April, I p I 7 
ESSEN 
53 
TIALS IN BEDROOM FURNISHING 
The Sleeping, Beautifying 
and Boudoir Groups 
A_wiaitic vviiiusoi, j-/ceuraiur 
Here 'beautifying and boudoir groups are combined. The dressing table and the 
desk constituting the respective centers. Dutch marquetry furniture is used 
ivith gold satin and gauze draperies, amethyst rug and damask upholstery 
Mrs. Lorraine Windsor, Decorator 
In every bedroom should be at least one comfortable lotmge chair. That and 
the chaise longue and the dressing table constitute the necessary furniture of 
the beautifying group 
The sleeping group consists of the bed or beds 
with a night stand and possibly a screen 
of twin beds was made of beech, well 
stained and rubbed down to resemble 
Italian walnut. The lines were simple 
and straight, the head and foot boards 
being of ecjual height and open. In the 
middle of each was a flat simple urn 
motif, gilded. The covers were of 
turquoise blue taffeta piped with deep 
rich yellow. An oblong strip of the 
taffeta covered the flat pillows, and at 
each corner was a blue and gold tassel 
that kept the cover taut and straight. 
Over the windows was a deep ruffled 
valance and from them hung deep 
cream net curtains. The beds were 
the interesting note of the room. 
In another room an un¬ 
usual day bed was done in 
old ivory with tiny lines 
of robin’s egg blue. The 
head and foot boards 
rounded back in an inter¬ 
esting fashion. An Eng¬ 
lish block print was used 
for covering. This was 
repeated at the windows. 
The thin ivory under-cur¬ 
tains had a ruffle of picot 
edged with blue ribbon the 
same tone as the day bed 
striping. Tbe carpet and 
upholstery were rose. 
It is always unfortunate 
when a bed has to be 
placed at an angle, par¬ 
ticularly when it sticks 
out into the room. In a 
room with many doors 
and windows this arrange¬ 
ment almost seems a 
necessity. If, however, 
one of the doors or 
windows is unnecessary, 
we can place the bed cross¬ 
wise in front of the open¬ 
ing and proceed to create 
a draped bed. 
The Draped Bed 
T he furniture of a bedroom may 
be divided into three groups: the 
sleeping group, the beautifying group 
and the boudoir group. 
The sleeping group consists of the 
bed or beds and night stand, and pos¬ 
sibly some sort of a screen. 
Beds, to be sure, seem no longer 
beds, so diverse are their classes. 
There are twin beds, day beds, daven¬ 
ports and convertible couches. Head 
boards have gone out. Now one buys 
two footboards and makes a day bed 
by stacking the frame with pillows. 
An old-fashioned bed with heavy white 
pique spread and starched pillow 
shams is such a curiosity 
that one asks to be taken 
upstairs and shown it. 
But, however attractive 
have become the modern 
painted beds with cretonne 
or taffeta covers, one must 
regret the passing of the 
comfortable — although 
ponderous—A m e r i c a n 
walnut, heavy with orna¬ 
ment and stiff with starch. 
They were beds that were 
beds. Eortunately, the real 
four posters with valances 
of glazed chintz or fringed 
white seersucker and 
feather mattresses have 
never been entirely ousted 
from country houses. 
They still remain to keep 
us warm on wintry nights. 
Diverse Day Beds 
Day beds are excellent 
where one wishes to use a 
bedroom as a sitting-room, 
for while the day bed 
serves the same purpose 
as a bed, it looks more like 
a couch. Made of wood, 
painted and striped, they 
may be covered with a 
pretty cretonne and silk 
cushions of the color one 
wishes to bring out in a 
room. An iron bed—using 
two foot boards—may be 
painted and decorated and 
made to look most charm¬ 
ing. Besides, no one will 
suspect its humble origin. 
In one room I know of 
—a room that had also to 
serve as sitting-room— 
was a very interesting 4' 
day bed. The bed had 
low wooden ends, and 
from the middle of each 
ran a flat slat. Against 
this slat on either side 
were placed cushions. 
Drawn before the Are one 
could either face the fire 
or the room. At night the 
slat was removed, leaving 
the full bed, 4' wide. 
A most charming pair 
Eirst hang some soft 
material, sateen or silk, in 
straight folds from the top 
of the trim to the base¬ 
board, gathering it on a 
rod top and bottom to 
hold it taut and in very 
straight folds. This back¬ 
ground should cover the 
pitire trim. If the open¬ 
ing is not as wide as the 
b e d, extend the b a c k- 
ground to the required 
width. Fasten a 6" valance 
board out from the top of 
the trim and from this 
hang a straight ruffled or 
shaped fitted valance. If 
one does not wish to use 
a valance board, one can 
use a rod with a 4" or 5" 
projection and hang the 
valance from this. A 
second rod will have to be 
{Continued on page 78) 
