the useful and 
the beautiful, if 
we make appro¬ 
priateness the 
touchstone by 
which to test 
our work. The 
first thing to set¬ 
tle is the ques¬ 
tion of color. 
The man's room 
is supposedly as¬ 
sociated more or 
less with the 
ideas of relaxa¬ 
tion and repose 
in leisure hours. 
Be careful, 
therefore, to es¬ 
chew colors that 
are either heavy 
a n d oppressive 
or unduly stim¬ 
ulating. 
In a large 
number of cases 
it happens that 
the room set 
apart for the 
special behoof 
of the master of 
the house or, 
perhaps, one of 
the sons, is 
small. Be it used as study, office or lor any other purpose, its 
chief objects are freedom for the occupant, when he desires 
it, from the interruptions likely to occur in other parts of the 
house and the possibility of thoroughly informal and intimate 
treatment that would be out of place anywhere else if in¬ 
dulged in to the same extent. Small size is, therefore, rather 
an advantage than otherwise. 
But in a small room both the heavy colors and the overly 
stimulating colors are particularly disastrous. They make a 
small room smaller, they eat up the light, and actively stimu¬ 
lating colors produce a feeling of -chronic unrest and soon 
tire the occupant. They oftentimes exercise a positively bane¬ 
ful psvchological effect without the occupant being fully aware 
of just what is the matter. Red, for instance, with its related 
hues, is far too vigorous and stimulating for a small room, 
especially a small room that is intended for restful and re¬ 
laxed leisure, and yet how often does one see the walls of 
men's rooms done in red. Yellow, though reckoned an ad¬ 
vancing color, would be far prefer¬ 
able because, in actual practice, it is 
usually so tempered with white that 
its effect is creamy in tone, its in¬ 
sistent or advancing qualities are 
minimized, and it possesses the merit 
of radiating light. Dark, heavy green, 
another color that seems to have en¬ 
joyed much favor for men’s rooms, is 
depressing and light-absorbent; brown 
blots out the light, swallows up things 
placed against it and, with its related 
hues, generally has so much red in its 
composition that it partakes largely 
of red's contracting qualities upon the 
walls of a small room. 
A good neutral grey or some light 
and not too insistent hue, with 
woodwork of slightly deeper tone, 
would be far more advisable even in 
a very light room, for the volume of 
light can easily be controlled by cur¬ 
tains. It will be bright, restfully 
cheerful, afford a good neutral back¬ 
ground, throw the furniture into re¬ 
lief and give the room the full advan¬ 
tage of its size. If oak, butternut or 
some similar material is used for the 
woodwork, there can always be enough 
light from the 
walls to carry 
it satisfactori¬ 
ly, especially if 
it be used with¬ 
out finish and 
left to the ac¬ 
tion of the at¬ 
mosphere for 
all toning. If 
it be argued 
that such color 
arrangement 
lacks bright- 
ness of life 
and snap, these 
qualities can 
always be at¬ 
tained through 
the hangings 
or upholstery 
stuff. 
Let the floor 
coverings of 
the m a n's 
room avoid 
the fuss y, 
wriggling de¬ 
signs, pseudo- 
Navajo or 
otherwise, 
fancied by 
some to be 
suitable for 
masculine use. A two-tone rug is the best in his room. 
The Type of Furniture 
The furniture of a man’s room should be simple in contour, 
as befits the purpose, but good. This absolutely bars out mid- 
Victorian left-overs. Better do without altogether and leave 
empty spaces that can gradually be filled in as occasion per¬ 
mits. It will be infinitely more dignified and interesting. 
The first desirable piece of furniture is a writing-table or 
a good big table desk at which a man can spread out both 
himself and his papers comfortably. Nothing can be more 
incongruous than to see a full-sized man cramping himself up 
at a finicky little “secretaire” that ought to be in a young girl's 
boudoir. The writing-table or table desk can be put in the 
middle of the room or beside a window or wherever comfort 
and light conditions dictate. If a secretary or bureau-bookcase 
standing against the wall is used, let it be large enough to have 
some dignity of size and capacious enough to hold the neces¬ 
sary papers, accounts and correspond¬ 
ence without crowding. Another es¬ 
sential is a lounge or sofa long enough 
and wide enough to stretch out upon 
comfortably. Easy cbairs go without 
saying. Such bookcases as are used 
should be simple. The simpler they 
are the better. An object like that 
shown in one of the illustrations is of 
great utility. It stands about 4Rfi 
high, is about 15" deep and consists of 
two shelves with two drawers below 
them. The shelves are admirable for 
keeping magazine files laid out flat and 
the drawers can be well used for check 
books, account books, bills, receipt files 
and portfolios. 
A long chest is always valuable. It 
is both convenient and looks well. A 
standing press or cupboard with doors 
and inside, either drawers or open 
shelves, is a godsend, especially if the 
man of the room chances to be either 
a collector or a “handy man” who 
likes to keep some of his tinkering ac¬ 
cessories within easy reach. 
Whatever be the pieces of furniture 
used in the man’s sanctum, let them be: 
robust and fit for service. 
The traveled man and the collector should have about him the evidences of his hobbies, 
however incongruous a mixture they may make 
Order is not the first law in a man’s heaven, 
nor a pretty balance of decoration. Per¬ 
sonal attachment means more than art 
