HOUSE AND GARDEN CORRESPONDENCE 
ARRANGEMENT FOR A SUN-ROOM 
I am writing to ask your advice in the arrangement of a 
sun-room. I am very anxious to make this an exceed¬ 
ingly attractive part of my house. The woodwork is of 
pine. The floor is hard wood, and the entire south end 
of the room is set in glass. I feel at a loss to know just 
what style of furniture to use here. Would you treat 
it as a room in a country house and keep to the light 
effect, or should it be something after a living-room or a 
smoking-room ? I have had many suggestions; but 
none which please me. O. B. J. 
You will find wicker the most attractive furniture to 
use in the room which you describe; this to be uphol¬ 
stered in glazed chintz, or should you prefer it, any plain 
color in upholsterers’ velveteen; chairs and divans to 
have the cushions fastened in back of seats, these to be 
box in effect, and caugbt in with buttons. There is a 
very attractive glazed chintz now on the market which 
shows branches of trees with birds of paradise and red 
blossoms. As you will realize, this will give you a fair 
array of color. The design is so arranged that a single 
bird is used for the centre of the cushion for back and 
seat in chairs. This could be used for the over-draperies 
at the windows also. Next the glass hang very sheer 
muslin curtains, these to be run on a rod by casing at 
the top and set close to the glass; the muslin curtains 
finish at the sill; the chintz curtains extend to the window 
seat. This window seat should be covered in plain 
color, either the linen taffeta in soft foliage green, in the 
chintz, or in upholsterers’ velveteen,—preferably the 
former. Several long steamer chairs or chaise-longue 
should be used here; the mattress pad to be of wool and 
covered with the plain color like the window seat. The 
various pillows in this room should be covered with dull 
shades of raw silk, the golden yellow, green, blue and old 
red which show in the chintz being reproduced. For 
the hard wood of floors, the Florsatin finish is recom¬ 
mended for the natural wood. Three coats of the Flor¬ 
satin will give you an excellent finish. The standing 
woodwork should be treated with leaf-green Enamelacq. 
This is a shade which exactly matches the reverse side 
of the foliage leaf of La France rose. It is a delightfully 
cool and attractive color and the Enamelacq is a hard 
enamel with soft gloss. The ceiling of this room should 
be in the clear ivory white of the background of the 
chintz, and the side walls covered with two-toned green 
paper a few shades darker than the Enamelacq. Small 
tables, tabourets holding ferns, and palms in brass and 
copper jardinieres would add greatly to the attractive 
effect. There are some new rugs intended chiefly for 
country houses now specially imported by a well-known 
firm. These have not the pile of Turkish or Wilton 
rugs, but in color and design are rich and beautiful. The 
price of these rugs is extremely reasonable. The one 
selected for use here should show a greenish background, 
introducing in its pattern some of the various colors seen 
in the room. Margaret Greenleaf. 
FURNISHING A LIVING-ROOM 
I have furnished my living-room after careful study 
of harmonious colors and suitable furniture. The walls 
are covered in pewter gray Japanese Grass Cloth. The 
woodwork is dark oak with a greenish suggestion in its 
brown. The rug is a large Wilton in two tones of green. 
The furniture is of Mission and particularly well made. 
T he windows are draped with curtains of Arabian net. 
The cushions of chairs and Davenport are of dark green 
crinkled leather. The fixtures are brass. There is a 
rough grey stone fireplace with a wide shelf supported 
by stone brackets. The library table has a green leather 
centre piece and the lamp has a green shade. I have 
only black and white pictures on the walls in flat brown 
wood frames. The ceiling is white. Now that all the 
furniture is in 1 am much disappointed in the effect. 
The room is the most uninviting one I ever saw! I have 
matched every repeated color and there is nothing which 
is not really good of its kind in the room, yet one has no 
desire to linger in it. The feeling of it is cold. The 
window seat, I forgot to say, is covered in dark green 
velvet with pillows covered with raw green silk in the two 
shades of green in the carpet. Kindly tell me what I 
can do to improve it. My husband advises red paper. 
L. B. C. 
I am much interested in the living-room you describe 
in your letter. As far as you have gone, the room is, as 
you say, unquestionably good; the trouble is you have 
been afraid to touch in your colors strongly and broadly 
enough. Paradoxical as it may sound, too accurate a 
match of shades and colors is a mistake, as a contrast is 
desirable. It is, however, unwise to err on the other side 
and have your colors clash. To begin and practically 
demonstrate: I would advise your having two of the 
pillows on the window seat in the green raw silk and 
adding at least three others covered respectively in dull 
soft blue, strong pumpkin yellow and rich crimson. If 
possible replace your green rug with a Khiva, supple¬ 
mented by a smaller Oriental one used directly in front 
of the fireplace. The rich soft crimson ground of the 
Khiva will give warmth and tone to your room. Have 
open book-shelves set in one end of the room stained and 
finished like the woodwork. Arrange the books with the 
colors of bindings well considered. Use over draperies 
at your windows to hang straight at either side outlining 
the Arabian net curtains. There is a very beautiful 
tapestry brocade I would suggest for use here. This 
material is fifty inches wide and $5.00 per yard. The 
silk ground is a few shades darker grey than your side 
walls; the design is a rich floral one in old reds, purples 
and greens interwoven with gold threads. This is a 
reproduction of an old Florentine design. For your 
table use a piece of rich crimson and gold brocade. This 
square should be edged about with gold galoon. You 
will find that the warmth of color shown in the carpet 
and these scattered bits will add much to the livableness 
of your room. Growing plants in brass and copper 
jardinieres set on low teak-wood stands are also decora¬ 
tive. Margaret Greenleaf. 
