HOUSE AND GARDEN 
October, 
iQi4 
In the hallway the sanded walls are tinted a very light 
gray, affording an excellent background for any furni¬ 
ture or hangings that come in contact with it. On the 
floor are Oriental rugs, which always go well in any place 
they may be put, one of their singular virtues being that 
their perfect balance of color never clashes with the sur¬ 
roundings. The carpet on the steps is of a rich red. At 
the dining-room and living-room doorways the portieres 
on the hall side are of an unusual shade of true red vel¬ 
vet without a trace of purple in it. The articles of fur¬ 
niture and the adornments, as the cut indicates, are few 
in number but well disposed, and any objectionable thing 
in the way of a hatrack is conspicuous by its absence. 
There is an ample coat and hat closet, so that all apparel 
impedimenta can be kept well out of sight. At the large 
circular headed window on the stairway is a curtain of 
sundour. On the wall at the turn by the foot of the stairs 
is a piece of old Japanese brocade of mellowed color, lend¬ 
ing a note of distinction to its environment. 
A hallway, inasmuch as it gives a visitor his first and 
oftentimes most lasting impression of a house, should 
The living-room decorated shows excellent taste and effectiveness in both the choice and 
arrangement of furnishings 
Unity was preserved throughout the first floor, as can be seen by comparing the decorated 
dining-room with the living-room above 
outset and not have cause for any regret afterwards. 
In the center of the living-room is a gate table that the 
owner picked up in the course of a New England vaca¬ 
tion. It is low enough to be used comfortably for cards 
or other games, and not too large for the middle of the 
room. Between the door and the fireplace is a semi-cir¬ 
cular Adam side table wrought with all the delicacy of 
carved classic detail that characterized the mahogany fur¬ 
niture designed by the Adelphi. Beyond the fireplace, in 
a corner near the west window, is a tea-table with its para¬ 
phernalia, while on the opposite side of the room, between 
the corner and the south window, is a tall Sheraton secre¬ 
tary or bureau bookcase of peculiarly graceful lines and 
made after a pattern characteristic of the American Colo¬ 
nies. The mantel garniture is extremely simple, consist¬ 
ing of a brass nautical clock that bells the hours in a 
manner agreeably reminiscent of shipboard, and two 
Lowestoft vases. A baby grand piano and the chairs, 
several of which are fine old Hepplewhite pieces, complete 
the furniture of the room. The pictures are few, so that 
the wall spaces are not unduly broken up. At the door 
(Continued on page 261) 
be fairly representative of the rest of the interior. In 
the present instance the note of restraint and simplicity 
sounded in the hallway is echoed in the living-room. 
Rugs of Oriental pattern cover the floor and the walls 
are papered in a light plain tan. At the French window 
opening on a porch at the south side of the room, and at 
the range of three windows on the west, the curtains are 
of unfigured white scrim. 
It may seem to some that a great deal of space is un¬ 
necessarily taken up in minutely describing the ground¬ 
work of a room, its permanent stake setting, so to speak. 
It were well to remember, however, in this connection, 
that in any piece of work, whether it be building a house, 
painting a picture, decorating a room, or any other form 
of creative activity, unless the foundation or background 
be well considered and prepared, no amount of subse¬ 
quent pains lavished upon other features will either cure 
or cover the radical defect. There will always be some 
insistent reminder of imperfection. It is the part of wis¬ 
dom, therefore, to prepare the fundamentals fully at the 
Showing how the restful simplicity was attained in the master’s bedroom by the use of simple 
furniture and few but tastefully chosen decorations 
