HOUSE AND GARDEN 
March, 1911. 
i59 
raised an inch or two above 
the level of the stone hearth 
in order to retain the ashes 
better. A heavy carved cas¬ 
ing is carried around the 
stonework of the fireplace, 
surmounted by a carved 
shelf supported on heavy 
brackets. 
French doors are an 'es¬ 
sential feature in the dining¬ 
room because they permit it 
to be shut oft" from the hall 
and kept warm, and they 
prevent interruptions during 
the dinner hour. As they 
are of glass they afford a 
view into the hall—a very 
attractive feature, which 
does away with that feeling 
of oppressiveness experi¬ 
enced sometimes from being 
shut up in a room with solid 
doors of wood. The floor is of oak, filled and given two coats 
of a finish which has a dull lustre and enough elasticity to make 
it durable. The floor should be of a shade that is not too light 
or so dark that it readily shows the dust. 
Opposite the fireplace is a position for the sideboard and there 
is wall space enough for a china-cupboard although I should 
prefer to omit this cumbersome piece of furniture, which every¬ 
body shuns with the admonition of childhood still ringing in 
his ears, ‘‘mustn't touch.” Near the door to the serving-room is 
the proper place for the serving-table, and there remains plenty 
of wall space for chairs. By referring to the plan the position of 
these pieces of furniture will be made more clear. 
The decoration of this room is a simple problem. On the 
floor there should be a rich-colored rug with deep reds in it, 
strong enough to afford a foundation for the dark sturdy Flem¬ 
ish furniture and the dark finish of the wainscot. Above the 
wainscot, the sand-finished ceiling and side walls should be sized 
and painted with three coats of oil paint of a dull golden shade 
which reflects a warm glow over the room when lighted. The 
rough texture of the 
sand - finish is well 
adapted for such use 
as this. Of course a 
frieze of foliated tap¬ 
estry paper or real 
tapestry could be used 
with good effect, or 
even an oil-painted 
frieze representing a 
scene from medieval 
history is permissible. 
It is safe to say that 
all of these schemes 
would be good, 
though of course 
there would be a great 
difference in their 
cost. The radiator 
under the east window 
should be painted to 
match the color of the 
wainscot. To obtain 
the correct shade for 
this wainscot, the wood 
should go through several 
processes of staining. The 
first coat is a deep penetrat¬ 
ing stain of burnt Sienna hue 
to form a mellowing base, 
similar to the warm colors 
the old masters used in their 
paintings. This makes a 
warm color to reflect 
through the succeeding coats 
of darker stain, each coat of 
which should be rubbed into 
the wood and any super¬ 
fluous stain rubbed off, ex¬ 
posing each time the high 
lights of the wood's grain. 
The final coat should be a 
thin coat of wax or a flat- 
drying oil paint to give the 
wood a dull lustre. 
The furniture should be of 
the Flemish type, preferably 
a shade lighter or a shade darker than that of the finish of the 
woodwork, in order to give contrast. The dining-room table 
should be a modern extension table with heavy turned legs, which 
would of course be repeated in the sideboard, serving-table and 
chairs. This type of furniture depends entirely for its beauty 
upon its plain sturdy lines and simple turnings. The chairs should 
have leather seats and backs, studded with copper nails. The 
brasses of the fireplace should be of odd design and the electric 
lights and fixtures should be of old brass to add a touch of color 
to the dark wood finish. 
It seems hardly necessary to mention that the lights of this 
room should be governed by an electric switch, and an electric 
bell on the table should ring a buzzer in the serving-room. 
In the serving-room there is a counter shelf two feet eight 
inches high on each side wall, over which there are glazed cases 
with sliding doors to contain the china. Under the window there 
is a sink for the washing of fine china, glass and silver, which 
should not go into the kitchen with the heavier dishes. Under 
the counter are cupboards and drawers and at one end a plate- 
warmer and a small 
refrigerator, in order 
that one may obtain a 
bite to eat late at night 
without having to go 
through the kitchen 
to the kitchen pantry 
—which is sometimes 
awkward if there is 
no servant's dining¬ 
room and the maid is 
entertaining. 
The finish of the 
roo m w ould cost 
approximately $575 in 
selected white oak. 
The mantel alone is 
worth $80 and the 
wainscot about $300. 
The furniture for the 
room, made from de¬ 
tail drawings, would 
cost about $450 in oak 
and leather. 
SERVING 
•TABLE 
U) O VTH 
■PLAN - Of-A- 
■DINING¬ 
ROOM - 
A' R EL' 
The plan of the 15 x 16 ft. dining-room indicates an arrangement of the 
furniture that will carry out the dignified character of the room 
You can have your Flemish furniture designed and made to order, or you can buy 
excellent reproductions of old models, such as these 
