House and Garden 
conjunction with the coloring of each adjoining room, 
thus insuring a harmonious whole. While very many 
people lean toward a plain color for their walls, 
this treatment, when used throughout the house, 
is less pleasing than where the monotony of such 
treatment is varied by the introduction of figured 
upper thirds of wall paper, or of friezes. 
Where it is deemed advisable to use sand-finish 
plaster, this may be either treated with water-color 
wash of the desired tone, or it may be finished in oil. 
I bis latter is a thoroughly durable and hygienic 
treatment, an done which 
does not require renewal 
in many years. The 
priming, or first coat, on 
a sand-finish wall is of 
the highest importance. 
This is especially so 
when the subsequent 
finish is to be of enamel, 
such as is used in bath¬ 
rooms and kitchen. 
What is termed “ oil 
sizing,” is accepted as 
practically the best, with 
the argument that the 
plaster absorbs the oil 
and drying it becomes 
a perfect binder for the 
plaster as well, and 
forms an impervious 
surface for the subse¬ 
quent treatment. This 
oil sizing is made of 
two-thirds raw linseed 
oil and one-sixth each 
spirits of turpentine and 
a good Japan drier. To 
this add bolted gilder’s 
whiting to prevent the 
oil from running, and 
also, help in smoothing 
the surface. Ample time 
must be given this 
coating for drying before the final finish is put 
on. Ihree coats of oil paint should then be 
given the wall. To insure the last coat drying 
evenly and smoothly to a dead eggshel gloss, a 
small quantity of pure beeswax, melted in turpen¬ 
tine, should he added to the paint, the quan¬ 
tity of wax necessary to be determined by the luster 
desired. This simplifies the application tremendously 
as any workman could manage this perfectly and 
there is no danger of the demottled effect that often 
results where one workman only is employed in 
finishing a large wall space. 
Before mixing the color for water-color tints sup¬ 
ply your workman with a sample showing the exact 
66 
shade you desire. The best plan is to have the 
color mixed and applied to a piece of sandpaper 
and dried out thoroughly. You can then get the 
effect of the color as it will appear on the finished 
wall. Whiting is the base of all water-color tinting 
and the dry colors are procurable in very beautiful 
tones. The proper mixing of these with the whi¬ 
ting will enable you to obtain any shade you desire. 
It is best to have the ground color mixed with the 
whiting before the glue is added. 
For the walls of the summer cottage, bungalow, 
eighteen to twenty inches 
in width. They should be set at the ceiling angle, 
stretched tautly, and held in place also at the lower 
edge by a picture molding. 
A paneled effect is also good. At regular spaces 
upright pieces of half round molding may be set, 
extending from the picture mold to the ceiling line. 
The same cotton fabrics should be used for window 
draperies in a room where this treatment is brought 
out. By carefully selecting the stains a delightful 
variety of color effect may be obtained and one 
that is entirely harmonious. 1 his is a very inex¬ 
pensive treatment, but artistic and practical. 
Too great care cannot be exercised in the selec¬ 
tion of the materials for the interior finish of a house. 
or mountain camp, a 
three-inch tongue-and- 
groove sheathing may 
be used throughout, 
continuing this same ef¬ 
fect in the ceiling show- 
ing between exposed 
joists or rafters. A va¬ 
riety in color may be 
given to the walls by 
the selection of the stain 
used upon them. Where 
yellow pine forms this 
woodwork, the ceiling 
between the rafters 
could he finished in the 
natural color, giving it 
two coats of a clear 
varnish. For the side 
walls a slightly darker 
stain which harmonizes 
may be used, this darker 
stain also to be used 
on the rafters. In rooms 
of this style I have suc¬ 
cessfully used friezes of 
figured cotton material; 
something of East India 
design, or Japanese 
crape, or Chinese calico 
DEN. —Upperthird of wall conventional design paper in mahogany, cop- may be selected. These 
per and olive green, lower edge cut out and applied to Japanese grass-cloth J ~ 
of olive green used for covering lower wall. materials run f TO Ill 
