Miss Greenleaf will gladly answer queries pertaining to individual problems of interior decoration and furnishing. When an immediate reply is 
desired, please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope 
Readers’ Problems 
I am writing in accordance with the suggestion and offer 
ROOM in House and Garden, and hope for your assistance 
TREATMENT in a new home I am building; in fact, I feel sure you 
can give me some timely hints as I have already 
received such help indirectly from the magazine. 
First, There is a room I am particularly desirous to make Japanese. 
It opens off the ball room and is 14 x 14 ft. I shall have seats built in 
on three sides and a gas grate. There are two windows, electric lighting. 
Please give me some suggestions as to fixtures, decoration, etc. 
Second, there is another room we call the lounging room, 14 x 14 ft.; 
this is to be finished in Mission oak. It has a gas grate and seats built-in. 
What would you suggest for a frieze above a high wainscoting? There 
is a cross-beamed ceiling. 
Third, what decoration for living-room walls 20 x 30 ft. ? The same 
style of heamed ceiling, and an 18 or 20-in. paneled base of cherry. 
Three windows, one very large, 7 ft. wide. 
Fourth, what would you advise for main hall, 14 ft. wide, finished in 
oak — it extends through the house. The pergola 
joins at the rear of the hall. I will be most 
grateful for any suggestions. Have a parlor 
20 x 14 ft., one 7 ft. window, one short high 
window. 
Can you give me some advice as to where and 
how I could procure rugs in New York? Where 
can I get samples of wall hangings, cloths, tapes¬ 
tries, etc. ? 
We take pleasure in giving you the follow¬ 
ing suggestions in the way of color scheme, 
decoration, and furnishings for the rooms 
you described in your letter. We will take 
these in the order in which you mentioned 
them in your letter. If these suggestions 
do not seem sufficiently complete, and if you 
will send a rough draft of your floor plans, we 
will be glad to take the matter up further. 
For your Japanese room we would recom¬ 
mend that you finish the woodwork either 
with a gray stain and dull surface, or stain 
it a decided black with dull surface. The 
same treatment should be given the seats 
built about the room, and no cushions should 
be used save the small round pads which 
are so characteristic of Japanese furnishing. 
Your electric light fixtures can be made distinctly characteristic. 
It is possible in many of the exclusive Japanese shops to find 
lanterns which are either reproductions of the real thing, or many 
of them genuine antiques. The former can be bought at reason¬ 
able rates, but the latter will be found more expensive. These 
can be fitted with the bulbs and used successfully for lighting 
the room. 
There are Japanese and Chinese rugs to be had also, the genuine 
and reproductions, either of which could be used on the floor. 
Since a typical Japanese room has very little decoration, and no 
chairs or tables, it is a difficult matter to adhere closely to this 
school and have the room interesting and livable. However 
many beautiful pieces of decorative pottery, bronze, or porcelains, 
the Japanese householder may own, but one of these is exhibited 
at a time in the room. This does not appeal greatly to the Occi¬ 
dental idea, although there is much to sav in favor of the sim¬ 
plicity which the Japanese preserve. But there are beautifully 
carved teakwood chairs which are of Chinese 
make, and can be safely introduced in a Jap¬ 
anese room, also low tables and stands of the 
same carved wood. Wicker chairs known 
as the Hong Kong design may also come 
into a room of this kind effectively. 
The draperies should be verv simple and 
hang in a straight line to the sill of the win¬ 
dow, and in your room they should be gray 
in tone. The wall covering may be Japanese 
grass cloth in a shade of blue which is strong 
and yet soft in color. We take pleasure in 
sending you a sample of this. The ceiling 
tint should be a delicate shade of gray. The 
rugs will probably show these two colors, 
with some black and orange introduced. 
Japanese embroideries in panels may be 
placed at intervals upon the wall, and on 
some of the teakwood stands, certain choice 
pieces of Japanese bronzeor porcelain should 
be set, holding flowers arranged after the 
Japanese fashion. 
For the frieze in your lounging room, in 
which the Mission oak woodwork and furni¬ 
ture appears, we would recommend that the 
seats be upholstered and tufted, using a soft 
This solid mahogany antique secretary 
was considered a bargain at $95 
(182) 
