47 
August , i p i 6 
Herein is explained the much neglected fixture, its place in the color scheme of a room 
and its position on the wall. For the shops where these fixtures may be purchased ad¬ 
dress HOUSE Sr CARDEN Shopping Service, 440 Fourth Avenue, New York City. 
A pagoda wall 
fixture de¬ 
signed to give 
xiltimate touch 
to the Chinese 
room 
HE modern apart¬ 
ment has many 
things to its 
credit: every conceivable 
convenience for modern 
living. And the old re¬ 
stored farmhouse has its 
distinctive charm. But 
in both there is usually 
lacking—unless one is 
fortunate—adequate, con¬ 
venient and good look¬ 
ing lighting fixtures. The 
same is true of many of 
our best “brown fronts” 
where one can find such 
horrors as a green beetle- 
backed hanging chande¬ 
lier over the dining 
table. In each of these 
cases the rooms may be 
suitably furnished, but 
the fixtures will be an 
eyesore that completely 
destroys unity and dis¬ 
pells charm. These con¬ 
ditions exist because 
householders do not look 
on fixtures as part of the 
furnishings. If the fix¬ 
tures are bad, call in the 
junk man and have them 
removed. You will then 
have a clean slate to 
work on. 
Possible Substitutes 
Having disposed of 
your monstrosities, you 
face the problems of 
what to substitute. The 
really best procedure is 
to cut the fixture off at the ceiling, cap or plaster 
up the hole, and use side lights. Where the 
house or apartment is still under construction, 
such arrangements for 
side outlets can be made 
through the architect or 
builder. If the work is 
for you to do, there are 
some general rules of 
position to remember. 
While the general height 
for the outlet is 6' above 
the floor, a variance of 
6" down to accommodate 
the stature of the family 
is both permissible and 
desirable. If the arms 
are inverted or turned 
down, the outlet hole 
may be somewhat higher 
than 6'. The height of 
the ceiling is also to be 
considered. With a 9' 
ceiling the outlet should 
be no more than S l / 2 ' 
For the bed¬ 
room comes a 
double fixture 
with etched 
mirror back 
AGNES FOSTER 
from the floor or even less to fit the furniture. 
A better effect is had by using a double light 
fixture than a single; the latter being apt to look 
spotty when lit. Besides, it is better to have the 
arms spreading enough to allow several inches 
between the sockets. If the sockets are 8" apart, 
they permit the use of a shade or globe; other¬ 
wise an over-all shield would have to be used. 
With two bulbs thus shaded, the light is softer 
and less concentrated. 
For a room 18' square, four double brackets 
will give sufficient light. All need not be used 
save on “grand” occasions. Used in a dining¬ 
room in conjunction with four table candles or 
candles on the serving table, and the lighting 
effect is at once sufficient and charming. In the 
living-room reading lamps are required in addi¬ 
tion to side fixtures. Base outlets can be put in 
and the wires run under the rugs. Do not be 
persuaded into using the regular side fixtures 
with the wires coming out of them for the table 
lights. They disfigure the wall and are unpleas¬ 
antly conspicuous. Any mechanic can run a wire 
along a door or window trim and paint it to 
match the woodwork. But the base outlet plan 
is better. Have a general idea where you want 
your lights to be and arrange the outlets ac¬ 
cordingly. If your table stands on a rug, a hole 
can be made and buttonholed and the wire slip¬ 
ped through. There are no wires, then, to trip 
over or be untidy. The job assumes a look of 
permanency, which all homemakers desire. 
An Adam fixture, del¬ 
icate in design, is 
charming and suit¬ 
able for the bedroom 
French to its tiniest 
flowers, but suitable 
for the English room 
as well 
Modern wrought iron 
fixtures are reminis¬ 
cent of old Italian 
work and are justly 
becoming popular 
In any formal room 
the revived crystal 
fixtures can be used 
Made of 
wrought iron, 
this torch wilt 
find a place in 
t h e entrance 
hall of oak or 
stone 
In addition to 
these practical 
construction facts 
t h e householder 
should not neglect 
the value of fix¬ 
tures in the fur¬ 
nishing and deco¬ 
rative scheme of a 
room. 
Fixtures and 
Color Schemes 
Much of the 
feeling of a period 
room lies in the 
detail of the side 
fixtures. The fur¬ 
niture may be con¬ 
glomerate, but if 
the walls and pro¬ 
portions are true 
to the period, and 
the fixtures a s 
well, the seal is 
thus set upon the 
room. Or visual¬ 
ize a room where 
the rug is Chinese, 
the walls a plain 
tone and the hang¬ 
ings suggestive of 
. the Chinese in de¬ 
sign. As a dis¬ 
tinctive touch use 
four Buddha 
brackets picked 
out with yellows 
and orange and 
blues of the rug 
and hangings. The 
room is at once 
made unusual. The 
same may be said of the Adam fixtures, the de¬ 
sign being so marked and exquisite that atten¬ 
tion is immediately drawn to them. 
Crystal fixtures have 
come back. They find 
their place in any for- 
§ mal room where each 
crystal plays with the 
light, enlivening and en¬ 
riching a delicate wall 
surface. Another at¬ 
tractive fixture is so ar- 
ranged that the light is 
t reflected in a gracefully 
T" shaped mirror with a 
fSKjsS 3 ^ ■**» tiny garland etched in 
I V the glass. Such a fix- 
L ture would look well in 
a bedroom with the 
frame painted and an¬ 
tiqued to match the 
hangings. This coloring 
of fixtures is a vital part 
of the decorative scheme. 
The pendants of 
this fixture are 
blown glass crys¬ 
tals. Use with 
mulberry shades 
Buddha broods over 
the Chinese room 
from his fixture 
throne of bronze 
Dainty and colorful, 
the basket and flower 
fixture finds a place 
in the boudoir 
A simple, inexpens¬ 
ive fixture that can 
be painted to suit 
color of room 
In a Colonial room 
this design is always 
suitable because of 
its lines 
