Color Harmony

Color, however, is of vastly more importance than material. It is better to buy unbleached muslin or some other very cheap cloth and have it dyed the proper hue, than to use hangings made of the most rich and luxurious fabric which do not harmonize with the walls, floor, and furniture of the room in which they are placed.

A Good Rule To Follow

There is a general rule which it is well always to remember in interior decoration. It is this - Use plain rugs and hangings with decorated walls, plain walls and rugs with figured hangings, and, as a usual thing, plain walls and hangings with floor covering bearing a pronounced design. There are, of course, exceptions in charming instances, such as in the use of chintz draperies woven to match the design of German papers, but usually the rule is safe to follow.

Inexpensive Materials For Side Hangings

The materials for the side hangings of a window may be quite inexpensive though very effective. Quaint figured cretonnes in various designs and colors can be obtained for from forty to seventy-five cents a yard. Imported English cretonne at ninety cents a yard is especially charming. English, French, and German chintz are very beautiful and cost but little more. Plain colored cretonnes, poplins, and homespun range in price from twenty-five cents to forty cents a yard. The rough weave of unbleached muslin is most effective when draperies made of it are dyed to match the dominant color of the room in which they are placed. Japanese toweling with its contrasting blue and white is attractive in dining rooms of the simpler sort and in many bedrooms. It may be purchased at almost any department store at one dollar for a bolt of twelve yards.

Other colors may also be had in Japanese toweling, and, although not usually as striking, are sometimes very pleasing in the softer hues. Mercerized cotton poplins are sold for fifteen cents a yard, and, when hung, give almost the effect of the more expensive sun-proof silks. Another material having a rough weave and the color of raw pongee comes at the same price. It is really very rich looking when used in a room in tones of brown. A plain, washable material called casement cloth is made in England, and may be had in excellent values of dull blue, green, and brown. It is thirty inches wide and costs only thirty-five cents a yard. It is especially suited to simple curtains used next the window or as side hangings and has the advantage of taking stencil well, where a very formal design is permissible.

Side Hangings Of More Expensive Materials

Of the richer fabrics, there is also a great variety, especially woven for use in classic drawing-rooms, pleasant living rooms, dignified dining rooms or cozy breakfast rooms, as well as for the halls and bedrooms. There are hangings having little luster in soft silks, reps, poplins, aras, tapestries, and other effective stuffs. Fabrics with a pile are richer, giving soft color with lustrous high lights and deep shadows. There are velvets of many kinds, of cotton, linen, silk, and mohair. Some have high gloss, some very little, some are striped or brocaded or woven in elaborate designs. Reproductions of the most notable examples of velvets, tapestries, damasks, and brocades of historical periods may be procured at reasonable figures. The sense of harmony should be used in the choice of these various fabrics, however. Rich, quiet materials should be selected for dignified rooms in the pretentious homes. The draperies should be in keeping with the purposes of the rooms, and should be of the kind that will be pleasant to live with day after day.