Louis XVI</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774, and reigned for nineteen years,
+until that fatal year of '93. He was kind, benign, and simple, and had
+no sympathy with the life of the court during the preceding reign. Marie
+Antoinette disliked the great pomp of court functions and liked to play
+at the simple life, so shepherdesses, shepherd's crooks, hats, wreaths
+of roses, watering-pots and many other rustic symbols became the
+fashion.</p>
+
+<p>Marie Antoinette was but fifteen years old when in 1770 she came to
+France as a bride, and it is hardly reasonable to think that the taste
+of a young girl would have originated a great period of decoration,
+although the idea is firmly fixed in many minds. It is known that the
+transition period was well advanced before she became queen, but there
+is no doubt that her simpler taste and that of Louis led them to accept
+with joy the classical ideas of beauty which were slowly gaining ground.
+As dauphin and dauphiness they naturally had a great following, and as
+king and queen their taste was paramount, and the style became
+established.</p>
+
+<p>Architecture became more simple and interior decoration followed suit.
+The restfulness and beauty of the straight line appeared again, and
+ornament took its proper place as a dec<a name="Page_48"></a>oration of the construction, and
+was subordinate to its design. During the period of Louis XVI the rooms
+had rectangular panels formed by simpler moldings than in the previous
+reign, with pilasters of delicate design between the panels. The
+overdoors and mantels were carried to the cornice and the paneling was
+usually of oak, painted in soft colors or white and gilded. Walls were
+also covered with tapestry and brocade. Some of the most characteristic
+marks of the style are the straight tapering legs of the furniture,
+usually fluted, with some carving. Fluted columns and pilasters often
+had metal quills filling them for a part of the distance at top and
+bottom, leaving a plain channel between. The laurel leaf was used in
+wreath form, and bell flowers were used on the legs of furniture. Oval
+medallions, surmounted by a wreath of flowers and a bow-knot, appear
+very often, and in about 1780 round medallions were used. Furniture was
+covered with brocade or tapestry, with shepherds and shepherdesses or
+pastoral scenes for the design. The gayest kinds of designs were used in
+the silks and brocades; ribbons and bow-knots and interlacing stripes
+with flowers and rustic symbols scattered over them. Curtains were less
+festooned and cut with great exactness. The canopies of beds became
+smaller, until often only a ring or crown held the draperies, and it
+became the fashion to place the bed sideways, &quot;<i>vu de face</i>.&quot;</p><a name="Page_49"></a>
+
+<p>There was a great deal of beautiful ornament in gilded bronze and ormolu
+on the furniture, and many colored woods were used in marquetry. The
+fashion of using S&egrave;vres plaques in inlay was continued. There was a
+great deal of white and colored marble used and very fine ironwork was
+made. Riesener, Roentgen, Gouthi&eacute;re, Fragonard and Boucher are some of
+the names that stand out most distinctly as authors of the beautiful
+decorations of the time. Marie Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainebleau is
+a perfect example of the style and many of the other rooms both there
+and at the Petit Trianon show its great beauty, gayety and dignity
+combined with its richness and magnificence.</p>
+
+<p>The influence of Pompeii must not be overlooked in studying the style of
+Louis XVI, for it appeared in much of the decoration of the time. The
+beautiful little boudoir of the Marquise de S&eacute;rilly is a charming
+example of its adaptation. The problem of bad proportion is also most
+interestingly overcome. The room was too high for its size, so it was
+divided into four arched openings separated by carved pilasters, and the
+walls covered with paintings. The ceiling was darker than the walls,
+which made it seem lower, and the whole color scheme was so arranged
+that the feeling of extreme height was lessened. The mantel is a
+beautiful example of the period. This room was furnished about 1780-82.</p>
+
+<p>Compared to the lavish curves of the style of Louis XV, <a name="Page_50"></a>the fine
+outlines and the beautiful ornament of Louis XVI appear to some people
+cold, but if they look carefully at the matter, they will find them not
+really so. The warmth of the Gallic temperament still shows through the
+new garb, giving life and beauty to the dainty but strong furniture.</p>
+
+<p>If one studies the examples of the styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and
+Louis XVI that one finds in the great palaces, collections, museums and
+books of prints and photographs, one will see that the wonderful
+foundation laid by Louis XIV was still there in the other two reigns.
+During the time of Louis XVI the pose of rustic simplicity was a very
+sophisticated pose indeed, but the reaction from the rocaille style of
+Louis XV led to one of the most beautiful styles of decoration that the
+world has seen. It had dignity, true beauty and the joy of life
+expressed in it.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/282.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_282.jpg" width="210" height="295" alt="Rare Louis XVI chair&mdash;an original from Fontainebleau." title="" /></a>
+</center><p class='caption'>Rare Louis XVI chair&mdash;an original from Fontainebleau.</p>
+
+<a name="Page_51"></a><center>
+<a href="images/283.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_283.jpg" width="329" height="170" alt="The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+ very beautiful article of furniture." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+ very beautiful article of furniture.</p>
+<a name="Page_52"></a><a name="Page_53"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Empire"></a><h2><i>The Empire</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The French Revolution made a tremendous change in the production of
+beautiful furniture, as royalty and the nobility could no longer
+encourage it. Many of the great artists died in poverty and many of them
+went to other countries where life was more secure.</p>
+
+<p>After the Revolution there was wholesale destruction of the wonderful
+works of art which had cost such vast sums to collect. Nothing was to
+remain that would remind the people of departed kings and queens, and a
+committee on art was appointed to make selections of what was to be
+saved and what was to be destroyed. That committee of &quot;tragic comedians&quot;
+set up a new standard of art criticism; it was not the artistic merits
+of a piece of tapestry, for instance, that interested them, but whether
+a king or queen dared show their heads upon it. If so, into the flames
+it went. Thousands of priceless things were destroyed before they
+finished their dreadful work.</p>
+
+<p>When Napoleon came into power he turned to ancient Rome for inspiration.
+The Imperial C&aelig;sars became his ideal and gave him a wide field in which
+to display his love for splendor, uncontrolled by any true artistic
+sense. It gave decoration a blow from which it was hard to recover.<a name="Page_54"></a>
+Massive furniture without real beauty of line, loaded with ormolu, took
+the place of the old. The furniture was simple in construction with
+little carving, until later when all kinds of animal heads and claws,
+and animals never seen by man, and horns of plenty, were used to support
+tables and chairs and sofas. Everywhere one turned the feeling of
+martial grandeur was in the air. Ormolu mounts of bay wreaths, torches,
+eagles, military emblems and trophies, winged figures, the sphinx, the
+bee, and the initial N, were used on furniture; and these same motives
+were used in wall decoration. The furniture was left the natural color
+of the wood, and mahogany, rosewood, and ebony, were used. Veneer was
+also extensively used. The front legs of chairs were usually straight,
+and the back legs slightly curved. Beds were massive, with head and
+foot-board of even height, and the tops rolled over into a scroll. Swans
+were used on the arms of chairs and sofas and the sides of beds. Tables
+were often round, with tripod legs; in fact, the tripod was a great
+favorite. There was a great deal of inlay of the favorite emblems but
+little carving. Plain columns with Doric caps and metal ornaments were
+used. The change in the use of color was very marked, for deep brown,
+blue and other dark colors were used instead of the light and gay ones
+of the previous period. The materials used were usually of solid colors
+with a design in golden yellow, a wreath, or a torch, or the bee, or one
+of the other favorite emblems being used in a spot <a name="Page_55"></a>design, or powdered
+on. Some of the color combinations in the rooms we read of sound quite
+alarming.</p>
+
+<p>Since the time of the Empire, France has done as the rest of the world
+has, gone without any special style.</p><a name="Page_56"></a><a name="Page_57"></a><a name="Page_58"></a><a name="Page_59"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="English_Furniture_from_Gothic_Days_to_the_Period_of_Queen_Anne"></a><h2><i>English Furniture from Gothic Days to the Period of Queen Anne.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The early history of furniture in all countries is very much the
+same&mdash;there is not any. We know about kings and queens, and war and
+sudden death, and fortresses and pyramids, but of that which the people
+used for furniture we know very little. Research has revealed the
+mention in old manuscripts once in a while of benches and chests, and
+the Bayeux tapestry and old seals show us that William the Conquerer and
+Richard Coeur de Lion sat on chairs, even if they were not very
+promising ones, but at best it is all very vague. It is natural to
+suppose that the early Saxons had furniture of some kind, for, as the
+remains of Saxon metalwork show great skill, it is probable they had
+skill also in woodworking.</p>
+
+<p>In England, as in France, the first pieces of furniture that we can be
+sure of are chests and benches. They served all purposes apparently, for
+the family slept on them by night and used them for seats and tables by
+day. The bedding was kept in the chests, and when traveling had to be
+done all the family possessions were packed in them. There is an old
+chest at Stoke d'Abernon church, dating from the thirteenth century,
+that has a little carving on it, and another <a name="Page_60"></a>at Brampton church of the
+twelfth or thirteenth century that has iron decorations. Some chests
+show great freedom in the carving, St. George and the Dragon and other
+stories being carved in high relief.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/284.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_284.jpg" width="236" height="335" alt="An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+ carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France&#39;s deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+ carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France&#39;s deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV.</p>
+
+<p>Nearly all the existing specimens of Gothic furniture are
+ecclesiastical, but there are a few that were evidently for household
+use. These show distinctly the architectural treatment of design in the
+furniture. Chairs were not commonly used until the sixteenth century.
+Our distinguished ancestors decided that one chair in a house was
+enough, and that was for the master, while his family and friends sat on
+benches and chests. It is a long step in comfort and manners from the
+fifteenth to the twentieth century. Later the guest of honor was given
+the chair, and from that may come the saying that a speaker &quot;takes the
+chair.&quot; Gothic tables were probably supported by trestles, and beds were
+probably very much like the early sixteenth century beds in general
+shape. There were cupboards and armoires also, but examples are very
+rare. From an old historical document we learn that Henry III, in 1233,
+ordered the sheriff to attend to the painting of the wainscoted chamber
+in Winchester Castle and to see that &quot;the pictures and histories were
+the same as before.&quot; Another order is for having the wall of the king's
+chamber at Westminster &quot;painted a good green color in imitation of a
+curtain.&quot; These painted walls and stained glass that we know they had,
+and the tapestry, must have given a <a name="Page_61"></a>cheerful color scheme to the
+houses of the wealthy class even if there was not much comfort.</p>
+
+
+<br /><br />
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/285a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_285a.jpg" width="207" height="226" alt="In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/285b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_285b.jpg" width="152" height="240" alt="This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'>In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs.</td>
+
+<td align='center'>This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>The history of the great houses of England, and also the smaller
+manor-houses, is full of interest in connection with the study of
+furniture. There are many manor-houses that show all the characteristics
+of the Gothic, Renaissance, Tudor and Jacobean periods, and from them we
+can learn much of the life of the times. The early ones show absolute
+simplicity in the arrangement, one large hall for everything, and later
+a small room or two added. The fire was on the floor and the smoke
+wandered around until it found its way out at the opening, or louvre, in
+the roof. Then a chimney was built at the dais end of the hall, and the
+mantelpiece became an important part of the decoration. The hall was
+divided by &quot;screens&quot; into smaller rooms, leaving the remainder for
+retainers, and causing the clergy to inveigh against the new custom of
+the lord of the manor &quot;eating in secret places.&quot; The staircase developed
+from the early winding stair about a newel or post to the beautiful
+broad stairs of the Tudor period. These were usually six or seven feet
+broad, with about six wide easy steps and then a landing, and the
+carving on the balusters was often very elaborate and sometimes very
+beautiful&mdash;a ladder raised to the <i>n</i>th power.</p>
+
+<p>Slowly the Gothic period died in England and slowly the Renaissance took
+its place. There was never the gayety of <a name="Page_62"></a>decorative treatment that we
+find in France, but the English workmen, while keeping their own
+individuality, learned a tremendous amount from the Italians who came to
+the country. Their influence is shown in the Henry VIIth Chapel in
+Westminster Abbey, and in the old part of Hampton Court Palace, built by
+Cardinal Wolsey.</p>
+
+<p>The religious troubles between Henry VIII and the Pope and the change of
+religion helped to drive the Italians from the country, so the
+Renaissance did not get such a firm foothold in England as it did in
+France. The mingling of Gothic and Renaissance forms what we call the
+Tudor period. During the time of Elizabeth all trace of Gothic
+disappeared, and the influence of the Germans and Flemings who came to
+the country in great numbers, helped to shorten the influence of the
+Renaissance. The over-elaboration of the late Tudor time corresponded
+with the deterioration shown in France in the time of Henry IV. The Hall
+of Gray's Inn, the Halls of Oxford, the Charterhouse and the Hall of the
+Middle Temple are all fine examples of the Tudor period.</p>
+
+<p>We find very few names of furniture makers of those days; in fact, there
+are very few names known in connection with the buildings themselves.
+The word architect was little used until after the Renaissance. The
+owner and the &quot;surveyor&quot; were the people responsible, and the plans,
+directions and details given to the workmen were astonishingly meager.</p><a name="Page_63"></a>
+
+<p>The great charm that we all feel in the Tudor and Jacobean periods is
+largely due to the beautiful paneled walls. Their woodwork has a color
+that only age can give and that no stain can copy. The first panels were
+longer than the later ones. Wide use was made of the beautiful
+&quot;linen-fold&quot; design in the wainscoting, and there was also much
+elaborate carving and strapwork. Scenes like the temptation of Adam and
+Eve were represented, heads in circular medallions, and simply
+decorative designs were used. In the days of Elizabeth it became the
+fashion to have the carving at the top of the paneling with plain panels
+below. Tudor and Jacobean mantelpieces were most elaborate and were of
+wood, stone, or marble richly carved, to say nothing of the beautiful
+plaster ones, and there are many fine examples in existence. They were
+fond of figure decoration, and many subjects were taken from the Bible.
+The overmantels were decorated with coats-of-arms and other carving, and
+the entablature over the fireplace often had Latin mottoes. The earliest
+firebacks date from the fifteenth century. Coats-of-arms and many
+curious designs were used upon them.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the Tudor period was much carved, and was made chiefly
+of oak. Cornices of beds and cabinets often had the egg-and-dart molding
+used on them, and the S-curve is often seen opposed on the backs of
+settees and chairs. It has a suggestion of a dolphin and is reminiscent
+<a name="Page_64"></a>of the dolphins of the Renaissance. The beds were very large, the
+&quot;great bed of Ware&quot; being twelve feet square. The cornice, the bed-head,
+the pedestals and pillars supporting the cornice were all richly carved.
+Frequently the pillars at the foot of the bed were not connected with
+it, but supported the cornice which was longer than the bed. The
+&quot;Courtney bedstead,&quot; dated 1593, showing many of the characteristics of
+the ornament of the time, is 103-1/2 inches high, 94 inches long, 68
+inches wide. The majority of the beds were smaller and lower, however,
+and the pillars usually rose out of drum-like members, huge acorn-like
+bulbs that were often so large as to be ugly. They appeared also on
+other articles of furniture. When in good proportion, with pillars
+tapering from them, they were very effective, and gradually they grew
+smaller. Some of the beds had the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
+John, carved on the posts. They were probably the origin of the nursery
+rhyme:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span>&quot;Four corners to my bed,<br /></span>
+<span>Four angels round my head,<br /></span>
+<span>Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,<br /></span>
+<span>Bless the bed that I lie on.&quot;<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/286.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_286.jpg" width="427" height="209" alt="In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+ stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+ stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping.</p>
+
+<p>Bed hanging were of silk, velvet, damask, wool damask, tapestry, etc.,
+and there were fine linen sheets and blankets and counterpanes of wool
+work. The chairs were high-<a name="Page_65"></a>backed of solid oak with cushions. There
+were also jointed stools, folding screens, chests, cabinets, tables with
+carpets (table covers) tapestry hangings, curtains, cushions, silver
+sconces, etc.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/287a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_287a.jpg" width="235" height="178" alt="Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+ pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+ pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/287b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_287b.jpg" width="183" height="159" alt="Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+ Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+ Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly.</p>
+
+<p>The Jacobean period began with James I, and lasted until the time of
+William and Mary, or from 1603 to about 1689. In the early part there
+was still a strong Tudor feeling, and toward the end foreign influence
+made itself felt until the Dutch under William became paramount. Inigo
+Jones did his great work at this time in the Palladian style of
+architecture. His simpler taste did much to reduce the exaggeration of
+the late Tudor days.</p>
+
+<p>Chests of various kinds still remained of importance. Their growth is
+interesting: first the plain ones of very early days, then panels
+appeared, then the pointed arch with its architectural effect, then the
+low-pointed arch of Tudor and early Jacobian times, and the geometrical
+ornament. Then came a change in the general shape, a drawer being added
+at the bottom, and at last it turned into a complete chest of drawers.</p>
+
+<p>Cabinets or cupboards were also used a great deal, and the most
+interesting are the court-and livery-cupboards. The derivation of the
+names is a bit obscure, but the court cupboard probably comes from the
+French <i>court</i>, short. The first ones were high and unwieldy and the
+later ones were lower with some enclosed shelves. They were used for <a name="Page_66"></a>a
+display of plate, much as the modern sideboard is used. The number of
+shelves was limited by rank; the wife of a baronet could have two, a
+countess three, a princess four, a queen five. They were beautifully
+carved, very often, the doors to the enclosed portions having heads,
+Tudor roses, arches, spindle ornaments and many other designs common to
+the Tudor and Jacobean periods. They had a silk &quot;carpet&quot; put on the
+shelves with the fringe hanging over the ends, but not the front, and on
+this was placed the silver.</p>
+
+<p>The livery-cupboard was used for food, and the word probably comes from
+the French <i>livrer</i>, to deliver. It had several shelves enclosed by
+rails, not panels, so the air could circulate, and some of them had open
+shelves and a drawer for linen. They were used much as we use a
+serving-table, or as the kitchen dresser was used in old New England
+days. In them were kept food and drink for people to take to their
+bedrooms to keep starvation at bay until breakfast.</p>
+
+<p>Drawing-tables were very popular during Jacobean times. They were
+described as having two ends that were drawn out and supported by
+sliders, while the center, previously held by them, fell into place by
+its own weight. Another characteristic table was the gate-legged or
+thousand-legged table, that was used so much in our own Colonial times.
+There were also round, oval and square tables which had flaps supported
+by legs that were drawn out. Tables were almost invariably covered with
+a table cloth.</p><a name="Page_67"></a>
+
+<p>Some of the chairs of the time of James I were much like those of Louis
+XIII, having the short back covered with leather, damask, or tapestry,
+put on with brass or silver nails and fringe around the edge of the
+seat. The chief characteristic of the chairs of this time was solidity,
+with the ornament chiefly on the upper parts, which were molded oftener
+than carved, with the backs usually high. A plain leather chair called
+the &quot;Cromwell chair,&quot; was imported from Holland. The solid oak back gave
+way at last to the half solid back, then came the open back with rails,
+and then the Charles II chair, with its carved or turned uprights, its
+high back of cane, and an ornamental stretcher like the top of the chair
+back, between the front legs. This is a very attractive feature, as it
+serves to give balance of decoration and also partly hides the plain
+stretcher from sight. A typical detail of Charles II furniture is the
+crown supported by cherubs or opposed S-curves. James II used a crown
+and palm leaves.</p>
+
+<p>Grinling Gibbons did his wonderful work in carving at this time, using
+chiefly pear and lime wood. The greater part of his work was wall
+decoration, but he made tables, mirrors and other furniture as well. The
+carving was often in lighter wood than the background, and was in such
+high relief that portions of it had often to be &quot;pinned&quot; together, for
+it seemed almost in the round. Evelyn discovered Gibbons in a little
+shop working away at such a wonderful piece <a name="Page_68"></a>of carving that he could
+not rest until he had taken him to Sir Christopher Wrenn. From this
+introduction came the great amount of work they did together. The
+influence of his work was still seen in the early eighteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>The room at Knole House that was furnished for James I is of great
+interest, as it is the same to-day as when first furnished. The bed is
+said to have cost &pound;8,000. As it is one of the show places of England one
+should not miss a chance of seeing it.</p>
+
+<p>Until the time of the Restoration the furniture of England could not
+compare in sumptuousness with that of the Continental countries.
+England, besides having a simpler point of view, was in a perpetual
+state of unrest. The honest and hard-working English joiners and
+carpenters adapted in a plain and often clumsy way the styles of the
+different foreigners who came to the country. Through it all, however,
+they kept the touch of national character that makes the furniture so
+interesting, and they often did work of great beauty and worth. When
+Charles II came to the throne he brought with him the ideas of France,
+where he had spent so many years, and the change became very marked. The
+natural Stuart extravagance also helped to form his taste, and soon we
+hear of much more elaborate decoration throughout the land.</p>
+
+<p>Many of the country towns were far behind London in the style of
+furniture, and this explains why some furniture <a name="Page_69"></a>that is dated 1670, for
+instance, seems to belong to an earlier time. The famous silver
+furniture of Knole House, Seven-oaks, belongs to this time. Evelyn
+mentions in his diary that the rooms of the Duchess of Portsmouth were
+full of &quot;Japan cabinets and screens, pendule clocks, greate vases of
+wrought plate, tables, stands, chimney furniture, sconces, branches,
+baseras, etc., all of massive silver,&quot; and later he mentions again her
+&quot;massy pieces of plate, whole tables and stands of incredible value.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>In the reign of William and Mary, Dutch influence was naturally very
+pronounced, as William disliked everything English. The English, being
+now well grounded in the knowledge of construction, took the Dutch ideas
+as a foundation and developed them along their own lines, until we have
+the late Queen Anne type made by Chippendale.</p>
+
+<p>The change in the style of chairs was most marked and noticeable. They
+were more open backed than in Charles's time and had two uprights and a
+spoon-or fiddle-shaped splat to support the sitter's back. The chair
+backs took more the curve of the human figure, and the seats were
+broader in front than in the back; the cabriole legs were broad at the
+top and ended in claw or pad feet, and there were no straining-rails.
+The shell was a common form of ornament, and all crowns and cherubs had
+disappeared. Inlay and marquetry came to be generously used, but there
+had been many cabinets of Dutch marquetry brought to<a name="Page_70"></a> England even
+before the time of William and Mary. Flower designs in dyed woods,
+shell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory were used.</p>
+
+<p>The marquetry clocks made at this time are wonderful and characteristic
+examples of the work, and are among the finest clocks ever made for
+beauty of line and finish, and proportion.</p>
+
+<p>Although marquetry and inlay have much in common there is one great
+difference between them, and they should not be used as synonymous
+terms. In marquetry the entire surface of the article is covered with
+pieces of different colored woods cut very thin and glued on. It is like
+a modern picture puzzle done with regard to the design. In inlay, the
+design only is inlaid in the wood, leaving a much larger plain
+background. Veneering is a thin layer of beautiful and often rare wood
+glued to a foundation of some cheaper kind. The tall clocks and cabinets
+of William and Mary's time and the wonderful work of Boulle in France
+are examples of marquetry, the fine furniture of Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton are masterly examples of inlay.</p>
+
+<a name="Page_72"></a><center>
+<a href="images/288a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_288a.jpg" width="236" height="161" alt="Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+ out the true feeling of the old with great skill." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<center>
+<a href="images/288b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_288b.jpg" width="236" height="161" alt="Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+ out the true feeling of the old with great skill." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'>Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+ out the true feeling of the old with great skill.</p>
+
+
+<br />
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/289a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_289a.jpg" width="153" height="253" alt="A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/289b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_289b.jpg" width="163" height="215" alt="Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_73"></a>
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Queen_Anne"></a><h2><i>Queen Anne</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>&quot;Queen Anne&quot; furniture is a very elastic term, for it is often used to
+cover the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I, and a part
+of the reign of George II, or, in other words, all the time of Dutch
+influence. The more usual method is to leave out William and Mary, but
+at best the classification of furniture is more or less arbitrary, for
+in England, as well as other countries, the different styles overlap
+each other. Chippendale's early work was distinctly influenced by the
+Dutch.</p>
+
+<p>Walnut superseded oak in popularity, and after 1720 mahogany gradually
+became the favorite. There was a good deal of walnut veneering done, and
+the best logs were saved for the purpose. Marquetry died out and gave
+place to carving, and the cabriole leg, one of the chief marks of Dutch
+influence, became a firmly fixed style. The carving was put on the knees
+and the legs ended in claw and ball and pad feet. Some chairs were
+simply carved with a shell or leaf or scroll on top rail and knees of
+the legs. In the more elaborately carved chairs the arms, legs, splat,
+and top rail were all carved with acanthus leaves, or designs from
+Gibbons's decoration. Chairs were broad in the seat and high of back
+with wide <a name="Page_74"></a>splats, often decorated with inlay, in the early part of the
+period. The top rail curved into the side uprights, and the seat was set
+into a rebate or box-seat. The chair backs slowly changed in shape,
+becoming broader and lower, the splat ceased to be inlaid and was
+pierced and carved, and the whole chair assumed the shape made so
+familiar to us by Chippendale.</p>
+
+<p>Tables usually had cabriole legs, although there were some gate-or
+thousand-legged, tables, and card tables, writing-tables, and
+flap-tables, were all used. It was in the Queen Anne period that
+highboys and lowboys made their first appearance.</p>
+
+<p>In the short reign of Anne it also became the fashion to have great
+displays of Chinese porcelain, and over-mantels, cupboards, shelves and
+tables were covered with wonderful pieces of it. Addison, in Sir Roger
+de Coverley, humorously describes a lady's library of the time.</p>
+
+<p>&quot;... And as it was some time before the lady came to me I had an
+opportunity of turning over a great many of her books, which were ranged
+in a very beautiful order. At the end of the folios (which were finely
+bound and gilt) were great jars of china placed one above another in a
+very noble piece of architecture. The quartos were separated from the
+octavos by a pile of smaller vessels, which rose in a delightful
+pyramid. The octavos were bounded by tea-dishes of all shapes, colors,
+and sizes, which were so disposed on a wooden frame that they looked
+like one continued pillar <a name="Page_75"></a>indented with the finest strokes of sculpture
+and stained with the greatest variety of dyes. Part of the library was
+enclosed in a kind of square, consisting of one of the prettiest
+grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions,
+monkeys, mandarins, trees, shells, and a thousand other odd figures in
+china ware. In the midst of the room was a little Japan table.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>Between 1710 and 1730 lacquer ware became very fashionable, and many
+experiments were made to imitate the beautiful Oriental articles brought
+home by Dutch traders. In Holland a fair amount of success was attained
+and a good deal of lacquered furniture was sent from there to England
+where the brass and silver mounts were added. English and French were
+experimenting, the French with the greatest success in their Vernis
+Martin, mentioned elsewhere, which really stood quite in a class by
+itself, but the imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer were inferior
+to the originals. Pine, oak, lime, and many other woods, were used as a
+base, and the fashion was so decided that nearly all kinds of furniture
+were covered with it. This lacquer ware of William and Mary's and Queen
+Anne's time must not be confounded with the Japanned furniture of
+Hepplewhite's and Sheraton's time, which was quite different and of much
+lower grade.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the reign of Queen Anne that the sun began to rise on English
+cabinet work; it shone gloriously through the eighteenth century, and
+sank in early Victorian clouds.</p>
+
+<a name="Page_76"></a><a name="Page_77"></a><a name="Page_78"></a>
+<br /><br />
+
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/290a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_290a.jpg" width="163" height="215" alt="Two important phases of Chippendale&#39;s work&mdash;an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/290b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_290b.jpg" width="163" height="215" alt="Two important phases of Chippendale&#39;s work&mdash;an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption' colspan='2'>Two important phases of Chippendale&#39;s work&mdash;an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+
+<a name="Page_79"></a><center>
+<a href="images/291a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_291a.jpg" width="278" height="158" alt="An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+ mirror, showing French influence." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+ mirror, showing French influence.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/291b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_291b.jpg" width="274" height="214" alt="One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale&#39;s
+fretwork tea-tables in existence." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale&#39;s
+fretwork tea-tables in existence.</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Chippendale_and_the_Eighteenth_Century_in_England"></a><h2><i>Chippendale and the Eighteenth Century in England.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The classification of furniture in England is on a different basis from
+that of France, as the rulers of England were not such patrons of art as
+were the French kings. Flemish, Dutch and French influences all helped
+to form the taste of the people. The Jacobean period lasted from the
+time of James I to the time of William and Mary. William brought with
+him from Holland the strong Dutch feeling that had a tremendous
+influence on the history of English furniture, and during Anne's short
+reign the Dutch feeling still lasted.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until the early years of the reign of George II that the
+Georgian period came into its own with Chippendale at its head. Some
+authorities include William and Mary and Queen Anne in the Georgian
+period, but the more usual idea is to divide it into several parts,
+better known as the times of Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton. French influence is marked throughout and is divided into
+parts. The period of Chippendale was contemporaneous with that of Louis
+XV, and the second part included the other three men and corresponded
+with the last years of<a name="Page_80"></a> Louis XV, when the transition to Louis XVI was
+beginning, and the time of Louis XVI.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until the latter part of Chippendale's life that he gave up
+his love of rococo curves and scrolls, dripping water effects, and his
+Chinese and Gothic styles. His early chairs had a Dutch feeling, and it
+is often only by ornamentation that one can date them.</p>
+
+<p>The top of the Dutch chair had a flowing curve, the splat was first
+solid and plain, then carved, and later pierced in geometrical designs;
+then came the curves that were used so much by Chippendale. The carving
+consisted of swags and pendants of fruit and flowers, shells, acanthus
+leaves, scrolls, eagle's heads, carved in relief on the surface.</p>
+
+<p>Dutch chairs were usually of walnut and some of the late ones were of
+mahogany. Mahogany was not used to any extent before 1720, but at that
+time it began to be imported in large quantities, and its lightness and
+the ease with which it could be worked made it appropriate for the
+lighter style of furniture then coming into vogue.</p>
+
+<p>Chippendale began to make chairs with the curved top that is so
+characteristic of his work. The splat back was always used, in spite of
+the French, and its treatment is one of the most interesting things in
+the history of English furniture. It gave scope for great originality.
+Although, as I have said before, foreign influence was strong, the ideas
+were adapted and worked out by the great cabinet-makers <a name="Page_81"></a>of the Georgian
+period with a vigor and beauty that made a distinct English style, and
+often went far, far ahead of the originals.</p>
+
+<p>There were, so far as we know, three Thomas Chippendales: the second was
+the great one. He was born in Worcester, England, about 1710, and died
+in 1779. He and his father, who was also a carver, came to London before
+1727. Very little is known about his life, but we may feel sure he was
+that rare combination: a man of genius with decided business ability. He
+not only designed the furniture which was made in his shop, but executed
+a large part of it also, and superintended all the work done there by
+others. That he was a man of originality shows distinctly through his
+work, for although he adapted and copied freely and was strongly
+influenced by the Dutch, French, and &quot;Chinese taste,&quot; there is always
+his own distinctive touch. The furniture of his best period, and those
+belonging to his school, has great beauty of line and proportion, and
+the exquisite carving shows a true feeling for ornament in relation to
+plain surfaces. There are a few examples in existence of carving in
+almost as high relief as that of Grinling Gibbons, swags, etc., and in
+his most rococo period his carving was very elaborate. It always had
+great clearness of edge and cut, and a wonderful feeling for light and
+shade. In what is called &quot;Irish Chippendale,&quot; which was furniture made
+in Ireland after the style of Chippendale, the carving was in low relief
+<a name="Page_82"></a>and the edges fairly smoothed off, which made it much less interesting.</p>
+
+<p>Chippendale looked upon his work as one of the arts and placed his ideal
+of achievement very high, and that he received the recognition of the
+best people of the time as an artist of merit is proved by his election
+to the Society of Arts with such men as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace
+Walpole, Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, and others.</p>
+
+<p>The genius of Chippendale justly puts him in the front rank of
+cabinet-makers and his influence was the foundation of much of the fine
+work done by many others during the eighteenth century. He is often
+criticized for his excessive rococo taste as displayed in the plates of
+the &quot;Gentleman's and Cabinet-maker's Director,&quot; and in some of his
+finished work. Many of the designs in the &quot;Director&quot; were probably never
+carried out, and some of them were probably added to by the soaring
+imaginations of the engraver. This is true of all the books published by
+the great cabinet-makers, and it always seems more fair to have their
+reputations rest on their finished work which has come down to us.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/292.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_292.jpg" width="275" height="404" alt="The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+ fine example of his work." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+ fine example of his work.</p>
+
+<p>Chippendale, of course, must bear the chief part of the charge of
+over-elaboration, and he frankly says that he thinks &quot;much enrichment is
+necessary.&quot; He copied Meissonier's designs and had a great love for
+gilding, but the display of rococo taste is not in all his work by any
+means, nor was it so excessive as that of the French. The more
+self-restrained <a name="Page_83"></a>temperament of the Anglo-Saxon race makes a deal of
+difference. He early used the ogee curve and cabriole leg, the knees of
+which he carved with cartouches and leaves or other designs. The front
+rail of the chair also was often carved. There were several styles of
+curved leg, the cabriole leg of Dutch influence, and the curved style of
+Louis XV. There were also several variations on the claw and ball foot.
+Many Chippendale chairs were without stretchers, but the straight legged
+style usually had four. The seats were sometimes in a box frame or
+rebate, and sometimes the covering was drawn over the frame and fastened
+with brass headed nails. Chippendale in the &quot;Director&quot; speaks of red
+morocco, Spanish leather, damask, tapestry and other needlework as being
+appropriate for the covering of his chairs.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/293a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293a.jpg" width="111" height="179" alt="A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/293b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293b.jpg" width="116" height="170" alt="One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/293c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293c.jpg" width="99" height="171" alt="Hepplewhite&#39;s characteristic shield-shaped back." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/293d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_293d.jpg" width="110" height="174" alt="Thomas Sheraton&#39;s rectangular type of chair-back." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>Hepplewhite&#39;s characteristic shield-shaped back.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>Thomas Sheraton&#39;s rectangular type of chair-back.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>In about 1760 or 1765 he began to use the straight leg for his chairs.
+The different shapes of splats will often help in deciding the dates of
+their making, and its development is of great interest. The curves shown
+in the diagram on page 84 are the merest suggestions of the outline of
+the splat, and they were carved most beautifully in many different
+designs. Ribbon-back chairs are dated about 1755 and show the adapted
+French influence. His Gothic and Chinese designs were made about
+1760-1770. Ladder-back chairs nearly always had straight legs, either
+plain or with double ogee curve and bead moldings, but there are a few
+examples of ladder-back and cabriole legs combined, although these <a name="Page_84"></a>are
+very rare. The chair settees of the Dutch time, with backs having the
+appearance of chairs side by side, were also made by Chippendale. &quot;Love
+seats&quot; were small settees. It was na&iuml;vely said that &quot;they were too large
+for one and too small for two.&quot; A large armchair that shows a decided
+difference in the manners of the early eighteenth century and the
+present day was called the &quot;drunkard's chair.&quot;</p>
+
+<center>
+<img src="images/099.png" width="600" height="440" alt="DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE." title="" />
+<p class='caption'>DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE.</p>
+</center>
+
+<p>When the craze for &quot;Indian work&quot; was at its height, there were many
+pieces of old oak and walnut furniture covered with lacquer to bring it
+up to the fashionable standard, but their forms were not suitable, and
+oak especially, with its <a name="Page_85"></a>coarse grain did not lend itself to the
+process. The stands for lacquer cabinets vary in style, but were often
+gilded in late Louis XIV and Louis XV style. The difference between true
+lacquer and its imitations is hard to explain. The true was made by
+repeated coats of a special varnish, each rubbed down and allowed to
+become hard before the next was put on. This gave a hard, cool, smooth
+surface with no stickiness. Modern work, done with paint and French
+varnish, has not this delightful feeling, but is nearly always clammy to
+the touch, and the colors are hurt by the process of polishing.
+Chippendale did not use much lacquer, but in the &quot;Director&quot; he often
+says such and such designs would be suitable for it.</p>
+
+<p>Much of the furniture that Chippendale made was heavy, but the best of
+it had much beauty. His delicate fretwork tea-tables are a delight, with
+their fretwork cupboards and carving. He seemed to combine many sides in
+his artistic temperament, a fact that many people lay to his power of
+assimilating the work of others. He did not make sideboards in our sense
+of the word. His were large side-tables, sometimes with a drawer for
+silver and sometimes not. Pier-tables were very much like them in shape,
+but smaller, and were often gilded to match the mirrors which were
+placed above them.</p>
+
+<p>The larger pieces of Chippendale furniture have the same characteristic
+of perfect workmanship and detail which the <a name="Page_86"></a>chairs possess.
+Dining-tables were made in sections consisting of two semi-circular ends
+and two center pieces with flaps which could all be joined together and
+make a very large table. The beds he made had four posts and cornice
+tops elaborately carved and often gilded, with a strong Louis XV
+feeling. The curtains hung from the inside of the cornice. He also made
+many other styles of beds, such as canopy beds, tent beds, flat tester
+beds, Chinese beds, Gothic beds: there was almost nothing he did not
+make for the house from wall brackets to the largest wardrobes.</p>
+
+<p>To many people used to the simple Chippendale furniture which is
+commonly seen, the idea of rich and beautiful carving and gilding comes
+as a surprise, and even in the &quot;Director&quot; there are no plates which show
+his most beautiful work. His elaborate furniture was naturally chiefly
+order work, and so was not pictured, and much of it that is left is
+still in the possession of the descendants of the original owners. The
+small number of authentic pieces which have reached public sales have
+been eagerly snapped up by private collectors and museums at large
+prices.</p>
+<br />
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/294a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_294a.jpg" width="243" height="131" alt="It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite&#39;s taste." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/294b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_294b.jpg" width="243" height="131" alt="It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite&#39;s taste." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite&#39;s taste.</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>In America much of the furniture called Chippendale was not made by
+Chippendale himself, but was made after his designs and copied from
+imported pieces by clever cabinet-makers here in the, then, colonies.
+The average American of the eighteenth century was a simple and not over
+rich person of good breeding and refined taste who appreciated the
+<a name="Page_87"></a>fact that the elaborate furniture of England and France would not be
+in keeping with life in America, and so either imported the simpler
+kinds, or demanded that the home cabinet-maker choose good models for
+his work. This partly explains why we have so much really good Colonial
+furniture, and not so much of the elaborately carved and gilded variety.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/295.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_295.jpg" width="271" height="398" alt="A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+ knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+ knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair.</p><a name="Page_88"></a><a name="Page_89"></a><a name="Page_90"></a><a name="Page_91"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Robert_Adam"></a><h2><i>Robert Adam</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>Robert Adam was the second of the four sons of William Adam, and was
+born in 1728. The Adam family was Scotch of good social position. Robert
+early showed a talent for drawing. He was ambitious, and, as old Roman
+architecture interested him above all other subjects, he decided that he
+could attain his ideals only by study and travel in Italy. He returned
+to England in 1758 after four years of hard work with the results of his
+labors, the chief treasure being his careful drawings of Diocletian's
+villa. His classical taste was firmly established, and was to be one of
+the important influences of the eighteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>Robert and James Adam went into partnership and became the most noted
+architects of their day in England. The list of their buildings is long
+and interesting, and much of their architectural and decorative work is
+still in existence.</p>
+
+<p>To many people it will seem like putting the cart before the horse to
+say that Robert Adam had in any way influenced the style we call Louis
+XVI, but it is a plausible theory and certainly an interesting one. Mr.
+G. Owen Wheeler in his interesting book on &quot;Old English Furniture&quot; makes
+a strong case in favor of the Adam Brothers. Classical taste <a name="Page_92"></a>was well
+established in England by 1765, before the transition from Louis XV to
+Louis XVI began, and Robert Adam published his book in parallel columns
+of French and English, which shows it must have been in some demand in
+France. The great influence of the excavations at Pompeii must naturally
+not be underestimated, as it was far reaching, but with the beautiful
+Adam style well developed, just across the Channel, it seems probable
+that it may have had its share in forming French taste. The foundation
+being there, the French put their characteristic touch to it and
+developed a much richer style than that of the Adam Brothers, but the
+two have so much in common that Louis XVI furniture may be put into an
+Adam room with perfect fitness, and vice versa. As the Adams cared only
+to design furniture some one else had to carry out the designs, and
+Chippendale was master carver and cabinet-maker under them at Harewood
+House, Yorkshire, and probably was also in many other instances.</p>
+
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/296a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_296a.jpg" width="233" height="159" alt="A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire&mdash;the work of the brothers Adam." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire&mdash;the work of the brothers Adam.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/296b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_296b.jpg" width="234" height="161" alt="Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work.</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>The early furniture of Adam was plain, and the walls were treated with
+much decoration that was classic in feeling. He possessed the secret of
+a composition of which his exquisite decorations on walls and ceilings
+were made. After 1770 he simplified his walls and elaborated his
+furniture designs until they met in a beautiful and graceful harmony. He
+designed furniture to suit the room it was in, and with the dainty and
+charming coloring, the beauty of proportion <a name="Page_93"></a>and the charm of the wall
+decoration, the scheme had great beauty.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/297a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297a.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/297b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297b.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/297c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297c.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/297d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_297d.jpg" width="102" height="178" alt="This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption' colspan='2'>This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England&mdash;the time of the great cabinet-makers.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>He used the ram's head, wreaths, honeysuckle, mythological subjects,
+lozenge-shaped, oval and octagonal panels, and many other designs. He
+was one of the first to use the French idea of decorating furniture with
+painting and porcelain plaques, and the furniture itself was simple and
+beautiful in line. The stucco ceilings designed by the brothers were
+picked out with delicate colors and have much beauty of line.</p>
+
+<p>A great deal of the most beautiful Adam decoration was the painting on
+walls and ceilings and furniture by Angelica Kaufmann, Zucchi,
+Pergolesi, Cipriani, and Columbani. The standard of work was so high
+that only the best was satisfactory.</p>
+
+<p>Adam usually designed his furniture for the room in which it was to
+stand, and he often planned the house and all its contents, even to the
+table silver, to say nothing of the door-locks. The chairs were of
+mahogany, or painted, or gilded, wood. Some had oval upholstered backs,
+with the covering specially designed for the room, and some had lyre
+backs, later used so much by Sheraton, and others had small painted
+panels placed in the top rail, with beautiful carving. Mirrors were
+among the most charming articles designed by Adam, and had composition
+wreaths and cupids and medallions for ornament. They were usually made
+in pairs in <a name="Page_94"></a>both large and small sizes. A pair of antique mirrors
+should be kept together, as they are very much more valuable than when
+separated.</p>
+
+<p>Adam was one of the first to assemble the pieces that later grew into
+the sideboard&mdash;a table, two pedestals, and a cellaret. There is a
+sideboard designed by him for Gillows, in which the parts are connected,
+and it is at least one of the ancestors of the beautiful Shearer and
+Hepplewhite ones and our modern useful, though not always beautiful,
+article. When, late in his career, Adam attempted to copy the French, he
+was not so successful, as he did not have their flexibility of
+temperament, and was unable to give the warmer touch to the classic,
+which they did so well. His paneled walls, however, have great dignity
+and purity of line and feeling, and the applied ornament was really an
+ornament, and not a disfigurement as too often happens in our day. With
+Adam one feels the surety of knowledge and the refinement of good taste
+led by a high ideal.</p><a name="Page_95"></a><a name="Page_96"></a>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/298.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_298.jpg" width="356" height="257" alt="There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen.</p>
+<br />
+
+<a name="Page_97"></a><center>
+<a href="images/299a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_299a.jpg" width="277" height="201" alt="A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+ silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+ silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony.</p>
+
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/299b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_299b.jpg" width="252" height="175" alt="A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+ carving he used so much." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+ carving he used so much.</p>
+<br />
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Hepplewhite"></a><h2><i>Hepplewhite</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The work of Hepplewhite and his school lasted from about 1760 to 1795;
+the last nine years of the time the business was carried on by his
+widow, Alice, under the name of A. Hepplewhite &amp; Co. For five years
+after that some work was done after his manner, but it was distinctly
+inferior. In the early seventies Hepplewhite's work was so well known
+and so much admired that its influence was shown in the work of his
+contemporaries. There was a great difference between his style and that
+of Chippendale, his being much lighter in construction and effect,
+besides the many differences of design. Hepplewhite was strongly
+influenced by the French style of Louis XVI, and also the pure taste of
+Robert Adam at its height. Hepplewhite, however, like all the great
+cabinet-makers, both French and English, was a great genius himself and
+stamped the impress of his own personality upon his work.</p>
+
+<p>Many people date Hepplewhite's fame from the time of the publication of
+his book, &quot;The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide,&quot; in 1788, not
+realizing that he had been dead for two years when it appeared. Its
+publication was justified by the well established popularity of his
+furniture and the success with which his designs were carried out by A.
+Hepplewhite &amp; Co.</p><a name="Page_98"></a>
+
+<p>It is interesting to notice the difference in the size of chairs which
+became apparent during Hepplewhite's time. Hoop-skirts and stiffened
+coats went out of fashion, and with them went the need of large chair
+seats. The transition chairs made by Hepplewhite were not very
+attractive in proportion, as the backs were too low for the width. The
+transition from Chippendale to Hepplewhite was not sudden, as the last
+style of Chippendale was simpler and had more of the classic feeling in
+it. Hepplewhite says, in the preface to his book: &quot;To unite elegance and
+utility, and blend the useful with the agreeable, has ever been
+considered a difficult, but an honorable task.&quot; He sometimes failed and
+sometimes succeeded. His knowledge of construction enabled him to make
+his chairs with shield, oval, and heart-shaped backs. The tops were
+slightly curved, also the tops of the splats, and at the lower edge
+where the back and the splat join, a half rosette was carved. He often
+used the three feathers of the Prince of Wales, sheaves of wheat,
+anthemion, urns, and festoons of drapery, all beautifully carved, and
+forming the splat. The backs of his chairs were supported at the sides
+by uprights running into the shield-shaped back and did not touch the
+seat frame in any other way. With this apparent weakness of construction
+it is wonderful how many of his chairs have come down to us in perfect
+condition, but it was his knowledge of combining lightness with strength
+which made it possible.</p>
+
+<p>Hepplewhite used straight or tapering legs with spade feet <a name="Page_99"></a>for his
+furniture, often inlaid with bellflowers in satinwood. The legs were
+sometimes carved with a double ogee curve and bead molding. He did not
+use carving in the lavish manner of Chippendale, but it was always
+beautifully done, and he used a great deal of inlay of satinwood, etc.,
+oval panels, lines, urns, and many other motives common to the other
+cabinet-makers of the day, and also painted some of his furniture. His
+Japan work was inferior in every way to that of the early part of the
+eighteenth century. The upholstery was fastened to the chairs with
+brass-headed tacks, often in a festoon pattern. Oval-shaped brass
+handles were used on his bureaus, desks, and other furniture. He made
+many sideboards, some, in fact, going back to the side table and
+pedestal idea, and bottle-cases and knife-boxes were put on the ends of
+the sideboards. His regular sideboards were founded on Shearer's design.</p>
+
+<p>Shearer's furniture was simple and dainty in design, and he has the
+honor of making the first real serpentine sideboard, about 1780, which
+was not a more or less disconnected collection of tables and pedestals.
+It was the forerunner of the Hepplewhite and Sheraton sideboards that we
+know so well. Shearer is now hardly known even by name to the general
+world, but without doubt his ideal of lightness and strength in
+construction had a good deal of influence on his contemporaries and
+followers.</p>
+
+<p>Hepplewhite was very fond of oval and semi-circular <a name="Page_100"></a>shapes, and many of
+his tables are made in either one way or the other. His sideboards,
+founded on Shearer's designs, are very elegant, as he liked to say, in
+their simplicity of line, their inlay, and their general beauty of wood.
+He was most successful in his chairs, sideboards, tables, and small
+household articles, for his larger pieces of furniture were often too
+heavy. Some of the worst, however, were made by other cabinet-makers
+after his designs, and not by Hepplewhite himself.</p><a name="Page_101"></a><a name="Page_102"></a><a name="Page_103"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Sheraton"></a><h2><i>Sheraton</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>Thomas Sheraton was born in 1750, and was a journeyman cabinet-maker
+when he went to London. His great genius for furniture design was
+combined with a love of writing tracts and sermons. Unfortunately for
+his success in life, he had a most disagreeable personality, being
+conceited, jealous, and perfectly willing to pour scorn on his brother
+cabinet-makers. This impression he quite frankly gives about himself in
+his books. The name of Robert Adam is not mentioned, and this seems
+particularly unpleasant when one thinks of the latter's undoubted
+influence on Sheraton's work. Sheraton's unfortunate disposition
+probably helped to make his life a failure.</p>
+
+<p>It is very sad to see such possibilities as his not reaping their true
+reward, for poverty dogged his steps all through life, and he was always
+struggling for a bare livelihood. His books were not financially
+successful, and at last he gave up his workshop and ceased to make the
+furniture he designed. He was an expert draughtsman and his designs were
+carried out by the skillful cabinet-makers of the day. Adam Black gives
+a very pitiful account of the poverty in which Sheraton lived, and says:
+&quot;That by attempting to do everything he does nothing.&quot; His &quot;nothing,&quot;
+however, has proved a very <a name="Page_104"></a>big something in the years which have
+followed, for Sheraton is responsible for one of the most beautiful
+types of furniture the world has known, and although his life was hard
+and bitter, his fame is great.</p>
+
+<p>Sheraton took the style of Louis XVI as his standard, and some of his
+best work is quite equal to that of the French workmen. He felt the lack
+of the exquisite brass and ormolu work done in France, and said if it
+were only possible to get as fine in England, the superior
+cabinet-making of the English would put them far ahead in the ranks. To
+many of us this loss is not so great, for the beauty of the wood counts
+for more, and is not detracted from by an oversupply of metal ornament,
+as sometimes happened in France. &quot;Enough is as good as a feast.&quot;
+Sheraton, at his best, had beauty, grace, and refinement of line without
+weakness, lightness and yet perfect construction, combined with balance,
+and the ornament just sufficient to enhance the beauty of the article
+without overpowering it. It is this fine work which the world remembers
+and which gave him his fame, and so it is far better to forget his later
+period when nearly all trace of his former greatness was lost.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/300.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_300.jpg" width="209" height="301" alt="A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+ dressing-glass." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+ dressing-glass.</p>
+
+<p>Sheraton profited by the work of Chippendale, Adam, and Hepplewhite, for
+these great men blazed the trail for him, so to speak, in raising the
+art of cabinet-making to so high a plane that England was full of
+skilled workmen. The influence of Adam, Shearer, and Hepplewhite, was
+very great <a name="Page_105"></a>on his work, and it is often difficult to tell whether he
+or Hepplewhite or Shearer made some pieces. He evidently did not have
+business ability and his bitter nature hampered him at every turn. The
+Sheraton school lasted from about 1790 to 1806. He died in 1806, fairly
+worn out with his struggle for existence. Poor Sheraton, it certainly is
+a pitiful story.</p>
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/301a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_301a.jpg" width="203" height="212" alt="One of Sheraton&#39;s charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/301b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_301b.jpg" width="135" height="211" alt="A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>One of Sheraton&#39;s charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>Sheraton's chair backs are rectangular in type, with urn splats, and
+splats divided into seven radiates, and also many other designs. The
+chairs were made of mahogany and satinwood, some carved, some inlaid,
+and some painted. The splat never ran into the seat, but was supported
+on a cross rail running from side to side a few inches above the seat.
+The material used for upholstery was nailed over the frame with
+brass-headed tacks.</p>
+
+<p>Bookcases were of mahogany and satinwood veneer, and the large ones were
+often in three sections, the center section standing farther out than
+the two sides. The glass was covered with a graceful design in moldings,
+and the pediments were of various shapes, the swan-neck being a
+favorite.</p>
+
+<p>Sideboards were built on very much the lines of those made by Shearer
+and Hepplewhite. There were drawers and cupboards for various uses. The
+knife-boxes to put on the top came in sets of two, and sometimes there
+was a third box. The legs were light and tapering with inlay of
+satinwood, and sometimes they were reeded. There was inlay also on the
+doors and drawers. There were also sideboards without <a name="Page_106"></a>inlay. The legs
+for his furniture were at first plain, and then tapering and reeded. He
+used some carving, and a great deal of satinwood and tulip-wood were
+inlaid in the mahogany; he also used rosewood. The bellflower, urn,
+festoons, and acanthus were all favorites of his for decoration.</p>
+
+<p>He made some elaborate and startling designs for beds, but the best
+known ones are charming with slender turned posts or reeded posts, and
+often the plain ones were made of painted satinwood.</p>
+
+<p>The satinwood from the East Indies was fine and of a beautiful yellow
+color, while that from the West Indies was coarser in grain and darker
+in color. It is a slow growing tree, and that used nowadays cannot
+compare with the old, in spite of the gallant efforts of the hard
+working fakirs to copy its beautiful golden tone.</p>
+
+<p>All the cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century made ingenious
+contrivances in the way of furniture, washstands concealed in what
+appear to be corner cupboards, a table that looks as simple as a table
+possibly can, but has a small step-ladder and book rest hidden away in
+its useful inside, and many others. Sheraton was especially clever in
+making these conveniences, as these two examples show, and his books
+have many others pictured in them. Sheraton's list of articles of
+furniture is long, for he made almost everything from knife-boxes to
+&quot;chamber-horses,&quot; which were <a name="Page_107"></a>contrivances of a saddle and springs for
+people to take exercise upon at home.</p>
+
+<p>Sheraton's &quot;Drawing Book&quot; was the best of those he published. It was
+sold chiefly to other cabinet-makers and did not bring in many orders,
+as Chippendale's and Hepplewhite's did. His other books showed his
+decline, and his &quot;Encyclopedia,&quot; on which he was working at the time of
+his death, had many subjects in it beside furniture and cabinet-making.
+His sideboards, card-tables, sewing-tables, tables of every kind,
+chairs&mdash;in fact, everything he made during his best period&mdash;have a
+sureness and beauty of line that makes it doubly sad that through the
+stress of circumstances he should have deserted it for the style of the
+Empire that was then the fashion in France. One or two of his Empire
+designs have beauty, but most of them are too dreadful, but it was the
+beginning of the end, and the eighteenth century saw the beautiful
+principles of the eighteenth century lost in a bog of ugliness.</p>
+
+<p>There were many other cabinet-makers of merit that space does not allow
+me to mention, but the great four who stood head and shoulders above
+them all were Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. They, being
+human, did much work that is best forgotten, but the heights to which
+they all rose have set a standard for English furniture in beauty and
+construction that it would be well to keep in mind.</p>
+
+<p>The nineteenth century passed away without any especial <a name="Page_108"></a>genius, and in
+fact, with a very black mark against its name in the hideous early
+Victorian era. The twentieth century is moving along without anything we
+can really call a beautiful and worthy style being born. There are many
+working their way towards it, but there is apt to be too much of the
+bizarre in the attempts to make them satisfactory, and so we turn to the
+past for our models and are thankful for the legacy of beauty it has
+left to the world.</p><a name="Page_109"></a><a name="Page_110"></a><a name="Page_111"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="A_General_Talk"></a><h2><i>A General Talk</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When one faces the momentous question of furnishing a house, there are
+numerous things which must be looked into and thoroughly understood if
+success is to be assured. If one is building in the country the first
+question is the placing of the house in regard to the view, but in town
+there is not much choice. The architect being chosen with due regard to
+the style of house one wishes, the planning can go merrily on. The
+architect should be told if there are any especially large and beautiful
+pieces of furniture or tapestry to be planned for, so they shall receive
+their rightful setting. After all, architects are but human, and cannot
+tell by intuition what furniture is in storage.</p>
+
+<p>It is sad to see how often architecture and decoration are looked upon
+as two entirely disconnected subjects, instead of being closely allied,
+playing into each other's hands, as it were, to make a perfect whole. To
+many people, a room is simply a room to be treated as they wish; whereas
+many rooms are absolute laws unto themselves, and demand a certain kind
+of treatment, or disaster follows. In America this kind of house is not
+found so often as in Europe, but the number is growing rapidly as
+architects and their clients realize more <a name="Page_112"></a>and more the beauties and
+possibilities of the great periods as applied to the modern house. It is
+only to the well-trained architect and decorator with correct taste that
+one may safely turn, for the ill-trained and commonplace still continue
+to make their astounding errors, and so to have the decoration of a room
+truly successful one must begin with the architect, for he knows the
+correct proportions of the different styles and appreciates their
+importance. He will plan the rooms so that they, when decorated, may
+complete his work and form a beautiful and convincing whole. This will
+give the restfulness and beauty that absolute appropriateness always
+lends.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/302.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_302.jpg" width="351" height="257" alt="This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+ simplicity can be." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+ simplicity can be.</p>
+
+<p>This matter of appropriateness must not be overlooked, and the whole
+house should express the spirit of the owner; it should be in absolute
+keeping with his circumstances. There are few houses which naturally
+demand the treatment of palaces, but there are many which correspond
+with the smaller chateaux of France and the manor-houses of England. It
+is to these we must turn for our inspiration, for they have the beauty
+of good taste and high standards without the lavishness of royalty; but
+even royalty did not always live in rooms of state, for at Versailles,
+and Petit Trianon, there is much simple exquisite furniture. The
+wonderful and elaborate furniture of the past must be studied of course,
+but to the majority of people, then as now, the simpler expression of
+its fundamental lines of beauty are more <a name="Page_113"></a>satisfactory. The trouble
+with many houses is that their furnishings are copied from too grand
+models, and the effect in an average modern house is unsuitable in every
+way. They cannot give the large vistas and appropriate background in
+color and proportion which are necessary. Beauty does not depend upon
+magnificence.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/303.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_303.jpg" width="357" height="267" alt="The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+ attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+ attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting.</p>
+
+<p>If one has to live in a house planned and built by others one often has
+to give up some long cherished scheme and adopt something else more
+suited to the surroundings. For instance, the rooms of the great French
+periods were high, and often the modern house has very low ceilings,
+that would not allow space for the cornice, over-doors and correctly
+proportioned paneling, that are marked features of those times. Mrs.
+Wharton has aptly said: &quot;Proportion is the good breeding of
+architecture,&quot; and one might add that proportion is good breeding
+itself. One little slip from the narrow path into false proportion in
+line or color or mass and the perfection of effect is gone.</p>
+
+<p>Proportion is another word for the fitness of things, and that little
+phrase, &quot;the fitness of things,&quot; is what Alice in Wonderland calls a
+&quot;portmanteau&quot; phrase, for it holds so much, and one must feel it
+strongly to escape the pitfalls of period furnishing. Most amazing
+things are done with perfect complacency, but although the French and
+English kings who gave their names to the various periods were far from
+models of virtue, they certainly deserved no such cruel <a name="Page_114"></a>punishment as
+to have some of the modern rooms, such as we have all seen, called after
+them.</p>
+
+<p>The best decorators refuse to mix styles in one room and they thus save
+people from many mistakes, but a decorator without a thorough
+understanding of the subject, often leads one to disaster. A case in
+point is an apartment where a small Louis XV room opens on a narrow hall
+of nondescript modern style, with a wide archway opening into a Mission
+dining-room. As one sits in the midst of pink brocade and gilding and
+looks across to the dining-room, fitted out in all the heavy
+paraphernalia of Mission furniture, one's head fairly reels. No contrast
+could be more marked or more unsuitable, and yet this is by no means an
+uncommon case.</p>
+
+<p>If one intends to adopt a style in decorating one's house, there should
+be a uniformity of treatment in all connecting rooms, and there must be
+harmony in the furniture and architecture and ornament, as well as
+harmony in the color scheme. The foundation must be right before the
+decoration is added. The proportion of doors and windows, for instance,
+is very important, with the decorated over-door reaching to the ceiling.
+The over-doors and mantels were architectural features of the rooms, and
+it was not until wallpapers came into common use, in the early part of
+the nineteenth century, that these decorative features slowly died out.</p>
+
+<p>The mantel and fireplace should be a center of interest and should be
+balanced with something of importance on the other <a name="Page_115"></a>side of the room,
+either architectural or decorative. It was this regard for symmetry,
+balance, proportion, and harmony, which made the old rooms so
+satisfying; there was no magic about it, it was artistic common sense.</p>
+
+<p>The use for which a room is intended must be kept in view and carried
+out with real understanding of its needs. The individuality of the owner
+is of course a factor. Unfortunately the word individuality is often
+confounded with eccentricity and to many people it means putting
+perfectly worthy and unassuming articles to startling uses. By
+individuality one should really mean the best expression of one's sense
+of beauty and the fitness of things, and when it is guided by the laws
+of harmony and proportion the result is usually one of great charm,
+convenience, and comfort. These qualities must be in every successful
+house.</p>
+
+<p>In furnishing any house, whether in some special period or not, there
+are certain things which must be taken into account. One of these is the
+general color scheme. Arranging a color scheme for a house is not such a
+difficult matter as many people suppose, nor is it the simple thing that
+many others seem to think. There is a happy land between the two
+extremes, and the guide posts pointing to it are a good color sense, a
+true feeling for the proportion and harmony of color, and an
+understanding of the laws of light. The trouble is that people often do
+not use their eyes; red is red to them, blue is blue, and green is
+green. They have never appeared <a name="Page_116"></a>to notice that there are dozens of
+tones in these colors. Nature is one of the greatest teachers of color
+harmony if we would but learn from her. Look at a salt marsh on an
+autumn day and notice the wonderful browns and yellows and golds in it,
+the reds and russets and touches of green in the woods on its edge, and
+the clear blue sky over all with the reflections in the little pools. It
+is a picture of such splendor of color that one fairly gasps. Then look
+at the same marsh under gray skies and see the change; there is just as
+much beauty as before, the same russets and golds and reds, but
+exquisitely softened. One is sparkling, gay, a harmony of brilliancy;
+the other is more gentle, sweet and appealing, a harmony of softened
+glory.</p>
+
+<p>Again, Nature makes a thousand and one shades of green leaves to
+harmonize with her flowers; the yellow green of the golden rod, the
+silver green of the milkweed, the bright green of the nasturtium. Notice
+the woods in wintertime with the wonderful purple browns and grays of
+the tree trunks and branches, the bronze and russet of the dead leaves,
+and the deep shadows in the snow. Everywhere one turns there are lessons
+to learn if one will only use seeing eyes and a thinking mind.</p>
+
+<p>A house should be looked at as a whole, not as so many units to be
+treated in a care-free manner. A room is affected by all the rooms
+opening from it, as they, in turn, are affected by it. There can be
+variety of color with harmony of <a name="Page_117"></a>contrast, or there can be the same
+color used throughout, with the variety gained by the use of its
+different tones. The plan of each floor should be carefully studied to
+get the vistas in all directions so that harmony may reign and there
+will be no danger of a clashing color discord when a door is opened. The
+connecting rooms need not be all in one color, of course, but they
+should form a perfect color harmony one with another, with deft touches
+of contrast to accent and bring out the beauty of the whole scheme: This
+matter of harmony in contrast is an important one. The idea of using a
+predominant color is a restful one, and adds dignity and apparent size
+to a house. The walls, for instance, could be paneled in white enameled
+wood, or plaster, and the necessary color and variety could be supplied
+by the rugs, hangings, furniture, and pictures.</p>
+
+<p>Another charming plan is to have different tones of one color used&mdash;a
+scheme running from cream or old ivory through soft yellow and tan to a
+russet brown would be lovely, especially if the house did not have an
+over supply of light. Greens may be used with discretion, and a cool and
+attractive scheme is from white to soft blue through gray. If different
+colors are to be used in the different rooms the number of combinations
+is almost unlimited, but there must always be the restraining influence
+of a good color sense in forming the scheme or the result will be
+disappointing, to say the least.</p><a name="Page_118"></a>
+
+<p>A very important matter in the use of color is in its relation to the
+amount and quality of the light. Dreary rooms can be made cheerful, and
+too bright and dazzling rooms can be softened in effect, by the skillful
+use of color. The warm colors,&mdash;cream white, yellows&mdash;but not lemon
+yellow&mdash;orange, warm tans, russet, pinks, yellow greens, yellowish reds
+are to be used on the north or shady side of the house. The cool
+colors,&mdash;white, cream white, blues, grays, greens, and violet, are for
+the sunny side. Endless combinations may be made of these colors, and if
+a gray room, for example, is wished on the north side of the house, it
+can be used by first choosing a warm tone of gray and combining with it
+one of the warm colors, such as certain shades of soft pink or yellow.
+We can stand more brilliancy of color out-of-doors than we can in the
+house, where it is shut in with us. It is too exciting and we become
+restless and nervous. No matter on what scale a house is furnished one
+of its aims should be to be restful.</p>
+
+<p>There is one great mistake which many people make of thinking of red as
+a cheerful color, and one which is good to use in a dark room. The
+average red used in large quantities absorbs the light in a most
+disheartening manner, making a room seem smaller than it really is; it
+makes ugly gloomy shadows in the corners, for at night it seems to turn
+to a dingy black, and increases the electric light bill. Red is also a
+severe strain on the eyes, and many a red living-room <a name="Page_119"></a>is the cause of
+seemingly unaccountable headaches. I do not mean to say that red should
+never be used, for it is often a very necessary color, but it must be
+used with the greatest discretion, and one must remember that a little
+of it goes a long way. A room, for instance, paneled with oak, with an
+oriental rug with soft red in it, red hangings, and a touch of red in an
+old stained glass panel in the window, and red velvet cushions on the
+window seat, would have much more warmth and charm than if the walls
+were covered entirely with red. One red cushion is often enough to give
+the required note. The effect of color is very strong upon people,
+although a great many do not realize it, but nearly everyone will
+remember a sudden and apparently unexplained change of mood in going
+into some room. One can learn a deal by analyzing one's own sensations.
+Figured wall-papers should also be chosen with the greatest care for
+this same reason. Papers which have perpetual motion in their design, or
+eyes which seem to peer, or an unstable pattern of gold running over it,
+must all be ignored. People who choose this kind of paper are blest, or
+cursed, whichever way one looks at it, by an utter lack of imagination.</p>
+
+<p>A room is divided into three parts, the floor, the walls, and the
+ceiling, and the color of the room naturally follows the law of nature;
+the heaviest or darkest at the bottom, or floor; the medium tone in the
+center, or walls; and the lightest at the top, or ceiling. It is only
+when one has to artifi<a name="Page_120"></a>cially correct the architectural proportions of a
+room that the ceiling should be as dark, or darker, than the walls. A
+ceiling can also be seemingly lowered by bringing the ceiling color down
+on the side walls. A low room should never have a dark ceiling, as it
+makes the room seem lower.</p>
+
+<p>Walls should be treated as a background or as a decoration in
+themselves. In the latter case any pictures should be set in specially
+arranged panels and should be pictures of importance, or fresco
+painting. The walls of the great periods were of this decorative order.
+They were treated architecturally and the feeling of absolute support
+which they gave was most satisfactory. The pilasters ran from base or
+dado to the cornice and the over-doors made the doors a dignified part
+of the scheme, rather than mere useful holes in the wall as they too
+often are nowadays.</p>
+
+<p>Paneling is one of the most beautiful methods of wall decoration. There
+are many styles of paneling, stone, marble, stucco, plaster, and wood,
+and each period has its own distinctive way of using them, and should be
+the correct type for the style chosen. The paneling of a Tudor room is
+quite different from a Louis XVI room. In the course of a long period
+like that of Louis XV the paneling slowly changed its character and the
+rococo style was followed by the more dignified one that later became
+the style of Louis XVI.</p>
+
+<p>Tapestry and paintings of importance should have panels especially
+planned for them. If one does not wish to have <a name="Page_121"></a>the paneling cover the
+entire wall, a wainscot or dado with the wall above it covered with
+tapestry, silk, painting, or paper, will make a beautiful and
+appropriate room for many of the different styles of furniture. A
+wainscot should not be too high; about thirty-six inches is a good
+height, but should form a background for the chairs, sofas, and tables,
+placed around the room.</p>
+
+<p>A wainscot six or more feet high is not as architecturally correct as a
+lower one, because a wall is, in a way, like an order in its divisions,
+and if the base, or wainscot, is too high it does not allow the wall,
+which corresponds to the column, to have its fair proportion. This
+feeling is very strong in many apartment houses where small rooms are
+overburdened by this kind of wainscot, and to make matters worse, the
+top is used as a plate-rail. A high wainscot should be used only in a
+large room, and if there are pilasters arranged to connect it with the
+cornice, and the wall covering is put on in panel effect between, the
+result is much better than if the wall were left plain, as it seems to
+give more of a <i>raison d'&ecirc;tre</i>.</p>
+
+<p>Tapestry is another of the beautiful and important wall coverings, and
+the happy possessor of Flemish or Gobelin, or Beauvais, tapestries, is
+indeed to be envied. A rare old tapestry should be paneled or hung so it
+will serve as a background. Used as porti&egrave;res, tapestry does not show
+the full beauty of its wonderful time-worn colors and its fasci<a name="Page_122"></a>nation
+of texture. It is not everyone, however, who is able to own these almost
+priceless treasures of the past, and so modern machinery has been called
+to the aid of those who wish to cover their walls and furniture with
+tapestry. Many of these modern manufactures are really beautiful, thick
+in texture, soft in color, and often have the little imperfections and
+unevennesses of hand weaving reproduced, so that we feel the charm of
+the old in the new. Many do not realize that in New York there are looms
+making wonderful hand-woven tapestries with the true decorative feeling
+of the best days of the past. On the top floor of a large modern
+building stand the looms of various sizes, the dyeing tubs, the dripping
+skeins of wool and silk, the spindles and bobbins, and the weavers hard
+at work carrying out the beautiful designs of the artist owner. There
+are few colors used, as in medi&aelig;val days, but wonderful effects are
+produced by a method of winding the threads together which gives a
+vibrating quality to the color. When the warp in some of the coarser
+fabrics is not entirely covered it is sometimes dyed, which gives an
+indescribable charm. Tapestries of all sizes have been made on these
+looms, from the important decoration of a great hall, to sofa and chair
+coverings. Special rugs are also made. It is a pleasure to think that an
+art which many considered dead is being practiced with the highest
+artistic aim and knowledge and skill in the midst of our modern rush.
+This hand-woven tapestry is made to fit spe<a name="Page_123"></a>cial spaces and rooms, and
+there is nothing more beautiful and suitable for rooms of importance to
+be found in all the long list of possibilities.</p>
+
+<p>The effect of modern tapestry, like the old, is enhanced if the walls
+are planned to receive it, for it was never intended to be used as
+wall-paper. It is sometimes used as a free hanging frieze, so to speak,
+and sometimes a great piece of it is hung flat against the wall, but as
+a general thing to panel it is the better way.</p>
+
+<p>Another beautiful wall covering is leather. It should be used much more
+than it is, and is especially well adapted for halls, libraries,
+dining-rooms, smoking-and billiard-rooms, and dens. Its wonderful
+possibilities for rooms which are to be furnished in a dignified and
+beautiful manner are unsurpassed. It may be used in connection with
+paneling or cover the wall above a wainscot.</p>
+
+<p>Fresco painting is another of the noble army of wall treatments which
+lends itself beautifully to all kinds and styles of rooms.</p>
+
+<p>Amidst all the grandeur of tapestry and painting one must not lose sight
+of the simpler methods, for they are not to be distained. Wall-papers
+are growing more and more beautiful in color, design, and texture, and
+one can find among them papers suited to all needs. Fabrics of all kinds
+have become possibilities since their dust-collecting capacity is now no
+longer a source of terror, as vacuum cleaners <a name="Page_124"></a>are one of the
+commonplaces of existence. Painting or tinting the walls, when done
+correctly, is very satisfactory in many rooms.</p>
+
+<p>There is no doubt that in many houses are wonderful collections of
+furniture, tapestries and treasures of many kinds, that are placed
+without regard to the absolute harmony of period, although the general
+feeling of French or Italian or English is kept. They are usually great
+houses where the sense of space keeps one from feeling discrepancies
+that would be too marked in a smaller one, and the interest and beauty
+of the rare originals against the old tapestries have an atmosphere all
+their own that no modern reproduction can have. There are few of us,
+however, who can live in this semi-museum kind of house, and so one
+would better stick to the highway of good usage, or there is danger of
+making the house look like an antique shop.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/304.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_304.jpg" width="353" height="233" alt="Dorothy Quincy&#39;s bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+ all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+ room and hall." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Dorothy Quincy&#39;s bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+ all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+ room and hall.</p>
+
+<p>To carry out a style perfectly, all the small details should be attended
+to&mdash;the door-locks, the framework of the doors and windows, the carving.
+All these must be taken into account if one wishes success. It is better
+not to attempt a style throughout if it is to be a makeshift affair and
+show the effects of inadequate knowledge. The elaborate side of any
+style carried out to the last detail is really only possible and also
+only appropriate for those who have houses to correspond, but one can
+choose the simpler side and have beautiful and charming rooms that are
+perfectly suited to the <a name="Page_125"></a>average home. For instance, if one does not
+wish elaborate gilded Louis XVI furniture, upholstered in brocade, one
+can choose beautiful cane furniture of the time and have it either in
+the natural French walnut or enameled a soft gray or white to match the
+woodwork, with cushion of cretonne or silk in an appropriate design.
+Period furnishing does not necessarily mean a greater outlay than the
+nondescript and miscellaneous method so often seen.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/305a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_305a.jpg" width="182" height="161" alt="A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/305b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_305b.jpg" width="157" height="166" alt="The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>Whatever the plan for furnishing a house may be, the balance of
+decoration must be kept; the same general feeling throughout all
+connecting parts. If a drawing-room is too fine for the hall through
+which one has to pass to reach it, the balance is upset. If too simple
+chairs are used in a grand dining-room the balance is upset, the fitness
+of things is not observed. When the happy medium is struck throughout
+the house one feels the delightful well-bred charm which a regard for
+the unities always gives. It is not only in the quality of the
+decorations that this feeling of balance must be kept, but in the style
+also. If one chooses a period style for the drawing-room it is better to
+keep to it through the house, using it in its different expressions
+according to the needs of the different rooms. If one style throughout
+should seem a bit monotonous at least one nationality should be kept,
+such as French, or English. If several styles of French furniture are
+used do not have them in the same room; for instance, Louis XV and
+Empire have absolutely nothing in <a name="Page_126"></a>common, but very late Louis XVI and
+early Empire have to a certain extent. It does not give the average
+person a severe shock to walk from a Louis XVI hall into a Louis XV
+drawing-room, but the two mixed in one room do not give a pleasing
+effect. The oak furniture of Jacobean days does not harmonize with the
+delicate mahogany furniture of the eighteenth century in England. The
+delicate beauty of Adam furniture would be lost in the greatness of a
+Renaissance salon. A lady whose dining-room was furnished in Sheraton
+furniture one day saw two elaborate rococo Louis XV console tables which
+she instantly bought to add to it. The shopman luckily had more sense of
+the fitness of things than a mere desire to sell his wares, and was so
+appalled when he saw the room that he absolutely refused to have them
+placed in it. She saw the point, and learned a valuable lesson. One
+could go on indefinitely, giving examples to warn people against
+startling and inappropriate mixtures which put the whole scheme out of
+key.</p>
+
+<p>I am taking it for granted that reproductions are to be chosen, as
+originals are not only very rare, but also almost prohibitive in price.
+Good reproductions are carefully made and finished to harmonize with the
+color scheme. The styles most used at present are, Louis XIV, XV, XVI,
+Jacobean, William and Mary, and Georgian. Gothic, Italian and French
+Renaissance, Louis XIII, and Tudor styles are not so commonly used. We
+naturally associate dignity and <a name="Page_127"></a>grandeur with the Renaissance, and it
+is rather difficult to make it seem appropriate for the average American
+house, so it is usually used only for important houses and buildings.
+Some of the Tudor manor houses can be copied with delightful effect. The
+styles of Henri II and Louis XIII can both be used in libraries and
+dining-rooms with most effective and dignified results.</p>
+
+<p>The best period of the style of Louis XV is very beautiful and is
+delightfully suited to ball-rooms, small reception-rooms, boudoirs, and
+some bedrooms. In regard to these last, one must use discretion, for one
+would not expect one's aged grandmother to take real comfort in one. Nor
+does this style appeal to one for use in a library, as its gayety and
+curves would not harmonize with the necessarily straight lines of the
+bookcases and rows of books. Any one of the other styles may be chosen
+for a library.</p>
+
+<p>The English developed the dining-room in our modern sense of the word,
+while the French used small ante-chambers, or rooms that were used for
+other purposes between meals, and I suppose this is partly the reason we
+so often turn to an English ideal for one. There are many beautiful
+dining-rooms done in the styles of Louis XV and XVI, but they seem more
+like gala rooms and are usually distinctly formal in treatment. Georgian
+furniture, or as we so often say, Colonial, is especially well suited to
+our American life, as one can have a very simple room, or one carried
+out in the <a name="Page_128"></a>most delightful detail. In either case the true feeling must
+be kept and no startling anachronisms should be allowed; radiators, for
+instance, should be hidden in window-seats. This same style may be used
+for any room in the house, and there are beautiful reproductions of
+Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton furniture that are
+appropriate for any need.</p>
+
+<p>In choosing new &quot;old&quot; furniture, do not buy any that has a bright and
+hideous finish. The great cabinet-makers and their followers used wax,
+or oil, and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed. This dull finish is imitated, but
+not equaled, by all good furniture makers, and the bright finish simply
+proclaims the cheap department store.</p>
+
+<p>In parts of the country Georgian furniture has been used and served as a
+standard from the first, and it is a happy thing for the beauty of our
+homes that once more it has come into its own. It is the high grade of
+reproduction which has made it possible.</p>
+
+<p>The mahogany used by Chippendale, and in fact by all the eighteenth
+century cabinet-makers, was much more beautiful than is possible to get
+to-day, for the logs were old and well seasoned wood, allowed to dry by
+the true process of time, which leaves a wonderful depth of color quite
+impossible to find in young kiln-dried wood. The best furniture makers
+nowadays, those who have a high standard and pride in their work, have
+by careful and artistic staining and beau<a name="Page_129"></a>tiful finish, achieved very
+fine results, but the factory article with its dreadful &quot;mahogany&quot;
+stain, its coarse carving, and its brilliant finish, shows a sad
+difference in ideal. The best reproductions are well worth buying, and,
+as they are made with regard to the laws of construction, they stand a
+very good chance of becoming valued heirlooms. There are certain
+characteristics of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers, both
+English and French, which are picked out and overdone by ill-informed
+manufacturers. The rococo of Chippendale is coarsened, his Chinese style
+loses its fine, if eccentric, distinction, and the inlay of Hepplewhite
+and Sheraton is another example of spoiling a beautiful thing.
+Thickening a line here and there, or curving a curve a bit more or less,
+or enlarging the amount of inlay, achieves a vulgarity of appearance
+quite different from the beautiful proportions of the originals, and it
+is this which one must guard against in buying reproductions. The lack
+of knowledge of correct proportion is not confined to the cheaper
+grades, where necessary simplicity is often a protection, but is apt to
+be found in all. The best makers, as I have said, take a pride in their
+work and one can rely on them for fine workmanship and being true to the
+spirit of the originals.</p>
+
+<p>There is one matter of great importance to be kept in mind and practiced
+with the sternest self-control, and that is, to eliminate, eliminate,
+eliminate. Walk into the center of <a name="Page_130"></a>a room and look about with seeing,
+but impersonal eyes, and you will be astonished to find how many things
+there are which are unnecessary, in fact, how much the room would be
+improved without them. In every house the useless things which go under
+the generic name of &quot;trash&quot; accumulate with alarming swiftness, and one
+must be up with the lark to keep ahead of the supply. If something is
+ugly and spoils a room, and there is no hope of bringing it into
+harmony, discard it; turn your eyes aside if you must while the deed is
+being done, but screw your courage to the sticking point, and do it. She
+is, indeed, a lucky woman who can start from the beginning or has only
+beautiful heritages from the past, for the majority of people have some
+distressingly strong pieces of ugly furniture which, for one reason or
+another, must be kept. One sensible woman furnished a room with all her
+pieces of this kind, called it the Chamber of Horrors, and used it only
+under great stress and strain, which was much better than letting her
+house be spoiled.</p>
+
+<p>A home should not be a museum, where one grows exhausted going from one
+room to another looking at wonderful things. Rather should it have as
+many beautiful things in it as can be done full justice to, where the
+feeling of simplicity and restfulness and charm adds to their beauty,
+and the whole is convincingly right. The fussy house is, luckily, a
+thing of the past, or fast getting to be so, but we should all help the
+good cause of true simplicity. It does not debar one from the most
+beautiful things in the world, but adds dignity and worth to them. It
+does not make rooms stiff and solemn, but makes it possible to have the
+true gayety and joy of life expressed in the best periods.</p><a name="Page_131"></a><a name="Page_132"></a><a name="Page_133"></a><a name="Page_134"></a><a name="Page_135"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Georgian_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Georgian Furniture</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>A delightful renaissance of the Georgian period in house decoration is
+being felt more and more, and every day we see new evidence that people
+are turning with thanksgiving to the light and graceful designs of the
+eighteenth century English cabinet-makers. There is a charm and
+distinction about their work which appeals very strongly to us, and its
+beauty and simplicity of line makes delightful schemes possible.</p>
+
+<p>The Georgian period seems especially fitted for use in our homes, for it
+was the inspiration of our Colonial houses and furniture, which we
+adapted and made our own in many ways. The best examples of Colonial
+architecture are found in the thirteen original states. In many of these
+houses we find an almost perfect sense of proportion, of harmony and
+balance, of dignity, and a spaciousness and sense of hospitality, which
+few of our modern houses achieve. The halls were broad and often went
+directly through the house, giving a glimpse of the garden beyond; the
+stairs with their carefully thought-out curve and sweep and well placed
+landings, gave at once an air of importance to the house, while the
+large rooms opening from the hall, with their white woodwork, their
+large fire<a name="Page_136"></a>places, and comfortable window-seats, confirmed the
+impression.</p>
+
+<p>It is to this ideal of simple and beautiful elegance that many people
+are turning. By simplicity I do not mean poverty of line and decoration,
+but the simplicity given by the fundamental lines being simple and
+beautiful with decoration which enhances their charms, but does not
+overload them. Even the most elaborate Adam room with its exquisite
+painted furniture, its beautifully designed mantel and ceiling and
+paneled walls, gave the feeling of delightful and beautiful simplicity.
+This same feeling is expressed in the furniture of Louis XVI, for no
+matter how elaborate it may be, it is fundamentally simple, but with a
+warmer touch than is found in the English furniture of the same time.</p>
+
+<p>The question of period furnishing has two sides, and by far the more
+delightful side is the one of having originals. There is a glamor about
+old furniture, a certain air of fragility, although in reality it is
+usually much stronger than most of our modern factory output, which adds
+to the charm. With furniture, as with people, breeding will out. When
+one has inherited the furniture, the charm is still greater, for it is
+pleasant to think of one's own ancestors as having used the chairs and
+tables, and danced the stately minuet, with soft candle-light falling
+from the candelabra, and the great logs burning on the old brass
+andirons. But if one cannot have one's own family traditions, the next
+best thing is to have <a name="Page_137"></a>furniture with some other family's traditions,
+and the third choice is to have the best modern reproductions, and build
+up one's own traditions oneself.</p>
+
+<p>The feeling which many people have that Georgian furniture was stiff and
+uncomfortable is not borne out by the facts. The sofas were large and
+roomy, the settees delightful, the arm-chairs and wing chairs regular
+havens of rest, and when one adds the comfort which modern upholstery
+gives, there is little left to desire. Even the regulation side-chair of
+the period, which some think was the only chair in very common use, is
+absolutely comfortable for its purpose. Lounging was much less in vogue
+then than nowadays and the old cabinet-makers realized that one must be
+comfortable when sitting up as well as when taking one's ease. One must
+not be deterred by this unfounded bugaboo of discomfort if one wishes a
+room or house done after the great period styles of the eighteenth
+century. With care and knowledge, the result is sure to be delightful
+and beautiful.</p>
+
+<p>This little book, as I have said before, is not intended to be a guide
+for collectors, for that is a very big subject in itself, but is meant
+to try to help a little about the modern side of the question. There are
+many grades of furniture made, and one should buy with circumspection,
+and the best grade which is possible for one to afford. The very best
+reproductions are made with as much care and knowledge and skill as the
+originals, and will last as long, and become treasured <a name="Page_138"></a>heirlooms like
+those handed down to us. They are works of art like their eighteenth
+century models. The wood is chosen with regard to its beauty of grain,
+and is treated and finished so the beauty and depth of color is brought
+out, and the surface is rubbed until there is a soft glow to it. If one
+could have the ages-old mahogany which Chippendale and his
+contemporaries used, there would be little to choose between the
+originals and our best reproductions, so far as soundness of
+construction and beauty of detail go. But the fact that they were the
+originals of a great style, that no one since then has been able to
+design any furniture of greater beauty than that of England and France
+in the eighteenth century, and that we are still copying it, gives an
+added charm to a rare old chair or sideboard or mirror. The modern
+workman in the best workshops is obliged to know the different styles so
+well that he cannot make mistakes, and if he ventures to take a little
+flight of fancy on his own account, it will be done with such
+correctness of feeling that one is glad he flew; but few attempt it. In
+the lower grade of reproductions one must have an eagle eye when buying.
+I saw a rather astounding looking Chippendale chair in a shop one day,
+with a touch of Gothic&mdash;a suspicion of his early Dutch manner&mdash;and, to
+give a final touch, tapering legs with carved bellflowers! &quot;What
+authority have you for that chair?&quot; I asked, for I really wanted to know
+what they would call the wonder.</p><a name="Page_139"></a>
+
+<p>&quot;That,&quot; the shopman answered, the pride of knowledge shining in his
+eyes, &quot;is Chinese Chippendale.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>Another anachronism which has appeared lately, and sad to say in some of
+the shops that should know better, is painted Adam furniture with
+pictures on it of the famous actresses of the eighteenth century. The
+painting of Angelica Kauffman, Cipriani, Pergolesi and the others, was
+charming and delightful. Nymphs and cupids, flowers, wreaths, musical
+instruments, and poetical little scenes, but never the head of a living
+woman! The bad taste of it would have been as apparent to them as
+putting the picture of Miss Marlowe, or Lillian Russell on a chair back
+would be to us.</p>
+
+<p>The finish is another matter to bear in mind. There is a thick red
+stain, which for some mysterious reason is called mahogany, which is put
+on cheaper grades of furniture and finished with a high polish.
+Fortunately, it is chiefly used on furniture of vulgar design, but it
+sometimes creeps in on better models. Shun it whenever seen. The handles
+must be correct also, and a glance at the different illustrations will
+be of help in this matter.</p>
+
+<p>The pieces of furniture used throughout a house, no matter what the
+period may be, are more or less the same, so many chairs, tables, beds,
+mirrors, etc., and when one has decided what one's needs are, the matter
+of selection is much simplified. Of course one's needs are influenced by
+the size of the house, one's circumstances, and one's manner of life.<a name="Page_140"></a>
+To be successful, a house must be furnished in absolute harmony with the
+life within its walls. A small house does not need an elaborate
+drawing-room, which could only be had at the expense of family comfort;
+a simple drawing-room would be far better, really more of a living-room.
+In a large house one may have as many as one wishes.</p>
+
+<p>A house could be furnished throughout with Chippendale furniture and
+show no sign of monotony of treatment. The walls could be paneled in
+some rooms, wainscoted in others, and papered in others. This question
+of paper is one we have taken in our own hands nowadays, and although it
+was not used much before the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
+centuries, there are so many lovely designs copied from old-time stuffs
+and landscape papers, which are in harmony with the furniture, that they
+are used with perfect propriety. One must be careful not to choose
+anything with a too modern air, and a plain wall is always safe.</p>
+
+<p>The average hall will probably need a pair of console tables and
+mirrors, some chairs, Oriental rugs, a tall clock if one wishes, and, if
+the hall is very large and calls for more furniture, there are many
+other interesting pieces to choose from. A hall should be treated with a
+certain amount of formality, and the greater the house, the greater the
+amount; but it also should have an air of hospitality, of impersonal
+welcome, which makes one wish to enter the rooms beyond where the real
+welcome waits.</p><a name="Page_141"></a>
+
+<p>The window frames of Colonial and Georgian houses were often of such
+good design that no curtains were used, and the wooden inside shutters
+were shut at night. Nowadays the average house has what might be called
+utility woodwork at its windows and so we cover them with curtains.
+These curtains may be of linen, cretonne, damask, or brocade, according
+to the house, and may either fall straight at the side with a slight
+drapery or shaped or plain valance at the top, or be drawn back from the
+center. A carved cornice or the regular box frame may be used.</p>
+
+<p>The stairs were often of beautifully polished hardwood, and they were
+sometimes covered with rugs. Large Chinese porcelain jars on the console
+tables are suitable, and other beautiful ornaments.</p>
+
+<p>As the drawing-room usually opens from the hall, it is better to keep
+both rooms in the same general scale of furnishing. The average sized
+drawing-room will need sofas, a small settee, two or three tables, one
+of them a gallery table if desired, chairs of different shapes and size,
+mirrors, a cabinet if one has rare pieces of old porcelain, and
+candelabra. Oriental rugs, a fire screen, ornaments, and pictures, but
+these last should not be of the modern impressionistic school. The
+woodwork should be white, or light, and the furniture covered with
+damask, needlework, brocade or tapestry.</p>
+
+<p>The dining-room can be made most charming with corner cupboards and
+cabinet, a large mahogany table and side <a name="Page_142"></a>table and beautiful morocco
+covered chairs. Chippendale did not make sideboards in our sense of the
+word, but used large side tables. One of the modern designs which many
+like to use, for to them it seems a necessity, is a sideboard made in
+the style of Chippendale. The screen may be leather painted after &quot;the
+Chinese taste,&quot; or it may be damask. The chairs may be covered with
+tapestry or damask if one does not care for morocco. Portraits are
+interesting in a dining-room, or old prints, or paintings, and if you
+can get the old dull gold carved frames, so much the better. They may
+also be set in panels.</p>
+
+<p>The bedrooms may have either four-post canopy beds or low-posts beds.
+Chippendale's canopy beds had usually a carved cornice with the curtains
+hung from the inside. The other furniture should consist of a
+dressing-table, a chest of drawers to correspond with a chiffonier, a
+highboy, a sewing table, a bedside table, a comfortable sofa, a fireside
+or wing chair and other chairs according to one's need. The walls may be
+covered with either an old-fashioned or plain paper,&mdash;or paneled, with
+hangings and chair coverings of chintz or cretonne. The bed hangings may
+be of cretonne also, for it makes a very charming room, but if one
+objects to colored bed hangings, white dimity, or muslin or linen may be
+used.</p>
+
+<p>It is the art of keeping the correct feeling which makes or mars a room
+of this kind, and no pieces of markedly modern and inharmonious
+furniture should be used. In furnish<a name="Page_143"></a>ing a house in Georgian or Colonial
+manner one need not keep all the rooms in the same division of the
+period, for there is a certain general air of harmony and relationship
+about them all, and the common bond of mahogany makes it possible to
+have a Chippendale library, an Adam drawing-room, a Hepplewhite
+dining-room and a Sheraton hall, or any other combination desired. The
+spirit of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers was one of honest
+construction and beauty of line and workmanship. When they took ideas
+from other sources they made them so distinctly their own, so
+essentially English that there is a family resemblance through all their
+work.</p>
+
+<p>Adam decoration and furniture makes most delightful rooms. The painted
+satinwood furniture for dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms, lends
+itself to lovely schemes with its soft golden tones, its delightfully
+woven cane chair backs and panels. A room on the sunny side of the
+house, with a soft old ivory colored wall, dull blue silk curtains, and
+a yellow and blue Chinese rug, would be most charming with this
+satinwood furniture.</p>
+
+<p>Then, as I have said before, there are the many different shades of
+enameled and carved furniture and also beautiful natural wood. One can
+have more of a sideboard in an Adam than in a Chippendale room, as he
+used two pedestals, one at each end of a large serving-table. He often
+made tables to fit in niches, which is a charming idea.</p><a name="Page_144"></a>
+
+<p>An Adam mantel is very distinctive and one should be careful in having
+it correct. There are beautiful reproductions made. The lamp and candle
+shades should also be designed in the spirit of the time. There are
+lovely Adam designs in nearly all materials suitable for hangings and
+chair coverings. Oriental rugs or plain colored carpets appeal to us
+more than large-figured rugs. Adam sometimes had special rugs made
+exactly reproducing the design of the ceiling, but it is an idea that is
+better forgotten.</p>
+
+<p>With Hepplewhite and Sheraton the same general ideas hold; keep to the
+spirit of the furniture, try to have a central idea in the house
+furnishing, so that the restful effect of harmony may be given.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/306a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_306a.jpg" width="163" height="142" alt="Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/306b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_306b.jpg" width="208" height="150" alt="This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded.</p>
+<br />
+<p>The rugs which harmonize best with Georgian furniture are Orientals of
+different weaves and colors, or plain domestic carpet rugs. The floor
+should be the darkest of the three divisions of a room&mdash;the floor, the
+walls, the ceiling, but it should be an even gradation of color value,
+the walls half-way in tone between the other two. This is a safe general
+plan, to be varied when necessity demands. In drawing-rooms light and
+soft colors are usually in better harmony than dark ones, and a wide and
+beautiful choice can be made among Kermanshah, Kirman, Khorasan, Tabriz,
+Chinese, Oman rugs, and many others. It is more restful in effect if the
+greater part of the floor is covered with a large rug, but if one has
+beautiful small rugs they may be used if they are <a name="Page_145"></a>enough alike in
+general tone to escape the appearance of being spotty. One should try
+them in different positions until the best arrangement is found.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/307.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_307.jpg" width="297" height="191" alt="A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good.</p>
+
+<p>Living-rooms and libraries are usually more solid in color than
+drawing-rooms and so need deeper tones in the rugs. The choice is wide,
+and the color scheme can be the deciding note if one is buying new rugs.
+If one already has rugs they must be the foundation for the color scheme
+of the room.</p><a name="Page_146"></a><a name="Page_147"></a><a name="Page_148"></a><a name="Page_149"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Furnishing_With_French_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Furnishing With French Furniture</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>&quot;This is my Louis XVI drawing-room,&quot; said a lady, proudly displaying her
+house.</p>
+
+<p>&quot;What makes you think so?&quot; asked her well informed friend.</p>
+
+<p>To guard against the possibility of such biting humor one must be ever
+on the alert in furnishing a period room. It is not a bow-knot and a
+rococo curve or two that will turn a modern room, fresh from the
+builder's hands, into a Louis XV drawing-room.</p>
+
+<p>French furniture is not appropriate to all kinds of houses, and it is
+often difficult to adapt it to circumstances over which one has no
+control. The leisurely and pleasant custom of our ancestors of building
+a house as they wished it, and what is more, living in it for
+generations, is more or less a thing of the past. Nowadays a house is
+built, and is complete and beautiful in every way, but almost before the
+house-warming is over, business is sitting on the doorstep, and so the
+family moves on. We, as a nation, have not the comfortable point of view
+of the English who consider their home, their home, no matter how the
+outside world may be behaving. Their front doors are the protection
+which insures their cherished privacy, and the feeling that they are as
+set<a name="Page_150"></a>tled as the everlasting hills gives a calmness to their attitude
+toward life which is often missing from ours. How many times have we
+heard people say when talking over plans&mdash;&quot;Have it thus and so, for it
+would be much better in case we ever care to sell.&quot; This attitude, to
+which of course there are hundreds of exceptions, is an outgrowth of our
+busy life and our tremendous country. The larger part of the home ideal
+is the one which Americans so firmly believe in and act upon&mdash;that it is
+the spirit and atmosphere which makes a home, and not only the bricks
+and mortar.</p>
+
+<p>It is this point of view which makes it possible for many of us to live
+happily in rented houses whose architecture and arrangement often give
+us cold shivers. We are not to blame if all the proportions are wrong;
+and there is a certain pleasure in getting the better of difficulties.</p>
+
+<p>If one is building a house, or is living in one planned with a due
+regard to some special period, and has a well thought out scheme of
+decoration, the work is much simplified; but if one has to live in the
+average nondescript house and wishes to use French furniture, the
+problem will take time and thought to solve. In this kind of house, if
+one cannot change it at all, it is better to keep as simple and
+unobtrusive a background as possible, to have the color scheme and
+hangings and furniture so beautiful that they are a convincing reason
+themselves of the need of their being there, but one should not try to
+turn the room itself into a period room, <a name="Page_151"></a>for it would mean failure. The
+walls may be covered with a light plain paper, or silk, the woodwork
+enameled white or cream or ivory, and then with one's mirrors and
+furnishings, the best thing possible has been done, and it ought to be a
+charming room, if not a perfect one. If one can make a few changes I
+advise new lighting fixtures and a new mantel, for these two important
+objects in the room are conspicuous and nearly always wrong.</p>
+
+<p>It is almost impossible to give a list of furniture for each room in a
+house, as each house is a law unto itself, but the fundamental
+principles of beauty and utility and appropriateness apply to all.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the time of Louis XIV, having so much that is
+magnificent about it, is especially well suited to large rooms for state
+occasions, great ballrooms and state drawing-rooms. These rooms not
+being destined for everyday use should be treated as a brilliant
+background; paneling, painting, tapestry, and gilding should decorate
+the walls, and beautiful lights and mirrors should aid in the effect of
+brilliancy. It must be done with such knowledge that there is no
+suggestion of an hotel about it. Console tables, and large and dignified
+chairs should be used for furniture. Nothing small and fussy in the way
+of ornaments should be put in the rooms, for they would be completely
+out of scale and ruin the effect.</p>
+
+<p>Every house does not need these rooms for the elaborate <a name="Page_152"></a>side of life,
+and the average drawing-room is a much simpler affair. If both kinds are
+required the simpler one should be in the same general style as the
+great rooms, but not on so grand a scale. If the style of Louis XV is
+chosen for all, in the family drawing-and living-rooms the paneling, or
+dado, and furniture should be of the simpler kind, and beautiful, gay,
+and home-like rooms, evolved with soft colored brocades, Beauvais or
+Gobelin tapestry, and either gilded or enameled or natural walnut
+furniture. The arm-chairs or <i>berg&egrave;res</i> of both Louis XV and Louis XVI
+are very comfortable, the <i>chaise-longue</i> cannot be surpassed, and the
+settees of different shapes and sizes are delightful. There need be no
+lack of comfort in any period room, whether French or English.</p>
+
+<p>A music room, to be perfect, should not have heavy draperies to deaden
+the sound, and the window and door openings should be treated
+architecturally to make this possible. In a French music room the walls
+may be either paneled, or have a dado with a soft tint above it. This
+space may be treated in several ways: it may have silk panels outlined
+with moldings, or dainty pastoral scenes painted and framed with wreaths
+and garlands of composition. The style of the Regency with its use of
+musical instruments for decorative motifs is also attractive. The chairs
+should be comfortable, the lights soft and well shaded side-lights, with
+a plentiful supply near the piano.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/308.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_308.jpg" width="272" height="350" alt="A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compi&egrave;gne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compi&egrave;gne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI.</p>
+<br />
+<a name="Page_153"></a><center>
+<a href="images/309a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_309a.jpg" width="172" height="151" alt="An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/309b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_309b.jpg" width="167" height="172" alt="A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane.</p>
+<br />
+<p>A piano is usually a difficulty, for they are so unwieldy and dark that
+they are quite out of key with the rest of the room. We have become so
+used to its ugliness, however, that, sad to say, we are not so much
+shocked by it as we should be, thinking it a necessary evil. If we walk
+through the show rooms of one of the great piano companies we shall see
+that this is a mistake, for there are many cases made of light colored
+woods, and some have a much more graceful outline than the regulation
+piano. Cases can be made to order to suit any scheme, if one has a
+competent designer. A music room should not have small and meaningless
+ornaments in it; the ideal is a restful and charming room where one may
+listen with an undistracted mind.</p>
+
+<p>The modern dining-room with all its comforts is really of English
+descent. In France, even in the eighteenth century, only the palaces and
+great houses had rooms especially set apart for dining-rooms. Usually a
+small ante-chamber was used, which served as a boudoir or reception room
+between meals. To our more established point of view it seems a very
+casual method. At last, late in the century, the real ideal of a
+dining-room began to gain ground, and although they were very different
+from ours, we find really charming ones described and pictured. The
+walls were usually light in tone, paneled, with graceful ornamentation,
+and often there were niches containing wall-fountains of delightful
+design. The sideboards were either large side-tables, or a species of
+side-<a name="Page_154"></a>table built in niches, with a fountain between them which was used
+as a wine cooler. These fountains where cupids and dolphins disported
+themselves would be a most attractive feature to copy in some of our
+rooms, in country houses especially. The tables were round or square,
+but not the extension type which came later from England, and the chairs
+were comfortable, with broad upholstered or cane seats, and rather low
+backs. There should be a screen to harmonize with the room in front of
+the pantry door. We also add hangings, for, as I have said many times,
+our window-frames are not a decoration in themselves. Old prints show
+most delightfully the manner in which curtains were hung when they were
+used; the very elaborate methods, however, were not used by the better
+class.</p>
+
+<p>A morning-room should be furnished as a small informal living-room, and
+the simpler style of the chosen period used.</p>
+
+<p>The style of Louis XVI is beautifully adapted to libraries, for they do
+not have to be dark and solid in style, as many seem to think. In fact a
+library may be in any style if carried out with the true feeling and
+love of books, but of course some styles are more appropriate than
+others. In a Louis XVI library the paneling gives way to the built-in
+bookcases which are spaced with due regard to keeping the correct
+proportions. There is usually a cupboard space running round the room
+about the height of a dado and projecting a little beyond the bookcases
+above. The colors of the <a name="Page_155"></a>rugs and hangings may be warm and rich as the
+books give the walls a certain strength.</p>
+
+<p>There are also beautiful reproductions of bedroom furniture, chairs and
+dressing-tables, desks, chiffoniers and <i>Chaises-longues,</i> and beds.</p>
+
+<p>Andirons, side-lights for the walls and dressing-table, doorknobs and
+locks, can all be carried out perfectly. Lamp and candle shades and sofa
+cushions should all be in keeping. The walls may be paneled in wood
+enameled with white or some light color, or they may be covered with
+silk or paper, in a panel design, with curtains to match. There are
+lovely designs in French period stuffs.</p>
+
+<p>The rugs most appropriate for French period rooms are light or medium in
+tone, and of Persian design. The floral patterns of the Persians seem to
+harmonize better with the curves and style of furniture than do the
+geometrical designs of the Caucasian rugs. Savonnerie and Aubusson rugs
+may also be used, if chosen with care, and the plain carpets and rugs
+mentioned later are a far better choice than gaudy Orientals of modern
+make, or bad imitations.</p><a name="Page_156"></a><a name="Page_157"></a><a name="Page_158"></a><a name="Page_159"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Country_Houses"></a><h2><i>Country Houses</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The Country House is a comparatively modern idea, and one which has
+added much to the joy of life. There are all kinds and conditions of
+them, great and small, grand and simple, and each is a joy to the proud
+possessor.</p>
+
+<p>Life was such a turbulent affair in the Middle Ages that country life in
+the modern sense was an impossibility. The chateaux and castles and
+large manor-houses were strongly fortified, and there were inner courts
+for exercise. When war became the exception and not the rule, the
+inherent love in all human beings for the open began to assert itself,
+and the country house idea began to grow.</p>
+
+<p>Italy was the first country where we find this freedom of attitude
+exemplified in the beautiful Renaissance villas near Rome and Florence.
+The best were built during the sixteenth century, and were owned by the
+great Italian families, like the de Medici and d'Este. They seem more
+like places built for the parade and show of life than homes, but the
+home ideal with all its conveniences was another outgrowth of peace.</p>
+
+<p>The plan of an Italian villa is very interesting to study, <a name="Page_160"></a>to see how
+every advantage was taken of the land, how the residence, or casino, was
+placed in regard to the formal garden and the view over the valley, for
+they were usually on a hillside and the slope was terraced, how the
+statues and fountains, the beautiful ilex and cypress and orange trees,
+the box-edged flower-beds and gravel paths, all formed a wonderful
+setting for the house, and together made a perfect whole. The Italian
+villa was not necessarily large, in fact the Villa Lante contains only
+six acres, which are divided into four terraces, the house being on the
+second and built in two parts, one on each side. Each terrace has a
+beautiful fountain, with a cascade connecting those on the fourth and
+third. This villa is indeed, an example of taking advantage of a fairly
+small space. It was built by the great Vignola in 1547, and although
+slightly showing the wear of time, has all the beauty and charm and
+romance which only centuries can give.</p>
+
+<p>The Italian villa can be adapted to the American climate and scenery and
+point of view, but it must be done by one of the architects who have
+made a deep study of the Italian Renaissance so the true feeling will be
+kept. There are some beautiful examples already in the country.</p>
+
+<p>In France, the chateaux which have most influenced country house
+building are those which were built during the sixteenth century, many
+of them during the reign of Francis 1st. Among the number are Azay le
+Rideau, Chenonceaux, <a name="Page_161"></a>and Chaumont. Blois and Amboise are also
+absorbingly interesting, but belong partly to an earlier time. The
+chateau region in Touraine is a treasure land of architectural beauty.
+In the time of Louis XIV Le N&ocirc;tre changed many of these old chateaux
+from their fortified state to the more open form made possible by a
+peaceful life.</p>
+
+<p>We turn to England for the most perfect examples of country houses, for
+the theory of country living is so thoroughly understood there, one
+might really say it is a national institution. Many of the manor-houses,
+both great and small, are beautiful examples of Tudor architecture,
+which seems especially suited to their setting of lovely green parks.
+The smaller country house, which has no pretention to being a show
+place, is as perfect in its way. The English love for out-of-doors makes
+them achieve wonders with even small gardens, and the climate, being
+gentle, helps matters immensely.</p>
+
+<p>In America we are taking up the English country house ideal more and
+more and adapting it to our own needs. The question of architecture is a
+question of personal choice influenced by climate, and there are now
+numberless charming houses scattered over the length and breadth of the
+land which have been built with the purpose of being country homes. They
+are not for summer use only, but all the year round keep their
+hospitable doors open, or else the season begins so early and ends so
+late, that, with the holiday time be<a name="Page_162"></a>tween, the house hardly seems
+closed at all. It is this attitude which is changing country house
+architecture to a great extent. The terraces and porches and gardens and
+glasshouses are all there, but the house itself is more solidly built
+and is prepared to stand cold weather.</p>
+
+<p>For the average American the best types of country house to choose from
+are the smaller Tudor manor-houses, Italian villas, Georgian
+architecture in England, and our own Colonial style which of course was
+founded on the Georgian. In the south and southwestern parts of this
+country a modified Spanish type may be used in place of Tudor, which
+does not give the feeling of cool spaces so necessary in hot climates.
+The bungalow type is also popular in the South.</p>
+
+<p>There are many architects in this country who understand thoroughly the
+plan and spirit of Colonial times, and who succeed in giving to the
+comforts of modern days the true stamp of the eighteenth century. The
+style makes most delightful houses, and with the great supply of
+appropriate furniture from which to choose, it would be hard to fail in
+having a charming whole.</p>
+
+<p>The house and garden should be planned together to have the best effect.
+Each can be added to as time goes on, but when a plan is followed there
+is a look of belonging together which adds greatly to the charm.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/310.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_310.jpg" width="270" height="375" alt="A hall to conjure with&mdash;although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A hall to conjure with&mdash;although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping.</p>
+
+<p>In an all-the-year country house a vestibule is a necessity as much as
+in a town house, and the hall should be treated <a name="Page_163"></a>with the dignity a
+hall deserves, and not as a second living-room. In many English houses
+of Tudor days the stairs were behind a carved screen, or concealed in
+some manner, which made it possible to use the hall as a gathering
+place. Our modern hall is not a descendant of this old hall of a past
+day (the living-room is much more so), but is really only a passage,
+often raised to the <i>n</i>th power, connecting the different rooms of the
+house, and should be treated as such. The stairs and landing and vista
+should be beautiful, and the furnishing should be dignified and in
+perfect scale with the rest of the house. Marble stairs and tapestry and
+old carved furniture and beautiful rugs, or the simplest possible
+furniture, may be used, but the hall should have an impersonally
+hospitable air, one which gives the keynote of the house, but reserves
+its full expression until the privacy of the living-rooms is reached.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/311.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_311.jpg" width="265" height="398" alt="A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses.</p>
+
+<p>The average country house is neither very magnificent nor very simple,
+but strikes the happy medium and achieves a most delightful home-like
+charm, which at the very outset makes life seem well worth living. It is
+rarely furnished in a period style throughout, but has the modern air of
+comfort which good taste and correct feeling give. For instance, the
+hall may have paneling and Chippendale mirror, a table, and chairs; the
+living-room furnished in a general Colonial manner mixed with some
+comfortable stuffed furniture, but not over-stuffed, lovely chintz or
+silk hang<a name="Page_164"></a>ings, and a wide fireplace; the morning-room on something the
+same plan, but a little less formal; and the drawing-room a little more
+so, say in Adam or simple Louis XVI furniture. The library should have
+plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs, and a large table (it is hard to
+get one too large), some of the bookcases should be built in to form
+part of the architectural plan of the room, and personally I think it is
+a better idea to have all the space intended for bookcases built in in
+the first place, as this insures harmony of plan. Another important
+thing in a library is to have the lights precisely right, and the
+window-seats and the fireplace should be all that their names imply in
+the way of added charm and comfort to the room. The dining-room should
+be bright and cheerful and in harmony with the near-by rooms. A
+breakfast-room done in lacquer is very charming.</p>
+
+<p>The bedrooms should be light and airy, and so planned that the beds can
+be properly placed. They may be furnished in old mahogany, French walnut
+in either Louis XV or XVI style, or in carefully chosen Empire; painted
+Adam furniture is also lovely, and willow furniture makes a fresh and
+attractive room. The curtains should be hung so they can be drawn at
+night if desired, and the material should be chosen to harmonize in
+design with the room.</p>
+
+<p>The children's rooms should be sunny and bright and furnished according
+to their special tastes, which if too <a name="Page_165"></a>astounding, as sometimes happens,
+can be tactfully guided into safe channels.</p>
+
+<p>The servants should be given separate bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
+comfortable sitting-room beside their dining-room. Making them
+comfortable seems a simple way of solving the servant question.</p>
+
+<p>The bungalow type of small country house is usually very simply
+furnished, and the best type of Mission furniture or willow is
+especially well suited to it. Bungalows are growing more and more in
+favor, and, although they originated in America in the West, we find
+delightful ones everywhere, on the Maine coast and in the woods and
+mountains. They are a tremendous advance over the small and elaborate
+house of a few years ago.</p>
+
+<p>Cretonne and chintz can be used in all the rooms of a country house with
+perfect propriety, and is a really lovely method of furnishing, as it is
+fresh and washable, and comes in all gradations of price. Willow
+furniture with cretonne cushions makes a pleasant variety with mahogany
+in simple rooms.</p>
+
+<p>Fresh air and sunlight, lovely vistas through doors and windows of the
+garden beyond, cool and comfortable rooms furnished appropriately, and
+with an atmosphere about them which expresses a hospitable and charming
+home spirit, is the ideal standard for a country house.</p><a name="Page_166"></a><a name="Page_167"></a><a name="Page_168"></a><a name="Page_169"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Nursery_and_Play_room"></a><h2><i>The Nursery and Play-room</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>We should be thankful that the old idea of a nursery has passed away and
+instead of the dreary and rather shabby room has come the charming
+modern nursery with its special furniture and papers, its common sense
+and sanitary wisdom and its regard for the childish point of view. The
+influence of surroundings during the formative years of childhood has a
+deal to do with the child's future attitude toward life, and now that
+parents realize this more, the ideal nursery has simplicity, charm and
+artistic merit, all suited to the needs of its romping inhabitants.</p>
+
+<p>The wall-papers for nurseries are especially attractive with their gay
+friezes of wonderful fairy-tale people, Mother Goose, Noah's Ark and
+happy little children playing among the flowers. Some of the designs
+come in sets of four panels that can be framed if desired. A Noah's Ark
+frieze with the animals marching two by two under the watchful eyes of
+the Noah family, with an ark and stiff little Noah's Ark trees, will
+give endless pleasure if placed about three feet from the floor where
+small tots can take in its charm. If placed too high, it is very often
+not noticed at all. Some of the most attractive nurseries have painted
+walls with special designs stenciled on them.</p><a name="Page_170"></a>
+
+<p>If any one of these friezes is placed above a simple wainscot, the
+effect is charming. The paper for nurseries is usually waterproof, for a
+nursery must be absolutely spick and span. Another thing that gives much
+pleasure in a nursery is to build on one side of the room a platform
+about a yard wide and six inches high, and cover it with cushions.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture in a day nursery should consist of a toy cupboard stained
+to match the color scheme of the room and large enough for each child to
+have his own special compartment in it. If the children's initials are
+painted or burned on the doors, it gives an added feeling of pride in
+keeping the toys in order. There are many designs of small tables and
+chairs made with good lines, and the wicker ones with gay cretonne
+cushions are very attractive. The tables and chairs should not have
+sharp corners and should be heavy enough not to tip over easily. There
+should be a bookcase for favorite picture-books. Besides the special
+china for the children's own meals there should be a set of play china
+for doll's parties. A sand table, with a lump of clay for modeling, a
+blackboard and, in the spring, window-boxes where the children can plant
+seeds, will all add vastly to the joy of life.</p>
+
+<p>And do not forget a comfortable chair for the nurse-maid. White muslin
+curtains with side hangings of washable chintz or linen or some special
+nursery design in cretonne should hang to the sill.</p><a name="Page_171"></a>
+
+<p>The colors in both day and night nurseries should be soft and cheerful,
+and the color scheme as carefully thought out as for the rest of the
+house. Both rooms should be on the sunny side of the house, and far
+enough away from the family living-room to avoid any one's being
+disturbed when armies charge up and down the play-room battle-ground or
+Indians start out on the warpath.</p>
+
+<p>The best floor covering for a day nursery is plain linoleum, as it is
+not dangerously slippery and is easily kept clean. If the floor is hard
+wood, it must not have a slippery wax finish. It will also save tumbles
+if the day nursery has no rugs, but the night nursery ought to have one
+large one or several small ones by the beds and in front of the open
+fire. Washable cotton rugs are best to use for this purpose.</p>
+
+<p>When children are very small, it is necessary to have sides to the beds
+to keep them from falling out. The beds should be placed so that the
+light does not shine directly in the children's eyes in the morning, and
+there should be plenty of fresh air. The rest of the night nursery
+furniture should consist of a dressing-table, a chest of drawers, a
+night table and some chairs. There should be a few pictures on the walls
+hung low, and beautiful and interesting in subjects and treatment. The
+fire should be well screened.</p>
+
+<p>Pictures like the &quot;Songs of Childhood,&quot; for instance, would be charming
+simply framed. If there is only one nursery for both day and night use,
+the room should be deco<a name="Page_172"></a>rated as a day nursery and the bed-cover made of
+white dimity with a border of the curtain stuff or made entirely of it.</p><a name="Page_173"></a><a name="Page_174"></a><a name="Page_175"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Curtains"></a><h2><i>Curtains</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The modern window, with its huge panes of glass and simple framework,
+makes an insistent demand for curtains. Without curtains windows of this
+kind give a blank, staring appearance to the room and also a sense of
+insecurity in having so many holes in the walls. The beautiful windows
+of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy, England and
+France, give no such feeling of incompleteness, for their well-carved
+frames, and over-windows, and their small panes of glass, were important
+parts of the decorative scheme. Windows and doors were more than mere
+openings in those days, but things have changed, and the hard lines of
+our perfectly useful windows get on our nerves if we do not soften them
+with drapery. In that hopeless time in the last century called &quot;Early
+Victorian,&quot; when black walnut reigned supreme, the curtains were as
+terrifying as the curves of the furniture and the colors of the carpets.
+Luckily most of us know only from pictures what that time was, but we
+all have seen enough remnants of its past glories to be thankful for
+modern ways and days. The over-draped, stuffy, upholstered nightmares
+have entirely disappeared, and in their place have come curtains of a
+high <a name="Page_176"></a>standard of beauty and practicality&mdash;simple, appropriate, and
+serving the ends they were intended for.</p>
+
+<p>The effect of curtains must be taken into account from both the outside
+and the inside of the house. The outside view should show a general
+similarity of appearance in the windows of each story, in the manner of
+hanging the curtains and also of material. The shades throughout the
+house should be of the same color, and if a different color is needed
+inside for the sake of the color scheme, either two shades should be
+used or they should be the double-faced kind. Shades should also be kept
+drawn down to the same line, or else be rolled up out of sight, for
+there is nothing that gives a more ill-kept look to a house than having
+the shades and curtains at any haphazard height or angle.</p>
+
+<p>And now to &quot;return to our muttons.&quot; The average window needs two sets of
+curtains and a shade. Sometimes a thin net or lace curtain, a <i>&quot;bonne
+femme&quot;</i> is hung close to the glass, but this is usual only in cities
+where privacy has to be maintained by main force, or where the curtains
+of a floor differ greatly. Thin curtains in combination with side
+curtains of some thicker material are most often used.</p>
+
+<p>Curtains either make or mar a room, and they should be carefully planned
+to make it a perfect whole. They must be so convincingly right that one
+only thinks at first how restful and pleasant and charming the whole
+room is; the details come later. When curtains stand out and astound
+<a name="Page_177"></a>one, they are wrong. It is not upholstery one is trying to display, but
+to make a perfect background for one's furniture, one's pictures and
+one's friends.</p>
+
+<p>There are so many materials to choose from that all tastes and purses
+can be suited; nets, thin silk and gauzes; scrims and batistes; cotton
+and silk crepes, muslin or dotted Swiss, cheesecloth, soleil cloth,
+madras, and a host of other fascinating fabrics which may be used in any
+room of the house. The ready-made curtains are also charming. There are
+muslin curtains with appliqu&eacute; borders cut from flowered cretonne;
+sometimes the cretonne is appliqu&eacute; on net which is let into the curtain
+with a four-inch hem at the bottom and sides. A simpler style has a band
+of flowered muslin sewed on the white muslin, or used as a ruffle. It is
+also added to the valance. There are many kinds of net and lace curtains
+ready for use that will harmonize with any kind of room. Some of the
+expensive ones are really beautiful examples of needlecraft, with lace
+medallions and insertions and embroidery stitches.</p>
+
+<p>When it comes to the question of side curtains the supply to choose from
+is almost unlimited, and this great supply forms the bog in which so
+many are lost. A thing may be beautiful in itself and yet cause woe and
+havoc in an otherwise charming room. There are linens of all prices, and
+cretonnes, both the inexpensive kind and the wonderful shadow ones;
+there are silks and velvets and velours, aurora <a name="Page_178"></a>cloth, cotton cr&ecirc;pe and
+arras cloth, and a thousand other beautiful stuffs that are cheap or
+medium-priced or expensive, whose names only the shopman knows, but
+which win our admiration from afar. The curtains for a country house are
+usually of less valuable materials than those for a town house, and this
+is as it should be, for winter life is usually more formal than summer
+life. Nothing can be prettier, however, for a country house than
+cretonne. It is fresh and dainty and gives a cool and delightful
+appearance to a room. Among the many designs there are some for every
+style of decoration.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/312.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_312.jpg" width="438" height="278" alt="The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one.</p>
+
+<p>The height and size of a room must be taken into account in hanging
+curtains, for with their aid, and also that of wallpaper, we can often
+change a room of bad proportions to one of seemingly good ones. If a
+room is very low, a stripe more or less marked in the design, and the
+curtains straight to the floor, will make it seem higher. A high room
+may have the curtains reach only to the sills with a valance across the
+top. This style may be used in a fairly low room if the curtain material
+is chosen with discretion and is not of a marked design. If the windows
+are narrow they can be made to seem wider by having the rod for the side
+curtains extend about eight inches on each side of the window, and the
+curtain cover the frame and a part of the wall. This leaves all the
+window for light and air. A valance connecting the side curtains and
+covering the top of the net curtains <a name="Page_179"></a>will also make the window seem
+broader. A group of three windows can be treated as one by using only
+one pair of side curtains with a connecting ruffle, and a pair of net
+curtains at each window. Curtains may hang in straight lines or be
+simply looped back, but fancy festooning is not permissible. There is
+another attractive method of dividing the curtains in halves, the upper
+sections to hang so they just cover the brass rod for the lower
+sections, which are pushed back at the sides. These lower sections may
+have the rod on which they are run fastened to the window-sash if one
+wishes. They will then go up with the window and of course keep clean
+much longer, but to my mind it is not so alluring as a gently blowing
+curtain on a hot day. I have seen a whole house curtained most
+charmingly in this manner, with curtains of unbleached muslin edged with
+a narrow little ruffle. They hung close to the glass and reached just to
+the sill with the lower part pushed back at the sides. The outside view
+was most attractive, and the inside curtains varied according to the
+needs of each room.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/313.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_313.jpg" width="389" height="257" alt="A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch.</p>
+
+<p>Casement windows should have the muslin curtains drawn back with a cord
+or a muslin band, and the side curtains should hang straight, with a
+little top ruffle; if the windows open into the room the curtains may be
+hung on the frames. The muslin curtains may be left out entirely if one
+wishes. Net curtains on French doors should be run on small brass rods
+at top and bottom, and the heavy curtains that are <a name="Page_180"></a>drawn together at
+night for privacy's sake should be so hung that they will not interfere
+with the opening of the door. There should be plenty of room under all
+ruffles or shaped valances where the curtains are to be drawn to allow
+for easy working of the cords, otherwise tempers are liable to be
+suddenly lost.</p>
+
+<p>All windows over eighteen inches wide need two curtains, and the average
+allowance of fullness is at least twice the width of the window for net
+and any very soft material, while once and a half is usually enough for
+material with more body. Great care must be taken to measure curtains
+correctly and have them cut evenly. It is also a good plan to allow for
+extra length, which can be folded into the top hem and will not show,
+but will allow for shrinking.</p>
+
+<p>Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and porti&egrave;res for
+country houses. Cheesecloth, scrim, aurora cloth, pongee, linen, and
+velours, are a few of the materials that can be used. The design and
+kind used in a room should be chosen with due regard to its suitability.
+A Louis XVI room could not possibly have arras cloth used in it, while
+it would be charming and appropriate in a modern bungalow. Arras cloth
+with an appliqu&eacute; design of linen couched on it makes beautiful curtains
+and porti&egrave;res to go with the Mission or Craftsman furniture.</p>
+
+<p>There is an old farmhouse on Long Island that has been made over into a
+most delightful country house, and the <a name="Page_181"></a>furnishing throughout is
+consistent and charming. The curtains are reproductions of old designs
+in chintz and cretonne. The living-room, with its white paneling to the
+ceiling, its wide fireplace, old mahogany furniture, and curtains gay
+with parrots and flowers, hanging over cool white muslin, is a room to
+conjure with.</p>
+
+<p>In town houses the curtains and hangings must also harmonize with the
+style of furnishing. When the windows are hung with soft colored
+brocade, the porti&egrave;res are usually beautiful tapestry or rich toned
+velvets, and care is always taken to have the balance of color kept and
+the color values correct. There are silks and damasks and velvets, and
+many lesser stuffs, made for all the period styles, whether carried out
+simply or elaborately, and it is the art of getting the suitable ones
+for the different rooms which gives the air of harmony, beauty, and
+restfulness, for which the word home stands.</p>
+
+<p>In hanging these more formal curtains the shaped valance is usually used
+with the curtains hanging straight at the sides of the window, so they
+can be drawn together at night. The cords and pulleys should always be
+in perfect working order. Another method is to have the curtains simply
+parted in the center, either with a valance or without, and drawn back
+at the sides with heavy cords and tassels, or bands of the stuff. If a
+draped effect is desired great care must be taken not to have it too
+elaborate.</p><a name="Page_182"></a>
+
+<p>If the walls of a room are plain in color one may have either plain or
+figured hangings, but if the wall covering is figured it gives a feeling
+of unrest if the curtains are also figured. Sometimes one sees bedrooms
+and small boudoirs where the walls and curtains show the same design,
+but it must be done with skill, or disaster is sure to follow.</p>
+
+<p>Plain casement cloth or the different &quot;Sunfast&quot; fabrics are attractive
+with plain or figured papers, especially in bedrooms of country houses.</p>
+
+<p>If one has to live in the town house through the summer do not make the
+fatal mistake of taking down the curtains and living in bare discomfort
+during the hot season. If the curtains are too handsome to be kept up,
+buy a second set of inexpensive ones that can be washed without injury.
+It is better that they should stop the dust, and then go into the tub,
+than that one's lungs should collect it all. Curtains are useful as well
+as ornamental, and a house without them is as dreary as breakfast
+without coffee.</p><a name="Page_183"></a><a name="Page_184"></a><a name="Page_185"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Floors_and_Floor_Coverings"></a><h2><i>Floors and Floor Coverings</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>In planning a room the color values should be divided into the natural
+divisions of the heaviest, or darkest, part at the bottom, which is the
+floor; the medium color tone in the middle, which is the wall; and the
+lightest at the top, which is the ceiling. This keeps the room from
+seeming top-heavy and gives the necessary feeling of support for the
+wall and ceiling. The walls and floor serve as a background and should
+not be insistant or startling in color; and the size and height of the
+room, the amount of wall space, the position of doors, windows and
+fireplace, the quantity and quality of the light, and the connecting
+rooms will all be factors in the color scheme and materials chosen.</p>
+
+<p>The floor of a room must be right or all the character of the
+furnishings will be lost. One should first see that it is in perfect
+condition. If it is a hardwood or parquetry floor it should not be
+finished the bright and glaring yellow which is sometimes seen, but
+should be slightly toned down before the finish is put on. Samples of
+different tones should be submitted to be tried with samples of the rug
+and stuffs to be used before the decision is made. A wax finish is
+better than the usual coats of shellac, for the wax has a soft and
+beautiful glow, while shellac has a hard commercial glare.<a name="Page_186"></a> A waxed
+floor, if properly taken care of, which is not difficult, wears
+extremely well and does not have the distressingly shabby appearance of
+a partly worn shellaced floor. If the floor is old and worn and is to be
+painted or stained all cracks should be filled, and the color chosen
+should be a neutral color-in harmony with the rest of the room, the wood
+shades usually being the best, with the exception of cherry and the red
+tones of mahogany. Teak is a good tone for hard wood. Soft wood floors
+of such woods as pine, fir, and cypress can be made to have the
+appearance of hardwood if first scraped or sandpapered and then stained
+with an oil stain and finished with a thin coat of shellac and two coats
+of prepared floor wax.</p>
+
+<p>The usual ways of using floor covering are: one large rug which leaves a
+border of hard wood floor of about a foot all around it; several small
+rugs placed with a well balanced plan upon the floor; and carpet, either
+seamless or of strips sewed together, made into one rug or entirely
+covering the floor.</p>
+
+<p>In the majority of cases the use of a single large plain rug is by far
+the best plan, for it gives the feeling of an unobtrusive background
+whose beauty of color serves to bind the room in the unity of a well
+planned scheme; and this sense of dignity and solidity goes a long way
+on the road to success. It is one of the most satisfactory methods of
+covering a floor imaginable. These plain carpets come in several grades
+and <a name="Page_187"></a>many colors and are woven in widths from nine to thirty feet which
+can be cut in any desired length. This makes it possible to have a rug
+which will be a suitable size for a room. The colors are very good,
+especially the soft grays, tans, putty color, and taupe. There are also
+some good blues and greens, a very beautiful dark blue having great
+possibilities. There are also, besides these wide carpets, narrow
+carpets from twenty-seven inches to four feet wide which can be sewed
+together and made into rugs, or the carpet can cover the entire floor.
+In some cases this is the most attractive thing to do, for it will make
+a room seem larger by carrying the vision all the way to the wall
+without the break of a border; and it also covers a multitude of sins in
+the way of a rough floor. In these days of vacuum cleaners the old
+terrors of dust have lost their sting.</p>
+
+<p>A plain carpet or rug may be used with propriety in any room in the
+house, provided the right color is chosen for the surroundings. Some
+people, however, prefer a figured carpet in the dining-room on account
+of the wear and tear around the table. This risk is not very great if
+the rug is of good quality in the first place. A two-toned all-over
+design is often chosen for halls and stairs because of the special wear
+which they receive, and a Chinese rug is a good selection to make with a
+stair carpet of soft blue and yellow Chinese design to match. A small,
+figured, all-over design is a good choice for a nursery.</p><a name="Page_188"></a>
+
+<p>Bedrooms may have either one large rug or be covered entirely with
+carpet, or have several rugs so placed that the floor is practically
+covered but is easily kept clean. Plain rugs are more restful in effect
+in bedrooms than figured rugs, and with plain walls and chintz are fresh
+and charming. These carpet rugs should be made with a flat binding which
+turns under and is sewed down, as this looks far better and lies flatter
+on the floor than the usual over-and-over finish, which is apt to
+stretch. All rugs should be thoroughly stretched before they are
+delivered as otherwise they will not lie flat.</p>
+
+<p>There is a kind of plain woven linen rug, with a different colored
+border if desired, which is very good to use in many country houses.
+These rugs come in a large assortment of colors and sizes, and, when
+sufficient time is allowed, they can be made in special sizes.
+Old-fashioned woven and hooked rag rugs are not appropriate in all kinds
+of rooms, even in the country. They should only be used in the simple
+farm house type and in some bungalows, and should be used with the
+simple styles of old furniture and never with fine examples, whether
+copies or originals.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/314.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_314.jpg" width="235" height="276" alt="This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the porti&egrave;res spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the porti&egrave;res spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen.</p>
+
+<p>The light in a room must be taken into account in choosing a rug, and
+cold colors should not be used in north or cheerless rooms. The theory
+of color in regard to light has been explained in other chapters, very
+fully in the chapter on wallpapers, and its principles should be applied
+to all ques<a name="Page_189"></a>tions of furnishing, or disappointment will be the result.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/315a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_315a.jpg" width="234" height="179" alt="The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/315b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_315b.jpg" width="237" height="187" alt="This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole.</p>
+
+<p>The question of whether to use Oriental rugs or plain rugs is one which
+many people find hard to solve. One of the deciding factors is often
+finding just what is right for the room, for really beautiful Oriental
+rugs in large or carpet size are rare and also expensive, but soft-toned
+Persian rugs with their interesting floral designs, and Chinese rugs
+with their wonderful tones of blue and yellow are works of art and well
+worth the trouble necessary to discover them and the price asked. They
+are best adapted to some libraries and halls and some dining-rooms, but
+they should not be startling in either design or color. To my mind
+Oriental rugs are not well suited to the majority of living-rooms and
+bedrooms because of the constant and varied use of these rooms. When
+Oriental rugs are used there should be plenty of plain effect in the
+room; the walls, for instance, should be plain. I have never seen a room
+which was successful if both walls and rug were figured. A fine tapestry
+may be used with Oriental rugs, but that is quite different from a
+figured wall. If several rugs are to be used in one room they must be of
+the same color value and the same general color tone or the floor will
+appear uneven. One does not wish to have a room give the uncomfortable
+effect of &quot;the rocky road to Dublin.&quot; A rug with a general blue tone
+must not be put with other rugs of many colors or an overpowering amount
+of red, but should be matched in color by having blue the chief color of
+the <a name="Page_190"></a>other rugs also. The color value, too, must be even, for a light
+rug next to a dark has the same disagreeable effect. It is impossible to
+have a beautiful room if the rug seems to rise up and smite you as you
+enter. Persian rugs with their conventional floral designs should not be
+used with the marked color and geometrical designs of Caucasian rugs.
+These points are important to remember and follow, for otherwise unity
+of scheme for the room will be impossible.</p>
+
+<p>If one has several fine rugs well matched in color value and design they
+should be placed with a due regard to the shape of the room and the
+position of the furniture. A rug placed cat-a-cornered breaks up the
+structural plan of the room and makes it appear smaller than it really
+is. The new lines formed are at odds with the lines of the walls and
+interfere with the sense of space by stopping the eye in its instinctive
+journey to the boundary of things. Oriental rugs should be tried if
+possible in the rooms in which they are to be used before the final
+choice is made, and one must always try the rug with the light falling
+across the nap and also with the nap, for one way makes the rug lighter
+and the other darker, and one of the two may be just what is wanted.</p>
+
+<p>If one owns a rug which seems far too bright to use it can be toned
+down, but the owner must take the risk of its being spoiled in the
+process. To me it does not seem a great risk, because if the rug is so
+bright that it is absolutely nerve-destroying and useless, and there is
+a chance that for a small <a name="Page_191"></a>sum it can be made charming, why not take it?
+I have never heard of one failing, but I suppose some of them must or
+the stipulation would not be made.</p>
+
+<p>If an Oriental rug is used it should give the keynote for the color
+scheme, and the design of the rug will decide whether there can be any
+figured material used in the room. It is far easier to build up a scheme
+from a satisfactory rug than it is to try to fit one into a room which
+is otherwise finished. One's field of choice is much wider. Samples of
+wallpaper, curtain material and furniture coverings should always be
+tried with the rugs, whether Oriental or plain in color, for the scheme
+of a room must be worked out as a whole, not piece-meal. Each room must
+be considered in relation to the other rooms near it, because, although
+it may be beautiful in itself, if it does not harmonize with the
+connecting rooms the whole effect will be a failure. Vistas from one
+room to another should be alluring and charming; there should be no
+violent and clashing contrasts of color or styles of furniture or sudden
+change in the scale of furnishings. One room cannot shake off its
+relationship to the rest of the house and be a success, and floor
+coverings must bear their full share of responsibility in making the
+whole house beautiful.</p><a name="Page_192"></a><a name="Page_193"></a><a name="Page_194"></a><a name="Page_195"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="The_Treatment_of_Walls"></a><h2><i>The Treatment of Walls</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The walls of a house hold a most important place in the order of things
+and their treatment requires much thought. The floor is the darkest
+color value in a room, as it is the foundation, and the walls come next
+in color value and consideration. What I have said in other chapters
+about the necessity of connecting rooms being harmonious applies of
+course to the selection of wall coverings.</p>
+
+<p>The first question to be settled is: shall paint or paper be used?</p>
+
+<p>If a house is new the walls are apt to settle a little making the
+plaster crack, and it is far better in such a case to allow the walls to
+remain white for a year. If the effect of plain white plaster strikes
+one as too cold one of the many water tints may be used as this will not
+interfere with any later scheme. In houses that have been built for a
+number of years the walls are often so badly cracked and marred that to
+put them into condition for painting would be more expensive than
+preparing them for paper. Estimates should be given for both paint and
+paper.</p>
+
+<p>When the plaster has done its worst and settled down to a quiet life the
+work of covering the walls appropriately begun.</p>
+
+<p>Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more <a name="Page_196"></a>restful in
+effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls. This is not a
+question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but
+simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall,
+even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less
+of a background. If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a
+figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls. If one
+has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be
+treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain
+background. A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made
+to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral
+color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion
+more pronounced. Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls,
+as they then appear larger. Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter
+of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and
+various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of
+the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and
+lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the
+scheme, instead of making another distracting note.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/316.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_316.jpg" width="331" height="227" alt="A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.</p>
+
+<p>The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances,
+such as the condition of the walls or the climate. With paint one can
+have the exact shade desired and either a &quot;glossy&quot; or eggshell finish.
+With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color
+wanted and <a name="Page_197"></a>changing the other colors to harmonize. Paint is better to
+use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the
+course of time.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/317.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_317.jpg" width="359" height="270" alt="This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.</p>
+
+<p>Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
+are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
+requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
+the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
+the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
+background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
+suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
+some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
+room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
+different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
+colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
+picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
+I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
+walls have been painted by great artists.</p>
+
+<p>Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
+elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
+or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
+walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
+plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.</p>
+
+<p>Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is <a name="Page_198"></a>to be used.
+Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
+only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
+is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
+in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
+very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
+people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
+that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
+realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
+when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
+figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
+to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
+as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
+should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
+environment. Samples of the curtains and furniture coverings should also
+be tried with the sample of paper before the final choice is made. If a
+paper with a decided figure is chosen pictures should be banished, for
+their beauty will be killed by the repeated design. The scale of the
+design in relation to the size of the room must also be taken into
+account. A small room will be overpowered by a large figure, but often
+the repeat of a small figure is quite correct in a large room as it
+gives an all-over, unobtrusive effect. If the wall space is much cut by
+doors and windows one should select a plain, <a name="Page_199"></a>neutral toned paper. It
+would be a fatal error to use a figured paper, for the room would look
+restless and chaotic and probably out of balance. If the windows are in
+groups and the doors balance each other the danger is lessened, but not
+done away with. One of the beautiful features in fine old Colonial
+houses is this ordered position of doors, but in many a modern house the
+doors have a trying way of appearing in a corner, as if they were a bit
+ashamed of themselves; and they have good cause to be, for a badly
+placed door is a calamity. If one is fortunate enough to plan one's own
+house, this matter can be taken care of properly, but in the average
+ready made house one has to try to make the doors less conspicuous by
+having them painted in very much the tone of the wall. With a gray wall,
+for instance, there should have a slightly lighter tone of gray for the
+woodwork, with a white and gray striped paper white paint may be used,
+with a soft tan a deep old ivory, and so on.</p>
+
+<p>If a room is badly proportioned it can often be improved by the simple
+expedient of using a correct paper. If the room is too high for its size
+the ceiling color may be brought down on the side wall for eighteen
+inches or so and finished with a moulding. This stops the eye before it
+reaches the ceiling and so makes the room seem lower. If the room is too
+low a striped paper may be used which will make the room seem higher by
+carrying the eye up to the ceiling where the paper is finished with a
+moulding. Vertical lines give <a name="Page_200"></a>the appearance of height, horizontal
+lines of width. Striped paper should not be used in narrow halls, for it
+makes them seem narrower and gives one the feeling of being in a cage.
+Two-toned striped papers of nearly the same color value, such as gray
+and white, yellow and cream-white, and white and cream color, are better
+to use than those of more marked contrast, although some of the green
+and white and blue and white are charming and fresh looking for
+bedrooms. Black and white is too eccentric for the average house; one
+should beware of all eccentric papers. There are a few kinds of paper
+which should be left severely alone, for they will spoil any room. One
+of them has a plain general tone but a suggestion of other colors which
+give it a blurred and mottled appearance which is singularly
+disagreeable. Another is plain in color but has a lumpy effect like a
+toad's back, and is really quite awful. Others are metallic papers, and
+there is a heavy paper embossed in self color with a conventional design
+which is apt to have a shining surface. Papers with dashes and little
+flecks of gold should be avoided, for the gold gives the wall an
+unstable and cheap appearance. Papers with small single figures repeated
+all over the surface are apt to look as if a plague of flies or beetles
+had arrived and are quite impossible to live with. Borders and cut out
+borders have a commonplace appearance and are not in the best of taste.
+And then there are papers with vulgarity of design. This quality is hard
+to define clearly, for it may be <a name="Page_201"></a>only a slightly redundant curve or
+other lack of true feeling for the beauty of line, or a bit too much, or
+too little, color, or a bad combination of color, or a lack of knowledge
+of the laws of balance and harmony and ornament, or a wrong surface of
+texture to the paper. But whatever the cause, a vulgar paper will
+vulgarize any room, no matter what is done in the way of furniture. It
+will assert itself like an ill-bred person. Luckily both are easily
+recognized.</p>
+
+<p>But the picture is not all dark by any means, for some of the American
+made papers, as well as the imported papers, are very beautiful. The
+makers are taking great pains to have fine designs and beautiful colors
+which will appeal to people of knowledge and taste. The situation is
+much better than it was a few years ago. Some of the copies of old
+figured and scenic papers are exceptionally fine, and can be used with
+great distinction in dining-rooms or halls with ivory or cream-white
+woodwork and wainscoting, and Georgian or Colonial furniture. One should
+not use pictures with these papers, but mirrors are permissable and will
+have the best effect if placed on a wood-paneled over-mantel. These
+papers come in tones of gray and white and also sepia. Oriental rugs, if
+not of too conspicuous a design, may be used with them, but plain rugs
+are better with plain hangings and striped silk chair seats. These
+papers are very attractive in country houses. There are also colored
+scenic papers, an especially fascinating one having a Chinese design
+which <a name="Page_202"></a>could be used as a connected scene or in panels, and would be
+lovely in a country house drawing-room or dining-room or hall. It could
+also be used in a city house with beautiful effect if due thought be
+given to the question of hangings, woodwork, rug, and furniture.
+Introduce a false note, and a room of this kind is ruined. These scenic
+papers come in sets, but the copies of the other old papers come in the
+regular rolls. Some of the lovely old &quot;<i>Toile de Jouy</i>&quot; designs have
+been used for wall paper, and these with other chintz designs, can be
+softened in effect by a special method of glazing which makes them very
+harmonious and charming with antique furniture or reproductions of fine
+old models. These old chintz papers are lovely for bedrooms or
+morning-rooms, with fresh crisp muslin curtains and plain silk or linen
+or chambray side-curtains. Either painted or mahogany furniture could be
+employed. A motif from the paper can be used for the furniture or it can
+simply be striped with the color chosen for the plain curtains. Some of
+the good and rather stunning bird design papers treated with this
+special glazing make beautiful halls with plain rugs and hangings and
+chair covers.</p>
+
+<p>Papers cost from about forty cents to several dollars a roll, but the
+choice is large and attractive between one and three dollars a roll, and
+there are also excellent ones for eighty-five cents. It is almost
+impossible, however, to give a satisfactory list of prices as they vary
+in different parts of <a name="Page_203"></a>the country. The reproductions of old scenic
+papers of which I have spoken are expensive, costing about one hundred
+dollars a set, but they may go down again now that the war is over. The
+difference in expense between paint and paper is not very great, in
+fact, with the average paper at a dollar or a dollar and a half a roll,
+paint is about the same, or perhaps a bit cheaper if the walls are in
+fairly good condition. It is a mistake to use inferior paper, and there
+should never be more than a lining paper and the paper itself on the
+wall. In some cases where there is only one paper of soft color on the
+wall, with no lining paper, this paper may be used as a lining paper if
+it is absolutely tight and firm. The risk is that the new paste may
+loosen the old a bit and so let all come down. Old paper must be
+entirely removed if there are any marred places as they will show
+through the new and ruin the effect.</p>
+
+<p>The amount of wall space and the quality and the quantity of the light
+are important factors in deciding the color scheme because by using them
+correctly we can brighten a cheerless, dark room or soften the blaze in
+a too sunny one.</p>
+
+<p>If the light is a cold dreary one from the north, the room will be
+vastly improved if warm, cheerful colors are used: warm ivory, deep
+cream color, soft or bright yellow without any greenish tinge in it,
+soft yellow pinks (there is a hard pink which is very ugly), yellow
+green (but not olive), and tones of golden tan. It is the dash of yellow
+in these colors <a name="Page_204"></a>which makes them cheerful and gives the impression of
+sunlight. Tans should never come too close to brown for a dark room, for
+nothing is more dreary or hopeless than a room done in that depressing
+color. The beautiful tones of old oak, or properly treated modern oak
+paneling, are quite a different matter. Small amounts of red or orange
+will do wonders, if used with discretion, in brightening a dull room,
+and are often just what are needed to bring out the beauty of the rest
+of the scheme; but it is a great mistake to think that red walls and a
+great deal of red in the hangings and furniture covering will make a
+cheerful or pleasant room. Red absorbs light and is also an irritant to
+the eyes and nerves, and, unless it is used with great skill, it is apt
+to look extremely commonplace and ugly or like an ostentatious hotel or
+public building. Few of us have large enough houses to make it possible
+to use red in great amounts, and it is well for the average person to
+shun it and remember that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a red
+wall will spoil a room.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/318.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_318.jpg" width="402" height="258" alt="There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated.</p>
+
+<p>Cool colors should be used in bright and sunny rooms&mdash;blues, greens,
+grays, grayish tans, and those delightful colors, old ivory, and soft
+deep cream color and linen color. Colors with a tone of yellow in them
+are easier to use than cold blues and greens and violets, for the yellow
+tinge, be it ever so little, brings them into relation with the majority
+of woods used in floors and furniture frames. Light colors make a
+<a name="Page_205"></a>room seem larger by apparently making the walls recede, and dark
+colors make it seem smaller, as they make us conscious of the walls and
+so seem to bring them nearer. Any very bright room may have dark walls
+to soften the glare, but if it has to be used by artificial light it
+will then be heavy and cheerless in effect; and so a better choice would
+be some soft neutral color of medium or lighter color values, such as
+gray green, and use awnings and dark shades. This matter of color in
+relation to light is important to remember when planning one's house.
+There is also another question which has great influence on one's choice
+of paper, and that is the amount and kind of furniture to be used in the
+room. Georgian furniture calls for plain or paneled walls, or if a
+figured paper is used it should be one of the old-fashioned designs or
+one of the striped papers. Old-fashioned chintz designs are also
+appropriate for bedrooms with mahogany or painted furniture. Plain or
+paneled walls, striped paper, and some of the fine floral designs, which
+can also be used as panels, and the charming <i>Toile de Jouy</i> designs,
+are all appropriate when used with French furniture. Heavily made
+furniture like Craftsman or Mission needs the support of strong walls
+which may be rough-finished natural-colored or painted plaster, or grass
+cloth, or one of the many good plain papers of heavy texture. There are
+also figured papers which are appropriate. Wicker furniture will go with
+almost any kind of attractive paper which is correct for the room, but
+when <a name="Page_206"></a>there is much figure the cushions should be covered with plain
+stuff. All-over stuffed furniture when covered with chintz looks best
+with plain walls. Painted furniture looks well with plain walls and
+chintz. A motif from the chintz can be used on the furniture for the
+decoration, but if the wall paper is figured the effect will be more
+restful if the furniture is only striped.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/319.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_319.jpg" width="359" height="261" alt="This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples.</p>
+
+<p>In summing up: the important points which govern the choice and color of
+wall covering are the connecting rooms, the amount and quality of light,
+the size and shape of the room, its use, the furnishings which are to be
+used, the condition of the walls, and personal preference as to paint or
+paper. Do not be afraid of the idea that plain walls, whether paint or
+paper, may become tiresome, for one can stand well planned monotony year
+in and year out with a cheerful heart. If some rooms are to be papered
+with figured paper be sure the selection is made with care and with the
+idea in mind that a figured wall is in itself a decoration and should
+not have pictures crowded upon it.</p><a name="Page_207"></a><a name="Page_208"></a><a name="Page_209"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Artificial_Lighting"></a><h2><i>Artificial Lighting</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>To light a room successfully appropriate lights must be placed where
+they are needed to keep the feeling of balance and proportion and bring
+out the charm of the room by their relation to its furnishing. They
+should also be so placed that the life of the household can go on as
+cheerfully and smoothly in the evening as in the day time.</p>
+
+<p>The position and style of lighting fixtures is decided by the type of
+house, the size and height of the rooms, the amount of wall space, the
+use for which the rooms are intended, their style of furnishing, the
+chief centers of interest, such as mantels, doors, furniture, and
+pictures of importance, and also the manner in which the walls are
+treated, whether paneled or papered. If one is building a house one
+should give all possible data to the architect in regard to any special
+pieces of furniture or pictures which one may wish to use in certain
+places. By doing this the tragedy of a slightly too small wall space
+will be escaped, and the lights will be properly placed in the
+beginning.</p>
+
+<p>One must always remember in planning the position of the lights for a
+room that the eye naturally seeks the brightest spot, and badly placed
+lamps and sidelights will upset the balance of a room. The room must not
+be glaringly <a name="Page_210"></a>bright, but there should be a feeling of a certain
+evenness in the distribution of light. A top light makes the light come
+from the wrong direction. Artificial light in a room should take its
+general idea from the lighting of the room in the day time. The daylight
+comes from the windows, the sides of the room, and the decoration of the
+room is built up with that in mind; so when we are planning the lighting
+scheme we should remember this and realize that the light should come
+from lamps placed advantageously on tables, and wall lights placed
+slightly above eye level.</p>
+
+<p>Living-rooms should have a sufficient number of well placed sidelights
+to enhance the beauty of the room, and they should be placed near
+centers of importance such as each side of the fireplace, or wide door,
+or on each side of some important picture or mirror. If there is a group
+of two or three windows which need to be more convincingly drawn
+together to form a unit, lights may be placed on each side of the group.
+Sidelights can be placed in the center of panels, thus forming a
+decoration for the panel, and, flanking paintings or mirrors or
+tapestries, make beautiful and formal rooms, especially for the
+different periods of French, English, or Italian decoration. This
+treatment with simpler forms of fixtures may also be used in our
+charming, but more or less nondescript, chintz living-rooms and country
+house drawing-rooms or dining-rooms. With a sufficient number of lamps
+in the room the side-or wall-lights need not be <a name="Page_211"></a>lighted during the
+average stay-at-home evenings but are ready if there is some special
+occasion for brilliancy. There are some rooms which are much improved by
+having no side-lights at all, all the light coming from lamps. There
+should be plenty of floor sockets so placed that lamps may be used on
+tables near sofas and armchairs and on the writing table or large
+living-room table. It is this proper placing of lamps which has so much
+to do with the charm and comfort of a room when evening comes.</p>
+
+<p>In the average home there is no greater mistake in the matter of
+lighting than having a room lighted by chandelier or ceiling lights.
+Lights at the top of the room, or a foot or two from the ceiling, break
+up completely the artistic balance of the room by drawing attention to
+them as the brightest spot. They make the room seem smaller both by day
+and night, they cast ugly shadows, they do not give sufficient or
+correct light for reading or writing, and the glare above one's head is
+nerve destroying. When the sun is directly overhead we hasten to put up
+sunshades, so why should we deliberately reproduce in our homes the most
+trying position of light? The fixtures also are usually extremely ugly.
+One sees sometimes in private houses what is called the indirect method
+of lighting, which is usually an alabaster bowl suspended by chains from
+the ceiling in which the lights are concealed. The reflected light on
+the ceiling is supposed to give a suffused and bright light. To my mind
+there is something <a name="Page_212"></a>extremely obnoxious about this method used in homes,
+for it smacks of department stores and banks and public buildings
+generally. And then, too, the light is unpleasant. If I were the
+unfortunate possessor of such a light I should have it taken down and
+use the bowl on a high wrought iron tripod for growing ivy and ferns,
+and thus try to get a little good from the ill wind that blew it there.</p>
+
+<p>There are a few cases, however, where top lights may be used, such as
+large drawing-or music-rooms, rooms in which formal entertaining is to
+be done. Crystal ceiling lights are then best to use, or chandeliers
+with crystal drops or pendants. If these rooms are Italian Renaissance
+in style, the center lights must naturally harmonize in period. Large
+halls with marble stairs and wrought-iron balustrade can have this
+elaborate kind of light, but the average hall demands a simpler
+chandelier. If one is to be used there are some very good copies of old
+Colonial lights and lanterns, but personally I prefer wall brackets and
+a dignified lamp, or a floor lamp. Torch&egrave;res or lacquered floor lamps
+may be used in pairs if the hall is large enough to have them placed
+properly. In a long, narrow hall they would look a bit like lamp posts.
+Rather close fitting round shades, nearly the same size at top and
+bottom, made of painted parchment give a decorative touch and sufficient
+light. As one does not need an especially bright light in a hall, a
+beautiful lamp can be made of one of the fine old alabaster vases which
+many <a name="Page_213"></a>people have by dropping an electric bulb in it. Placed on a consol
+table before a mirror it makes a delightful spot in the hall. These
+lamps may also be used in other rooms where a light is needed for effect
+and not for use. In placing lamps the charm and utility of a reflection
+in a mirror must not be overlooked.</p>
+
+<p>A vestibule may have a lantern of some attractive design in harmony with
+the house, or side lights, if they can be so placed as not to be struck
+by the door.</p>
+
+<p>Dining-rooms are far more beautiful and also better lighted if
+sidelights are used, with candles on the table, rather than a drop
+light. Dining-room drop-lights or &quot;domes&quot; have all the disadvantages of
+other center lights and are extremely trying to the eyes of the diners,
+as well as being unbecoming. Even when screened with thin silk drawn
+across the bottom there is something deadening to one's brain in having
+a light just over one's head. Side lights with the added charm of
+candles will give plenty of light. It is a cause for thanksgiving that
+drop-lights over dining-tables are rarely seen now-a-days.</p>
+
+<p>Bedrooms should have a good light over the dressing table, and to my
+mind, two movable lights upon it, which may be in the form of wired
+candlesticks or small lamps. These are much more convenient than fixed
+lights. There should be a light over any long mirror, and one for the
+desk and sofa or <i>chaise longue</i>, and one for the bedside table. The
+dressing-<a name="Page_214"></a>room should be supplied with a light over the chiffonier and
+long mirror, and there should also be a table light. Clothes closets
+should have simple lights.</p>
+
+<p>And do not forget the kitchen if one wishes properly cooked meals. A
+light so placed that it shines into the oven has saved many a burned
+dish, and a light over the sink has saved many a broken one. The
+servants' sitting-room should have a good reading lamp.</p>
+
+<p>The question of the style of the fixtures is important, for if they are
+badly chosen they will quite spoil an otherwise perfect room. They must
+harmonize in period with the room, and also with its scale of
+furnishing. There is a wide choice in the shops, and some of the designs
+are very good indeed, having been carefully studied and adapted from
+beautiful museum specimens of old Italian, French, English, and Spanish,
+carvings and ornament. Some of our iron workers make very fine metal
+fixtures which are beautiful copies of old French and Italian work.
+There are graceful and sturdy designs, elaborate and simple, special
+period designs, and many which are appropriate for rooms of no
+particular period. There are charming lacquer sconces to go with lacquer
+furniture, and old-fashioned prism candelabra and sconces, and fixtures
+copied from choice old whale oil lamps in both brass and bronze. There
+are suitable designs for each and every room. The difficulty lies not in
+finding too few to choose from, but too many, and, growing weary,
+<a name="Page_215"></a>making a selection not quite so good as it should be. One should take
+blue prints to the shop if possible, but necessary measurements without
+fail. One must know not only the width of the wall spaces, but the width
+of the pictures and furniture to be put in the room, or the calamity may
+happen of having the fixtures a bit too wide. When fixtures are meant to
+be a special part of the decorative scheme, and support and enhance
+pictures and tapestries, they should have an appropriate decorative
+value also, but in the average home it is better and safer to choose the
+simpler, but still beautiful, designs. It is better to err on the side
+of simplicity than to have them too elaborate.</p>
+
+<p>Lamps should be chosen to harmonize with the room, to add their
+usefulness and beauty to it as a part of the whole and be convincingly
+right both by day and night. There are many possibilities for having
+lamps made of different kinds of pottery and porcelain jars; some
+crackle-ware jars are very good in color. Chinese porcelain jars, both
+single color and figured, make lovely lamps. Old and valuable specimens
+should not be used in this way, for they are works of art. Many modern
+jars are copies of the old and these should be used. There are lacquer
+lamps, bronze, and brass, and carved wood lamps, and lovely Wedgwood and
+alabaster vases. There are charming little floor lamps, some of wrought
+iron with smart little parchment shades, some in Sheraton design, some
+in lacquer or painted wood, which <a name="Page_216"></a>can be easily carried about to stand
+by bridge tables or a special chair. There are dozens of different jars
+and lamps to use, but the one absolutely necessary question to ask
+oneself is: is it right for my purpose?</p>
+
+<p>Lamp shades are a part of the scheme of the room's decoration and should
+be chosen or made to order to achieve the desired effect. Special shades
+are made by many clever people to harmonize with any room or period and
+are apt to be far better than the ready made variety. There are all
+manner of beautiful shades, lace, silk, plain and painted parchment and
+paper, mounted Japanese prints, embroidery, and any number of other
+attractive combinations. To be perfect, beside the fine workmanship,
+they must harmonize in line with the lamps on which they are to be used,
+and harmonize in color and style with the room, and have an absolute
+lack of frills and furbelows. The shade for a reading lamp should spread
+enough to allow the light to shine out. Lamp shades simply for
+illuminating purposes may be any desired shape if in harmony with the
+shape of the lamp. Lacquered painted tin shades are liked by some for
+lamps on writing tables. There should be a certain amount of uniformity
+in the style of the shades in a room, although they need not be exactly
+alike. Too much variety is ruinous to the effect of simple charm in the
+room. The chintz which is used for curtains will supply a motif for the
+painted shades if one wishes them, but if there is a great deal <a name="Page_217"></a>of
+chintz, plain shades will be more attractive. Side lights may have
+little screens or shades, as one prefers, or none may be used. In that
+case the bulbs may be toned down by using ground glass and painting them
+with a thin coat of raw umber water color paint. Bedroom shades follow
+the same rule of appropriateness that applies to the other shades in the
+house. There should be several sets of candle shades for the
+dining-room.</p>
+
+<p>There is really no reason why so many houses should be so badly lighted.
+Often simply rearranging the lamps and changing the shape of the shades
+will do wonders in the way of improvement. Radical changes in the wiring
+should be carefully thought out so there will be no mistakes to
+rectify.</p><a name="Page_218"></a><a name="Page_219"></a><a name="Page_220"></a><a name="Page_221"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Painted_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Painted Furniture</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>The love of color which is strong in human nature is shown in the
+welcome which has been given to painted furniture. If we turn back to
+review the past we find this same feeling cropping out in the different
+periods and in the different grades of furniture. The furniture of the
+Italian Renaissance was often richly gilded and painted; the carved
+swags of fruit, arabesques, and the entwined human figures, were painted
+in natural colors, or some of the important lines of the furniture were
+picked out with color or gold, or both. As the influence of the
+Renaissance spread to France and England, changed by the national
+temperament of the different countries, we find their furniture often
+blossoming into color&mdash;not covered by a solid coat of paint but picked
+out here and there by lines and accenting points. During the time of
+Louis XIV everything was ablaze with gold and glory, but later, during
+the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, a gentler, more refined love of
+color came uppermost, and the lovely painted furniture was made which
+has given so much inspiration to our modern work. The simpler forms of
+the Louis XV period, and the beautiful furniture of the Louis XVI
+period, were often painted soft tones of ivory, blue, green, or yellow,
+and decorated with lovely branches of flowers, birds, and scenery <a name="Page_222"></a>where
+groups of people by Fragonard and other great painters disported with
+all their eighteenth century charm. These decorations were usually
+painted on reserves of old ivory with the ground color outside of some
+soft tone. Martin, the inventor of famous &quot;vernis Martin,&quot; flourished at
+this time, and the glow of his beautiful amber-colored finish decorated
+many a piece of furniture from sewing boxes to sedan chairs. In England
+the vogue of painted furniture was given impetus by the genius of the
+Adam Brothers and the beautiful work of Angelica Kaufmann, Cipriani, and
+Pergolesi. In both France and England there was at this time the
+comprehension and appreciation of beauty and good taste combined with a
+carefree gaiety which made the ineffable charm of the eighteenth century
+a living thing. There are some of our modern workmen and painters of
+furniture who feel this so thoroughly that their work is very fine, but
+the majority have no knowledge or understanding of the period, and,
+although they may copy the lovely things of that time, the essence, the
+true spirit, is lacking. Cabinet making and painting in those days was a
+beloved and honored craft; to-day, alas, it is too often a matter of
+union rules.</p>
+
+<p>Chinese lacquer, while not strictly coming under the head of painted
+furniture, was another branch of decorated furniture which was in great
+demand at this time. The design in gold was done on a black or red or
+green ground and was beautiful in effect.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/320a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_320a.jpg" width="275" height="176" alt="The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/320b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_320b.jpg" width="275" height="176" alt="The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/321a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_321a.jpg" width="176" height="125" alt="A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall.</p><br />
+<a name="Page_223"></a>
+
+
+
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' cellspacing='0' summary=''>
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/321b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_321b.jpg" width="88" height="117" alt="A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/321c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_321c.jpg" width="90" height="150" alt="This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+
+<p>While the upper classes were having this beautiful furniture made for
+their use, the peasant class was serenely going on its way decorating
+its furniture according to its own ideas and getting charming results.
+The designs were usually conventionalized field flowers done with great
+spirit and charm. From the peasants of Brittany and Flanders and Holland
+have come down to us many beautiful marriage chests and other pieces of
+furniture which are simple and straightforward and a bit crude in their
+design and color, but which have done much to serve as a help and guide
+in our modern work.</p>
+
+<p>The supply of painted furniture to-day is inspired by these different
+kinds of the great periods of decoration. There are many grades and
+kinds in the market, some very fine, keeping up the old traditions of
+beauty, some charming and effective in style and color, but with a
+modern touch, and some very very bad indeed; &quot;and when they are bad they
+are horrid.&quot; I have said a great deal in other chapters on this subject,
+but I cannot too often urge those of my readers who have the good
+fortune to live near one of our great art museums to study for
+themselves the precious specimens of the great days of genius. It will
+give a standard by which to judge modern work, and it is only by keeping
+our ideals and demands high that we can save a very beautiful art from
+deteriorating into a commercial affair.</p>
+
+<p>When selecting painted furniture, one can often have some <a name="Page_224"></a>special color
+scheme or decoration carried out at a little extra expense; and this is
+well worth while, for it takes away the &quot;ready made&quot; feeling and gives
+the touch of personality which adds so much to a home. One must see that
+the furniture is well made, that the painting and finishing are properly
+done, and that the decoration is appropriate. If the furniture is of one
+of the French periods, it should be one of the simpler styles and should
+be painted one of the soft ground colors used at the time, and the
+decoration should have the correct feeling&mdash;flowers and birds like those
+on old French brocade or <i>toile de Jouy</i> or old prints. The striping
+should be done in some contrasting color or in the wonderful brownish
+black which they used. The design may be taken from the chintz or
+brocade chosen for the room, but the painting must be done in the manner
+of the period. This holds true of any English period chosen, such as
+Adam furniture or the painted furniture of Sheraton. There are several
+firms who make a specialty of this fine grade of furniture, but it is
+not made by the car load; in fact it is usually special order work. The
+kind one finds most often in the shops is furniture copied from the
+simpler Georgian styles or simple modern pieces slightly reminiscent of
+Craftsmen furniture, but not heavy or awkward in build. This furniture
+is painted in different stock colors and designs, or can be painted
+according to the purchaser's wishes as a special order. These &quot;stock&quot;
+designs are often stenciled, but some <a name="Page_225"></a>of them have an effective charm
+and are suitable to country houses, and also many city ones. When there
+is much chintz used, the furniture will often be more attractive if it
+is only striped with the chief color used in the room. The designs which
+are to be avoided are of the Art Nouveau and Cubist variety, roses that
+look like cabbages gone crazy, badly conventionalized flowers, and crude
+and revolting color schemes. It sounds as if it should not be necessary
+to warn people against these monstrosities, and I have never heard of
+any one who buys them, but some one must do so or they would not be in
+the shops.</p>
+
+<p>Attractive and inexpensive painted furniture can be made to be used in
+simple surroundings by buying slat-backed chairs with splint seats and a
+drop-leaf pine table and having them painted the desired ground color
+and then striped and decorated with a motif from the chintz to be used
+in the room. A country house dining-room or bedroom could be most
+charmingly fitted up in this way, chintz cushions could be used on the
+chairs, and candle shades could be made to match. One can sometimes find
+a bed or chest of drawers or other piece of furniture which is a bit
+shopworn and can be had for a bargain. Old bureaus can be made to serve
+as chests of drawers by taking the mirror off and using it as a wall
+mirror. In many houses there are old sets of ugly furniture which can be
+made useful and often attractive by having the jigsaw carving removed
+and painting them. In a set of this <a name="Page_226"></a>kind, which I was doing over for a
+client, there happened to be two beds with towering headboards, quite
+impossible to use, but I combined the two footboards, thus making one
+attractive bed. The furniture was painted a soft pumpkin yellow, striped
+with blue and with little, old-fashioned nosegays, and a lovely linen
+with yellow and cream stripes and baskets of flowers was used and turned
+a dark and dreary room into a cheerful and pretty one.</p>
+
+<p>One can find some kind of suitable painted furniture for nearly every
+room in the average modern house. People everywhere are turning away
+more and more from the heavy, depressing effects of a few years ago; but
+unless they know the ground they are walking on they must tread with
+care. The style chosen must be appropriate and in scale with the style
+of house. The fine examples would look quite out of place in a bungalow
+or very simple house, and the simple kind founded on peasant designs
+would not be suitable in rooms with paneled walls and lovely taffeta
+curtains. In Georgian and simple French designs there are fascinating
+examples of chairs, settees and tables, corner cupboards and sideboards,
+beds and dressing-tables and chests of drawers, mirrors and footstools
+and candlesticks, everything both big and little which can be used in
+almost any of our charming rooms in the average house, with their fresh
+chintz and taffeta and well planned color schemes.</p>
+
+<p>Lacquered furniture is more formal than the average <a name="Page_227"></a>painted furniture,
+and often one or two pieces are sufficient for a room. A beautiful
+lacquered cabinet with its fascinating mounts and its soft, wonderful
+red or black and gold tones is a thing to conjure with. Lacquered
+furniture is lovely for some dining-rooms and morning-rooms. The tables
+should always be protected with glass tops, which also applies to other
+painted furniture.</p>
+
+<p>One or two pieces of painted furniture may be used in a room with other
+furniture if they happen to be just the thing needed to complete the
+scheme. A console table, for instance, with a mirror over it and
+sidelights, might be just the touch needed between two windows hung with
+plain taffeta curtains. Like all good things there must be restraint in
+using it, but there are few things that have greater possibilities than
+painted furniture when properly used.</p><a name="Page_228"></a><a name="Page_229"></a><a name="Page_230"></a><a name="Page_231"></a>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<a name="Synopsis_of_Period_Styles_as_an_Aid_in_Buying_Furniture"></a><h2><i>Synopsis of Period Styles as an Aid in Buying Furniture.</i></h2>
+<br />
+
+<p>When trying to select furniture for the home, people often become
+bewildered by the amount and variety to be found in the shops, and, not
+knowing exactly what to look for in the different styles, make an
+inappropriate or bad selection. One does not have to be so very learned
+to have things right, but there are certain anachronisms which cry to
+heaven and a little knowledge in advance goes a long way. A purchaser
+should also know something about the construction and grade of the
+furniture he wishes to buy. There are good designs in all the grades,
+which, for the sake of convenience, may be divided into the expensive,
+the medium in price, and the cheap. The amount one wishes to spend will
+decide the grade, and one naturally must not expect to find all the
+beauties and virtues of the first in the last. The differences in these
+grades lie chiefly in the matters of the fit and balance of doors and
+drawers; the joining of corners where, in the better grade, the interior
+blocks used to keep the sides from spreading are screwed as well as
+glued; the selection of well seasoned wood of fine grain; careful
+matching of figures made by the grain of the wood in veneer; panels
+properly <a name="Page_232"></a>made and fitted so they will not shrink or split; careful
+finish both inside and out, and the correct color of the stain used;
+appropriate hardware; hand or machine or &quot;applied&quot; carving. In the cheap
+grades it is best to leave carving out of the question entirely, for it
+is sure to be bad. Then there are the matters of the correctness of
+design and detail, in which all the knowledge one has collected of
+period furniture will be called upon; and in painted furniture the color
+of the background and the charm and execution of the design must be
+taken into account, whether it is done by hand or stenciled. Nearly all
+kinds of woods are used, the difference in cost being caused by the
+grade and amount of labor needed, the kind of wood chosen and its
+abundance and the fineness of grain and the seasoning. Mahogany costs
+more than stained birch, and walnut than gum wood, but there are certain
+people who for some strange reason feel that they are getting something
+a little smarter and better if it is tagged &quot;birch mahogany&quot; than if it
+were simply called birch. Some of the furniture is well stained and some
+shockingly done, the would-be mahogany being either a dead and dreary
+brown or a most hideous shade of red, a very Bolshevik among woods. One
+must remember that the mahogany of the 18th century, the best that there
+has ever been, was a beautiful glowing golden brown, and when a red
+stain was used it was only a little to enhance the richness of the
+natural color of the wood, more of a suggestion than a <a name="Page_233"></a>blazing fact.
+The wood was carefully rubbed with oil and pumice, and the shellac
+finish was rubbed to a soft glow. Modern furniture, especially in the
+medium and cheap grades, is apt to look as if it were encased in a hard
+and shining armor of varnish.</p>
+
+
+<table border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/322a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322a.jpg" width="100" height="167" alt="This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/322b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322b.jpg" width="129" height="183" alt="An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced.</td></tr>
+
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/322c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322c.jpg" width="112" height="164" alt="This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/322d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_322d.jpg" width="98" height="187" alt="This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs.</td></tr></table>
+
+<p>Beside this practical knowledge one should have a general idea of the
+artistic side or the appearance of the different period styles and the
+manner in which they were used. To achieve this, one must study the best
+examples it is possible to find in originals, pictures, and properly
+made reproductions. Many of the plates in this book are from extremely
+valuable originals and should be studied carefully as they give a fine
+idea of some of the chief points in the different styles. One should
+also go to libraries and Art Museums whenever possible and study their
+collections. The more knowledge gained the more ease one will have in
+furnishing one's home whether there is everything to buy, or one is
+planning to add a few articles to complete a charming interior, or, with
+an eye to a future plan, is buying good things piece by piece and slowly
+eliminating the bad. It is this knowledge which will help you to study
+your own possessions and decide what is needed and what will be correct
+to buy. That, is one of the most important points, to have a well
+thought out plan, and never to be haphazard in your purchases. Very few
+of us have houses completely furnished in one period, but we do try to
+have a certain unity <a name="Page_234"></a>of spirit kept throughout the whole, whether it be
+French, Italian, English, or our own charming Colonial. There can be a
+great variety in any one of these divisions, and suitable furniture can
+be found for all rooms, from the simplest kind to the most elaborate. It
+is easier to find good reproductions in the English periods of Jacobean,
+Charles II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and the Georgian time, and the
+French periods of Louis XV and Louis XVI.</p>
+<br />
+
+
+<table border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/323a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323a.jpg" width="98" height="145" alt="The upholstery of this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/323b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323b.jpg" width="94" height="146" alt="Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>The upholstery or this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/323c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323c.jpg" width="110" height="170" alt="The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/323d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_323d.jpg" width="105" height="144" alt="As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+<p>If one wishes a house furnished in the Gothic period it will be
+necessary to have nearly all the different pieces made to order, as
+there are few reproductions made. As our modern necessities of furniture
+were not known in those days, the designs would have to be carried out
+more in the spirit of the style than the letter, and one must be certain
+to have advice and designs from some person who thoroughly understands
+the period and who will see that the whole is properly carried out.
+Gothic days were rough and strenuous, and the furniture was strong and
+heavy and was made chiefly of oak with no varnish of any kind. The
+characteristic lines of the furniture and the designs for carving were
+architectural, and a careful study of the Gothic cathedrals of France,
+Belgium, and England will give a very satisfactory idea of this
+wonderful time. The idea of the pointed arch, rose window, trefoil,
+quatrefoil, animal grotesques, and geometric designs, as well as the
+beautiful linen-fold design, were all adapted for use as carving in the
+panels of <a name="Page_235"></a>the furniture of the day, which consisted of chests that
+served as seats, buffets, armoires, screens, trestle tables, as well as
+the choir stalls of churches.</p>
+
+<p>This style is appropriate to large and dignified country houses. The
+architect must see that the background is correct.</p>
+
+<p>The Renaissance period should not be attempted as a style to furnish
+one's house unless it can be carried out properly. The house should be
+large and architecturally correct, and there should be at least a near
+relation of a Fortunatus purse to draw upon. It is one of the
+magnificent and dignified periods, and makeshifts and poor copies have a
+pitiful appearance and are really time and money wasted.</p>
+
+<p>Much of the furniture of the Renaissance was architectural in design,
+many chests and cupboards and cabinets having the appearance of temple
+fa&ccedil;ades. The carving was in both low and high relief and was extremely
+beautiful, but in the later part of the period became too ornate. Walnut
+and chestnut were the chief woods used, and there was much inlay of
+tortoise shell, ivory, brass, mother-of-pearl, lapis-lazuli, and fine
+woods. There was much gilding, and paint was also used, and the metal
+mounts were of the finest workmanship. The bronze andirons, knockers,
+candlesticks, of this time have never been equalled. There was a strong
+feeling of balance in the decorations, and the chief motifs were the
+acanthus beautifully carved, conventionalized <a name="Page_236"></a>flowers and fruit, horns
+of plenty, swags and wreaths of fruit and flowers, the scroll, dolphin,
+human figure, and half figure ending in fanciful designs of foliage.
+Beautiful and fascinating arabesques were carved and painted on the
+walls and pilasters. The chief pieces of furniture were magnificently
+carved chests and coffers which were also sometimes gilded and painted,
+oblong tables with elaborately carved supports at each end, usually with
+a connecting shelf on which were smaller carved supports. The chairs
+were high backed with much carving and gilding, and there were others of
+simpler form with leather or tapestry or damask seats and backs. The
+Savanarola chair was in the form of a curved X with seat and back of
+velvet or leather or sometimes wood on which a cushion was used. Mirror
+frames were magnificently carved and gilded and picked out with color.
+The rooms were a fitting background for all this splendor, for the
+woodwork and walls were paneled and carved and painted, the work often
+being done by the greatest painters of the day.</p>
+
+<p>The French Renaissance followed the general line of the Italian but was
+lighter and less architectural in its furniture designs and ornament.
+Chairs were slowly becoming more common, and rooms began to be more
+livable.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/324.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_324.jpg" width="315" height="176" alt="This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period.</p>
+
+<p>The English Renaissance was of slow growth and was always marked by a
+certain English sturdiness, which is one of the reasons why it is more
+easily used in our modern <a name="Page_237"></a>houses. It began in the time of Henry VIII
+and lasted through the Tudor and Jacobean periods.</p>
+
+<br /><br />
+<table align="center" border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/325a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325a.jpg" width="89" height="181" alt="A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/325b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325b.jpg" width="139" height="195" alt="This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century.</td></tr>
+
+<tr><td align='center'><a href="images/325c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325c.jpg" width="95" height="194" alt="The painted scene is often an important feature." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/325d.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_325d.jpg" width="100" height="195" alt="The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>The painted scene is often an important feature.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments.</td></tr></table>
+<br />
+<p>The best modern copies of Renaissance furniture are not to be found in
+every shop and are usually in the special order class. There are some
+makers in America, however, who make extraordinarily fine copies, and
+there is the supply from Europe of fine copies and &quot;faked&quot; originals&mdash;a
+guaranteed original is a very rare and expensive thing.</p>
+
+<p>The period of Louis XIV in France was another &quot;magnificent&quot; period and
+should not be used in small or simple houses. Louis XIV furniture was
+large and massive, lavish in gilding and carving and ornament, but had
+dignity as well as splendor. The Gobelin and Beauvais Tapestry Works
+produced their wonderful series of tapestries, and Boulle inlay of brass
+and tortoise shell was lavished on furniture, and the ormolu mounts were
+beautiful and elaborate. All workmanship was of the highest. During the
+early part of the period the legs of chairs and tables were straight and
+square in shape, sometimes tapering, and much carved, and had
+underframing. Later they were curved and carved, a kind of elaborate
+cabriole leg, and had carved underframing. Toward the end of the period
+the curved leg and underframing became much simpler, some of the
+furniture having no underframing, and slowly the style merged into that
+of the Regency and Louis XV. The illustrations for the long chapter on
+Louis XIV show some very fine <a name="Page_238"></a>examples of both the grand and simple
+form of chair, and also show that comfort was becoming more of a fact.
+The materials used for upholstery were brocades of large pattern,
+tapestries, and splendid velvets. Tables, chests, armoires, desks,
+console tables, mirrors, screens, all were carved or painted or inlaid,
+gilded and mounted with wonderful metal mounts.</p>
+
+<p>There is great danger, in buying furniture for both this period and the
+Renaissance, that the reproductions chosen may be too florid, the
+gilding too bright, the carving too ornate, with an indescribable
+vulgarity of line in place of the beauty of line which the best
+originals have. Some of the best makers are, however, making some very
+fine reproductions of the simpler forms of this time which are beautiful
+to use in houses of fair size and importance.</p>
+
+<p>If one wishes to use Louis XV furniture it is better to choose the
+simpler and more beautiful designs rather than the over-elaborate
+rococo. The period was a long one, sixty-nine years, and began with a
+reminiscence of the grandeur and dignity of the time of Louis XIV, which
+was soon lost in the orgy of curves and excessive ornament of the rococo
+portion; and toward the end came the reaction to simpler and finer taste
+which reached its perfection in the next reign of Louis XVI. The legs of
+the furniture of Louis XV time were curved and carved, light and
+slender, and had no underframes or stretchers. The frames which showed
+around the <a name="Page_239"></a>upholstery or cane were carved elaborately and later more
+simply (see illustration at end of chapter on Louis XV). Walnut,
+chestnut, ebony, and some mahogany were used. Some of the furniture was
+veneered, and there was a great deal of gilding used and also much
+painted furniture. The ormolu mounts were most elaborate, curved and
+ornate like the carving, and were used wherever possible. The brocades
+used for furniture coverings were lovely in color and design. Garlands,
+flowers, lace and ribbon effects, baskets of flowers, shells, curled
+endive, feathers, scrolls, all were used, as well as pastoral scenes by
+Boucher and Watteau for tapestry and paintings. Comfort had made a long
+step forward.</p>
+
+<p>The period of Louis XVI was much more beautiful in style than the
+preceding one, as it was more restrained and exquisite because of the
+use of the straight line or a gracious, simple curve. This comparative
+simplicity does not come from lack of true feeling for beauty but rather
+because of it. The sense of proper proportion was shown in both the
+furniture and the room decoration. The backs of chairs and settees were
+round or rectangular, and the legs were square, round, or fluted, and
+were tapering in all cases. The fluting was sometimes filled with metal
+husks at top and bottom, leaving a plain stretch between. Walnut and
+mahogany were much used and were beautifully polished, but had no vulgar
+and hard varnished glare. There was wonderful inlay and veneer, and much
+of the furniture was enamelled in soft <a name="Page_240"></a>colors and picked out with gold
+or some harmonizing color. Gilding was also used for the entire frame.
+The metal mounts were very fine. Brocades of lovely color and designs of
+flowers, bowknots, wreaths, festoons, lace, feathers, etc.; chintz, the
+lovely &quot;<i>toil de Jouy</i>,&quot; which is so well copied nowadays; soft toned
+taffeta, Gobelin and Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries, were all used for
+hanging and furniture coverings. Cane also became much more popular.
+Walls were paneled with moldings, and fluted pilasters divided too large
+spaces into good proportions. Tapestry and paintings were paneled on the
+walls, and the colors chosen for the backgrounds were light and soft.</p>
+
+<p>The charm and beauty of this style as well as its dignity make it one
+which may be used in almost any modern house, as it ranges from
+simplicity to a beautiful restrained elaborateness suitable to the
+formal rooms.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/326a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_326a.jpg" width="191" height="253" alt="The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/326b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_326b.jpg" width="220" height="250" alt="This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it.</p>
+
+<p>The change from Louis XVI to the Empire was a violent one both
+politically and artistically. The influence of the great days of the
+Roman empire and the mystery of ancient Egypt stirred Napoleon's
+imagination and formed his taste. Empire furniture was solid and heavy,
+with little or no carving, and much ornamentation of metal mounts.
+Mahogany was chiefly used, and some furniture was gilded or bronzed.
+Round columns finished with metal capitals and bases appeared on large
+desks and other pieces of furniture. Chairs were solid, many of them
+throne-like in design, and <a name="Page_241"></a>many with elaborately carved arms in the
+form of swans and sphinxes, and metal ornaments. The simpler form of
+chair, which was copied and used extensively in America, as a
+dining-chair, often had a curved back and graceful lines. Furniture
+coverings were very bright satins and velvets brocaded with the
+Emperor's favorite emblems, the bee, torch, wreath, anthemion. It is a
+heavy and gaudy style and must be used with great discretion. American
+Empire furniture was far simpler and is better suited to many American
+homes. In buying it, however, one must be careful to select copies from
+the earlier part of the time, for it fast deteriorated into heavy and
+vulgar curves. This American Empire furniture is often shown in the
+shops under the name of Colonial, which is a misnomer, as we had ceased
+to be colonies years before it came into existence. It was used during
+the first half of the nineteenth century.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/327a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_327a.jpg" width="233" height="172" alt="These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/327b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_327b.jpg" width="238" height="133" alt="The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this &quot;stretcher,&quot; as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this &quot;stretcher,&quot; as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet.</p>
+
+<p>When we come to English furniture, I think we all take heart of grace a
+little, for there is something about its sturdiness that seems to appeal
+to our American sense of appropriateness. By inheritance we have more of
+the English point of view about the standards of life and living and we
+seem to settle down with more comfort in a house furnished in any one of
+the English periods than we do with any of the other great styles.</p>
+
+<p>The English Renaissance is often called the age of oak, and all through
+the long years of its slow development this <a name="Page_242"></a>oaken bond, so to speak,
+gave it a certain unity which makes it possible to use much of the
+furniture of its different divisions together. There are many fine
+reproductions made of the Tudor and Elizabethan times, but from the
+early Stuart days, the time of James I onward, good reproductions become
+more plentiful. This does not mean, however, that one is safe in buying
+anything called Jacobean or Queen Anne or Georgian. One must still be
+careful and go armed with as much knowledge as possible. For instance,
+do not buy any Tudor, Elizabethan, Jacobean, or Charles II furniture
+made of mahogany or with a high polish. Do not buy any with finicky or
+delicate brass handles. This may seem an unnecessary warning, but I have
+seen dainty oval Hepplewhite handles used on a heavy Jacobean chest.
+This does not happen often, but a word to the wise&mdash;. The handles which
+were used were some times of iron and sometimes of brass, often with a
+little design etched on them, and the drop handles were either oblong or
+round rings, or pear- or tear-shaped drops with either a round or oblong
+plate. H-hinges of iron were used. Chairs of the time of James I, which
+are much like those of Louis XIII in France, were square and strong with
+plain or spiral turned legs, and stretchers, and had seats and half
+backs covered with needlework, leather, velvet, or damask. They would
+make very comfortable dining chairs and would harmonize with sturdy
+gate-legged tables, or the long narrow tables <a name="Page_243"></a>which show the influence
+of Elizabeth's time in the carved drum or acorn-like bulbs of the legs.
+A court-cupboard would make a beautiful sideboard, and one of the long
+tables spoken of above would make an appropriate serving-table. Carved
+chests, and screens covered with leather or needlework, may be used in
+rooms of this kind, and for modern comfort one may add stuffed chairs
+and sofas if the proper materials for coverings are chosen. There are
+some very fine copies made of old needlework of different kinds and also
+of damasks and other stuffs. One must have the right background for all
+this, oak paneled walls and tapestry and plain or figured velvet or
+damask hangings. There are also some finely designed heavy linens which
+are correct to use.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of Cromwell's time was much like that of the time of James
+I and Charles I, but was simplified wherever possible. There were no
+pomps and vanities in those stern days.</p>
+
+<p>When Charles II came to the throne, there was a reaction against Puritan
+gloom which showed in the furniture being of a more elaborate design.
+Chair backs were high and narrow with carved and pierced panels of wood,
+or carved backs with cane panels, and the carved front rail carried out
+the feeling and balanced the carved top rail. The crown and rose and
+shell were used, supported by cherubs and opposed S curves. The
+illustration opposite page 65 will give a very good idea of the general
+style. Upholstery <a name="Page_244"></a>was also used, and day-beds and high-boys made their
+appearance. The chests of earlier days became chests of drawers. Rooms
+were paneled in oak, and much beautiful tapestry was used. Walnut began
+to take the place of oak in the later days of Charles II and those of
+James II, and introduced the age of walnut which lasted through the
+reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne.</p>
+
+<p>The furniture of the early days of William and Mary was much like that
+of the time of Charles II. The chair backs remained high and narrow, but
+the carving slowly grew simpler and the caning at last went entirely
+across the back. Many of the early chairs had three carved splats or
+balusters in the back, and a feature which added greatly to comfort was
+the slight curve the backs were given instead of the perfectly straight
+backs of Jacobean days. Dutch influence at least conquered the old
+style, and the more characteristic furniture of William and Mary was
+made. A rather elaborate form of the cabriole leg was used, ending in a
+species of hoof with a scroll-like stretcher between the front legs and
+curved stretchers connecting all four legs. The cabriole leg became
+simpler as time passed until in the days of Queen Mary it became the one
+we all know so well in the Dutch chairs and the early work of
+Chippendale.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/328a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_328a.jpg" width="274" height="195" alt="These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<center>
+<a href="images/328b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_328b.jpg" width="228" height="190" alt="These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+
+<p class='caption'>These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer.</p>
+
+<p>There was much beautiful marquetry used; in fact it is a marked
+characteristic of much of the furniture of William and Mary. After she
+died in 1694, the white jasmine flower <a name="Page_245"></a>and green leaves were not used
+so much, and the sea-weed pattern and acanthus became more popular.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/329a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_329a.jpg" width="172" height="261" alt="An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/329b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_329b.jpg" width="210" height="260" alt="The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century.</p>
+
+<p>The cup-and-ball design of turned legs with curved stretchers was used
+for chairs, settees, tables, cabinets. China cupboards with their
+double-hooded tops and soft colored brocade linings were used to display
+the wonderful china collections so much in vogue. There was much
+upholstered furniture covered with beautiful petit-point, which is
+perfectly reproduced nowadays, but is naturally expensive. Silks,
+velvets, and damasks were also used, and Queen Mary had a &quot;beautiful
+chintz bed.&quot;</p>
+
+<p>The handles used were of various kinds, the favorite being the drop from
+a round or star-shaped boss. The furniture was beautifully polished but
+did not have a bright gloss.</p>
+
+<p>When Anne came to the throne in 1702, the English cabinet maker had
+became an expert craftsman, and we have the beginning of the finest
+period of English cabinet-making, which later, in the Georgian period,
+blossomed into its full glory. The furniture of this time was of walnut.
+The chairs had a narrow, fairly high back, with a central splat
+spoon-shaped and later fiddle-shaped. The corners of the back were
+always rounded. The cabriole legs were often carved with a shell on the
+knees, the acanthus being used in the more elaborate pieces of
+furniture, and ended chiefly in a club foot. Stretchers became less
+common, but if they were used were pushed back and did not form such an
+<a name="Page_246"></a>important part of the chair design. Seats were broader at the front
+than at the back, and all furniture showed a real desire for comfort and
+convenience. Marquetry and lacquer were both in great favor, and there
+are wonderful examples of both reproduced, but especially lacquer.
+Petit-point, damask, velvet, and chintz were all used for upholstery and
+hangings. Chintz was becoming more plentiful, but it was not until the
+Georgian period that it reached its perfection.</p>
+
+<p>The Georgian period covers the work of Chippendale, the Adam Brothers,
+Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, who gave to the eighteenth century its
+undying decorative fame.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/330.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_330.jpg" width="323" height="201" alt="A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life.</p>
+
+<p>When Chippendale began his fine work, the Dutch influence of Queen
+Anne's reign was still strong, and this shows in his furniture; but his
+genius lightened and improved it. The characteristics of his style which
+remained fairly stable through his different phases were the use of
+mahogany, a certain squareness and solidity of design which has no
+appearance of heaviness because of the fine proportions, chair backs
+with a center splat reaching to the seat. The curving top rail always
+had curving up corners (see drawings page 84). The center splat was
+solid at first, but soon was pierced and carved, and went through the
+many developments of his style such as ribbon-back, Chinese, and Gothic.
+In some chairs he also used horizontal rails, and what are called
+&quot;all-over backs.&quot; The legs of his earlier furniture were cabriole, and
+later they were straight. He used much and beautiful carv<a name="Page_247"></a>ing, gave
+great attention to the beauty of the wood and the perfection of
+workmanship and finish. Chippendale's settees were at first designed
+like two chair backs side by side, and if a larger settee was made
+either a third chair back of the same design or a different but
+harmonizing one was used. His dining-tables were made up of two center
+pieces with wide flaps on each side, and two semicircular tables, and
+all four pieces could be fastened together into one long table by brass
+fasteners. The end pieces were used as side tables or sideboards, for
+the sideboard as we know it did not come until later. He also made
+oblong sidetables, some with marble tops, which were used as sideboards
+with wine-coolers placed underneath, and usually a large tea-caddy or
+tea box on top. The beds which Chippendale made were large and elaborate
+four-posters, with beautiful carved cornices and posts. The curtains
+hung from the inside of the cornice, and silks or chintz were used for
+the curtains. His mirror frames were very elaborately carved, and in his
+rococo period were fairly fantastic with dripping water, Chinese
+pagodas, rocks, birds with long beaks, and figures. They were gilded,
+and some were left in the natural mahogany. He made folding card-tables
+with saucer-like places at the corners for candles, and later when the
+candle-stand came into fashion, the tables were made without them.</p>
+<br />
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/331a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_331a.jpg" width="239" height="133" alt="An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering.</p>
+<br />
+
+<table align='center' border='0' cellpadding='4' summary=''><tr><td align='center'><a href="images/331b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_331b.jpg" width="143" height="186" alt="While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table." title="" /></a></td>
+
+<td align='center'><a href="images/331c.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_331c.jpg" width="142" height="185" alt="A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy." title="" /></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td class='caption'>While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table.</td>
+
+<td class='caption'>A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy.</td></tr></table>
+
+<p>There are many fine reproductions of Chippendale's furniture made which
+carry out the spirit of his work. In the <a name="Page_248"></a>medium and inexpensive grades,
+however, there is danger of bad carving, a clumsy thickening of
+proportions, a jumble of his different periods, and too red a stain and
+too high a varnish glitter. Good examples can be found in these grades,
+but one must spend time looking for them, and perhaps it may be
+necessary to have them rubbed down with powdered pumice and linseed oil.
+If one uses Chippendale furniture, or that of any of the other Georgian
+makers, the walls should not be covered with a modern design of wall
+paper. Plain walls or molding may be used, or one of the fine old
+designs of figured paper, and this must be used with great discretion
+and is better if there is a wainscot. Chippendale was very fond of using
+morocco, but damask and velvet and chintz may also be used. The chintzes
+were charming in design, and many good copies are made.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/332a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_332a.jpg" width="300" height="168" alt="This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds.</p>
+<br />
+<center>
+<a href="images/332b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_332b.jpg" width="266" height="203" alt="The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors.</p>
+<br />
+<p>The Adam Brothers, of whom Robert was the more important, showed strong
+classical influence in their work, and much of it resembles that of
+Louis XVI, which was influenced from the same source. Chairs had square
+or round or oval backs, and they also used a lyre-shaped splat which was
+copied later by Sheraton. Often the top rail was decorated by small and
+charming painted panels. These little panels were also used in the
+center of cobweb caning in chair backs and settees. Legs of chairs and
+tables were tapering and round or square and often reeded or fluted.
+Adam used much mahogany and kept its beautiful golden brown tone<a name="Page_249"></a> (not
+the dead brown called &quot;Adam&quot; too often in the shops), and also
+satin-wood and painted wood. The best artists of the day did the
+painting. Wedgwood medallions were introduced into the more important
+pieces of furniture. Painted placques, lovely festoons, and charming
+groups of figures, vases of flowers, and Wedgwood designs, and designs
+radiating from a center, as on semicircular console table tops, are all
+characteristic of his work. He also used much inlay. As Adam usually
+planned all the furniture and the interior of the house, even to the
+door-knobs, he kept the feeling of unity in both background and
+furnishings.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/333a.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_333a.jpg" width="151" height="192" alt="The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750.</p>
+
+<center>
+<a href="images/333b.jpg"><img src="images/thumb_333b.jpg" width="152" height="268" alt="The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750." title="" /></a>
+</center>
+<p class='caption'>The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750.</p>
+
+<p>Hepplewhite's furniture has much of the delicacy of Adam's work, by
+whom, without doubt, he was influenced, as he was also by the French
+styles of the time. Luckily his own personality and sense of beauty and
+ingenuity were strong enough to develop a marked and beautiful style of
+his own. His favorite chair back was shield-shaped (see page 83), and he
+also used heart-shaped and wheel backs, either round or oval, and
+charmingly painted little panels. The three feathers of the Prince of
+Wales was a favorite design. He also made ladder-back chairs, usually
+with four rails. On much of his furniture the legs tapered on the inside
+edge only and were put in at a slight angle which gave security both in
+fact and appearance. He also used reeded legs. His console and other
+tables are beautiful in design and workmanship, being painted usually in
+different <a name="Page_250"></a>forms of the radiating fan design, or inlaid with beautiful
+colored woods. The inlay used was often oval in shape, sometimes only a
+line and sometimes panels of different woods or matched veneer. The
+handles used were round or oval. He made sofas and settees with either
+chair-back backs or all upholstered with the frame showing and the
+covering tacked on with brass tacks close together. His cabinets are
+fascinating, with their beautiful inlay and delicate strap work over the
+glass. He made four-post beds with fluted posts, and chests of drawers
+and little work tables and candle-stands and screens; and one thing we
+must be deeply grateful to him for is that he developed the sideboard
+into a really useful and beautiful piece of furniture. He made nearly
+everything in the way of necessities, and all show the marks of his
+taste. His dining-tables were on the plan of those of Chippendale but
+lighter in effect with tapering legs instead of the long cabriole leg
+ending in claw feet. His mirrors were usually oval with charming
+festoons. His favorite woods were mahogany and satin-wood, and he used
+many fine woods for inlay. Chintz and taffeta and fine velvet are all
+appropriate to use.</p>
+
+<p>In his best designs Sheraton was much influenced by Adam and Hepplewhite
+and the style of Louis XVI, but like them he also developed his own
+special and beautiful style. He used mahogany and a great deal of
+satin-wood of beautiful grain and of a delightful straw color, which was
+<a name="Page_251"></a>often veneered on oak frames. He was exceedingly fond of inlay, and his
+designs called for inlaid panels, borders, and festoons. He used the
+shell, bell-flower, fan, etc., all carried out in fine colored woods. He
+also used much painted furniture, and often designed white and gold
+furniture for drawing-rooms. His characteristic chair back was
+rectangular in shape with a central splat resting on a rail a few inches
+above the seat (see page 83). This splat was in many different forms,
+both inlaid and painted. The legs of his furniture were tapering and
+either square or reeded, the square usually being inlaid. He made
+beautiful sideboards which were inlaid and finished with a brass rail
+around the sides and back of the top, and round or oval or lion's-head
+handles with rings. He also designed most graceful inlaid knife boxes.
+Like Hepplewhite, he designed all kinds of furniture both large and
+small, and, until his deterioration came when he designed his
+astonishing Empire furniture, his style is full of beauty and charm and
+delicacy, and is copied very successfully by our modern makers.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 14824-h.htm or 14824-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/4/8/2/14824/
+
+Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Susan Skinner and the PG Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
+
+
+
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/099.png b/old/14824-h/images/099.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ef6039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/099.png
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/271.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/271.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2fbd469
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/271.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/272.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/272.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d2c8ee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/272.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/273.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/273.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..905e6ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/273.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/274a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/274a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..46fbf39
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/274a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/274b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/274b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7c955e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/274b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/275.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/275.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1e9e25
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/275.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/276.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/276.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c59db0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/276.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/277a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/277a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..17a0a3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/277a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/277b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/277b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de6ef01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/277b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/278.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/278.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de2860c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/278.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/279.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/279.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3a2960
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/279.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/280a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/280a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f56467
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/280a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/280b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/280b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f2e6c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/280b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/281.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/281.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6227793
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/281.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/282.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/282.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09b6f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/282.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/283.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/283.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c729c28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/283.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/284.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/284.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b569dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/284.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/285a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/285a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..be4a024
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/285a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/285b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/285b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..326e4c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/285b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/286.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/286.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e86d68
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/286.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/287a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/287a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30ac1b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/287a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/287b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/287b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29e063b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/287b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/288a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/288a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad40130
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/288a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/288b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/288b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69a386
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/288b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/289a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/289a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0806f78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/289a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/289b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/289b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c02e7e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/289b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/290a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/290a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..471ca4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/290a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/290b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/290b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62049fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/290b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/291a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/291a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3d390b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/291a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/291b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/291b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a28748
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/291b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/292.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/292.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10344c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/292.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/293a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/293a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0203f7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/293a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/293b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/293b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc60812
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/293b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/293c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/293c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0212ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/293c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/293d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/293d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0713266
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/293d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/294a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/294a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e778131
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/294a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/294b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/294b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84eaa48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/294b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/295.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/295.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1b1041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/295.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/296a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/296a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8885134
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/296a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/296b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/296b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a128a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/296b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/297a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/297a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c06886
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/297a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/297b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/297b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69579a3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/297b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/297c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/297c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd3cbfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/297c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/297d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/297d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8bb439
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/297d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/298.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/298.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c464aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/298.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/299a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/299a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f9023bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/299a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/299b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/299b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2744acc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/299b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/300.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/300.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d1a9d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/300.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/301a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/301a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26d8c7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/301a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/301b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/301b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7a8fe7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/301b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/302.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/302.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..623f7f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/302.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/303.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/303.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c8ed86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/303.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/304.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/304.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1317ee6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/304.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/305a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/305a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b0cd9d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/305a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/305b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/305b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b67a5d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/305b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/306a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/306a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8025c96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/306a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/306b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/306b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..680f84f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/306b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/307.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/307.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ac9383
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/307.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/308.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/308.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cf9459
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/308.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/309a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/309a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3352520
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/309a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/309b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/309b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c657ac1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/309b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/310.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/310.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d1a7f7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/310.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/311.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/311.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5646bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/311.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/312.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/312.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..713d23c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/312.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/313.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/313.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3a8348
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/313.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/314.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/314.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cf82241
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/314.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/315a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/315a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c3d183e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/315a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/315b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/315b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..83dbeee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/315b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/316.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/316.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b049b9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/316.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/317.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/317.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..487c20b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/317.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/318.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/318.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98cd47b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/318.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/319.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/319.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2998a79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/319.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/320a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/320a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87342ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/320a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/320b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/320b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9debee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/320b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/321a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/321a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f518e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/321a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/321b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/321b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ba5005
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/321b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/321c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/321c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c07d7e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/321c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/322a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/322a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4fe767
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/322a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/322b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/322b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae1e63e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/322b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/322c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/322c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29506bb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/322c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/322d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/322d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84ea1c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/322d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/323a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/323a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3156891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/323a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/323b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/323b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21a69e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/323b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/323c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/323c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40adec7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/323c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/323d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/323d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f3f7aca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/323d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/324.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/324.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acc3973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/324.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/325a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/325a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b2d364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/325a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/325b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/325b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5fd4f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/325b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/325c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/325c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a68281c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/325c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/325d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/325d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a36aa80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/325d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/326a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/326a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cbe2a02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/326a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/326b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/326b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b32792b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/326b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/327a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/327a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f87b4cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/327a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/327b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/327b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d3c7ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/327b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/328a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/328a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3db8de7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/328a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/328b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/328b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4934fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/328b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/329a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/329a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29abe16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/329a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/329b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/329b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1a2ce2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/329b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/330.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/330.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0697265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/330.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/331a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/331a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b92602
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/331a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/331b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/331b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..200b1ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/331b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/331c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/331c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3009c5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/331c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/332a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/332a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..488d514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/332a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/332b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/332b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7cee14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/332b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/333a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/333a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44312f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/333a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/333b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/333b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8806b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/333b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_271.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_271.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..701c530
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_271.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_272.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_272.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91017f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_272.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_273.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_273.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..57cef83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_273.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_274a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_274a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b889597
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_274a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_274b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_274b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df8ca65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_274b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_275.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_275.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..007d280
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_275.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_276.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_276.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7012b95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_276.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_277a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_277a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..90b53c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_277a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_277b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_277b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..751a872
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_277b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_278.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_278.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb11e54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_278.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_279.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_279.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d45d30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_279.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_280a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_280a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..647100d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_280a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_280b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_280b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07c44ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_280b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_281.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_281.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85aa635
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_281.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_282.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_282.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ec32a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_282.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_283.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_283.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76c5691
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_283.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_284.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_284.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d47b85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_284.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_285a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_285a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79a762b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_285a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_285b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_285b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0da42ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_285b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_286.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_286.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51064f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_286.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_287a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_287a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e614898
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_287a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_287b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_287b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a6d9dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_287b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_288a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_288a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45f7129
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_288a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_288b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_288b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d3c250
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_288b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_289a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_289a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cd7be27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_289a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_289b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_289b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1bbaaf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_289b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_290a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_290a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7f1b87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_290a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_290b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_290b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..054b44f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_290b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_291a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_291a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffe5ba0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_291a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_291b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_291b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61e09ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_291b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_292.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_292.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa91188
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_292.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2c30262
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0e37ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..445ec72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45addce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_293d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_294a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_294a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1341a9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_294a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_294b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_294b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9ba5db6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_294b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_295.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_295.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9cf5179
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_295.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_296a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_296a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a1d362b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_296a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_296b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_296b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a579d6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_296b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..903088b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d9b7648
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa3bec1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca6a274
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_297d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_298.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_298.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f115333
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_298.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_299a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_299a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b93d17d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_299a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_299b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_299b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e305a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_299b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_300.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_300.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed584c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_300.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_301a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_301a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a35384c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_301a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_301b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_301b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8841fa2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_301b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_302.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_302.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d63d71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_302.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_303.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_303.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4552d9e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_303.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_304.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_304.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f09c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_304.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_305a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_305a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a7ab75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_305a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_305b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_305b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c29e6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_305b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_306a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_306a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e20b997
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_306a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_306b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_306b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bedb222
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_306b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_307.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_307.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0bcfb33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_307.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_308.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_308.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8e2c1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_308.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_309a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_309a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7e40ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_309a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_309b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_309b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..666ef5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_309b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_310.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_310.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c27c9c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_310.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_311.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_311.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed9591e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_311.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_312.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_312.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b62ae80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_312.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_313.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_313.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dced998
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_313.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_314.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_314.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..110fe97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_314.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_315a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_315a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1616705
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_315a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_315b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_315b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8132fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_315b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_316.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_316.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e46f74c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_316.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_317.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_317.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee6d489
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_317.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_318.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_318.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39a1a82
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_318.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_319.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_319.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4bd0e47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_319.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_320a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_320a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0f7c7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_320a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_320b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_320b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c0abd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_320b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8aa1c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4255ec6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62eb160
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_321c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40c0ad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9083aea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2049873
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93799b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_322d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..40bdad8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f155a31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9bd44c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f55673e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_323d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_324.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_324.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8033a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_324.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..79d628c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..35c1b95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b46740
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325d.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325d.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6d31993
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_325d.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_326a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_326a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5580f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_326a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_326b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_326b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..42f09f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_326b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_327a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_327a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68ccf96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_327a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_327b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_327b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..16b05ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_327b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_328a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_328a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95b2ae1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_328a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_328b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_328b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b48dda2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_328b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_329a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_329a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb75c65
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_329a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_329b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_329b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..150153c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_329b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_330.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_330.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3cf8471
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_330.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4aad9cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..39b086b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331c.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331c.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a133a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_331c.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_332a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_332a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..10261e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_332a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_332b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_332b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..58e1039
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_332b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_333a.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_333a.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8e625a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_333a.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824-h/images/thumb_333b.jpg b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_333b.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20f0910
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824-h/images/thumb_333b.jpg
diff --git a/old/14824.txt b/old/14824.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..741113a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5489 @@
+Project Gutenberg's Furnishing the Home of Good Taste, by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+       A Brief Sketch of the Period Styles in Interior Decoration with
+       Suggestions as to Their Employment in the Homes of Today
+
+
+Author: Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+Release Date: January 28, 2005 [EBook #14824]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Susan Skinner and the PG Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE
+
+A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE PERIOD STYLES IN INTERIOR DECORATION WITH
+SUGGESTIONS AS TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN THE HOMES OF TODAY
+
+BY
+
+LUCY ABBOT THROOP
+
+
+NEW YORK ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO.
+
+1920
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+1910          THE CROWELL PUBLISHING CO.
+
+1911, 1912,   MCBRIDE, NAST & CO.
+
+1920,         ROBERT M. MCBRIDE & CO.
+
+
+NEW AND REVISED EDITION
+
+Published, September, 1920
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+[Illustration: _Trowbridge & Livingston, architects._
+
+A principle which can be applied to both large and small
+houses is shown in the beauty of the panel spacing and the adequate
+support of the cornice by the pilasters.]
+
+
+_Contents_
+
+PREFACE                                                                i
+
+EGYPT AND GREECE                                                       1
+
+THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY                                               7
+
+THE DEVELOPMENT OF DECORATION IN FRANCE                               17
+
+LOUIS XIV                                                             29
+
+THE REGENCY AND LOUIS XV                                              87
+
+LOUIS XVI                                                             47
+
+THE EMPIRE                                                            58
+
+ENGLISH FURNITURE FROM GOTHIC DAYS TO THE PERIOD OF QUEEN ANNE        59
+
+QUEEN ANNE                                                            78
+
+CHIPPENDALE AND THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN ENGLAND                     79
+
+ROBERT ADAM                                                           91
+
+HEPPLEWHITE                                                           97
+
+SHERATON                                                             103
+
+A GENERAL TALK                                                       111
+
+GEORGIAN FURNITURE                                                   135
+
+FURNISHING WITH FRENCH FURNITURE                                     149
+
+COUNTRY HOUSES                                                       159
+
+THE NURSERY AND PLAY-ROOM                                            169
+
+CURTAINS                                                             175
+
+FLOORS AND FLOOR COVERINGS                                           185
+
+THE TREATMENT OF WALLS                                               195
+
+ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING                                                  209
+
+PAINTED FURNITURE                                                    221
+
+SYNOPSIS OF PERIOD STYLES AS AN AID IN BUYING FURNITURE              231
+
+
+
+
+_The Illustrations_
+
+A modern dining-room                                     _Frontispiece_
+
+                                                              FACING PAGE
+Italian Renaissance fireplace and overmantel, modern                   8
+
+Doorways and pilaster details, Italian Renaissance                     9
+
+Two Louis XIII chairs                                                 22
+
+A Gothic chair of the fifteenth century                               23
+
+A Louis XIV chair                                                     32
+
+Louis XIV inlaid desk-table                                           33
+
+Louis XIV chair with underbracing                                     33
+
+A modern French drawing-room                                          40
+
+A drawing-room, old French furniture and tapestry                     41
+
+Early Louis XIV chair                                                 44
+
+Louis XV _bergere_                                                    44
+
+Louis XVI bench                                                       45
+
+Louis XVI from Fontainebleau                                          50
+
+American Empire bed                                                   51
+
+An Apostles bed of the Tudor period                                   60
+
+Adaptation of the style of William and Mary to dressing table         61
+
+Reproduction of Charles II chair                                      61
+
+Living-room with reproductions of different periods                   64
+
+Original Jacobean sofa                                                65
+
+Reproductions of Charles II chairs                                    65
+
+Reproductions of Queen Anne period                                    72
+
+Reproduction of James II chair                                        73
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary chair                                73
+
+Gothic and Ribbonback types of Chippendale chairs                     78
+
+Chippendale mantel mirror showing French influence                    79
+
+Chippendale fretwork tea-table                                        79
+
+Chippendale china cupboard                                            82
+
+Typical chairs of the eighteenth century                              83
+
+Chippendale and Hepplewhite sofas                                     86
+
+Adam mirror, block-front chest of drawers, and Hepplewhite chair      87
+
+Two Adam mantels                                                      92
+
+A group of old mirrors                                                93
+
+Dining-room furnished with Hepplewhite furniture                      96
+
+Old Hepplewhite sideboard                                             97
+
+Reproduction of Hepplewhite settee                                    97
+
+Sheraton chest of drawers                                            104
+
+Sheraton desk and sewing-table                                       105
+
+Dining-room in simple country house                                  112
+
+Dining-room furnished with fine old furniture                        113
+
+Dorothy Quincy's bed-room                                            124
+
+Two valuable old desks                                               125
+
+Pembroke inlaid table                                                144
+
+Sheraton sideboard                                                   144
+
+Four post bed                                                        145
+
+Doorway detail, Compiegne                                            152
+
+Reproduction of a bed owned by Marie Antoinette                      153
+
+Reproduction of Louis XVI bed                                        153
+
+A Georgian hallway                                                   162
+
+Rare block-front chest of drawers                                    163
+
+A modern living-room                                                 178
+
+Curtain treatment for a summer home                                  179
+
+Hallway showing rugs                                                 188
+
+Hallway showing rugs                                                 189
+
+Colonial bed-room                                                    189
+
+Dining-room with paneled walls                                       196
+
+Four post bed owned by Lafayette                                     197
+
+Modern dining-room                                                   204
+
+Four post bed                                                        205
+
+Reproductions of Adam painted furniture                              222
+
+Three-chair Sheraton settee                                          223
+
+Reproduction of a Sheraton wing-chair                                223
+
+Slat-backed chair                                                    223
+
+Group of chairs and pie-crust table                                  232
+
+Groups of chairs                                                     233
+
+Reproduction of Jacobean buffet                                      236
+
+Group of mirrors                                                     237
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary settee                              240
+
+Adaptation of Georgian ideas to William and Mary dressing table      240
+
+Two Adam chairs                                                      241
+
+Jacobean day-bed                                                     241
+
+Reproductions of Chippendale table and Hepplewhite desk              244
+
+Reproduction of Sheraton chest of drawers                            245
+
+Reproduction of William and Mary chest of drawers                    245
+
+A modern sun-room                                                    246
+
+Sheraton sofa                                                        247
+
+Hepplewhite chair and nest of tables                                 247
+
+Chippendale wing-chair                                               247
+
+Modern paneled living-room                                           248
+
+Empire bed                                                           248
+
+Hancock desk, and fine old highboy                                   249
+
+
+
+
+_Preface_
+
+
+To try to write a history of furniture in a fairly short space is almost
+as hard as the square peg and round hole problem. No matter how one
+tries, it will not fit. One has to leave out so much of importance, so
+much of historic and artistic interest, so much of the life of the
+people that helps to make the subject vivid, and has to take so much for
+granted, that the task seems almost impossible. In spite of this I shall
+try to give in the following pages a general but necessarily short
+review of the field, hoping that it may help those wishing to furnish
+their homes in some special period style. The average person cannot
+study all the subject thoroughly, but it certainly adds interest to the
+problems of one's own home to know something of how the great periods of
+decoration grew one from another, how the influence of art in one
+country made itself felt in the next, molding and changing taste and
+educating the people to a higher sense of beauty.
+
+It is the lack of general knowledge which makes it possible for
+furniture built on amazingly bad lines to be sold masquerading under the
+name of some great period. The customer soon becomes bewildered, and,
+unless he has a decided taste of his own, is apt to get something which
+will prove a white elephant on his hands. One must have some standard
+of comparison, and the best and simplest way is to study the great work
+of the past. To study its rise and climax rather than the decline; to
+know the laws of its perfection so that one can recognize the
+exaggeration which leads to degeneracy. This ebb and flow is most
+interesting: the feeling the way at the beginning, ever growing surer
+and surer until the high level of perfection is reached; and then the
+desire to "gild the lily" leading to over-ornamentation, and so to
+decline. However, the germ of good taste and the sense of truth and
+beauty is never dead, and asserts itself slowly in a transition period,
+and then once more one of the great periods of decoration is born.
+
+There are several ways to study the subject, one of the pleasantest
+naturally being travel, as the great museums, palaces, and private
+collections of Europe offer the widest field. In this country, also, the
+museums and many private collections are rich in treasures, and there
+are many proud possessors of beautiful isolated pieces of furniture. If
+one cannot see originals the libraries will come to the rescue with many
+books showing research and a thorough knowledge and appreciation of the
+beauty and importance of the subject in all its branches.
+
+I have tried to give an outline, (which I hope the reader will care to
+enlarge for himself), not from a collector's standpoint, but from the
+standpoint of the modern home-maker, to help him furnish his house
+consistently,--to try to spread the good word that period furnishing
+does not necessitate great wealth, and that it is as easy and far more
+interesting to furnish a house after good models, as to have it banal
+and commonplace.
+
+The first part of this little book is devoted to a short review of the
+great periods, and the second part is an effort to help adapt them to
+modern needs, with a few chapters added of general interest to the
+home-maker.
+
+A short bibliography is also added, both to express my thanks and
+indebtedness to many learned and delightful writers on this subject of
+house furnishing in all its branches, and also as a help to others who
+may wish to go more deeply into its different divisions than is possible
+within the covers of a book.
+
+I wish to thank the Editors of _House and Garden_ and _The Woman's Home
+Companion_ for kindly allowing me to reprint articles and portions of
+articles which have appeared in their magazines.
+
+I wish also to thank the owners of the different houses illustrated, and
+Messrs. Trowbridge and Livingston, architects, for their kindness in
+allowing me to use photographs.
+
+Thanks are also due Messrs. Bergen & Orsenigo, Nahon & Company, Tiffany
+Studios, Joseph Wild & Co. and the John Somma Co. for the use of
+photographs to illustrate the reproduction of period furniture and rugs
+of different types.
+
+
+
+
+
+_Egypt and Greece_
+
+
+The early history of art in all countries is naturally connected more
+closely with architecture than with decoration, for architecture had to
+be developed before the demand for decoration could come. But the two
+have much in common. Noble architecture calls for noble decoration.
+Decoration is one of the natural instincts of man, and from the earliest
+records of his existence we find him striving to give expression to it,
+we see it in the scratched pieces of bone and stone of the cave
+dwellers, in the designs of savage tribes, and in Druidical and Celtic
+remains, and in the great ruins of Yucatan. The meaning of these
+monuments may be lost to us, but we understand the spirit of trying to
+express the sense of beauty in the highest way possible, for it is the
+spirit which is still moving the world, and is the foundation of all
+worthy achievement.
+
+Egypt and Assyria stand out against the almost impenetrable curtain of
+pre-historic days in all the majesty of their so-called civilization.
+Huge, massive, aloof from the world, their temples and tombs and ruins
+remain. Research has given us the key to their religion, so we
+understand much of the meaning of their wall-paintings and the buildings
+themselves. The belief of the Egyptian that life was a short passage and
+his house a mere stopping-place on the way to the tomb, which was to be
+his permanent dwelling-place, explains the great care and labor spent on
+the pyramids, chapels, and rock sepulchers. They embalmed the dead for
+all eternity and put statues and images in the tombs to keep the mummy
+company. Colossal figures of their gods and goddesses guarded the tombs
+and temples, and still remain looking out over the desert with their
+strange, inscrutable Egyptian eyes. The people had technical skill which
+has never been surpassed, but the great size of the pyramids and temples
+and sphinxes gives one the feeling of despotism rather than
+civilization; of mass and permanency and the wonder of man's achievement
+rather than beauty, but they personify the mystery and power of ancient
+Egypt.
+
+The columns of the temples were massive, those of Karnak being seventy
+feet high, with capitals of lotus flowers and buds strictly
+conventionalized. The walls were covered with hieroglyphics and
+paintings. Perspective was never used, and figures were painted side
+view except for the eye and shoulder. In the tombs have been found many
+household belongings, beautiful gold and silver work, beside the
+offerings put there to appease the gods. Chairs have been found, which,
+humorous as it may sound, are certainly the ancestors of Empire chairs
+made thousands of years later. This is explained by the influence of
+Napoleon's Egyptian campaign, but there is something in common between
+the two times so far apart, of ambition and pride, of grandeur and
+colossal enterprise.
+
+Greece may well be called the Mother of Beauty, for with the Greeks came
+the dawn of a higher civilization, a striving for harmony of line and
+proportion, an ideal clear, high and persistent. When the Dorians from
+the northern part of Greece built their simple, beautiful temples to
+their gods and goddesses they gave the impetus to the movement which
+brought forth the highest art the world has known. Traces of Egyptian
+influence are to be found in the earliest temples, but the Greeks soon
+rose to their own great heights. The Doric column was thick, about six
+diameters in height, fluted, growing smaller toward the top, with a
+simple capital, and supported the entablature. The horizontal lines of
+the architrave and cornice were more marked than the vertical lines of
+the columns. The portico with its row of columns supported the pediment.
+The Parthenon is the most perfect example of the Doric order, and
+shattered as it is by time and man it is still one of the most beautiful
+buildings in the world. It was built in the time of Pericles, from about
+460 to 435 B.C., and the work was superintended by Phidias, who did much
+of the work himself and left the mark of his genius on the whole.
+
+The Ionic order of architecture was a development of the Doric, but was
+lighter and more graceful. The columns were more slender and had a
+greater number of flutes and the capitals formed of scrolls or volutes
+were more ornamental.
+
+The Corinthian order was more elaborate than the Ionic as the capitals
+were foliated (the acanthus being used), the columns higher, and the
+entablature more richly decorated. This order was copied by the Romans
+more than the other two as it suited their more florid taste. All the
+orders have the horizontal feeling in common (as Gothic architecture has
+the vertical), and the simple plan with its perfect harmony of
+proportion leaves no sense of lack of variety.
+
+The perfection attained in architecture was also attained in sculpture,
+and we see the same aspiration toward the ideal, the same wonderful
+achievement. This purity of taste of the Greeks has formed a standard to
+which the world has returned again and again and whose influence will
+continue to be felt as long as the world lasts.
+
+The minor arts were carried to the same state of perfection as their
+greater sisters, for the artists and artisans had the same noble ideal
+of beauty and the same unerring taste. We have carved gems and coins,
+and wonderful gold ornaments, painted and silver vases, and terra-cotta
+figurines, to show what a high point the household arts reached. No work
+of the great Grecian painters remains; Apelles, Zeuxis, are only names
+to us, but from the wall paintings at Pompeii where late Greek influence
+was strongly felt we can imagine how charming the decorations must have
+been. Egypt and Greece were the torch bearers of civilization.
+
+
+
+
+_The Renaissance in Italy_
+
+
+The Gothic period has been treated in later chapters on France and
+England, as it is its development in these countries which most affects
+us, but the Renaissance in Italy stands alone. So great was its strength
+that it could supply both inspiration and leaders to other countries,
+and still remain preeminent.
+
+It was in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that this great
+classical revival in Italy came, this re-birth of a true sense of beauty
+which is called the Renaissance. It was an age of wonders, of great
+artistic creations, and was one of the great epochs of the world, one of
+the turning points of human existence. It covered so large a field and
+was so many-sided that only careful study can give a full realization of
+the giants of intellect and power who made its greatness, and who left
+behind them work that shows the very quintessence of genius.
+
+Italy, stirring slightly in the fourteenth century, woke and rose to her
+greatest heights in the fifteenth and sixteenth. The whole people
+responded to the new joy of life, the love of learning, the expression
+of beauty in all its forms. All notes were struck,--gay, graceful,
+beautiful, grave, cruel, dignified, reverential, magnificent, but all
+with an exuberance of life and power that gave to Italian art its great
+place in human culture. The great names of the period speak for
+themselves,--Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Titian, Leonardo da
+Vinci, Andrea del Sarto, Machiavelli, Benvenuto Cellini, and a host of
+others.
+
+The inspiration of the Renaissance came largely from the later Greek
+schools of art and literature, Alexandria and Rhodes and the colonies in
+Sicily and Italy, rather than ancient Greece. It was also the influence
+which came to ancient Rome at its most luxurious period. The importance
+of the taking of Alexandria and Constantinople in 1453 must not be
+underestimated, as it drove scholars from the great libraries of the
+East carrying their manuscripts to the nobles and priests and merchant
+princes of Italy who thus became enthusiastic patrons of learning and
+art. This later type of Greek art lacked the austerity of the ancient
+type, and to the models full of joy and beauty and suffering, the
+Italians of the Renaissance added the touch of their own temperament and
+made them theirs in the glowing, rich and astounding way which has never
+been equaled and probably never will be. Perfection of line and beauty
+was not sufficient, the soul with its capacity for joy and suffering,
+"the soul with all its maladies" as Pater says, had become a factor. The
+impression made upon Michelangelo by seeing the Laocooen disinterred is
+vividly described by Longfellow--
+
+[Illustration: An exquisite and true Renaissance feeling is shown in
+the pilasters.]
+
+[Illustration: The Italian Renaissance is still inspiring the world. In
+the two doorways the use of pilasters and frieze, and the pedimented and
+round over-door motifs are typical of the period.]
+
+                "Long, long years ago,
+    Standing one morning near the Baths of Titus,
+    I saw the statue of Laocoeon
+    Rise from its grave of centuries like a ghost
+    Writhing in pain; and as it tore away
+    The knotted serpents from its limbs, I heard,
+    Or seemed to hear, the cry of agony
+    From its white parted lips. And still I marvel
+    At the three Rhodian artists, by whose hands
+    This miracle was wrought. Yet he beholds
+    Far nobler works who looks upon the ruins
+    Of temples in the Forum here in Rome.
+    If God should give me power in my old age
+    To build for him a temple half as grand
+    As those were in their glory, I should count
+    My age more excellent than youth itself,
+    And all that I have hitherto accomplished
+    As only vanity."
+
+"It was an age productive in personalities, many-sided, centralized,
+complete. Artists and philosophers and those whom the action of the
+world had elevated and made keen, breathed a common air and caught light
+and heat from each other's thoughts. It is this unity of spirit which
+gives unity to all the various products of the Renaissance, and it is to
+this intimate alliance with mind, this participation in the best
+thoughts which that age produced, that the art of Italy in the fifteenth
+century owes much of its grave dignity and influence."[A]
+
+[A] Walter Pater: "Studies in the Renaissance."
+
+It is to this unity of the arts we owe the fact that the art of
+beautifying the home took its proper place. During the Middle Ages the
+Church had absorbed the greater part of the best man had to give, and
+home life was rather a hit or miss affair, the house was a fortress, the
+family possessions so few that they could be packed into chests and
+easily moved. During the Renaissance the home ideal grew, and, although
+the Church still claimed the best, home life began to have comforts and
+beauties never dreamed of before. The walls glowed with color,
+tapestries and velvets added their beauties, and the noble proportions
+of the marble halls made a rich background for the elaborately carved
+furniture.
+
+The doors of Italian palaces were usually inlaid with woods of light
+shade, and the soft, golden tone given by the process was in beautiful,
+but not too strong, contrast with the marble architrave of the doorway,
+which in the fifteenth century was carved in low relief combined with
+disks of colored marble, sliced, by the way, from Roman temple pillars.
+Later as the classic taste became stronger the carving gave place to a
+plain architrave and the over-door took the form of a pediment.
+
+Mantels were of marble, large, beautifully carved, with the fireplace
+sunk into the thickness of the wall. The overmantel usually had a carved
+panel, but later, during the sixteenth century, this was sometimes
+replaced by a picture. The windows of the Renaissance were a part of the
+decoration of the room, and curtains were not used in our modern
+manner, but served only to keep out the draughts. In those days the
+better the house the simpler the curtains. There were many kinds of
+ceilings used, marble, carved wood, stucco, and painting. They were
+elaborate and beautiful, and always gave the impression of being
+perfectly supported on the well-proportioned cornice and walls. The
+floors were usually of marble. Many of the houses kept to the plan of
+mediaeval exteriors, great expanses of plain walls with few openings on
+the outsides, but as they were built around open courts, the interiors
+with their colonnades and open spaces showed the change the Renaissance
+had brought. The Riccardi Palace in Florence and the Palazzo della
+Cancelleria in Rome, are examples of this early type. The second phase
+was represented by the great Bramante, whose theory of restraining
+decoration and emphasizing the structure of the building has had such
+important influence. One of his successors was Andrea Palladio, whose
+work made such a deep impression on Inigo Jones. The Library of St.
+Mark's at Venice is a beautiful example of this part. The third phase
+was entirely dominated by Michelangelo.
+
+The furniture, to be in keeping with buildings of this kind, was large
+and richly carved. Chairs, seats, chests, cabinets, tables, and beds,
+were the chief pieces used, but they were not plentiful at all in our
+sense of the word. The chairs and benches had cushions to soften the
+hard wooden seats. The stuffs of the time were most beautiful Genoese
+velvet, cloth of gold, tapestries, and wonderful embroideries, all
+lending their color to the gorgeous picture. The carved marriage chest,
+or cassone, is one of the pieces of Renaissance furniture which has most
+often descended to our own day, for such chests formed a very important
+part of the furnishing in every household, and being large and heavy,
+were not so easily broken as chairs and tables. Beds were huge, and were
+architectural in form, a base and roof supported on four columns. The
+classical orders were used, touched with the spirit of the time, and the
+fluted columns rose from acanthus leaves set in an urn supported on
+lion's feet. The tester and cornice gave scope for carving and the
+panels of the tester usually had the lovely scrolls so characteristic of
+the period. The headboard was often carved with a coat-of-arms and the
+curtains hung from inside the cornice.
+
+Grotesques were largely used in ornament. The name is derived from
+grottoes, as the Roman tombs being excavated at the time were called,
+and were in imitation of the paintings found on their walls, and while
+they were fantastic, the word then had no unkindly humorous meaning as
+now. Scrolls, dolphins, birds, beasts, the human figure, flowers,
+everything was called into use for carving and painting by genius of the
+artisans of the Renaissance. They loved their work and felt the beauty
+and meaning of every line they made, and so it came about that when, in
+the course of years, they traveled to neighboring countries, they spread
+the influence of this great period, and it is most interesting to see
+how on the Italian foundation each country built her own distinctive
+style.
+
+Like all great movements the Renaissance had its beginning, its splendid
+climax, and its decline.
+
+
+
+
+_The Development of Decoration in France._
+
+
+When Caesar came to Gaul he did more than see and conquer; he absorbed
+so thoroughly that we have almost no knowledge of how the Gauls lived,
+so far as household effects were concerned. The character which
+descended from this Gallo-Roman race to the later French nation was
+optimistic and beauty-loving, with a strength which has carried it
+through many dark days. It might be said to be responsible for the
+French sense of proportion and their freedom of judgment which has
+enabled them to hold their important place in the history of art and
+decoration. They have always assimilated ideas freely but have worked
+them over until they bore the stamp of their own individuality, often
+gaining greatly in the process.
+
+One of the first authentic pieces of furniture is a _bahut_ or chest
+dating from sometime in the twelfth century and belonging to the Church
+of Obazine. It shows how furniture followed the lines of architecture,
+and also shows that there was no carving used on it. Large spaces were
+probably covered with painted canvas, glued on. Later, when panels
+became smaller and the furniture designs were modified, moldings, etc.,
+began to be used. These _bahuts_ or _huches_, from which the term
+_huchiers_ came (meaning the Corporation of Carpenters), were nothing
+more than chests standing on four feet. From all sources of information
+on the subject it has been decided that they were probably the chief
+pieces of furniture the people had. They served as a seat by day and,
+with cushions spread upon them, as a bed by night. They were also used
+as tables with large pieces of silver _dresse_ or arranged upon them in
+the daytime. From this comes our word "dresser" for the kitchen shelves.
+In those days of brigands and wars and sudden death, the household
+belongings were as few as possible so that the trouble of speedy
+transportation would be small, and everything was packed into the
+chests. As the idea of comfort grew a little stronger, the number of
+chests grew, and when a traveling party arrived at a stopping-place, out
+came the tapestries and hangings and cushions and silver dishes, which
+were arranged to make the rooms seem as cheerful as possible. The germ
+of the home ideal was there, at least, but it was hard work for the
+arras and the "ciel" to keep out the cold and cover the bare walls. When
+life became a little more secure and people learned something of the
+beauty of proportion, the rooms showed more harmony in regard to the
+relation of open spaces and walls, and became a decoration in
+themselves, with the tapestries and hangings enhancing their beauty of
+line. It was not until some time in the fifteenth century that the
+habit of traveling with all one's belongings ceased.
+
+The year 1000 was looked forward to with abject terror, for it was
+firmly believed by all that the world was then coming to an end. It cast
+a gloom over all the people and paralyzed all ambition. When, however,
+the fatal year was safely passed, there was a great religious
+thanksgiving and everyone joined in the praise of a merciful God. The
+semi-circular arch of the Romanesque style gave way to the pointed arch
+of the Gothic, and wonderful cathedrals slowly lifted their beautiful
+spires to the sky. The ideal was to build for the glory of God and not
+only for the eyes of man, so that exquisite carving was lavished upon
+all parts of the work. This deeply reverent feeling lasted through the
+best period of Gothic architecture, and while household furniture was at
+a standstill church furniture became more and more beautiful, for in the
+midst of the religious fervor nothing seemed too much to do for the
+Church. Slowly it died out, and a secular attitude crept into
+decoration. One finds grotesque carvings appearing on the choir stalls
+and other parts of churches and cathedrals and the standard of
+excellence was lowered.
+
+The chest, table, wooden arm-chair, bed, and bench, were as far as the
+imagination had gone in domestic furniture, and although we read of
+wonderful tapestries and leather hangings and clothes embroidered in
+gold and jewels, there was no comfort in our sense of the word, and
+those brave knights and fair ladies had need to be strong to stand the
+hardships of life. Glitter and show was the ideal and it was many more
+years before the standard of comfort and refinement gained a firm
+foothold.
+
+Gothic architecture and decoration declined from the perfection of the
+thirteenth and fourteenth centuries to the over-decorated, flamboyant
+Gothic of the fifteenth century, and it was in the latter period that
+the transition began between the Gothic and the Renaissance epochs.
+
+The Renaissance was at its height in Italy in the fifteenth century, and
+its influence began to make itself felt a little in France at that time.
+
+When the French under Louis XII seized Milan, the magnificence of the
+court of Ludovico Sforza, the great duke of Milan, made such an
+impression on them that they could not rest content with the old order,
+and took home many beautiful things. Italian artisans were also
+imported, and as France was ready for the change, their lessons were
+learned and the French Renaissance came slowly into existence. This
+transition is well shown by the Chateau de Gaillon, built by Cardinal
+d'Amboise. Gothic and Renaissance decoration were placed side by side in
+panels and furniture, and we also find some pure Gothic decoration as
+late as the early part of the sixteenth century, but they were in parts
+of France where tradition changed slowly. Styles overlap in every
+transition period, so it is often difficult to place the exact date on a
+piece of furniture; but the old dies out at last and gives way to the
+new.
+
+With the accession of Frances I in 1515 the Renaissance came into its
+own in France. He was a great patron of art and letters, and under his
+fostering care the people knew new luxuries, new beauties, and new
+comforts. He invited Andrea del Sarto and Leonardo da Vinci to come to
+France. The word Renaissance means simply revival and it is not
+correctly used when we mean a distinct style led or inspired by one
+person. It was a great epoch, with individuality as its leading spirit,
+led by the inspiration of the Italian artists brought from Italy and
+molded by the genius of France. This renewal of classic feeling came at
+the psychological moment, for the true spirit of the great Gothic period
+had died. The Renaissance movements in Italy, France, England and
+Germany all drew their inspiration from the same source, but in each
+case the national characteristics entered into the treatment. The
+Italians and Germans both used the grotesque a great deal, but the
+Germans used it in a coarser and heavier way than the Italians, who used
+it esthetically. The French used more especially conventional and
+beautiful floral forms, and the inborn French sense of the fitness of
+things gave the treatment a wonderful charm and beauty. If one studies
+the French chateaux one will feel the true beauty and spirit of the
+times--Blois with its history of many centuries, and then some of the
+purely Renaissance chateaux, like Chambord. Although great numbers of
+Italian artists came to France, one must not think they did all the
+beautiful work of the time. The French learned quickly and adapted what
+they learned to their own needs, so that the delicate and graceful
+decorations brought from Italy became more and more individualized until
+in the reign of Henry II the Renaissance reached its high-water mark.
+
+The furniture of the time did not show much change or become more varied
+or comfortable. It was large and solid and the chairs had the
+satisfactory effect of good proportion, while the general squareness of
+outline added to the feeling of solidity. Oak was used, and later
+walnut. The chair legs were straight, and often elaborately turned, and
+usually had strainers or under framing. Cushions were simply tied on at
+first, but the knowledge of upholstering was gaining ground, and by the
+time of Louis XIII was well understood. Cabinets had an architectural
+effect in their design. The style of the decorative motive changed, but
+it is chiefly in architecture and the decorative treatment of it that
+one sees the true spirit of the Renaissance. Two men who had great
+influence on the style of furniture of the time were Androuet du Cerceau
+and Hugues Sambin. They published books of plates that were eagerly
+copied in all parts of France. Sambin's influence can be traced in the
+later style of Louis XIV.
+
+[Illustration: Louis XIII chair now in the Cluny Museum showing the
+Flemish influence.]
+
+[Illustration: A typical Louis XIII chair, many of which were covered
+with velvet or tapestry.]
+
+[Illustration: _By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_
+
+This Gothic chair of the 16th century shows the beautiful linen-fold
+design in the carving on the lower panels, and also the keyhole which
+made the chest safe when traveling.]
+
+The marriage of Henry II and Catherine de Medici naturally continued the
+strong Italian influence. The portion of the Renaissance called after
+Henry II lasted about seventy-five years, and corresponds with the
+Elizabethan period in England.
+
+During the regency of Marie de Medici, Flemish influence became very
+strong, as she invited Rubens to Paris to decorate the Luxembourg. There
+were also many Italians called to do the work, and as Rubens had studied
+in Italy, Italian influence was not lacking.
+
+Degeneracy began during the reign of Henry IV, as ornament became
+meaningless and consistency of decoration was lost in a maze of
+superfluous design.
+
+It was in the reign of Louis XIII that furniture for the first time
+became really comfortable, and if one examines the engravings of Abraham
+Bosse one will see that the rooms have an air of homelikeness as well as
+richness. The characteristic chair of the period was short in the back
+and square in shape--it was usually covered with leather or tapestry,
+fastened to the chair with large brass nails, and the back and seat
+often had a fringe. A set of chairs usually consisted of arm-chairs,
+plain chairs, folding stools and a _lit-de-repos_. Many of the
+arm-chairs were entirely covered with velvet or tapestry, or, if the
+woodwork showed, it was stained to harmonize with the covering on the
+seat and back.
+
+The twisted columns used in chairs, bedposts, etc., were borrowed from
+Italy and were very popular. Another shape often used for chair legs was
+the X that shows Flemish influence. The _lit-de-repos_, or
+_chaise-longue_, was a seat about six feet long, sometimes with arms and
+sometimes not, and with a mattress and bolster. The beds were very
+elaborate and very important in the scheme of decoration, as the ladies
+of the time held receptions in their bedrooms and the king and nobles
+gave audiences to their subjects while in bed. These latter were
+therefore necessarily furnished with splendor. The woodwork was usually
+covered with the same material as the curtains, or stained to harmonize.
+The canopy never reached to the ceiling but was, from floor to top,
+about 7 ft. 3 in. high, and the bed was 6-1/2 ft. square. The curtains
+were arranged on rods and pulleys, and when closed this "_lit en
+housse_" looked like a huge square box. The counterpane, or "_coverture
+de parade_," was of the curtain material. The four corners of the canopy
+were decorated with bunches of plumes or panache, or with a carved
+wooden ornament called pomme, or with a "_bouquet_" of silk. The beds
+were covered with rich stuffs, like tapestry, silk, satin, velvet,
+cloth-of-gold and silver, etc., all of which were embroidered or trimmed
+with gold or silver lace. One of the features of a Louis XIII room was
+the tapestry and hangings. A certain look of dignity was given to the
+rooms by the general square and heavy outlines of the furniture and the
+huge chimney-pieces.
+
+The taste for cabinets kept up and the cabinets and presses were large,
+sometimes divided into two parts, sometimes with doors, sometimes with
+open frame underneath. The tables were richly carved and gilded, often
+ornamented with bronze and copper. The cartouche was used a great deal
+in decoration, with a curved surface. This rounded form appears in the
+posts used in various kinds of furniture. When rectangles were used they
+were always broader than high. The garlands of fruit were heavy, the
+cornucopias were slender, with an astonishing amount of fruit pouring
+from them, and the work was done in rather low relief. Carved and gilded
+mirrors were introduced by the Italians as were also sconces and glass
+chandeliers. It was a time of great magnificence, and shadowed forth the
+coming glory of Louis XIV. It seems a style well suited to large
+dining-rooms and libraries in modern houses of importance.
+
+
+
+
+_Louis XIV_
+
+
+It is often a really difficult matter to decide the exact boundary lines
+between one period and another, for the new style shows its beginnings
+before the old one is passed, and the old style still appears during the
+early years of the new one. It is an overlapping process and the years
+of transition are ones of great interest. As one period follows another
+it usually shows a reaction from the previous one; a somber period is
+followed by a gay one; the excess of ornament in one is followed by
+restraint in the next. It is the same law that makes us want cake when
+we have had too much bread and butter.
+
+The world has changed so much since the seventeenth and eighteenth
+centuries that it seems almost impossible that we should ever again have
+great periods of decoration like those of Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis
+XVI. Then the monarch was supreme. "_L'etat c'est moi_," said Louis XIV,
+and it was true. He established the great Gobelin works on a basis that
+made France the authority of the world and firmly imposed his taste and
+his will on the country. Now that this absolute power of one man is a
+thing of the past, we have the influence of many men forming and molding
+something that may turn into a beautiful epoch of decoration, one that
+will have in it some of the feeling that brought the French Renaissance
+to its height, though not like it, for we have the same respect for
+individuality working within the laws of beauty that they had.
+
+The style that takes its name from Louis XIV was one of great
+magnificence and beauty with dignity and a certain solidity in its
+splendor. It was really the foundation of the styles that followed, and
+a great many people look upon the periods of Louis XIV, the Regency,
+Louis XV and Louis XVI as one great period with variations, or ups and
+downs--the complete swing and return of the pendulum.
+
+Louis XIV was a man with a will of iron and made it absolute law during
+his long reign of seventy-two years. His ideal was splendor, and he
+encouraged great men in the intellectual and artistic world to do their
+work, and shed their glory on the time. Conde, Turenne, Colbert,
+Moliere, Corneille, La Fontaine, Racine, Fenelon, Boulle, Le Brun, are a
+few among the long and wonderful list. He was indeed Louis the
+Magnificent, the Sun King.
+
+One of the great elements toward achieving the stupendous results of
+this reign was the establishment of the "Manufacture des Meubles de la
+Couronne," or, as it is usually called, "Manufacture des Gobelins."
+Artists of all kinds were gathered together and given apartments in the
+Louvre and the wonderfully gifted and versatile Le Brun was put at the
+head. Tapestry, goldsmiths' work, furniture, jewelry, etc., were made,
+and with the royal protection and interest France rose to the position
+of world-wide supremacy in the arts. Le Brun had the same taste and love
+of magnificence as Louis, and had also extraordinary executive ability
+and an almost unlimited capacity for work, combined with the power of
+gathering about him the most eminent artists of the time. Andre Charles
+Boulle was one, and his beautiful cabinets, commodes, tables, clocks,
+etc., are now almost priceless. He carried the inlay of metals,
+tortoise-shell, ivory and beautiful woods to its highest expression, and
+the mingling of colors with the exquisite workmanship gave most
+wonderful effects. Sheets of white metal or brass were glued together
+and the pattern was then cut out. When taken apart the brass scrolls
+could be fitted exactly into the shell background, and the shell scrolls
+into the brass background, thus making two decorations. The shell
+background was the more highly prized. The designs usually had a
+Renaissance feeling. The metal was softened in outline by engraving, and
+then ormolu mounts were added. Ormolu or gilt bronze mounts, formed one
+of the great decorations of furniture. The most exquisite workmanship
+was lavished on them, and after they had been cast they were cut and
+carved and polished until they became worthy ornaments for beautiful
+inlaid tables and cabinets. The taste for elaborately carved and gilded
+frames to chairs, tables, mirrors, etc., developed rapidly. Mirrors
+were made by the Gobelins works and were much less expensive than the
+Venetian ones of the previous reign. Walls were painted and covered with
+gold with a lavish hand. Tapestries were truly magnificent with gold and
+silver threads adding richness to their beauty of color, and were used
+purely as a decoration as well as in the old utilitarian way of keeping
+out the cold. The Gobelins works made at this time some of the most
+beautiful tapestries the world has known. The massive chimney-pieces
+were superseded by the "_petite-cheminee_" and had great mirrors over
+them or elaborate over-mantels. The whole air of furnishing and
+decoration changed to one of greater lightness and brilliancy. The ideal
+was that everything, no matter how small, must be beautiful, and we find
+the most exquisite workmanship lavished on window-locks and door-knobs.
+
+[Illustration: One of a set of three rare Louis XIV chairs, beautifully
+carved and gilded, and said to have belonged to the great Louis himself.]
+
+In the early style of Louis XIV, we find many trophies of war and
+mythological subjects used in the decorative schemes. The second style
+of this period was a softening and refining of the earlier one, becoming
+more and more delicate until it merged into the time of the Regency. It
+was during the reign of Louis XIV that the craze for Chinese decoration
+first appeared. _La Chinoiserie_ it was called, and it has daintiness
+and a curious fascination about it, but many inappropriate things were
+done in its name. The furniture of the time was firmly placed upon the
+ground, the arm-chairs had strong straining-rails, square or curved
+backs, scroll arms carved and partly upholstered and stuffed seats
+and backs. The legs of chairs were usually tapering in form and
+ornamented with gilding, or marquetry, or richly carved, and later the
+feet ended in a carved leaf design. Some of the straining-rails were in
+the shape of the letter X, with an ornament at the intersection, and
+often there was a wooden molding below the seat in place of fringe. Many
+carved and gilded chairs had gold fringe and braid and were covered with
+velvet, tapestry or damask.
+
+[Illustration: _By courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art_
+
+Inlaid desk with beautifully chiselled ormolu mounts.]
+
+[Illustration: Rare Louis XIV chair, showing the characteristic
+underbracing.]
+
+There were many new and elaborate styles of beds that came into fashion
+at this time. There was the _lit d'ange_, which had a canopy that did
+not extend over the entire bed, and had no pillars at the foot, the
+curtains were drawn back at the head and the counterpane went over the
+foot of the bed. There was the _lit d'alcove_, the _lit de bout_, _lit
+clos_, _lit de glace_, with a mirror framed in the ceiling, and many
+others. A _lit de parade_ was like the great bed of Louis XIV at
+Versailles.
+
+Both the tall and bracket clocks showed this same love of ornament and
+they were carved and gilded and enriched with chased brass and wonderful
+inlay by Boulle. The dials also were beautifully designed. Consoles,
+tables, cabinets, etc., were all treated in this elaborate way. Many of
+the ceilings were painted by great artists, and those at Versailles,
+painted by Le Brun and others, are good examples. There was always a
+combination of the straight line and the curve, a strong feeling of
+balance, and a profusion of ornament in the way of scrolls, garlands,
+shells, the acanthus, anthemion, etc. The moldings were wide and
+sometimes a torus of laurel leaves was used, but in spite of the great
+amount of ornament lavished on everything, there is the feeling of
+balance and symmetry and strength that gives dignity and beauty.
+
+Louis was indeed fortunate in having the great Colbert for one of his
+ministers. He was a man of gigantic intellect, capable of originating
+and executing vast schemes. It was to his policy of state patronage,
+wisely directed, and energetically and lavishly carried out, that we owe
+the magnificent achievements of this period.
+
+Everywhere the impression is given of brilliancy and splendor--gold on
+the walls, gold on the furniture, rich velvets and damasks and
+tapestries, marbles and marquetry and painting, furniture worth a king's
+ransom. It all formed a beautiful and fitting background for the proud
+king, who could do no wrong, and the dazzling, care-free people who
+played their brilliant, selfish parts in the midst of its splendor. They
+never gave a thought to the great mass of the common people who were
+over-burdened with taxation; they never heard the first faint mutterings
+of discontent which were to grow, ever louder and louder, until the
+blood and horror of the Revolution paid the debt.
+
+
+
+
+_The Regency and Louis XV_
+
+
+When Louis XIV died in 1715, his great-grandson, Louis XV, was but five
+years old, so Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, became Regent. During the last
+years of Louis XIV's life the court had resented more or less the gloom
+cast over it by the influence of Madame de Maintenon, and turned with
+avidity to the new ruler. He was a vain and selfish man, feeling none of
+the responsibilities of his position, and living chiefly for pleasure.
+The change in decoration had been foreshadowed in the closing years of
+the previous reign, and it is often hard to say whether a piece of
+furniture is late Louis XIV or Regency.
+
+The new gained rapidly over the old, and the magnificent and stately
+extravagance of Louis XIV turned into the daintier but no less
+extravagant and rich decoration of the Regency and Louis XV. One of the
+noticeable changes was that rooms were smaller, and the reign of the
+boudoir began. It has been truly said that after the death of Louis XIV
+"came the substitution of the finery of coquetry for the worship of the
+great in style." There was greater variety in the designs of furniture
+and a greater use of carved metal ornament and gilt bronze, beautifully
+chased. The ornaments took many shapes, such as shells, shaped foliage,
+roses, seaweed, strings of pearls, etc., and at its best there was
+great beauty in the treatment.
+
+It was during the Regency that the great artist and sculptor in metal,
+Charles Cressant, flourished. He was made _ebeniste_ of the Regent, and
+his influence was always to keep up the traditions when the reaction
+against the severe might easily have led to degeneration. There are
+beautiful examples of his work in many of the great collections of
+furniture, notably the wonderful commode in the Wallace collection. The
+dragon mounts of ormolu on it show the strong influence the Orient had
+at the time. He often used the figures of women with great delicacy on
+the corners of his furniture, and he also used tortoise-shell and many
+colored woods in marquetry, but his most wonderful work was done in
+brass and gilded bronze.
+
+In 1723, when Louis was thirteen years old, he was declared of age and
+became king. The influence of the Regent was, naturally, still strong,
+and unfortunately did much to form the character of the young king.
+Selfishness, pleasure, and low ideals, were the order of court life, and
+paved the way for the debased taste for rococo ornament which was one
+marked phase of the style of Louis XV.
+
+The great influence of the Orient at this time is very noticeable. There
+had been a beginning of it in the previous reign, but during the Regency
+and the reign of Louis XV it became very marked. "_Singerie_" and
+"_Chinoiserie_" were the rage, and gay little monkeys clambered and
+climbed over walls and furniture with a careless abandon that had a
+certain fascination and charm in spite of their being monkeys. The
+"_Salon des Singes_" in the Chateau de Chantilly gives one a good idea
+of this. The style was easily overdone and did not last a great while.
+
+During this time of Oriental influence lacquer was much used and
+beautiful lacquer panels became one of the great features of French
+furniture. Pieces of furniture were sent to China and Japan to be
+lacquered and this, combined with the expense of importing it, led many
+men in France to try to find out the Oriental secret. Le Sieur Dagly was
+supposed to have imported the secret and was established at the Gobelins
+works where he made what was called "_vernis de Gobelins_."
+
+The Martin family evolved a most characteristically French style of
+decoration from the Chinese and Japanese lacquers. The varnish they
+made, called "_vernis Martin_," gave its name to the furniture decorated
+by them, which was well suited to the dainty boudoirs of the day. All
+kinds of furniture were decorated in this way--sedan chairs and even
+snuff-boxes, until at last the supply became so great that the fashion
+died. There are many charming examples of it to be seen in museums and
+private collections, but the modern garish copies of it in many shops
+give no idea of the charm of the original. Watteau's delightful
+decorations also give the true spirit of the time, with their gayety
+and frivolity showing the Arcadian affectations--the fad of the moment.
+
+As the time passed decoration grew more and more ornate, and the
+followers of Cressant exaggerated his traits. One of these was Jules
+Aurele Meissonier, an Italian by birth, who brought with him to France
+the decadent Italian taste. He had a most marvelous power of invention
+and lavished ornament on everything, carrying the rocaille style to its
+utmost limit. He broke up all straight lines, put curves and
+convolutions everywhere, and rarely had two sides alike, for symmetry
+had no charms for him. The curved endive decoration was used in
+architraves, in the panels of overdoors and panel moldings, everywhere
+it possibly could be used, in fact. His work was in great demand by the
+king and nobility. He designed furniture of all kinds, altars, sledges,
+candelabra and a great amount of silversmith's work, and also published
+a book of designs. Unfortunately it is this rococo style which is meant
+by many people when they speak of the style of Louis XV.
+
+Louis XV furniture and decoration at its best period is extremely
+beautiful, and the foremost architects of the day were undisturbed by
+the demand for rococo, knowing it was a vulgarism of taste which would
+pass. In France, bad as it was, it never went to such lengths as it did
+in Italy and Spain.
+
+[Illustration: The mantel with its great glass reaching to the cornice,
+the wall panels, paintings over the doors, and beautiful furniture, all
+show the spirit of the best Louis XV period. The fur rug is an
+anachronism and detracts from the effect of the room.]
+
+[Illustration: The rare console tables and chairs and the Gobelin
+tapestry, "Games of Children," show to great advantage in this
+beautifully proportioned room of soft dull gold. The side-and
+centre-lights, reflected in the mirror, light the room correctly.]
+
+The easy generalization of the girl who said the difference between the
+styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI was like the difference in hair, one
+was curly and one was straight, has more than a grain of truth in it.
+The curved line was used persistently until the last years of Louis XV's
+time, but it was a beautiful, gracious curve, elaborate, and in
+furniture, richly carved, which was used during the best period. The
+decline came when good taste was lost in the craze for rococo.
+
+Chairs were carved and gilded, or painted, or lacquered, and also
+beautiful natural woods were used. The sofas and chairs had a general
+square appearance, but the framework was much curved and carved and
+gilded. They were upholstered in silks, brocades, velvets, damasks in
+flowered designs, edged with braid. Gobelin, Aubusson and Beauvais
+tapestry, with Watteau designs, were also used. Nothing more dainty or
+charming could be found than the tapestry seats and chair backs and
+screens which were woven especially to fit certain pieces of furniture.
+The tapestry weavers now used thousands of colors in place of the
+nineteen used in the early days, and this enabled them to copy with
+great exactness the charming pictures of Watteau and Boucher. The idea
+of sitting on beautiful ladies and gentlemen airily playing at country
+life, does not appeal to our modern taste, but it seems to be in accord
+with those days.
+
+Desks were much used and were conveniently arranged with drawers,
+pigeon-holes and shelves, and roll-top desks were made at this time.
+Commodes were painted, or richly ornamented with lacquer panels, or
+panels of rosewood or violet wood, and all were embellished with
+wonderful bronze or ormolu. Many pieces of furniture were inlaid with
+lovely Sevres plaques, a manner which is not always pleasing in effect.
+There were many different and elaborate kinds of beds, taking their
+names from their form and draping. "_Lit d'anglaise_" had a back,
+head-board and foot-board, and could be used as a sofa. "_Lit a
+Romaine_" had a canopy and four festooned curtains, and so on.
+
+The most common form of salon was rectangular, with proportions of 4 to
+3, or 2 to 1. There were also many square, round, octagonal and oval
+salons, these last being among the most beautiful. They all were
+decorated with great richness, the walls being paneled with carved and
+gilded--or partially gilded--wood. Tapestry and brocade and painted
+panels were used. Large mirrors with elaborate frames were placed over
+the mantels, with panels above reaching to the cornice or cove of the
+ceiling, and large mirrors were also used over console tables and as
+panels. The paneled overdoors reached to the cornice, and windows were
+also treated in this way. Windows and doors were not looked upon merely
+as openings to admit air and light and human beings, but formed a part
+of the scheme of decoration of the room. There were beautiful brackets
+and candelabra of ormolu to light the rooms, and the boudoirs and
+salons, with their white and gold and beautifully decorated walls and
+gilded furniture, gave an air of gayety and richness, extravagance and
+beauty.
+
+An apartment in the time of Louis XV usually had a vestibule, rather
+severely decorated with columns or pilasters and often statues in
+niches. The first ante-room was a waiting-room for servants and was
+plainly treated, the woodwork being the chief decoration. The second
+ante-room had mirrors, console tables, carved and gilded woodwork, and
+sometimes tapestry was used above a wainscot. Dining-rooms were
+elaborate, often having fountains and plants in the niches near the
+buffet. Bedrooms usually had an alcove, and the room, not counting the
+alcove, was an exact square. The bed faced the windows and a large
+mirror over a console table was just opposite it. The chimney faced the
+principal entrance.
+
+A "_chambre en niche_" was a room where the bed space was not so large
+as an alcove. The designs for sides of rooms by Meissonier, Blondel,
+Briseux Cuilles and others give a good idea of the arrangement and
+proportions of the different rooms. The cabinets or studies, and the
+_garde robes_, were entered usually from doors near the alcove. The
+ceilings were painted by Boucher and others in soft and charming colors,
+with cupids playing in the clouds, and other subjects of the kind. Great
+attention was given to clocks and they formed an important and
+beautiful part of the decoration.
+
+The natural consequence of the period of excessive rococo with its
+superabundance of curves and ornament, was that, during the last years
+of Louis's reign, the reaction slowly began to make itself felt. There
+was no sudden change to the use of the straight line, but people were
+tired of so much lavishness and motion in their decoration. There were
+other influences also at work, for Robert Adam had, in England,
+established the classic taste, and the excavations at Pompeii were
+causing widespread interest and admiration. The fact is proved that what
+we call Louis XVI decoration was well known before the death of Louis
+XV, by his furnishing Luciennes for Madam Du Barri in almost pure Louis
+XVI style.
+
+[Illustration: A chair from Fontainebleau, typical of the early Louis
+XIV epoch before the development of its full grandeur.]
+
+[Illustration: This Louis XV bergere is especially interesting as it
+shows the broad seat made to accommodate the full dresses of the
+period.]
+
+[Illustration: There is a special charm about this old Louis XVI bench
+with its Gobelin tapestry cover.]
+
+
+
+
+_Louis XVI_
+
+
+Louis XVI came to the throne in 1774, and reigned for nineteen years,
+until that fatal year of '93. He was kind, benign, and simple, and had
+no sympathy with the life of the court during the preceding reign. Marie
+Antoinette disliked the great pomp of court functions and liked to play
+at the simple life, so shepherdesses, shepherd's crooks, hats, wreaths
+of roses, watering-pots and many other rustic symbols became the
+fashion.
+
+Marie Antoinette was but fifteen years old when in 1770 she came to
+France as a bride, and it is hardly reasonable to think that the taste
+of a young girl would have originated a great period of decoration,
+although the idea is firmly fixed in many minds. It is known that the
+transition period was well advanced before she became queen, but there
+is no doubt that her simpler taste and that of Louis led them to accept
+with joy the classical ideas of beauty which were slowly gaining ground.
+As dauphin and dauphiness they naturally had a great following, and as
+king and queen their taste was paramount, and the style became
+established.
+
+Architecture became more simple and interior decoration followed suit.
+The restfulness and beauty of the straight line appeared again, and
+ornament took its proper place as a decoration of the construction, and
+was subordinate to its design. During the period of Louis XVI the rooms
+had rectangular panels formed by simpler moldings than in the previous
+reign, with pilasters of delicate design between the panels. The
+overdoors and mantels were carried to the cornice and the paneling was
+usually of oak, painted in soft colors or white and gilded. Walls were
+also covered with tapestry and brocade. Some of the most characteristic
+marks of the style are the straight tapering legs of the furniture,
+usually fluted, with some carving. Fluted columns and pilasters often
+had metal quills filling them for a part of the distance at top and
+bottom, leaving a plain channel between. The laurel leaf was used in
+wreath form, and bell flowers were used on the legs of furniture. Oval
+medallions, surmounted by a wreath of flowers and a bow-knot, appear
+very often, and in about 1780 round medallions were used. Furniture was
+covered with brocade or tapestry, with shepherds and shepherdesses or
+pastoral scenes for the design. The gayest kinds of designs were used in
+the silks and brocades; ribbons and bow-knots and interlacing stripes
+with flowers and rustic symbols scattered over them. Curtains were less
+festooned and cut with great exactness. The canopies of beds became
+smaller, until often only a ring or crown held the draperies, and it
+became the fashion to place the bed sideways, "_vu de face_."
+
+There was a great deal of beautiful ornament in gilded bronze and ormolu
+on the furniture, and many colored woods were used in marquetry. The
+fashion of using Sevres plaques in inlay was continued. There was a
+great deal of white and colored marble used and very fine ironwork was
+made. Riesener, Roentgen, Gouthiere, Fragonard and Boucher are some of
+the names that stand out most distinctly as authors of the beautiful
+decorations of the time. Marie Antoinette's boudoir at Fontainebleau is
+a perfect example of the style and many of the other rooms both there
+and at the Petit Trianon show its great beauty, gayety and dignity
+combined with its richness and magnificence.
+
+The influence of Pompeii must not be overlooked in studying the style of
+Louis XVI, for it appeared in much of the decoration of the time. The
+beautiful little boudoir of the Marquise de Serilly is a charming
+example of its adaptation. The problem of bad proportion is also most
+interestingly overcome. The room was too high for its size, so it was
+divided into four arched openings separated by carved pilasters, and the
+walls covered with paintings. The ceiling was darker than the walls,
+which made it seem lower, and the whole color scheme was so arranged
+that the feeling of extreme height was lessened. The mantel is a
+beautiful example of the period. This room was furnished about 1780-82.
+
+Compared to the lavish curves of the style of Louis XV, the fine
+outlines and the beautiful ornament of Louis XVI appear to some people
+cold, but if they look carefully at the matter, they will find them not
+really so. The warmth of the Gallic temperament still shows through the
+new garb, giving life and beauty to the dainty but strong furniture.
+
+If one studies the examples of the styles of Louis XIV, Louis XV and
+Louis XVI that one finds in the great palaces, collections, museums and
+books of prints and photographs, one will see that the wonderful
+foundation laid by Louis XIV was still there in the other two reigns.
+During the time of Louis XVI the pose of rustic simplicity was a very
+sophisticated pose indeed, but the reaction from the rocaille style of
+Louis XV led to one of the most beautiful styles of decoration that the
+world has seen. It had dignity, true beauty and the joy of life
+expressed in it.
+
+[Illustration: Rare Louis XVI chair--an original from Fontainebleau.]
+
+[Illustration: The American Empire sofa, when not too elaborate, is a
+very beautiful article of furniture.]
+
+
+
+
+_The Empire_
+
+
+The French Revolution made a tremendous change in the production of
+beautiful furniture, as royalty and the nobility could no longer
+encourage it. Many of the great artists died in poverty and many of them
+went to other countries where life was more secure.
+
+After the Revolution there was wholesale destruction of the wonderful
+works of art which had cost such vast sums to collect. Nothing was to
+remain that would remind the people of departed kings and queens, and a
+committee on art was appointed to make selections of what was to be
+saved and what was to be destroyed. That committee of "tragic comedians"
+set up a new standard of art criticism; it was not the artistic merits
+of a piece of tapestry, for instance, that interested them, but whether
+a king or queen dared show their heads upon it. If so, into the flames
+it went. Thousands of priceless things were destroyed before they
+finished their dreadful work.
+
+When Napoleon came into power he turned to ancient Rome for inspiration.
+The Imperial Caesars became his ideal and gave him a wide field in which
+to display his love for splendor, uncontrolled by any true artistic
+sense. It gave decoration a blow from which it was hard to recover.
+Massive furniture without real beauty of line, loaded with ormolu, took
+the place of the old. The furniture was simple in construction with
+little carving, until later when all kinds of animal heads and claws,
+and animals never seen by man, and horns of plenty, were used to support
+tables and chairs and sofas. Everywhere one turned the feeling of
+martial grandeur was in the air. Ormolu mounts of bay wreaths, torches,
+eagles, military emblems and trophies, winged figures, the sphinx, the
+bee, and the initial N, were used on furniture; and these same motives
+were used in wall decoration. The furniture was left the natural color
+of the wood, and mahogany, rosewood, and ebony, were used. Veneer was
+also extensively used. The front legs of chairs were usually straight,
+and the back legs slightly curved. Beds were massive, with head and
+foot-board of even height, and the tops rolled over into a scroll. Swans
+were used on the arms of chairs and sofas and the sides of beds. Tables
+were often round, with tripod legs; in fact, the tripod was a great
+favorite. There was a great deal of inlay of the favorite emblems but
+little carving. Plain columns with Doric caps and metal ornaments were
+used. The change in the use of color was very marked, for deep brown,
+blue and other dark colors were used instead of the light and gay ones
+of the previous period. The materials used were usually of solid colors
+with a design in golden yellow, a wreath, or a torch, or the bee, or one
+of the other favorite emblems being used in a spot design, or powdered
+on. Some of the color combinations in the rooms we read of sound quite
+alarming.
+
+Since the time of the Empire, France has done as the rest of the world
+has, gone without any special style.
+
+
+
+
+_English Furniture from Gothic Days to the Period of Queen Anne._
+
+
+The early history of furniture in all countries is very much the
+same--there is not any. We know about kings and queens, and war and
+sudden death, and fortresses and pyramids, but of that which the people
+used for furniture we know very little. Research has revealed the
+mention in old manuscripts once in a while of benches and chests, and
+the Bayeux tapestry and old seals show us that William the Conquerer and
+Richard Coeur de Lion sat on chairs, even if they were not very
+promising ones, but at best it is all very vague. It is natural to
+suppose that the early Saxons had furniture of some kind, for, as the
+remains of Saxon metalwork show great skill, it is probable they had
+skill also in woodworking.
+
+In England, as in France, the first pieces of furniture that we can be
+sure of are chests and benches. They served all purposes apparently, for
+the family slept on them by night and used them for seats and tables by
+day. The bedding was kept in the chests, and when traveling had to be
+done all the family possessions were packed in them. There is an old
+chest at Stoke d'Abernon church, dating from the thirteenth century,
+that has a little carving on it, and another at Brampton church of the
+twelfth or thirteenth century that has iron decorations. Some chests
+show great freedom in the carving, St. George and the Dragon and other
+stories being carved in high relief.
+
+[Illustration: An Apostles bed of the Tudor period, so-called from the
+carved panels of the back. The over elaboration of the late Tudor work
+corresponded in time with France's deterioration in the reign of Henry
+IV.]
+
+Nearly all the existing specimens of Gothic furniture are
+ecclesiastical, but there are a few that were evidently for household
+use. These show distinctly the architectural treatment of design in the
+furniture. Chairs were not commonly used until the sixteenth century.
+Our distinguished ancestors decided that one chair in a house was
+enough, and that was for the master, while his family and friends sat on
+benches and chests. It is a long step in comfort and manners from the
+fifteenth to the twentieth century. Later the guest of honor was given
+the chair, and from that may come the saying that a speaker "takes the
+chair." Gothic tables were probably supported by trestles, and beds were
+probably very much like the early sixteenth century beds in general
+shape. There were cupboards and armoires also, but examples are very
+rare. From an old historical document we learn that Henry III, in 1233,
+ordered the sheriff to attend to the painting of the wainscoted chamber
+in Winchester Castle and to see that "the pictures and histories were
+the same as before." Another order is for having the wall of the king's
+chamber at Westminster "painted a good green color in imitation of a
+curtain." These painted walls and stained glass that we know they had,
+and the tapestry, must have given a cheerful color scheme to the
+houses of the wealthy class even if there was not much comfort.
+
+[Illustration: In this walnut dressing-table the period of William and
+Mary has been adapted to modern needs.]
+
+[Illustration: This reproduction of a Charles II chair shows cherubs
+supporting crowns.]
+
+The history of the great houses of England, and also the smaller
+manor-houses, is full of interest in connection with the study of
+furniture. There are many manor-houses that show all the characteristics
+of the Gothic, Renaissance, Tudor and Jacobean periods, and from them we
+can learn much of the life of the times. The early ones show absolute
+simplicity in the arrangement, one large hall for everything, and later
+a small room or two added. The fire was on the floor and the smoke
+wandered around until it found its way out at the opening, or louvre, in
+the roof. Then a chimney was built at the dais end of the hall, and the
+mantelpiece became an important part of the decoration. The hall was
+divided by "screens" into smaller rooms, leaving the remainder for
+retainers, and causing the clergy to inveigh against the new custom of
+the lord of the manor "eating in secret places." The staircase developed
+from the early winding stair about a newel or post to the beautiful
+broad stairs of the Tudor period. These were usually six or seven feet
+broad, with about six wide easy steps and then a landing, and the
+carving on the balusters was often very elaborate and sometimes very
+beautiful--a ladder raised to the _n_th power.
+
+Slowly the Gothic period died in England and slowly the Renaissance took
+its place. There was never the gayety of decorative treatment that we
+find in France, but the English workmen, while keeping their own
+individuality, learned a tremendous amount from the Italians who came to
+the country. Their influence is shown in the Henry VIIth Chapel in
+Westminster Abbey, and in the old part of Hampton Court Palace, built by
+Cardinal Wolsey.
+
+The religious troubles between Henry VIII and the Pope and the change of
+religion helped to drive the Italians from the country, so the
+Renaissance did not get such a firm foothold in England as it did in
+France. The mingling of Gothic and Renaissance forms what we call the
+Tudor period. During the time of Elizabeth all trace of Gothic
+disappeared, and the influence of the Germans and Flemings who came to
+the country in great numbers, helped to shorten the influence of the
+Renaissance. The over-elaboration of the late Tudor time corresponded
+with the deterioration shown in France in the time of Henry IV. The Hall
+of Gray's Inn, the Halls of Oxford, the Charterhouse and the Hall of the
+Middle Temple are all fine examples of the Tudor period.
+
+We find very few names of furniture makers of those days; in fact, there
+are very few names known in connection with the buildings themselves.
+The word architect was little used until after the Renaissance. The
+owner and the "surveyor" were the people responsible, and the plans,
+directions and details given to the workmen were astonishingly meager.
+
+The great charm that we all feel in the Tudor and Jacobean periods is
+largely due to the beautiful paneled walls. Their woodwork has a color
+that only age can give and that no stain can copy. The first panels were
+longer than the later ones. Wide use was made of the beautiful
+"linen-fold" design in the wainscoting, and there was also much
+elaborate carving and strapwork. Scenes like the temptation of Adam and
+Eve were represented, heads in circular medallions, and simply
+decorative designs were used. In the days of Elizabeth it became the
+fashion to have the carving at the top of the paneling with plain panels
+below. Tudor and Jacobean mantelpieces were most elaborate and were of
+wood, stone, or marble richly carved, to say nothing of the beautiful
+plaster ones, and there are many fine examples in existence. They were
+fond of figure decoration, and many subjects were taken from the Bible.
+The overmantels were decorated with coats-of-arms and other carving, and
+the entablature over the fireplace often had Latin mottoes. The earliest
+firebacks date from the fifteenth century. Coats-of-arms and many
+curious designs were used upon them.
+
+The furniture of the Tudor period was much carved, and was made chiefly
+of oak. Cornices of beds and cabinets often had the egg-and-dart molding
+used on them, and the S-curve is often seen opposed on the backs of
+settees and chairs. It has a suggestion of a dolphin and is reminiscent
+of the dolphins of the Renaissance. The beds were very large, the
+"great bed of Ware" being twelve feet square. The cornice, the bed-head,
+the pedestals and pillars supporting the cornice were all richly carved.
+Frequently the pillars at the foot of the bed were not connected with
+it, but supported the cornice which was longer than the bed. The
+"Courtney bedstead," dated 1593, showing many of the characteristics of
+the ornament of the time, is 103-1/2 inches high, 94 inches long, 68
+inches wide. The majority of the beds were smaller and lower, however,
+and the pillars usually rose out of drum-like members, huge acorn-like
+bulbs that were often so large as to be ugly. They appeared also on
+other articles of furniture. When in good proportion, with pillars
+tapering from them, they were very effective, and gradually they grew
+smaller. Some of the beds had the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and
+John, carved on the posts. They were probably the origin of the nursery
+rhyme:
+
+    "Four corners to my bed,
+    Four angels round my head,
+    Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
+    Bless the bed that I lie on."
+
+[Illustration: In this living-room, Italian, Jacobean, and modern
+stuffed furniture, give a satisfactory effect because each piece is good
+of its kind and is in a certain relationship to each other. The huge
+clock with chimes and the animal casts are out of keeping.]
+
+Bed hanging were of silk, velvet, damask, wool damask, tapestry, etc.,
+and there were fine linen sheets and blankets and counterpanes of wool
+work. The chairs were high-backed of solid oak with cushions. There
+were also jointed stools, folding screens, chests, cabinets, tables with
+carpets (table covers) tapestry hangings, curtains, cushions, silver
+sconces, etc.
+
+[Illustration: Original Jacobean settle with tapestry covering. These
+pieces of furniture range in price between $900 and $1,400.]
+
+[Illustration: Fine reproductions of Jacobean chairs of the time of
+Charles II. The carved front rail balances the carving on the back
+perfectly.]
+
+The Jacobean period began with James I, and lasted until the time of
+William and Mary, or from 1603 to about 1689. In the early part there
+was still a strong Tudor feeling, and toward the end foreign influence
+made itself felt until the Dutch under William became paramount. Inigo
+Jones did his great work at this time in the Palladian style of
+architecture. His simpler taste did much to reduce the exaggeration of
+the late Tudor days.
+
+Chests of various kinds still remained of importance. Their growth is
+interesting: first the plain ones of very early days, then panels
+appeared, then the pointed arch with its architectural effect, then the
+low-pointed arch of Tudor and early Jacobian times, and the geometrical
+ornament. Then came a change in the general shape, a drawer being added
+at the bottom, and at last it turned into a complete chest of drawers.
+
+Cabinets or cupboards were also used a great deal, and the most
+interesting are the court-and livery-cupboards. The derivation of the
+names is a bit obscure, but the court cupboard probably comes from the
+French _court_, short. The first ones were high and unwieldy and the
+later ones were lower with some enclosed shelves. They were used for a
+display of plate, much as the modern sideboard is used. The number of
+shelves was limited by rank; the wife of a baronet could have two, a
+countess three, a princess four, a queen five. They were beautifully
+carved, very often, the doors to the enclosed portions having heads,
+Tudor roses, arches, spindle ornaments and many other designs common to
+the Tudor and Jacobean periods. They had a silk "carpet" put on the
+shelves with the fringe hanging over the ends, but not the front, and on
+this was placed the silver.
+
+The livery-cupboard was used for food, and the word probably comes from
+the French _livrer_, to deliver. It had several shelves enclosed by
+rails, not panels, so the air could circulate, and some of them had open
+shelves and a drawer for linen. They were used much as we use a
+serving-table, or as the kitchen dresser was used in old New England
+days. In them were kept food and drink for people to take to their
+bedrooms to keep starvation at bay until breakfast.
+
+Drawing-tables were very popular during Jacobean times. They were
+described as having two ends that were drawn out and supported by
+sliders, while the center, previously held by them, fell into place by
+its own weight. Another characteristic table was the gate-legged or
+thousand-legged table, that was used so much in our own Colonial times.
+There were also round, oval and square tables which had flaps supported
+by legs that were drawn out. Tables were almost invariably covered with
+a table cloth.
+
+Some of the chairs of the time of James I were much like those of Louis
+XIII, having the short back covered with leather, damask, or tapestry,
+put on with brass or silver nails and fringe around the edge of the
+seat. The chief characteristic of the chairs of this time was solidity,
+with the ornament chiefly on the upper parts, which were molded oftener
+than carved, with the backs usually high. A plain leather chair called
+the "Cromwell chair," was imported from Holland. The solid oak back gave
+way at last to the half solid back, then came the open back with rails,
+and then the Charles II chair, with its carved or turned uprights, its
+high back of cane, and an ornamental stretcher like the top of the chair
+back, between the front legs. This is a very attractive feature, as it
+serves to give balance of decoration and also partly hides the plain
+stretcher from sight. A typical detail of Charles II furniture is the
+crown supported by cherubs or opposed S-curves. James II used a crown
+and palm leaves.
+
+Grinling Gibbons did his wonderful work in carving at this time, using
+chiefly pear and lime wood. The greater part of his work was wall
+decoration, but he made tables, mirrors and other furniture as well. The
+carving was often in lighter wood than the background, and was in such
+high relief that portions of it had often to be "pinned" together, for
+it seemed almost in the round. Evelyn discovered Gibbons in a little
+shop working away at such a wonderful piece of carving that he could
+not rest until he had taken him to Sir Christopher Wrenn. From this
+introduction came the great amount of work they did together. The
+influence of his work was still seen in the early eighteenth century.
+
+The room at Knole House that was furnished for James I is of great
+interest, as it is the same to-day as when first furnished. The bed is
+said to have cost L8,000. As it is one of the show places of England one
+should not miss a chance of seeing it.
+
+Until the time of the Restoration the furniture of England could not
+compare in sumptuousness with that of the Continental countries.
+England, besides having a simpler point of view, was in a perpetual
+state of unrest. The honest and hard-working English joiners and
+carpenters adapted in a plain and often clumsy way the styles of the
+different foreigners who came to the country. Through it all, however,
+they kept the touch of national character that makes the furniture so
+interesting, and they often did work of great beauty and worth. When
+Charles II came to the throne he brought with him the ideas of France,
+where he had spent so many years, and the change became very marked. The
+natural Stuart extravagance also helped to form his taste, and soon we
+hear of much more elaborate decoration throughout the land.
+
+Many of the country towns were far behind London in the style of
+furniture, and this explains why some furniture that is dated 1670, for
+instance, seems to belong to an earlier time. The famous silver
+furniture of Knole House, Seven-oaks, belongs to this time. Evelyn
+mentions in his diary that the rooms of the Duchess of Portsmouth were
+full of "Japan cabinets and screens, pendule clocks, greate vases of
+wrought plate, tables, stands, chimney furniture, sconces, branches,
+baseras, etc., all of massive silver," and later he mentions again her
+"massy pieces of plate, whole tables and stands of incredible value."
+
+In the reign of William and Mary, Dutch influence was naturally very
+pronounced, as William disliked everything English. The English, being
+now well grounded in the knowledge of construction, took the Dutch ideas
+as a foundation and developed them along their own lines, until we have
+the late Queen Anne type made by Chippendale.
+
+The change in the style of chairs was most marked and noticeable. They
+were more open backed than in Charles's time and had two uprights and a
+spoon-or fiddle-shaped splat to support the sitter's back. The chair
+backs took more the curve of the human figure, and the seats were
+broader in front than in the back; the cabriole legs were broad at the
+top and ended in claw or pad feet, and there were no straining-rails.
+The shell was a common form of ornament, and all crowns and cherubs had
+disappeared. Inlay and marquetry came to be generously used, but there
+had been many cabinets of Dutch marquetry brought to England even
+before the time of William and Mary. Flower designs in dyed woods,
+shell, mother-of-pearl, and ivory were used.
+
+The marquetry clocks made at this time are wonderful and characteristic
+examples of the work, and are among the finest clocks ever made for
+beauty of line and finish, and proportion.
+
+Although marquetry and inlay have much in common there is one great
+difference between them, and they should not be used as synonymous
+terms. In marquetry the entire surface of the article is covered with
+pieces of different colored woods cut very thin and glued on. It is like
+a modern picture puzzle done with regard to the design. In inlay, the
+design only is inlaid in the wood, leaving a much larger plain
+background. Veneering is a thin layer of beautiful and often rare wood
+glued to a foundation of some cheaper kind. The tall clocks and cabinets
+of William and Mary's time and the wonderful work of Boulle in France
+are examples of marquetry, the fine furniture of Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton are masterly examples of inlay.
+
+[Illustration: Examples of line reproductions. The lacquer chairs carry
+out the true feeling of the old with great skill.]
+
+[Illustration: A reproduction of a walnut chair with cane seat and
+back, of the William and Mary period.]
+
+[Illustration: Reproduction of chair showing the transition between the
+time of Charles II and William and Mary. The carved strut remains but
+the back is lower and simpler.]
+
+
+
+
+_Queen Anne_
+
+
+"Queen Anne" furniture is a very elastic term, for it is often used to
+cover the reigns of William and Mary, Queen Anne, George I, and a part
+of the reign of George II, or, in other words, all the time of Dutch
+influence. The more usual method is to leave out William and Mary, but
+at best the classification of furniture is more or less arbitrary, for
+in England, as well as other countries, the different styles overlap
+each other. Chippendale's early work was distinctly influenced by the
+Dutch.
+
+Walnut superseded oak in popularity, and after 1720 mahogany gradually
+became the favorite. There was a good deal of walnut veneering done, and
+the best logs were saved for the purpose. Marquetry died out and gave
+place to carving, and the cabriole leg, one of the chief marks of Dutch
+influence, became a firmly fixed style. The carving was put on the knees
+and the legs ended in claw and ball and pad feet. Some chairs were
+simply carved with a shell or leaf or scroll on top rail and knees of
+the legs. In the more elaborately carved chairs the arms, legs, splat,
+and top rail were all carved with acanthus leaves, or designs from
+Gibbons's decoration. Chairs were broad in the seat and high of back
+with wide splats, often decorated with inlay, in the early part of the
+period. The top rail curved into the side uprights, and the seat was set
+into a rebate or box-seat. The chair backs slowly changed in shape,
+becoming broader and lower, the splat ceased to be inlaid and was
+pierced and carved, and the whole chair assumed the shape made so
+familiar to us by Chippendale.
+
+Tables usually had cabriole legs, although there were some gate-or
+thousand-legged, tables, and card tables, writing-tables, and
+flap-tables, were all used. It was in the Queen Anne period that
+highboys and lowboys made their first appearance.
+
+In the short reign of Anne it also became the fashion to have great
+displays of Chinese porcelain, and over-mantels, cupboards, shelves and
+tables were covered with wonderful pieces of it. Addison, in Sir Roger
+de Coverley, humorously describes a lady's library of the time.
+
+"... And as it was some time before the lady came to me I had an
+opportunity of turning over a great many of her books, which were ranged
+in a very beautiful order. At the end of the folios (which were finely
+bound and gilt) were great jars of china placed one above another in a
+very noble piece of architecture. The quartos were separated from the
+octavos by a pile of smaller vessels, which rose in a delightful
+pyramid. The octavos were bounded by tea-dishes of all shapes, colors,
+and sizes, which were so disposed on a wooden frame that they looked
+like one continued pillar indented with the finest strokes of sculpture
+and stained with the greatest variety of dyes. Part of the library was
+enclosed in a kind of square, consisting of one of the prettiest
+grotesque works that ever I saw, and made up of scaramouches, lions,
+monkeys, mandarins, trees, shells, and a thousand other odd figures in
+china ware. In the midst of the room was a little Japan table."
+
+Between 1710 and 1730 lacquer ware became very fashionable, and many
+experiments were made to imitate the beautiful Oriental articles brought
+home by Dutch traders. In Holland a fair amount of success was attained
+and a good deal of lacquered furniture was sent from there to England
+where the brass and silver mounts were added. English and French were
+experimenting, the French with the greatest success in their Vernis
+Martin, mentioned elsewhere, which really stood quite in a class by
+itself, but the imitations of Chinese and Japanese lacquer were inferior
+to the originals. Pine, oak, lime, and many other woods, were used as a
+base, and the fashion was so decided that nearly all kinds of furniture
+were covered with it. This lacquer ware of William and Mary's and Queen
+Anne's time must not be confounded with the Japanned furniture of
+Hepplewhite's and Sheraton's time, which was quite different and of much
+lower grade.
+
+It was in the reign of Queen Anne that the sun began to rise on English
+cabinet work; it shone gloriously through the eighteenth century, and
+sank in early Victorian clouds.
+
+[Illustration: Two important phases of Chippendale's work--an elaborate
+ribbon-back chair, and one of the more staid Gothic type.]
+
+[Illustration: An elaborately carved and gilded Chippendale mantel
+mirror, showing French influence.]
+
+[Illustration: One of the most beautiful examples of Chippendale's
+fretwork tea-tables in existence.]
+
+
+
+
+_Chippendale and the Eighteenth Century in England._
+
+
+The classification of furniture in England is on a different basis from
+that of France, as the rulers of England were not such patrons of art as
+were the French kings. Flemish, Dutch and French influences all helped
+to form the taste of the people. The Jacobean period lasted from the
+time of James I to the time of William and Mary. William brought with
+him from Holland the strong Dutch feeling that had a tremendous
+influence on the history of English furniture, and during Anne's short
+reign the Dutch feeling still lasted.
+
+It was not until the early years of the reign of George II that the
+Georgian period came into its own with Chippendale at its head. Some
+authorities include William and Mary and Queen Anne in the Georgian
+period, but the more usual idea is to divide it into several parts,
+better known as the times of Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton. French influence is marked throughout and is divided into
+parts. The period of Chippendale was contemporaneous with that of Louis
+XV, and the second part included the other three men and corresponded
+with the last years of Louis XV, when the transition to Louis XVI was
+beginning, and the time of Louis XVI.
+
+It was not until the latter part of Chippendale's life that he gave up
+his love of rococo curves and scrolls, dripping water effects, and his
+Chinese and Gothic styles. His early chairs had a Dutch feeling, and it
+is often only by ornamentation that one can date them.
+
+The top of the Dutch chair had a flowing curve, the splat was first
+solid and plain, then carved, and later pierced in geometrical designs;
+then came the curves that were used so much by Chippendale. The carving
+consisted of swags and pendants of fruit and flowers, shells, acanthus
+leaves, scrolls, eagle's heads, carved in relief on the surface.
+
+Dutch chairs were usually of walnut and some of the late ones were of
+mahogany. Mahogany was not used to any extent before 1720, but at that
+time it began to be imported in large quantities, and its lightness and
+the ease with which it could be worked made it appropriate for the
+lighter style of furniture then coming into vogue.
+
+Chippendale began to make chairs with the curved top that is so
+characteristic of his work. The splat back was always used, in spite of
+the French, and its treatment is one of the most interesting things in
+the history of English furniture. It gave scope for great originality.
+Although, as I have said before, foreign influence was strong, the ideas
+were adapted and worked out by the great cabinet-makers of the Georgian
+period with a vigor and beauty that made a distinct English style, and
+often went far, far ahead of the originals.
+
+There were, so far as we know, three Thomas Chippendales: the second was
+the great one. He was born in Worcester, England, about 1710, and died
+in 1779. He and his father, who was also a carver, came to London before
+1727. Very little is known about his life, but we may feel sure he was
+that rare combination: a man of genius with decided business ability. He
+not only designed the furniture which was made in his shop, but executed
+a large part of it also, and superintended all the work done there by
+others. That he was a man of originality shows distinctly through his
+work, for although he adapted and copied freely and was strongly
+influenced by the Dutch, French, and "Chinese taste," there is always
+his own distinctive touch. The furniture of his best period, and those
+belonging to his school, has great beauty of line and proportion, and
+the exquisite carving shows a true feeling for ornament in relation to
+plain surfaces. There are a few examples in existence of carving in
+almost as high relief as that of Grinling Gibbons, swags, etc., and in
+his most rococo period his carving was very elaborate. It always had
+great clearness of edge and cut, and a wonderful feeling for light and
+shade. In what is called "Irish Chippendale," which was furniture made
+in Ireland after the style of Chippendale, the carving was in low relief
+and the edges fairly smoothed off, which made it much less interesting.
+
+Chippendale looked upon his work as one of the arts and placed his ideal
+of achievement very high, and that he received the recognition of the
+best people of the time as an artist of merit is proved by his election
+to the Society of Arts with such men as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Horace
+Walpole, Samuel Johnson, David Garrick, and others.
+
+The genius of Chippendale justly puts him in the front rank of
+cabinet-makers and his influence was the foundation of much of the fine
+work done by many others during the eighteenth century. He is often
+criticized for his excessive rococo taste as displayed in the plates of
+the "Gentleman's and Cabinet-maker's Director," and in some of his
+finished work. Many of the designs in the "Director" were probably never
+carried out, and some of them were probably added to by the soaring
+imaginations of the engraver. This is true of all the books published by
+the great cabinet-makers, and it always seems more fair to have their
+reputations rest on their finished work which has come down to us.
+
+[Illustration: The dripping-water effect, of which Chippendale was so
+fond at one time, is plainly shown on the doors of this particularly
+fine example of his work.]
+
+Chippendale, of course, must bear the chief part of the charge of
+over-elaboration, and he frankly says that he thinks "much enrichment is
+necessary." He copied Meissonier's designs and had a great love for
+gilding, but the display of rococo taste is not in all his work by any
+means, nor was it so excessive as that of the French. The more
+self-restrained temperament of the Anglo-Saxon race makes a deal of
+difference. He early used the ogee curve and cabriole leg, the knees of
+which he carved with cartouches and leaves or other designs. The front
+rail of the chair also was often carved. There were several styles of
+curved leg, the cabriole leg of Dutch influence, and the curved style of
+Louis XV. There were also several variations on the claw and ball foot.
+Many Chippendale chairs were without stretchers, but the straight legged
+style usually had four. The seats were sometimes in a box frame or
+rebate, and sometimes the covering was drawn over the frame and fastened
+with brass headed nails. Chippendale in the "Director" speaks of red
+morocco, Spanish leather, damask, tapestry and other needlework as being
+appropriate for the covering of his chairs.
+
+[Illustration: A chair from early in the 18th century of the Dutch type.]
+
+[Illustration: One of the Chippendale patterns, dating from about 1750.]
+
+[Illustration: Hepplewhite's characteristic shield-shaped back.]
+
+[Illustration: Thomas Sheraton's rectangular type of chair-back.]
+
+In about 1760 or 1765 he began to use the straight leg for his chairs.
+The different shapes of splats will often help in deciding the dates of
+their making, and its development is of great interest. The curves shown
+in the diagram on page 84 are the merest suggestions of the outline of
+the splat, and they were carved most beautifully in many different
+designs. Ribbon-back chairs are dated about 1755 and show the adapted
+French influence. His Gothic and Chinese designs were made about
+1760-1770. Ladder-back chairs nearly always had straight legs, either
+plain or with double ogee curve and bead moldings, but there are a few
+examples of ladder-back and cabriole legs combined, although these are
+very rare. The chair settees of the Dutch time, with backs having the
+appearance of chairs side by side, were also made by Chippendale. "Love
+seats" were small settees. It was naively said that "they were too large
+for one and too small for two." A large armchair that shows a decided
+difference in the manners of the early eighteenth century and the
+present day was called the "drunkard's chair."
+
+[Illustration: DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHAIR SPLATS USED BY CHIPPENDALE.]
+
+When the craze for "Indian work" was at its height, there were many
+pieces of old oak and walnut furniture covered with lacquer to bring it
+up to the fashionable standard, but their forms were not suitable, and
+oak especially, with its coarse grain did not lend itself to the
+process. The stands for lacquer cabinets vary in style, but were often
+gilded in late Louis XIV and Louis XV style. The difference between true
+lacquer and its imitations is hard to explain. The true was made by
+repeated coats of a special varnish, each rubbed down and allowed to
+become hard before the next was put on. This gave a hard, cool, smooth
+surface with no stickiness. Modern work, done with paint and French
+varnish, has not this delightful feeling, but is nearly always clammy to
+the touch, and the colors are hurt by the process of polishing.
+Chippendale did not use much lacquer, but in the "Director" he often
+says such and such designs would be suitable for it.
+
+Much of the furniture that Chippendale made was heavy, but the best of
+it had much beauty. His delicate fretwork tea-tables are a delight, with
+their fretwork cupboards and carving. He seemed to combine many sides in
+his artistic temperament, a fact that many people lay to his power of
+assimilating the work of others. He did not make sideboards in our sense
+of the word. His were large side-tables, sometimes with a drawer for
+silver and sometimes not. Pier-tables were very much like them in shape,
+but smaller, and were often gilded to match the mirrors which were
+placed above them.
+
+The larger pieces of Chippendale furniture have the same characteristic
+of perfect workmanship and detail which the chairs possess.
+Dining-tables were made in sections consisting of two semi-circular ends
+and two center pieces with flaps which could all be joined together and
+make a very large table. The beds he made had four posts and cornice
+tops elaborately carved and often gilded, with a strong Louis XV
+feeling. The curtains hung from the inside of the cornice. He also made
+many other styles of beds, such as canopy beds, tent beds, flat tester
+beds, Chinese beds, Gothic beds: there was almost nothing he did not
+make for the house from wall brackets to the largest wardrobes.
+
+To many people used to the simple Chippendale furniture which is
+commonly seen, the idea of rich and beautiful carving and gilding comes
+as a surprise, and even in the "Director" there are no plates which show
+his most beautiful work. His elaborate furniture was naturally chiefly
+order work, and so was not pictured, and much of it that is left is
+still in the possession of the descendants of the original owners. The
+small number of authentic pieces which have reached public sales have
+been eagerly snapped up by private collectors and museums at large
+prices.
+
+[Illustration: It is interesting to compare the generous curves of the
+Chippendale sofa with the greater severity of Hepplewhite's taste..]
+
+In America much of the furniture called Chippendale was not made by
+Chippendale himself, but was made after his designs and copied from
+imported pieces by clever cabinet-makers here in the, then, colonies.
+The average American of the eighteenth century was a simple and not over
+rich person of good breeding and refined taste who appreciated the
+fact that the elaborate furniture of England and France would not be
+in keeping with life in America, and so either imported the simpler
+kinds, or demanded that the home cabinet-maker choose good models for
+his work. This partly explains why we have so much really good Colonial
+furniture, and not so much of the elaborately carved and gilded variety.
+
+[Illustration: A valuable collection of an Adam mirror, a block-front,
+knee-hole chest of drawers, and a Hepplewhite chair.]
+
+
+
+
+_Robert Adam_
+
+
+Robert Adam was the second of the four sons of William Adam, and was
+born in 1728. The Adam family was Scotch of good social position. Robert
+early showed a talent for drawing. He was ambitious, and, as old Roman
+architecture interested him above all other subjects, he decided that he
+could attain his ideals only by study and travel in Italy. He returned
+to England in 1758 after four years of hard work with the results of his
+labors, the chief treasure being his careful drawings of Diocletian's
+villa. His classical taste was firmly established, and was to be one of
+the important influences of the eighteenth century.
+
+Robert and James Adam went into partnership and became the most noted
+architects of their day in England. The list of their buildings is long
+and interesting, and much of their architectural and decorative work is
+still in existence.
+
+To many people it will seem like putting the cart before the horse to
+say that Robert Adam had in any way influenced the style we call Louis
+XVI, but it is a plausible theory and certainly an interesting one. Mr.
+G. Owen Wheeler in his interesting book on "Old English Furniture" makes
+a strong case in favor of the Adam Brothers. Classical taste was well
+established in England by 1765, before the transition from Louis XV to
+Louis XVI began, and Robert Adam published his book in parallel columns
+of French and English, which shows it must have been in some demand in
+France. The great influence of the excavations at Pompeii must naturally
+not be underestimated, as it was far reaching, but with the beautiful
+Adam style well developed, just across the Channel, it seems probable
+that it may have had its share in forming French taste. The foundation
+being there, the French put their characteristic touch to it and
+developed a much richer style than that of the Adam Brothers, but the
+two have so much in common that Louis XVI furniture may be put into an
+Adam room with perfect fitness, and vice versa. As the Adams cared only
+to design furniture some one else had to carry out the designs, and
+Chippendale was master carver and cabinet-maker under them at Harewood
+House, Yorkshire, and probably was also in many other instances.
+
+[Illustration: A mantel of marble and steel in the drawing-room, Rushton
+Hall, Northamptonshire--the work of the brothers Adam.]
+
+[Illustration: Another Adam mantel. It is interesting to note how
+clearly these mantels are the inspiration of our own Colonial work.]
+
+The early furniture of Adam was plain, and the walls were treated with
+much decoration that was classic in feeling. He possessed the secret of
+a composition of which his exquisite decorations on walls and ceilings
+were made. After 1770 he simplified his walls and elaborated his
+furniture designs until they met in a beautiful and graceful harmony. He
+designed furniture to suit the room it was in, and with the dainty and
+charming coloring, the beauty of proportion and the charm of the wall
+decoration, the scheme had great beauty.
+
+[Illustration: This group of old mirrors indicates the extent to which
+refinement of design was carried during the Georgian period in
+England--the time of the great cabinet-makers.]
+
+He used the ram's head, wreaths, honeysuckle, mythological subjects,
+lozenge-shaped, oval and octagonal panels, and many other designs. He
+was one of the first to use the French idea of decorating furniture with
+painting and porcelain plaques, and the furniture itself was simple and
+beautiful in line. The stucco ceilings designed by the brothers were
+picked out with delicate colors and have much beauty of line.
+
+A great deal of the most beautiful Adam decoration was the painting on
+walls and ceilings and furniture by Angelica Kaufmann, Zucchi,
+Pergolesi, Cipriani, and Columbani. The standard of work was so high
+that only the best was satisfactory.
+
+Adam usually designed his furniture for the room in which it was to
+stand, and he often planned the house and all its contents, even to the
+table silver, to say nothing of the door-locks. The chairs were of
+mahogany, or painted, or gilded, wood. Some had oval upholstered backs,
+with the covering specially designed for the room, and some had lyre
+backs, later used so much by Sheraton, and others had small painted
+panels placed in the top rail, with beautiful carving. Mirrors were
+among the most charming articles designed by Adam, and had composition
+wreaths and cupids and medallions for ornament. They were usually made
+in pairs in both large and small sizes. A pair of antique mirrors
+should be kept together, as they are very much more valuable than when
+separated.
+
+Adam was one of the first to assemble the pieces that later grew into
+the sideboard--a table, two pedestals, and a cellaret. There is a
+sideboard designed by him for Gillows, in which the parts are connected,
+and it is at least one of the ancestors of the beautiful Shearer and
+Hepplewhite ones and our modern useful, though not always beautiful,
+article. When, late in his career, Adam attempted to copy the French, he
+was not so successful, as he did not have their flexibility of
+temperament, and was unable to give the warmer touch to the classic,
+which they did so well. His paneled walls, however, have great dignity
+and purity of line and feeling, and the applied ornament was really an
+ornament, and not a disfigurement as too often happens in our day. With
+Adam one feels the surety of knowledge and the refinement of good taste
+led by a high ideal.
+
+[Illustration: There are many details worthy of notice in this room, the
+mahogany doors, the paneled walls with the old picture paper, the
+over-mantel, the knife boxes on the sideboard, the Hepplewhite
+furniture, and the side-lights. The chandelier is badly chosen.]
+
+[Illustration: A fine old Hepplewhite sideboard, with old glass and
+silver, but the modern wallpaper is not in harmony.]
+
+[Illustration: A modern Hepplewhite settee, showing the draped scarf
+carving he used so much.]
+
+
+
+
+_Hepplewhite_
+
+
+The work of Hepplewhite and his school lasted from about 1760 to 1795;
+the last nine years of the time the business was carried on by his
+widow, Alice, under the name of A. Hepplewhite & Co. For five years
+after that some work was done after his manner, but it was distinctly
+inferior. In the early seventies Hepplewhite's work was so well known
+and so much admired that its influence was shown in the work of his
+contemporaries. There was a great difference between his style and that
+of Chippendale, his being much lighter in construction and effect,
+besides the many differences of design. Hepplewhite was strongly
+influenced by the French style of Louis XVI, and also the pure taste of
+Robert Adam at its height. Hepplewhite, however, like all the great
+cabinet-makers, both French and English, was a great genius himself and
+stamped the impress of his own personality upon his work.
+
+Many people date Hepplewhite's fame from the time of the publication of
+his book, "The Cabinet Maker and Upholsterer's Guide," in 1788, not
+realizing that he had been dead for two years when it appeared. Its
+publication was justified by the well established popularity of his
+furniture and the success with which his designs were carried out by A.
+Hepplewhite & Co.
+
+It is interesting to notice the difference in the size of chairs which
+became apparent during Hepplewhite's time. Hoop-skirts and stiffened
+coats went out of fashion, and with them went the need of large chair
+seats. The transition chairs made by Hepplewhite were not very
+attractive in proportion, as the backs were too low for the width. The
+transition from Chippendale to Hepplewhite was not sudden, as the last
+style of Chippendale was simpler and had more of the classic feeling in
+it. Hepplewhite says, in the preface to his book: "To unite elegance and
+utility, and blend the useful with the agreeable, has ever been
+considered a difficult, but an honorable task." He sometimes failed and
+sometimes succeeded. His knowledge of construction enabled him to make
+his chairs with shield, oval, and heart-shaped backs. The tops were
+slightly curved, also the tops of the splats, and at the lower edge
+where the back and the splat join, a half rosette was carved. He often
+used the three feathers of the Prince of Wales, sheaves of wheat,
+anthemion, urns, and festoons of drapery, all beautifully carved, and
+forming the splat. The backs of his chairs were supported at the sides
+by uprights running into the shield-shaped back and did not touch the
+seat frame in any other way. With this apparent weakness of construction
+it is wonderful how many of his chairs have come down to us in perfect
+condition, but it was his knowledge of combining lightness with strength
+which made it possible.
+
+Hepplewhite used straight or tapering legs with spade feet for his
+furniture, often inlaid with bellflowers in satinwood. The legs were
+sometimes carved with a double ogee curve and bead molding. He did not
+use carving in the lavish manner of Chippendale, but it was always
+beautifully done, and he used a great deal of inlay of satinwood, etc.,
+oval panels, lines, urns, and many other motives common to the other
+cabinet-makers of the day, and also painted some of his furniture. His
+Japan work was inferior in every way to that of the early part of the
+eighteenth century. The upholstery was fastened to the chairs with
+brass-headed tacks, often in a festoon pattern. Oval-shaped brass
+handles were used on his bureaus, desks, and other furniture. He made
+many sideboards, some, in fact, going back to the side table and
+pedestal idea, and bottle-cases and knife-boxes were put on the ends of
+the sideboards. His regular sideboards were founded on Shearer's design.
+
+Shearer's furniture was simple and dainty in design, and he has the
+honor of making the first real serpentine sideboard, about 1780, which
+was not a more or less disconnected collection of tables and pedestals.
+It was the forerunner of the Hepplewhite and Sheraton sideboards that we
+know so well. Shearer is now hardly known even by name to the general
+world, but without doubt his ideal of lightness and strength in
+construction had a good deal of influence on his contemporaries and
+followers.
+
+Hepplewhite was very fond of oval and semi-circular shapes, and many of
+his tables are made in either one way or the other. His sideboards,
+founded on Shearer's designs, are very elegant, as he liked to say, in
+their simplicity of line, their inlay, and their general beauty of wood.
+He was most successful in his chairs, sideboards, tables, and small
+household articles, for his larger pieces of furniture were often too
+heavy. Some of the worst, however, were made by other cabinet-makers
+after his designs, and not by Hepplewhite himself.
+
+
+
+
+_Sheraton_
+
+
+Thomas Sheraton was born in 1750, and was a journeyman cabinet-maker
+when he went to London. His great genius for furniture design was
+combined with a love of writing tracts and sermons. Unfortunately for
+his success in life, he had a most disagreeable personality, being
+conceited, jealous, and perfectly willing to pour scorn on his brother
+cabinet-makers. This impression he quite frankly gives about himself in
+his books. The name of Robert Adam is not mentioned, and this seems
+particularly unpleasant when one thinks of the latter's undoubted
+influence on Sheraton's work. Sheraton's unfortunate disposition
+probably helped to make his life a failure.
+
+It is very sad to see such possibilities as his not reaping their true
+reward, for poverty dogged his steps all through life, and he was always
+struggling for a bare livelihood. His books were not financially
+successful, and at last he gave up his workshop and ceased to make the
+furniture he designed. He was an expert draughtsman and his designs were
+carried out by the skillful cabinet-makers of the day. Adam Black gives
+a very pitiful account of the poverty in which Sheraton lived, and says:
+"That by attempting to do everything he does nothing." His "nothing,"
+however, has proved a very big something in the years which have
+followed, for Sheraton is responsible for one of the most beautiful
+types of furniture the world has known, and although his life was hard
+and bitter, his fame is great.
+
+Sheraton took the style of Louis XVI as his standard, and some of his
+best work is quite equal to that of the French workmen. He felt the lack
+of the exquisite brass and ormolu work done in France, and said if it
+were only possible to get as fine in England, the superior
+cabinet-making of the English would put them far ahead in the ranks. To
+many of us this loss is not so great, for the beauty of the wood counts
+for more, and is not detracted from by an oversupply of metal ornament,
+as sometimes happened in France. "Enough is as good as a feast."
+Sheraton, at his best, had beauty, grace, and refinement of line without
+weakness, lightness and yet perfect construction, combined with balance,
+and the ornament just sufficient to enhance the beauty of the article
+without overpowering it. It is this fine work which the world remembers
+and which gave him his fame, and so it is far better to forget his later
+period when nearly all trace of his former greatness was lost.
+
+[Illustration: A Sheraton bureau with a delightful little
+dressing-glass.]
+
+Sheraton profited by the work of Chippendale, Adam, and Hepplewhite, for
+these great men blazed the trail for him, so to speak, in raising the
+art of cabinet-making to so high a plane that England was full of
+skilled workmen. The influence of Adam, Shearer, and Hepplewhite, was
+very great on his work, and it is often difficult to tell whether he
+or Hepplewhite or Shearer made some pieces. He evidently did not have
+business ability and his bitter nature hampered him at every turn. The
+Sheraton school lasted from about 1790 to 1806. He died in 1806, fairly
+worn out with his struggle for existence. Poor Sheraton, it certainly is
+a pitiful story.
+
+[Illustration: One of Sheraton's charming desks, with sliding doors made
+of thin strips of wood glued on cloth.]
+
+[Illustration: A sewing-table having the spirit of both Hepplewhite and
+Sheraton.]
+
+Sheraton's chair backs are rectangular in type, with urn splats, and
+splats divided into seven radiates, and also many other designs. The
+chairs were made of mahogany and satinwood, some carved, some inlaid,
+and some painted. The splat never ran into the seat, but was supported
+on a cross rail running from side to side a few inches above the seat.
+The material used for upholstery was nailed over the frame with
+brass-headed tacks.
+
+Bookcases were of mahogany and satinwood veneer, and the large ones were
+often in three sections, the center section standing farther out than
+the two sides. The glass was covered with a graceful design in moldings,
+and the pediments were of various shapes, the swan-neck being a
+favorite.
+
+Sideboards were built on very much the lines of those made by Shearer
+and Hepplewhite. There were drawers and cupboards for various uses. The
+knife-boxes to put on the top came in sets of two, and sometimes there
+was a third box. The legs were light and tapering with inlay of
+satinwood, and sometimes they were reeded. There was inlay also on the
+doors and drawers. There were also sideboards without inlay. The legs
+for his furniture were at first plain, and then tapering and reeded. He
+used some carving, and a great deal of satinwood and tulip-wood were
+inlaid in the mahogany; he also used rosewood. The bellflower, urn,
+festoons, and acanthus were all favorites of his for decoration.
+
+He made some elaborate and startling designs for beds, but the best
+known ones are charming with slender turned posts or reeded posts, and
+often the plain ones were made of painted satinwood.
+
+The satinwood from the East Indies was fine and of a beautiful yellow
+color, while that from the West Indies was coarser in grain and darker
+in color. It is a slow growing tree, and that used nowadays cannot
+compare with the old, in spite of the gallant efforts of the hard
+working fakirs to copy its beautiful golden tone.
+
+All the cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century made ingenious
+contrivances in the way of furniture, washstands concealed in what
+appear to be corner cupboards, a table that looks as simple as a table
+possibly can, but has a small step-ladder and book rest hidden away in
+its useful inside, and many others. Sheraton was especially clever in
+making these conveniences, as these two examples show, and his books
+have many others pictured in them. Sheraton's list of articles of
+furniture is long, for he made almost everything from knife-boxes to
+"chamber-horses," which were contrivances of a saddle and springs for
+people to take exercise upon at home.
+
+Sheraton's "Drawing Book" was the best of those he published. It was
+sold chiefly to other cabinet-makers and did not bring in many orders,
+as Chippendale's and Hepplewhite's did. His other books showed his
+decline, and his "Encyclopedia," on which he was working at the time of
+his death, had many subjects in it beside furniture and cabinet-making.
+His sideboards, card-tables, sewing-tables, tables of every kind,
+chairs--in fact, everything he made during his best period--have a
+sureness and beauty of line that makes it doubly sad that through the
+stress of circumstances he should have deserted it for the style of the
+Empire that was then the fashion in France. One or two of his Empire
+designs have beauty, but most of them are too dreadful, but it was the
+beginning of the end, and the eighteenth century saw the beautiful
+principles of the eighteenth century lost in a bog of ugliness.
+
+There were many other cabinet-makers of merit that space does not allow
+me to mention, but the great four who stood head and shoulders above
+them all were Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton. They, being
+human, did much work that is best forgotten, but the heights to which
+they all rose have set a standard for English furniture in beauty and
+construction that it would be well to keep in mind.
+
+The nineteenth century passed away without any especial genius, and in
+fact, with a very black mark against its name in the hideous early
+Victorian era. The twentieth century is moving along without anything we
+can really call a beautiful and worthy style being born. There are many
+working their way towards it, but there is apt to be too much of the
+bizarre in the attempts to make them satisfactory, and so we turn to the
+past for our models and are thankful for the legacy of beauty it has
+left to the world.
+
+
+
+
+_A General Talk_
+
+
+When one faces the momentous question of furnishing a house, there are
+numerous things which must be looked into and thoroughly understood if
+success is to be assured. If one is building in the country the first
+question is the placing of the house in regard to the view, but in town
+there is not much choice. The architect being chosen with due regard to
+the style of house one wishes, the planning can go merrily on. The
+architect should be told if there are any especially large and beautiful
+pieces of furniture or tapestry to be planned for, so they shall receive
+their rightful setting. After all, architects are but human, and cannot
+tell by intuition what furniture is in storage.
+
+It is sad to see how often architecture and decoration are looked upon
+as two entirely disconnected subjects, instead of being closely allied,
+playing into each other's hands, as it were, to make a perfect whole. To
+many people, a room is simply a room to be treated as they wish; whereas
+many rooms are absolute laws unto themselves, and demand a certain kind
+of treatment, or disaster follows. In America this kind of house is not
+found so often as in Europe, but the number is growing rapidly as
+architects and their clients realize more and more the beauties and
+possibilities of the great periods as applied to the modern house. It is
+only to the well-trained architect and decorator with correct taste that
+one may safely turn, for the ill-trained and commonplace still continue
+to make their astounding errors, and so to have the decoration of a room
+truly successful one must begin with the architect, for he knows the
+correct proportions of the different styles and appreciates their
+importance. He will plan the rooms so that they, when decorated, may
+complete his work and form a beautiful and convincing whole. This will
+give the restfulness and beauty that absolute appropriateness always
+lends.
+
+[Illustration: This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and
+simplicity can be.]
+
+This matter of appropriateness must not be overlooked, and the whole
+house should express the spirit of the owner; it should be in absolute
+keeping with his circumstances. There are few houses which naturally
+demand the treatment of palaces, but there are many which correspond
+with the smaller chateaux of France and the manor-houses of England. It
+is to these we must turn for our inspiration, for they have the beauty
+of good taste and high standards without the lavishness of royalty; but
+even royalty did not always live in rooms of state, for at Versailles,
+and Petit Trianon, there is much simple exquisite furniture. The
+wonderful and elaborate furniture of the past must be studied of course,
+but to the majority of people, then as now, the simpler expression of
+its fundamental lines of beauty are more satisfactory. The trouble
+with many houses is that their furnishings are copied from too grand
+models, and the effect in an average modern house is unsuitable in every
+way. They cannot give the large vistas and appropriate background in
+color and proportion which are necessary. Beauty does not depend upon
+magnificence.
+
+[Illustration: The warm tones of a brown Chinese wallpaper are
+attractive with the mahogany furniture, and the pattern is prevented
+from becoming monotonous by the strong rectangular lines of the ivory
+woodwork which frames it. The corner cupboard and the exceptionally fine
+dining-table and the variety of chairs are interesting.]
+
+If one has to live in a house planned and built by others one often has
+to give up some long cherished scheme and adopt something else more
+suited to the surroundings. For instance, the rooms of the great French
+periods were high, and often the modern house has very low ceilings,
+that would not allow space for the cornice, over-doors and correctly
+proportioned paneling, that are marked features of those times. Mrs.
+Wharton has aptly said: "Proportion is the good breeding of
+architecture," and one might add that proportion is good breeding
+itself. One little slip from the narrow path into false proportion in
+line or color or mass and the perfection of effect is gone.
+
+Proportion is another word for the fitness of things, and that little
+phrase, "the fitness of things," is what Alice in Wonderland calls a
+"portmanteau" phrase, for it holds so much, and one must feel it
+strongly to escape the pitfalls of period furnishing. Most amazing
+things are done with perfect complacency, but although the French and
+English kings who gave their names to the various periods were far from
+models of virtue, they certainly deserved no such cruel punishment as
+to have some of the modern rooms, such as we have all seen, called after
+them.
+
+The best decorators refuse to mix styles in one room and they thus save
+people from many mistakes, but a decorator without a thorough
+understanding of the subject, often leads one to disaster. A case in
+point is an apartment where a small Louis XV room opens on a narrow hall
+of nondescript modern style, with a wide archway opening into a Mission
+dining-room. As one sits in the midst of pink brocade and gilding and
+looks across to the dining-room, fitted out in all the heavy
+paraphernalia of Mission furniture, one's head fairly reels. No contrast
+could be more marked or more unsuitable, and yet this is by no means an
+uncommon case.
+
+If one intends to adopt a style in decorating one's house, there should
+be a uniformity of treatment in all connecting rooms, and there must be
+harmony in the furniture and architecture and ornament, as well as
+harmony in the color scheme. The foundation must be right before the
+decoration is added. The proportion of doors and windows, for instance,
+is very important, with the decorated over-door reaching to the ceiling.
+The over-doors and mantels were architectural features of the rooms, and
+it was not until wallpapers came into common use, in the early part of
+the nineteenth century, that these decorative features slowly died out.
+
+The mantel and fireplace should be a center of interest and should be
+balanced with something of importance on the other side of the room,
+either architectural or decorative. It was this regard for symmetry,
+balance, proportion, and harmony, which made the old rooms so
+satisfying; there was no magic about it, it was artistic common sense.
+
+The use for which a room is intended must be kept in view and carried
+out with real understanding of its needs. The individuality of the owner
+is of course a factor. Unfortunately the word individuality is often
+confounded with eccentricity and to many people it means putting
+perfectly worthy and unassuming articles to startling uses. By
+individuality one should really mean the best expression of one's sense
+of beauty and the fitness of things, and when it is guided by the laws
+of harmony and proportion the result is usually one of great charm,
+convenience, and comfort. These qualities must be in every successful
+house.
+
+In furnishing any house, whether in some special period or not, there
+are certain things which must be taken into account. One of these is the
+general color scheme. Arranging a color scheme for a house is not such a
+difficult matter as many people suppose, nor is it the simple thing that
+many others seem to think. There is a happy land between the two
+extremes, and the guide posts pointing to it are a good color sense, a
+true feeling for the proportion and harmony of color, and an
+understanding of the laws of light. The trouble is that people often do
+not use their eyes; red is red to them, blue is blue, and green is
+green. They have never appeared to notice that there are dozens of
+tones in these colors. Nature is one of the greatest teachers of color
+harmony if we would but learn from her. Look at a salt marsh on an
+autumn day and notice the wonderful browns and yellows and golds in it,
+the reds and russets and touches of green in the woods on its edge, and
+the clear blue sky over all with the reflections in the little pools. It
+is a picture of such splendor of color that one fairly gasps. Then look
+at the same marsh under gray skies and see the change; there is just as
+much beauty as before, the same russets and golds and reds, but
+exquisitely softened. One is sparkling, gay, a harmony of brilliancy;
+the other is more gentle, sweet and appealing, a harmony of softened
+glory.
+
+Again, Nature makes a thousand and one shades of green leaves to
+harmonize with her flowers; the yellow green of the golden rod, the
+silver green of the milkweed, the bright green of the nasturtium. Notice
+the woods in wintertime with the wonderful purple browns and grays of
+the tree trunks and branches, the bronze and russet of the dead leaves,
+and the deep shadows in the snow. Everywhere one turns there are lessons
+to learn if one will only use seeing eyes and a thinking mind.
+
+A house should be looked at as a whole, not as so many units to be
+treated in a care-free manner. A room is affected by all the rooms
+opening from it, as they, in turn, are affected by it. There can be
+variety of color with harmony of contrast, or there can be the same
+color used throughout, with the variety gained by the use of its
+different tones. The plan of each floor should be carefully studied to
+get the vistas in all directions so that harmony may reign and there
+will be no danger of a clashing color discord when a door is opened. The
+connecting rooms need not be all in one color, of course, but they
+should form a perfect color harmony one with another, with deft touches
+of contrast to accent and bring out the beauty of the whole scheme: This
+matter of harmony in contrast is an important one. The idea of using a
+predominant color is a restful one, and adds dignity and apparent size
+to a house. The walls, for instance, could be paneled in white enameled
+wood, or plaster, and the necessary color and variety could be supplied
+by the rugs, hangings, furniture, and pictures.
+
+Another charming plan is to have different tones of one color used--a
+scheme running from cream or old ivory through soft yellow and tan to a
+russet brown would be lovely, especially if the house did not have an
+over supply of light. Greens may be used with discretion, and a cool and
+attractive scheme is from white to soft blue through gray. If different
+colors are to be used in the different rooms the number of combinations
+is almost unlimited, but there must always be the restraining influence
+of a good color sense in forming the scheme or the result will be
+disappointing, to say the least.
+
+A very important matter in the use of color is in its relation to the
+amount and quality of the light. Dreary rooms can be made cheerful, and
+too bright and dazzling rooms can be softened in effect, by the skillful
+use of color. The warm colors,--cream white, yellows--but not lemon
+yellow--orange, warm tans, russet, pinks, yellow greens, yellowish reds
+are to be used on the north or shady side of the house. The cool
+colors,--white, cream white, blues, grays, greens, and violet, are for
+the sunny side. Endless combinations may be made of these colors, and if
+a gray room, for example, is wished on the north side of the house, it
+can be used by first choosing a warm tone of gray and combining with it
+one of the warm colors, such as certain shades of soft pink or yellow.
+We can stand more brilliancy of color out-of-doors than we can in the
+house, where it is shut in with us. It is too exciting and we become
+restless and nervous. No matter on what scale a house is furnished one
+of its aims should be to be restful.
+
+There is one great mistake which many people make of thinking of red as
+a cheerful color, and one which is good to use in a dark room. The
+average red used in large quantities absorbs the light in a most
+disheartening manner, making a room seem smaller than it really is; it
+makes ugly gloomy shadows in the corners, for at night it seems to turn
+to a dingy black, and increases the electric light bill. Red is also a
+severe strain on the eyes, and many a red living-room is the cause of
+seemingly unaccountable headaches. I do not mean to say that red should
+never be used, for it is often a very necessary color, but it must be
+used with the greatest discretion, and one must remember that a little
+of it goes a long way. A room, for instance, paneled with oak, with an
+oriental rug with soft red in it, red hangings, and a touch of red in an
+old stained glass panel in the window, and red velvet cushions on the
+window seat, would have much more warmth and charm than if the walls
+were covered entirely with red. One red cushion is often enough to give
+the required note. The effect of color is very strong upon people,
+although a great many do not realize it, but nearly everyone will
+remember a sudden and apparently unexplained change of mood in going
+into some room. One can learn a deal by analyzing one's own sensations.
+Figured wall-papers should also be chosen with the greatest care for
+this same reason. Papers which have perpetual motion in their design, or
+eyes which seem to peer, or an unstable pattern of gold running over it,
+must all be ignored. People who choose this kind of paper are blest, or
+cursed, whichever way one looks at it, by an utter lack of imagination.
+
+A room is divided into three parts, the floor, the walls, and the
+ceiling, and the color of the room naturally follows the law of nature;
+the heaviest or darkest at the bottom, or floor; the medium tone in the
+center, or walls; and the lightest at the top, or ceiling. It is only
+when one has to artificially correct the architectural proportions of a
+room that the ceiling should be as dark, or darker, than the walls. A
+ceiling can also be seemingly lowered by bringing the ceiling color down
+on the side walls. A low room should never have a dark ceiling, as it
+makes the room seem lower.
+
+Walls should be treated as a background or as a decoration in
+themselves. In the latter case any pictures should be set in specially
+arranged panels and should be pictures of importance, or fresco
+painting. The walls of the great periods were of this decorative order.
+They were treated architecturally and the feeling of absolute support
+which they gave was most satisfactory. The pilasters ran from base or
+dado to the cornice and the over-doors made the doors a dignified part
+of the scheme, rather than mere useful holes in the wall as they too
+often are nowadays.
+
+Paneling is one of the most beautiful methods of wall decoration. There
+are many styles of paneling, stone, marble, stucco, plaster, and wood,
+and each period has its own distinctive way of using them, and should be
+the correct type for the style chosen. The paneling of a Tudor room is
+quite different from a Louis XVI room. In the course of a long period
+like that of Louis XV the paneling slowly changed its character and the
+rococo style was followed by the more dignified one that later became
+the style of Louis XVI.
+
+Tapestry and paintings of importance should have panels especially
+planned for them. If one does not wish to have the paneling cover the
+entire wall, a wainscot or dado with the wall above it covered with
+tapestry, silk, painting, or paper, will make a beautiful and
+appropriate room for many of the different styles of furniture. A
+wainscot should not be too high; about thirty-six inches is a good
+height, but should form a background for the chairs, sofas, and tables,
+placed around the room.
+
+A wainscot six or more feet high is not as architecturally correct as a
+lower one, because a wall is, in a way, like an order in its divisions,
+and if the base, or wainscot, is too high it does not allow the wall,
+which corresponds to the column, to have its fair proportion. This
+feeling is very strong in many apartment houses where small rooms are
+overburdened by this kind of wainscot, and to make matters worse, the
+top is used as a plate-rail. A high wainscot should be used only in a
+large room, and if there are pilasters arranged to connect it with the
+cornice, and the wall covering is put on in panel effect between, the
+result is much better than if the wall were left plain, as it seems to
+give more of a _raison d'etre_.
+
+Tapestry is another of the beautiful and important wall coverings, and
+the happy possessor of Flemish or Gobelin, or Beauvais, tapestries, is
+indeed to be envied. A rare old tapestry should be paneled or hung so it
+will serve as a background. Used as portieres, tapestry does not show
+the full beauty of its wonderful time-worn colors and its fascination
+of texture. It is not everyone, however, who is able to own these almost
+priceless treasures of the past, and so modern machinery has been called
+to the aid of those who wish to cover their walls and furniture with
+tapestry. Many of these modern manufactures are really beautiful, thick
+in texture, soft in color, and often have the little imperfections and
+unevennesses of hand weaving reproduced, so that we feel the charm of
+the old in the new. Many do not realize that in New York there are looms
+making wonderful hand-woven tapestries with the true decorative feeling
+of the best days of the past. On the top floor of a large modern
+building stand the looms of various sizes, the dyeing tubs, the dripping
+skeins of wool and silk, the spindles and bobbins, and the weavers hard
+at work carrying out the beautiful designs of the artist owner. There
+are few colors used, as in mediaeval days, but wonderful effects are
+produced by a method of winding the threads together which gives a
+vibrating quality to the color. When the warp in some of the coarser
+fabrics is not entirely covered it is sometimes dyed, which gives an
+indescribable charm. Tapestries of all sizes have been made on these
+looms, from the important decoration of a great hall, to sofa and chair
+coverings. Special rugs are also made. It is a pleasure to think that an
+art which many considered dead is being practiced with the highest
+artistic aim and knowledge and skill in the midst of our modern rush.
+This hand-woven tapestry is made to fit special spaces and rooms, and
+there is nothing more beautiful and suitable for rooms of importance to
+be found in all the long list of possibilities.
+
+The effect of modern tapestry, like the old, is enhanced if the walls
+are planned to receive it, for it was never intended to be used as
+wall-paper. It is sometimes used as a free hanging frieze, so to speak,
+and sometimes a great piece of it is hung flat against the wall, but as
+a general thing to panel it is the better way.
+
+Another beautiful wall covering is leather. It should be used much more
+than it is, and is especially well adapted for halls, libraries,
+dining-rooms, smoking-and billiard-rooms, and dens. Its wonderful
+possibilities for rooms which are to be furnished in a dignified and
+beautiful manner are unsurpassed. It may be used in connection with
+paneling or cover the wall above a wainscot.
+
+Fresco painting is another of the noble army of wall treatments which
+lends itself beautifully to all kinds and styles of rooms.
+
+Amidst all the grandeur of tapestry and painting one must not lose sight
+of the simpler methods, for they are not to be distained. Wall-papers
+are growing more and more beautiful in color, design, and texture, and
+one can find among them papers suited to all needs. Fabrics of all kinds
+have become possibilities since their dust-collecting capacity is now no
+longer a source of terror, as vacuum cleaners are one of the
+commonplaces of existence. Painting or tinting the walls, when done
+correctly, is very satisfactory in many rooms.
+
+There is no doubt that in many houses are wonderful collections of
+furniture, tapestries and treasures of many kinds, that are placed
+without regard to the absolute harmony of period, although the general
+feeling of French or Italian or English is kept. They are usually great
+houses where the sense of space keeps one from feeling discrepancies
+that would be too marked in a smaller one, and the interest and beauty
+of the rare originals against the old tapestries have an atmosphere all
+their own that no modern reproduction can have. There are few of us,
+however, who can live in this semi-museum kind of house, and so one
+would better stick to the highway of good usage, or there is danger of
+making the house look like an antique shop.
+
+[Illustration: Dorothy Quincy's bedroom contains a fine old mahogany
+field bed, which is appropriately covered with the flowered chintz
+popular at the end of the Eighteenth Century. The chairs are fitting for
+all bedrooms decorated in Colonial style. Notice the woodwork in the
+room and hall.]
+
+To carry out a style perfectly, all the small details should be attended
+to--the door-locks, the framework of the doors and windows, the carving.
+All these must be taken into account if one wishes success. It is better
+not to attempt a style throughout if it is to be a makeshift affair and
+show the effects of inadequate knowledge. The elaborate side of any
+style carried out to the last detail is really only possible and also
+only appropriate for those who have houses to correspond, but one can
+choose the simpler side and have beautiful and charming rooms that are
+perfectly suited to the average home. For instance, if one does not
+wish elaborate gilded Louis XVI furniture, upholstered in brocade, one
+can choose beautiful cane furniture of the time and have it either in
+the natural French walnut or enameled a soft gray or white to match the
+woodwork, with cushion of cretonne or silk in an appropriate design.
+Period furnishing does not necessarily mean a greater outlay than the
+nondescript and miscellaneous method so often seen.
+
+[Illustration: A very solid but not especially pleasing desk that was
+used by Washington while he was President. The railing is interesting.
+The idea was used by Chippendale in his gallery tables.]
+
+[Illustration: The tambour work doors in the upper part of this Sheraton
+secretary roll back; also notice the handles and inlay and tapering
+legs.]
+
+Whatever the plan for furnishing a house may be, the balance of
+decoration must be kept; the same general feeling throughout all
+connecting parts. If a drawing-room is too fine for the hall through
+which one has to pass to reach it, the balance is upset. If too simple
+chairs are used in a grand dining-room the balance is upset, the fitness
+of things is not observed. When the happy medium is struck throughout
+the house one feels the delightful well-bred charm which a regard for
+the unities always gives. It is not only in the quality of the
+decorations that this feeling of balance must be kept, but in the style
+also. If one chooses a period style for the drawing-room it is better to
+keep to it through the house, using it in its different expressions
+according to the needs of the different rooms. If one style throughout
+should seem a bit monotonous at least one nationality should be kept,
+such as French, or English. If several styles of French furniture are
+used do not have them in the same room; for instance, Louis XV and
+Empire have absolutely nothing in common, but very late Louis XVI and
+early Empire have to a certain extent. It does not give the average
+person a severe shock to walk from a Louis XVI hall into a Louis XV
+drawing-room, but the two mixed in one room do not give a pleasing
+effect. The oak furniture of Jacobean days does not harmonize with the
+delicate mahogany furniture of the eighteenth century in England. The
+delicate beauty of Adam furniture would be lost in the greatness of a
+Renaissance salon. A lady whose dining-room was furnished in Sheraton
+furniture one day saw two elaborate rococo Louis XV console tables which
+she instantly bought to add to it. The shopman luckily had more sense of
+the fitness of things than a mere desire to sell his wares, and was so
+appalled when he saw the room that he absolutely refused to have them
+placed in it. She saw the point, and learned a valuable lesson. One
+could go on indefinitely, giving examples to warn people against
+startling and inappropriate mixtures which put the whole scheme out of
+key.
+
+I am taking it for granted that reproductions are to be chosen, as
+originals are not only very rare, but also almost prohibitive in price.
+Good reproductions are carefully made and finished to harmonize with the
+color scheme. The styles most used at present are, Louis XIV, XV, XVI,
+Jacobean, William and Mary, and Georgian. Gothic, Italian and French
+Renaissance, Louis XIII, and Tudor styles are not so commonly used. We
+naturally associate dignity and grandeur with the Renaissance, and it
+is rather difficult to make it seem appropriate for the average American
+house, so it is usually used only for important houses and buildings.
+Some of the Tudor manor houses can be copied with delightful effect. The
+styles of Henri II and Louis XIII can both be used in libraries and
+dining-rooms with most effective and dignified results.
+
+The best period of the style of Louis XV is very beautiful and is
+delightfully suited to ball-rooms, small reception-rooms, boudoirs, and
+some bedrooms. In regard to these last, one must use discretion, for one
+would not expect one's aged grandmother to take real comfort in one. Nor
+does this style appeal to one for use in a library, as its gayety and
+curves would not harmonize with the necessarily straight lines of the
+bookcases and rows of books. Any one of the other styles may be chosen
+for a library.
+
+The English developed the dining-room in our modern sense of the word,
+while the French used small ante-chambers, or rooms that were used for
+other purposes between meals, and I suppose this is partly the reason we
+so often turn to an English ideal for one. There are many beautiful
+dining-rooms done in the styles of Louis XV and XVI, but they seem more
+like gala rooms and are usually distinctly formal in treatment. Georgian
+furniture, or as we so often say, Colonial, is especially well suited to
+our American life, as one can have a very simple room, or one carried
+out in the most delightful detail. In either case the true feeling must
+be kept and no startling anachronisms should be allowed; radiators, for
+instance, should be hidden in window-seats. This same style may be used
+for any room in the house, and there are beautiful reproductions of
+Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton furniture that are
+appropriate for any need.
+
+In choosing new "old" furniture, do not buy any that has a bright and
+hideous finish. The great cabinet-makers and their followers used wax,
+or oil, and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed. This dull finish is imitated, but
+not equaled, by all good furniture makers, and the bright finish simply
+proclaims the cheap department store.
+
+In parts of the country Georgian furniture has been used and served as a
+standard from the first, and it is a happy thing for the beauty of our
+homes that once more it has come into its own. It is the high grade of
+reproduction which has made it possible.
+
+The mahogany used by Chippendale, and in fact by all the eighteenth
+century cabinet-makers, was much more beautiful than is possible to get
+to-day, for the logs were old and well seasoned wood, allowed to dry by
+the true process of time, which leaves a wonderful depth of color quite
+impossible to find in young kiln-dried wood. The best furniture makers
+nowadays, those who have a high standard and pride in their work, have
+by careful and artistic staining and beautiful finish, achieved very
+fine results, but the factory article with its dreadful "mahogany"
+stain, its coarse carving, and its brilliant finish, shows a sad
+difference in ideal. The best reproductions are well worth buying, and,
+as they are made with regard to the laws of construction, they stand a
+very good chance of becoming valued heirlooms. There are certain
+characteristics of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers, both
+English and French, which are picked out and overdone by ill-informed
+manufacturers. The rococo of Chippendale is coarsened, his Chinese style
+loses its fine, if eccentric, distinction, and the inlay of Hepplewhite
+and Sheraton is another example of spoiling a beautiful thing.
+Thickening a line here and there, or curving a curve a bit more or less,
+or enlarging the amount of inlay, achieves a vulgarity of appearance
+quite different from the beautiful proportions of the originals, and it
+is this which one must guard against in buying reproductions. The lack
+of knowledge of correct proportion is not confined to the cheaper
+grades, where necessary simplicity is often a protection, but is apt to
+be found in all. The best makers, as I have said, take a pride in their
+work and one can rely on them for fine workmanship and being true to the
+spirit of the originals.
+
+There is one matter of great importance to be kept in mind and practiced
+with the sternest self-control, and that is, to eliminate, eliminate,
+eliminate. Walk into the center of a room and look about with seeing,
+but impersonal eyes, and you will be astonished to find how many things
+there are which are unnecessary, in fact, how much the room would be
+improved without them. In every house the useless things which go under
+the generic name of "trash" accumulate with alarming swiftness, and one
+must be up with the lark to keep ahead of the supply. If something is
+ugly and spoils a room, and there is no hope of bringing it into
+harmony, discard it; turn your eyes aside if you must while the deed is
+being done, but screw your courage to the sticking point, and do it. She
+is, indeed, a lucky woman who can start from the beginning or has only
+beautiful heritages from the past, for the majority of people have some
+distressingly strong pieces of ugly furniture which, for one reason or
+another, must be kept. One sensible woman furnished a room with all her
+pieces of this kind, called it the Chamber of Horrors, and used it only
+under great stress and strain, which was much better than letting her
+house be spoiled.
+
+A home should not be a museum, where one grows exhausted going from one
+room to another looking at wonderful things. Rather should it have as
+many beautiful things in it as can be done full justice to, where the
+feeling of simplicity and restfulness and charm adds to their beauty,
+and the whole is convincingly right. The fussy house is, luckily, a
+thing of the past, or fast getting to be so, but we should all help the
+good cause of true simplicity. It does not debar one from the most
+beautiful things in the world, but adds dignity and worth to them. It
+does not make rooms stiff and solemn, but makes it possible to have the
+true gayety and joy of life expressed in the best periods.
+
+
+
+
+_Georgian Furniture_
+
+
+A delightful renaissance of the Georgian period in house decoration is
+being felt more and more, and every day we see new evidence that people
+are turning with thanksgiving to the light and graceful designs of the
+eighteenth century English cabinet-makers. There is a charm and
+distinction about their work which appeals very strongly to us, and its
+beauty and simplicity of line makes delightful schemes possible.
+
+The Georgian period seems especially fitted for use in our homes, for it
+was the inspiration of our Colonial houses and furniture, which we
+adapted and made our own in many ways. The best examples of Colonial
+architecture are found in the thirteen original states. In many of these
+houses we find an almost perfect sense of proportion, of harmony and
+balance, of dignity, and a spaciousness and sense of hospitality, which
+few of our modern houses achieve. The halls were broad and often went
+directly through the house, giving a glimpse of the garden beyond; the
+stairs with their carefully thought-out curve and sweep and well placed
+landings, gave at once an air of importance to the house, while the
+large rooms opening from the hall, with their white woodwork, their
+large fireplaces, and comfortable window-seats, confirmed the
+impression.
+
+It is to this ideal of simple and beautiful elegance that many people
+are turning. By simplicity I do not mean poverty of line and decoration,
+but the simplicity given by the fundamental lines being simple and
+beautiful with decoration which enhances their charms, but does not
+overload them. Even the most elaborate Adam room with its exquisite
+painted furniture, its beautifully designed mantel and ceiling and
+paneled walls, gave the feeling of delightful and beautiful simplicity.
+This same feeling is expressed in the furniture of Louis XVI, for no
+matter how elaborate it may be, it is fundamentally simple, but with a
+warmer touch than is found in the English furniture of the same time.
+
+The question of period furnishing has two sides, and by far the more
+delightful side is the one of having originals. There is a glamor about
+old furniture, a certain air of fragility, although in reality it is
+usually much stronger than most of our modern factory output, which adds
+to the charm. With furniture, as with people, breeding will out. When
+one has inherited the furniture, the charm is still greater, for it is
+pleasant to think of one's own ancestors as having used the chairs and
+tables, and danced the stately minuet, with soft candle-light falling
+from the candelabra, and the great logs burning on the old brass
+andirons. But if one cannot have one's own family traditions, the next
+best thing is to have furniture with some other family's traditions,
+and the third choice is to have the best modern reproductions, and build
+up one's own traditions oneself.
+
+The feeling which many people have that Georgian furniture was stiff and
+uncomfortable is not borne out by the facts. The sofas were large and
+roomy, the settees delightful, the arm-chairs and wing chairs regular
+havens of rest, and when one adds the comfort which modern upholstery
+gives, there is little left to desire. Even the regulation side-chair of
+the period, which some think was the only chair in very common use, is
+absolutely comfortable for its purpose. Lounging was much less in vogue
+then than nowadays and the old cabinet-makers realized that one must be
+comfortable when sitting up as well as when taking one's ease. One must
+not be deterred by this unfounded bugaboo of discomfort if one wishes a
+room or house done after the great period styles of the eighteenth
+century. With care and knowledge, the result is sure to be delightful
+and beautiful.
+
+This little book, as I have said before, is not intended to be a guide
+for collectors, for that is a very big subject in itself, but is meant
+to try to help a little about the modern side of the question. There are
+many grades of furniture made, and one should buy with circumspection,
+and the best grade which is possible for one to afford. The very best
+reproductions are made with as much care and knowledge and skill as the
+originals, and will last as long, and become treasured heirlooms like
+those handed down to us. They are works of art like their eighteenth
+century models. The wood is chosen with regard to its beauty of grain,
+and is treated and finished so the beauty and depth of color is brought
+out, and the surface is rubbed until there is a soft glow to it. If one
+could have the ages-old mahogany which Chippendale and his
+contemporaries used, there would be little to choose between the
+originals and our best reproductions, so far as soundness of
+construction and beauty of detail go. But the fact that they were the
+originals of a great style, that no one since then has been able to
+design any furniture of greater beauty than that of England and France
+in the eighteenth century, and that we are still copying it, gives an
+added charm to a rare old chair or sideboard or mirror. The modern
+workman in the best workshops is obliged to know the different styles so
+well that he cannot make mistakes, and if he ventures to take a little
+flight of fancy on his own account, it will be done with such
+correctness of feeling that one is glad he flew; but few attempt it. In
+the lower grade of reproductions one must have an eagle eye when buying.
+I saw a rather astounding looking Chippendale chair in a shop one day,
+with a touch of Gothic--a suspicion of his early Dutch manner--and, to
+give a final touch, tapering legs with carved bellflowers! "What
+authority have you for that chair?" I asked, for I really wanted to know
+what they would call the wonder.
+
+"That," the shopman answered, the pride of knowledge shining in his
+eyes, "is Chinese Chippendale."
+
+Another anachronism which has appeared lately, and sad to say in some of
+the shops that should know better, is painted Adam furniture with
+pictures on it of the famous actresses of the eighteenth century. The
+painting of Angelica Kauffman, Cipriani, Pergolesi and the others, was
+charming and delightful. Nymphs and cupids, flowers, wreaths, musical
+instruments, and poetical little scenes, but never the head of a living
+woman! The bad taste of it would have been as apparent to them as
+putting the picture of Miss Marlowe, or Lillian Russell on a chair back
+would be to us.
+
+The finish is another matter to bear in mind. There is a thick red
+stain, which for some mysterious reason is called mahogany, which is put
+on cheaper grades of furniture and finished with a high polish.
+Fortunately, it is chiefly used on furniture of vulgar design, but it
+sometimes creeps in on better models. Shun it whenever seen. The handles
+must be correct also, and a glance at the different illustrations will
+be of help in this matter.
+
+The pieces of furniture used throughout a house, no matter what the
+period may be, are more or less the same, so many chairs, tables, beds,
+mirrors, etc., and when one has decided what one's needs are, the matter
+of selection is much simplified. Of course one's needs are influenced by
+the size of the house, one's circumstances, and one's manner of life.
+To be successful, a house must be furnished in absolute harmony with the
+life within its walls. A small house does not need an elaborate
+drawing-room, which could only be had at the expense of family comfort;
+a simple drawing-room would be far better, really more of a living-room.
+In a large house one may have as many as one wishes.
+
+A house could be furnished throughout with Chippendale furniture and
+show no sign of monotony of treatment. The walls could be paneled in
+some rooms, wainscoted in others, and papered in others. This question
+of paper is one we have taken in our own hands nowadays, and although it
+was not used much before the late eighteenth and early nineteenth
+centuries, there are so many lovely designs copied from old-time stuffs
+and landscape papers, which are in harmony with the furniture, that they
+are used with perfect propriety. One must be careful not to choose
+anything with a too modern air, and a plain wall is always safe.
+
+The average hall will probably need a pair of console tables and
+mirrors, some chairs, Oriental rugs, a tall clock if one wishes, and, if
+the hall is very large and calls for more furniture, there are many
+other interesting pieces to choose from. A hall should be treated with a
+certain amount of formality, and the greater the house, the greater the
+amount; but it also should have an air of hospitality, of impersonal
+welcome, which makes one wish to enter the rooms beyond where the real
+welcome waits.
+
+The window frames of Colonial and Georgian houses were often of such
+good design that no curtains were used, and the wooden inside shutters
+were shut at night. Nowadays the average house has what might be called
+utility woodwork at its windows and so we cover them with curtains.
+These curtains may be of linen, cretonne, damask, or brocade, according
+to the house, and may either fall straight at the side with a slight
+drapery or shaped or plain valance at the top, or be drawn back from the
+center. A carved cornice or the regular box frame may be used.
+
+The stairs were often of beautifully polished hardwood, and they were
+sometimes covered with rugs. Large Chinese porcelain jars on the console
+tables are suitable, and other beautiful ornaments.
+
+As the drawing-room usually opens from the hall, it is better to keep
+both rooms in the same general scale of furnishing. The average sized
+drawing-room will need sofas, a small settee, two or three tables, one
+of them a gallery table if desired, chairs of different shapes and size,
+mirrors, a cabinet if one has rare pieces of old porcelain, and
+candelabra. Oriental rugs, a fire screen, ornaments, and pictures, but
+these last should not be of the modern impressionistic school. The
+woodwork should be white, or light, and the furniture covered with
+damask, needlework, brocade or tapestry.
+
+The dining-room can be made most charming with corner cupboards and
+cabinet, a large mahogany table and side table and beautiful morocco
+covered chairs. Chippendale did not make sideboards in our sense of the
+word, but used large side tables. One of the modern designs which many
+like to use, for to them it seems a necessity, is a sideboard made in
+the style of Chippendale. The screen may be leather painted after "the
+Chinese taste," or it may be damask. The chairs may be covered with
+tapestry or damask if one does not care for morocco. Portraits are
+interesting in a dining-room, or old prints, or paintings, and if you
+can get the old dull gold carved frames, so much the better. They may
+also be set in panels.
+
+The bedrooms may have either four-post canopy beds or low-posts beds.
+Chippendale's canopy beds had usually a carved cornice with the curtains
+hung from the inside. The other furniture should consist of a
+dressing-table, a chest of drawers to correspond with a chiffonier, a
+highboy, a sewing table, a bedside table, a comfortable sofa, a fireside
+or wing chair and other chairs according to one's need. The walls may be
+covered with either an old-fashioned or plain paper,--or paneled, with
+hangings and chair coverings of chintz or cretonne. The bed hangings may
+be of cretonne also, for it makes a very charming room, but if one
+objects to colored bed hangings, white dimity, or muslin or linen may be
+used.
+
+It is the art of keeping the correct feeling which makes or mars a room
+of this kind, and no pieces of markedly modern and inharmonious
+furniture should be used. In furnishing a house in Georgian or Colonial
+manner one need not keep all the rooms in the same division of the
+period, for there is a certain general air of harmony and relationship
+about them all, and the common bond of mahogany makes it possible to
+have a Chippendale library, an Adam drawing-room, a Hepplewhite
+dining-room and a Sheraton hall, or any other combination desired. The
+spirit of all the eighteenth century cabinet-makers was one of honest
+construction and beauty of line and workmanship. When they took ideas
+from other sources they made them so distinctly their own, so
+essentially English that there is a family resemblance through all their
+work.
+
+Adam decoration and furniture makes most delightful rooms. The painted
+satinwood furniture for dining-room, drawing-room and bedrooms, lends
+itself to lovely schemes with its soft golden tones, its delightfully
+woven cane chair backs and panels. A room on the sunny side of the
+house, with a soft old ivory colored wall, dull blue silk curtains, and
+a yellow and blue Chinese rug, would be most charming with this
+satinwood furniture.
+
+Then, as I have said before, there are the many different shades of
+enameled and carved furniture and also beautiful natural wood. One can
+have more of a sideboard in an Adam than in a Chippendale room, as he
+used two pedestals, one at each end of a large serving-table. He often
+made tables to fit in niches, which is a charming idea.
+
+An Adam mantel is very distinctive and one should be careful in having
+it correct. There are beautiful reproductions made. The lamp and candle
+shades should also be designed in the spirit of the time. There are
+lovely Adam designs in nearly all materials suitable for hangings and
+chair coverings. Oriental rugs or plain colored carpets appeal to us
+more than large-figured rugs. Adam sometimes had special rugs made
+exactly reproducing the design of the ceiling, but it is an idea that is
+better forgotten.
+
+With Hepplewhite and Sheraton the same general ideas hold; keep to the
+spirit of the furniture, try to have a central idea in the house
+furnishing, so that the restful effect of harmony may be given.
+
+[Illustration: Pembroke tables were made by Hepplewhite. This is a fine
+example and shows characteristic inlay and the legs sloping on the
+inside edge only. The flaps fold down and make a small oblong table.]
+
+[Illustration: This fine Sheraton sideboard shows curved doors, and
+knife boxes with oval inlay of satinwood. The center cupboard is
+straight. The legs are reeded.]
+
+The rugs which harmonize best with Georgian furniture are Orientals of
+different weaves and colors, or plain domestic carpet rugs. The floor
+should be the darkest of the three divisions of a room--the floor, the
+walls, the ceiling, but it should be an even gradation of color value,
+the walls half-way in tone between the other two. This is a safe general
+plan, to be varied when necessity demands. In drawing-rooms light and
+soft colors are usually in better harmony than dark ones, and a wide and
+beautiful choice can be made among Kermanshah, Kirman, Khorasan, Tabriz,
+Chinese, Oman rugs, and many others. It is more restful in effect if the
+greater part of the floor is covered with a large rug, but if one has
+beautiful small rugs they may be used if they are enough alike in
+general tone to escape the appearance of being spotty. One should try
+them in different positions until the best arrangement is found.
+
+[Illustration: A pleasing design of the old field bed. The chairs here
+are samples of some eighteenth century manufacture that are to-day
+reproduced in admirable consistency. The patch work quilt is interesting
+and the bed hanging are exceptionally good.]
+
+Living-rooms and libraries are usually more solid in color than
+drawing-rooms and so need deeper tones in the rugs. The choice is wide,
+and the color scheme can be the deciding note if one is buying new rugs.
+If one already has rugs they must be the foundation for the color scheme
+of the room.
+
+
+
+
+_Furnishing With French Furniture_
+
+
+"This is my Louis XVI drawing-room," said a lady, proudly displaying her
+house.
+
+"What makes you think so?" asked her well informed friend.
+
+To guard against the possibility of such biting humor one must be ever
+on the alert in furnishing a period room. It is not a bow-knot and a
+rococo curve or two that will turn a modern room, fresh from the
+builder's hands, into a Louis XV drawing-room.
+
+French furniture is not appropriate to all kinds of houses, and it is
+often difficult to adapt it to circumstances over which one has no
+control. The leisurely and pleasant custom of our ancestors of building
+a house as they wished it, and what is more, living in it for
+generations, is more or less a thing of the past. Nowadays a house is
+built, and is complete and beautiful in every way, but almost before the
+house-warming is over, business is sitting on the doorstep, and so the
+family moves on. We, as a nation, have not the comfortable point of view
+of the English who consider their home, their home, no matter how the
+outside world may be behaving. Their front doors are the protection
+which insures their cherished privacy, and the feeling that they are as
+settled as the everlasting hills gives a calmness to their attitude
+toward life which is often missing from ours. How many times have we
+heard people say when talking over plans--"Have it thus and so, for it
+would be much better in case we ever care to sell." This attitude, to
+which of course there are hundreds of exceptions, is an outgrowth of our
+busy life and our tremendous country. The larger part of the home ideal
+is the one which Americans so firmly believe in and act upon--that it is
+the spirit and atmosphere which makes a home, and not only the bricks
+and mortar.
+
+It is this point of view which makes it possible for many of us to live
+happily in rented houses whose architecture and arrangement often give
+us cold shivers. We are not to blame if all the proportions are wrong;
+and there is a certain pleasure in getting the better of difficulties.
+
+If one is building a house, or is living in one planned with a due
+regard to some special period, and has a well thought out scheme of
+decoration, the work is much simplified; but if one has to live in the
+average nondescript house and wishes to use French furniture, the
+problem will take time and thought to solve. In this kind of house, if
+one cannot change it at all, it is better to keep as simple and
+unobtrusive a background as possible, to have the color scheme and
+hangings and furniture so beautiful that they are a convincing reason
+themselves of the need of their being there, but one should not try to
+turn the room itself into a period room, for it would mean failure. The
+walls may be covered with a light plain paper, or silk, the woodwork
+enameled white or cream or ivory, and then with one's mirrors and
+furnishings, the best thing possible has been done, and it ought to be a
+charming room, if not a perfect one. If one can make a few changes I
+advise new lighting fixtures and a new mantel, for these two important
+objects in the room are conspicuous and nearly always wrong.
+
+It is almost impossible to give a list of furniture for each room in a
+house, as each house is a law unto itself, but the fundamental
+principles of beauty and utility and appropriateness apply to all.
+
+The furniture of the time of Louis XIV, having so much that is
+magnificent about it, is especially well suited to large rooms for state
+occasions, great ballrooms and state drawing-rooms. These rooms not
+being destined for everyday use should be treated as a brilliant
+background; paneling, painting, tapestry, and gilding should decorate
+the walls, and beautiful lights and mirrors should aid in the effect of
+brilliancy. It must be done with such knowledge that there is no
+suggestion of an hotel about it. Console tables, and large and dignified
+chairs should be used for furniture. Nothing small and fussy in the way
+of ornaments should be put in the rooms, for they would be completely
+out of scale and ruin the effect.
+
+Every house does not need these rooms for the elaborate side of life,
+and the average drawing-room is a much simpler affair. If both kinds are
+required the simpler one should be in the same general style as the
+great rooms, but not on so grand a scale. If the style of Louis XV is
+chosen for all, in the family drawing-and living-rooms the paneling, or
+dado, and furniture should be of the simpler kind, and beautiful, gay,
+and home-like rooms, evolved with soft colored brocades, Beauvais or
+Gobelin tapestry, and either gilded or enameled or natural walnut
+furniture. The arm-chairs or _bergeres_ of both Louis XV and Louis XVI
+are very comfortable, the _chaise-longue_ cannot be surpassed, and the
+settees of different shapes and sizes are delightful. There need be no
+lack of comfort in any period room, whether French or English.
+
+A music room, to be perfect, should not have heavy draperies to deaden
+the sound, and the window and door openings should be treated
+architecturally to make this possible. In a French music room the walls
+may be either paneled, or have a dado with a soft tint above it. This
+space may be treated in several ways: it may have silk panels outlined
+with moldings, or dainty pastoral scenes painted and framed with wreaths
+and garlands of composition. The style of the Regency with its use of
+musical instruments for decorative motifs is also attractive. The chairs
+should be comfortable, the lights soft and well shaded side-lights, with
+a plentiful supply near the piano.
+
+[Illustration: A beautiful doorway in the bedroom of the Empress,
+Compiegne. The fastening shows how much thought was expended on small
+matters, so the balance of decoration would be kept. The chairs are
+Louis XVI.]
+
+[Illustration: An exquisite reproduction of the bed of Marie
+Antoinette.]
+
+[Illustration: A simple but charming Louis XVI bed in enamel and cane.]
+
+A piano is usually a difficulty, for they are so unwieldy and dark that
+they are quite out of key with the rest of the room. We have become so
+used to its ugliness, however, that, sad to say, we are not so much
+shocked by it as we should be, thinking it a necessary evil. If we walk
+through the show rooms of one of the great piano companies we shall see
+that this is a mistake, for there are many cases made of light colored
+woods, and some have a much more graceful outline than the regulation
+piano. Cases can be made to order to suit any scheme, if one has a
+competent designer. A music room should not have small and meaningless
+ornaments in it; the ideal is a restful and charming room where one may
+listen with an undistracted mind.
+
+The modern dining-room with all its comforts is really of English
+descent. In France, even in the eighteenth century, only the palaces and
+great houses had rooms especially set apart for dining-rooms. Usually a
+small ante-chamber was used, which served as a boudoir or reception room
+between meals. To our more established point of view it seems a very
+casual method. At last, late in the century, the real ideal of a
+dining-room began to gain ground, and although they were very different
+from ours, we find really charming ones described and pictured. The
+walls were usually light in tone, paneled, with graceful ornamentation,
+and often there were niches containing wall-fountains of delightful
+design. The sideboards were either large side-tables, or a species of
+side-table built in niches, with a fountain between them which was used
+as a wine cooler. These fountains where cupids and dolphins disported
+themselves would be a most attractive feature to copy in some of our
+rooms, in country houses especially. The tables were round or square,
+but not the extension type which came later from England, and the chairs
+were comfortable, with broad upholstered or cane seats, and rather low
+backs. There should be a screen to harmonize with the room in front of
+the pantry door. We also add hangings, for, as I have said many times,
+our window-frames are not a decoration in themselves. Old prints show
+most delightfully the manner in which curtains were hung when they were
+used; the very elaborate methods, however, were not used by the better
+class.
+
+A morning-room should be furnished as a small informal living-room, and
+the simpler style of the chosen period used.
+
+The style of Louis XVI is beautifully adapted to libraries, for they do
+not have to be dark and solid in style, as many seem to think. In fact a
+library may be in any style if carried out with the true feeling and
+love of books, but of course some styles are more appropriate than
+others. In a Louis XVI library the paneling gives way to the built-in
+bookcases which are spaced with due regard to keeping the correct
+proportions. There is usually a cupboard space running round the room
+about the height of a dado and projecting a little beyond the bookcases
+above. The colors of the rugs and hangings may be warm and rich as the
+books give the walls a certain strength.
+
+There are also beautiful reproductions of bedroom furniture, chairs and
+dressing-tables, desks, chiffoniers and _Chaises-longues,_ and beds.
+
+Andirons, side-lights for the walls and dressing-table, doorknobs and
+locks, can all be carried out perfectly. Lamp and candle shades and sofa
+cushions should all be in keeping. The walls may be paneled in wood
+enameled with white or some light color, or they may be covered with
+silk or paper, in a panel design, with curtains to match. There are
+lovely designs in French period stuffs.
+
+The rugs most appropriate for French period rooms are light or medium in
+tone, and of Persian design. The floral patterns of the Persians seem to
+harmonize better with the curves and style of furniture than do the
+geometrical designs of the Caucasian rugs. Savonnerie and Aubusson rugs
+may also be used, if chosen with care, and the plain carpets and rugs
+mentioned later are a far better choice than gaudy Orientals of modern
+make, or bad imitations.
+
+
+
+
+_Country Houses_
+
+
+The Country House is a comparatively modern idea, and one which has
+added much to the joy of life. There are all kinds and conditions of
+them, great and small, grand and simple, and each is a joy to the proud
+possessor.
+
+Life was such a turbulent affair in the Middle Ages that country life in
+the modern sense was an impossibility. The chateaux and castles and
+large manor-houses were strongly fortified, and there were inner courts
+for exercise. When war became the exception and not the rule, the
+inherent love in all human beings for the open began to assert itself,
+and the country house idea began to grow.
+
+Italy was the first country where we find this freedom of attitude
+exemplified in the beautiful Renaissance villas near Rome and Florence.
+The best were built during the sixteenth century, and were owned by the
+great Italian families, like the de Medici and d'Este. They seem more
+like places built for the parade and show of life than homes, but the
+home ideal with all its conveniences was another outgrowth of peace.
+
+The plan of an Italian villa is very interesting to study, to see how
+every advantage was taken of the land, how the residence, or casino, was
+placed in regard to the formal garden and the view over the valley, for
+they were usually on a hillside and the slope was terraced, how the
+statues and fountains, the beautiful ilex and cypress and orange trees,
+the box-edged flower-beds and gravel paths, all formed a wonderful
+setting for the house, and together made a perfect whole. The Italian
+villa was not necessarily large, in fact the Villa Lante contains only
+six acres, which are divided into four terraces, the house being on the
+second and built in two parts, one on each side. Each terrace has a
+beautiful fountain, with a cascade connecting those on the fourth and
+third. This villa is indeed, an example of taking advantage of a fairly
+small space. It was built by the great Vignola in 1547, and although
+slightly showing the wear of time, has all the beauty and charm and
+romance which only centuries can give.
+
+The Italian villa can be adapted to the American climate and scenery and
+point of view, but it must be done by one of the architects who have
+made a deep study of the Italian Renaissance so the true feeling will be
+kept. There are some beautiful examples already in the country.
+
+In France, the chateaux which have most influenced country house
+building are those which were built during the sixteenth century, many
+of them during the reign of Francis 1st. Among the number are Azay le
+Rideau, Chenonceaux, and Chaumont. Blois and Amboise are also
+absorbingly interesting, but belong partly to an earlier time. The
+chateau region in Touraine is a treasure land of architectural beauty.
+In the time of Louis XIV Le Notre changed many of these old chateaux
+from their fortified state to the more open form made possible by a
+peaceful life.
+
+We turn to England for the most perfect examples of country houses, for
+the theory of country living is so thoroughly understood there, one
+might really say it is a national institution. Many of the manor-houses,
+both great and small, are beautiful examples of Tudor architecture,
+which seems especially suited to their setting of lovely green parks.
+The smaller country house, which has no pretention to being a show
+place, is as perfect in its way. The English love for out-of-doors makes
+them achieve wonders with even small gardens, and the climate, being
+gentle, helps matters immensely.
+
+In America we are taking up the English country house ideal more and
+more and adapting it to our own needs. The question of architecture is a
+question of personal choice influenced by climate, and there are now
+numberless charming houses scattered over the length and breadth of the
+land which have been built with the purpose of being country homes. They
+are not for summer use only, but all the year round keep their
+hospitable doors open, or else the season begins so early and ends so
+late, that, with the holiday time between, the house hardly seems
+closed at all. It is this attitude which is changing country house
+architecture to a great extent. The terraces and porches and gardens and
+glasshouses are all there, but the house itself is more solidly built
+and is prepared to stand cold weather.
+
+For the average American the best types of country house to choose from
+are the smaller Tudor manor-houses, Italian villas, Georgian
+architecture in England, and our own Colonial style which of course was
+founded on the Georgian. In the south and southwestern parts of this
+country a modified Spanish type may be used in place of Tudor, which
+does not give the feeling of cool spaces so necessary in hot climates.
+The bungalow type is also popular in the South.
+
+There are many architects in this country who understand thoroughly the
+plan and spirit of Colonial times, and who succeed in giving to the
+comforts of modern days the true stamp of the eighteenth century. The
+style makes most delightful houses, and with the great supply of
+appropriate furniture from which to choose, it would be hard to fail in
+having a charming whole.
+
+The house and garden should be planned together to have the best effect.
+Each can be added to as time goes on, but when a plan is followed there
+is a look of belonging together which adds greatly to the charm.
+
+[Illustration: A hall to conjure with--although a Hepplewhite or
+Sheraton chair would be more in keeping.]
+
+In an all-the-year country house a vestibule is a necessity as much as
+in a town house, and the hall should be treated with the dignity a
+hall deserves, and not as a second living-room. In many English houses
+of Tudor days the stairs were behind a carved screen, or concealed in
+some manner, which made it possible to use the hall as a gathering
+place. Our modern hall is not a descendant of this old hall of a past
+day (the living-room is much more so), but is really only a passage,
+often raised to the _n_th power, connecting the different rooms of the
+house, and should be treated as such. The stairs and landing and vista
+should be beautiful, and the furnishing should be dignified and in
+perfect scale with the rest of the house. Marble stairs and tapestry and
+old carved furniture and beautiful rugs, or the simplest possible
+furniture, may be used, but the hall should have an impersonally
+hospitable air, one which gives the keynote of the house, but reserves
+its full expression until the privacy of the living-rooms is reached.
+
+[Illustration: A very rare block-front chest of drawers with the
+original brasses.]
+
+The average country house is neither very magnificent nor very simple,
+but strikes the happy medium and achieves a most delightful home-like
+charm, which at the very outset makes life seem well worth living. It is
+rarely furnished in a period style throughout, but has the modern air of
+comfort which good taste and correct feeling give. For instance, the
+hall may have paneling and Chippendale mirror, a table, and chairs; the
+living-room furnished in a general Colonial manner mixed with some
+comfortable stuffed furniture, but not over-stuffed, lovely chintz or
+silk hangings, and a wide fireplace; the morning-room on something the
+same plan, but a little less formal; and the drawing-room a little more
+so, say in Adam or simple Louis XVI furniture. The library should have
+plenty of comfortable sofas and chairs, and a large table (it is hard to
+get one too large), some of the bookcases should be built in to form
+part of the architectural plan of the room, and personally I think it is
+a better idea to have all the space intended for bookcases built in in
+the first place, as this insures harmony of plan. Another important
+thing in a library is to have the lights precisely right, and the
+window-seats and the fireplace should be all that their names imply in
+the way of added charm and comfort to the room. The dining-room should
+be bright and cheerful and in harmony with the near-by rooms. A
+breakfast-room done in lacquer is very charming.
+
+The bedrooms should be light and airy, and so planned that the beds can
+be properly placed. They may be furnished in old mahogany, French walnut
+in either Louis XV or XVI style, or in carefully chosen Empire; painted
+Adam furniture is also lovely, and willow furniture makes a fresh and
+attractive room. The curtains should be hung so they can be drawn at
+night if desired, and the material should be chosen to harmonize in
+design with the room.
+
+The children's rooms should be sunny and bright and furnished according
+to their special tastes, which if too astounding, as sometimes happens,
+can be tactfully guided into safe channels.
+
+The servants should be given separate bedrooms, a bathroom, and a
+comfortable sitting-room beside their dining-room. Making them
+comfortable seems a simple way of solving the servant question.
+
+The bungalow type of small country house is usually very simply
+furnished, and the best type of Mission furniture or willow is
+especially well suited to it. Bungalows are growing more and more in
+favor, and, although they originated in America in the West, we find
+delightful ones everywhere, on the Maine coast and in the woods and
+mountains. They are a tremendous advance over the small and elaborate
+house of a few years ago.
+
+Cretonne and chintz can be used in all the rooms of a country house with
+perfect propriety, and is a really lovely method of furnishing, as it is
+fresh and washable, and comes in all gradations of price. Willow
+furniture with cretonne cushions makes a pleasant variety with mahogany
+in simple rooms.
+
+Fresh air and sunlight, lovely vistas through doors and windows of the
+garden beyond, cool and comfortable rooms furnished appropriately, and
+with an atmosphere about them which expresses a hospitable and charming
+home spirit, is the ideal standard for a country house.
+
+
+
+
+_The Nursery and Play-room_
+
+
+We should be thankful that the old idea of a nursery has passed away and
+instead of the dreary and rather shabby room has come the charming
+modern nursery with its special furniture and papers, its common sense
+and sanitary wisdom and its regard for the childish point of view. The
+influence of surroundings during the formative years of childhood has a
+deal to do with the child's future attitude toward life, and now that
+parents realize this more, the ideal nursery has simplicity, charm and
+artistic merit, all suited to the needs of its romping inhabitants.
+
+The wall-papers for nurseries are especially attractive with their gay
+friezes of wonderful fairy-tale people, Mother Goose, Noah's Ark and
+happy little children playing among the flowers. Some of the designs
+come in sets of four panels that can be framed if desired. A Noah's Ark
+frieze with the animals marching two by two under the watchful eyes of
+the Noah family, with an ark and stiff little Noah's Ark trees, will
+give endless pleasure if placed about three feet from the floor where
+small tots can take in its charm. If placed too high, it is very often
+not noticed at all. Some of the most attractive nurseries have painted
+walls with special designs stenciled on them.
+
+If any one of these friezes is placed above a simple wainscot, the
+effect is charming. The paper for nurseries is usually waterproof, for a
+nursery must be absolutely spick and span. Another thing that gives much
+pleasure in a nursery is to build on one side of the room a platform
+about a yard wide and six inches high, and cover it with cushions.
+
+The furniture in a day nursery should consist of a toy cupboard stained
+to match the color scheme of the room and large enough for each child to
+have his own special compartment in it. If the children's initials are
+painted or burned on the doors, it gives an added feeling of pride in
+keeping the toys in order. There are many designs of small tables and
+chairs made with good lines, and the wicker ones with gay cretonne
+cushions are very attractive. The tables and chairs should not have
+sharp corners and should be heavy enough not to tip over easily. There
+should be a bookcase for favorite picture-books. Besides the special
+china for the children's own meals there should be a set of play china
+for doll's parties. A sand table, with a lump of clay for modeling, a
+blackboard and, in the spring, window-boxes where the children can plant
+seeds, will all add vastly to the joy of life.
+
+And do not forget a comfortable chair for the nurse-maid. White muslin
+curtains with side hangings of washable chintz or linen or some special
+nursery design in cretonne should hang to the sill.
+
+The colors in both day and night nurseries should be soft and cheerful,
+and the color scheme as carefully thought out as for the rest of the
+house. Both rooms should be on the sunny side of the house, and far
+enough away from the family living-room to avoid any one's being
+disturbed when armies charge up and down the play-room battle-ground or
+Indians start out on the warpath.
+
+The best floor covering for a day nursery is plain linoleum, as it is
+not dangerously slippery and is easily kept clean. If the floor is hard
+wood, it must not have a slippery wax finish. It will also save tumbles
+if the day nursery has no rugs, but the night nursery ought to have one
+large one or several small ones by the beds and in front of the open
+fire. Washable cotton rugs are best to use for this purpose.
+
+When children are very small, it is necessary to have sides to the beds
+to keep them from falling out. The beds should be placed so that the
+light does not shine directly in the children's eyes in the morning, and
+there should be plenty of fresh air. The rest of the night nursery
+furniture should consist of a dressing-table, a chest of drawers, a
+night table and some chairs. There should be a few pictures on the walls
+hung low, and beautiful and interesting in subjects and treatment. The
+fire should be well screened.
+
+Pictures like the "Songs of Childhood," for instance, would be charming
+simply framed. If there is only one nursery for both day and night use,
+the room should be decorated as a day nursery and the bed-cover made of
+white dimity with a border of the curtain stuff or made entirely of it.
+
+
+
+
+_Curtains_
+
+
+The modern window, with its huge panes of glass and simple framework,
+makes an insistent demand for curtains. Without curtains windows of this
+kind give a blank, staring appearance to the room and also a sense of
+insecurity in having so many holes in the walls. The beautiful windows
+of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Italy, England and
+France, give no such feeling of incompleteness, for their well-carved
+frames, and over-windows, and their small panes of glass, were important
+parts of the decorative scheme. Windows and doors were more than mere
+openings in those days, but things have changed, and the hard lines of
+our perfectly useful windows get on our nerves if we do not soften them
+with drapery. In that hopeless time in the last century called "Early
+Victorian," when black walnut reigned supreme, the curtains were as
+terrifying as the curves of the furniture and the colors of the carpets.
+Luckily most of us know only from pictures what that time was, but we
+all have seen enough remnants of its past glories to be thankful for
+modern ways and days. The over-draped, stuffy, upholstered nightmares
+have entirely disappeared, and in their place have come curtains of a
+high standard of beauty and practicality--simple, appropriate, and
+serving the ends they were intended for.
+
+The effect of curtains must be taken into account from both the outside
+and the inside of the house. The outside view should show a general
+similarity of appearance in the windows of each story, in the manner of
+hanging the curtains and also of material. The shades throughout the
+house should be of the same color, and if a different color is needed
+inside for the sake of the color scheme, either two shades should be
+used or they should be the double-faced kind. Shades should also be kept
+drawn down to the same line, or else be rolled up out of sight, for
+there is nothing that gives a more ill-kept look to a house than having
+the shades and curtains at any haphazard height or angle.
+
+And now to "return to our muttons." The average window needs two sets of
+curtains and a shade. Sometimes a thin net or lace curtain, a _"bonne
+femme"_ is hung close to the glass, but this is usual only in cities
+where privacy has to be maintained by main force, or where the curtains
+of a floor differ greatly. Thin curtains in combination with side
+curtains of some thicker material are most often used.
+
+Curtains either make or mar a room, and they should be carefully planned
+to make it a perfect whole. They must be so convincingly right that one
+only thinks at first how restful and pleasant and charming the whole
+room is; the details come later. When curtains stand out and astound
+one, they are wrong. It is not upholstery one is trying to display, but
+to make a perfect background for one's furniture, one's pictures and
+one's friends.
+
+There are so many materials to choose from that all tastes and purses
+can be suited; nets, thin silk and gauzes; scrims and batistes; cotton
+and silk crepes, muslin or dotted Swiss, cheesecloth, soleil cloth,
+madras, and a host of other fascinating fabrics which may be used in any
+room of the house. The ready-made curtains are also charming. There are
+muslin curtains with applique borders cut from flowered cretonne;
+sometimes the cretonne is applique on net which is let into the curtain
+with a four-inch hem at the bottom and sides. A simpler style has a band
+of flowered muslin sewed on the white muslin, or used as a ruffle. It is
+also added to the valance. There are many kinds of net and lace curtains
+ready for use that will harmonize with any kind of room. Some of the
+expensive ones are really beautiful examples of needlecraft, with lace
+medallions and insertions and embroidery stitches.
+
+When it comes to the question of side curtains the supply to choose from
+is almost unlimited, and this great supply forms the bog in which so
+many are lost. A thing may be beautiful in itself and yet cause woe and
+havoc in an otherwise charming room. There are linens of all prices, and
+cretonnes, both the inexpensive kind and the wonderful shadow ones;
+there are silks and velvets and velours, aurora cloth, cotton crepe and
+arras cloth, and a thousand other beautiful stuffs that are cheap or
+medium-priced or expensive, whose names only the shopman knows, but
+which win our admiration from afar. The curtains for a country house are
+usually of less valuable materials than those for a town house, and this
+is as it should be, for winter life is usually more formal than summer
+life. Nothing can be prettier, however, for a country house than
+cretonne. It is fresh and dainty and gives a cool and delightful
+appearance to a room. Among the many designs there are some for every
+style of decoration.
+
+[Illustration: The arrangement of sofa and table are excellent, but
+there should be other centers of interest in the room. As it is, this
+room just misses its aim, and is neither a strict period room nor a
+really comfortable modern one.]
+
+The height and size of a room must be taken into account in hanging
+curtains, for with their aid, and also that of wallpaper, we can often
+change a room of bad proportions to one of seemingly good ones. If a
+room is very low, a stripe more or less marked in the design, and the
+curtains straight to the floor, will make it seem higher. A high room
+may have the curtains reach only to the sills with a valance across the
+top. This style may be used in a fairly low room if the curtain material
+is chosen with discretion and is not of a marked design. If the windows
+are narrow they can be made to seem wider by having the rod for the side
+curtains extend about eight inches on each side of the window, and the
+curtain cover the frame and a part of the wall. This leaves all the
+window for light and air. A valance connecting the side curtains and
+covering the top of the net curtains will also make the window seem
+broader. A group of three windows can be treated as one by using only
+one pair of side curtains with a connecting ruffle, and a pair of net
+curtains at each window. Curtains may hang in straight lines or be
+simply looped back, but fancy festooning is not permissible. There is
+another attractive method of dividing the curtains in halves, the upper
+sections to hang so they just cover the brass rod for the lower
+sections, which are pushed back at the sides. These lower sections may
+have the rod on which they are run fastened to the window-sash if one
+wishes. They will then go up with the window and of course keep clean
+much longer, but to my mind it is not so alluring as a gently blowing
+curtain on a hot day. I have seen a whole house curtained most
+charmingly in this manner, with curtains of unbleached muslin edged with
+a narrow little ruffle. They hung close to the glass and reached just to
+the sill with the lower part pushed back at the sides. The outside view
+was most attractive, and the inside curtains varied according to the
+needs of each room.
+
+[Illustration: A charming window treatment, in a room whose color scheme
+is carried out in the garden, giving a unique and delightful touch.]
+
+Casement windows should have the muslin curtains drawn back with a cord
+or a muslin band, and the side curtains should hang straight, with a
+little top ruffle; if the windows open into the room the curtains may be
+hung on the frames. The muslin curtains may be left out entirely if one
+wishes. Net curtains on French doors should be run on small brass rods
+at top and bottom, and the heavy curtains that are drawn together at
+night for privacy's sake should be so hung that they will not interfere
+with the opening of the door. There should be plenty of room under all
+ruffles or shaped valances where the curtains are to be drawn to allow
+for easy working of the cords, otherwise tempers are liable to be
+suddenly lost.
+
+All windows over eighteen inches wide need two curtains, and the average
+allowance of fullness is at least twice the width of the window for net
+and any very soft material, while once and a half is usually enough for
+material with more body. Great care must be taken to measure curtains
+correctly and have them cut evenly. It is also a good plan to allow for
+extra length, which can be folded into the top hem and will not show,
+but will allow for shrinking.
+
+Stenciling can be very attractively used for curtains and portieres for
+country houses. Cheesecloth, scrim, aurora cloth, pongee, linen, and
+velours, are a few of the materials that can be used. The design and
+kind used in a room should be chosen with due regard to its suitability.
+A Louis XVI room could not possibly have arras cloth used in it, while
+it would be charming and appropriate in a modern bungalow. Arras cloth
+with an applique design of linen couched on it makes beautiful curtains
+and portieres to go with the Mission or Craftsman furniture.
+
+There is an old farmhouse on Long Island that has been made over into a
+most delightful country house, and the furnishing throughout is
+consistent and charming. The curtains are reproductions of old designs
+in chintz and cretonne. The living-room, with its white paneling to the
+ceiling, its wide fireplace, old mahogany furniture, and curtains gay
+with parrots and flowers, hanging over cool white muslin, is a room to
+conjure with.
+
+In town houses the curtains and hangings must also harmonize with the
+style of furnishing. When the windows are hung with soft colored
+brocade, the portieres are usually beautiful tapestry or rich toned
+velvets, and care is always taken to have the balance of color kept and
+the color values correct. There are silks and damasks and velvets, and
+many lesser stuffs, made for all the period styles, whether carried out
+simply or elaborately, and it is the art of getting the suitable ones
+for the different rooms which gives the air of harmony, beauty, and
+restfulness, for which the word home stands.
+
+In hanging these more formal curtains the shaped valance is usually used
+with the curtains hanging straight at the sides of the window, so they
+can be drawn together at night. The cords and pulleys should always be
+in perfect working order. Another method is to have the curtains simply
+parted in the center, either with a valance or without, and drawn back
+at the sides with heavy cords and tassels, or bands of the stuff. If a
+draped effect is desired great care must be taken not to have it too
+elaborate.
+
+If the walls of a room are plain in color one may have either plain or
+figured hangings, but if the wall covering is figured it gives a feeling
+of unrest if the curtains are also figured. Sometimes one sees bedrooms
+and small boudoirs where the walls and curtains show the same design,
+but it must be done with skill, or disaster is sure to follow.
+
+Plain casement cloth or the different "Sunfast" fabrics are attractive
+with plain or figured papers, especially in bedrooms of country houses.
+
+If one has to live in the town house through the summer do not make the
+fatal mistake of taking down the curtains and living in bare discomfort
+during the hot season. If the curtains are too handsome to be kept up,
+buy a second set of inexpensive ones that can be washed without injury.
+It is better that they should stop the dust, and then go into the tub,
+than that one's lungs should collect it all. Curtains are useful as well
+as ornamental, and a house without them is as dreary as breakfast
+without coffee.
+
+
+
+
+_Floors and Floor Coverings_
+
+
+In planning a room the color values should be divided into the natural
+divisions of the heaviest, or darkest, part at the bottom, which is the
+floor; the medium color tone in the middle, which is the wall; and the
+lightest at the top, which is the ceiling. This keeps the room from
+seeming top-heavy and gives the necessary feeling of support for the
+wall and ceiling. The walls and floor serve as a background and should
+not be insistant or startling in color; and the size and height of the
+room, the amount of wall space, the position of doors, windows and
+fireplace, the quantity and quality of the light, and the connecting
+rooms will all be factors in the color scheme and materials chosen.
+
+The floor of a room must be right or all the character of the
+furnishings will be lost. One should first see that it is in perfect
+condition. If it is a hardwood or parquetry floor it should not be
+finished the bright and glaring yellow which is sometimes seen, but
+should be slightly toned down before the finish is put on. Samples of
+different tones should be submitted to be tried with samples of the rug
+and stuffs to be used before the decision is made. A wax finish is
+better than the usual coats of shellac, for the wax has a soft and
+beautiful glow, while shellac has a hard commercial glare. A waxed
+floor, if properly taken care of, which is not difficult, wears
+extremely well and does not have the distressingly shabby appearance of
+a partly worn shellaced floor. If the floor is old and worn and is to be
+painted or stained all cracks should be filled, and the color chosen
+should be a neutral color-in harmony with the rest of the room, the wood
+shades usually being the best, with the exception of cherry and the red
+tones of mahogany. Teak is a good tone for hard wood. Soft wood floors
+of such woods as pine, fir, and cypress can be made to have the
+appearance of hardwood if first scraped or sandpapered and then stained
+with an oil stain and finished with a thin coat of shellac and two coats
+of prepared floor wax.
+
+The usual ways of using floor covering are: one large rug which leaves a
+border of hard wood floor of about a foot all around it; several small
+rugs placed with a well balanced plan upon the floor; and carpet, either
+seamless or of strips sewed together, made into one rug or entirely
+covering the floor.
+
+In the majority of cases the use of a single large plain rug is by far
+the best plan, for it gives the feeling of an unobtrusive background
+whose beauty of color serves to bind the room in the unity of a well
+planned scheme; and this sense of dignity and solidity goes a long way
+on the road to success. It is one of the most satisfactory methods of
+covering a floor imaginable. These plain carpets come in several grades
+and many colors and are woven in widths from nine to thirty feet which
+can be cut in any desired length. This makes it possible to have a rug
+which will be a suitable size for a room. The colors are very good,
+especially the soft grays, tans, putty color, and taupe. There are also
+some good blues and greens, a very beautiful dark blue having great
+possibilities. There are also, besides these wide carpets, narrow
+carpets from twenty-seven inches to four feet wide which can be sewed
+together and made into rugs, or the carpet can cover the entire floor.
+In some cases this is the most attractive thing to do, for it will make
+a room seem larger by carrying the vision all the way to the wall
+without the break of a border; and it also covers a multitude of sins in
+the way of a rough floor. In these days of vacuum cleaners the old
+terrors of dust have lost their sting.
+
+A plain carpet or rug may be used with propriety in any room in the
+house, provided the right color is chosen for the surroundings. Some
+people, however, prefer a figured carpet in the dining-room on account
+of the wear and tear around the table. This risk is not very great if
+the rug is of good quality in the first place. A two-toned all-over
+design is often chosen for halls and stairs because of the special wear
+which they receive, and a Chinese rug is a good selection to make with a
+stair carpet of soft blue and yellow Chinese design to match. A small,
+figured, all-over design is a good choice for a nursery.
+
+Bedrooms may have either one large rug or be covered entirely with
+carpet, or have several rugs so placed that the floor is practically
+covered but is easily kept clean. Plain rugs are more restful in effect
+in bedrooms than figured rugs, and with plain walls and chintz are fresh
+and charming. These carpet rugs should be made with a flat binding which
+turns under and is sewed down, as this looks far better and lies flatter
+on the floor than the usual over-and-over finish, which is apt to
+stretch. All rugs should be thoroughly stretched before they are
+delivered as otherwise they will not lie flat.
+
+There is a kind of plain woven linen rug, with a different colored
+border if desired, which is very good to use in many country houses.
+These rugs come in a large assortment of colors and sizes, and, when
+sufficient time is allowed, they can be made in special sizes.
+Old-fashioned woven and hooked rag rugs are not appropriate in all kinds
+of rooms, even in the country. They should only be used in the simple
+farm house type and in some bungalows, and should be used with the
+simple styles of old furniture and never with fine examples, whether
+copies or originals.
+
+[Illustration: This attractive Colonial hallway shows a good arrangement
+of rugs. The border on the portieres spoils the effect, but the lamp is
+well chosen.]
+
+The light in a room must be taken into account in choosing a rug, and
+cold colors should not be used in north or cheerless rooms. The theory
+of color in regard to light has been explained in other chapters, very
+fully in the chapter on wallpapers, and its principles should be applied
+to all questions of furnishing, or disappointment will be the result.
+
+[Illustration: The Oriental rug used on the stairs harmonizes with those
+used on the floor.]
+
+[Illustration: This bed-room is a good example of a simple Colonial
+bed-room, and the rag rugs are in keeping with it. The repeat design of
+the wallpaper ties the room into a unified whole.]
+
+The question of whether to use Oriental rugs or plain rugs is one which
+many people find hard to solve. One of the deciding factors is often
+finding just what is right for the room, for really beautiful Oriental
+rugs in large or carpet size are rare and also expensive, but soft-toned
+Persian rugs with their interesting floral designs, and Chinese rugs
+with their wonderful tones of blue and yellow are works of art and well
+worth the trouble necessary to discover them and the price asked. They
+are best adapted to some libraries and halls and some dining-rooms, but
+they should not be startling in either design or color. To my mind
+Oriental rugs are not well suited to the majority of living-rooms and
+bedrooms because of the constant and varied use of these rooms. When
+Oriental rugs are used there should be plenty of plain effect in the
+room; the walls, for instance, should be plain. I have never seen a room
+which was successful if both walls and rug were figured. A fine tapestry
+may be used with Oriental rugs, but that is quite different from a
+figured wall. If several rugs are to be used in one room they must be of
+the same color value and the same general color tone or the floor will
+appear uneven. One does not wish to have a room give the uncomfortable
+effect of "the rocky road to Dublin." A rug with a general blue tone
+must not be put with other rugs of many colors or an overpowering amount
+of red, but should be matched in color by having blue the chief color of
+the other rugs also. The color value, too, must be even, for a light
+rug next to a dark has the same disagreeable effect. It is impossible to
+have a beautiful room if the rug seems to rise up and smite you as you
+enter. Persian rugs with their conventional floral designs should not be
+used with the marked color and geometrical designs of Caucasian rugs.
+These points are important to remember and follow, for otherwise unity
+of scheme for the room will be impossible.
+
+If one has several fine rugs well matched in color value and design they
+should be placed with a due regard to the shape of the room and the
+position of the furniture. A rug placed cat-a-cornered breaks up the
+structural plan of the room and makes it appear smaller than it really
+is. The new lines formed are at odds with the lines of the walls and
+interfere with the sense of space by stopping the eye in its instinctive
+journey to the boundary of things. Oriental rugs should be tried if
+possible in the rooms in which they are to be used before the final
+choice is made, and one must always try the rug with the light falling
+across the nap and also with the nap, for one way makes the rug lighter
+and the other darker, and one of the two may be just what is wanted.
+
+If one owns a rug which seems far too bright to use it can be toned
+down, but the owner must take the risk of its being spoiled in the
+process. To me it does not seem a great risk, because if the rug is so
+bright that it is absolutely nerve-destroying and useless, and there is
+a chance that for a small sum it can be made charming, why not take it?
+I have never heard of one failing, but I suppose some of them must or
+the stipulation would not be made.
+
+If an Oriental rug is used it should give the keynote for the color
+scheme, and the design of the rug will decide whether there can be any
+figured material used in the room. It is far easier to build up a scheme
+from a satisfactory rug than it is to try to fit one into a room which
+is otherwise finished. One's field of choice is much wider. Samples of
+wallpaper, curtain material and furniture coverings should always be
+tried with the rugs, whether Oriental or plain in color, for the scheme
+of a room must be worked out as a whole, not piece-meal. Each room must
+be considered in relation to the other rooms near it, because, although
+it may be beautiful in itself, if it does not harmonize with the
+connecting rooms the whole effect will be a failure. Vistas from one
+room to another should be alluring and charming; there should be no
+violent and clashing contrasts of color or styles of furniture or sudden
+change in the scale of furnishings. One room cannot shake off its
+relationship to the rest of the house and be a success, and floor
+coverings must bear their full share of responsibility in making the
+whole house beautiful.
+
+
+
+
+_The Treatment of Walls_
+
+
+The walls of a house hold a most important place in the order of things
+and their treatment requires much thought. The floor is the darkest
+color value in a room, as it is the foundation, and the walls come next
+in color value and consideration. What I have said in other chapters
+about the necessity of connecting rooms being harmonious applies of
+course to the selection of wall coverings.
+
+The first question to be settled is: shall paint or paper be used?
+
+If a house is new the walls are apt to settle a little making the
+plaster crack, and it is far better in such a case to allow the walls to
+remain white for a year. If the effect of plain white plaster strikes
+one as too cold one of the many water tints may be used as this will not
+interfere with any later scheme. In houses that have been built for a
+number of years the walls are often so badly cracked and marred that to
+put them into condition for painting would be more expensive than
+preparing them for paper. Estimates should be given for both paint and
+paper.
+
+When the plaster has done its worst and settled down to a quiet life the
+work of covering the walls appropriately begun.
+
+Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more restful in
+effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls. This is not a
+question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but
+simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall,
+even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less
+of a background. If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a
+figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls. If one
+has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be
+treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain
+background. A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made
+to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral
+color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion
+more pronounced. Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls,
+as they then appear larger. Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter
+of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and
+various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of
+the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and
+lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the
+scheme, instead of making another distracting note.
+
+[Illustration: A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally
+decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.
+The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many
+reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.]
+
+The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances,
+such as the condition of the walls or the climate. With paint one can
+have the exact shade desired and either a "glossy" or eggshell finish.
+With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color
+wanted and changing the other colors to harmonize. Paint is better to
+use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the
+course of time.
+
+[Illustration: This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property
+of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all
+interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
+1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.]
+
+Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
+are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
+requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
+the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
+the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
+background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
+suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
+some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
+room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
+different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
+colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
+picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
+I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
+walls have been painted by great artists.
+
+Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
+elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
+or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
+walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
+plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.
+
+Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is to be used.
+Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
+only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
+is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
+in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
+very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
+people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
+that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
+realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
+when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
+figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
+to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
+as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
+should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
+environment. Samples of the curtains and furniture coverings should also
+be tried with the sample of paper before the final choice is made. If a
+paper with a decided figure is chosen pictures should be banished, for
+their beauty will be killed by the repeated design. The scale of the
+design in relation to the size of the room must also be taken into
+account. A small room will be overpowered by a large figure, but often
+the repeat of a small figure is quite correct in a large room as it
+gives an all-over, unobtrusive effect. If the wall space is much cut by
+doors and windows one should select a plain, neutral toned paper. It
+would be a fatal error to use a figured paper, for the room would look
+restless and chaotic and probably out of balance. If the windows are in
+groups and the doors balance each other the danger is lessened, but not
+done away with. One of the beautiful features in fine old Colonial
+houses is this ordered position of doors, but in many a modern house the
+doors have a trying way of appearing in a corner, as if they were a bit
+ashamed of themselves; and they have good cause to be, for a badly
+placed door is a calamity. If one is fortunate enough to plan one's own
+house, this matter can be taken care of properly, but in the average
+ready made house one has to try to make the doors less conspicuous by
+having them painted in very much the tone of the wall. With a gray wall,
+for instance, there should have a slightly lighter tone of gray for the
+woodwork, with a white and gray striped paper white paint may be used,
+with a soft tan a deep old ivory, and so on.
+
+If a room is badly proportioned it can often be improved by the simple
+expedient of using a correct paper. If the room is too high for its size
+the ceiling color may be brought down on the side wall for eighteen
+inches or so and finished with a moulding. This stops the eye before it
+reaches the ceiling and so makes the room seem lower. If the room is too
+low a striped paper may be used which will make the room seem higher by
+carrying the eye up to the ceiling where the paper is finished with a
+moulding. Vertical lines give the appearance of height, horizontal
+lines of width. Striped paper should not be used in narrow halls, for it
+makes them seem narrower and gives one the feeling of being in a cage.
+Two-toned striped papers of nearly the same color value, such as gray
+and white, yellow and cream-white, and white and cream color, are better
+to use than those of more marked contrast, although some of the green
+and white and blue and white are charming and fresh looking for
+bedrooms. Black and white is too eccentric for the average house; one
+should beware of all eccentric papers. There are a few kinds of paper
+which should be left severely alone, for they will spoil any room. One
+of them has a plain general tone but a suggestion of other colors which
+give it a blurred and mottled appearance which is singularly
+disagreeable. Another is plain in color but has a lumpy effect like a
+toad's back, and is really quite awful. Others are metallic papers, and
+there is a heavy paper embossed in self color with a conventional design
+which is apt to have a shining surface. Papers with dashes and little
+flecks of gold should be avoided, for the gold gives the wall an
+unstable and cheap appearance. Papers with small single figures repeated
+all over the surface are apt to look as if a plague of flies or beetles
+had arrived and are quite impossible to live with. Borders and cut out
+borders have a commonplace appearance and are not in the best of taste.
+And then there are papers with vulgarity of design. This quality is hard
+to define clearly, for it may be only a slightly redundant curve or
+other lack of true feeling for the beauty of line, or a bit too much, or
+too little, color, or a bad combination of color, or a lack of knowledge
+of the laws of balance and harmony and ornament, or a wrong surface of
+texture to the paper. But whatever the cause, a vulgar paper will
+vulgarize any room, no matter what is done in the way of furniture. It
+will assert itself like an ill-bred person. Luckily both are easily
+recognized.
+
+But the picture is not all dark by any means, for some of the American
+made papers, as well as the imported papers, are very beautiful. The
+makers are taking great pains to have fine designs and beautiful colors
+which will appeal to people of knowledge and taste. The situation is
+much better than it was a few years ago. Some of the copies of old
+figured and scenic papers are exceptionally fine, and can be used with
+great distinction in dining-rooms or halls with ivory or cream-white
+woodwork and wainscoting, and Georgian or Colonial furniture. One should
+not use pictures with these papers, but mirrors are permissable and will
+have the best effect if placed on a wood-paneled over-mantel. These
+papers come in tones of gray and white and also sepia. Oriental rugs, if
+not of too conspicuous a design, may be used with them, but plain rugs
+are better with plain hangings and striped silk chair seats. These
+papers are very attractive in country houses. There are also colored
+scenic papers, an especially fascinating one having a Chinese design
+which could be used as a connected scene or in panels, and would be
+lovely in a country house drawing-room or dining-room or hall. It could
+also be used in a city house with beautiful effect if due thought be
+given to the question of hangings, woodwork, rug, and furniture.
+Introduce a false note, and a room of this kind is ruined. These scenic
+papers come in sets, but the copies of the other old papers come in the
+regular rolls. Some of the lovely old "_Toile de Jouy_" designs have
+been used for wall paper, and these with other chintz designs, can be
+softened in effect by a special method of glazing which makes them very
+harmonious and charming with antique furniture or reproductions of fine
+old models. These old chintz papers are lovely for bedrooms or
+morning-rooms, with fresh crisp muslin curtains and plain silk or linen
+or chambray side-curtains. Either painted or mahogany furniture could be
+employed. A motif from the paper can be used for the furniture or it can
+simply be striped with the color chosen for the plain curtains. Some of
+the good and rather stunning bird design papers treated with this
+special glazing make beautiful halls with plain rugs and hangings and
+chair covers.
+
+Papers cost from about forty cents to several dollars a roll, but the
+choice is large and attractive between one and three dollars a roll, and
+there are also excellent ones for eighty-five cents. It is almost
+impossible, however, to give a satisfactory list of prices as they vary
+in different parts of the country. The reproductions of old scenic
+papers of which I have spoken are expensive, costing about one hundred
+dollars a set, but they may go down again now that the war is over. The
+difference in expense between paint and paper is not very great, in
+fact, with the average paper at a dollar or a dollar and a half a roll,
+paint is about the same, or perhaps a bit cheaper if the walls are in
+fairly good condition. It is a mistake to use inferior paper, and there
+should never be more than a lining paper and the paper itself on the
+wall. In some cases where there is only one paper of soft color on the
+wall, with no lining paper, this paper may be used as a lining paper if
+it is absolutely tight and firm. The risk is that the new paste may
+loosen the old a bit and so let all come down. Old paper must be
+entirely removed if there are any marred places as they will show
+through the new and ruin the effect.
+
+The amount of wall space and the quality and the quantity of the light
+are important factors in deciding the color scheme because by using them
+correctly we can brighten a cheerless, dark room or soften the blaze in
+a too sunny one.
+
+If the light is a cold dreary one from the north, the room will be
+vastly improved if warm, cheerful colors are used: warm ivory, deep
+cream color, soft or bright yellow without any greenish tinge in it,
+soft yellow pinks (there is a hard pink which is very ugly), yellow
+green (but not olive), and tones of golden tan. It is the dash of yellow
+in these colors which makes them cheerful and gives the impression of
+sunlight. Tans should never come too close to brown for a dark room, for
+nothing is more dreary or hopeless than a room done in that depressing
+color. The beautiful tones of old oak, or properly treated modern oak
+paneling, are quite a different matter. Small amounts of red or orange
+will do wonders, if used with discretion, in brightening a dull room,
+and are often just what are needed to bring out the beauty of the rest
+of the scheme; but it is a great mistake to think that red walls and a
+great deal of red in the hangings and furniture covering will make a
+cheerful or pleasant room. Red absorbs light and is also an irritant to
+the eyes and nerves, and, unless it is used with great skill, it is apt
+to look extremely commonplace and ugly or like an ostentatious hotel or
+public building. Few of us have large enough houses to make it possible
+to use red in great amounts, and it is well for the average person to
+shun it and remember that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred a red
+wall will spoil a room.
+
+[Illustration: There are few treatments for walls in a Colonial
+dining-room that can compare with paneled walls, or wainscoting with a
+decorative paper above. The subject, however, must be in keeping. This
+paper is extremely inappropriate, and the center light is also badly
+chosen and could be eliminated.]
+
+Cool colors should be used in bright and sunny rooms--blues, greens,
+grays, grayish tans, and those delightful colors, old ivory, and soft
+deep cream color and linen color. Colors with a tone of yellow in them
+are easier to use than cold blues and greens and violets, for the yellow
+tinge, be it ever so little, brings them into relation with the majority
+of woods used in floors and furniture frames. Light colors make a
+room seem larger by apparently making the walls recede, and dark
+colors make it seem smaller, as they make us conscious of the walls and
+so seem to bring them nearer. Any very bright room may have dark walls
+to soften the glare, but if it has to be used by artificial light it
+will then be heavy and cheerless in effect; and so a better choice would
+be some soft neutral color of medium or lighter color values, such as
+gray green, and use awnings and dark shades. This matter of color in
+relation to light is important to remember when planning one's house.
+There is also another question which has great influence on one's choice
+of paper, and that is the amount and kind of furniture to be used in the
+room. Georgian furniture calls for plain or paneled walls, or if a
+figured paper is used it should be one of the old-fashioned designs or
+one of the striped papers. Old-fashioned chintz designs are also
+appropriate for bedrooms with mahogany or painted furniture. Plain or
+paneled walls, striped paper, and some of the fine floral designs, which
+can also be used as panels, and the charming _Toile de Jouy_ designs,
+are all appropriate when used with French furniture. Heavily made
+furniture like Craftsman or Mission needs the support of strong walls
+which may be rough-finished natural-colored or painted plaster, or grass
+cloth, or one of the many good plain papers of heavy texture. There are
+also figured papers which are appropriate. Wicker furniture will go with
+almost any kind of attractive paper which is correct for the room, but
+when there is much figure the cushions should be covered with plain
+stuff. All-over stuffed furniture when covered with chintz looks best
+with plain walls. Painted furniture looks well with plain walls and
+chintz. A motif from the chintz can be used on the furniture for the
+decoration, but if the wall paper is figured the effect will be more
+restful if the furniture is only striped.
+
+[Illustration: This room is unattractive because of the poor arrangement
+of the furniture and the inappropriate bed-hangings. The bed, Sheraton
+chair, and card-table, are all very good examples.]
+
+In summing up: the important points which govern the choice and color of
+wall covering are the connecting rooms, the amount and quality of light,
+the size and shape of the room, its use, the furnishings which are to be
+used, the condition of the walls, and personal preference as to paint or
+paper. Do not be afraid of the idea that plain walls, whether paint or
+paper, may become tiresome, for one can stand well planned monotony year
+in and year out with a cheerful heart. If some rooms are to be papered
+with figured paper be sure the selection is made with care and with the
+idea in mind that a figured wall is in itself a decoration and should
+not have pictures crowded upon it.
+
+
+
+
+_Artificial Lighting_
+
+
+To light a room successfully appropriate lights must be placed where
+they are needed to keep the feeling of balance and proportion and bring
+out the charm of the room by their relation to its furnishing. They
+should also be so placed that the life of the household can go on as
+cheerfully and smoothly in the evening as in the day time.
+
+The position and style of lighting fixtures is decided by the type of
+house, the size and height of the rooms, the amount of wall space, the
+use for which the rooms are intended, their style of furnishing, the
+chief centers of interest, such as mantels, doors, furniture, and
+pictures of importance, and also the manner in which the walls are
+treated, whether paneled or papered. If one is building a house one
+should give all possible data to the architect in regard to any special
+pieces of furniture or pictures which one may wish to use in certain
+places. By doing this the tragedy of a slightly too small wall space
+will be escaped, and the lights will be properly placed in the
+beginning.
+
+One must always remember in planning the position of the lights for a
+room that the eye naturally seeks the brightest spot, and badly placed
+lamps and sidelights will upset the balance of a room. The room must not
+be glaringly bright, but there should be a feeling of a certain
+evenness in the distribution of light. A top light makes the light come
+from the wrong direction. Artificial light in a room should take its
+general idea from the lighting of the room in the day time. The daylight
+comes from the windows, the sides of the room, and the decoration of the
+room is built up with that in mind; so when we are planning the lighting
+scheme we should remember this and realize that the light should come
+from lamps placed advantageously on tables, and wall lights placed
+slightly above eye level.
+
+Living-rooms should have a sufficient number of well placed sidelights
+to enhance the beauty of the room, and they should be placed near
+centers of importance such as each side of the fireplace, or wide door,
+or on each side of some important picture or mirror. If there is a group
+of two or three windows which need to be more convincingly drawn
+together to form a unit, lights may be placed on each side of the group.
+Sidelights can be placed in the center of panels, thus forming a
+decoration for the panel, and, flanking paintings or mirrors or
+tapestries, make beautiful and formal rooms, especially for the
+different periods of French, English, or Italian decoration. This
+treatment with simpler forms of fixtures may also be used in our
+charming, but more or less nondescript, chintz living-rooms and country
+house drawing-rooms or dining-rooms. With a sufficient number of lamps
+in the room the side-or wall-lights need not be lighted during the
+average stay-at-home evenings but are ready if there is some special
+occasion for brilliancy. There are some rooms which are much improved by
+having no side-lights at all, all the light coming from lamps. There
+should be plenty of floor sockets so placed that lamps may be used on
+tables near sofas and armchairs and on the writing table or large
+living-room table. It is this proper placing of lamps which has so much
+to do with the charm and comfort of a room when evening comes.
+
+In the average home there is no greater mistake in the matter of
+lighting than having a room lighted by chandelier or ceiling lights.
+Lights at the top of the room, or a foot or two from the ceiling, break
+up completely the artistic balance of the room by drawing attention to
+them as the brightest spot. They make the room seem smaller both by day
+and night, they cast ugly shadows, they do not give sufficient or
+correct light for reading or writing, and the glare above one's head is
+nerve destroying. When the sun is directly overhead we hasten to put up
+sunshades, so why should we deliberately reproduce in our homes the most
+trying position of light? The fixtures also are usually extremely ugly.
+One sees sometimes in private houses what is called the indirect method
+of lighting, which is usually an alabaster bowl suspended by chains from
+the ceiling in which the lights are concealed. The reflected light on
+the ceiling is supposed to give a suffused and bright light. To my mind
+there is something extremely obnoxious about this method used in homes,
+for it smacks of department stores and banks and public buildings
+generally. And then, too, the light is unpleasant. If I were the
+unfortunate possessor of such a light I should have it taken down and
+use the bowl on a high wrought iron tripod for growing ivy and ferns,
+and thus try to get a little good from the ill wind that blew it there.
+
+There are a few cases, however, where top lights may be used, such as
+large drawing-or music-rooms, rooms in which formal entertaining is to
+be done. Crystal ceiling lights are then best to use, or chandeliers
+with crystal drops or pendants. If these rooms are Italian Renaissance
+in style, the center lights must naturally harmonize in period. Large
+halls with marble stairs and wrought-iron balustrade can have this
+elaborate kind of light, but the average hall demands a simpler
+chandelier. If one is to be used there are some very good copies of old
+Colonial lights and lanterns, but personally I prefer wall brackets and
+a dignified lamp, or a floor lamp. Torcheres or lacquered floor lamps
+may be used in pairs if the hall is large enough to have them placed
+properly. In a long, narrow hall they would look a bit like lamp posts.
+Rather close fitting round shades, nearly the same size at top and
+bottom, made of painted parchment give a decorative touch and sufficient
+light. As one does not need an especially bright light in a hall, a
+beautiful lamp can be made of one of the fine old alabaster vases which
+many people have by dropping an electric bulb in it. Placed on a consol
+table before a mirror it makes a delightful spot in the hall. These
+lamps may also be used in other rooms where a light is needed for effect
+and not for use. In placing lamps the charm and utility of a reflection
+in a mirror must not be overlooked.
+
+A vestibule may have a lantern of some attractive design in harmony with
+the house, or side lights, if they can be so placed as not to be struck
+by the door.
+
+Dining-rooms are far more beautiful and also better lighted if
+sidelights are used, with candles on the table, rather than a drop
+light. Dining-room drop-lights or "domes" have all the disadvantages of
+other center lights and are extremely trying to the eyes of the diners,
+as well as being unbecoming. Even when screened with thin silk drawn
+across the bottom there is something deadening to one's brain in having
+a light just over one's head. Side lights with the added charm of
+candles will give plenty of light. It is a cause for thanksgiving that
+drop-lights over dining-tables are rarely seen now-a-days.
+
+Bedrooms should have a good light over the dressing table, and to my
+mind, two movable lights upon it, which may be in the form of wired
+candlesticks or small lamps. These are much more convenient than fixed
+lights. There should be a light over any long mirror, and one for the
+desk and sofa or _chaise longue_, and one for the bedside table. The
+dressing-room should be supplied with a light over the chiffonier and
+long mirror, and there should also be a table light. Clothes closets
+should have simple lights.
+
+And do not forget the kitchen if one wishes properly cooked meals. A
+light so placed that it shines into the oven has saved many a burned
+dish, and a light over the sink has saved many a broken one. The
+servants' sitting-room should have a good reading lamp.
+
+The question of the style of the fixtures is important, for if they are
+badly chosen they will quite spoil an otherwise perfect room. They must
+harmonize in period with the room, and also with its scale of
+furnishing. There is a wide choice in the shops, and some of the designs
+are very good indeed, having been carefully studied and adapted from
+beautiful museum specimens of old Italian, French, English, and Spanish,
+carvings and ornament. Some of our iron workers make very fine metal
+fixtures which are beautiful copies of old French and Italian work.
+There are graceful and sturdy designs, elaborate and simple, special
+period designs, and many which are appropriate for rooms of no
+particular period. There are charming lacquer sconces to go with lacquer
+furniture, and old-fashioned prism candelabra and sconces, and fixtures
+copied from choice old whale oil lamps in both brass and bronze. There
+are suitable designs for each and every room. The difficulty lies not in
+finding too few to choose from, but too many, and, growing weary,
+making a selection not quite so good as it should be. One should take
+blue prints to the shop if possible, but necessary measurements without
+fail. One must know not only the width of the wall spaces, but the width
+of the pictures and furniture to be put in the room, or the calamity may
+happen of having the fixtures a bit too wide. When fixtures are meant to
+be a special part of the decorative scheme, and support and enhance
+pictures and tapestries, they should have an appropriate decorative
+value also, but in the average home it is better and safer to choose the
+simpler, but still beautiful, designs. It is better to err on the side
+of simplicity than to have them too elaborate.
+
+Lamps should be chosen to harmonize with the room, to add their
+usefulness and beauty to it as a part of the whole and be convincingly
+right both by day and night. There are many possibilities for having
+lamps made of different kinds of pottery and porcelain jars; some
+crackle-ware jars are very good in color. Chinese porcelain jars, both
+single color and figured, make lovely lamps. Old and valuable specimens
+should not be used in this way, for they are works of art. Many modern
+jars are copies of the old and these should be used. There are lacquer
+lamps, bronze, and brass, and carved wood lamps, and lovely Wedgwood and
+alabaster vases. There are charming little floor lamps, some of wrought
+iron with smart little parchment shades, some in Sheraton design, some
+in lacquer or painted wood, which can be easily carried about to stand
+by bridge tables or a special chair. There are dozens of different jars
+and lamps to use, but the one absolutely necessary question to ask
+oneself is: is it right for my purpose?
+
+Lamp shades are a part of the scheme of the room's decoration and should
+be chosen or made to order to achieve the desired effect. Special shades
+are made by many clever people to harmonize with any room or period and
+are apt to be far better than the ready made variety. There are all
+manner of beautiful shades, lace, silk, plain and painted parchment and
+paper, mounted Japanese prints, embroidery, and any number of other
+attractive combinations. To be perfect, beside the fine workmanship,
+they must harmonize in line with the lamps on which they are to be used,
+and harmonize in color and style with the room, and have an absolute
+lack of frills and furbelows. The shade for a reading lamp should spread
+enough to allow the light to shine out. Lamp shades simply for
+illuminating purposes may be any desired shape if in harmony with the
+shape of the lamp. Lacquered painted tin shades are liked by some for
+lamps on writing tables. There should be a certain amount of uniformity
+in the style of the shades in a room, although they need not be exactly
+alike. Too much variety is ruinous to the effect of simple charm in the
+room. The chintz which is used for curtains will supply a motif for the
+painted shades if one wishes them, but if there is a great deal of
+chintz, plain shades will be more attractive. Side lights may have
+little screens or shades, as one prefers, or none may be used. In that
+case the bulbs may be toned down by using ground glass and painting them
+with a thin coat of raw umber water color paint. Bedroom shades follow
+the same rule of appropriateness that applies to the other shades in the
+house. There should be several sets of candle shades for the
+dining-room.
+
+There is really no reason why so many houses should be so badly lighted.
+Often simply rearranging the lamps and changing the shape of the shades
+will do wonders in the way of improvement. Radical changes in the wiring
+should be carefully thought out so there will be no mistakes to
+rectify.
+
+
+
+
+_Painted Furniture_
+
+
+The love of color which is strong in human nature is shown in the
+welcome which has been given to painted furniture. If we turn back to
+review the past we find this same feeling cropping out in the different
+periods and in the different grades of furniture. The furniture of the
+Italian Renaissance was often richly gilded and painted; the carved
+swags of fruit, arabesques, and the entwined human figures, were painted
+in natural colors, or some of the important lines of the furniture were
+picked out with color or gold, or both. As the influence of the
+Renaissance spread to France and England, changed by the national
+temperament of the different countries, we find their furniture often
+blossoming into color--not covered by a solid coat of paint but picked
+out here and there by lines and accenting points. During the time of
+Louis XIV everything was ablaze with gold and glory, but later, during
+the reigns of Louis XV and Louis XVI, a gentler, more refined love of
+color came uppermost, and the lovely painted furniture was made which
+has given so much inspiration to our modern work. The simpler forms of
+the Louis XV period, and the beautiful furniture of the Louis XVI
+period, were often painted soft tones of ivory, blue, green, or yellow,
+and decorated with lovely branches of flowers, birds, and scenery where
+groups of people by Fragonard and other great painters disported with
+all their eighteenth century charm. These decorations were usually
+painted on reserves of old ivory with the ground color outside of some
+soft tone. Martin, the inventor of famous "vernis Martin," flourished at
+this time, and the glow of his beautiful amber-colored finish decorated
+many a piece of furniture from sewing boxes to sedan chairs. In England
+the vogue of painted furniture was given impetus by the genius of the
+Adam Brothers and the beautiful work of Angelica Kaufmann, Cipriani, and
+Pergolesi. In both France and England there was at this time the
+comprehension and appreciation of beauty and good taste combined with a
+carefree gaiety which made the ineffable charm of the eighteenth century
+a living thing. There are some of our modern workmen and painters of
+furniture who feel this so thoroughly that their work is very fine, but
+the majority have no knowledge or understanding of the period, and,
+although they may copy the lovely things of that time, the essence, the
+true spirit, is lacking. Cabinet making and painting in those days was a
+beloved and honored craft; to-day, alas, it is too often a matter of
+union rules.
+
+Chinese lacquer, while not strictly coming under the head of painted
+furniture, was another branch of decorated furniture which was in great
+demand at this time. The design in gold was done on a black or red or
+green ground and was beautiful in effect.
+
+[Illustration: The delicacy of the painting and the graceful proportions
+of these reproductions are in the true spirit of Adam.]
+
+[Illustration: A three-chair settee of the Sheraton period, lacquered,
+and with cane seat. It would be appropriate for a living-room or hall.]
+
+[Illustration: A wing-chair with a painted frame is comfortable and
+harmonizes with painted furniture.]
+
+[Illustration: This simple slat-backed chair can be made most attractive
+at small expense with paint and a motif from the chintz for decoration.]
+
+While the upper classes were having this beautiful furniture made for
+their use, the peasant class was serenely going on its way decorating
+its furniture according to its own ideas and getting charming results.
+The designs were usually conventionalized field flowers done with great
+spirit and charm. From the peasants of Brittany and Flanders and Holland
+have come down to us many beautiful marriage chests and other pieces of
+furniture which are simple and straightforward and a bit crude in their
+design and color, but which have done much to serve as a help and guide
+in our modern work.
+
+The supply of painted furniture to-day is inspired by these different
+kinds of the great periods of decoration. There are many grades and
+kinds in the market, some very fine, keeping up the old traditions of
+beauty, some charming and effective in style and color, but with a
+modern touch, and some very very bad indeed; "and when they are bad they
+are horrid." I have said a great deal in other chapters on this subject,
+but I cannot too often urge those of my readers who have the good
+fortune to live near one of our great art museums to study for
+themselves the precious specimens of the great days of genius. It will
+give a standard by which to judge modern work, and it is only by keeping
+our ideals and demands high that we can save a very beautiful art from
+deteriorating into a commercial affair.
+
+When selecting painted furniture, one can often have some special color
+scheme or decoration carried out at a little extra expense; and this is
+well worth while, for it takes away the "ready made" feeling and gives
+the touch of personality which adds so much to a home. One must see that
+the furniture is well made, that the painting and finishing are properly
+done, and that the decoration is appropriate. If the furniture is of one
+of the French periods, it should be one of the simpler styles and should
+be painted one of the soft ground colors used at the time, and the
+decoration should have the correct feeling--flowers and birds like those
+on old French brocade or _toile de Jouy_ or old prints. The striping
+should be done in some contrasting color or in the wonderful brownish
+black which they used. The design may be taken from the chintz or
+brocade chosen for the room, but the painting must be done in the manner
+of the period. This holds true of any English period chosen, such as
+Adam furniture or the painted furniture of Sheraton. There are several
+firms who make a specialty of this fine grade of furniture, but it is
+not made by the car load; in fact it is usually special order work. The
+kind one finds most often in the shops is furniture copied from the
+simpler Georgian styles or simple modern pieces slightly reminiscent of
+Craftsmen furniture, but not heavy or awkward in build. This furniture
+is painted in different stock colors and designs, or can be painted
+according to the purchaser's wishes as a special order. These "stock"
+designs are often stenciled, but some of them have an effective charm
+and are suitable to country houses, and also many city ones. When there
+is much chintz used, the furniture will often be more attractive if it
+is only striped with the chief color used in the room. The designs which
+are to be avoided are of the Art Nouveau and Cubist variety, roses that
+look like cabbages gone crazy, badly conventionalized flowers, and crude
+and revolting color schemes. It sounds as if it should not be necessary
+to warn people against these monstrosities, and I have never heard of
+any one who buys them, but some one must do so or they would not be in
+the shops.
+
+Attractive and inexpensive painted furniture can be made to be used in
+simple surroundings by buying slat-backed chairs with splint seats and a
+drop-leaf pine table and having them painted the desired ground color
+and then striped and decorated with a motif from the chintz to be used
+in the room. A country house dining-room or bedroom could be most
+charmingly fitted up in this way, chintz cushions could be used on the
+chairs, and candle shades could be made to match. One can sometimes find
+a bed or chest of drawers or other piece of furniture which is a bit
+shopworn and can be had for a bargain. Old bureaus can be made to serve
+as chests of drawers by taking the mirror off and using it as a wall
+mirror. In many houses there are old sets of ugly furniture which can be
+made useful and often attractive by having the jigsaw carving removed
+and painting them. In a set of this kind, which I was doing over for a
+client, there happened to be two beds with towering headboards, quite
+impossible to use, but I combined the two footboards, thus making one
+attractive bed. The furniture was painted a soft pumpkin yellow, striped
+with blue and with little, old-fashioned nosegays, and a lovely linen
+with yellow and cream stripes and baskets of flowers was used and turned
+a dark and dreary room into a cheerful and pretty one.
+
+One can find some kind of suitable painted furniture for nearly every
+room in the average modern house. People everywhere are turning away
+more and more from the heavy, depressing effects of a few years ago; but
+unless they know the ground they are walking on they must tread with
+care. The style chosen must be appropriate and in scale with the style
+of house. The fine examples would look quite out of place in a bungalow
+or very simple house, and the simple kind founded on peasant designs
+would not be suitable in rooms with paneled walls and lovely taffeta
+curtains. In Georgian and simple French designs there are fascinating
+examples of chairs, settees and tables, corner cupboards and sideboards,
+beds and dressing-tables and chests of drawers, mirrors and footstools
+and candlesticks, everything both big and little which can be used in
+almost any of our charming rooms in the average house, with their fresh
+chintz and taffeta and well planned color schemes.
+
+Lacquered furniture is more formal than the average painted furniture,
+and often one or two pieces are sufficient for a room. A beautiful
+lacquered cabinet with its fascinating mounts and its soft, wonderful
+red or black and gold tones is a thing to conjure with. Lacquered
+furniture is lovely for some dining-rooms and morning-rooms. The tables
+should always be protected with glass tops, which also applies to other
+painted furniture.
+
+One or two pieces of painted furniture may be used in a room with other
+furniture if they happen to be just the thing needed to complete the
+scheme. A console table, for instance, with a mirror over it and
+sidelights, might be just the touch needed between two windows hung with
+plain taffeta curtains. Like all good things there must be restraint in
+using it, but there are few things that have greater possibilities than
+painted furniture when properly used.
+
+
+
+
+_Synopsis of Period Styles as an Aid in Buying Furniture._
+
+
+When trying to select furniture for the home, people often become
+bewildered by the amount and variety to be found in the shops, and, not
+knowing exactly what to look for in the different styles, make an
+inappropriate or bad selection. One does not have to be so very learned
+to have things right, but there are certain anachronisms which cry to
+heaven and a little knowledge in advance goes a long way. A purchaser
+should also know something about the construction and grade of the
+furniture he wishes to buy. There are good designs in all the grades,
+which, for the sake of convenience, may be divided into the expensive,
+the medium in price, and the cheap. The amount one wishes to spend will
+decide the grade, and one naturally must not expect to find all the
+beauties and virtues of the first in the last. The differences in these
+grades lie chiefly in the matters of the fit and balance of doors and
+drawers; the joining of corners where, in the better grade, the interior
+blocks used to keep the sides from spreading are screwed as well as
+glued; the selection of well seasoned wood of fine grain; careful
+matching of figures made by the grain of the wood in veneer; panels
+properly made and fitted so they will not shrink or split; careful
+finish both inside and out, and the correct color of the stain used;
+appropriate hardware; hand or machine or "applied" carving. In the cheap
+grades it is best to leave carving out of the question entirely, for it
+is sure to be bad. Then there are the matters of the correctness of
+design and detail, in which all the knowledge one has collected of
+period furniture will be called upon; and in painted furniture the color
+of the background and the charm and execution of the design must be
+taken into account, whether it is done by hand or stenciled. Nearly all
+kinds of woods are used, the difference in cost being caused by the
+grade and amount of labor needed, the kind of wood chosen and its
+abundance and the fineness of grain and the seasoning. Mahogany costs
+more than stained birch, and walnut than gum wood, but there are certain
+people who for some strange reason feel that they are getting something
+a little smarter and better if it is tagged "birch mahogany" than if it
+were simply called birch. Some of the furniture is well stained and some
+shockingly done, the would-be mahogany being either a dead and dreary
+brown or a most hideous shade of red, a very Bolshevik among woods. One
+must remember that the mahogany of the 18th century, the best that there
+has ever been, was a beautiful glowing golden brown, and when a red
+stain was used it was only a little to enhance the richness of the
+natural color of the wood, more of a suggestion than a blazing fact.
+The wood was carefully rubbed with oil and pumice, and the shellac
+finish was rubbed to a soft glow. Modern furniture, especially in the
+medium and cheap grades, is apt to look as if it were encased in a hard
+and shining armor of varnish.
+
+[Illustration: This chair with its silk damask covering edged with gimp,
+the shape of the underframing and arms, and the dull gold carved
+ornaments, shows many characteristics of the Italian Renaissance.]
+
+[Illustration: An elaborately carved Chippendale chair, with late Queen
+Anne influence in the shape of the back. Petit point covering which was
+so popular in her day is now wonderfully reproduced.]
+
+[Illustration: This Chippendale pie crust tip table shows the tripod
+base with claw feet and the carved edge which gives it its name, and
+which was carved down to the level, never applied. A genuine antique pie
+crust table is very valuable.]
+
+[Illustration: This fine example of a Queen Anne lacquered chair shows
+the characteristic splat and top curve, the slip seat narrower at the
+back than front with rounded corners, and cabriole legs.]
+
+Beside this practical knowledge one should have a general idea of the
+artistic side or the appearance of the different period styles and the
+manner in which they were used. To achieve this, one must study the best
+examples it is possible to find in originals, pictures, and properly
+made reproductions. Many of the plates in this book are from extremely
+valuable originals and should be studied carefully as they give a fine
+idea of some of the chief points in the different styles. One should
+also go to libraries and Art Museums whenever possible and study their
+collections. The more knowledge gained the more ease one will have in
+furnishing one's home whether there is everything to buy, or one is
+planning to add a few articles to complete a charming interior, or, with
+an eye to a future plan, is buying good things piece by piece and slowly
+eliminating the bad. It is this knowledge which will help you to study
+your own possessions and decide what is needed and what will be correct
+to buy. That, is one of the most important points, to have a well
+thought out plan, and never to be haphazard in your purchases. Very few
+of us have houses completely furnished in one period, but we do try to
+have a certain unity of spirit kept throughout the whole, whether it be
+French, Italian, English, or our own charming Colonial. There can be a
+great variety in any one of these divisions, and suitable furniture can
+be found for all rooms, from the simplest kind to the most elaborate. It
+is easier to find good reproductions in the English periods of Jacobean,
+Charles II, William and Mary, Queen Anne, and the Georgian time, and the
+French periods of Louis XV and Louis XVI.
+
+
+[Illustration: The upholstery of this Sheraton chair is fastened on with
+brass-headed tacks placed in festoons.]
+
+[Illustration: Notice the curved seat of this Hepplewhite chair.]
+
+[Illustration: The wheel back design was often used by Adam. The arms,
+the curve of the seat and carving, the tapering reeded legs, and the
+angle of the back legs should all be noticed.]
+
+[Illustration: As Chippendale did not use this style of leg they show
+that the chair was probably reconstructed from two old chairs.]
+
+If one wishes a house furnished in the Gothic period it will be
+necessary to have nearly all the different pieces made to order, as
+there are few reproductions made. As our modern necessities of furniture
+were not known in those days, the designs would have to be carried out
+more in the spirit of the style than the letter, and one must be certain
+to have advice and designs from some person who thoroughly understands
+the period and who will see that the whole is properly carried out.
+Gothic days were rough and strenuous, and the furniture was strong and
+heavy and was made chiefly of oak with no varnish of any kind. The
+characteristic lines of the furniture and the designs for carving were
+architectural, and a careful study of the Gothic cathedrals of France,
+Belgium, and England will give a very satisfactory idea of this
+wonderful time. The idea of the pointed arch, rose window, trefoil,
+quatrefoil, animal grotesques, and geometric designs, as well as the
+beautiful linen-fold design, were all adapted for use as carving in the
+panels of the furniture of the day, which consisted of chests that
+served as seats, buffets, armoires, screens, trestle tables, as well as
+the choir stalls of churches.
+
+This style is appropriate to large and dignified country houses. The
+architect must see that the background is correct.
+
+The Renaissance period should not be attempted as a style to furnish
+one's house unless it can be carried out properly. The house should be
+large and architecturally correct, and there should be at least a near
+relation of a Fortunatus purse to draw upon. It is one of the
+magnificent and dignified periods, and makeshifts and poor copies have a
+pitiful appearance and are really time and money wasted.
+
+Much of the furniture of the Renaissance was architectural in design,
+many chests and cupboards and cabinets having the appearance of temple
+facades. The carving was in both low and high relief and was extremely
+beautiful, but in the later part of the period became too ornate. Walnut
+and chestnut were the chief woods used, and there was much inlay of
+tortoise shell, ivory, brass, mother-of-pearl, lapis-lazuli, and fine
+woods. There was much gilding, and paint was also used, and the metal
+mounts were of the finest workmanship. The bronze andirons, knockers,
+candlesticks, of this time have never been equalled. There was a strong
+feeling of balance in the decorations, and the chief motifs were the
+acanthus beautifully carved, conventionalized flowers and fruit, horns
+of plenty, swags and wreaths of fruit and flowers, the scroll, dolphin,
+human figure, and half figure ending in fanciful designs of foliage.
+Beautiful and fascinating arabesques were carved and painted on the
+walls and pilasters. The chief pieces of furniture were magnificently
+carved chests and coffers which were also sometimes gilded and painted,
+oblong tables with elaborately carved supports at each end, usually with
+a connecting shelf on which were smaller carved supports. The chairs
+were high backed with much carving and gilding, and there were others of
+simpler form with leather or tapestry or damask seats and backs. The
+Savanarola chair was in the form of a curved X with seat and back of
+velvet or leather or sometimes wood on which a cushion was used. Mirror
+frames were magnificently carved and gilded and picked out with color.
+The rooms were a fitting background for all this splendor, for the
+woodwork and walls were paneled and carved and painted, the work often
+being done by the greatest painters of the day.
+
+The French Renaissance followed the general line of the Italian but was
+lighter and less architectural in its furniture designs and ornament.
+Chairs were slowly becoming more common, and rooms began to be more
+livable.
+
+[Illustration: This Jacobean buffet is finely reproduced with the
+exception of the spiral carving of the legs, which is too sharp and
+thin, and gives the appearance of inadequate support. The split spindle
+ornament was much used on furniture of the period.]
+
+The English Renaissance was of slow growth and was always marked by a
+certain English sturdiness, which is one of the reasons why it is more
+easily used in our modern houses. It began in the time of Henry VIII
+and lasted through the Tudor and Jacobean periods.
+
+[Illustration: A style that harmonizes with Chippendale furniture.]
+
+[Illustration: This style of mirror was popular in the early nineteenth
+century.]
+
+[Illustration: The painted scene is often an important feature.]
+
+[Illustration: The Empire style has columns at the sides and gilt
+ornaments.]
+
+The best modern copies of Renaissance furniture are not to be found in
+every shop and are usually in the special order class. There are some
+makers in America, however, who make extraordinarily fine copies, and
+there is the supply from Europe of fine copies and "faked" originals--a
+guaranteed original is a very rare and expensive thing.
+
+The period of Louis XIV in France was another "magnificent" period and
+should not be used in small or simple houses. Louis XIV furniture was
+large and massive, lavish in gilding and carving and ornament, but had
+dignity as well as splendor. The Gobelin and Beauvais Tapestry Works
+produced their wonderful series of tapestries, and Boulle inlay of brass
+and tortoise shell was lavished on furniture, and the ormolu mounts were
+beautiful and elaborate. All workmanship was of the highest. During the
+early part of the period the legs of chairs and tables were straight and
+square in shape, sometimes tapering, and much carved, and had
+underframing. Later they were curved and carved, a kind of elaborate
+cabriole leg, and had carved underframing. Toward the end of the period
+the curved leg and underframing became much simpler, some of the
+furniture having no underframing, and slowly the style merged into that
+of the Regency and Louis XV. The illustrations for the long chapter on
+Louis XIV show some very fine examples of both the grand and simple
+form of chair, and also show that comfort was becoming more of a fact.
+The materials used for upholstery were brocades of large pattern,
+tapestries, and splendid velvets. Tables, chests, armoires, desks,
+console tables, mirrors, screens, all were carved or painted or inlaid,
+gilded and mounted with wonderful metal mounts.
+
+There is great danger, in buying furniture for both this period and the
+Renaissance, that the reproductions chosen may be too florid, the
+gilding too bright, the carving too ornate, with an indescribable
+vulgarity of line in place of the beauty of line which the best
+originals have. Some of the best makers are, however, making some very
+fine reproductions of the simpler forms of this time which are beautiful
+to use in houses of fair size and importance.
+
+If one wishes to use Louis XV furniture it is better to choose the
+simpler and more beautiful designs rather than the over-elaborate
+rococo. The period was a long one, sixty-nine years, and began with a
+reminiscence of the grandeur and dignity of the time of Louis XIV, which
+was soon lost in the orgy of curves and excessive ornament of the rococo
+portion; and toward the end came the reaction to simpler and finer taste
+which reached its perfection in the next reign of Louis XVI. The legs of
+the furniture of Louis XV time were curved and carved, light and
+slender, and had no underframes or stretchers. The frames which showed
+around the upholstery or cane were carved elaborately and later more
+simply (see illustration at end of chapter on Louis XV). Walnut,
+chestnut, ebony, and some mahogany were used. Some of the furniture was
+veneered, and there was a great deal of gilding used and also much
+painted furniture. The ormolu mounts were most elaborate, curved and
+ornate like the carving, and were used wherever possible. The brocades
+used for furniture coverings were lovely in color and design. Garlands,
+flowers, lace and ribbon effects, baskets of flowers, shells, curled
+endive, feathers, scrolls, all were used, as well as pastoral scenes by
+Boucher and Watteau for tapestry and paintings. Comfort had made a long
+step forward.
+
+The period of Louis XVI was much more beautiful in style than the
+preceding one, as it was more restrained and exquisite because of the
+use of the straight line or a gracious, simple curve. This comparative
+simplicity does not come from lack of true feeling for beauty but rather
+because of it. The sense of proper proportion was shown in both the
+furniture and the room decoration. The backs of chairs and settees were
+round or rectangular, and the legs were square, round, or fluted, and
+were tapering in all cases. The fluting was sometimes filled with metal
+husks at top and bottom, leaving a plain stretch between. Walnut and
+mahogany were much used and were beautifully polished, but had no vulgar
+and hard varnished glare. There was wonderful inlay and veneer, and much
+of the furniture was enamelled in soft colors and picked out with gold
+or some harmonizing color. Gilding was also used for the entire frame.
+The metal mounts were very fine. Brocades of lovely color and designs of
+flowers, bowknots, wreaths, festoons, lace, feathers, etc.; chintz, the
+lovely "_toil de Jouy_," which is so well copied nowadays; soft toned
+taffeta, Gobelin and Beauvais and Aubusson tapestries, were all used for
+hanging and furniture coverings. Cane also became much more popular.
+Walls were paneled with moldings, and fluted pilasters divided too large
+spaces into good proportions. Tapestry and paintings were paneled on the
+walls, and the colors chosen for the backgrounds were light and soft.
+
+The charm and beauty of this style as well as its dignity make it one
+which may be used in almost any modern house, as it ranges from
+simplicity to a beautiful restrained elaborateness suitable to the
+formal rooms.
+
+[Illustration: The modern style of mirror is brought into harmony with
+the eighteenth century dressing-table by means of carving.]
+
+[Illustration: This William and Mary settee would be delightful in a
+country house. There are chairs to match it.]
+
+The change from Louis XVI to the Empire was a violent one both
+politically and artistically. The influence of the great days of the
+Roman empire and the mystery of ancient Egypt stirred Napoleon's
+imagination and formed his taste. Empire furniture was solid and heavy,
+with little or no carving, and much ornamentation of metal mounts.
+Mahogany was chiefly used, and some furniture was gilded or bronzed.
+Round columns finished with metal capitals and bases appeared on large
+desks and other pieces of furniture. Chairs were solid, many of them
+throne-like in design, and many with elaborately carved arms in the
+form of swans and sphinxes, and metal ornaments. The simpler form of
+chair, which was copied and used extensively in America, as a
+dining-chair, often had a curved back and graceful lines. Furniture
+coverings were very bright satins and velvets brocaded with the
+Emperor's favorite emblems, the bee, torch, wreath, anthemion. It is a
+heavy and gaudy style and must be used with great discretion. American
+Empire furniture was far simpler and is better suited to many American
+homes. In buying it, however, one must be careful to select copies from
+the earlier part of the time, for it fast deteriorated into heavy and
+vulgar curves. This American Empire furniture is often shown in the
+shops under the name of Colonial, which is a misnomer, as we had ceased
+to be colonies years before it came into existence. It was used during
+the first half of the nineteenth century.
+
+[Illustration: These chairs are reproductions of designs by the Adam
+Brothers. They are of satinwood, covered with damask. This design was
+also used by Hepplewhite.]
+
+[Illustration: The first day beds, or chaise longue, were made during
+the Jacobean period. As will be seen, this "stretcher," as they were
+also called, has Charles II influence in its carving and Spanish feet.]
+
+When we come to English furniture, I think we all take heart of grace a
+little, for there is something about its sturdiness that seems to appeal
+to our American sense of appropriateness. By inheritance we have more of
+the English point of view about the standards of life and living and we
+seem to settle down with more comfort in a house furnished in any one of
+the English periods than we do with any of the other great styles.
+
+The English Renaissance is often called the age of oak, and all through
+the long years of its slow development this oaken bond, so to speak,
+gave it a certain unity which makes it possible to use much of the
+furniture of its different divisions together. There are many fine
+reproductions made of the Tudor and Elizabethan times, but from the
+early Stuart days, the time of James I onward, good reproductions become
+more plentiful. This does not mean, however, that one is safe in buying
+anything called Jacobean or Queen Anne or Georgian. One must still be
+careful and go armed with as much knowledge as possible. For instance,
+do not buy any Tudor, Elizabethan, Jacobean, or Charles II furniture
+made of mahogany or with a high polish. Do not buy any with finicky or
+delicate brass handles. This may seem an unnecessary warning, but I have
+seen dainty oval Hepplewhite handles used on a heavy Jacobean chest.
+This does not happen often, but a word to the wise--. The handles which
+were used were some times of iron and sometimes of brass, often with a
+little design etched on them, and the drop handles were either oblong or
+round rings, or pear- or tear-shaped drops with either a round or oblong
+plate. H-hinges of iron were used. Chairs of the time of James I, which
+are much like those of Louis XIII in France, were square and strong with
+plain or spiral turned legs, and stretchers, and had seats and half
+backs covered with needlework, leather, velvet, or damask. They would
+make very comfortable dining chairs and would harmonize with sturdy
+gate-legged tables, or the long narrow tables which show the influence
+of Elizabeth's time in the carved drum or acorn-like bulbs of the legs.
+A court-cupboard would make a beautiful sideboard, and one of the long
+tables spoken of above would make an appropriate serving-table. Carved
+chests, and screens covered with leather or needlework, may be used in
+rooms of this kind, and for modern comfort one may add stuffed chairs
+and sofas if the proper materials for coverings are chosen. There are
+some very fine copies made of old needlework of different kinds and also
+of damasks and other stuffs. One must have the right background for all
+this, oak paneled walls and tapestry and plain or figured velvet or
+damask hangings. There are also some finely designed heavy linens which
+are correct to use.
+
+The furniture of Cromwell's time was much like that of the time of James
+I and Charles I, but was simplified wherever possible. There were no
+pomps and vanities in those stern days.
+
+When Charles II came to the throne, there was a reaction against Puritan
+gloom which showed in the furniture being of a more elaborate design.
+Chair backs were high and narrow with carved and pierced panels of wood,
+or carved backs with cane panels, and the carved front rail carried out
+the feeling and balanced the carved top rail. The crown and rose and
+shell were used, supported by cherubs and opposed S curves. The
+illustration opposite page 65 will give a very good idea of the general
+style. Upholstery was also used, and day-beds and high-boys made their
+appearance. The chests of earlier days became chests of drawers. Rooms
+were paneled in oak, and much beautiful tapestry was used. Walnut began
+to take the place of oak in the later days of Charles II and those of
+James II, and introduced the age of walnut which lasted through the
+reigns of William and Mary and Queen Anne.
+
+The furniture of the early days of William and Mary was much like that
+of the time of Charles II. The chair backs remained high and narrow, but
+the carving slowly grew simpler and the caning at last went entirely
+across the back. Many of the early chairs had three carved splats or
+balusters in the back, and a feature which added greatly to comfort was
+the slight curve the backs were given instead of the perfectly straight
+backs of Jacobean days. Dutch influence at least conquered the old
+style, and the more characteristic furniture of William and Mary was
+made. A rather elaborate form of the cabriole leg was used, ending in a
+species of hoof with a scroll-like stretcher between the front legs and
+curved stretchers connecting all four legs. The cabriole leg became
+simpler as time passed until in the days of Queen Mary it became the one
+we all know so well in the Dutch chairs and the early work of
+Chippendale.
+
+[Illustration: These copies of rare old pieces of furniture are of the
+best. The choice of wood, the carving, the inlay, all show the highest
+ideals. The Chinese Chippendale table shows the pagoda effect, and the
+Hepplewhite desk has the charm of a secret drawer.]
+
+There was much beautiful marquetry used; in fact it is a marked
+characteristic of much of the furniture of William and Mary. After she
+died in 1694, the white jasmine flower and green leaves were not used
+so much, and the sea-weed pattern and acanthus became more popular.
+
+[Illustration: An exceptionally fine reproduction of a Sheraton chest of
+drawers.]
+
+[Illustration: The walnut used in this adaptation of the William and
+Mary period is very fine. Shaving-glasses were used throughout the
+eighteenth century.]
+
+The cup-and-ball design of turned legs with curved stretchers was used
+for chairs, settees, tables, cabinets. China cupboards with their
+double-hooded tops and soft colored brocade linings were used to display
+the wonderful china collections so much in vogue. There was much
+upholstered furniture covered with beautiful petit-point, which is
+perfectly reproduced nowadays, but is naturally expensive. Silks,
+velvets, and damasks were also used, and Queen Mary had a "beautiful
+chintz bed."
+
+The handles used were of various kinds, the favorite being the drop from
+a round or star-shaped boss. The furniture was beautifully polished but
+did not have a bright gloss.
+
+When Anne came to the throne in 1702, the English cabinet maker had
+became an expert craftsman, and we have the beginning of the finest
+period of English cabinet-making, which later, in the Georgian period,
+blossomed into its full glory. The furniture of this time was of walnut.
+The chairs had a narrow, fairly high back, with a central splat
+spoon-shaped and later fiddle-shaped. The corners of the back were
+always rounded. The cabriole legs were often carved with a shell on the
+knees, the acanthus being used in the more elaborate pieces of
+furniture, and ended chiefly in a club foot. Stretchers became less
+common, but if they were used were pushed back and did not form such an
+important part of the chair design. Seats were broader at the front
+than at the back, and all furniture showed a real desire for comfort and
+convenience. Marquetry and lacquer were both in great favor, and there
+are wonderful examples of both reproduced, but especially lacquer.
+Petit-point, damask, velvet, and chintz were all used for upholstery and
+hangings. Chintz was becoming more plentiful, but it was not until the
+Georgian period that it reached its perfection.
+
+The Georgian period covers the work of Chippendale, the Adam Brothers,
+Hepplewhite, and Sheraton, who gave to the eighteenth century its
+undying decorative fame.
+
+[Illustration: A glassed-in sun-porch furnished with comfortable wicker
+furniture adds much to the joy of life.]
+
+When Chippendale began his fine work, the Dutch influence of Queen
+Anne's reign was still strong, and this shows in his furniture; but his
+genius lightened and improved it. The characteristics of his style which
+remained fairly stable through his different phases were the use of
+mahogany, a certain squareness and solidity of design which has no
+appearance of heaviness because of the fine proportions, chair backs
+with a center splat reaching to the seat. The curving top rail always
+had curving up corners (see drawings page 84). The center splat was
+solid at first, but soon was pierced and carved, and went through the
+many developments of his style such as ribbon-back, Chinese, and Gothic.
+In some chairs he also used horizontal rails, and what are called
+"all-over backs." The legs of his earlier furniture were cabriole, and
+later they were straight. He used much and beautiful carving, gave
+great attention to the beauty of the wood and the perfection of
+workmanship and finish. Chippendale's settees were at first designed
+like two chair backs side by side, and if a larger settee was made
+either a third chair back of the same design or a different but
+harmonizing one was used. His dining-tables were made up of two center
+pieces with wide flaps on each side, and two semicircular tables, and
+all four pieces could be fastened together into one long table by brass
+fasteners. The end pieces were used as side tables or sideboards, for
+the sideboard as we know it did not come until later. He also made
+oblong sidetables, some with marble tops, which were used as sideboards
+with wine-coolers placed underneath, and usually a large tea-caddy or
+tea box on top. The beds which Chippendale made were large and elaborate
+four-posters, with beautiful carved cornices and posts. The curtains
+hung from the inside of the cornice, and silks or chintz were used for
+the curtains. His mirror frames were very elaborately carved, and in his
+rococo period were fairly fantastic with dripping water, Chinese
+pagodas, rocks, birds with long beaks, and figures. They were gilded,
+and some were left in the natural mahogany. He made folding card-tables
+with saucer-like places at the corners for candles, and later when the
+candle-stand came into fashion, the tables were made without them.
+
+
+[Illustration: An admirable example of the Sheraton style mahogany
+settee with original silk covering.]
+
+[Illustration: While this nest of mahogany tables is attractive in the
+room its appearance in the picture is of an inappropriate and heavy
+mission table.]
+
+[Illustration: A lamp would be an addition to this corner. The footstool
+is Victorian and a bit clumsy.]
+
+There are many fine reproductions of Chippendale's furniture made which
+carry out the spirit of his work. In the medium and inexpensive grades,
+however, there is danger of bad carving, a clumsy thickening of
+proportions, a jumble of his different periods, and too red a stain and
+too high a varnish glitter. Good examples can be found in these grades,
+but one must spend time looking for them, and perhaps it may be
+necessary to have them rubbed down with powdered pumice and linseed oil.
+If one uses Chippendale furniture, or that of any of the other Georgian
+makers, the walls should not be covered with a modern design of wall
+paper. Plain walls or molding may be used, or one of the fine old
+designs of figured paper, and this must be used with great discretion
+and is better if there is a wainscot. Chippendale was very fond of using
+morocco, but damask and velvet and chintz may also be used. The chintzes
+were charming in design, and many good copies are made.
+
+[Illustration: This is in reality a moderate-sized room, yet the open
+arrangement and the clear center give the impression of great space. The
+curve of the fireplace and the oak panelling are simple Tudor. The
+furniture is a mixture of many kinds.]
+
+[Illustration: The wallpaper border, the bedspread, the table cover, and
+the curtains are all wrong in this room. The Empire bed is good but
+should not have castors.]
+
+The Adam Brothers, of whom Robert was the more important, showed strong
+classical influence in their work, and much of it resembles that of
+Louis XVI, which was influenced from the same source. Chairs had square
+or round or oval backs, and they also used a lyre-shaped splat which was
+copied later by Sheraton. Often the top rail was decorated by small and
+charming painted panels. These little panels were also used in the
+center of cobweb caning in chair backs and settees. Legs of chairs and
+tables were tapering and round or square and often reeded or fluted.
+Adam used much mahogany and kept its beautiful golden brown tone (not
+the dead brown called "Adam" too often in the shops), and also
+satin-wood and painted wood. The best artists of the day did the
+painting. Wedgwood medallions were introduced into the more important
+pieces of furniture. Painted placques, lovely festoons, and charming
+groups of figures, vases of flowers, and Wedgwood designs, and designs
+radiating from a center, as on semicircular console table tops, are all
+characteristic of his work. He also used much inlay. As Adam usually
+planned all the furniture and the interior of the house, even to the
+door-knobs, he kept the feeling of unity in both background and
+furnishings.
+
+[Illustration: The Hancock desk was a design greatly favored in America
+in the eighteenth century. This fine example dates from about 1750.]
+
+[Illustration: The general proportions, the broken pediment and torch or
+flame ornaments and drops, large brasses, and cabriole legs all show
+that this splendid example of a highboy belongs to the same time as the
+desk, about 1750.]
+
+Hepplewhite's furniture has much of the delicacy of Adam's work, by
+whom, without doubt, he was influenced, as he was also by the French
+styles of the time. Luckily his own personality and sense of beauty and
+ingenuity were strong enough to develop a marked and beautiful style of
+his own. His favorite chair back was shield-shaped (see page 83), and he
+also used heart-shaped and wheel backs, either round or oval, and
+charmingly painted little panels. The three feathers of the Prince of
+Wales was a favorite design. He also made ladder-back chairs, usually
+with four rails. On much of his furniture the legs tapered on the inside
+edge only and were put in at a slight angle which gave security both in
+fact and appearance. He also used reeded legs. His console and other
+tables are beautiful in design and workmanship, being painted usually in
+different forms of the radiating fan design, or inlaid with beautiful
+colored woods. The inlay used was often oval in shape, sometimes only a
+line and sometimes panels of different woods or matched veneer. The
+handles used were round or oval. He made sofas and settees with either
+chair-back backs or all upholstered with the frame showing and the
+covering tacked on with brass tacks close together. His cabinets are
+fascinating, with their beautiful inlay and delicate strap work over the
+glass. He made four-post beds with fluted posts, and chests of drawers
+and little work tables and candle-stands and screens; and one thing we
+must be deeply grateful to him for is that he developed the sideboard
+into a really useful and beautiful piece of furniture. He made nearly
+everything in the way of necessities, and all show the marks of his
+taste. His dining-tables were on the plan of those of Chippendale but
+lighter in effect with tapering legs instead of the long cabriole leg
+ending in claw feet. His mirrors were usually oval with charming
+festoons. His favorite woods were mahogany and satin-wood, and he used
+many fine woods for inlay. Chintz and taffeta and fine velvet are all
+appropriate to use.
+
+In his best designs Sheraton was much influenced by Adam and Hepplewhite
+and the style of Louis XVI, but like them he also developed his own
+special and beautiful style. He used mahogany and a great deal of
+satin-wood of beautiful grain and of a delightful straw color, which was
+often veneered on oak frames. He was exceedingly fond of inlay, and his
+designs called for inlaid panels, borders, and festoons. He used the
+shell, bell-flower, fan, etc., all carried out in fine colored woods. He
+also used much painted furniture, and often designed white and gold
+furniture for drawing-rooms. His characteristic chair back was
+rectangular in shape with a central splat resting on a rail a few inches
+above the seat (see page 83). This splat was in many different forms,
+both inlaid and painted. The legs of his furniture were tapering and
+either square or reeded, the square usually being inlaid. He made
+beautiful sideboards which were inlaid and finished with a brass rail
+around the sides and back of the top, and round or oval or lion's-head
+handles with rings. He also designed most graceful inlaid knife boxes.
+Like Hepplewhite, he designed all kinds of furniture both large and
+small, and, until his deterioration came when he designed his
+astonishing Empire furniture, his style is full of beauty and charm and
+delicacy, and is copied very successfully by our modern makers.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Furnishing the Home of Good Taste
+by Lucy Abbot Throop
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FURNISHING THE HOME OF GOOD TASTE ***
+
+***** This file should be named 14824.txt or 14824.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        https://www.gutenberg.org/1/4/8/2/14824/
+
+Produced by Charles Aldarondo, Susan Skinner and the PG Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team.
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+https://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+https://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at https://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit https://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations.  To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     https://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/old/14824.zip b/old/14824.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..377951a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/old/14824.zip