Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar81911newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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14 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS January, 1911 of its hanging varied under different conditions in the old times, it is only a matter of artistic fitness to make this feat- ure contributory to the general quaintness of the room. For the double-sized bedstead, with the top of the mat- tress often thirty inches from the level of the floor, a lower valance is almost essential to give foundation to the struc- ture. On a single bed with the short or medium-height posts and the canopy omitted, a spread that falls to within eight inches of the floor may be substituted. The shield drapery at the back and sides of the head-board should cor- respond with the texture of the upper valance, but the spread and lower valance, for obvious reasons, may match each other, and while they may be different from the upper ton crepe, with the spread showing the colors of the wall paper border on a ground-work of gray. In another room an opposite treatment was wrought by making the valances for the bed of a cretonne that matched the wall paper and using a white dimity spread. A chest of drawers formerly took the place of our modern bureau, or dresser. A small mirror fastened to a box with drawers was placed on the top of the chest of drawers, or, a looking-glass of more ample size was hung against the wall. Sometimes the lower half of a high-boy (the tall variety made in two parts) was utilized as a dressing-table. In clothing the tops of these pieces a hemstitched strip of fine linen may be given the preference over fancy ma-
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A four-poster bed without a footboard trimming they should still be related to each other in color effect. The treatment for four-poster beds may be classified in a general way as the (1) white and (2) colored. In some rooms the first scheme is the only possible way to balance discordant notes in floor and wall coverings, or bring in the needed element of light. In other places, a chintz effect on the bed may be a happy relief from plain walls and floors. So much attention has been manifested in this important item of bedroom furnishing, that reproductions of the old trimmings in white and colored effects as well as the ma- terials themselves are now on the market. In a room where a gray-and-white striped wall paper with a narrow border under the cornice in tones of mul- berry and sage green, bed hangings were made of gray cot- terials trimmed with lace edges and insertions. The pin- cushions with covers done in cross-stitch, and a brush tray and powder box of English ware decorated with tiny sprays of flowers, are attractive fittings. Even with a bathroom adjoining a bedroom, it is con- sidered quite essential to fit up a washstand with toilet requisites, and the selection of pitcher, wash basin and slop jar may confirm the old-fashioned appearance of the furni- ture if the pattern is selected with care. The chintz designs (costing about sixteen dollars) are particularly well-suited to plain wall coverings, but a set in ivory colors, with or without gold band (at seven dollars and a half) is better for a room with walls showing a decided pattern. In papering a bedroom fitted with old-fashioned furni- ture the choice will be affected by the conditions of exposure,

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