Choice of Paper must Depend on the Size, Height, and Brightness of the Room - Aspect and

Colour - Obtrusiveness an Unpardonable Offence

Since the average woman spends a large proportion of her existence within the four walls of a room, surely the covering and decoration of these walls is a matter which calls for a considerable amount of cogitation.

A very great advance has been made in recent years in the manufacture and design of wallpapers. It is, therefore, a source of wonder that we should still encourage in many houses hideous and dispiriting examples of early Victorian art.

Luckily, with the advance of education, the good housekeeper has realised that it is a mistake to allow the same paper to remain upon the walls for many years. Apart from hygienic reasons, change is good for everyone, and many people insist upon a change of wallpaper every three years.

Such an undertaking need not necessarily be expensive. Enterprising manufacturers and clever artists supply us with many dainty designs costing little more than a shilling a piece, and the time taken in hanging should not unduly prolong the period of spring-cleaning, when the aim of every woman is to make her home look as bright and fresh as means permit.

A large conventional design tastefully employed Waring

The Paper Must Suit The Room

Before considering the actual styles of paper, the novice would do well to think of the aspect of the room, likewise the fact of it being low or lofty, well lighted or badly lighted.

A paper with a large design is out of place in a low-pitched room, as also is a frieze or dado rail. Any line which cuts across the walls only serves to emphasise the lack of height. A paper with a plain surface, or one which bears a small self-coloured design, is always safe; but best of all, perhaps, is a striped paper. Broad stripes, however, and any decided contrast in colouring should be avoided.

A Lofty Room

A lofty room admits of a deep frieze or a high dado, sometimes both. Good results are achieved by covering the portion of the wall above the juncture rail or frieze shelf with plain cream paper or distemper, while below, one of the new floral papers, with a decorative frieze, might be employed.

Should a large conventional design appeal to the housewife's fancy, she should be careful that the pattern is not too glaring. There is nothing more irritating or in worse taste than a wallpaper which "hits you in the eye" directly you look at it.

A small room will apparently increase in size if it be papered with a light paper, ornamented with a small design. Large designs, dark groundworks, and especially all-red papers, greatly detract from the size of a room.

Unless a room be exceptionally bright and well lighted, it is never wise to select a dark paper.

The real mission of a wallpaper is to act as a background to furniture and pictures; anything obtrusive or conspicuous, therefore, lamentably fails to fulfil its duty. Colour and Aspect

Before deciding on a wallpaper, the aspect of the room must be considered. Should the apartment face west, one may safely invest in a white, cream, grey, champagne, shell-pink, green, blue, mauve, or palest yellow for the colour scheme.

An effective panelled interior with frieze of handsome wallpaper . Wanring

Ivory, blue, grey, green, brown, champagne, mauve, and yellow may be selected for rooms with south windows. Rooms with an eastern or northern aspect call for bright reds, pinks, rose du Barri, terra-cotta, bright yellow, and old gold; and in some cases a rather vivid green might be employed with much success.

Again, the wallpaper must suit the residence; a cottage requires a more simple style and design than a large house.

The all-white or cream wallpaper has much to commend it, and as it is supplied in moire and satin stripes, small diaper patterns, and larger conventional designs, there is a good deal of variety to be obtained. The proper complement of the ivory wallpaper is a delicately coloured frieze, which may be either floral, scenic, or conventional, according to taste. These friezes may be of almost any depth, and in some cases are designed with pendant trails of greenery, which break up the wall surface; in others they present a "cut-out" lower edge, which many prefer to the severe straight line.

Similar papers are also provided in very delicate shades of blue, champagne, pink, green, and mauve, and these will appeal to people who prefer a suggestion of colour upon the walls.

In a well-lighted room, in which many art treasures are displayed, excellent results are obtained with a dull brown paper, or one approaching an old-gold shade. The quite plain or "matting " surface is always in good taste.

Floral papers in chintz or garland designs are specially suited to cottages and country residences, but, wherever doubt exists, the monotone plain surface or invisible-striped papers may always be adopted with perfect safety.

Concerning: Friezes

A vari-coloured frieze in a bold pattern is quite in good taste when used to complete an ivory or pale-tinted paper, and is equally effective when employed in conjunction with white panelled walls, as shown in our illustration. It should repeat the shades and design of the carpet. Another very dainty example of a frieze is finished with a scalloped edge depicting small scenic medallions connected by ribbon garlands and clusters of roses.

If the main portion of the wall be coloured, this same tint must form some portion of the frieze. Sudden or startling lines of division are always to be deprecated.