December, 1916 
51 
The three halls above, showing practically the same treatment for a small passage, also contains just the necessary furniture—a 
table, a mirror and a chair, small pieces that do not hinder the passing and yet express hospitality 
FURNISHING THE 
HOSPITABLE HALL 
AGNES FOSTER 
A HALL should be formal 
enough to receive strangers 
in, and hospitable enough 
to welcome friends. Even when 
its proportions and furnishings 
make it a living-room, the hall is 
at best a passage. But, all the 
same, it should be expressive of 
the hospitality of the house. 
There are four kinds of halls: 
the large and small, the light and 
dark. Some are fortunate enough 
to build halls as they like them— 
of suitable size and light; others 
must make the best of a dark, 
little pocket or a bare, glaring, 
unprepossessing arch. 
By the use of mirrors, paper 
and furniture arrangement we 
can cheer up our little, dark hall. 
A good-sized rectangular mirror, 
placed on the wider wall, will re¬ 
flect and thus enlarge the apparent 
size of the hall to a remarkable 
degree. If it is placed on the 
narrow wall, it gives an attenu¬ 
ated reflection. An oval or round 
mirror has a more decorative 
effect but does not enlarge so suc¬ 
cessfully. Adjoining mirrors set 
in the two corners opposite the 
entrance will have an enlarging 
effect, and, if a lamp is set before 
them, the resulting reflections and 
light are unusual. 
Mirrors serve as a convenience 
as well. One has only to remove 
the hall mirror for a few days 
and watch the men of the family 
shove their hats upon their heads 
at most unbecoming angles, to 
say nothing of the air of real 
tragedy assumed by the feminine 
members of the family who are 
denied a last fleeting look as they 
speed on their several ways. 
Suitable Papers 
One has become a little tired 
of foliage papers, but they are 
doubtless the wall covering par 
excellence for a small hall. By 
the perspective in their pattern 
one imagines he can see beyond 
into the depths of the trees. The 
same is true of landscape papers, 
so many of which—of Colonial 
design especially—are now on the 
market. They are reproductions 
EIGHT GIFT BOOKS ON HOUSE DECORATION 
C2376) House Furnishing and Decoration. Eberlein and McClure. 
$1.50 
( 2177 ) Interior Decoration. F. A. Parsons. $3 
( 217 s> The Decoration and Furnishing of Apartments. B. Bussell 
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(2179) Decorative Styles and Periods. H. C. Candee. $2 
( 2 iso) The Practical Book of Period Furniture. Eberlein and Mc¬ 
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( 2 isi) Good Taste in Home Furnishing. H. B. Sell. $1.25 
( 2182 ) The Honest House. Goodnow and Adams. $3. 
(2is3) The House in Good Taste. Elsie de Wolfe. $2.50 
Pennell, Gibbs & Quiring, decorators * 
In a more elaborate hall a mirror paneled into the ivall, flanked by . 
ivell designed sconces and icith a console before it makes a group of 
great refinement and charm 
of old papers, and the dealer, if 
well informed, can tell you at 
what house and at what date the 
original paper was found. 
A light, plain tone papered or 
painted wall will also enlarge the 
effect of the hall. A figured 
paper, other than a foliage or 
landscape, should not be used in 
a hall of small size. 
A large barren-looking hall may 
be made cheery and hospitable by 
using a warm tone figured paper. 
If the ceiling seems too high, 
bring it down on the side walls, 
running the paper up to the line 
of the frieze and finishing it with 
a moulding. This gives the feel¬ 
ing that the ceiling starts where 
the paper stops. Paint the wood¬ 
work a tone darker than the paper 
and lay a rich, warm tone carpet 
or Oriental rugs on the floor. 
Furniture and Fittings 
On the market are some beau¬ 
tiful Morris designs that are espe¬ 
cially attractive in halls, and some 
interesting French patterns. They 
are dignified, formal and hand¬ 
some. In halls with such paper, 
do not place small pieces of furni¬ 
ture : use a few large pieces—a 
credence or cabinet or an uphol¬ 
stered highback seat. A chest is 
too low to furnish, unless one 
uses it as the main motif in a 
group, placing a tapestry or fabric 
above, torcheres at either side 
and a large brass or pottery bowl 
of brilliant color upon it. If 
torcheres are out of the question, 
inexpensive high brass candle¬ 
sticks may be had. 
The woodwork should he lighter 
than the floor. The floor cover¬ 
ings may be of a warmer tone 
but not so deep as to absorb light. 
Alteration? may be made in the 
door; the upper patiel may be 
glassed and top and <side„ panels 
used. I find that rrfjiny people 
swathe their side panels with dark 
silk that cuts off the light. The 
.thinnest crea.n> c serim, drawn very 
' tig htj a ft dAj 11 ac h LI to top and bot- 
totA jby •» is sufficient. The 
top .trqnsom, which may be semi- 
(Continued on page 66) 
