July, 1919 
39 
ture, and their selection depends to a 
g;reat extent upon the style of the 
room. As they are applied flatly to 
the wall, they are not easily changed. 
Two tone brocades are admirably 
adapted for living room purposes, 
where a wider latitude is admissible 
than in the other rooms of the home. 
They often combine tints of French 
Tray or buff, as a background for the 
daborate landscape designs. Then 
;here are delightful softened effects 
as found in old verdure tapestry 
where formal gardens, resplendent 
with marble porticoes, balustraded 
:erraces and fountains will add an 
irresistible charm to our rooms. 
It was back in the 18th Century 
:hat pictorial designs were developed 
ay celebrated artists, not only for use 
in wall papers but in printed cottons 
and chintz. These were made in 
sizes suitable for panel effects. From 
these we select many motifs for pres- 
ant-day requirements. In the selec¬ 
tion we must take care that they 
sombine harmoniously with the scale 
and general character of the room 
and create a picturesque atmosphere. 
Many of these modern reproduc- 
;ions illustrate Florentine or classi- 
:al scenes. Indeed, there are so 
nany fascinating reproductions to 
:hoose from that it is aaot a difficult 
natter to make a selection. 
Fabric Panels in Colonial Homes 
One interesting specimen in a New England 
aome shows a gray background, with trees and 
pastoral scenes, in natural colors. It is an 
18th Century English print that had been 
stored away in the attic, and is now renewing 
its youth in the dining room of this remodeled 
Colonial home. When it was applied, great 
:are was taken to make the panels fit the mold¬ 
The she of the panels themselves conforms to the wall contour, 
as shown in this dining room corner where verdure fabric is 
used. Lee Porter, decorator 
ing. The effect is that of a 17th Century 
painting. 
From this we turn to a delightful bridge 
room where the gray and white painted walls 
are made festive by the insertion of an interest¬ 
ing 18th Century chintz in rose and white. The 
scene originally was copied from a famous old 
French painting. The restful color scheme of 
soft rose and white carried out in 
the furniture and rugs makes an in¬ 
teresting interior. 
The beauty of blue Venetian sea 
and brown of castles is shown in 
the dining room, illustrated here. 
The room has a Colonial motif with 
a leaning toward French treatment, 
and the panels are particularly 
happy in this hybrid setting. 
The Mechanics of Hanging 
The mechanics of inserting paper 
and fabric panels in the wall are 
simple enough. Foosely woven fab¬ 
rics should be stretched on a frame 
or spread over a strip of wallboard 
which can be inserted and held in 
place by the panel molding. Heavy 
brocades should be dampened and 
pressed to insure an even surface. 
Paper may be laid either directly 
on the wall itself or on a piece of 
wallboard. The treatment will de¬ 
pend on the nature of the paneling in 
the room. If it is wood paneling, 
then the wallboard should be used to 
bring the decorative panel up to the 
required level with the other panel¬ 
ing. But if the panels are made by 
molding fastened directly to the 
wall, then the paper can be put in 
place as in any papering job. 
While the more decorative and ex¬ 
pensive papers, such as Directoire 
designs, are being used for this pur¬ 
pose, one can often find an inexpen¬ 
sive small patterned paper that will prove quite 
decorative as a panel and in harmony with the 
surroundings. 
Fabrics and paper are generally shellacked 
before the molding is set in place. To give 
the panel an antique effect burnt umber is 
rubbed into the shellac before it is applied, 
thus giving the desired tone. 
In the dining room of the Percival Palmer house at Philips Beach, Mass., old painted wall panels 
are inserted in the white woodwork, their colors enriching the room 
