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AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



March, 1908 



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 



FITTING UP A GUEST ROOM FOR THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS 



A LTHOUGH the limit of expense is fixed at three hundred dol- 

 ZA lars," writes a correspondent, "it is not necessary to include the 

 JL _m_minor decorations or accessories, nor the bathing arrangements, 

 as a bathroom opens from this apartment. The walls are al- 

 ready papered, and the floor and woodwork are in good condition. 

 What is desired is a list of up-to-date, comfortable fittings for making 

 a guest feel at home in a well-appointed house; the furniture to be, 

 preferably, of mahogany, well made, but without carving or inlay." 



A model guest room of the present day is supplied with two 

 single beds. In white enameled iron a good style may be had for ten 

 dollars each ; box springs at the same price, and hair mattresses and 

 feather pillows for fifteen dollars for each bed. The outfit of sheets, 

 pillowcases, blankets, comfortables and spreads may be as economical 

 or as expensive as desired. A mahogany night-stand, or small table, 

 to place at the head of the beds, may be had for twenty dollars. A 

 bureau (sometimes called a dresser) may take the place, in a room of 

 this kind that is not continuously occupied, of a dressing-table and 

 chiffonier, and the price is fifty dollars. For chairs of comfort the 

 most economical is the willow, in an arm pattern with hair cushion, 

 at twelve dollars, and a rush-seated rocker for fifteen dollars. A 

 slipper chair in simple design may be found for nine dollars. A 

 writing-table and chair, at thirty dollars for the first and twelve dol- 

 lars for the second, can be selected in Sheraton design. A divan and 

 its cover will cost thirty-seven dollars. A large Wilton rug, nine by 

 twelve feet, costs thirty-seven dollars and a half; or, if small rugs 

 are preferred, the same amount could be expended on other sizes in 

 the same make. Short curtains of white muslin, and brass rods, will 

 cost nine dollars and a half. Later on, long curtains to the floor, of a 

 thicker material, could be added. 



In planning for the accessories for a room of this character the 

 following articles should be remembered : down pillows, with pretty 

 covers, for the divan, and a warm spread ; hanging shelves for books ; 

 the equipment for the writing-table ; a small table with drawers to 

 hold sewing materials; toilet articles for the bureau; a trunk rest; 

 a costumier to hold night garments; hangers and hat supports for 

 the closet; a clock for the mantel, and some simple holders for cut 

 flowers. 



COLOR SCHEME FOR A WINTER COTTAGE 



A correspondent who is building a cottage in the South for winter 

 occupancy inquires about the selection of colors to use on woodwork 

 and rough-plastered walls. As these two details are of fundamental 

 importance in creating a harmonious color scheme, they require careful 

 consideration, with some provision for the movable furnishings that 

 are to be installed later on. 



As the woodwork on the first floor is of birch and chestnut, it may 

 be stained a medium dark brown in the hall and living-room, and a 

 weathered gray in the dining-room. To give a feeling of hospitable 

 warmth to the entrance to this home, it is suggested that a light 

 orange or deep buff tint may be given the walls of the hall. When 

 rugs are under discussion, the Navajo may be selected for this part 

 of the house. In the living-room a repetition of the woodwork 

 adopted in the hall may be varied with a wall of gray or a natural 

 linen tint. As the exposure here is very sunny, the window curtains 

 may be of figured green and blue on a gray ground, with a Scotch 

 rug of greens and blues. 



For the dining-room the wall tint may be the soft green of the 

 well-known saji ware that is sold in the Japanese shops. A brown 

 India drugget would look well in this room, and blue and green 

 china for tableware. 



( Continued on Page xii ) 



Garden Work About the Home 



By Charles Downing Lay 



TWENTY- FIVE SHRUBS AND TREES FOR A SMALL PLACE 



ONE of our correspondents (B. M. H.) asks us to name 

 twenty-five shrubs and trees for a small place, but to select 

 twenty-five good trees and shrubs for a small place is like 

 selecting the one hundred best books, or like choosing a 

 library to provide mental stimulation in the quiet intervals of African 



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The plants shown on this plan are those given in answer to B. M. H.'s question. 

 They can be bought for about one-hundred and seventy-five dollars, but the 

 cost of plants varies so greatly with their size and variety that no more 

 definite figures can be given without specifications. 



( Continued on Page xiv) 



