November, 192^ 
63 
A beautifully carved Tuscan bed of the i6th Century and a piece of brilliant Spanish 
embroidery are the dominant features of this bedroom furnished with an interesting array 
of old Spanish and Italian pieces. Decorations by John Wanamaker 
FURNITURE from ITALY and SPAIN 
Antiques and Reproductions are Much in Demand Owing to the 
Increasing Appreciation of the Spanish and Italian Interior 
MARGARET McELROY 
I T is easy to understand 
the growing demand for 
Spanish and Italian furni¬ 
ture. Interiors are becom¬ 
ing more simple and there is 
something about a room 
furnished after the Spanish 
manner that is extraordi¬ 
narily restful—a sense of 
space, a restraint and ab¬ 
sence of useless ornament 
that make for peace of 
mind. Italian furniture, 
while frequently elaborate¬ 
ly carved and ornamented, 
has this same restful qual¬ 
ity. Its lines are essentially 
simple and straightforward 
and there is nothing flip¬ 
pant or restless about its 
solid dignity. Because of 
this sincerity and sugges¬ 
tion of permanence it is a 
happy choice for many of 
our modern interiors. 
The vogue for Spanish 
On two sides of the dining room is a niche painted lacquer red 
inside—a striking contrast to the gray blue plaster walls. It 
makes a delightful setting for vari-colored pottery and glass 
and Italian architecture has 
naturally created a demand 
for this tj’pe of furniture. 
Interest in Spanish decora¬ 
tion of all kinds has resulted 
in some excellent reproduc¬ 
tions being made of Spanish 
furniture of the i6th and 
17th Centuries. While dif¬ 
fering from the Italian in 
some respects—notably in 
the use of Moorish decora¬ 
tion and much wrought iron 
work, the two styles are so 
alike in feeling that they can 
be combined successfully in 
the same interior. 
The Spaniard demanded 
plenty of room to mo\'e 
about in. Only such pieces 
of furniture as were abso¬ 
lutely necessary were used, 
with the result that the 
room frequently presented 
an aspect of bareness, almost 
{Covtiniied on page 124 ) 
