GROUPING FURNITURE 
A Large Part of the Grace and Livableness of a Room is 
Due to the Manner in Which the Furniture is Arranged 
MARGARET McELROY 
T WO kinds of rooms, each effective in 
its own way, come instantly to mind 
when one begins to plan a living room. 
The first is the coldly lovely period interior 
with everything exactly right and in its 
right place, everything “faultily faultless, 
icilv regular, splendidly chill" as Tennyson 
doesn't exactly say. Over such a room one 
is apt to exclaim on entering, to be intrigued 
with the period knowledge evident in the 
furnishings, to compliment the owner on her 
perseverance and skill in 
gathering and assembling 
furniture, hangings and 
accessories in keeping with 
each other and representa¬ 
tive of a vanished era. 
A room of this kind has 
a restfulness about it that 
is very appealing. It is 
only when faced with the 
disturbing thought that no¬ 
where in evidence is there 
anything strongly indica¬ 
tive of the interests or per¬ 
sonality of the owner that 
we breathe a sigh of relief 
at not having to live per¬ 
manently in surroundings 
so cold and lacking in the 
personal touch. 
The other room is quite 
a different story. Equally 
restful, perhaps many peri¬ 
ods have been combined to create its ulti¬ 
mate charm. Ever)- feature reflects in some 
slight manner the personal tastes of the 
occupant. The quaint ship model above 
the fire-place, the colorful Jacobean design 
of the printed linen hangings, the bit of 
porcelain or jade, arouse an interest quite 
apart from their decorative value. Knowl¬ 
edge of what combines happily is more 
essential here than in an interior clinging 
closely to one era. It is the introduction of 
widely differing objects, which when brought 
together form a pleasing and decorative 
ensemble as well as revealing some vivid 
interest of the owner, that makes a room 
alive, takes it out of the commonplace and 
gives it the snap and individuality essen¬ 
tial to success. 
Much of the grace and livableness of a 
room is due directly to the manner in which 
the furniture is grouped. The arrange¬ 
ment almost as much as the beauty of the 
pieces themselves is re¬ 
sponsible for that air of 
being lived in which is the 
secret of a really success¬ 
ful interior. Quite as im¬ 
portant as what pieces one 
puts into a room is where 
one puts them. 
Furniture cannot be 
arranged all of a sudden. 
It must be tried out in 
various positions, tested for 
both its effectiveness and 
comfort and thoroughly 
lived with, before one can 
be sure of its being placed 
to stay. 
.4 lacquer cabinet and two 
chairs silhouetted against 
long windows effectively 
solve the problem of a 
dining room side wall. 
Miss Swift, decorator 
