March, 1912 
stretch the small appropriation over the entire house. So 
it was decided to spend the largest amount on the living- 
room and let brains make up for the lack of dollars. 
As this room was on the southwestern side of the house, 
a green color scheme was used. ‘The ceiling was covered 
with a sage-green cartridge paper, which was carried down 
on the side-wall to a depth of thirty-six inches, and the bal- 
ance of the wall space was covered with the same kind of 
paper, only of a slightly darker tone of green. The plain 
molding, placed at the bottom of the frieze, and all of the 
very ornamental woodwork, was painted a flat dark green. 
The white marble mantel was also painted the same color. 
Two high narrow windows, with a pier mirror between 
them, were at one end of the room. To reduce the ap- 
parent height of these windows, an effect was created of 
throwing them together and making one wide window. A 
seat was built into each, the long pier mirror removed, and 
in its stead plain bookshelves four and a half feet high 
were built between the windows. The space above was oc- 
cupied by a plaster bas-relief in deep ivory tones. To 
combine the whole and make the illusion complete, a box- 
plaited valance was carried across both windows, as well 
as the intervening space, and extended a foot beyond the 
woodwork. This valance covered the brass rod from which 
hung two curtains, one only being used at each window. 
These curtains did not really cover the windows, but were 
hung over the wood trim and the wall for the space of a 
foot, so as to give added width to the windows. A section 
of the pier mirror, just the length of the mantel, was framed 
in a narrow flat molding, painted to match the woodwork, 
and placed over the mantelpiece. The small rugs were laid 
the narrow way of the room, and the mahogany furniture 
eee 0 ST SRNR Fae RE 
« — 
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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Panelling will often apparently reduce the height of rooms where the effect of lower ceilings is desired 
103 
was arranged in two groups at either end. The color of the 
walls and woodwork, the arrangement of the draperies, 
rugs and furniture, the placing of the mirror over the 
mantel, all helped to reduce the apparent height of this 
room and also to give it an appearance of greater width, by 
creating lines running contrary to the long lines of the floor 
and ceiling. 
COLOR SCHEME FOR A DINING-ROOM 
READER requests a suggestion for a dining-room 
color scheme. The room faces north, is large, and is 
lighted by two windows. The woodwork is varnished pine 
and matches in color the golden oak furniture. There is a 
chair rail that must not be removed. The carpet is dark 
blue and terra cotta. 
The carpet ties one to blue or terra cotta for the color 
scheme, but as a large mass of terra cotta is not pleasing 
with varnished pine, it would be best to have a blue or blue 
and green scheme. Fortunately there are many beautiful 
wall-papers in these two colorings. The wall below the chair 
rail should have a plain surface burlap, book-cloth or silk- 
fibre, stronger in general tone than the figured paper above. 
A well-designed paper that will not weary the eye in the blue 
and soft green may be chosen. A second choice may be con- 
sidered for the upper walls among the tapestries; many of 
these have a good deal of wood color that makes them har- 
monious with golden oak; they also come with touches of 
terra cotta in the fruit. A tapestry paper is often the most 
successful choice if articles in the room have seen wear. The 
medley of neutral shades blends with an old carpet, when a 
most beautiful paper, chosen only for its color and design, 
would make the old things look dreary. In our case, the tap- 
estry paper must lean to bluish foliage rather than to green. 
