By some, painted furniture is considered merely a hot- 
weather medium, whereas it can readily be used all the 
year round in certain types of rooms 
Painted furniture may be used in a purely modern American 
living-room, its color and form and decorative detail chosen 
to suit the owner’s individual tastes 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
February, 
I 9 I 5 
structure and covered in a gray and blue linen. 
The gray and blue—that rare Chinese blue—are 
subtily related, much neutralized in tone, and the 
intricate design is made up of a strange, impos¬ 
sible dragon with faint touches of black in his anatomy! Instead 
of the usual davenport before the fire, a day-bed is drawn up a 
little to one side, the frame and back painted the dull blue and 
decorated in a delicate, black design. The cushioned seat is cov¬ 
ered in a linen, like the chairs. 
The tables, the small writing- 
desk, and two or three chairs, 
all of rather odd shapes and with 
rush-bottomed seats, are painted 
blue, like the day-bed. Two 
chairs and a standard lamp ate 
lacquered in black, and one odd, 
black sofa cushion, are all used 
to bring out a striking contrast. 
Another lamp is of white, 
crackle ware pottery, and both 
have very dull orange shades, 
one with black fringe and gimp, 
the other covered with heavy 
filet lace. The curtains at the 
French windows are of crinkled 
silk of a dull, faded orange. 
Delicate electric fixtures painted 
black, with small, orange shields, 
give a note of color to the walls. 
The portieres are of the same 
linen as the upholstery, or, if one 
should prefer it, use a gray vel¬ 
vet as near in tone to the walls 
as possible. In such a neutral- 
toned room the bookcases should 
be curtained—the orange silk, 
for example, drawn tight under 
the glass doors. Otherwise the 
books would be too heavy and 
varied in color. The painted 
furniture and light-toned linen 
uld be delightful for a room 
r ich used in hot weather. This style of furniture can be made 
to order in many different forms and colors, suited to any indi¬ 
vidual taste, and makes a charming and distinctive room. The 
plainest and most inexpensive furniture, but of good lines, can 
be used when necessary, painted and decorated as one wishes, in¬ 
stead of the rather high-priced reproductions of peasant furni¬ 
ture used in the room described above. The expense can be 
much lessened by papering tbe entire walls and 
using some lovely chintz instead of the linen and 
silk. The effect will be very pleasing and the 
cost comparatively small. 
For those who like Colonial rooms, or to be more exact, the 
American adaptation of the 18th Century English periods, the 
problem is simplified, as so many families have inherited and 
accumulated in one way or another much mahogany furniture. 
So-called Colonial architecture 
in the country is still popular, 
and the living-room, with its 
white paint, low ceiling and fig¬ 
ured wall paper, is in excellent 
taste in such a house. The paper 
can be put on above a three-foot 
wainscot and finished by a chair 
rail, or, if preferred, the effect 
of paneling can be produced by 
giving the plastered walls many 
coats of enamel paint and di¬ 
viding the spaces with a two- 
inch moulding. This latter treat¬ 
ment has much more dignity and 
permanence, as well as beauty, 
than any wall paper. However, 
if it can be found, for it is a 
rarity these days, a good Colo¬ 
nial landscape paper is appro¬ 
priate ; or, possibly, in default 
of this, a two-toned stripe, or a 
green and white stripe is in good 
taste. With either of these the 
curtains should be of a plain 
fabric, rep or taffeta silk or vel¬ 
vet. A plain carpet will set off 
the furniture to best advantage 
and not clash with the figured 
walls. For upholstery, a two- 
toned damask or armure with 
two or three odd chairs in a con¬ 
trasting color. If the room is 
paneled, a wider choice is pos¬ 
sible. Chintz or printed linen—there are many old-fashioned 
18th Century designs, including some interesting Chinese — can 
be used for curtains and furniture coverings. In mahogany there 
is a great variety of delightful tables of all shapes and sizes, from 
substantial library tables to tiny, round ones just large enough for 
a book or a cup of tea or coffee. Medium-weight, stuffed furni- 
(Continued on page 114) 
A rush bottom chair of such a set is 
inexpensive, comfortable and al¬ 
ways decorative 
In this room Chippendale chairs have been used effectively against a back 
ground of dull gold Japanese paper hung with Japanese prints 
