HARMONY in FURNITURE 
COMBINATIONS 
struction is honest and straightforward, but 
they do not mix with the exquisite sensitive¬ 
ness and delicacy of Louis XV or XVI or 
the Individualists of the 18th Century Eng¬ 
lish. Contrast is there, contrast aplenty, but 
there is not a single spark of congeniality. 
While there is not a line of construction 
the same in Louis XV and Louis XVI, they 
make the happiest combinations. The subtly 
curved inspirational decoration of Louis XV 
sets off the delicately tapered leg and care¬ 
fully studied ornamentation of the XVI. One 
is made while the genius of art carefully 
breathes in, the other when he breathes out 
in happy unrestraint. These two periods are 
symbolic of all the others of fine construc¬ 
tion. They mix well because back of their 
designs is an elementary idea and spirit on 
which they were fashioned. Thus, we can 
safely mix the Louis XV and XVI, the Hep- 
plewhite, Sheraton, Adam, the later Italian 
periods showing the French influence and the 
more finely constructed American Colonial. 
In direct contrast to these are the bolder, 
(Continued on page 52) 
AGNES FOSTER WRIGHT 
I N furniture combinations we have to con¬ 
sider scale and construction, woods and 
wood finishes and details of ornament. Here 
the imaginative decorator whose theories are 
well grounded may make combinations that the 
average mortal dare not attempt. You will 
find the decorator uses that subtle third which 
makes oil and water mix. 
Elaborate furniture of one of the elaborate 
periods should not be mixed with modern de¬ 
signed furniture. By this I do not mean mod¬ 
em furniture made after the old period designs, 
but furniture of modern design such as Mis¬ 
sion and some of the things made in inferior 
shops showing the Viennese lines of construc¬ 
tion or post-Victorian designs. These pieces 
may be good enough in themselves, the con¬ 
Relationship can readily be seen between 
the Italian painted serving table to the right 
and the rest of the furniture in the dining 
room above. This furniture is Spanish, 
finished in green and gold. The woodwork 
is ivory; rug, shades of rose, white and 
black; and curtains of cream with a deeper 
tone for overcurtains. Lee Porter of James 
I. Wingate & Son, decorator 
Opposite groupings, in the guest room below 
and to the left show relationship estab¬ 
lished by straight line contour and by color. 
The day bed is upholstered in a striped 
fabric of mulberry, green, gray, silver and 
rose; cushions in mulberry and gold. The 
rug is mulberry velour. The chairs are 
covered with the same material as the day 
bed. Lee Porter, decorator 
