May, 1916 
51 
COOL COLOR SCHEMES FOR THE PORCH 
AGNES FOSTER 
Below are a few notes for the woman who would furnish her porch 
herself. They suggest color schemes and the ivork she can do herself with 
ingenuity and a little paint. If you want further information ask Miss 
Foster. Or you may purchase the articles shown -through the House & 
Garden Shopping Service, 440 Fourth Ave., New York City 
variance of tone which vivid col¬ 
ors always necessitate. 
Lavender and Green 
Another more subtle scheme, 
which has recently been worked 
out to charming completion, is 
the use of lavender in combina¬ 
tion with soft green. The laven¬ 
der is not of the blue mournful 
shade, but of a pinkish cast, and 
the green has much blue in it. 
Both colors are very light in 
tone. Against the wall back¬ 
ground apply a lattice, which can 
be made of laths, and paint it 
lavender. Trail up it purple 
morning glories. A round iron 
table, such as is used in front of 
French cafes, and a folding iron 
chair, both painted green; a little 
casserole, such as those shown 
here, painted a deep tone and 
edged with pale yellow, and you 
have a striking group for the 
porch corner. Against the lat¬ 
tice place high papier mache jars, 
such as are used in florists’ 
shops. Paint them a deep laven¬ 
der with bands of yellow. They 
will hold forsythia or goldenrod 
or Michaelmas daisies. For tea 
or refreshments, use a low table 
with a wide top painted soft yel¬ 
low and decorated with a cleli- 
| cate design. There is something 
,? cosy and intimate about a low 
table which is conducive to hos¬ 
pitality. Trays decorated in 
quaint designs of bright colors, 
sandwich plates with wire covers 
to keep off the flies, attractive 
French and Italian crockery— 
j such little details make the porch 
« unusual. As a final touch, use 
j an awning of plain green to lend 
seclusion to this outdoors living- 
room. 
Floor Coverings 
are now using tiles, cement and hard 
wood for the floors of porches. But oftener are 
we confronted by the problem of floor covering. 
Crex and the other fiber rugs and rush and corn 
mats are always useful and inexpensive. A porch 
rug bears hard wear both from use and weather, 
tractive ancl it: pays to blly a durable 
tmu er.n,e c make. An oval, natural colored 
iaus colors rus , h rug with . a Hne of black 
vinnnfZe makes an artistic and suitable 
. ( 0 <izine floor cover i n g Fiber rugs of 
g lo (esi d u ’ (Continued on page 80) 
is due to two influences: re¬ 
sponse to the expert handling of 
strong color by such masters as 
Bakst, Hoffman and Poiret, and 
the increased vogue for out-of- 
doors living. Drab tans, buffs 
and greys are not suitable for 
outdoors furnishings, and to 
such an extent has public taste 
changed that it is difficult to find 
a modern porch which has not, 
in more or less quantity, full 
normal, strong vivid colors. 
At first, against the red brick 
walls, we set green willow; suit¬ 
able, to be sure, but repeated on 
neighbor’s porch. Conse- 
new color combinations 
white porches 
d black and 
These started as being casseroles; a little paint transformed them 
into unusual vases. The low bowls in the center are for pansies and 
such short stemmed flowers. The tall vases, $1.25; the low. $1.50 
every 
quently 
came into vogue 
with black trim am 
white painted furniture; chairs 
cushioned with various vivid 
color combinations; black and 
white tiled or painted floors. 
Such a porch looked cool, com¬ 
fortable and interesting. 
A Blue and Orange Porch 
An unusual color combination, 
especially suitable for the porch 
with the southern exposure, is 
blue and orange. The orange 
may be very strong and the blue 
light and clear, with enough 
greenish cast to tone in with the 
foliage. The wall or porch lat¬ 
tice can be painted blue, and to 
the furnishings can be added a 
table and bench painted in a 
darker shade. Hang on the wall 
a small Italian maiolica wall 
fountain of blue, green, orange 
and yellow, or set on the floor a 
pair of Italian pottery jars. 
Paint the floor grey and for cur¬ 
tains, blinds or awnings, as the 
case may be, use an orange 
fabric. For this purpose comes 
a delightful, pure, clear orange 
sunfast. Visualize this porch. It 
breathes of Italy. In fact, if the 
walls are stucco, one might have 
them frescoed in a soft Italian 
yellow with large swags of leaves and fruits in 
greens, blues and yellows. This could easily be 
done by an Italian workman, as the design does 
not require skilled execution. An orange table 
or chair covers of a deeper color would add that 
Another treatment 
of casseroles. 
These sell for 
$1.25. The box is 
to hold correspon¬ 
dence and writing 
paper on the 
porch and costs $2 
if you serve tea on the porch here is the very table. It is And this can serve both as bench and tea table. It is solidly 
stained and lacquered and will withstand the weather. A de- built. The decorations are old Italian and the whole is antiqued 
sign of Vanity Fair. Pierrots cover the top, $35 beyond suspicion. It may be had for $47 
