424 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



December, 1 913 



The grey drawing-room with its paneled walls is 



of much better proportions. This room is full of color and 

 flowers are everywhere. The grey of the walls is counter- 

 balanced by the beautiful tones which glow in the uphol- 

 stery fabrics and the long overcurtains, over white muslin, 

 at the windows. Wonderful shades of rose-pinks and reds 

 are the dominant colors here, and are repeated in the ex- 

 quisite Persian rug spread over the parquet floor. Over the 

 beautiful mantel of white veined marble, is an antique panel 

 from an old French house, having a small mirror set be- 

 tween fluted pilasters, and a carved panel above. The spaces 

 between the windows have been filled with mirrors resting 

 on Louis XVI consoles of grey painted wood. 



The illumination is almost entirely by the soft rays of 

 candle-light, there being twenty candles in this room, sup- 

 plemented by two electric lamps made from Chinese por- 

 celain vases. The candle sconces on the walls are very 

 interesting, and are in the form of a spray of flowers tied 

 with a bowknot, the blossoms being of old Saxe porcelain. 

 In the panel opposite the mantelpiece, the interest centres 

 in a very beautiful decorative portrait by Nattier, framed in 

 grey, and underneath it is a gold Louis XVI davenport, or 

 canape d' alcove, as the French put it. In the two large 

 panels, on either side of the mantel, are hung a few pictures, 

 framed in dull gold, of architectural ruins and flowers 

 treated decoratively. 



Across the stairhall from the drawing-room is the din- 

 ing-room, or dining salon, as it might better be called, in- 

 as-much as it is not furnished in the accepted dining-room 

 manner. It is paneled and painted grey and is a fitting com- 

 panion for the drawing-room across the hall. 



This is an exquisite, simple room and a great deal of 

 thought has been expended on its decoration. The color 

 scheme was worked out from the Chinese rug of yellow, 



one of the most beautiful apartments in the house 



brown and Chinese blue, which covers the parquet floor. 

 These colors have been repeated in the gold Louis XVI 

 chairs, and in the colors of the wonderful blue velvet fab- 

 ric, with which they are covered, having a yellow satin stripe 

 in it. Against the panes are white muslin curtains fulled on 

 rods at top and bottom, with small looped-up overcurtains 

 of yellow taffeta, reaching only half way to the sill. Instead 

 of a serving table and sideboard, two Louis XVI console 

 tables of grey painted wood, having tops of black and grey 

 marble, have been used. The dining table has been carved 

 in low relief , painted grey, and has a plate glass top over 

 a lace cloth. The apparent width of this room has been 

 increased by placing two mirrors opposite each other, one 

 over the mantelpiece and the other over one of the console 

 tables. These mirrors have been framed in moldings and 

 the panel at the top has been filled out by a long painting, 

 showing cameo-like figures against a grey background. This 

 same treatment has been accorded the panel over the man- 

 telpiece and is a delightful way of using an old decorative 

 picture. The other pictures are old cartoons for tapestries 

 done in crayon and touched up with watercolor, and show 

 great clusters of roses in classic marble vase's. They are 

 framed in carved moldings, painted the same color as the 

 walls, under glass, and are attached directly to the walls\ 

 This is a commendable way of framing decorative pictures 

 and makes them an integral part of the room. The side- 

 lights are gilt-bronze Louis XVI sconces, holding real 

 candles, and on the console tables are silver candlesticks 

 which adorn the table at dinnertime. 



The next floor contains a personal suite of rooms, con- 

 sisting of a library or sitting-room, and a bedroom with its 

 accompanying dressing-room, bath and, ample wardrobe 

 space. The bedroom is bright and sunny with painted walls 



