September, 1907 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



341 



Swiss Curtain and Raw Silk for the Bedroom 



their early splendor, nor did they have as much grace. The 

 arches above the windows are merely artificial, being only 

 wooden frames put up, strained with canvas; after which the 

 same kind of stuff which the curtains are made of is formed 

 to appear like a fan and drapery locked on to it. 



As early as i8oo the rolling-up blinds and spring-blinds 

 were used, and also the Venetian blinds drawn by pulleys. 

 Sheraton says: "The most fashionable blinds are all of wood 

 painted green, except the frame, which is of mahogany. The 

 blind part is either composed of upright or horizontal narrow 

 laths, an eighth of an inch thick, painted in bright green, and 

 which moves by means of a lever to any position for ad- 

 mitting more or less light. 

 The most approved of at 

 present are with upright 

 laths, and moved by turning 

 a brass knob at the upper 

 side of the frame." 



This elaborate window 

 furnishing is no longer fash- 

 ionable, because it is 

 thought foolish extrava- 

 gance to put from two hun- 

 dred to five hundred dollars 

 in a window decoration. 

 Moreover, in draping a 

 window light must be taken 

 into consideration. The idea 

 that prevails now is to cur- 

 tain the window with the 

 thinnest material possible. 

 Where a room is light, har- 

 mony and variety are the 

 laws that govern the selec- 

 tion. It is always in good 

 taste to give the effect of 

 matching the wall paper. 

 This is done by getting a 

 plain material if the wall 

 paper is plain, and a figured 

 curtain with a figured wall 

 paper. The contrast may be 

 made by combining the plain 

 curtain with the figured wall 



paper. Case window cur- 

 tains hung on a single rod 

 are exceedingly popular 

 these days, and are made of 

 muslin, cut or raw silk. If 

 a double pair are wanted 

 these may be made of cre- 

 tonne or chintz. French 

 chintzes and cretonnes are 

 always in good taste for 

 bedrooms, and are the 

 best material in summer 

 homes. 



Whether long curtains 

 just to escape the floor or 

 to the sill are preferable de- 

 pends on certain conditions. 

 Considerable money may be 

 saved by using the shorter 

 curtains: besides if a seat or 

 radiator be in the way the 

 shorter curtain is to be used. 

 The best laces for the par- 

 lor are the Renaissance and 

 Brussels, white curtains be- 

 ing preferable. Cluny and 

 Arabian laces are much used in dining-room and library. 



For over-curtains there are a great variety of handsome 

 materials — such as velours, silks, silkalene madras, and cre- 

 tonnes. Velours and brocades make heavy draperies and 

 should only be used in costly or elaborately furnished rooms. 

 These may be substituted by tapestries and heavy broadcloths. 



Heavy curtains are usually out of keeping in bedrooms 

 unless these rooms are furnished handsomely. Muslins and 

 point d'esprit are appropriate for sash curtains, and they may 

 be hung with madras, printed scrims and cider cloths. All 

 these materials are effective when worked in bright colors 

 and attractive patterns. 



Swiss Sash Curtains and Japanese Silk Drapery 



