Floor Coverings for the Summer Home 
THE AVAILABLE RUGS, MATTINGS AND CARPETS IN WHICH MAY BE FOUND WEARING QUALI¬ 
TIES AND GOOD DESIGN AND COLOR-HARMONIOUS TREATMENT OF THE FLOOR BOARDS 
by Margaret Greenleaf 
Photographs by H. Shobbrook Collins and others 
I N making the selection of floor coverings for the summer home 
there are two points which should be held well in mind:— 
first, the character and color of the furnishing and decoration of the 
room in which the rug or carpet will be introduced; and second, 
the quality of the textile itself. While to many people it would 
seem that these 
points should be 
reversed in im¬ 
portance, we 
p u rposely put 
them in this 
way; every good 
housewife will 
look for quality 
in purchasing 
the fittings for 
her home, there¬ 
fore this feature 
will take care of 
itself, while un¬ 
fortunately t h e 
necessity for 
harmony i n col¬ 
or and design of 
the floor cover¬ 
ing with the 
other furnishings 
of the room is 
not always suf¬ 
ficiently consid¬ 
ered. 
There are 
manufactured 
to-day some ex¬ 
cellent inexpen¬ 
sive domestic 
rugs, and these offer a much wider choice than was afforded 
a few years ago, when one was practically limited to mat¬ 
ting, rag rugs, and art squares of impossible colors and patterns. 
One of the best all-wool rugs now made, which is well suited to a 
house of the bungalow type or on Craftsman lines, comes in 
delightful colors — rich mulberry red, golden and chocolate brown, 
dull blue, sage green, and mahogany. These rugs show a two- 
toned border effect, while the body of the rug shows the lighter 
tone. Some of the designs have spaced conventional figures in 
a lighter shade of the same color, or in ivory or black on a plain 
field. These rugs are hand-woven and of heavy wool and give 
good return for the money expended for them. In size 9 x 12 ft. 
the price is $36. The next stock size is 7 ft. 6 in. x 10 ft. 6 in., 
which costs $27.50. They may be obtained as small as 2 ft. 3 in. x 
4 ft. 6 in. for $3.50. These rugs can also be made in special sizes 
and combinations of colors to order at about $3 a square yard. 
Where there is a pronounced figure in the side walls and draperies 
such a floor covering is particularly effective. 
There is another style in all-wool rugs known as the “Scotch 
Art” rug. It is reversible and made in a great variety of colors, 
running largely to the more delicate tones, and is particularly 
suitable for bedrooms. These can, however, be made to order in 
any size or color. In size 9 x 12 ft. they cost $27.50. Thesmallest 
stock size is 1 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft., and costs $1.75. 
Then, too, for bedrooms there are rugs made after the old rag 
rug of our grandmothers’ days. These are sold under various 
trade n a m e s, 
among them the 
Priscilla, Pil¬ 
grim, and Rag- 
style rugs. These 
are all very 
good makes. The 
Pilgrim sells in 
size 9 x 12 ft. for 
$22.50. The 
Priscilla is a 
cheaper grade 
and sells in the 
same size for $18. 
The best 
among the 
cheapest rugs to 
be found are 
those of matting 
made of heavy 
twisted straw. 
They come in 
good designs and 
colors, and fre- 
quently are 
found very effec¬ 
tive in complet- 
i n g a color 
scheme for a 
summer cottage. 
In furnishing 
a moderate priced bungalow, the floor coverings can be of the 
simplest type and yet the finished effect be thoroughly satisfying 
and practical. 
In the large living-room, which is a usual part of the plan of 
such a house, if the walls are of rough plaster tinted in a shade of 
dull tan, the floor of yellow pine should be stained to a light brown 
tone and finished with a material which will supply the effect of 
rubbed wax, but which is more durable and does not require re¬ 
newal. The hard usage to which the floors of a summer cottage— 
particularly in the mountains or at the seaside—are subjected 
makes the question of the finish given the floors an important 
one. A “ Bungalow rug” in two shades of brown, almost matching 
the color of the woodwork, would look well in a room of this char¬ 
acter. 
If the size of the room requires it, this central rug may be 
complemented by two runners of the same weave and color. 
With the plain walls and the two-toned floor covering, figured 
draperies, cushions, etc., should be introduced. 
For the dining-room, where the walls may be Delft blue in 
tone, and the woodwork stained a lighter shade of brown or treated 
with white enamel, the floor should be given the same color and 
With the approach of the season for cool furniture coverings and the removal of heavy hangings, rid 
your floors of carpets, re-finish the floor boards and consider which of the many available kinds 
of rugs will make the floors look cool and inviting 
