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A Comprehensive Color Scheme 
I HAVE been much interested in this depart¬ 
ment, and wish now to ask a few suggestions 
for myself. We are building a house arranged 
in the following way: Parlor, northeastern 
exposure; living-room across central hallway, 
southeastern exposure,; dining-room adjoining 
living-room, southwestern exposure; four bed¬ 
rooms upstairs in the four corners of the house. 
The parlor to be finished in white; our furni¬ 
ture in this room is the Louis XIV shape, 
tapestry covering, with mahogany frames. 
The hall in oak, and the living-room and dining¬ 
room in oak with oak furniture. 
We would like to have our walls all tinted 
at first, and beg to ask if you will suggest the 
colors which will be most desirable for the 
various rooms named. I may add that the 
fireplace in the living-room is in mottled brown 
brick. Would you be kind enough to furnish 
me with samples of the colors you may suggest? 
I should also like to ask if any difficulty is 
experienced in making paper adhere to a wall 
which has been previously tinted. Also, 
would it be too much to ask further for sug¬ 
gestions of color and materials for door hang¬ 
ings, curtains, etc.? I send a stamped envelope 
for reply. 
Before papering a wall that has been 
previously tinted it is necessary to have 
the surface thoroughly cleansed. If a 
water color tint has been used this is not 
a difficult task. Would you consider 
using paper in one or two of your rooms? 
This would be decidedly more in keeping 
with the character of your furnishings, 
for the parlor at least, as I note the furni¬ 
ture is of French design. Therefore, for this 
room we send a sample of an apricot- 
colored paper showing a formal design 
of medallions and baskets of flowers. 
With this, wffiite enamel for youiv wood¬ 
work will look well. The ceiling should 
show the same tone of ivory as the wood¬ 
work. In selecting the drapery material 
the color would be largely influenced by the 
shades shown in your tapestry furniture 
covering. Some one of the predominat¬ 
ing colors should be repeated in the door 
curtains and in the over-draperies at the 
windows. The material for the latter 
might be of brocade or damask. These 
curtains should have a suggested valance 
and be finished with a gimp or moss 
fringe. 
For the hall we are sending a dull blue 
tint and for the living-room a soft shade 
of tan, to be used as a tint. The same 
ceiling color as advised for the parlor 
could extend throughout. For the upper 
third of the wall in the dining-room we 
again advise a paper. The one I have 
selected shows a soft mingling of dull 
Where the opening of the door between kitchen 
and dining-room discloses too much of the 
former, a screen is of great value 
blue, olive green, wood brown, and gray, 
in tapestry foliage design. The lower 
wall could be tinted the shade of dull blue 
shown in the sample attached. For 
curtains next the glass of the window we 
recommend net like the sample sent; 
this is 40 inches in width, $1.15 a yard. 
It makes very attractive diaphanous 
curtains. For the over-draperies the 
thin blue crinkled silk is suggested. This 
silk is 30 inches wide, 90 cents a yard. 
The curtains should be finished with a 
narrow moss fringe in the same color and 
extend to the sill line. Door curtains of 
dull blue cotton velvet, 50 inches wide, 
$2.55 a yard, would complete the scheme. 
The linen taffeta, the background of 
which matches the tan tint suggested for 
the walls, is advised for the over-draperies 
in the living-room. The design on this 
material you will note repeats the various 
colorings shown in the tapestry paper 
suggested for the dining-room adjoining. 
Your floors throughout should be 
given a light brown stain and finished with 
three coats of the best floor varnish, the 
last coat to be lightly rubbed with pumice 
and oil. This will reduce the high polish 
and give an effect closely resembling wax, 
though it has not the drawbacks of the 
latter, as it does not spot with water, 
does not require frequent renewal and 
polishing, and can be wiped up with a 
damp cloth. 
For the bedroom of northern exposure 
a soft yellow tint is sent. I would suggest 
with this a paper ribbon border in a 
slightly different tone of yellow from the 
side walls, interspersed with occasional 
clusters of lilies of the valley. This border 
should outline each corner and be set below 
the picture rail and above the baseboard 
and will give a very decorative and at¬ 
tractive effect. White muslin draperies 
used next the glass, with over-draperies 
of white dimity bordered with a cut-out 
applique of yellow ribbon design are 
advised. 
(162) 
