November, 1919 
39 
on the window trim, 
to which the cords 
are made fast, may 
be details of distinc- 
t i v e individuality 
and charm. Finally, 
the fronts of the 
boxes at the window 
heads may be both 
shaped and also em¬ 
bellished with ap¬ 
propriate painted de¬ 
signs in keeping with 
the general scheme 
of the room, accord¬ 
ing to personal in¬ 
clination. All of 
these considerations 
are worth taking into 
account, especially in 
summer time. 
Venetian blinds 
are feasible for 
mullioned or 
casement win¬ 
dows, the blinds 
being set inside 
the casing 
Color and Design 
In this respect, the 
color alone is a sig¬ 
nificant item. Fur¬ 
thermore, the tapes 
may be woven in a 
pattern of two or 
more colors; the 
cords a n d tassels, 
likewise, may have a 
diversified color in¬ 
terest, and the knobs 
Adaptability 
The scope of dec¬ 
orative possibilities 
afforded by Vene¬ 
tian blinds should 
be perfectly obvious 
from the memoranda 
just noted. In this 
connection it remains 
only to state that 
their use is alto¬ 
gether compatible 
with the composite 
or cosmopolitan 
methods of interior 
decoration now so 
generally in favor. 
Where some stricter 
decorative interpre¬ 
tation in one of the distinct and 
recognized modes is preferred, the 
Venetian blind lends itself thoroughly 
to employment with any of the 18th 
Century or early 19th Century fash¬ 
ions, and, indeed, with late 17th Cen¬ 
tury usage wherever 
the windows were 
made with double 
hung sashes. 
The twolong- 
standing objections 
frequently urged 
against Venetian 
blinds from the 
housekeeper’s point 
of view are, first, 
that they easily get 
out of order and, sec¬ 
ond, that they collect 
and harbor dirt and 
are difficult to clean. 
Both objections are 
prejudiced and fal¬ 
lacious. A properly 
made Venetian blind 
does not get out of 
order any sooner 
than a roller shade 
—indeed, it prob¬ 
ably withstands care- 
( Cont. on page 62) 
From the outside 
Venetian blinds 
furnish an in¬ 
teresting diversi¬ 
ty of line 
Decoratively, also, 
the Venetian blind 
is thoroughly adapt¬ 
able under a wide 
variety of condi¬ 
tions. It may be 
severely plain or, if 
one so wishes, it 
may be given a very 
appreciable degree 
of decorative charac¬ 
ter. The color the 
slats are painted has 
much to do, not only 
with what might be 
called the absolute 
decorative value of 
the blinds, hut also 
affects the quality 
and tinge of the light 
coming through, a 
factor by no means 
without its impor¬ 
tance in the general 
decorative ensemble. 
The regulation green 
of the old-fashioned 
Venetian blinds, 
though suitable and 
agreeable enough in 
many instances, is 
not an item ordained 
by unalterable pre¬ 
scription. There is 
no good reason why 
the slats should not 
be painted white— 
as many are—or 
cream or gray or 
any other color one 
wishes to have them, 
depending on the general color scheme 
and the amount of light desired. 
The slats, too, may be accommodated 
in width so that it is always possible to 
have Venetian blinds entirely in scale 
with the size of the window and with the 
proportions of the 
other details in the 
room. The tapes to 
which the slats are 
attached, the cords 
by which they are 
raised or lowered, 
and the box &t the 
window head, in 
which are the pul¬ 
leys and the other 
mechanical adjuncts 
and into which the 
slats are gathered 
when the blind is 
pulled all the way to 
the top, are all fea¬ 
tures susceptible of 
being made to con¬ 
tribute their share of 
decorative value. 
Degrees of light 
and shade are 
shown in the blind 
arrangement of 
this room 
