438 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
6 WITHIN THE HOUSE 
SUGGESTIONS ON INTERIOR DECORATING 
AND NOTES OF INTEREST TO ALL 
WHO DESIRE TO MAKE THE HOUSE 
MORE BEAUTIFUL AND MORE HOMELIKE 
from subscribers pertaining to 
THE HALLWAY 
By Harry Martin Yeomans 
amomq||EW years since a desire for something new 
in house planning lead to a combination of 
the living-room and the hall, which made a 
wide appeal at the time and became very 
popular. But the pendulum has now swung 
back and the more sensible scheme of treat- 
ing the hallway as a mere passageway, and means of com- 
munication between the various parts of the house, is to 
the fore again when planning the small abode. In most 
of the old Colonial houses this plan was adopted and is 
commendable in every way. It insures more privacy and 
allows people to enter and depart from the house without 
disturbing the occupants of the rooms on the ground floor, 
which is a great advantage over the living-room hall, and 
moreover, a heterogeneous collection of coats and hats 
cannot be seen at all times when the hallway is a factor 
by itself. 
The hallway should not be slighted when one is planning 
the decorative scheme of a house, as visitors receive their 
first impressions here, and it should be a pleasing introduc- 
tion leading up to the more important rooms. ‘The hall- 
way should possess a certain amount of quiet dignity and 
atmosphere which would seem to place a protecting barrier 
between you and the world of strife without. 
A decorative scheme for the hallway must include the en- 
trance door, as this feature plays an important role in 
determining the color scheme of every hallway. It is no 
longer necessary to be contented with the ugly front door 
which has a large beveled plate glass occupying the upper 
third, as good stock designs can now be obtained, which 
are very attractive with their simple panelings. An entrance 
door with a large sheet of plate glass in it, always presents 
a difficult problem of curtaining, so as to screen the hallway 
from the vestibule or porch, the only solution of which 
seems to be in running a curtain of some light wash material 
on two rods, which would not exclude the light. But a far 
better way, and one which adds to the integral decorative 
quality of the hallway, is to select a door in which the upper 
part is set with opaque leaded glass arranged in a simple 
design, rectangular pieces of glass set in wooden muntins, 
or bull eye’s of bottle-green or amber glass, set in leads, 
are very artistic and decorative when viewed from the hall- 
way. A door of this sort does away with the curtaining 
problem. In Colonial or brick houses built on Colonial lines, 
solid wooden doors are almost always used, but the hallway 
can be flooded with sunlight by having a beautiful fan-light 
over the door and side-lights at either side. This arrange- 
ment is most attractive both from within and without the 
house. 
The color scheme of a hallway depends on the amount 
The Editor of this Department will be glad to answer all queries 
December, 1912 
ome Decoration. Stamps 
should be enclosed when a direct personal reply is desired aes ni 
aus 
of light which it receives. A good rule is to choose a neutral 
color for its walls, bearing in mind that all of the other 
rooms open off of it and violent contrasts should be avoided 
between the hallway and other rooms. If your problem is 
to furnish a hallway which is dark, you will be able to lighten 
it by selecting a wall covering of écru, tan, light brown, 
pumpkin, gray having a suggestion of yellow in it, or sage- 
green, all of which combine well with ivory-white wood- 
work. All of the tans and browns go especially well with 
the brown wood stains which are being used so much just 
now. If the question of light is not an important one, 
neutral tones of green and old blue, in either plain or two- 
toned striped papers can be used. Papers having large and 
bold designs will make a small hallway appear still smaller, 
but one can now obtain a great number of good two-toned 
papers having a small design which is hardly noticeable, 
but which gives a slight variation to the paper which one 
misses in those perfectly plain. 
In hallways where a Colonial effect is desired, nothing 
is more pleasing than one of the reproductions of the old 
tapestry papers which are now in the shops. ‘The writer 
recently saw a hallway such as this, where a gray verdure 
tapestry paper was placed on the walls, running up to the 
cornice, the woodwork was treated to a coat of ivory paint, 
the ceiling being tinted the same tone. The furniture con- 
sisted of a Hepplewhite card table of mahogany, with a 
chair placed on either side. Over the table was an old 
gilt mirror and at the back of the hall stood a grandfather 
clock. Although this hallway was small, its tasteful and 
harmonious furnishings gave it a Colonial atmosphere 
which could be followed to advantage in many small 
houses. 
The very nature of the function which the hallway ful- 
fils precludes the use of pieces of furniture which are not 
absolutely necessary. A long table placed near the door, 
with a high-backed chair at either end, an umbrella stand, 
and a mirror over the table, are all of the furnishings which 
are required for the hallway of the small house. ‘The hat- 
rack is no longer used. A coat-tree might be added and 
as the hallway is a convenient and readily accessible place 
for the telephone, it could be placed on a small table at 
the rear of the hall, with a chair conveniently at hand. 
For the table and chairs, a hall-seat having a hinged lid 
could be substituted, which would afford a convenient space 
for overshoes. 
Attractive umbrella stands of Russian brass, blue and 
white Japanese ware and of turned wood, stained a dark 
brown, are all appropriate for the hallway. The brass 
and turned wood stands go especially well with mission 
furniture, or where the trim is of dark stained wood, while 
those of Japanese design look best when placed against a 
background of lighter tone. 
A good-sized picture, appropriately framed, will look 
