COPYRIGHT DEPOSm '',V:yp't fi^\ v^ ^ *V..' •'.-• ■ v*,;V^-^. ■■. <. 4L j|gi][sii]gi[siiisi§)[S[ii»g@[gi)asiisiss[iisisisisisg[i[gii(isg][s[sisg][aiig]isg][ggiiig][sigigs[g m m ^d INTERIORS BEAUTI F U L and the Decoration of the Home /^66' . ■. o • SIXTH REVISED EDITION Published by M. "L. KEITH MINNEAPOLIS IS m M m m m m ■siassiaiiiiiisiisiSEisssisiJiiisisisiiiiiiiiggisisiEigisoiaiJg^siisiiiisiiMisiggis Copyright by <3 M. L. Keith . N^ i> Minneapolis, :: Minn. \ i ^ ^"^.T.- PRICE TWO DOLLARS 0)C!,A659671 Introductory Note A LL the world loves a lover," they say — and by the same token, all the world ■^*- loves a home-builder, for home-making is the natural sequence of love- making. Everybody is interested, observant and sympathetic. All the world and his wife, strolls by the new house to see what may be new in the building; world, taking in with kindly curiosity its cheery chimney pots, (alas! electrical concerns tell us the chimney-less house is coming) the choice of the roof, and its graceful lines, its pergolas and sun-parlors, even the "drapes" of the front windows. It must be acknowledged, however, that houses, like men, are of all sorts and conditions that make many of them, like the old Quaker, "queer." Not all will bear the friendliest inspection. And sometimes when we have safely crossed the Rubicon of the exterior, we enter upon an inland sea of wild perplexities, swept by changing currents of "advice," and veering winds of uncertainties. It is then we hail with joy a pilot, putting off to help us into our haven, with his compass of experience and charts of knowledge. Such a pilot we hope you will find, in this, our book INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL. And when at last, the goal is reached, and the "new house" rises warm and golden to our eyes, and its west windows perchance, receive "the incomparable pomp of eve," and stairways ascend in graceful lines and lights rise and lights fall soft and blended and there is the cheer of a crackling fire and books crowding all the spaces, when there is the sheen of rugs and the gleam of polished brass — when there are brown-toned etchings on the walls and blue Canton china behind the glass doors of cupboards; when the French doors half reveal, half conceal the charming vistas of the garden — then indeed do we feel well repaid for the pain- staking thought, study and effort which the "magic witchery" has cost. For to achieve such a house of the heart, you must study and plan. You not only want a house that will shelter you from the sun and the rain and protect from too inquis- itive and close neighbors, but a house that will be a joy to look upon, a delight to the eye. I , ,|: Beware of "Jazz," in housebuilding. Avoid the mistake of copying some unusual feature you may have seen, if it does not fit in with your own plans and possessions. Try to see your house as a whole, from the start, so that there will be harmony not only between the walls and the roof, but harmony of walls and ceilings, of floors and furniture and above all fitness to life to be lived within them. Rooms, belongings, furniture and decorations should always be in harmony with each other and with the life that is to be lived with them. Louis Seize furnish- ings and decorations in a little house where the life is entirely different from every- thing that went with that type, would be entirely wrong. A thing beautiful in itself, is not beautiful if out of place. To combine and arrange, so that the "coup d' aeil" shall be interesting and charming, there must be a proper relating of the house, its furniture, and the people who live in it. Another thing, it must express the modern life of today, even though making use of the lovely ideas of the past. Suitability and Simplicity are the watchwords for the home decorator and it is in that spirit that the assistance of a practical guide such as INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL— is offered. Contents Pages Halls and Stairways (Illustrations) 5 - 24 The Hall 7 - 9 Living Rooms (Illustrations) 25 - 34 The Walls of a Room 35 . 44 Pictures for the Home 37 - 39 Decorative Possibilities of Casts 45 - 46 Rugs for the House 47 - 49 Braitletl Rugs and Antique Furniture 50 - 51 Dining Rooms {Illustrations) 52 - 78 Distinction in Table China 57 - 58 Breakfast Rooms 79 - 81 Glass Doors ( Illustrations ) 82 - 85 The Up-To-Date Bedroom 86-101 The Child's Room 102-105 Concerning Curtains 106 - 108 A Little Talk on Mantles 109-110 Fireplaces [Illustrations ) Ill- 126 Inscriptions 12 i - 128 Books and the Fireplace 129 - 130 The Spotless Rooms of the House 131 - 134 Kitchens ( Illustrations ) 135 - 138 The Enclosed Porch 139-142 Porch Furniture 143 - 150 Outdoor Living Rooms (Illustrations) 151 - 153 Porch Flowers 154-154 Outdoor Living Rooms • 155 - 160 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Halls and Stairways Entrance Hall from Library in a .\eii ) ts«'9^ m^»& ,1 Dancing Figures seen through the opening of another room and one at closer range. Casts in bas-relief will have more dec- orative value than casts of statues, although an occasional place may be found for a fine Greek or Roman example. Perhaps the "Winged Victory" — the Nike of Samothrace — is best known of classic statues. It has been reproduced by the thousands. Yet never seems common, so perfect is it of its kind, with that splendid suggestion of movement in the broken wings and beautiful drapery. Madonna and Child with Angels, by Lucca Delia Robbia INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 47 Rugs for the House The beautiful designs and colors in which they may be bought make them attractive for country houses, cottages and bungalows. If a matting is laid all over the floor, touches of color may be introduced by adding these rugs, while on hardwood or stained floors there is nothing more suitable. The hooked rug of our grandmothers has come into popularity again. Since it is one of the most practical pieces of "fancy work" a woman can do, it has a double reason for being. An interest- ing rug made some twenty years ago, is shown by photograph. Perhaps no question is a more burning- one to the home-maker, than the question of rugs. To be or not to be — Domestic or Oriental. Among the domestic rugs there are various makes of Wilton, Royal Wilton, Velvet, etc., either plain or in conven- tionalized or Orientalized design. One of the best of these, both for appearance and service, is the Rego Wilton, with a heavy pile and color tones of unusual depth and beauty. It is an excellent choice for the hall and living rooms of a house and a fine background for any fur- niture, with an agreeable feeling of soft- ness to the footfall. It has of course advanced greatly in cost since the war, being now from $3.00 to $6.00 a yard according to width and quality, but even then it is less expen- sive than the seamless rugs. In a new home, the floors throughout the hall, living room and dining room are overlaid with Geneva rugs. Their deep, heavy pile and soft sheen, taupe in color, with an undertone of rose gives an indescribable softness. These rugs were made to order in sizes to suit the rooms. In the living room are laid several Persian Iran rugs in their lovely ^- O''^ ''"'"''"^d in" Rug Aln^osc Equalizing an Onental in Pat,ernan7color coloring of rose and blue and cream. The Oriental rugs are broadly classified as blue note is still further accentuated by Anatolian or Turkish, Caucasian, Iran the deep blue marble facings of the fire- or Persian, and Turcoman. Pl^c^- The list of Caucasian rugs includes 48 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL , , ^„^y„ ■■#-^f sw- a:'*^ Tabriz Rug, Under the Persian Ghiordes Prayer Rug of the Shirvan Rug of the Caucasian Division Famous Anatolian or Turkish Division Division the Kazak, Daghestan, Derabend, Shir- van, Karabagh, Ganja, Oabistan, Cash- mere or Soumak, and Mosuh Of all the Caucasian rugs, the Kazaks are heaviest in pile. They are made by the Cossacks, a nomadic tribe renowned for their horsemanship. Although loose- ly woven, they are exceedingly durable. They are bold in design and magnificent in coloring, splendid fields of green or red, throughout which are distributed detached figures— geometric, birds, beasts, trees, and human beings. The nap comes close to the selvasfe of the border. One Large Rug Nearly Covers the Floor of this Living Room INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 49 The Decorative Effect of Plants The difference between the Iran and Persian rugs is simply that the antique Persians are called Iran, after the historic name of the country, in order to dis- tinguish them from the modern rugs. While all Iran rugs are Persian, not all Persians are Irans. ]\Iost of the Persian rugs are known by the name of the town in which they are made; such as, Tabriz, Herez, Hamadan, Kermanshah, Kerman proper, Sultanabad, Shiraz, Herat, jNIe- shed, Saraband, Gorayan, etc. While-some of the finest rugs in the markets to-day are from Persia there has also been a great deterioration in some fabrics formerly re- cognized as artistic models and maryels. The antique silk rugs, maryels of color, exquisite workmanship, and delicacy of design are seldom seen outside of priyate collections or museums, with prices pro- hibitiye to any except millionaires. The best Persian rugs obtainable to-day are those made in the remote portions of eastern, western and southern Persia Old Persian Rug in an Artist's Studio 50 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Braided Rugs and Antique Furniture are turning again to homely, practical things. The braided or crocheted rugs are eminently prac- tical. In the first place woven rag rugs have found favor and have been used w^ith great sat- isfaction in many kinds. We are coming back to the time of home-craft work of various kinds, of which rug making is one of the most practicable and pop- ular. Jf ith Colonial Furniture Braided Rugs Seem Fitting The Homelike Charm of an Old House with an Original Use of Braided Rugs INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 51 The modern bedroom is quite often old-fashioned in regard to furnishings, for the latest style is likely to be a revival of former styles in bedroom furnish- ings with "period furniture," if heirlooms are not used. But in plan, and in such ar- rangements as closets, heat- ing and lighting, wholly modern ideas prevail. The up-to-date builder, therefore, considers the styles in fur- nishings in order to provide a suitable and convenient background in the room itself. In size, the bedroom large enough to accommo- date Colonial furniture, is rarely indulged in nowa- days, except in the spacious mansion. Not only must there be sufficient room, but wall spaces must be pro- vided for the usual pieces of furniture without crowd- ing. Some f^ieces of Fine Workmanship h- \ ■ 1 ^ 1 K 'kii kf i >] 1 ; -f^ ■ li r — ---- ; 1 ■ W Two prize pieces in ornamental furniture An Old Colonial Table 52 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL be CC INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 53 Seventeenth Century Paneling in a City Dining Room The Baronial Type 54 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL CQ « 03 ^ INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 55 The Dining Room in a Handsome Colonial House, Paneled in H liitewood to the Tops of the Doors and Furnished in Mahogany. Mahogany Furniture of Colonial Design in a White Enameled Dining Room 56 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL •2 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Distinction in Table China 57 New China of Old Design ASHIONS in tal)le appointments change year by year, but fine linen, clear glass, and appropri- ate china are never out of style. Few housekeepers can resist the attrac- tive displays in the shops, even with the memory of well stocked shelves at home. There seems to be always a place for an additional half dozen plates, or doilies, or finger bowls, as the case may be. In selecting table ware for every day use the most pronounced patterns should be avoided unless comliined with more conservative pieces. A moder- ate use of the unconventional is recommended, for a continu- al display of colorless china is monotonous and tiresome. My own china cupl:)oard is a case in point. Sedji ware of pale green has always been a favorite in our household. This year I selected l^read and but- ter plates to match breakfast plates and cofi:'ee cups and saucers purchased twelve years ago. The green is a trifle grayer in the new plates and there is an advance in price. This Sedji is very attractive. Cofifee always seems to me to have a special flavor served in its large comfortable cups, just as tea has a particular "bou- quet" when drunk from old pink lustre. Sedji plates make the simplest kind of salad verv interestinp' to the eve, while almost any flower the garden yields, blends delightfully with the cool green. Other pieces working in well at lunch- eons and informal suppers are bowls and plates of Ouimper, the gay French peas- ant ware, plates and pitchers of Italian majolica, and a half dozen dishes of heavy china, such as rice and chop suey are served in at Chinese restaurants. Breakfast sets may depart from sterotype lines and be all the more welcome. Salad seems more palatal)le on a different style of plate from that used for the main course. Dresser of Ddiiersk make, — an Interesting Substitute for the Conventional Sideboard 58 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Stri'ciis jor Dining Room Furnishings The laced-leather hinge, used in the em- broidered screens with cherry framing, was the invention of this man. The idea of using grass cloth for porch screens emanated from his active brain. For many years I used with much satisfac- tion a four paneled screen of light brown grass-cloth painted in white cherry blos- soms. The blossoms were broadly paint- ed in the flat Japanese way, but the flexi- ble movements of the screen were Ameri- can, or possibly Dutch, or perhaps just Vantine. Anyway this article was a treasured possession for years, and still serves in the form of one perfectly good panel used as a wall decoration between two windows in a country bedroom. Japanese screens will be found for years to come, but not quite such exam- ples as dwelt by the dozens, and even hundreds, in the good old pre-war period, beneath the roof of the great house of Vantine. Speaking of screens, the decorative cre- tonnes make excellent ones for country use, and in a neutral room are as suc- cessful as a gay grouping of flowers in a quiet garden corner. If curtains and screen are of the same pattern, so much the better, and if rugs and walls are plain, better still. In a room with a compara- tively low ceiling a stripe cretonne carry- ing a flower motif makes an admirable screen cover. Such a pattern looks well in a country dining room, provided there is sufiicient space to give what architects call "circulation." And, circulation of air is not meant in this case, but comfortable "circulation of people." Quiet lattice patterns in lettuce green, blue, black and claret may be found with a little hunting; and it cannot be denied that the restful scheme has its place quite as well as the more decorative. 'Versailles" INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 59 Dining Room ivith Hollyhock Screen A blocked floor of large squares of deep gray and ivory white make an interestnig foundation in a dining room. There was a good deal of yellow and old blue in the room and, of course, much green foliage without. One expected the unexpected in this little house for it was called "Periwinkle." Chintz and cretonne are as fascinating as ever and a little lower in price. In a new pattern book I noticed a "Delia Rob- bia" chintz which is a variant of the stripe idea with the rich detail of glazed terra cotta. The colors were blue of the well known "Robbia" tone, ivory and a little soft orange and dull green. 60 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL in its present loca- tion it is charming in every way. A color scheme for a dining room is often a vexing one. The day of the red. and then the Delft blue dining room, is over. Instead, the modern tendency is toward a rather quiet neutral or pas- tel effect, restful at all seasons — sum- mer or winter. For the small house tapestry papers in dull pinks, yellows, A Good Colonial Diniti'^ Room orpens and ])lues It is not so easy to blunder in a dining massed with delicate grays are per- room as in other portions of the home, for haps preferable to the scenic papers the requirements are clearly defined. A employed so strikingly with period fur- dining room should never be a curio place, niture in the large handsome dining for utility must come first, and out of room of a palatial mansion. It is just the utility will grow beauty, the only real same with furniture, the simpler designs beauty which is invariably founded on are apt to ])e more enjoyable. Furnitm^e actual needs. painted white when combined with a An inexpensive dining room in the white trim and walls of decorative pat- country is recalled where the woodwork tern will give good results, so does furni- is painted white and the walls are covered ture painted green, and one charming in gray paper carrying white stripes. In breakfast room is recalled where the fur- this room the furniture is light gray niture and the woodwork are painted pea- picked out with white. The floor is paint- cock blue. The paper has a white ground ed gray and the one big rug has a green with small. l)rilliantly colored peacocks ground with short-stemmed flowers in seen through branches of green leaves, pink and lavender forming a thick border. A rug of Scotch weave with a green cen- The rug is Walter Cranish in feeling, the ter and border in which peacock shades effect is flat and decorative. The curtains are blended with green, covers the floor are in leaf green bordered with lavender to within six inches of the wall. The floor and lined with pink. The china is peasant matches the trim and the furniture, ware painted in splashy nosegays, out- \\'hite ruffled curtains hang at the win- lined in green. The room contains no pic- dows. In the paper is a bttle dull orange tures. The only ornaments, if ornaments which is repeated in a runner on the long, they may be called are small bay-trees narrow table. This runner of coarse linen in green boxes and flowers arranged in a has for a border small bay trees in green rather formal manner in plain green jars, cross stitch. On a narrow mantel are The room would not suit a city house, but two dwarf trees in tubs painted blue. INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 61 Where Portieres of Heavy Materials Repeat the Coloring of the Curtains 62 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Simplicity is the Keynote in these Furnishings The Window Ledge is Flanked by China Closets INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 63 "^ ■' f J •• "'iTJiiiEir i { . M ■ 1 Ik Bi, , r ^ nMk illiW l^ 27ie "Service" Door is Artistically Screened Dining Room ivith a High Paneled Wainscot, Simply Detailed 64 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL a: ;j 6 Ha % ^M A Charming iSursery Decoration is this Frieze of Blue Birds Flying About Among Tall, Slender Grasses and Pink Blossoms 104 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Could a Jollier Room be Found for the Children than this Attic Playroom Nursery furniture is coming' into its own when such pieces as we illustrate may be placed in the child's room. Of charming color, decoration and design is this Danersk furniture which will be more and more appreciated by the owners as time goes on. A pleasing feature is the rush seating of the chairs and settee. Of course the ideal nursery arrange- ment consists of two rooms, one a night nursery and the other a day nursery, but in these days of living in apartments and small houses where room space must be economized, a combi- nation sleeping and play room is all that can be managed. The old fashioned idea that any kind of a room filled with all the cast-off furni- ture of the house was good enough for the children to play in, does not fit in with our highly or- ganized modern life. The children are en- titled to a nursery just as c a r ef u 1 1 y planned and decor- ated as the rest of the rooms in the house, with furni- ture and decorations of a nature to suit the mind and years of a child. Screens are exceedingly useful in a nursery of this kind. For instance, one or two ordinary clothes horses covered with canvas or some heavy material can be painted with Mother Goose motifs, or will serve as a background for beautiful child pictures clipped from the magazines. These will serve to portion off a corner of the room or may be placed to make a delightful playhouse. This is an excellent scheme Danersk Painted Furniture jor tin- .\iirsvry INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 105 The Children Love because it keeps the chil- dren happy in their own place, where they can play and keep their toys without disturbing or cluttering up the other rooms. An old triple fold screen would do for this purpose also. Paint- ed on one side to re- semble the outside of a house, bricks, windows, doors and all, it carries out the illusion and makes a play house that has all the charm of reality. These screens can easily be made at home and if one happens to have an old screen or two, the only expense would be for paint. A little thought and ingenuity in such mat- ters will go far toward making a charm- ing nursery without going to any undue expense. Whatever the arrangement adopted, the nursery should have fresh air, plenty of sunlight and simple furnish- ings which make it easy to keep clean as well as attractive to the eye. The woodwork and walls of a nursery should be painted white or a light color so that it can be easily washed. Put washable rag rugs on the floor, curtains and cushions covered with gingham i n large or small checks to harmonize with the walls and rugs, a table and chairs of a size suitable for little folks. The attic is a splen- did place for a day nur- sery if it can be ade- quately heated in winter time. Being at the top of the house the children may play and make all the noise they like with out disturbing the rest of the household. The attic is more adaptable to al- teration than any other part of the house be- cause it is frequently left unfinished with all the beams and rough boards showing. By nailing wall or compo board over the rough side walls the attic can be kept much warmer and free Stencilled Patterns ^^^^^^ draughts. The walls should be painted a light color and then they are ready for any form of deco- ration. The walls could be stenciled with animal designs, or Kate Greenaway fig- ures, cut from old picture books, pasted around the walls above five feet from the floor would make an attractive frieze. Furniture for the Little Folks 106 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Concerning Curtains Elaborate curtain effects, except in period rooms, should be avoided, and no curtain scheme can be successfully planned without reference to the room in question. Like the wall paper and the rugs, it must be made a part of the gen- eral whole. An inexpensive curtain chosen to accord with walls and rugs is l)etter than the most costly fabric if out of harmonv. Taste goes farther than money in every department of house furnishing and especially so in window treatment. Not only must the walls and rugs be taken into consideration but the trim of the room also. Light curtains with dark walls and woodwork produce an un- pleasant contrast ; on the other hand dark draperies when the walls and trim are light are equally out of place. In many rooms a single curtain the colors of the walls produces the best effect ; again a net next the glass with an over-curtain gives a better result. With light woodwork, a dark paper and white curtains, an over-curtain matching the paper will bring trim and walls into harmon}', but we would emphasize the decorative error of very light woodwork and a very dark wall except under un- usual conditions. The choice of fabrics for the making of curtains is the early summer problem of the housewife. Confusing" terms to the average purchaser are chintz and cre- tonne ; damask and brocade ; velvet and \elour. Chintz is an English printed material, fine textured and closely woven, with small flowered pattern, in many deli- An Interesting It indow Trentment INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 107 A Frequent Fault of Portieres is to Mar tlw Arcliih'vtitnil Beauty of a Door, Allhoiiiih an Interest- ing Color Note is Given in This Instance cate colors, on a light background ; a material appropriate for bed rooms, It is sometimes glazed — is then stiffly starched and shiny, more like paper in appearance than cloth. Cretonne is a French, English, or domestic printed cot- ton material of heavier texture and larger design and with stronger colors in back- ground and pattern than in chintz. Linens, though generally more expen- sive than cretonnes, are also more last- ing, are generally superior in design and color, and softer and richer in texture. They, however, need to be lined, as the light shining through shows up the coarseness of the design and the color. Imported nets, though relatively expen- sive in the beginning, are cheaper in the end in that they do not shrink and can be pinned back, after washing, to their orig- inal dimensions. Cream, ecru, or yellow curtains give sunshine effects and warmth to a room. American Print in Shades of Gray or White and Yellow 108 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Cretonne and chintz repeating the color pattern of the walls or used in connec- tion with plain or striped wall paper, are very attractive for door hangings, espe- cially if the curtains are of the same material. Damask is a cotton, silk or satin mater- ial with large, flat, simple, continuous de- sign with light and shade effects, due to the fact that the lines of the background run one way and the lines of the pattern another, but are generally in the same color. Brocade is a damask or other weave, loom embroidered with small figures, in relief, detached, and generally in several colors. Velour and velvet are the same except that the former are gen- erally heavier and are thus used for up- holstery purposes while velvets are used for hangings. Velours and velvets may be silk or cotton. Valance and Side Hangings of Figured Material Over Transparent Net "The Golden Pheasant" The choice of fabrics for making cur- tains depends first, in these days, upon what one can buy in the market. For glass curtains, decorators are showing- imported nets, striped, crossbar, plain and dotted ; casement cloths of cotton, and silk and wool ; mohair silk, and silk sun- fast gauzes ; thin silks and light weight taft'etas, and shantung, and for shades, glazed, printed or plain chintz and Aus- trian shade cloth. For over-curtains, cotton Jaspe ; cotton sunfast poplins ; plain or printed linens ; cretonnes and chintzes are available ; and for richer materials for hangings ; silk poplin, taf- fetas, damasks and velvets. INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 109 A Little Talk on Mantels It is quite possible that the man- tel and even the overmantel is quite as important in the room as the fire opening, and we may frankly admit the fact. The possible use of the fireplace a few times in the year, and the much vaunted ventilation which it brings to a room (even when the damper is closed to prevent too much draft,) gives it full reason for being. The fireplace gives a focal point about which to center the in- terest in the decoration, and also to gather the family living, in the grouping the furniture. In the mat- ter of interior decoration the fire- place and the chimney breast usually becomes the dominating factor in the interior design of the room. The finish of the room in the matter of wood work finds its climax in the mantel, with a special feature in the treatment of the chimne\' breast, or else this bit of wall space above the mantel becomes the most important in the room, making the place for a val- ued picture or perhaps a bas-relief. With a paneled wainscot a continua- tion of the panel work across the chim- ney breast is a logical treatment, with perhaps a special emphasis, such as is obtained in the use of old the English form of "linen panels" giving almost the effect of a pilaster on the corner in the oak paneled mantelpiece shown. The contrast of the plain with the "linen panels" is effective, as is the flattened lines of the Tudor arch of the fire open- ing, with its light surface tone and nicely molded lines of the arch. So strong an appeal in the last few years has our own national type of archi- A Paneled Colonial Mantel-piece tecture, the Colonial, made upon the people that it has even effected our natural love for wood work, finished to give the beauty of the grain and line of the wood, and a painted or enameled finish has been used in some of our hand- somest homes. Two colonial mantels are shown both of which have excellent treatment. Both are paneled and enameled ; both have Colonial details in the mantel and in the cornice treatment. The first has rather an unusual feature in the center panel of the chimney breast, which carries well with the candelabra of the side lights. The treatment of the mantel shelf is well studied and restful. 10 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL The other Colonial fireplace which is shown is a living- room fireplace, and is built for a real wood fire, with a fire open- ing' large enough for a log back of the fire. The whole chimney breast is one big panel in the Colonial way. The line Colonial Fireplace with Paneled Overmantel of the wainscot cap is indicated on the corners, though interrupted by the win- dow seats on either side of the fireplace. The objects chosen for mantel adorn- ment follow conventional lines with good effect. "The mantel sliclf is one of the chief sources of decorative peril," to quote from The Practical Book of Interior Decora- tion, lately out of press. 'Tt is almost as seductive a temptation to decorative in- discretions and o\erloading as the broad top of a sideboard. Only the firmest re- solve and devotion to the invaluable ])rinciple of restraint will save it from a cluttering accumulation of things that would better be elsewhere. Sedulously shun a number of small, trifling gim- cracks and refrain from displaying photo- graphs thereon. "When there is no mantel shelf, the danger is entirely obviated. When there is a shelf, one must carefully study the nature of the overmantel treatment be- fore venturing" to place any moveable gar- niture on it. Some overmantel treat- ments demand that very little be placed in front of them, and the intrusion of con- spicuous garniture would be an unpardon- able impertinence ; others again admit of more latitude in the disposition of mov- able garniture. In any event six unalter- able principles must be faithfully ob- served : Restraint, Suitability, from which Dignity follows as a corollary ; Propriety of Scale, Symmetry, Concentration, and Contrast." This is perhaps as good a classification as has been made, and a careful study and application of these principles will assure good results, Avith a sense of rest- fulness and of dignity, yet with a variety of interest. INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 111 Fireplaces An Effect of Great Dignity is Here Given by the Masterly Architectural Treatment 112 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Fireplace and Furniture in Craftsman Style Fine Architectural Treatment of Engaged Columns and Entablature^ with Seats Each Side INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 113 A Dainty Inglenook in White Wood and Green Velvet Seat Cushions Mantel of Gray Pressed Brick iiith Wr ought Iron Fixtures 114 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Overmantel in Louis XV Style INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 115 An Attractive Design in Roman Brick ivith an Added Touch of Inlaid English Lustre Tiles An Example of Ornate Brick Work is Given in this Mantel 116 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL o o fee "a O ft! INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 17 An Effective Design in Brick Especially Suitable for Rooms in Mission or Bungaloiv Style An Attractive Mantel for a Cottage Living Room 118 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL In this Inglenook the Fireplace Facings are of Large Boulders and the Seats Have "Pew Ends^ Where the Space Under the Stairway is Utilized for the Inglenook INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 19 Shotving Placement of the Davenport at Right Angles ivith the Fireplace The Brick Deeply Revealed by the Pointing 120 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Interesting Architectural Design of Beams and Posts Used in Recessing this Inglenaok The Possibilities of Brick for Interior Work Have Hardly Been Touched INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 121 Here the Chimney Breast is Broken Off to Form a Niche Den — Showing Broad, TiU: iutplace and Hearth ivith Opposite Wall Lined with Built-in Book-shelves 122 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL The Charm of the Living Room Facings of Green Tile in Living Room Mantel INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 123 The Inglenook Suggestion, the Square Cross-beam at Top, the Mass of Brick, Give it Undeniable Character and Churm Colonial Design in Cottage Fireplace of tied Brick with Wide Brick Hearth Subtle Suggestion of Old-Fashioned Comfort 124 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL An Effective Combination of Brick and Tile in the Den INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 125 A China Cupboard Beside the Fireplace A Lounging Corner 126 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL A Paneled Chimney Breast with "Linen Fold" Panels Giving Plaster Effect on the Corners Book Cases Beside the fireplace INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 127 Inscriptions HETHER the house be hut or palace, it can have no fitter decora- tion than a seemly hearth in each apartment, be they few or many ; and no hearth is the worse for an inscription suitable to the room and its purposes. As a matter of fact such inscriptions can hardly be called usual either in this country or in Europe. Fit inscriptions for the hearth, therefore, are not easily found, nor are they easily invented. It is easier to make a posy for a ring", or a suital)le rhyme to accompany a gift, than to put into apt words a proper sentiment to take its permanent place upon FOR THE LIVING-ROOM Let no one bear beyond this threshold hence, Words spoken here in friendly confidence. Home is where the hearth is. ^ly fire is my friend. There is no place like a chimney corner for confidences. All care abandon Ye who gather here. Dissolve frirnis, ligtui super foco, large reponeus. — Horace, Ode 9, Book i. Drive awa}' the cold, heaping logs on the hearth. Bepred Dicjor. A Breton motto meaning. Al- ways open. Ell servant les a litres, jc me consume. I consume myself in serving others. Sibi ct aiiiicis. For myself and my friends. Amor Proximi. Motto of a Swedish order of chivalry, meaning Neighbor-love. Dum potcs ariduni coiiipouc lignum. — Horace, Ode 9. Lay up seasoned wood while you may. Warm ye in friendship. — From a private house in Boston. the chimney breast. The idea conveyed must be one that host and guest, parents and children, may see before them day after dav and not find trite, pretentious, malapropos, or priggish. Such a motto should express in well chosen words the finest sentiment of the hearth, and if the room be one of hos- pitable resort, the sentiment should be sufifi- ciently homely to connote that warmth of heart without which the logs blaze in vain, yet not so intimate as by implication to in- clude in the welcome only those of the family. Bene jaccre, et discere z'cra. A Swiss family motto meaning, To do right and speak truth. Come hither, come hither. Here shall ye see no enenw But winter and rough weather. ^x\s You Like It. Dulce milii furere est, amico recepto. — Horace. I like to sport with my guest. He that hath a house to put his head in liath a good head-piece. — King Lear. A hundred thousand welcomes. — Coriolanus. Your presence makes us rich. — Richard H. Abide now at home. — The Bible. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors. —The Bible. FOR THE DINING-ROOM A good digestion to you all. — Henry \'ni. Let good digestion wait on appetite And health on both. — Macbeth. Come thou home with me and eat bread. —The Bible. 128 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL INSCRIPTIONS, Continued Quis post vina graveni inilitiam Aut paiipericm? — Horace, Ode 2>7> Book i. ^Vho can think of war or poverty after wine? Ne quid niniis. Never too much of anything. There is full hberty of feasting. — Othello. We have a trifling foolish banquet toward. ■ — Romeo and Juliet. The guests are met, the feast is set ; May'st hear the merry din. — Coleridge. Feast with the best, and welcome to my house. • — Taming of the Shrew. Let them want nothing that mj' house affords. —Ibid. Prepare for mirth, for mirth becomes a feast. — Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Some hae meat and canna eat And some wad eat that want it ; We hae meat and we can eat, And sae the Lord be thankit. — Burns. That is a pleasant motto which was found upon a baker's sign at Pompeii : Hie habitat f elicit as (Here lives happiness), and it might, with proper modesty, be inscribed over the family fireplace in a house given to simple hospitality. There is a delightful motto in a little hoase in Florence just within the shadow of Giotto's tower, and one well suited to a modest home anywhere. It is nearly equivalent in sentiment to the refrain of "Home, Sweet Home," and thus it runs : Casa mea, piccola die sia, Sei semper casa mea. Literally translated it means : "My house, however little you may be, may you always be mine." A briefer equivalent is, Pauca sed mea, which is very like Shakespeare's A poor thing, but mine own. Bon feu a inal hivcr A good fire for a hard winter. is a pleasing old French motto for a living room fireplace. Se taire ou bien dire. Be silent or speak well. is a sound old French motto, suitable to a room where the family and its guests gather for converse. Farnham Castle, at one time the seat of the bishop of Winchester, has a fine motto in Norman French, fit for almost an}/' fireside. It is : All Dicu joy, aux amis foyer. Faith toward God and a hearth for my friends. None come too early or return too late. is a hearty English sentiment proper to a hospitable hearth. Another such is : When friends meet, hearts warm. More distinctly domestic is the old Scotch sentiment : East, West, hame's best. The Maitland fainily motto is good for an impretentious hearth : Pai.x- et pen. Peace and little. Literature and folk tradition bristle with mottoes and sentiments suitable to the fire- side about which men gather to take a cup "of kindness," and the line of Burns from which these words are quoted is one of the best of stich mottoes. Alay nothing evil cross this door, And may ill-fortune never pry About these windows; may the roar And rains go by. Strengthened by faith, these rafters will Withstand the battering of the storm ; This hearth, though all the world grow chill, Will keep us warm. Peace shall walk softly through these rooms. Touching our lips with holy wine. Till every casual corner blooms Into a shrine. Laughter shall drown the raucous shout; And, though these sheltering walls are thin, May they be strong to keep hate out And hold love in. INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 129 Books and the Fireplace N the coming- of mid-win- ter, bringing with it the hoHday season, no feature of the house is more appreciated than the fireplace ; especially the big generous fire place with old fashioned andirons, where real logs are burned. Such a fireplace is quite a luxury in these days of the vanishing wood pile. With our thorough- ly heated houses it is not for the addi- tional warmth, so much as for the cheer of the blazing logs, or the glow of the coals, that we sit around the fireplace fire. It is the spirit of the fire with its tradition-Ion^ tale of " '''^ Recessed Book Shelves to the Height of the Overmantel hospitality, the symbol of good fellowship paneled walls, the decorations may take and of cheer, together with the gather- character from the old Eng"lish baronial ing round the fireside of family and halls, stately in type. In the home of a friends, that warms the heart with a "mighty hunter" the overmantel of a feeling deeper than the warmth which brick fireplace gives an excellent setting even the best built fireplace can throw for the deer head or other trophy of his out, and which does not fail with the prowess. The photograph shows tall, fading of the embers. seven branched floor candelabra of The big brick fireplace with its roomy wrought iron, very efifective against the hearth and possibly a seat placed on paneled wall placed on each side of the either side is very welcome as an acces- fireplace. sory in j^lanning the festivities for the At other times than those of festivities, hohdays. If the fireplace be set in oak however, the luxury of the fireplace comes !30 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL in its close connection with some favorite pastime or liobijy. Of course it has the really utilitarian use — often a bit of a luxury — of the lit- tle open fire on cool morn- ing's and evenings through- out the open air season of the colder climates, and a still wider usefulness in the milder latitudes, where a little fire is all that is needed for the greater part of the }ear. The easy chair, a good light, and a shelf of books are the accessories of the fireplace most generally de- sired. In addition to this, a well-filled smoking stand on one side and a sewing bas- ket, or better still, a dainty sewing table on the other, spells comfort and perhaps accomplish- ment for a winter evening or a rainy day. A Great Brick Fireplace tvith Seats on Either Side The fire irons are a great comfort to many people, who love to stir the fire and turn the glowing embers. It will be noted that provision for books beside the fireplace is a \ery usual arrangement in carefully planned houses. It may be only two or three shelves built in over a seat, or book cases reaching to the ceil- ing, though the more usual arrange- ment makes the cases the same height as the mantel shelf. Oftentimes book shelves may be built in beside the fireplace, finding a more fitting place than elsewhere in the room ; or seats and book- shelves may be built together in some of the many attractive designs. One very homey and practical ar- rangement where the seat is built under windows, places short book- shelves over the ends of the seat at either side of the windows, the seat end extendmg up and forming the end of the book shelves as well. A Very Homey and Practical Arrangement INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 131 The Spotless Rooms of the House U I L D I X G mate r i- als, surfaces, finishes, and finishing materials are coming to be considered matters of first importance in kitchen-manage- ment, if one may adapt the term from business, — other bus- iness where it is not more needed than in the kitchen. First cost in building and equipment, high as it may be, is a com- paratively trivial matter when placed over against the drain of the vital en- ergy of the mistress of the house herself. A The matter of finishing materials and of surfaces is of prime importance in keeping the kitchen and bath rooms spot- less ; the surface and tint for the walls; material for the working tops of the cup- boards ; and perhaps most important of all — the kitchen floor. The perfect kitchen floor does not seem to have been invented as yet, — one that has resilience so that it is "easy un- der the feet"; without joints or cracks so that it is easy to keep clean ; and at the same time is moderate in cost. Linoleum is excellent over the floor but the trouble comes when it ends. It is hard to cover the edge without a crack, and it can not be turned in a cove at the wall. The pho- tograph shows a kitchen floor covered t^ Breakfast Alcove off the Kitchen with linoleum laid with a tile border, getting the advantage both of tile and linoleum with a minimum of the disad- vantages of each. The middle of the floor is soft under the foot and without joints, and the tile makes a perfect base at the wall. Notice that the tile extends several inches under the edge of the cup- boards, giving "toe-space" for one standing at the work tables. This is a simple mat- ter as all well constructed cupboards are built several inches above the floor, and toe-space can easily be arranged. A good enameled finish seems to be the favored solution for the table tops and cupboards, and for the built-breakfast al- cove. The varnish in the enamel gives a surface which can be washed, and 132 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL which, if given proper care, will give sat- isfaction for a considerable time, and is easily renewed at any time. Vitrolite, a white glass composition, is often used for table tops and even for cupboards, as well as for wainscoting or dado around the wall. Metal cupboards with a baked enamel finish are also coming into favor ; but are used more especially in apart- ments and larger buildings. A tiled wall, either for the kitchen or for the bath rooms, is a luxury which can- not always be indulged, for the smaller type of homes ; but a three or four foot dado or even a five foot wainscot can often be carried around the walls. A da- do of this kind is very practical for the kitchen. When there are cupboards across one end of the room and several openings this does not require very many square feet of tile. The dado or the wall may be finished in Keene's cement and given a good enamel finish. The custom of marking- such a wall in dirt catching ridges, in a supposed imitation of tile is not only insanitary, but is also absurd, as the chief objection to a well laid tile wall is found in the jointing. With the painted or tinted wall any color scheme can be carried out; for a kitchen should have a color scheme no less than other rooms in the house. Bufif and white gives excellent color, with buff earthenware dishes for kitchen use. Blue and white or green and white make pleasing colors. In the bath rooms more latitude can be allowed and more color used. There seems to be a growing" tendency, where sufficient space can be allowed, to build cabinets into the bath rooms, with draw- ers for linens and cupboards for towels and for personal toilet articles. In larger houses, well equipped dressing rooms built in suite for each member of the family, are very convenient. In a most charming home in the South- west has been built-in the very conveni- ent dressing table under the windows in the dressing room which is shown in the photograph. With its shallow drawers under the dressing table and deeper drawers on one side and a cupboard on the other it quite takes the feminine fancy. A triple mirror is formed by the little cupboard doors, mirror covered, on either side of the broad central mirror panel. Flush doors are used throughout this house, and all surfaces in the dress- ing and bath rooms are enameled. The whole house has been planned with the same attention to details and great care has been taken to avoid dust catching surfaces or corners that are hard to clean. Notice that there are no pipes through A Beautiful and Sanitary Kitchen Irving J. Qill, Architect INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 133 the floor. The radiators are hung- on the wall, high enough that a dust mop can easily be pushed under them. The basins are all on brack- ets and the floor space left free of pipes of every kind. Every bit of space has been utilized for cupboards, and everything is behind doors. This house was planned by Irving J. Gill, the archi- tect with whose work orig- ginated the term of "Dust- less Houses," owing to the care with which these houses were planned to avoid dust catching surfaces, ledges, or pockets of any kind. In the "Dustless Houses" there are no projecting ledges to catch and hold the dust. There is little or no wood work of any kind. In- ^" ''^^"^ Dressing Room stead of cased opening where doors are There are no panels anywhere, all wood not used, the jambs and soffit are simply work is flush, and all doors are flush plastered. There are no projecting cas- doors. Paneled woodwork gives a better ings around any openings, no ledge over gathering place for dust than almost the head casings, — so impossible to keep any other form of construction. Panels clean. are so common that we do not think The wall is plastered flush with the about the matter, simply taking them for frame, and these are nicely finished to- granted. Even housekeepers do not al- gether and painted, either in the same ways remember that every panel is a dust tone, — or a band of color to trim the pocket, or has a dust pocket at each low- opening. Excellent workmanship is nee- er corner. The modern housekeeper has essary with a flush finish. There is no all her woodwork built flush. This all woodwork to cover careless work. Neith- emphasizes the fact that if a house is to er is it necessary for the "scrub lady" to be kept clean it must be built for cleanli- mount a chair and wipe ofif a layer of ness dust which has gathered on the ledges all ^The up-to-date bath room is delight- around the room. fully dainty and convenient. AMiite sur- Nothing could be more beautiful than faced walls and woodwork make it easy the solid mahogany wainscot of the hall to keep the room immaculate ; and plumb- in this same house. It is built without ing fixtures become more sanitary and panels, like a flush door. convenient every year. In ing J. Qill, Architect 134 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL ^r A Tile Recessed Tub W ith Shower White tiles are used for a wainscoting or dado, if not for the entire wall, in many of the newer bath rooms, while the ceil- ing and upper walls are tinted in what- ever shade makes the room most pleasing. On a south exposure pale green is g'ood, while a north room seems warmer if a sun tint is used. Many bath rooms are kept all in white as to color. The tub set in a recess in the wall and entirely enclosed as shown in the illustra- tion, is the most sanitary type. A tub with side and end plates which enclose the outside of the tub completely is equally sanitary, and may be set in any bath room. A panel must l)e so placed as to make the plumbing pipes easily acces- sible. When the tub is recessed the open- ing to the plumbing may be made from a closet or hall at the end of the recess. The recessed tub has the advantage of also forming a shower when the fixtures are Over It set. This combina- tion of bath and shower is an econ- omy both of space and cost, and is gen- erally found quite satisfactory. The ordinary tub may enclosed in the same way l:)y plastering from the wall to the from the floor, and rim of the tub. A tile floor is good looking and sanitary and has the advan- tage that it can be laid in a cove at the juncture of the floor and wall so there is no crack or angle to catch dirt. The plastic compositit)n floor makes an ex- cellent floor for the bath room. There are several such composition floor mater- ials, which seem to be showing very satis- factory wearing qualities. All things considered, a good linoleum makes about as satisfactory a floor surface as any thing, as it is resilient under the feet and warm, and may be gotten in any desired color scheme, plain or in pattern. liattle- ship linoleum, laid in cement according to the manufacturers directions becomes practically a composition floor. It should be varnished and waxed like a hardwood floor and kept in good condition to pre- vent wearing in spots. Many people pre- fer a hardwood floor. Maple is light in color and has excellent wearing qualities ; it has been known to outwear marble and tile, justifying floors of wood. INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 135 Kitchens A Real Tile Floor Is a Luxury Showing Open Flour and Sugar Bins in the Baking Table 136 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL A W ell Lighted Sink in n White Kitchen The Modern Kitchen— ^White and Shining INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 137 A Place for Everything and no Waste Space An Ideal Kitchen in Crrani diul Brown 138 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Note the Electric Light, and Hood Built Over the Range A Modern Kitchen INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 139 The Enclosed Porch INTER with its blanket of snow, its glitter of ice in the brilliant frosty sunshine, its crunching of snow under wheels, and its whistling' blast of wind that sends the blood tingling, — all this is a delight to the lover of winter sports and outdoor vigor. It gives a wonderful background to the cozy warm room with its shaded lamp and blazing lire, for an evening by the fireside after a day in the open. But to the "stay at home" people the winter season is a diiTerent matter, with onlv its few hours of sunshine each day, and it is to such people that the enclosed porch, made warm and comfortable, — except perhaps in the most severe weather, comes as an especial boon. The enclosed porch has, in the colder latitudes, developed into the sun room which is an integral part of the house and is as warmly built as is possible, but al- ways with the pleasing sense of bringing summer outdoors into the house, even in winter. A fireplace in the sun room is most A Fireplace in the Sun Room is Most Acceptable 140 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Sun mom < unvertable at night into a sleeping:: pon n acceptable, and a brick fireplace with the In fact the sun room with its steam heat- chimney l)reast carried to the ceiling ing pipes and tile floor easily develops makes an attractive feature of the room, into a livable conservatory. The lattice, The tile or brick hearth is simply a con- so often a feature of the sun room figures tinuation of the floor. notably in all of the accompanying" photo- Flowers and vines and potted plants graphs, though with a very different usually make a real part of the treatment, treatment. In one case it is a trellis for the potted vines which are trained and growing over it. The cement or stone window ledge makes a place for potted plants and g r o Av i n g" things, while ferns and palms find their own place in the decora- tive scheme. Win- dows are made of any type, double hung sliding sash or types of swinging sash, which have the advantage of open- ing a larger part of the window space. Sun Room with a Trellis Treatment INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 141 A Charming Sun Room HERE was a time when English ivy, wax plant, trailing fuchsias, or even wandering jew, were trained over and around bay window openings, and around the individual windows in the bay-window, when a flower stand filled the "bay," and the care of "Mother's plants" was one of the household tasks all through the winter. The "bay-window" was real- ly a home-made conserva- tory and the sight of grow- ing things in the house when winter was reigning outside was a joy to the children as well as to Mother. Carefully taking down the English ivy I ^^ and carrying it to the kitchen, or out of doors on the first spring day and washing every individual leaf, was a full day's job ; for the time of the bay-window filled with a flower-stand was before the day of a bathroom in every house. The armful of trailing vines could not then be laid into the bath tub and a spray turned on it and then left to dry. Each leaf had to be carefully wiped to be sure it was clean and dry so that the new- wall paper or the fresh curtains would not be spotted when the vines were again carefully pinned or tacked to the surface. When there came to be no time that could be taken to "wash the plants," — the plants themselves were not repotted for the winter indoors. Then too, in Indoor Trellis for a Growing Vine those days, windows were not so reck- lessly opened at night, — could not be opened or "the plants" would freeze. Our modern sun rooms, however, may be accommodated to a decoration of liv- ing- greenery. Palms and ferns do not re- quire the care and thought which had to be given to flower shelves filled with ger- aniums and fuchsias, a scarlet or pink car- nation which could sometimes be coaxed into blossom, tea roses in pots, and even a pot of wood violets which could some- times be induced to bloom under a glass 142 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL dish cover. Even the English ivy can now be trained over a white painted trel- Hs which has been utilized to make the very attractive wall covering of the sun room ; and the panel of trellis can be lifted off the wall and carried outside where the hose can be turned on the vines. For the sun room, where the outside walls are largely filled with windows and doors and the inside walls with openings, the lattice treatment on the small panels, which remain, seems exceedingly fitting, and is certainly very effective. This may be done in the simplest fashion, with the latticed panels carried to the ceiling and the frame work of the lattice itself forming the cornice member at the ceiling line. The room which is shown here has a very formal treatment in the interior woodwork. The space between the heads of the openings and the cornice is given rather an elaborate frieze treatment, with pilasters flanking the wide openings and the fireplace. The pilaster caps are in keeping with the style and echo the diago- nal lines of the lattice. The room is ex- ceedingly well handled, the variety of line in the lattice giving the effect of an all- over pattern, which is used as a back- ground, and gives a very restful effect to the room as a whole, and a charm which is distinctive. Palms and ferns give the life of growing things and the occasional panels of English ivy are peculiarly effec- tive. The wicker furnishings are cush- ioned with figured chintzes and with plain fabrics. The pieces of furniture have been selected with special reference to comfort. Wicker settees are drawn up on either side of the fireplace prepar- atory for the cool evenings, while many French windows usher in the spring sun- shine. The Trellis Motif is Carried Around the Room INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 143 Porch Furniture HE chintz and cretonne subject is a vital one this season for both im- ])orted and domestic stuffs are relatively his^h in price, yet nothing' contributes so successfully to the decorative quality of a room as an ap- propriate printed fal^ric. In this con- nection I was glad to learn that one ])ig shop had placed on its shelves more than two thousand yards of cretonne in dis- continued patterns at the pleasing price of forty-eight cents a yard. The patterns, on investigation, proved of wide variety and of remarka])ly good value. For porches, sun rooms, bedrooms, l^reakfast rooms, etc., these charming cretonnes would truly meet a definite need. The same shop carries "log cabin" rugs in old-fashioned "rag" weaving, the prices ranging from two dollars and up- ward for small sizes of the rugs to twen- ty-eight dollars for the nine by twelve sizes. Reed enameled black and upholstered in copper, jade, black and mauve was seen in the furniture section of this decorator. Returning tt) willow, the pieces de- signed for breakfast alco\es are new and Hand Printed Linen in Lily Pond Design very cozy — just the kind of furniture to inspire cheerful rising on an August morn. There is the long narrow table, firm and stable as though of oak, with two long settees with high backs, all carefully planned for the purpose of com- fortable eating. Consequently the seats are not too deep nor too high — " Settee of Reed Enameled in Two Colors tvith Cushions in Harmonious Shades 144 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Arm Chair of Enameled Reed ing" of midsummer furniture. It needs a volume and a thick one. With the present high cost of furniture the old casual way of buying a few pieces for temporary usage is out of the ques- tion. The purchase of nearly every ar- ticle today, whether for household use or personal adornment, becomes a matter of importance, requiring thought and time. More than the present need must be taken into consideration with every table or chair, and this on the whole makes for good. Buy what you need to give your sum- mer room or rooms the desired quality, but buy for the future also. You will se- cure in that way the full value of your money giving to the transaction the time and consideration it has always merited. Haphazard dealings in regard to interior furnishings have resulted in many dull, unattractive homes. In so-called summer furniture there is more variety than ever. We may choose willow, reed, bamboo, raffia, rush, etc., in giiininii i> fmTT7Tirn n |TTminnTi?i «imnMmn»lHlUllliyBimi^^ painted, stained or natural surfaces. We may buy for a whole house or a room or a corner of the porch. In reed, the painted and enameled pieces are comparatively new and among the most attractive of the season's output. In willow there are many beautiful de- signs, both in the purely American prod- uct, and in the furniture made in this country from imported willow. Designs in all lines are excellent ; durable, com- fortable and of fine simple pattern. One firm making willow furniture ex- clusively shows a series of rooms with appropriate pieces placed as for actual use. The bedroom furniture interested me particularly. The Bellewood bed- stead and the Arlington dresser of plain lattice design seemed to me practical as well as attractive. How refreshing a city bedroom would be at the end of an im- perfect day with these cool, comfortable pieces. Another shop shows a printed linen in a lily pond pattern, which would fit admirablv into the scheme. Reed Desk and Chair INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 145 A Glimpse of Our Dining Porch, Where We Can Eat "In the Open" and Be Entertained by the Rarest of Songsters Who Ask Only a Crumb For Their Pay The Omission of Curtains at W indows Makes This Truly a Sun-room 146 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL O K e> o 'e o a. INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 141 A Sun-room Which is Used as a Living Room, treated Vf ith Maple Wood. Natural Finish, Green Wicker Furniture, Green and Cream Rug, Curtains Very Sheer Scrim 148 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL A Charming Sun Parlor W ith the View from Many Windows fhe Wood Lattice is Much Used INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 149 A Cool and Comfortable Spot in Which to Spend an Afternoon. Furnished in Wicker and Rattan 150 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL One of the Most Charming Sun Rooms in a Charming Land No Heavy Casements or Curtains to Obstruct This Fine View INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 151 Outdoor Living Rooms Tile, Cement (ind 1/ ood Lattice Kjjerliiely Combined in the >//;i linoni 152 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL A Window Enclosed i\ook ivilli a H riitiiii I ithli Pipes Run From Inside Radiator Warm This Porch INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 153 Detract From the Porch Makes an Ideal Breakfast Room for Spring and Summer 154 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Porch Flowers QUAINT old custom has been revived and readapt- ed in the fl o w e r s grown for their dec- orative quality on the open porch and which are shown in the photograph. Ferns and vines are very commonly used on the enclosed or the open porch, and are charming in the wicker and other fern boxes designed especially for use under wide window openings. lUossom- ing plants used in the same way or when the plants are tall, set on the floor, so that the blossoms An Old Fashioned Floor for the Porch mass at the height of the opening, is an feet tall. The flowers, like those of the equally charming innovation, and one other bell-flowers, grow in spikes which which makes an especial appeal to the are covered with lovely bell shaped flower lover: — to those who have not felt flowers, blue in color, excellent for late (juite satisfied when the windows were l)looming. The blossoming time is August tilled with — just green things, and who and September. crave the color and life of the blossoming The seeds should be started indoors in plants. February, and be transplanted into the Chimney campanula is the name of opg^ garden in Mav, allowing from fif- the great stalk of bell shaped flowers,— so ^^^^ -^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^.^ j^^^ ^^ ^^^^^ between called from the old custom of growing ^i i . i- ^ i ^- j .^ ^ the i^lants, accordmg to location and re- the little plants in pots and keeping them . / ^_, . ", , n . ^ r- o quirements. While these make excellent border plants. }'et the chimney campan- ula is not quite so hardy as some of the other perennial campanulas and is still "pyramidialis" as it is known specifically ^^sed largely as a greenhouse or potted is a perennial and is used as an out door plant, just as in the days when it was cus- plant. It grows al)OUt four, or even six tomary to pot the little plants. in fireplaces unused during the summer time. The campanula is the family to which the hair bells and Canterberry l^ells l^elons'. The chimney campanula or INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 155 Outdoor Living Rooms Garden Seats i luler a Big Shade Tree I E N warm weather i s here one wants to g-et outdoors ; more, one wants to live out- doors, for it is so al- luring with sunshine, fresh air and mild breezes ladened with the thousand delicate perfumes of grass and flowers. And one can really live outdoors a good part of the time, if one plans the house or grounds so an out- door living room is part of it. There are countless ways of making an fort, ^\'ith a well laid wooden floor and outdoor living room and every one should railing made solid around the outside, it arrange some place where one can spend can be screened and glassed up to the some hours in the open air. A place, sim- sloping roof which may be either shingled pie or elaborate, will depend upon the or covered with a patent roofing. Here, money one can expend, but it is likely in this outdoor room, household duties that the less money one spends, the more l:)ecome a pleasure. fresh air and sunshine one will have while. Another attractive outdoor lixing room if one pays out for glass and screens and of this description was built by a woman, roofing, one will shut out more air and on her little bungalow overlooking a hill- sunshine, the things one is seeking. side. It was built across the back of the The busy housekeper can have out- house, the south end, and also had east door living quarters just to suit her taste and west exposures. It was directly off if she can spend a small sum for building. the kitchen and here in summer the break- See the two white wooden seats built fast was eaten ; then this housekeeper under the big trees out in the yard. AMiat came out and prepared her vegetables for could be more inviting, especially in the lunch and dinner. After the necessary early fall, when the summer heat is past, household tasks had been finished within If the house does not have a wide ve- the Ijungalow — bedmaking and dishwash- randa opening to a pleasant exposure it ing. she could live outdoors the rest of is really worth while building one. East the day in her charming south Acranda. or south is usuallv best for all dav com- Commanding a beautiful ^•iew of green 156 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL hills and distant blue mountains, the win- dow openings were not marred with drap- eries but the clear glass gave an uninter- rupted view. From early morn till late at night in the summertime, these case- ment windows were swung open. Being well screened, flies and insects were kept out but plenty of fresh air and invigorat- ing breezes came in, making it delight- fully cool and attractive. At lunchtime, the meal was eaten here again, and at night the family ate supper here with the western view of a golden sun sinking into a sea of reds and purples. The meals were simply delightful for the surroundings were satisfying. After the "tea things" had been cleared away, the family enjoyed sitting out on this ve- randa, watching the dusk slowly set in until finally the deep bue sky dotted with twinkling stars still beckoned them to stav outside in this great outdoors. The furnishings of this outdoor living" room consisted of an inexpensive wool rug, about nine by twelve in size, a small dining table that had folding leaves, the necessary number of dining chairs, sev- eral comfortable wicker rockers, and a box couch covered with plenty of sofa pillows. Steps from the east end of the porch led down into the sloping garden but the porch was so comfortable, one was not easily tempted away from it. Another very attractive outdoor living room was made by a woman in her side yard. She had a small wooden platform built, a little less than a foot from the ground, and had posts set at intervals along the sides of the wooden floor. Beams were laid trellis fashion overhead, from post to post, and then this frame- work was entirely covered with the leaves from fan palms. They made a solid roof- ing, which was rain-proof. H icker Furniture is Satisfactory for the Outdoor Living Space INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 157 Sun Parlor in a City House Fountain of Joy Which Has Been Placed in a Kentucky Garden 158 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL 159 A View in the Patio Interesting Arrangement of Flower Urns in a Southern Garden 160 INTERIORS BEAUTIFUL Looking Toward the Garage W hat Happier Place for the Sand Box Thmi on the Screened Porch LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 009 937 777 A