428 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
June, 19 ii 
paper gives an impression 
of openness. It is not out 
of place in dens or nur¬ 
series. 
Speaking of the upper 
walls of rooms, there is 
one interesting blue bird 
paper which comes only 
as a border. It is as if the 
wall above the molding 
were open and one looked 
through it and saw the 
birds against the sky. It 
would seem as if one could 
draw a deeper breath with 
this effect of birds and at¬ 
mosphere above one’s 
head. The border is ex¬ 
tremely simple, we have 
practically described it al¬ 
ready—just blue birds 
poised in different atti¬ 
tudes upon a neutral band 
which forms a sort of sky¬ 
line, and behind them 
nothing but immensity. 
A moment ago we were 
in a garden ; let us now en¬ 
ter an orchard. That is the 
true home of birds. Fruit 
and feathers seem to have 
an affinity. Blossoms and 
wings go together. The 
songs seem to make the fruit taste 
better. The paper we are now con¬ 
templating has something of exqui¬ 
site delicacy of cherry blossoms and 
humming birds. One might hesi¬ 
tate to open a door for fear the blos¬ 
soms might detach themselves and 
the birds fly away. In describing- 
such a paper one is disposed to 
search his thesaurus for all the 
synonyms of daintiness and deli¬ 
cacy. It has the shimmer of a 
Corot painting. As generalities, 
however, can hardly be very en¬ 
lightening to the reader, it will be 
necessary to come down to earth 
and endeavor in set terms to give 
more definite specifications. The 
background is a creamy white. In 
deciding upon this ground of the 
paper the artist probably had in 
mind nothing more nor less than 
daylight. The sun may be assumed 
to be in front rather than behind the 
decorative objects, as everything is 
illuminated and, so to speak, bathed 
in a wash of light. Substantial 
branches in pallid shades of brown 
are gnarled and twisted. They are 
aglow with cherries and cherry 
blossoms, while here and there are 
to be seen the birds either perched 
or hovering. A way of treating this 
paper to add to the naturalness and 
beauty of the effect is to 
silhouette, or cut out along 
certain lines of the design. 
This gives what is known 
as the ‘‘crown effect” and 
appears in the illustration. 
This treatment is fol¬ 
lowed when the paper is 
used only as a frieze with¬ 
out being broken by a 
molding. If the latter is 
used it must be placed 
along the ceiling angle and 
must be white or cream. 
Below the serrated edges 
of the crown extends an 
exquisite satin-striped pa¬ 
per in cerulean blue. This 
blue gives an absolutely 
open effect. It is like an 
Italian sky. And what 
adds the finishing touch of 
artistic perfection is that 
the birds, branches, fruit 
and flowers are as it were, 
swaying over one’s head. 
Blossoms and leaves trail 
down the corners of the 
room and about the doors, 
giving the desired panel 
effect. These notes relate 
particularly to the paper as 
photographed. This treat¬ 
ment is regarded as nothing short of 
ideal. This blue bird paper is pro¬ 
duced with such variations of color 
as afford some opportunity for selec¬ 
tion. It may also cover the entire side 
walls instead of being silhouetted 
as described. The bower effect is 
intensified and the cost materially 
lessened by the latter plan. 
If the attempt were made to de¬ 
scribe all of the interesting bird 
papers that are now available, it 
would very much exceed the limits 
of the present article. There are 
bird papers in which are representa¬ 
tions of peacocks and birds of para¬ 
dise, so diminished however that 
they cease to be salient features of 
the design. In many of the papers 
the birds are of sufficient size if 
not indeed exaggerated. Whatever 
the kind of bird the tone may be 
blue. It may be well to note at this 
point that a secondary bird motif 
was imparted by chanticler so that 
the bird type is not necessarily or 
exclusively the blue bird. Indeed, 
in the play of that name the real 
blue bird was not employed, owing 
to its diminutive size. A blue pigeon 
was substituted because it could be 
seen all over the house. In blue 
bird jewelry a blue swallow has 
(Continued on page 463) 
While a brass bedstead may be used in the blue bird room, a white enameled 
one will be better 
One of the simplest and most effective examples of the 
blue bird friezes 
Brown gnarled limbs, aglow with cherry blossoms, and 
the blue birds, on a background of creamy white 
