January, 1910 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



IX 



CORRESPONDENCE 



The Editor of American Homes and Gardens desires to extend an invitation to all its readers to send to the Correspondence Department inquiries on any matter 

 pertaining to the decorating and furnishing of the home and to the developing of the home grounds. 



All letters accompanied by return postage will be answered promptly by mail. Replies that are of general benefit will be published in this Department. 



Problems in Home Furnishing 



By Alice M. Kellogg 



Author of "Home Furnishing: Practical and Artistic" 



CURTAINS FOR A BLUE-AND-WHI FE 

 NURSERY 



ACOXXECTICUT reader. Airs. D. G. 

 F., writes as follows : "I have kept 

 to a very simple color scheme in 

 my children's rooms, using a tan-colored 

 paper (ingrain) on the walls, a blue-and- 

 white Brussels rug on the floor, with white 

 woodwork. Now when it comes to the 

 windows I am undecided as to whether to 

 keep to white Swiss muslin or a plain blue 

 material somewhat thicker. There is a 

 large bay window with a wide window in 

 the centre and a smaller window at each 

 side. Shall I put up three pairs of cur- 

 tains? Then there is a row of small win- 

 dows at the side with small panes of glass, 

 the sashes opening outwards. What is the 

 prettiest way to treat these irregular- 

 shaped windows?" 



A better plan for this nursery than either 

 a plain blue curtain, or a white muslin, is 

 a blue-and- white muslin made in a tiny 

 woven pattern especially for casements. 

 For the bay window, a pair of curtain may 

 be hung at the centre, looping each length 

 back at the side. At the narrow windows 

 one length of the muslin may be hung al- 

 most plain over the glass in panel fashion, 

 trimming the two sides and bottom with 

 an edge of lace, which should also be ap- 

 plied to the centre pair of curtains. As 

 the casement windows are long and low a 

 different scheme will be necessary for them. 

 A frill of the muslin, twelve or sixteen 

 inches deep as the height of the window 

 requires, may hang at the top, with a length 

 to the sill at the extreme ends. The frill 

 need only be carried from the side length 

 at the right to the side length 

 of musHn at the left of the window. If 

 the window has a sill wide enough to hold 

 three pots of flowers the room will have 

 an element of out-door interest framed in 

 its sash. 



FURNISHING AN UP-STAIRS HALL 



Moving from a city apartment into a 

 suburban house, Mrs. I. W. N. finds a sec- 

 ond-story, square hall to be furnished. She 

 asks: "What shall I put in this space? It 

 is not used in any way, yet it looks very 

 bare with nothing in it. All of the main 

 bedrooms open from this hall, so that I 

 should like it to have some individuality. 

 The walls are papered in a two-toned tan 

 paper, and the woodwork is a dark oak. 

 We have no rug for the floor. Would you 

 advise a carpet instead of a rug?" 



A second-story hall of this kind is cer- 



tainly prominent enough to demand a care- 

 ful furnishing. Without attempting to 

 make it a cosy corner, it should have in- 

 teresting furnishings. A rug that will lie 

 firmly on the floor, of a size that comes 

 withm a foot of the walls, would be more 

 practical than a carpet. If the rugs of 

 ordinary make do not meet this require- 

 ment of size, a carpet rug may be made of 

 a good quality of Brussels, Axminster or 

 Wilton, according to the expense to be al- 

 lowed for this item. Wilton, of course, 

 will wear the best. 



As the wall paper is not particularly dec- 

 orative, there is opportunity for hanging 

 some pictures, and the Guerin prints are 

 suggested for their distinctive coloring and 

 interesting subjects. These prints may be 

 framed in dark oak like the woodwork, 

 with a soft-toned mat and a narrow rim 

 of gilt dividing the mat from the frame. 



If there is a connection with electric or 

 gas lighting, a low lamp placed on a drop- 

 leaf table will be another means for en- 

 suring an attractive interior. The verde 

 antique finish will give a better contrast 

 with the tan walls and brown woodwork 

 than a brass lamp. A wicker shade lined 

 with orange-colored paper would be a pleas- 

 ant note of color. 



If there is a suitable space for an open 

 book-shelf, a collection of books may be 

 kept in the hall, for use on this floor. A 

 pair of bedroom candlesticks and a reliable 

 timepiece may then find a place on the top 

 shelf of the case. A comfortable side chair 

 may have a place, but the elimination of 

 unused furniture should be very strictly 

 followed if the character of a hall is to 

 be preserved. 



COLOR SCHEME FOR A CANADIAN HOME 



"1 have read the replies to correspond- 

 ents who are interested in making attrac- 

 tive homes, and wonder if you can give 

 me also some inspiration? What I especi- 

 ally would like would be suggestions for 

 the wall colors for the different rooms on 

 the first floor, so that in opening one into 

 another the effect will be pleasing. I visit 

 so many places where the careless contrast 

 of wall papers really disfigures the house. 

 Now, my reception room is a south-east 

 exposure, and it opens into the hall and 

 living room. The living room has win- 

 dows to the east and south. The fireplace 

 is of red brick, the ceiling is beained, and 

 there are built-in bookcases and seats. The 

 dining room opens to the northeast. The 

 ceiling is coved for a space of eighteen 

 inches, and there is a plate rail. What is 

 the best way to treat this upper section of 

 wall? The hall is panelled to the top of 

 the door frame, with only the upper wall 



to consider. There is also a small den 

 with one west window, which needs the 

 fullest amount of light. Please help me 

 with a complete color scheme for these 

 rooms, and oblige a Canadian reader, A. 

 L." 



Only a general idea for the wall colors 

 may be suggested at this distance, as the 

 furniture that is in use is not indicated in 

 the letter of inquiry. The rug or carpet 

 is always the best starting point for a color 

 scheme, and the finish of the woodwork is 

 another important factor. Independent of 

 these features, a pleasant color effect might 

 be obtained by adopting a Japanese leather 

 paper in burlap printing, gold and green, 

 or gold and red (as the rugs demand) in 

 the upper spaces of the hallway. In the 

 reception room a soft, light shade of green 

 with the pattern printed in self-tones may 

 be used. In the living room a quiet back- 

 ground can be achieved with a gray silk 

 fibre paper. The dining room opening to 

 the north may have a two-toned yellow 

 paper, with the cove and ceiling tinted in 

 a lighter tone of the yellow. In the den 

 that lacks light until late afternoon, an 

 apricot color may be chosen. Madras cur- 

 tains showing the same color as the walls, 

 in a mixture of cream-white, would help 

 out the bright coloring. 



FITTINGS FOR A WRITING TABLE 



"A'Ve have just installed a small writing 

 table, mahogany inlaid with satinwood, in 

 our reception hall, as we often find a need 

 for writing materials on the first floor. 

 What is the best way to fit up a table of 

 this kind in this location? Shall we use 

 an ordinary blotter? Or would a metal- 

 trimmed blotter be more suitable? I have 

 only seen the openwork brass holders, and 

 these I do not fancy." — T. E. H., of Mr- 

 ginia. 



A table of this kind can become a very 

 attractive part of the furnishings of a re- 

 ception hall (which is too often the most 

 uninteresting room in the house), if its fit- 

 tings are thoughtfully selected. A holder 

 for a blotter may be of hand-tooled leather, 

 antique brocade or dull copper, and the 

 blotter itself mav be of a warm brown. 

 The ink-well may be of plain crj'stal, with a 

 smooth silver top, and the pen-rack may 

 be of plain silver. An ivory pen-holder 

 tipped with silver would be less conven- 

 tional than a silver holder. 



If there is space for a candle lamp made 

 of a Colonial candlestick fitted for elec- 

 tricity (with a silk shade of champagne- 

 colored silk), slender Grueby vase to hold 

 a few flowers, and a bookrack for a few 

 small books, the upper part of the writing 

 table will be quite decorative. 



