HOUSE AND GARDEN 
F 
EBRUARY, 1911 
Louis XV console tables that she instantly bought to add to it. 
The shopman luckily had more sense of the fitness of things 
than a mere desire to sell his wares, and was so appalled when 
he saw the room that he absolutely refused to have them placed 
in it. She saw the point, and learned a valuable lesson. 
There is no doubt that in many houses are wonderful col¬ 
lections of furniture, tapestries and treasures of many kinds, 
that are placed without regard to the absolute harmony of period, 
although the general feeling of French or Italian or English 
is kept. They are usually great houses where the sense of 
space keeps one from feeling discrepancies that would be too 
marked in a smaller one. and the interest and beauty of the rare 
priate for those who have houses to correspond, but one can 
choose the simpler side and have beautiful and charming rooms 
that are perfectly suited to the average home. For instance, 
if one does not wish elaborate gilded Louis XVI furniture, up¬ 
holstered in brocade, one can choose beautiful cane furniture 
of the time and have it either in the natural French walnut or 
enameled a soft gray or white to match the woodwork, with 
cushion of cretonne or silk in an appropriate design. Period 
furnishing does not necessarily mean a greater outlay than the 
nondescript and miscellaneous method so often seen. 
I am taking it for granted that reproductions are to be chosen, 
as originals are not only very rare but also almost prohibitive 
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The refinement of proportions and delicacy of detail in this modern Adam room, appeals far more strongly to American taste than does 
the gilded rococo work that characterizes much of the French period furnishing 
originals against the old tapestries have an atmosphere all their 
own that no modern reproduction can have. There are few of 
us, however, who can live in this semi-museum kind of house, 
and so one would better stick to the highway of good usage, or 
there is danger of making the house look like an antique shop. 
To carry out a style perfectly, all the small details should 
be attended to — the door-locks, the framework of the doors 
and windows, the carving. All these must be taken into account 
if one wishes success. It is better not to attempt a style through¬ 
out if it is to be a makeshift affair and show the effects of in¬ 
adequate knowledge. The elaborate side of any style carrried 
out to the last detail is really only possible and also only appro- 
in price. Good reproductions are carefully made and finished 
to harmonize with the color scheme. The styles most used at 
present are, Louis XIV, XV, XVI, Jacobean, William and Mary, 
and Georgian. The Gothic, Italian and French Renaissance, 
Louis XIII, and Tudor styles are not so commonly used, but of 
course may be followed if one wishes. We naturally associate 
dignity and grandeur with the Renaissance and it is rather diffi¬ 
cult to make it seem appropriate for the average American house, 
so it is usually only used for important houses and buildings. 
Some of the Tudor manor houses can be copied with delightful 
effect. The styles of Henri II and Louis XIII can both be 
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