HOUSE AND GARDEN 
AY, 1910 
The pronounced design and vigorous coloring of this rug make 
plain walls a necessity 
finish as the adjoining room. Here a matting rug would fill all 
requirements and look well, besides being extremely inexpensive. 
Such a rug has also to recommend it the ease with which it may be 
removed on cleaning days. A design in dull blue and green of 
Chinese suggestion might well be selected. A good effect is ob¬ 
tained by using rough scrim curtains at the windows with this 
pattern stenciled as a border (in smaller size) reproducing the 
green and blue of the rug. 
Where the house is old and the floors are not in condition to be 
exposed, matting by the piece can cover all floors attractively. 
A heavy padding of quilted paper should be placed beneath the 
matting; this preserves it, as well as making the floor covering 
more agreeable to the tread. With this treatment for floors, rugs 
may or may not be used, as desired. A beautifully cool and 
dainty effect is obtained where no color is introduced on the mat¬ 
ting-covered floor. Where walls are light in color, and much 
gaily-flowered chintz showing a white or ivory ground is employed, 
the finished room is dainty and attractive. 
A good quality of matting which will give satisfactory service 
can be purchased for $14 a roll of 40 yards. The cheaper grades 
are scarcely worth buying, as they wear so badly. 
A very special interest has been aroused recently in old Chinese 
Rugs of Oriental design adjust themselves to all types of rooms. 
Walker & Hazzard, architects 
The Oriental in your dining-room receives hard usage; take it up to 
rest it through the summer 
rugs, as some very beautiful specimens of these have been on 
exhibition in New York during the past year. The wonderful 
tawny yellows, dull bronze, copper, blue, and gray tones these 
show are a revelation in color quality. The price of these rugs is 
prohibitive to the majority of people and their rarity makes them 
almost museum pieces, but it is interesting to note that some 
modern Oriental rugs of the Mahal family show similar colors, and 
while the designs in these carry only a general suggestion of the 
Chinese characteristics the whole effect is reminiscent of the more 
costly rug. 
Such a rug is really a wise investment, as it lends itself well 
to the decoration of any room which is not too delicate in treat¬ 
ment. In about 13 x 15 ft. size such a rug may be purchased 
for $300 or a little less. These rugs, of course, are suitable to 
interiors fitted for all-the-year-round use or to the more elaborate 
summer home. 
Also the Body Brussels, the Royal Wilton, the Axminster, and 
other good and well known makes of domestic rugs give satisfac¬ 
tory service in such houses. In selecting any of these, however, 
much care must be taken to find those of good design and soft 
colors, as the time has evidently not yet arrived when the maker 
produces only harmonious and beautiful effects in floor coverings. 
The old Chinese rugs are prohibitive in cost for most of us, but 
modern Mahals show similar colors 
