House and Garden 
situation which is equivalent to being an agent for 
both parties in the same transaction, finds a par¬ 
allel in the case of the architect who accepts com¬ 
missions from the brick manufacturer or the 
lumber dealer; or, again, in the nursery firms which 
so often undertake landscape work, and by 
means of it dispose of surplus stock. The result 
of this is always evident, and usually most deplor¬ 
able. In fact, such an arrangement can seldom 
result satisfactorily if a high standard of work is 
desired. On account of this state of affairs there 
is emphatic need of the interior decorator who is 
without business connection with dealers. 
Most of the present dealers, moreover, are scarcely 
better trained or fitted for the work of the profession 
of interior decoration, than nurserymen or civil 
engineers for the work of landscape architecture, 
nor is it to be expected that they should be, since 
the public are only just awakening to the possibilities 
of the profession, and consequently have not as yet 
created the demand for superior service. 
1 he opportunity from the standpoint of the com¬ 
petition to be met is far more favorable than is to be 
found in almost any of the other professions for 
trained women, since there are only a very few 
interior decorators besides the dealers themselves. 
1 here is, further, a great possibility for the inte¬ 
rior decorator through co-operation with the archi¬ 
tect. 1 his co-operation will be certainly brought 
about when the trained woman can show satisfactory 
examples of her work. After this stage has been 
reached we may expect that the best architects will 
work with these efficient women, iust as now the 
best architects work with the efficient landscape 
architect. A recent instance of such co-operation is 
a case where a prominent New York architect formed 
a temporary arrangement with an interior decorator, 
who is a woman, which proved so much to his 
ad vantage that he has now made it permanent. 
Such an expenditure of time and money as the 
proper preparation demands, and the high standard 
of ability it requires, makes it seem evident that the 
remuneration should not be less than that received 
for corresponding work in the allied professions of 
architecture and landscape architecture. This means 
at present something approximate to a five per cent 
fee for work involving large expenditure, twenty-five 
dollars or more for consultation and additional 
charges for executing the commission. 
1 here is still another aspect of the opportunity 
and need of the trained woman in this profession, 
which is broader and more philanthropic. It is to 
the need of lifting the American people to a higher 
plane of artistic appreciation. One of the great 
deficiencies of Americans is their lack of the artistic 
sense. Of this there are abundant examples on 
every hand. Consider the architecture of our homes, 
our churches, indeed our cities as a whole: is it not 
exceptional when it is found satisfactory ? And is 
it not the rule rather than the exception, that the 
homes of the rich, as well as the poor, are simply 
museums of heterogeneous furniture, draperies, 
rugs and pictures, without any color scheme except, 
perhaps, the combative ? 
It would be beyond the scope of this article to 
discuss the effect of a generally increased esthetic 
sense, but it is believed that a higher plane of living, 
a purer and more lasting kind of happiness would 
result. Is there not here, then, a great need and 
a great opportunity for woman to join hands with 
the artist, the sculptor, the architect, to hasten these 
better conditions ? I he part to be played by women 
through this profession ought to be a large one, 
since in the work for the homes they could constantly 
be cultivating an appreciation of the really beautiful. 
The less wealthy who could not employ the in¬ 
terior decorator would be influenced through ex¬ 
amples of this art in public buildings and through 
articles of an educational nature in current literature. 
So far an effort has been made to show the 
desirability of this profession for women, the great 
opportunity and the need for more beautiful homes, 
and the great possibilities for a useful life-work. Let 
us now consider what qualifications are necessary 
for a woman in order that she may achieve success 
as an interior decorator. On account of the speciali¬ 
zation necessary to the best preparation, this pro¬ 
fession demands that the prospective student have 
the requisite ability and inclination to acquit herself 
with credit at college. 
The second qualification is an enthusiastic love 
of nature and all that is acknowledged beautiful in 
the arts. Without this qualification the ability to 
create the beautiful would be lacking. 
A third qualification is the power of imagination, 
which is found essential to all forms of creative art, 
of which interior decoration must be considered one. 
The fourth qualification is the ability to draw and 
to use colors, so that the student may show a good 
sense of proportion and an appreciation of the 
harmonious in color. 
A fifth qualification is executive ability which is 
necessary to all large undertakings, if they are to be 
successfully carried out. 
During her college course a student should not 
attempt much specialization, since to do so would 
tend to defeat the broadening influence of her gen¬ 
eral education. There are, however, certain sub¬ 
jects that should he elected. She should, for ex¬ 
ample, have enough French and German to read 
easily, and enough English to write well. Italian 
also would prove useful. 
After graduating from college the student should 
take a post-graduate course in some college especially 
equipped for the study of fine arts, and, if possible, 
in one where good art museums are available. As a 
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