Painted Furniture
PAINTED furniture is, at present, the vogue, so if you own a piece
made by the Adam brothers of England, decorated by the hand of
Angelica Kauffman, or Pergolesi, from Greek designs, now is the
moment to "star" it.
Different in decoration, but equal in charm, is the seventeenth and
eighteenth century painted lacquers of Italy, France, China and
Japan. In those days great masters labored at cabinet making and
decorating, while distinguished artists carved the woodwork of
rooms, and painted the ceilings and walls of even private
dwellings.
To day we have reproductions (good and bad) of the veteran types,
and some commendable inventions, more or less classic in line, and
original in coloring and style of decoration.
At times, one wishes there was less evident effort to be original.
We long for the repose of classic color schemes and classic line. In
art, the line and the combination of colors, which have continued
most popular throughout the ages, are very apt to be those with
which one cans livelongest and not tire. For this reason, a frank
copy of an antique piece of painted furniture is generally more
satisfactory than a modern original.
If you are using dull colored carpets and hangings, have your modern
reproductions antiqued. If you prefer gay, cheering tones, let the
painted furniture be bright. These schemes are equally interesting
in different ways. It is stupid to decry new things, since every
grey antique had its frivolous, vivid youth.
One American decorator has succeeded in making the stolid,
uncompromising square ness of mission furniture take on a certain
lightness and charm by painting it black and discreetly lining it
with yellow and red. Yellow velour is used for the seat pads and
heavy hangings, thin yellow silk curtains are hung at the windows,
and the black woodwork is set off by Japanese gold paper.
In a large house, or in a summer home where there are young people
coming and going, a room decorated in this fashion is both gay and
charming and makes a pleasant contrast to darker rooms. Then, too,
yellow is a lovely setting for all flowers, the effect being to
intensify their beauty, as when flooded by sunshine.
Another clever treatment of the mission type, which we include under
the heading Painted Furniture, is to have it stained a rich dark
brown, instead of the usual dark green. Give your dealer time to
order your furniture unfinished from the factory, and have stained
to your own liking; or, should you by any chance be planning to use
mission in one of those cottages so often built in Maine, for summer
occupancy, where the walls are of unplastered, unstained,
dove-tailed boards, and the floors are unstained and covered with
matting rugs, try using this furniture in its natural color
unfinished. The effect is delightfully harmonious and artistic and
quite Japanese in feeling.
In such a cottage, the living room has a raftered ceiling, the
sidewalls, woodwork, settles the fireplaces, open bookcases and
floor, stain all dark walnut. The floor color is very dark, the
sidewalls, woodwork and bookshelves are a trifle lighter, and the
ceiling boards still lighter between the almost black, heavy
rafters.
The mission furniture is dark brown, the hangings and cushions are
of mahogany-colored corduroy, and the floor is strewn with skins of
animals. There are no pictures, the idea being to avoid jarring
notes in another key. Instead, copper and brass bowls contribute a
note of variety, as well as large jars filled with great branches of
flowers, gathered in the nearby woods. The chimney is exposed. It
and the large open fireplace are of rough, dark mottled brick.
A
room of this character would be utterly spoiled by introducing white
as ornaments, table covers, window curtains or picture-mats; it is a
color scheme of dull wood-browns, old reds and greens in various
tones. If you want your friends photographs about you in such a
room, congregate them on one or two shelves above your books.
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