i‘ilflliiiiiilMPS
iiiilillllHiiiiSl
Convenient for Every Purpose
and Always Look Attractive.
'Foa use at EVERY aooM ’
1Offer Equal Advantages for Service
‘ and Decoration In Bedroom, Sun
Room or Living Room.
_...
By s. E. DEVENISH
In the Middle Ages. the doughty
baron or noble earl sat down to his
regal board and devoured the ins-
cious dalutles of the times by the
'llght of a number of crude fiam-
beans: or resinous torches stuck in
pricket fixtures of wrought iron.
In some of the large halls oftthe
castles of those days. huge, circu-
lar fixtures of wrought iron were
hung so as to throw the beams of
numerous candles on the table. and
to augment the colorful. if uncer-
tain light of the “ancestors" of the
modern wall-bracket.
Man was truly primitive in those
davs. and the artisans in metals
found it more lucrative to employ
their skill in fashioning highly in-
tricate and serviceable armor and
arms, than furnishings for the liv-
ing abode. for were not all worth-
while men engaged in the avoca-
tion of war and mighty deeds of
chivalry?
It is. indeed. a mark of civilization
to compare the. comfortcreationa of
today with those of the time of the
poet l'iilon. when men‘s labors
were largely spent in destroying
towns and cities of other peoples,
or in building walls and strong
places which could withstand the
isleges of neighboring and distant
foes.
Many poets of olden days would
indeed be moved to marvelous verse
could they but enjoy the comforts
of a modern home. so tastefully
built to include. protection against
. the elements. and beauty in the fur-
nishings and decorations.
l People of even 50 years ago had
[no conception of lighting. which to-
‘day is regarded as “natural" and
i common. for the efficiency. economy
fond mobility of present tiny elec-
trical illumination put it into the
category of modern marvels.
Advance of Pot-table Lights.
Portable lighting units are the
outgrowth of the pressing need for
illumination of different degrees of
intensity and color combinations in
certain parts of the house. partic-
ularly in the modern living room.
Iicre. but a few years ago. only one
general form of illumination was
possible; today one can. by the
mere. turn of a switch. bring into
the scheme a number of effectively
placed. supplementary portable
lighting units. which produce ef~
‘fects which are soothing and inspir-
>ing. Next the piano. a standing art
lamp with silken shade may throw
its dimmed light over the dreaming
player. In another corner of the
ErtJOm a table lamp invites those
:who would wander into the imagi-
‘native land of books.
l Above the mantel of the fire-
place. a pair of beautiful brackets
:or sconces attract the eye. and
(bring to mind the days when the
powerful baron would have ex-
.changed a large portion of his vast
idomains for the comfort and cheer
of such perfect devices for chasing
gloom and darkness.
2 Portable lamps are not only
lfound in the living room. The
‘modern glossed-in sun-porch is oft-
entimes lighted by artistic portable
‘readlng lamps. And even in the
bedrooms. a standing lamp is often
used near the cozy chair to illumine
the book perused by one who has
sought privacy and quiet from the
'rest of the family.
Better .Than Fixtures.
Portable lamps have many ad-
vantages m-er permanent fixtures in
.3 home. They give freedom from
- the deadly standardization of late-
riors which in some homes never
varies from year to year. The
modern home-maker has found that.
“by changing the positions of various
pieces of furniture. and by redrap-
ing the windows. etc. it is possible
:for her to eliminate monotony and
to create new and attractive effects.
.One of the greatest aids in making
such changes is the mobility of
floor lamps. bridge lamps. table
lamps and torcheres. which by
tasteful handling make possible nu-
imerous decorative effects.
' The shading of portable lamps
lshould be given full consideration.
because it is by these fitments that
.the light of the electric lamp is dif-
fused
. There is a wide choice of shading
materials available. and countless
‘forms which can be utilized to pro-
duce interior fairyland effects. but
it takes a person of Imagination
and sensibility to put the deft. artls.
tic touches here and there in order
to get maximum harmony in a
room. Some lamps. by reason of
their dominating color or size. look
best when shaded with glass or
parchment. Others have been
found to 'look best when shaded
with silken shades of round. scal-
loped or "hat" designs. Manufac-
turers of modern illuminating glass-
were also have incorporated then
best“ In color designs and materials
to produce chastened esthetic ef-
fects. while for the torchere mica
shades are effective.
Portable lamps should be fitted
with electric lamps of the proper
intensity for the purpose they are
being used. and in all cases the
lighting source should be kept hid-
den from the eye. as exposed light-
ing filaments are extranely injnrh
one to the optic nerve. and are re lug
sponeible in many cases for poor
eyedght and related troubles.
In cases where there is the
wettest pea-onto o: the and»:
copyright. American Home Bureau.
was -
Lamps Show Excellent Taste.
sources being visible. all~frosted
lamps have been found most suit-
able; where the lamp is surrounded
by a shade of considerable opacity.
a powerful clear glass lutup will be
more effective. and yet will not eu-
duugcr the eyesight.
Portable lamps are. in vogue t0-
dny. not only because they are use-
ful. but because they are necessary
to bring into the. home. lighting
which meets all demands front both
esthetlc and utilitarian standpoints.
PICTURES WILL BALANCE
THE ROOM ARRANGEMENT
Overcome Any Bad Effects of
Placing of Furniture.
No room is satisfying," there is
not a certain balance in the furnish-
ing. Often the exigencies of the
wall space. however. make it neces-
sary to place the large. heavy
pieces of furniture all along one
main long wall. giving too much
solidity to that side of the romp
and not enough elsewhere. This
has the effect of destroying the
equilibrium.
As in so many decorative emer-
gencies. pictures hung on the wall
restore the missing element. A pic-
ture of strong color and dignity will
bring weight and force to the weak
side of the room. It will distribute
the attention. taking it from the
overweighted heavy side. and direct-
ing it where it is needed for satisfy-
ing balance. A picture so used may
take a somewhat heavier frame
than might ordinarily be required.
It may also be hung slightly higher
on the well than in the normally
well-balanced room.
There is a.relatlonship between
the furniture and the way the pic-
tures shall be hung that greatly
affects balance in the room. A
large picture hung over a small
piece of furniture seems not to
have sufficient support and may
topple down at any time. crushing
the little piece beneath it. Just
the opposite efi'ect is bad if you
hang a little bit of a picture over a
. 4*. .4w'
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"Tisha-,5");
. ..'» ‘1 .
Cfflfigqre . \"'
large sofa. it suggests a fat man
wearing a little boy's hat.
Balance may also be. secured in
the following circumstances: If
you have a tall piece of furniture to
put. any at one side of the fireplace.
and only a short one to go at the
other side. the incongruity of size is
Simple Hanging Fixture.
at once overcome by placing a pic-
ture over the smaller one,
Attractive Wall Fixtures
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a». . .‘w
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Sconces ‘nre Designed to Match Furniture.
NOTHING ATTRACTIVE
SEEN iN BLANK WALL
Pictures Essential to Create a
Well-Furnished Effect.
There is a tendency in home fur-
hing to ignore the upper portion
the rooms that we are decorat-
. This is an error that is pats
ticnlariy common where the value
of pictures has been overlooked. To
say nothing of the influence upon
u of fine pictures. and the excel-
lent reproductions that are today
available. pictures have a decora-
tive effect that can hardly be
equalled. They are unique in the
particular function they serve.
which is to give interest to the up-
per portion ofthe room.
While handsome rugs are splen-
did foundatlons for the well-fur-
nished room. one does not look con-
stantly upon the floor. As one en-
ters a room. the things on the level
of the eye are those. which first get
the attention and hold it. (loan is
no beauty in coming face to face
-. .. . ' " . ..'.
4.,” - . v. -- o
» coerce“ 63—1!
. %:M®Q¥%TWN 4;.
' colors for frames' must be very ju-
3 3%
Actually Cheaper Today
By RALPH
Furniture is not high priced. Com-
pared with many other commodities
it is cheaper today than it has been
in years. although its quality has
been vastly improved. A study of
the figures compiled by the bureau
of labor statisticsof the United
States Department of Labor, brings
this point. out very clearly.
The bureau compiles. monthly.
the changes in wholesale prices of
the most important items that ef-
fect the cost of living. It bases its
percentages on the year 1913. To
illustrate. taking the average price
of farm products for 1913 as 100. it
determined that the average price
for December,’ 1921. was 1'20. or
farm products advanced during that
period 20 per cent. In December.
1924. it found that the average
price of these items had advanced
over lltlfl. 56.7 per cent. making the
percentage of advance during the
three intervening years. 38.7 per
cent as cotnpared with 1013. These
differences in percentages on a num-
ber of common groups of articles
It: as follows:
Farm products advanced.3d.7%
Foods advanced ......... 21.9%
(‘lolhs and clothing nd- _
vnnced ............... 11.4%
Metals and metal products
advanced ............. 19.0%
’Bullding materials ad-
vanced ............... 17.1%
House furnishings de-
clinet15.6%
All commodities advanced.17.0%
These price changes are illus-
trated. graphically. in the accom-
panying chart. It will be noted that.
of all the items listed. house fur-
nishings are alone in showing a do
cllne. This means that. from De-
FRAME SHOULD
Pain
The matter of framing pictures
tnust not be under-estimated. for it
is an important factor. Frames
have the double obligation to be re-
lated to the picture enclosed. and to
the wall. The frame must relate
the picture to the wall and yet set it
apart so that it may have room to
deliver its message without inter-
ruption by distracting surroundings.
The picture. must also be brought
into harmony with its environment
by the frame.
In all this. the frame should be
unobtrusive. and so designed as to
bring out the strongest charms of
the picture. It should never divert
attention away from the object that
it“ is supposed to reveal advan-
tageously. A frame that In conspic-
uous for undue size or unnecessary
glitter or over-decoration is not
serving its purpose properly. Bright
diciously considered before being
used. They generally have a ten-
dency to rival the picture rather
than correctly display it. and often
injure the general decorative effect
of the room.
It would. of course. be foolish to
frame a mild English landscape or
a simple Dutch portrait in a florid
French frame. but It has been
done. We are fortunate however.
that picture-frame design has kept
pace with furniture design. and fine
examples may be had to go with
pictures reminiscent of the Italian
Renaissance. Louis XVI. Chippen-
dale and other popular periods. as
well as modern pictures. There is
always the right thing for the right
picture. and makeshifts are entirely
unnecessary.
Framing Color Reproductions.
In framing colored reproductions.
it should be remembered that most
old paintings represent certain na-
tionalities or periods. Period
frames are therefore usually the
correct selection and may be had to
conform with the desired condi-
tions. Frames of the early Italian
Renaissance received much of the
same care that characterized all
works of art at that time. Often
they were of architectural inspira-
tion with columns at either side.
and a pedlment at the top. having
a classic purity quite in keeping
with the religious character of the
subjects. At the beginning of the
Eighteenth century almost as much
care was bestowed upon frames as
upon the paintings. and wonderfully
carved examples have come down to
us. The old idea was to use as
much frame as possible without
reference to the picture.
Since most reproductions are con-
siderava mailer than the criti-
nels. their frames should be suffi-
ciently smaller to agree in propofi
tion. The frame should not seem
either too heavy or too light for the
picture. and its proportion to the
picture should be adequate and
pleasing. without seeming to be e!-
m
spirstion in its mere surface.
whether painted. papered or pull-
eled. unless it is relieved and made
significant by some suitable pic-
torial contribution.
Pictures tempt the [me tion.
They take the mind at 053.com
the commonplaces and cares of
daily life. Fine furniture and well~
planned interiors do this subtly.
but pictures do it directly. The
well-furnished room and a due pm-
portion of well-chosen pictures. to-
gether make a combination that
mates the ideal home spirit.
PICWM "Dede"! commend
with a blank well. There is no in-
NEVER
OUTBALANCE THE PICTURE
Ita Duty ie to Accentuate the Attractions of the
ting.
By ESTELLE H. RIES
cessive.
With large pictures. wider frames
are needed then for small ones. but
too large a frame makes the picture
seem cramped for space. borne
down from all sides by a heavy‘
weight as it Is. The picture that is
rich in color or strong in theme re-
quires a heavier frame than the
painting that is delicate in color or
tender in subject.
l
‘5
FURNITURE ONLY PRODUCT
THAT IS LOWER IN PRICE
Then it Hue Been for Many
Years.
WINDOES
cember. 1921. to January. 1925. the
prices on the other commodities ad-
vanced while furniture and house
furnishings dropped until today.
furniture. of all of the commodities
under discussion. will give greater
value for the 1921 dollar.
With this decrease in price has
Hang Pictures In Line.
It is not desirable to hang pic-
tures up and down along the wall.
in steps diagonally. Let them be
either directly side by pide. so that
either their top edges or their bot-
tom odges are on the same horizon-
tal line. or else place one straight
above the other. If three pictures
form a horizontal group. the center
one may he hung a trifle higher
than the others. Ordinarily the
larger of two pictures is hung above
the smaller. but a very large one
does not look well over a very small
one. Rather have two small ones
so that the difference, in space will
not be so conspicuous. .
FARM Joe 00 UC 7'6
FOODS
CLOTHS . 0N0 ‘ CLOTHING
DEC/92!
5 -1
\
META LS AND 129000073
BU/L owe ‘ MA 7512 IA L 5
m; 1.1 c OMMOD/ Tit—:53
. HOUSE
FUR N [SH/N63
This chart illustrates the percentage of change in wholesale
prices of a number of commod
itiee for the period December,
1921, to January, 1925, the percentages being based upon
the year 1913. From figures compiled by the U. 5. Depart-
ment of
come a marked increase in quality‘
and tnorc beautiful designs. Never
in the world's history has better t‘ur‘
niture been offered to the housewife
0f sicnticr means. A few years ago
when ‘all of the fine furniture was
made almost entirely by hand. only
the wealthy could afford it. but now,
the ks to machinery and better pro-
duction methods. those whose dol-
lars ttmst be watched with care may
enjoy the happiness that comes with
attractively furnished home;
Labor.
Many of the handsomest of hand-
wrought orlcutul patterns are. now
duplicated in machine-made domes-
tic rugs. affording really tasteful
floor coverings. The domestic rugs
are even to be preferred as they
wear better. are more regular and
perfect and lie fiatter on the floor.
Even the least expensive of rugs
and carpets tnadc nowadays. are in
excellent taste as to design and
coloring.
’ Reproductions of Lovely Paintings
It is the variety of interest that
is found in the pictures of a house
that gives it the feeling of home.
where vivid people live. and where
they express their personalities
through the charm of the right
touches of beauty and color. "The
Alice Blue Gown." always a favorite
with the picture lover as well as
with the decorator who wishes to
introduce a note of delightful bril-
liance in a room. is a picture that
would heighten the beauty of a
room whose decorative scheme is in
walnut or mahogany or maple. and
whose hangings of gold are thus
thrown up in lovely emphasis.
able today at such low cost. For
almost negligible prices one may
have reproductions of pictures that
the wealthy travel all the way to
France and Italy to see. And the
reproduction in the home comes to
be a much more intimate thing
thantheoriginalthatoneeeeein
but a fleeting glimpee. in a hasty
visit to some museum. When fine
picturee are obtainable at so little
effort. it seems really wrong to
overlook the opportunity they oflcr
Lthemselves because they are avail-
W
Popular Walnut.
One of the many reasons why
Amerlcun walnut is the leading
furniture wood today is because its
rich brown color goes well with any
scheme of decoration. Brown is
a neutral color and will not clash
with the woodwork. the hangings or
the carpet. Walnut furniture
should be finished in its natural
color to show its rich texture and
handful figure and grain to the
“Golden Autumn.“ (lower left) is
an appropriate over-mantel picture.
being large in size. and of such in-
terest as to he wort by of the central
space in the room. I'ntler brilliant
autumn foliage a young girl stands
and looks out over a little lake of
blue. The color emphasis in the
picture is the mass of green foliage
at the right. which is in contrast to
the. show'cr of yellow leaves which
give its name. to the picture.
The desert picture. the dreamy
clourl-gazer. and the seaside picture
are interesting. alike to children and
grown-ups. when they are hung on
the walls of the home.
best advantage. So finished. ago
only enhances its beauty. 0n the
other hand. dark stains destroy
much of the richness of the wood
and cover up its grain and figure.
When you admire a piece of silk
tapestry or silk damask adorning a
piece of American-made furniture
it is interesting to know that Amer-
ica ranks first among all the coun-
tries manufacturing alike. with
France second in production.
iii PlfllUHiS
iiiHllillHlllii
Always is Good to Wake Up i
Pleasant Surroundings.
1"
El
h .
:‘i
CHOOSE CHEERY SUBJECT
l'
t
Picturee of Springtime Scenee ar
Found Especially Suitable for
the Sleeping Room.
By HENRIETTE WEBER
It is good to wake up in th.
morning to the tune of sunboam.
dancing in the window. Anti rosti
ful to hear leaves rustling outside.
and the twitter of birds. Or if it b
wintertime. there is lite crunch of
snow under the wheels of a passing
wagon. and Wonderful lucy filigret
that. has been il'lll'l'll in silvery de-
signs on the u'intlmvpnnc.
It is good to wake up to pleas-
ant surroundlngs—and no matter
what or where the room you sleep
in may be. you (‘iln always decorate
the walls with pictures that will
seem to say a bright “flood-morn-
lug."
Smiling Pictures.
One of the well-loved subjects for
bedroom pictures is the smiling
effect of fruit trees in bloom. Like 3
the innocent face of a little ('llllfl’ a
white and pink promise, of spring,
brings a responsive look of tender-
ness (or is it hopefulncss?) to the.
sternest countenance. Pictures of
springtime are, to be found in man
lovely forms—in landscapes show .
ing feathery trot-s overhanging a
meadow brook: in exquisite ii'renc ‘
color prints. or in imaginativ
vvoodlund scenes. where my dun
ing figures flit among the blossom
And Children. Too.
0r It may be that you especially.
love paintings or children pinyin ‘
in the sunshine. Surely such a
combination will make life see
more worth while. no matter how
dark the present moment may seem...
It) hP. _
In that case you might avail‘yoltr-;
self of any one of it... "Um”,my
honor scenes of playing children?
that artists have so happily put' nnv
canvas. In these vivid portrayals?
there is all the lithe energy. the".
spirited play. the lncxlingubhoblm
exuberance of childhood. Whit-hid?
help us to keep young through tlirjil
years. i
. And you may prefer pictures oft";
flowers—great clusters of llll‘ln in
an artistic vase. or some filler still "7
life composition. Then. too. yougt
may make your choice of man;
cheery garden views where gay'
blossoms riot in luxurious profun
sion. and their gorgeous coloringrp
brings to you concentrated S'lmmf’l‘.‘l'§.
In any case. the pictures in young
bedroom should he jOy-inspiring‘j'r
subjects. and always something you!
will love to look at. Too often ”.ittst.i_.
anything" which is no longergg
wanted anywhere else in the housmf
is relegated to a bedroom on the-3%
Principle that it won't be looltcrl at?"
very much anyway. While. of
course. you are not apt to spend
as much waking time in your sleep .
ing quarters as in any other room
yet think how it will help your do.
of work and play and human con-:
fact to have something cheerful and
inspiring to look at when you do ‘
wake up!
CARE MUST BE TAKEN
..____.__. ' h
Subjects Must be Related and??? '
Site in Keeping.
While it is of course, true that ‘
any picture that is worth hanging; ‘
at all should be considered pri»
marily as an individual. yet if it is
to form one of a group. to be hung"
close together. there are additional
considerations. First. it. is desir-
able that all the pictures of a
group should be of one scale. If .32 .
you have a series of portraits of“.
prominent people. you can readily
understand that if the, face of one
is an inch “in diameter. and the?
faces of the others are six inches
across. the, result will not, be so sat-
isfactory as though there were bet-
ter accord in scale.
In hanging pictures in groups.".-;‘
each group should be. restricted my".
pictures that have. some important
featurl'in common. whether it b .
subject. authorship or other close.‘ .
feeling. Gainsborough's “Duchess
of Devwnshlre" and Rembrandt
"Old Woman Paving Her Nails" are,
both masterpieces. but reproduc‘»
tions of these beautiful things hnv '
no element in common that wouldi; 3,
cause them to enter into the samei.’
group. In museums. where the» The
purpose of hanging pictures is mind . 3. ‘
cational and informative rathnri ,, 3
than decorative, such combinations"
arise. but to live with them. a more
sympathetic combination should he‘
sought for.
We also find that it is pleasing
when the. group is one of portraits.
to have the dominant character-km
ward the center of the group and
the others as far as possible fac-
ing him. This will emphasize the
unity of the group. while otherwise
its different members would appear
to be struggling in uncongenlal
surroundings. one pulling away
from the others in the company..
All pictures should be placed in .
harmony with the wall space they ~,-.§‘
are to occupy, and if they are
groups. each group should be‘
treated as a unit and placed as
though it were a single picture.
The spacing should always be pleas...
lug regardless of subject matter.{
l
}
i
'The sectional bookcase easily
solves the library problem of that:
home. being far more practical and
convenient than bout-in strain and
more .fiaibie.
Norwalk Chronicler