HOUSE AND GARDEN 
February, 1910 
A combination gas and electric side-wall 
lighting fixture of simple design 
fixtures used in each room. These can 
be extremely ugly and impossible to 
reconcile with any decorative scheme, 
but it is possible also to obtain them 
with the gas fixture so discreetly arranged 
that it is not obtrusive. For instance, 
in a dining-room, if there is a central 
table light under a spreading shade there 
should be no effort to introduce a gas 
light in this fixture, but the sconces or 
side lights used may have a single gas 
light included in the design. It is easier 
in the side lights to disguise these than 
in the central light, and in living-rooms, 
unless the type of the room really requires 
it, it is much better to avoid a central 
light, using standard table lights and side 
lights exclusively. 
Many of the large manufacturers of 
lighting fixtures have show rooms in the 
larger cities where one can see the fix¬ 
tures set up in the proper environment 
for each style. Many of these exhibition 
rooms carry sugges¬ 
tions in wall treat¬ 
ment, woodwork, 
ceiling and draperies 
which are very help¬ 
ful to the inexperi¬ 
enced along the lines 
of house decora¬ 
tion. While un¬ 
decorated walls 
of plain color 
and standing 
woodwork of 
simple lines 
seem to call for 
fixtures and 
hardware of 
iron, dull copper 
or smoked brass, 
the heavy dark 
woodwork and richly ornamented ceiling 
and tapestried walls of the Flemish or 
Italian Renaissance will carry fixtures of 
ornamental brass, carved and gilded wood, 
or of brass treated with the sand blast, 
which gives to the metal an antique and 
roughened surface which is very effective. 
The designs of such pieces are appropri¬ 
ately characteristic of the period along 
which the room is planned. In the Colo¬ 
nial room the setting will show ivory 
The gas outlet is kept as 
inconspicuous as pos¬ 
sible 
enamel for the woodwork and some one 
of the delightful wall coverings of that 
period, and, to be properly complemented, 
brass fixtures of simple design or those of 
gilded metal and crystal, or the less ornate 
type of carved and gilded wood should be 
used. 
' As it is not always possible for the 
prospective builder to visit such show 
rooms much may be done through corre¬ 
spondence with a city decorator or by 
writing directly to the manufacturers, 
giving a description of the individual 
requirements of the house and requesting 
a suitable selection of illustrations show¬ 
ing designs. In most cases these will 
be supplied, together with prices, and in 
this way fixtures appropriate to the 
room may be secured without great 
difficulty. 
[Decorating a Dining-room 
K NOWING of the assistance this depart¬ 
ment of House & Garden has given 
others, as a constant reader and subscriber I 
am coming to you for personal help in selecting 
wall papers and curtains for my dining-room. 
The room is 21 ft. long and 13 ft. wide, with 
three windows in the east. The frame is 9 ft. 
in width and holds four small windows on the 
north. I think I would like tapestry paper 
with no predominating color on the side walls, 
but you may think this not so good as some 
other treatment would be. Please tell me 
just how you think the wall would look best? 
I wish to have the woodwork white enamel, 
or perhaps an ivory white. Kindly suggest 
the best material for this? The rug has 
Oriental coloring in which there is much dull 
blue, and tan. The furniture is oak. There 
is a single door leading into the living-room, 
the walls of which are treated in a light shade 
of green. The house is very simple, nothing 
expensive in it, and I do not want to buy costly 
paper now, but it must be in good taste. The 
four windows on the north are set 4 ft. from 
the floor and have no shades. I had white 
net sill-length curtains at all of the windows. 
The light has faded my paper, and I must 
make a different arrangement. Window shades 
do not look well as I have tried them, and have 
not felt that they were a success. Perhaps 
you could suggest some sort of curtains for the 
inside which could be drawn and shut out the 
light. I would appreciate it if you could send 
me samples of wall paper and drapery material. 
Also samples of the curtain material you would 
recommend, and some suggestion as to the 
length and general style of these curtains. 
We are very pleased to supply you 
with the suggestions for the treatment 
of your dining-room as described. We 
have mailed to you a sample of wall 
paper showing a design of fruit and 
flowers in old rose, green, and dull blue 
on a tan ground, with a thread of gold 
running through it. We send also a 
sample of raw silk which we would sug¬ 
gest for your window draperies. These 
can be made to slip loosely on a rod and 
extend only to the sill line. They will 
draw readily and in a great measure shut 
A plain or two-toned upper wall treatment 
would greatly improve this dining-room 
out the light and probably you will find 
them of service in the place of shades. 
The silk is 30 inches in width and the 
price is $1.50 a yard. It is, however, 
very durable and holds its color well. 
The price of the paper is 45 cents a roll of 
8 yards. We also send a sample of 
tapestry fabric which is similar in color 
and design to the wall paper. This we 
would recommend your using for seat 
cushions of your chairs and a window- 
seat, should such be required. The 
design of the tapestry paper is quiet, 
as the tones are extremely soft and dull 
and in some lights it presents practically 
a two-toned surface. 
Ivory white enamel is recommended 
for your woodwork as this will be most 
effective with the wall treatment sug¬ 
gested. 
For door curtains dull old red velvet 
—or dull blue could be used. There is 
a cotton velvet, sold under the name of 
Brunswick, which takes the light beau¬ 
tifully when hanging in folds; this is 
50 inches wide and sells for $2.25 a yard 
and comes in a fine selection of colors. 
It makes most serviceable and attractive 
curtains and we would recommend that 
you use it in your doorway. 
In making these curtains two lengths 
of the velvet should be put together 
without interlining, finishing the edge 
with a gimp or galloon in color similar 
to the velvet, or the edges may be fin¬ 
ished instead with a narrow moss fringe. 
Too many ornaments on this mantel spoil The 
"flroom. Do not be afraid to store ornaments 
