House & Garden 
those celluloid 
baskets now set 
about every- 
w h e re with 
plants are dis- 
tinc 11 y not 
objects of art. 
The walls of the 
B1 ue Room, for 
instance, would 
be greatly enliv¬ 
ened by means 
of some old 
miniatures and 
medals, and 
would stand a 
few faint old 
washed prints 
or simple water 
colors, or some 
of those dear 
old St. Memins 
on pink paper. 
1 ' h e Blue 
Room is oval 
in shape, and is 
very chastely 
and effectively 
carried out. 
Its walls are 
covered with a 
stuff of blue, 
with broad 
bands of gimp 
above the dado and below a shallow cornice. 
There is some slight relief ornament in the 
white ceiling. The woodwork is white, the 
furniture is of white and blue and firegilt 
metal, to which the mantel is suited. There 
are some large arm-chairs about, of the curule 
sort—such as we associate with pictures of 
Napoleon’s time—having much metal orna¬ 
ment and covered with blue stuff of a pattern 
which just escapes the suggestion of imperial 
insignia. And to these there are footstools 
of a similar shape. The draperies here are 
nicely managed. There are three great win¬ 
dows to the floor, which give upon the south 
portico. Their hangings are in rich dark 
blue, laid in formal folds and hung from 
large metal rods in the form of fasces, bear¬ 
ing eagles in the center and honeysuckle 
ornament in open metal work at the ends. 
Firegilt metal is 
used for the 
lustre, as for the 
sconces which 
are after those 
at the Grand 
Trianon. 
The note of 
the D irectory 
a n d K m p i r e 
style, in furni¬ 
ture and fittings, 
so far, seems 
chronological ly 
right and agree¬ 
able. Imitation 
of antiquity was 
the f a s hio n 
when the house 
was young, 
when Napoleon 
was m a k i n g 
himself master 
of France, and 
the pompous 
but somewhat 
lifeless style 
which then be¬ 
came the vogue 
—the kind of 
thing we see at 
Compiegne and 
Fontai n e bleau 
—fi o u r i s h e d 
also here to some extent in the young 
republic. 
Passing through the Red Room—now as 
before loyally adhering to the traditional 
tint—which room I shall not attempt to 
describe further than to mention the greater 
coziness and domesticity of its furnishings, 
a mood somewhat marred by the usual 
plethora of grim presidential canvasses—we 
come to the State Dining-Room. This is 
the piece de resistance of Mr. Me Rim’s res¬ 
toration, though here, indeed, the artist has 
been more than elsewhere creative. As befits 
its prandial and festive purpose, the walls 
have a rich warm glow. Above a narrow 
marble base they are panelled to the ceiling 
in Fnglish gnarled oak. The eye rests with 
delight upon the marvellous grainings of this 
beautiful wall-covering. So very grainy is 
A MANTEL IN THE EAST ROOM 
J 33 
