The Editor’s Talks and Correspondence 
CORRESPONDENCE finish for mission furniture 
HANGING PICTURES IN A WAINSCOTED ROOM 
I notice that you are glad to give advice to inquirers 
on matters pertaining to house furnishing and accord¬ 
ingly beg to submit a question. The proposition is 
this: I am building a cottage in semi-bungalow 
style,—three rooms of fairly good size, parlor, library 
and dining-room, which open into each other. The 
interiors are to be a dull stained paneling running up 
to a height of six feet (the height of the rooms being 
twelve feet). Above that the walls are to be covered 
with cloth and paper. I have several large pictures, 
engravings, portraits, etc., and I am in doubt as to the 
proper way to hang them. Above the paneling they 
would be too high; entirely on the paneling they 
would be too low. Is the alternative proper, and 
should they be hung partly on the papered wall and 
partly on the paneling ? 
A. G. M. R. 
Answer: In regard to hanging your pictures in 
the room with the wainscot the only possible treat¬ 
ment is to allow them to hang from the plain wall 
surface above and extending down over the wainscot. 
To do this satisfactorily and have the pictures hang at 
the proper angle, it will be necessary to use long pic¬ 
ture nails especially made to obviate such difficulties. 
They will hold the pictures well out from the wall. 
You will find in many pictures, particularly of 
beautiful English homes, that this arrangement is 
used very frequently in wainscoted rooms. 
TREATMENT FOR A COLONIAL LIBRARY 
Having been a subscriber to the House and Gar¬ 
den for some time I wish to avail myself of the cour¬ 
tesies extended through The Editor’s Talks and 
Correspondence. The library of our old Colonial 
house has woodwork and bookcases finished in white; 
the walls papered in medium and light green stripe; 
furniture mostly mahogany and I wish to replace 
matting with hard wood. Will you kindly advise me 
of the kind of wood to use and treatment of same 
and regarding finish, etc. I would esteem it a great 
favor if you would afford me an immediate reply as 
I wish to commence this with other improvements 
at once. 
F. W. W. 
Answer: In response to your letter to the Corre¬ 
spondence Department of House and Garden in 
regard to the treatment of your Colonial library, I 
would advise you to write to the firm whose address 
I am sending you for information. These people, 
I am sure, will give you satisfactory information and 
results, should you decide to order from them. Your 
library as described seems most attractive. 
Will you please describe the process and materials 
used to produce the finish on mission furniture. I 
refer to the dark or black finish on the oak. Is that 
same finish also used for the standing woodwork of 
rooms. S. J. 
Answer: In reply to your question as to the proper 
treatment to produce the correct finish for mission 
furniture, I would suggest two methods: You may 
stain the natural wood of your furniture and follow 
the stain with a coat of surfacer, this to be followed 
by a finish which is dull in effect; or you may use 
the rubbed wax finish over the stain. I am sending 
you the names of certain firms who will, I am sure, 
give you satisfactory information and samples. 
A MODIFIED COLONIAL HOUSE 
I find so many good suggestions to correspondents 
in House and Garden that I take the liberty of ask¬ 
ing you to help me in woodwork and color scheme for 
our new home in the course of construction. I enclose 
sketch of first floor plan. The house is to be Colonial, 
with four columns extending to gable in roof, to be 
painted white, with stained green roof and foundation. 
Beam ceiling in hall and dining-room. Casement 
windows in the south of dining-room and leaded 
glass doors between dining-room and hall. A mantel 
in each room, the hall mantel to be brick. 
Our library furniture and piano are in light oak; 
our dining-room furniture in golden oak. We also 
have two large chairs and couch in Spanish leather. 
These we expect to use in the hall. 
Kindly tell me what colors to use in these rooms, 
also woodwork finishing, floors, hardware, etc. We 
will have both gas and electric lights. What fixtures 
would you suggest for dining-room. Are the plain 
effects in wall coverings used more than the burlap 
with upper third of figured paper ? I will appreciate 
very much your suggestions. W. R. B. 
.S' 
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Answer: We are glad to know that you find the cor¬ 
respondence in House and Garden helpful and are 
very pleased to make you the following suggestions. 
The arrangement of the house, as shown on your 
floor plan, is most attractive and your plan to make 
the exterior white with green roof and foundation is 
quite correct. 
You fail to mention the character of wood used 
for the standing woodwork of the various rooms 
described. I am suggesting, however, on the sup¬ 
position that it is oak. For your hall of northwestern 
exposure I would suggest that you use a light oak 
stain, something not far removed from the natural. 
Cover the wall in your hall with a yellow tan paper 
in a fabric effect. The ceiling should be tinted 
(Continued on page 21, Advertising Section.) 
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