The Editor’s Talks and Correspondence 
SUGGESTIONS FOR CANDLE-SHADES 
A young housekeeper writes: I furnished my dining-room 
according to suggestions you gave me last year. This has been 
very successful. The woodwork is of English oak, having a wain¬ 
scot five feet high, finished by a plate rail. The wall above shows 
gray blue, bluish green foliage against a lighter ground. The 
effect is of tapestry. The door curtains are plain green velour 
and blue and green shot silk is used as over draperies at the case¬ 
ment windows. Next to glass I have hung ecru net curtains. I 
have only side lights in this room and desire to use candles for 
table lighting. Can you give suggestions of the kind of shades to 
use ? I dislike the fluffy silk flower or tissue paper effects. 
LAMP AND CANDLE-SHADES 
Answer: I would suggest that you use candle-shades similar to 
the one shown in the picture here reproduced. These shades are 
extremely decorative, dignified and beautiful. They are hand¬ 
made and the work is exquisitely done. They are made from an 
ivory colored vellum paper which cannot be procured in this 
country. Sizes and prices are given below. I can furnish you 
with the address of the person from whom you can obtain these 
if you desire. I his answer will also interest X. L. and B. of Boston 
and Albany. 
Price of large hand-painted medallion shade for lamp, with 
frame, $16.00. 
Price of smaller size, with frame, $10.00. 
Price of Empire candle-shade with torch decoration, a set of 
four, with frame, $10.00. 
Price of candle-shades with garland decoration, four, $8.00. 
WALL FINISHES 
Mrs. L. of Pittsburg writes: We are just finishing a house of 
good substantial build though it is not very costly. I have five 
rooms on the lower floor and am in doubt whether to paper the 
walls or have them finished in rough plaster and painted. I 
have been told that the glue used in the wall tints is very unhealthy. 
Is this true ? If you approve of the tints kindly suggest the proper 
shades to me. If you advise wall-paper will you be kind enough 
to tell me where I can get the proper kind. I feel that tinted walls 
throughout the house would be perhaps monotonous and might 
vary this by having some of the rooms papered. I may say that 
the house is of northern exposure; the dining-room is southwest; 
the parlor, however is northwest, and I wish to make this a livable 
room,—more of a living-room perhaps than a parlor. The hall is 
but eight feet wide and sixteen feet in length. How can I treat 
this to make it seem larger ? It opens by a wide arch into the parlor. 
Answer: Very artistic and attractive effects may be obtained in 
wall treatment by the use of a tint or plain color. There is a wall 
finish which is said to be absolutely sanitary. There is no glue 
whatever in its composition. The range of colors is large and 
many of them are very beautiful. Where one wishes to vary the 
monotony of all plain walls, friezes may be used most effectively 
or the ceilings in bedrooms may be covered with wall-paper extend¬ 
ing to picture rail, the lower wall delicately tinted to harmonize. 
It is best to leave the walls unpapered for the first year or so after 
the house is built, as they are likely to settle to some extent. I 
would suggest that you treat your hall and living-room in the same 
color. A frieze could be used in the living-room to make it more 
distinctive. If you will send a rough draft of your floor plan to 
this Department a full color suggestion with samples will be sent 
you. Be sure and note the exposure of your house on the 
plan. Eor tinting, rough plaster is best. 
WILLOW FURNITURE FOR CONSTANT USE 
Mrs. A. B. asks: Can willow furniture be used all the year 
around in the living-room of a small house ? I have gotten some 
very attractive chairs and have furnished them with loose cushions, 
according to your directions. These are covered with linen 
taffeta. 1 his material shows a pattern of richly colored foliage 
and grapes, making the effect dark and rich. The room in which 
I am using them has yellow walls. It is a room of northern expos¬ 
ure. At present I have yellow dotted muslin curtains at the 
windows, but if I can use the furniture all winter will you be kind 
enough to suggest over draperies to hang at these windows and the 
proper kind of a door curtain. The floor has good Oriental rugs 
in mostly red, brown and green tones. 
Answer: It will be entirely correct to use your willow furniture 
all the year around, particularly as the cushion covers are of a 
richly colored material. If you can obtain some of the same linen 
taffeta you could make attractive over draperies for your windows 
from this. Make your curtains perfectly straight, reaching to the 
sill and finished with a three inch hem. Run them on brass rods 
by a casing at the top without any heading. For door curtain 
select a shade of golden brown or yellow brown jute velour—-some¬ 
thing that harmonizes with the browns in your taffeta. Tbe door 
curtain should also be made without a heading and run by a casing 
at the top on the rod. A brass rod is always acceptable for door 
curtains and should be set from 3 to 6 inches from the top of the 
door. In making door curtains great care should be taken that 
they come almost to the floor line. There should be less than one 
half inch escape. Under no circumstances should they touch the 
floor. 
WILLOW FURNITURE FOR A COLLEGE MAN 
College writes: Kindly supply me with the addresses of firms 
from whom I can obtain good willow furniture of the kind and 
style you would recommend. Also where can I obtain a lamp 
that would be in good taste on a college man’s table in a room 
furnished in heavy dark oak except for the willow chairs. I wish 
to add that the walls are red and the rug has green, yellow and 
black in it. I he woodwork is white. Somehow the combination 
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