July, 1917 
SCALE, COLOR AND 
FURNITURE GROUPS 
27 
through with glints of harmonizing colors 
which catch the light and give texture and 
variety to the surface. 
Similar effects are obtainable in wall¬ 
papers, but of course it is not always possible 
to secure precisely the desired combination 
of colors in this medium. Plain papers, 
especially in the various fabric finishes, are 
well suited to the small living room, as are 
fabrics such as grass-cloth and damask, but 
the problem of a patterned paper is a little 
difficult. Small figures have the effect of 
contracting the walls, and very large ones 
are mutilated and rendered meaningless and 
absurd when hung in a room whose wall 
surfaces are divided into small areas by 
doors and windows, or tall pieces of furni¬ 
ture. The safest choice, perhaps, is an all- 
over pattern free from violent contrasts of 
tone or color, having figures of medium size 
whose outlines are softly blurred. Very 
narrow, closely spaced stripes are also effec¬ 
tive, though broad stripes, especially in 
strong colorings, pull the walls in. For those 
whose tastes incline to things Ori¬ 
ental there are. quaint reproductions 
of antique Chinese patterns. 
With medium light walls as a foun¬ 
dation, it is not difficult to build up a 
color scheme which will emphasize 
the good points of a room. Thus, a 
cheerless, poorly lighted north room 
can be made habitable and inviting by 
filtering the light through hangings of 
gold gauze and painting the walls a 
light, warm, luminous gray. Gray- 
brown woodwork and floor, a plain 
dull green rug, and green-painted fur¬ 
niture of a lighter tone with light 
purple cushions the color of shadows 
on grass, would create perpetual sum¬ 
mer in such a room. 
The adaptability of grays was well 
illustrated in a small living-room re¬ 
cently completed for a dweller in one 
fashionable suburb of New York. Here 
the conditions were the reverse of those de¬ 
scribed above. The room was lighted by a 
triple window that occupied nearly all of the 
south side, and the illumination was in¬ 
creased by French doors on the west and 
north, which opened respectively into the 
sun parlor and a well lighted hall. The 
problem here was to temper the sunlight 
which filled the room with blinding radiance, 
and to produce a feeling of coolness, even 
in hot weather. 
The Furniture and Fitments 
The walls were divided into panels out¬ 
lined with simple wood moldings, and 
treated with a flat paint in two tones of cool, 
shimmering silver gray. The woodwork 
was painted a slightly deeper gray, and the 
floor finished with a blackish gray stain and 
nearly covered with a plain rug of deep, 
Chinese blue. Oxidized silver side brackets 
lighted the room at night. 
(Continued on page 66) 
The inglenook always adds a variety of 
interest to a living room. Its successful 
use. of course, depends on the proportions 
of the room itself and the location of the 
fireplace. In this case it forms a comfort¬ 
able and pleasing alcove. Cooper-Williams, 
Inc., decorators 
Proportion is a necessary element; no 
one object should dominate the room. 
Thus the scale and lines of the fireplace 
in the living room to the right preserve 
a pleasing balance and unity 
Cream painted woodwork and mulberry 
brocade panels give this small living 
room a distinctive background. The 
beautifully carved mantel is the focal 
point, of course. The space saving, groups 
have been successfully observed 
