House and Garden 
COLONIAL LIVING-ROOM 
shades and reflectors should he employed to hide 
the bulb from the eye altogether. 
Many of the cheap shades found in the shops are 
worse than useless. Paper and silk shades are often 
recommended by decorators on account of their 
decorative possibilities, although they are inflamma¬ 
ble and quench a very large percentage of the light. 
Porcelain shades control the light agreeably, but 
can hardly be regarded as works of art. Probably 
the most satisfactory reflecting-shades yet devised 
are constructed of hundreds of tiny pieces of glass 
mosaic. When the light is on, these glow like Orien¬ 
tal jewels, towards which the eye turns gratefully. 
Mosaic glass shades are expensive, hut on account 
of the way in which they are put together, extremely 
durable. 
Before the little pieces of glass are assembled on 
the wooden form, each is hound with a tire of copper 
ribbon. Then molten lead as it cools binds them 
together, and marks their outlines with gray relief. 
Even falling from a considerable height injures them 
not at all, or so slightly that repair is easy and in¬ 
expensive. On this page above we illustrate inter¬ 
esting examples of bronze Colonial and Georgian 
lamps with mosaic shades. 
The placing of the lights is all-important, and 
depends largely on the way in which the room is to be 
used. For the dining-room a hanging lamp that 
concentrates the light upon the table below is impera¬ 
tive. Phis should be supplemented by wall brackets 
near the sideboard — and wherever required for 
general illumination, little of which is needed in an 
apartment used exclusively for dining. 
In a hall, reception-room, or ball-room, quite the 
opposite is true. General illumination only is desir¬ 
able, subdued in the hall, bright in the reception- 
room, brilliant in the ball-room. Formerly, con¬ 
cealed lighting with the bulbs hidden behind the cove 
of the ceiling was sometimes attempted. The 
extravagant waste of light, combined with the never 
pleasing decorative effect, has convinced most of 
its futility. 
A source of light if not too bright, and particularly 
if in rich colors, is the most prominent and joyful 
decorative object in an interior. Why try to hide it ? 
The light should seldom be at the height of the 
ceiling except in low rooms. In low rooms the light 
sources should be in small units, on account of their 
necessary nearness to the eye. As the height of the 
ceiling increases, larger units are permissible, and on 
account of the greater economy in use of large units, 
(Continued on page 15, Advertising Section.) 
156 
