T HIS month we are 
assuming that our 
room is to be finished in 
the plainest type of the 
Colonial, Colonial Farm¬ 
house Style we will call 
it, the best known here 
of all historic styles and 
an American translation 
of the English Georgian ; 
familiar, homely, albeit 
rather plain or even se¬ 
vere, but light, clean, 
cheerful; a style popu¬ 
lar and near our hearts. 
It naturally accords with 
our house construction, 
which really has changed 
little during the past two 
hundred years in the 
finish, window and door 
trim, double-hung sash, 
and other details that 
show in a room. It 
costs less than any other 
treatment, since wood¬ 
work is used sparingly 
and its mouldings and 
joinery are familiar to 
mill-men and carpen¬ 
ters ; for what is fa¬ 
miliar is both best done 
and quickest, and, there¬ 
fore, cheapest in the 
fabrication. 
Any elaborate furnishing would not be quite in character. Plain 
Windsor chairs or stuffed wing chairs are better than the more 
intricate of the carved Chippendale; braided rugs better than 
Oriental. We might allow ourselves hand-painted Dutch tile 
for the mantel facing, and they are neither expensive nor difficult 
to procure. The inner hearth is best of fire-brick, but common 
hard brick will answer; 
the outer hearth of mar¬ 
ble if we can afford it, or 
a continuation of the fire¬ 
brick, or common brick 
if we cannot; fireplace 
lining of cast iron, plain, 
or in an old pattern of 
ovals and sunbursts, or 
of brick. Perhaps one of 
the old cast-iron, curved- 
topped fire-backs with 
the American or English 
arms might be set behind 
the polished brass and¬ 
irons, though the lining 
should be plain in such 
case. 
The mantel might 
either be made specially 
or bought direct from 
one of the great dealers, 
for their Colonial de¬ 
signs are often excel¬ 
lent. Several manufac¬ 
turers take real old ex¬ 
amples as models and 
make most excellent and 
faithful copies ; they are 
proud of them and glad 
to tell you from which 
famous old house each 
was taken. 
We would prefer one 
with little or no orna¬ 
ment for our particular 
room. There are plain 
mitred mouldings every¬ 
where else, on base, 
chair-rail and door or 
window finish, though 
we have allowed our¬ 
selves corner blocks at 
the doors. These mould¬ 
ings may be as rich as 
we please, though they 
must be delicate in scale 
everywhere. All the 
woodwork should be 
white pine, with only 
the smallest of tight 
knots, or else clear 
whitewood or poplar; 
the doors should be 
white pine, if possible. 
As to the door hardware, small brass knobs are correct histori¬ 
cally, though not commonly met with now; glass knobs are occa¬ 
sionally used, but almost always the original rooms had rim- 
locks with great, black iron lock-case showing, screwed to the 
face of the door. Now we use the mortise locks, with the lock- 
case buried in the edge of the door and only knob and key-hole 
showing. 
The windows would 
have small panes, twelve, 
perhaps, to each window. 
The floor might be soft 
wood painted warm gray 
(yellow ocher mixed with 
the commercial gray floor 
paint will give the color), 
or mustard yellow or 
brown; or else it may be 
of hardwood, stained and 
waxed. A smooth plaster 
cornice may be run at the 
ceiling, better than wood, 
unless the walls are 
painted in oil; the plaster 
walls may be sand fin¬ 
ished and left white, if 
we choose, or colored a 
A room of light, cheerful lines, albeit rather plain or even severe 
WOOD, WALL AND FIREPLACE TREATMENT FOR A ROOM OF 
THE COLONIAL FARMHOUSE STYLE 
Alfred Morton Git hens 
Woodwork in this room is simple: the mantel can be bought directly from one of the dealers, 
and the door frames and doors are standard makes 
374 
