Interior Decoration

Tbe room in n Fifth avenue house, here illustrated by a cut from The Art Amateur, is a jood example of a rich and aristocratie inrior. ïlie drawing gives little more than what is essen Ual- tbe outlinee of things, their arrangement, with occasionally an indication of their material or their ornamenv,ation. Note, in the flrst place, that the room, ;hougb well furnished, does uot look crowded. It is not a very big room, yet it has an air of spaclousness, desirable aboveall things n city interiora, This is gained principally jy leaving the wall surfaces, for the most aart, almost plain, the patterning being so imall and slight that the artist has found it sufficient to hint at its existence by the use of a little spatter work. Then the long lines of cornice and dado are not broken on the sides that are shown save by the mantel and the door. The top of the mirror over the mantel (and the mantel shelf, too) runs parallel with these lines. It would be better if the top of the door casi ng did so also, but the disturbing presence of the arch is counteracted to a degree by the transom of Japanese lattice work surmounted by stained glass which is thrown across it. This arch apart, nothing can be more uncompromising than the use made of straight unes and rigbt angles in this room; noteven the cupboards tliat jut out from the mantelpiece ateither side have a curve in them. The paneling is square; the ceiling is divided off into straight lined compartments, and there does not seem to be the least element of weakness, the arch excepted, in the whole construction. This, it is hardly necessary to point out, not only preserves an air of dignity and simplicity to the apartment, but it actually helps to give a home like appearance by bringing out the numerous curved liues of the furniture and the bric-a-brac. To introduce curves at all freely in the architecture of the room would be to take away from the attractiveness of the chairs and sofa and tables, and to make the eye less inclined to dweil on the graeeful shapes of the porcelains ánd bits of Venetian glass on the mantel shelves. Let us attempt, with such help as the artist has giveu us, to créate a color scheme for the room, though it will probably be in part unlike the reality. Let the frame of our old beveled mirror beeither in gilt wood or in stamped or haminered brass, and the mantel in carved cedar or other reddish wood, with squares of warm toned stamped leather in its panels. The small tiles next the opening of the fireplace will be in various tones of dark green and blue. Those underneath will be in chocolate color, or a warmer and lighter buff. The rug may contain much dark blue, but deep red should predomínate. The walls must be very delicately patterned in two or three shadesof warm brown and gold. The cornice may be in cream and gold, and a few lightly steuciled ornaments in gold may deck the ceiling.