A HOUSE OF SIX ROOMS FURNISHED FOR $1,500. 
PART I. THE LIVING-ROOM 
BY A DECORATOR 
I T is not intended in these papers to deal with 
the work of great firms of decorators of wide 
repute whose ideas find expression in the modern 
and magnificent hotels, and the costly mansions of the 
plutocrat, but rather with that of the small decorator, 
the clever artistic men and women in this profession 
to-day, who are prepared to capably solve for the 
perplexed house-owner the difficulties of color com¬ 
bination and design. 
A time was when there were only two classes of 
clients who employed the decorator’s aid. First, the 
man of large income who, upon the recommendation 
of his architects, sought the decorator of national 
reputation and turned his home over to be finished 
completely for a specified sum. To this man—or his 
architects—were submitted the water-color drawings 
and estimates; these were or were not adhered to in 
the completed house, which was accordingly satis¬ 
factory or otherwise. 
The second class of clients were those who had 
ideas of their own which they wished embodied in the 
finished and furnished house. When these turned 
to a decorator it was with the intention of placing 
before him their own suggestions, asking of him 
estimates for the furnishing along the lines they 
indicated. 
“We wish our home entirely characteristic,” they 
would tell him, but in sifting the matter he often found 
that it was Mrs. Jones’ Tudor library, or Mrs. 
Smith’s Louis Quinze drawing-room, or a Craftsman 
hall seen in a recent magazine, from which the char¬ 
acteristic inspiration had been drawn, and which his 
possible clients wished embodied in a modified 
Colonial cottage. 
The sincere and painstaking decorator endeavored 
to turn the chaotic ideas of his clients into an appreci¬ 
ation of the necessity of consistency and suitability—- 
in the scheme chosen—to the house in question. In 
this he was more or less successful, usually less. 
Now, however, there is a turning of the tide. The 
successful efforts of trained minds, as evinced 
through the practical medium of homelike houses of 
modest cost, furnished by the professional decorator. 
together with the strong effort made by the archi¬ 
tectural and decorative magazine to place this im¬ 
portant subject properly, have brought to the amateur 
a full comprehension of how little they really know, 
and as a result they turn more freely to the specialist. 
There still exists, unfortunately, a deeply-rooted 
idea in the minds of many people that to consult a 
professional decorator means throwing economies to 
the wind and going in for reckless extravagance, 
whereas quite the reverse is the case. 
Frequently the decorator consulted has knowledge 
of where certain pieces of furniture well suited to the 
house in hand may be found at unusually low prices. 
The conscientious man will give his client the benefit 
of this. Here it must be understood we are referring 
to the small decorator who works largely on commis¬ 
sion basis. This means that the commission is paid 
by the shops on the goods purchased, while the prices 
the decorator charges the client for these goods are 
exactly the same as those asked in the retail shops. 
If the goods are purchased through the decorator 
no charge is made to the client for his color scheme. 
If, however, the scheme only is furnished, the client 
making his own purchases, a fixed charge is made 
based upon a percentage of the estimated cost. 
Many decorators prefer to receive suggestions from 
their clients outlining their personal preference for 
color and general design of furniture. In a modified 
way these may often be followed, evolving a scheme 
which is sufficiently characteristic to be satisfactory 
to the owner of the house. 
The householder who is unable in his own locality 
to obtain ideas and see materials for house furnishing 
and decorating can through correspondence with 
such decorators, or the decorative departments of 
large city shops, obtain information and assistance 
which will be of infinite service to him. 
For the benefit and enlightenment of the inexpe¬ 
rienced, we will endeavor in this article to set forth 
fully the mode of procedure when the matter has been 
broached to the decorator. 
We will take the case of a man of moderate 
means who has built a house costing from ^5,000 to 
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