278 



'^OMr i-vT) r LOWE US 



ance as seen from the rooms themselves. 

 Practically^ this makes the hall the key 

 to the decorations of the adjoining rooms. 

 Its color tone mnst either be in harmony 

 with or give a pretty contrast to its neigh- 

 bor rooms, and, if not studied beforehand, 

 one commonly finds the key color has been 

 used in some one of the rooms, and is 

 forced to nse it again in the hall, when a 

 little consideration would have permitted 

 the use of some more satisfactory tint. 

 In the woodwork, my own choice is ivory 

 enamel with deep mahogany panels, stair 

 treads and rails all detailed in colonial 

 style. Oak lends itself to a variety of 

 styles in detail, and I have found yellow 

 pine of deep rich color with curly panels 

 excellent, where coupled with strong 

 Gothic outline. As a generalization, the 

 hall should be '^Tiandsome rather than 

 pretty." 



On the other hand, the reception room 

 proper must be pretty, daintily so, the 

 moldings of the door and window trim. 



the mantel and entire surroundings kept 

 in harmony with this idea. The use of 

 some special style, such as the Empire and 

 other French stjdes, or our own good old 

 simple colonial, is founded on this desire 

 to carry the lightness into the more per- 

 manent portions of the decorations with 

 the knowledge that these st3des "wear 

 well." They are as beautiful today as 

 when first used a century or more ago, and, 

 like rare pictures, bring up memories of 

 colonial minuets or grand routs under 

 the lightest-hearted of French queens. 

 Something, at least, of the best portions 

 of their beauty may be obtained at not too 

 great cost, and will well repay the outlay 

 of thought and money. 



Much of what has been said of the recep- 

 tion room pure and simple also applie& 

 to the parlor, but as this room partakes 

 somewhat of the character of a famih^ 

 room, it should be fitted up in its archi- 

 tecture and furniture on a more com- 

 fortable and less delicate scheme — a sort 



