“Overview”
The chief features to be observed in house furnishing are color, form, and proportion. All stiffness of design in furniture should be avoided. Do not attempt to match articles, but rather carry out the same idea as to color and form in the whole. It is not en regle to have decorations in sets or pairs ; the arrangements should all be done with odd pieces. Every room in the house should be arranged for occupancy, having nothing too good for use, and the judicious housewife will follow a medium course and adopt no extreme of fashion. The style and arrangement should correspond with the size of the room, with due regard to the place a piece of furniture or ornament will occupy. The order of arrangement in furnishing is subject to individual taste, but the following suggestions may not be inappropriate: In decorating a dining-room, deep, rich tones should be used; a drawing room or parlor should have bright cheerful shades; in a library use deep, rich colors, which give sense of worth; a sleeping-room should have light pleasing tints, which give a feeling of repose.
2004-08-04