December, 19 13 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



421 



able color make curtains, bet- 

 ter suited to every day wear than 

 velvet or silk in unpretentious 

 houses. 



Large patterned fabrics give 

 more distinction to the heavy cur- 

 tain when combined with a plain 

 wall of the same general color tone. 

 The monotony of the constant repe- 

 tition of one identical color in wall 

 surface and curtain fabric is some- 

 times well to avoid. But it is even 

 worse to make the two of such vio- 

 lent contrast that attention is forced 

 to this difference in color. 



It is better to select a curtain fab- 

 ric somewhat darker in tone than 

 the wall covering and under all 

 conditions try to have a variety of 

 several colors with some one tone 

 that of the color of the wall cover- 

 ing. This repetition of the prevail- 

 ing wall color in small spaces on the 

 curtain material connects the several 

 different colors used in a room and 

 is the well-known "principal of bal- 

 ance" so constantly practised by de- 

 signers possessed of a fkie color sense. This passes un- 

 noticed by the uncritical eye whose frequent displeasure over 

 false, combinations of colors can only find expression in 

 such phrases as, "there's something wrong with it some- 

 where, I don't know what it is." 



■ The art of -knowing just what colors may be combined 

 successfully "remains always a closed secret to persons not 

 gifted with a natural color sense, certainly to those who have 

 given the matter no thought or study. Very naturally those 

 persons leave all these fine distinctions to the decorator to 

 solve for them and do not attempt to decide any matter of 

 color for themselves. 



Among fabrics highly esteemed for their beauty of tex- 

 ture, next to plain velvet, may be mentioned the heavy 

 corded silks. Those made in Japan have an irregular sur- 

 face given by a heavier thread woven in at intervals to give 

 the quality of irregularity, the very thing most avoided by 

 French weavers, who aim above all else at an even sur- 

 face in the manufacture of the fabric itself. With the 

 corded silks galloons and braids of various kinds may be 



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A very beautiful cotton cord landscape tapestry. This 

 can be had for about $4.50 a yard 



combined for trimming, if desired. 

 When windows are high and the 

 over curtains hang quite to the floor, 

 bands of gold or bronze braid may 

 be used in crosswise effects at the 

 top or bottom as the division of 

 wall space in the room may deter- 

 mine. Heavy draperies hung over 

 thin curtains should always be 

 interlined to give weight and body 

 to the curtain. Very few materials 

 have sufficient body of themselves 

 to supply this essential appearance 

 of thickness. With an interlining 

 materials of very light weight may 

 be used with the best results, but 

 without the interlining the over cur- 

 tains hang in stringy folds looking 

 flimsy and thin. 



For some rooms where heavy 

 wood paneling makes the arras 

 cloth of woven tapestry suitable in 

 the wall spaces a heavy plain bas- 

 ket cloth of the tone of the wood- 

 work seems the best thing for cur- 

 tains. Where a plain wall surface 

 needs some variety in the heavy 

 draperies, good linen taffetas, having a pattern in large rich 

 colors seems to be the best thing. The modern German 

 designers have given us many rich and quite unusual pat- 

 terns in these fabrics. The Morris designs are always 

 agreeable for libraries, living-rooms and dining-rooms. 



For a group of casement windows heavy side curtains 

 with a valance above of similar material seems to frame the 

 whole, although the heavy curtains are not drawn over the 

 entire window. If one does not want to shut out the light 

 from the upper portion of the window by this valance, it 

 may be hung above the window frame, low enough to cover 

 the top of the window and the side curtains hung on the 

 same pole will finish the window as with a frame. 



In many cases stencil patterns on plain linen give better 

 satisfaction than woven patterns, especially when borders 

 only are desired. The lower third of the curtain may be 

 treated in this way, by using dyes and a stencil pattern, Jap- 

 anese stencil or those designed by workers in the crafts are 

 very handsome. For bedrooms, over curtains of silk with 

 a backing of sufficient weight, will give added warmth. 



Old needlework and "Futurist" pattern fabrics in strongly contrasting colors. French linen fabrics with a pattern adapted from Chinese porce- 

 lain and a landscape garden in gay colors 



