14 AMERICAN HOMES: AND GARDENS 
of its hanging varied under different conditions in the old 
times, it is only a matter of artistic fitness to make this feat- 
ure contributory to the general quaintness of the room. 
For the double-sized bedstead, with the top of the mat- 
tress often thirty inches from the level of the floor, a lower 
valance is almost essential to give foundation to the struc- 
ture. On a single bed with the short or medium-height 
posts and the canopy omitted, a spread that falls to within 
eight inches of the floor may be substituted. The shield 
drapery at the back and sides of the head-board should cor- 
respond with the texture of the upper valance, but the 
spread and lower valance, for obvious reasons, may match 
each other, and while they may be different from the upper 
Wi 
MPT +e 
A four-poster bed 
trimming they should still be related to each other in color 
effect. 
The treatment for four-poster beds may be classified in a 
general way as the (1) white and (2) colored. In some 
rooms the first scheme is the only possible way to balance 
discordant notes in floor and wall coverings, or bring in the 
needed element of light. In other places, a chintz effect 
on the bed may be a happy relief from plain walls and floors. 
So much attention has been manifested in this important 
item of bedroom furnishing, that reproductions of the old 
trimmings in white and colored effects as well as the ma- 
terials themselves are now on the market. 
In a room where a gray-and-white striped wall paper 
with a narrow border under the cornice in tones of mul- 
berry and sage green, bed hangings were made of gray cot- 
January, 1911 
ton crepe, with the spread showing the colors of the wall 
paper border on a ground-work of gray. 
In another room an opposite treatment was wrought by 
making the valances for the bed of a cretonne that matched 
the wall paper and using a white dimity spread. 
A chest of drawers formerly took the place of our modern 
bureau, or dresser. A small mirror fastened to a box with 
drawers was placed on the top of the chest of drawers, or, a 
looking-glass of more ample size was hung against the wall. 
Sometimes the lower half of a high-boy (the tall variety 
made in two parts) was utilized as a dressing-table. 
In clothing the tops of these pieces a hemstitched strip 
of fine linen may be given the preference over fancy ma- 
without a footboard 
terials trimmed with lace edges and insertions. ‘The pin- 
cushions with covers done in cross-stitch, and a brush tray 
and powder box of English ware decorated with tiny sprays 
of flowers, are attractive fittings. 
Even with a bathroom adjoining a bedroom, it is con- 
sidered quite essential to fit up a washstand with toilet 
requisites, and the selection of pitcher, wash basin and slop 
jar may confirm the old-fashioned appearance of the furni- 
ture if the pattern is selected with care. The chintz designs 
(costing about sixteen dollars) are particularly well-suited 
to plain wall coverings, but a set in ivory colors, with or 
without gold band (at seven dollars and a half) is better 
for a room with walls showing a decided pattern. 
In papering a bedroom fitted with old-fashioned furni- 
ture the choice will be affected by the conditions of exposure, 
