The Editor’s Talks and Correspondence 
s 
These should be applied to the finished surface. 
A soft yellow tan which shows the coloring seen in 
the old mission adobe houses is an excellent tone to 
choose, unless one prefers the natural soft gray which 
the plaster shows. Your woodwork should be 
treated with a stain, nut brown in color. This will 
give the chestnut the color that exposure to time and 
weather would produce. 
CHARMING COLOR SCHEME FOR A REMODELED 
HOUSE 
In remodeling an old house, we have decided to 
use white on all woodwork except in the living-room 
and are anxious to have that stained mahogany, but 
hesitate because a number of people have told us it 
would prove unsatisfactory and that it would fog, 
show finger-marks, etc. A decorator has suggested 
doing the room in Flemish oak with the furniture of 
course, in keeping, but the idea seems to me wrong 
as on one side would be the dining-room, on the 
other the music-room, both entirely Colonial in style. 
Kindly give me your opinion; also tell me how the 
treads of the stairs should be finished when the side 
rail is white, and the hand rail of mahogany. I 
notice in “Colonial Halls” in your October issue, the 
tread matches the hard wood floor while in some old 
houses that I know, the treads are all white. Per¬ 
sonally, I prefer a style of woodwork, furnishings 
etc., rather dark in character, but in doing over a 
house in which the wood is oak or pine, though per¬ 
fectly plain, there seems to be only one treatment 
open, white paint, particularly where one owns a 
quantity of genuine old mahogany. 
Will you also suggest the wall covering and hang¬ 
ings for the first floor rooms throughout as shown by 
the rough plan enclosed ? You will send, I know, 
something that will be harmonious, as we enter the 
front door and look through the several rooms. 
I wish to thank you for your assistance and assure 
you of the help you have been to would-be decorators. 
Answer; We take pleasure in supplying you with 
the following suggestions for the interior treatment 
of your remodeled house; the charming plans interest 
us greatly. It is quite possible to use a mahogany 
stain and finish which will be satisfactory if your 
wood is of a kind to take the stain appropriately. 
Oak, however, should never be stained mahogany as 
stains should be used only where they reproduce a 
possible natural color in the wood, that is, to explain, 
oak could never by any chance take on a tone like 
mahogany but any shade of brown, mossy green or 
the silvery weathered elfects would show well, as 
these tones result naturally from time and exposure. 
If the wood of your living-room is of oak we would 
suggest that you, by all means, use the ivory white 
there, since it is your decision to use it in the other 
rooms of the house as the rooms are so nearly allied. 
For the hall and music-room which open well 
together, we are suggesting a yellow tan Japanese 
grass-cloth, rather neutral in tone, as this will make 
an excellent setting for mahogany furniture and 
harmonize well with the ivory white enamel we are 
suggesting for your woodwork in preference to the 
white. The tapestry material we send you is advised 
for door curtains and any upholstery you may require 
for your hall or for chair seats in the music-room. 
For the living-room opening from your music-room 
a favrile bronze two-toned paper is advised. This 
makes a beautiful wall covering and is especially 
effective with mahogany furniture and ivory white 
enameled woodwork. Samples of drapery mate¬ 
rials for completing these schemes are sent to 
you. These will be found to harmonize with the 
coloring of the adjoining rooms. 
For the morning-room, which we see is of northern 
exposure, a yellow scheme is sent. For the dining¬ 
room where the woodwork is treated with the ivory 
enamel, a tapestry paper is submitted with drapery 
materials in plain colors. The ceiling tints to be 
used throughout the house are also forwarded. It is 
a very essential point to remember in using these 
schemes that to complete them, the ceiling colors 
must not vary from the samples recommended. 
For the finish of the kitchen and service depart¬ 
ment of the house, a good tough varnish which is not 
affected by heat and moisture is advised for use over 
the natural wood. 
In regard to the treads of the stairs where the 
spindles are white and the hand rail mahogany, we 
would say it is largely a matter of choice whether the 
stairs be painted white like the spindles, stained 
mahogany like the hand rail, or finished as the floor 
from which they ascend. The latter is our personal 
choice. If your floors are of oak they could be 
stained a medium brown and treated with a good 
finish. We are sending you sample panels showing 
the color and finish we would recommend. 
COLOR SCHEME FOR THE FIRST FLOOR OF A SMALL 
j HOUSE 
I am having a small cottage built, the first floor of 
which has reception hall, front room and dining¬ 
room arranged so that they may be well thrown 
together and used as one room. Would it be best 
to have the wall-paper for all the same design ? 
Kindly tell me of the most attractive and neat 
pattern for wall friezes and ceilings. Would you 
advise a drop ceiling and solid color for wall or a 
design of some character, something soft and restful 
In the October number of House and Garden I 
was delighted with the article by Louise King on 
“Modern Wall Coverings,” and will you kindly tell 
me where I can buy such paper as she describes.^ 
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