January, 1919 
THE BEDROOM OF INDIVIDUALITY 
Three Schemes, With Prices, for a Diversity of 
Tastes, Means and Sizes of Rooms 
NANCY ASHTON 
All the furniture and accessories mentioned are available in the 
shops and may be bought through House & Garden Shopping Service. 
Hewitt 
Suggestions for a boudoir showing a day bed covered in lattice glazed chintz, next to 
which have been placed a reading lamp with chiffon shade and a small compact table 
I still seem to see this particular atrocity ob¬ 
truding itself, whereas an iron bedstead, which 
may be painted a good color is in far better 
taste. Then, if it is a question of economy, 
there are equally inexpensive wooden beds of 
T hey knew how to live in the 18th Cen¬ 
tury. We, with our 20th Century civiliza¬ 
tion, seem to have forgotten in spite of the 
advantages of subway, electricity and so on. 
Their love of luxury and comfort was par¬ 
ticularly illustrated in the “petits apparte- 
ments” consisting of ante-room, salon and bed¬ 
room, which were a matter of course in the life 
of the great lady of that {ime. 
A modern translation of this ideal arrange¬ 
ment would be, it seems to me, a boudoir 
(which may be as frivolous or severe as the 
character of its owner indicates), a dressing 
room and bedroom, with, of course, our one 
really successful modem luxury—a beautifully 
equipped bathroom. This plan spells ease in¬ 
deed, and in the harassing whirlwind of ex¬ 
istence today one needs nothing more keenly 
than just that: comfort¬ 
able, luxurious ease. 
One may dress in a 
warm, cozy room with a 
crackling fire going, if 
one be fortunate enough 
to have a fireplace, than 
which there is no greater 
delight. 
We must be sure not 
to underestimate the im¬ 
portance of an harmoni¬ 
ous setting. That hor¬ 
rible moment, the begin¬ 
ning of the day, may be 
faced with a certain 
amount of philosophy if 
there be delightful sur¬ 
roundings with sympa¬ 
thetic colors to sustain 
us. So it must be with 
no uncertainty that one 
selects the color scheme 
which may dominate 
one’s very existence. 
It seems ridiculous to 
have to mention the 
brass bed, which should 
have long since been rele¬ 
gated to the realms of 
oblivion, where the red 
plush sofa and the “tap¬ 
estry davenport” have 
been reposing this many 
a day. But despite other 
proofs of excellent taste. 
good design, so that there really isn’t any ex¬ 
cuse for this particular lapse. 
Draping the Bed 
There are no end of ways of draping the 
bed. The French have a great number of de¬ 
lightful canopy designs and hangings with 
guirlandes, and then there are the simpler but 
effective English draperies, the Colonial ones 
being the simplest. Sometimes the bed is 
placed at right angles to the wall and the 
drapery arranged at the head; other times, it is 
placed close to the wall with the canopy in the 
center and the folds of the fabric falling at the 
ends. But without draperies of any sort there 
are many possibilities of bed covers in taffeta 
or chintz with a ruffle or shaped valance, or a 
simple ruffled muslin cover which is also very 
effective. 
Paneled or painted 
walls are in the long run 
more satisfactory than a 
wall paper with a design 
in it. It is all very well 
to use a paper of this 
kind in a room which is 
not in constant use, such 
as a guest room, but on 
the whole I think you 
will find a quiet back¬ 
ground more reposeful. 
For the same reason, I 
would advise not having 
too many pictures. This 
is an absurd warning, as 
no one will want to give 
up the one room in the 
house in which they feel 
justified in hanging all 
the family photographs. 
I could go on endlessly 
as to the overcrowding of 
rooms with furniture 
which is too large for it, 
but let me rather ex¬ 
patiate on a room which 
has been a success. 
A delightful English 
glazed chintz with a 
flower design of rose col¬ 
or, blue and mauve on a 
fawn colored lattice 
background was the in¬ 
spiration for its decora- 
1 pair of taffeta overcurtains. $65.00 
1 pair of georgette crepe draw curtains 18.50 
1 pair of net glass curtains. 8.50 
1 chair . 45.00 
1 table . 55.00 
1 day bed and pillows, painted green 
with chintz covering. 195.00 
1 floor lamp. 29.50 
1 shade . 49.50 
Pictures, each. 40.00 
Sconce shades . 3.75 
