38 
FURNISHING YOUR 
House 
& Garden 
SUMMER HOME 
Suggestions for the Use of Wicker and Cane—How to Revamp Old Pieces and 
Combine Them With the New—Cool Color Schemes 
GERTRUDE CAMPBELL 
.1 sewing group can 
be composed of a lit¬ 
tle half-table painted 
gray with chairs and 
tray to match 
Rush bottom cottage 
chairs are a useful 
and economical fur¬ 
nishing for the sum¬ 
mer dining room 
W HILE there may 
have been no start¬ 
ling revolution in the 
furnishing of summer 
homes, yet each year pro¬ 
duces some important 
changes. We constantly 
come upon odd ideas or 
old ones transformed to 
meet modern require¬ 
ments. These new prod¬ 
ucts, intermingled with 
the other furnishings give 
the room a smart, crisp, 
fresh appearance. To fur¬ 
nish a summer home suc¬ 
cessfully we need no tech¬ 
nical knowledge of styles. 
An eye for color and 
some ingenuity in the 
selection and arrange¬ 
ment' of new and old 
pieces suffice. It is 
enough to remember that 
the summer home should 
be informal, full of color 
and furnished comforta¬ 
bly but sparsely so that 
it has a cool atmosphere. 
We are all perfectly 
conscious that there is 
too much mediocre fur¬ 
niture on the market, but 
it is also a well acknowl¬ 
edged fact that there are a large number of 
really artistic pieces that can be discovered 
by careful search. In selecting we must use 
great care to purchase furnishings that will 
produce light dainty effects, that will give a 
simple, cheery touch. For color schemes, 
Avhat could be more delightful than to study 
nature’s floral procession, as viewed in your 
garden, and from it work out combinations in 
which the principal colors are blended! 
Green, red and 
pink are the colors 
used in this painted 
bedroom set 
Cane, wicker and painted furniture are all 
suitable for summer homes, although occa¬ 
sionally we find in the more pretentious 
houses, both Jacobean oak and French wal¬ 
nut. Willow, cane and 
reed are always in good 
taste, and have the advan¬ 
tage of being purchasable 
in a great variety of colors, 
styles and prices. They 
are light and easy to han¬ 
dle, and can be freshened 
when soiled by the use of 
paint or scrubbing brush. 
The revival of cane for 
bedrooms is welcome. 
With this there are 
many fabrics suitable for 
spreads and cushions, such 
as linen, casement cloth, 
and silk, all of which lend 
themselves to decorative 
effects. Then, of course, 
there are the covers and 
curtains of filet, and em¬ 
broidered inset squares. 
Often delightful canopy 
effects are produced by 
using the same material as 
in the overdrapery of the 
windows. The cushions 
should be of flowered 
chintz or cretonne, in white 
ground work or floral de¬ 
signs that are most effec¬ 
tive as they are always 
cool looking and inviting, 
and can be selected to har¬ 
monize with the color scheme as worked out in 
both walls and draperies. 
An old sideboard, 
painted white and 
blue, to match 
cottage china 
Painted furniture is especially fitted to the 
surrimer home, and a smart setting can be pro¬ 
duced by the right use of colors, using dainty 
cushions, choosing the newer shades of apple 
green, pale mauve, and striped green and blue. 
This makes us understand all the more readily 
the beauty of the furniture, which has been 
designed by the craftsman, and painted by the 
artist in colors pleasing to the eye. 
Painted furniture is especially adaptable for 
any part of the summer home, from living 
room to bedroom, on account of its lightness 
