Search

Search this blog:

« Walls and their Coverings | Main | On Colors... »

On Curtains...

Taken from Miss Beecher's Housekeeper and Healthkeeper 1873
The cornices to your windows can be simply strips of wood covered with paper to match the bordering of your room, and the lambrequins, made of chintz like the lounge, could be trimmed with fringe of gimp of the same color. The patterns of these can be varied according to fancy but simple designs are usually the prettiest. A tassel at the lowest point greatly improves the appearance of the entire curtain.
The curtains can be made of plain white muslin, of some of the many styles that come for this purpose. If plain muslin is used,
you can ornament them with hems and inch in width, in which insert a strip of gingham or chambray of the same color as your chintz. This will wash with the curtains without losing its color, or, should it fade, it can easily be drawn out and replaced.
The influence of white-muslin curtains in giving an air of grace and elegance to a room is astonishing. White curtains really create of room out of nothing. No matter how course the muslin, so it be white and hang in graceful folds, there is a charm in it that supplies the want of multitudes of other things.

Found in 1870 | Victorian Living 1840-1900 | Browse By Era | Browse By Subject | General | Interior Design

Disclaimer - All which is found on this website: http://www.victorianpassage.com is meant only for research and/or entertainment purposes. If you use any of the information or try any of the "recipes", or follow any of the antiquated advice on this website, then you do so at your own risk. We shall not be held liable for any damages or anything of the sort that may incur if you use any of the information from this website. Please use caution and safety measures, since our ancestors did not know a lot of the hidden dangers with chemicals and the like. Thank you!