May, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



I'he draperies for the downstairs rooms require more 

 thought and care. Portieres lined or interlined of velour, 

 velvetine, or silk tapestry are always in good taste and ap- 

 propriate for a handsomely furnished room, or for the 

 simplest style of decoration. If the walls are figured it is 

 best to have the relief of plain hangings and vice versa. 



The crinkled tapestry is one of the newer fabrics, and is 

 sometimes shot with another color, giving an iridescent 

 effect which is very pleasing. The hardest thing to find is 

 an inexpensive drapery heavy enough for a portiere which 

 does not require lining. Arras cloth or craftsmen's canvas, 

 as it is sometimes called, is one of the new materials, and 

 comes in a wide range of colors, from deep pomegranate red 

 to soft ecru. This material resembles burlap, and is made 

 of linen and jute. As these materials take the dye differently, 

 there is a charming play of surface color which adds very 

 much to its attractive qualities for a drapery. It is heavy 

 enough not to require lining, but is improved by the addi- 

 tion of a tapestry border on the hem line. It is not so suit- 

 able for curtains as it is for portieres and couch covers, as it 

 needs to be protected from the sun's rays to keep it from 

 fading. When used as a portiere cover, it holds its color 

 well. It is especially suitable for rooms furnished in the 

 modern style of mission furniture, as there is something 

 quaintly barbaric about its rough texture. 



Another attractive material, which is, however, very little 

 known, is the Helena tapestry, an imported material made 

 in Scotland, varying in price from three dollars to four and 

 a half dollars a yard. It is made of a double weave of silk 

 and mercerized cotton, and is one of the most beautiful and 

 artistic draperies to be found in this country. It comes in 

 every shade and in quaint designs, these being strong and 

 English in their character. The surface is slightly raised 

 and crinkled; while some of them have several color com- 

 binations, the majority are two-toned and shot with a con- 

 trasting shade. The Helena tapestry in our illustration is 

 of two shades of green, while the shot of blue which pre- 

 dominates makes the curtain blue in some lights. This 

 material needs searching for, as only the best stores have 

 these tapestries, but they can be obtained if you insist on 

 having what you want, and by not being put off with some 

 makeshift which the salesman wants to get rid of. 



For a girl's or boy's bedroom or a den what would be 

 more appropriate than a Java print? They can be had in 

 delft blues on a white ground or on a coffee-color ground 

 with warm reds and blues introduced in the design. They 

 have borders on two sides, while the bottom is usually fin- 

 ished off with a dado. Our illustration shows a very pretty 

 one in tones of pure gold, while splashes of red add strength 

 to the curtain. These are very suitable for summer por- 

 tieres and for all-year-round curtains. With plain wall 



papers and mission furniture, beautiful color effects can be 

 obtained, and it seems remarkable that so few people know 

 of their existence. I'hey are printed by hand by the women 

 of Java, and can be obtained at Oriental stores. In the 

 upholstery department can be found couch covers and table 

 cloths. Among the latter suitable curtains can sometimes 

 be found. 



Our illustration shows a cotton blue and white table cover 

 which answered splendidly for a portiere in a delft dining- 

 room. As a table cloth I think it would be hideous, but 

 used as a drapery it is appropriate and inexpensive, costing 

 only two and a half dollars and requiring no making. They 

 come in blue and white, green and white, and red and white, 

 and the "Made in Germany" ticket is usually seen on them. 

 Sometimes the dress counters have simple materials which 

 can be utilized for curtains. Quaint checked ginghams and 

 turkey-red twill suggest all kinds of possibilities for strong 

 treatment, while Rajah cloth and Danish cloth in ivory make 

 the most charming inner curtains for bedrooms; in fact, the 

 Rajah cloth can be used in place of Shikli silk, as it has 

 much the same effect. For a handsomely furnished room 

 nothing can exceed the beauty of heavy Shikii silk at one dol- 

 lar and eighty cents a yard for sash curtains in ivory, while 

 the inner sash curtains in the various colors are most beauti- 

 ful, but should have the protection of a net on the glass, as 

 any colored silk would fade if exposed directly to the rays 

 of the sun, however good the quality. With this slight pro- 

 tection inner sash curtains of green or blue Shikii silk will 

 last for years. They should be made to slip easily on small 

 rods with brass rings, as they are much prettier when drawn 

 at night than a lowered shade would be. 



Upholsterer's velvet is such an old favorite that I need 

 not say much in its praise. There is, however, a finer, more 

 silky cotton velvet on the market which comes in a wide 

 range of colors. I have seen these in very artistic homes, 

 with a small design burned on them. The effect of brown 

 on brown, red on brown, and brown on green is indescrib- 

 ably beautiful, and with fitting surroundings are distinctly 

 original. Our illustration shows a plush curtain with a 

 printed design outlined in brown on three sides. This only 

 faintly suggests what I want to convey in describing the 

 velvet curtain with a burnt design. They are used for por- 

 tieres, inner sash curtains, and long curtains. 



The successful curtaining of our home is, after all, a ques- 

 tion of taste. The knowledge of good color value goes much 

 further than a large pocketbook in bringing about the de- 

 sired results. Our illustration shows a pretty window fur- 

 nished only with dotted swiss, and yet who would want a 

 prettier recessed window than this, obtained with the use of 

 white paint, blue denim, and white swiss? Surely nothing 

 could be simpler, and I doubt if anything could be better. 



