66 
House & Garden 
15*8 
Mg, 
It 
ENG-EQUIPT 
05 canty of wood-strength of steel 
s 
'ENG-EQUIPT Beds of 
Wood have die harmonious 
exterior of wood and the 
stalwart interior ot a steel 
frame. They are thoroughly 
hygienic and noiseless as the 
step of time. 
A truly artistic metal bed is 
unusual. The ordinary wood 
bed sins in many ways. It 
creaks and squeaks, catches 
and holds dust, and grows old 
and weak prematurely. Only 
Seng-equipt Beds can give you 
the beauty of wood and the 
strength of steel. 
EQl//p A 
MADE BY 
Q 
rK in 
CHICAG 0 n 
OLI do 
If you are interested in home decora¬ 
tion, write for “The Bedroom Beautiful” 
by Ruth Angell. Beds of Wood 
bearing the Seng trade-mark may be 
secured wherever good furniture is sold. 
THE SENG COMPANY - CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 
world’s largest makers of furniture hardware 
I 
1 
The Sofa as a Decorative Feature 
(Continued from page 64) 
the furniture were well worthy of imi¬ 
tation. During the time of the Renais¬ 
sance, many motifs had their origin in 
the Classic designs, applied, however, 
with a freer hand, and possibly a more 
colorful treatment. It was then that 
rich brocades came into vogue, to be 
used as coverings for the elaborate 
pieces of furniture. 
Later on, when luxury and pomp cen¬ 
tered around “the Sun King,” as Louis 
XIV was called, the Gobelin establish¬ 
ments came into existence, noted for 
their furniture, as well as for their tap¬ 
estries. Seats for chairs and sofas were 
much wider, for space was needed for 
the spreading of petticoats and the 
elaborate satin coats worn in those days. 
Upholstered sofas, many of them 
showing Dutch influence, were found 
in the William and Mary Period, al¬ 
though it is hard to draw a line be¬ 
tween that and Queen Anne’s time. It 
was the commencement of a domestic 
style which meant comfort rather than 
a strict adherence to beauty of outline. 
After that came the Georgian Period, 
when the artist artisans, such as Chip¬ 
pendale, Hepplewhite, and Adam, came 
into vogue. 
The couches which frequently ap¬ 
peared in Southern homes in this coun¬ 
try, from 1645 to 1670, were very ex¬ 
pensive, but in reality were only long 
chairs, without backs. The turned couch 
came in later, about 1700. The next 
innovation was the “Duchess,” which 
was of the Chippendale type, consisting 
of three pieces which locked together 
with metal clamps. 
Hepplewhite and Sheraton did prac¬ 
tically nothing along this line, but dur¬ 
ing the Empire and Directoire Periods, 
we find many fine examples. These were 
often made of well selected mahogany, 
the sides enriched with diamond-shaped 
panels, marked off by ebony beads. 
These sofas were popular in America, 
during the early part of the 19th Cen¬ 
tury, some of them being very beautiful 
in design. 
The Adam Influence 
Robert Adam’s works stand out dis¬ 
tinctly from that of the other master 
craftsmen. During his reign there was 
a decided change in furniture making, 
a return to the Classic style which neces¬ 
sitated greater delicacy of treatment. 
He came into power when many coun¬ 
tries had grown weary of the magnifi¬ 
cence in both English and French courts, 
a time when a change was imperative. 
In both interior decorating and design¬ 
ing of furniture, he showed an orig¬ 
inality and charm that are fully appre¬ 
ciated today. In his work there was a 
feeling of the Louis XVI Period and he 
also borrowed many ideas from the 
Chinese. His designs had a dignity and 
subtle elegance shown by no other 
artist in the furniture world. 
Many of his pieces were made of ma¬ 
hogany, others of rosewood or walnut, 
each one was finished with a nicety of 
detail and richness of design that make 
them particularly effective against the 
white wainscot of the modified Colonial 
house of today. 
If we are fortunate enough to own a 
Duncan Phyfe sofa, it is indeed a treasure 
trove. His works are distinguished for 
their sweeping curves, charming details, 
and wonderful proportions. The legs 
of his sofa, delicate in design, sweep 
outward with infinite grace and show 
a concave curve which makes them 
without duplication at the present time, 
as he never copied from his predecessors. 
Despite the demand for Empire during 
his day, he kept to delicate treatment 
in his use of brass ornamentation, which 
was his own special craft. 
Modern Tendencies 
Fortunately, today we are eliminating 
the cheap, shoddy pieces that were so 
prevalent several years ago, replacing 
them with well designed, practical bits, 
thus creating more homelike rooms. On 
account of the limited space in the 
average apartment, sofas are less cum¬ 
bersome than formerly. The thickness 
of the arms and back has been mate¬ 
rially reduced without any lessening of 
comfort. Down cushions are being used 
extensively on account of their dura¬ 
bility and comfort, and the element of 
decoration they bring to a sofa. 
We are wont to think of the old time 
sofa as stiff and uncomfortable, recalling 
the haircloth coverings of years gone by. 
Now these can be replaced by charming 
fabrics which often produce an up-to- 
date touch in interior decoration and 
permit a sofa of a different type to 
mingle harmoniously with pieces of 
other periods. 
There are many charming effects that 
can be obtained in the coverings for 
these important bits of furniture from 
the cool flowering chintz with its cheery 
touch, to the rich brocaded textiles that 
have an alluring charm all their own. 
Remember your home is an indica¬ 
tion of you. Only by a harmonious 
blending of beautiful and appropriate 
things, can the setting be made worthy. 
Where the proportions and size of the sun parlor permit, include a 
sofa among the furnishings. This shows a sofa, painted a light 
color to harmonize with the walls and lattice of a Boston sun 
room. James 1. Wingate, decorator 
