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One cause of the decorator’s success is the careful grouping of furniture. The tables are placed where they may be used conveniently, properly lighted by lamp and window; 
the chairs invite use and render conversation easy. The flanking book shelves beside the fireplace are decorative and overcome the effect of its protruding too far into the room 
we chose a deep soft cream color, almost a tan; the woodwork 
was rubbed down to a dull finish, the floor stained and varnished, 
and a beautiful oriental rug with soft tones of blue and brown 
put down. The sofa was re-covered with a fine reproduction of 
old needlework, as was also a large chair. The mantel was en¬ 
tirely out of the scheme, of course, so we placed before it a 
needlework fire-screen, and put a mirror in a fine carved frame 
over it. Two tall carved-wood candlesticks and an old Chinese 
blue and white jar were the ornaments. The sofa was placed 
against the wall near the wide door and a leather screen was 
placed so as to shield the room a bit from the hall. Near the 
sofa, with the screen for a background, was a table with a lamp; 
and chairs were also in this group. Then there was a handsome 
chest, a settee, chairs, one fairly large table and several smaller 
ones, one of which was placed between the windows with a 
mirror over it. The blue damask curtains gave a beautiful plain 
note and the grouping of the furniture made it possible for several 
sets of people to talk in peace at the same time. It was not a 
period room, but one where the colors and the furniture on hand 
were re-arranged until it became livable and charming. The 
dining-room leading from the parlor had the same toned walls 
as the hall, and the old blue rug from the parlor was dyed a 
pleasanter shade of blue and used in it. The hangings were linen 
of a beautiful Jacobean design. I add this to show how the 
whole floor was planned as one. 
A “parlor” of the other and wider type was made charming by 
a warm-gray silk fiber paper, soft old rose curtains and a plain 
gray rug. The furniture consisted of a comfortable stuffed sofa, 
two armchairs done in old rose velvet, and several other chairs 
covered with a lovely, soft colored linen containing old rose, gray 
and green. The piano had a piece of old brocade on it, and the 
well-placed lamps had shades of ivory-toned filet lace. There 
was a gold-framed mirror over the mantel, which was painted 
ivory-white like the woodwork. The entrance hall being on the 
ground floor made it possible to use the little square hall between 
the parlor and dining-room as part of the former. It had a book¬ 
case, a settee, chairs, and a table and mirror, of a beautiful 
Hepplewhite design. The walls were a French gray, almost 
white, and the same gray carpet was used here and in the dining¬ 
room. The chair seats were covered with the linen used in the 
parlor. The dining-room had a gray landscape paper above the 
ivory-white wainscot and a soft pinkish mulberrv-toned silk was 
used for the curtains. 
Another long and narrow parlor with a poor supply of light 
had the walls beautifully treated by using molding as panels and 
the whole painted ivory-white. This broke up the monotony of 
the long space; and with a well-balanced arrangement of pictures 
and side lights the room was made most charming. 
There are many trials to be met in nearly all houses not built 
to our own liking, and some must be endured while others may 
