92 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
February, 1915 
which is invariably commercial looking and unpleasantly reminis¬ 
cent of St. Lawrence’s gridiron. The popularity of brass beds, we 
may be thankful, is on the wane. They make an ostentatious dis¬ 
play, whereas there is a seemliness to a white iron bed, as a bed, 
that the brass lacks. 
A Colonial bedroom is a joy to furnish, since such remark¬ 
ably good reproductions are 
made. Then, too, many of us 
are proud possessors of at 
least one heirloom, and, mak¬ 
ing this our piece de resist¬ 
ance — providing it is worthy, 
of course — we build up a room 
with more knowledge than 
when we attempt any other 
period. For the Louis lived 
such a long time ago, and we 
have little knowledge as to 
where the Brothers Adam 
placed their masterpieces. 
Doubtless, the Colonial has 
been overdone, and sometimes 
those who inherit an ugly 
Colonial empire table have not 
the courage to pack it away 
in the attic. By itself, the Co¬ 
lonial is often harsh and too 
sparse, therefore the use of a 
French chintz gives an air of 
vivacity and cheeriness. Nothing 
is more successful than this com¬ 
bination. 
In a Colonial room the bed is 
preeminent. There are many 
really lovely types. For the larger 
room, the high poster with its 
valance is preferable: but for the 
small room, the low posters cut a 
room up less, and still give the 
old-fashioned air that is such a 
charming background for many 
women. 
There are many ways to treat 
a four-poster. If the other hang¬ 
ings in the room are of a vari-col- 
ored cretonne, it is wiser to keep 
the valance and cover white or 
cream. This gives the bed a rest¬ 
ful air and does not detract from 
the well-turned posts. If the room, 
is simple and in monotone, a 
gay, old-fashioned chintz valance 
can be used to good effect. If a 
striped cretonne is used else¬ 
where, by using a plain fabric on 
the bed and edging it with strips 
of the cretonne, a striking effect 
is attained. Above everything, avoid making the bed look fussy. 
In a room where much mahogany is used it is rather distinctive 
to place a few pieces of wicker of a lighter color than the ma¬ 
hogany to offset the rather monotonous effect of the latter. Or 
else use some decorated furniture—two chairs and a small table 
will give much relief to an otherwise monotonous room. There 
are lovely little black chairs with rush seats, and on the splats at 
the back is a prim, formal nosegay. This decoration may be re¬ 
peated on the sewing-table drawers. If you have a very heavy 
chest of drawers, place it so as to form part of the background of 
the room, as though it were built for just that space. Avoid 
having it look like a detached piece of furniture. Do not accen¬ 
tuate its heaviness. 
For the walls there come quaint calico papers looking like old 
block prints, and the colors being simple, they form an excellent 
background for decorated 
furniture. Plain wall papers 
are generally more satisfac¬ 
tory in every bedroom, al¬ 
though in a guest room a 
paper with a chintz design is 
rather refreshing; then, too, 
one does not have to live long 
enough with it to tire of it. 
Older people are usually 
fond of these chintz papers, 
and for the real grandmother 
comes one with much laven¬ 
der among the flowers. With 
it, plain lavender hangings 
at the window frames the 
picture outside. The furni¬ 
ture would be white, and 
there could also be used a 
large wing chair upholstered 
in lavender of a deeper tone. 
Old people need clean, clear 
colors. It is a shame to put 
drab around a person who loves 
most to live in the memory of 
gav-flowered days. 
There is a prevalent notion that 
in a Colonial room rag rugs must 
be used. This is rather a pity, as 
they certainly can prove them¬ 
selves a nuisance, never lying 
flat, flying around at all angles, 
easily kicked and readily soiled. 
They have but one virtue — their 
cheapness. A Scotch rug has the 
same “home-madey” look and 
gives three times the service. 
1 f one should lean to the ultra¬ 
modern, a very charming room 
can be made by using a futurist 
chintz of not too violent design or 
color. For example, there is a 
buff and black striped chintz 
with very smart little bouquets of 
mulberry green and blue. On the 
floor use a black carpet — distress 
to the maid, but joy to the mis¬ 
tress ; and keep the walls a light 
buff. Against this combination 
place clear, green-painted furni¬ 
ture, decorated to harmonize with 
the bouquets on the chintz. Have as few pieces of furniture as 
possible for comfort. If, instead of the buff hangings, black and 
white figured curtains of well-woven linen to insure richness are 
used, the room will have a certain finesse. I11 every case where 
something out of the usual is attempted much discrimination 
must be used ; an ill-placed note of color will spoil an expensively 
furnished room at once. The stronger tones one uses in the 
color scheme, the more difficult is its handling. It is not such a 
(Continued on page 118) 
Fortunately the popularity of brass beds is on the wane. One need but visualize 
small wooden four-posters here to appreciate the change 
Painted furniture fits in well in a Colonial room. Here also is shown the 
advantage of having plain valances to the bed and a more lively chintz 
at the windows 
