May, 1919 
39 
An interesting cool col¬ 
or combination is pro¬ 
duced by painting the 
walls a pale sage green 
with a flat finish, the 
woodwork ivory with an 
egg shell finish, using a 
green painted border for 
the floor. The art square 
should be a shade darker 
than the walls, and the 
hangings and valance 
panels of cretonne or 
chintz, showing bright 
garden flowers and foli¬ 
age scattered over a clean 
ground. The furniture 
used here should be of a 
white enamel, decorated 
with lines of green and 
little bunches of flowers. 
Painted furniture is ef¬ 
fective for such a room 
as this. An attractive 
comer arrangement can 
be made by using a 
cream tea table, with 
flower decoration in pink, 
green and blue; the stand 
can be worked out in the 
Sideboards and Cupboards 
It is sometimes a prob¬ 
lem as to what to choose 
for a sideboard for your 
summer home. A de¬ 
lightful effect can be pro¬ 
duced by painting an old 
one in ivory and decorat¬ 
ing with green and yel¬ 
low flowers. By paint¬ 
ing the interior of the 
glassed-in closet with 
bright green or cerulean 
blue or Chinese Vermil¬ 
lion, the tones of your 
china will be brought out 
to better advantage. A 
side table can be made of 
the same coloring, with 
lines of brown, and a bit 
of the brilliant colors can 
be used for ornamenta¬ 
tion on the chairs. One 
of your old trays, redeco¬ 
rated, can be used as a 
background. 
Corner cupboards are 
always effective in a dining room, and are con¬ 
venient as well as attractive. While they are 
generally painted white, to make them more 
in keeping with the color tone used for deco¬ 
rative effects, they can be finished with a back¬ 
ground in harmony with the color scheme, and 
decorated with either fruit or flower design. 
This same effect can be carried out in the 
chairs and consoles, saving them from becom¬ 
ing commonplace and tiresome. 
For the chamber, an old-fashioned bedstead 
can take on new life, through the use of black 
paint, with gold decora¬ 
tions, and painting a 
basket of fruit on foot 
and head boards and on 
each drawer of the bu- 
A little grouping 
of painted Italian 
furniture for the 
sun porch 
and cheerful coloring. 
Many pieces can be pur¬ 
chased at the manufac¬ 
turers, and painted at 
home, and delightful 
combinations can be 
worked out with a little 
patience and care. Need¬ 
less to say, the brass bed 
has been relegated to the 
attic. The charming 
white enamel or French 
gray painted pieces that 
replace them are very in¬ 
expensive, yet give a 
dainty touch, and are 
particularly attractive for 
summer furnishings. 
Their designs are gen¬ 
erally excellent, and the 
price can be modified to 
meet the size of the 
The repainted old- 
fashioned bedroom 
suite serves for the 
guest room 
purse. 
It is also possible to 
purchase pine pieces, 
which are much cheaper, 
and tone in with any col¬ 
or that we desire. This 
in reality is but going 
back to our grandmoth¬ 
er's day, when painted 
furniture was in vogue. 
Many sets that have been 
tucked away in the attic 
are being used in our homes to-day, some in 
their original dress, and others repainted to 
meet the color scheme of the modern room. 
It is always preferable to choose a plain 
background, as it brings into relief the paint¬ 
ing of fruit or flowers that forms the decora¬ 
tion. The Amish pieces, found in the northern 
part of Indiana and belonging to a religious 
sect of that name, are particularly adaptable 
for summer usage, and can be reproduced from 
the original very easily. Their favorite color 
is cerulean blue, which is so popular to-day, 
not alone for draperies, 
but furniture as well. 
same color tone, while an 
Italian figurehead can be 
painted on the backs of 
the rush bottomed chairs 
to give variety to the 
decoration. 
White muslin or net 
curtains are dainty and 
effective for window cur¬ 
tains, as is cheesecloth, 
woven in creamy white. 
They all launder beauti¬ 
fully, and help to carr}’ 
out the note of simplicity 
which is so essential in 
summer furnishings. 
As we look for the in¬ 
teresting and unusual, 
something that is not 
confused or freaky, we 
appreciate well planned 
summer homes, that show 
not only an expression of 
good taste, but individu¬ 
ality. For dignity and 
beauty can be expressed, 
even in the placing of a 
good chair against a cur¬ 
tained fabric, charming¬ 
ly figured in colors, to 
make an harmonious set¬ 
ting in a room. 
In a more pretentious bedroom of the summer house, the beds can be carved oak 
with floral decorations in polychrome, as in this summer guest room. F. Patterson 
Smith, architect 
