By MARION SANDERSON NALL 
T HROUGH several periods France led the 
world in the production of beautiful effects, 
architecturally and decoratively. Nothing 
has since arisen to surpass or even take the place of 
the exquisite decoration and furnishing of the time 
of the Louises. The delicate embossments and tra¬ 
ceries of gold, and rarely exquisite color combinations 
in wreaths and bow knots of those periods were fol¬ 
lowed by the simpler and less ornate treatment of 
interiors in the time of the Empire. 
That to-day no special note is shown or no un¬ 
usual or original furnishings found in the home of the 
Frenchman of average means is somewhat surpris¬ 
ing. Many French people now occupy apartments, 
although the description which is here given of the 
setting and mode of life of the present time applies 
equally whether the residence be in an apartment or 
the town house. 
On entering the usual French apartment on any 
other than the “day at home,” one is impressed 
with the feeling that it is not lived in, so to 
speak. The American uses every bit of his home all 
the time, but this is not so in the French home 
except on the reception day. On other days the 
door is opened to your ring only a small part of 
the way, while the servant treats you rather as an 
intruder, showing you into a petit salon, the grand 
salon door being closed, curtains drawn and linen 
covers on the furniture. The petit salon is used as 
the intimate sitting-room and though there are big 
easy chairs, after the manner of the English, there is 
seldom a sense of coziness about it. Guests are 
sometimes shown into the bedroom, the French using 
their bedrooms often to receive intimate friends, 
sometimes in the dining-room, but the grand salon 
never, except on formal occasions. 
On the “ day at home” everything is uncovered, 
and one finds displayed a certain refinement of taste in 
the paneled walls of brocades of plain colors, the 
white woodwork often decorated with delicate gilt 
mouldings of Louis XV. or XVI. periods, the doors 
with square panels framed in the white wood and a 
sash curtain of lace and silk. 
The windows are conventionally draped with 
heavy lined curtains matching in fabric and color 
the paneled walls. These are drawn close at night 
seldom allowing a ray of light to escape “to cheer the 
passer-by,” as an American once remarked. The 
windows always open in and are generally draped 
with what is called vitrage, a more or less elaborate 
design of filet or applique lace and linen, lying close 
to the window-pane. 
The floors are thickly carpeted with a solid color, 
reseda green usually prevailing; rugs also are some¬ 
times seen. It used to be the custom to have one 
large rug extending within two feet of the wall, but 
more frequently now the carpet entirely covering the 
floor is used. There are but few paintings on the 
walls, but these are generally good. 
The hostess receives the caller into a circle of 
friends seated about the fire, the chairs are not cozily 
drawn up in an intimate way, but conventionally 
placed, a sofa on one side and two or three chairs 
opposite, one or two at the end to form a square. 
One feels the fire is built but once a week, the visits 
made but once a year,a few formalities are exchanged, 
family health inquired for, then the visitor bows her 
good-byes to leave room for the newcomer within the 
formal circle. 
The usual clock and candelabra adorn the mantel, 
generally of a good Empire or Louis XV. design. 
A good bust on a console stands between two 
windows, there are few ornaments and few flowers. 
The French do not, according to American or Eng¬ 
lish ideas, understand the arrangement of flowers; 
they generally put all they have into one vase, massed 
tightly together and pushed in without thought of 
beauty or arrangement, sometimes they are even 
artificial. 
The furniture is more often of the Louis XV. style, 
gilt or white frames and modern brocades of ancient 
design; there is always the chaise longue, the bergere 
with padded cushion, other smaller chairs and the 
inevitable small caned bottom gilt chair. 
The petit salon always connects with the grand 
salon ; its walls are often covered from top to 
bottom with pictures, frequently good old paintings, 
woodcuts and etchings. 
The dining-room walls are generally of white or 
ivory enameled wood with panels of brocade of some 
kind, though many of the houses still retain the high 
wainscoting of dark wood and a deep red or green 
paper with the most popular design, the fleur-de-lis in 
strong yellow or gilt above the wainscoting. This 
mode of decoration will be found in all the less 
modern apartments to-day. The wood is never 
ordinary as it would be in a similar apartment in 
America, or perhaps I should say in New York. 
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