As there are three methods of furnishing, so are there also three physical conditions which have their influence in deciding which of these methods to employ.

I. The Architecture Of The House

A bungalow or small cottage imposes its own conditions. The abode is simple, and necessarily it must be simply furnished - though it will be shown how it may be made entirely delightful. Only the cottage type of furniture is appropriate here - gate-leg tables, slat-back, spindle-back, ladder-back and Windsor chairs, dressers, chests and the like with simple furniture of modern design. The Peasant furniture of other nations often supplies a welcome relief.

In a house of Tudor style it would obviously be an error to employ eighteenth century mahogany or satinwood pieces.

There are, however, many modern houses of generally plain or picturesque character in which "Period" is not decidedly marked, and a liberal interpretation may be given: Such premises may be furnished by either method.

The exterior architecture of an apartment house need not, of course, affect the furnishing. The interior is seldom stylistically defined except in imposing, expensive houses, and then the style should be followed in the decoration.

Other architectural conditions will be considered in the section on Period Furnishing. Sufficient has been said here to show their bearing upon choice of style.

II. Whether The Premises Be Owned Or Rented

It is scarcely necessary to dwell upon the effect of these differing conditions: permanent improvements, such as alterations, built-in features, wainscotting, and panelling, which one might make in his own house, will scarcely be considered under uncertain tenure and for the benefit of a landlord. The tenant is likewise often debarred from changing the staining of floors (a rule exists against this in many apartment houses) and from special wall-treatments. Even such paper-panelling as will later be described he would probably have to pay for under present conditions.

III. The Sum To Be Expended

"Money talks" in furnishing, as in most affairs of life, but taste and judgment do much to defeat its tyranny, and a delightful home may be secured without a plethoric pocket-book.

This condition, nevertheless, may have a deciding influence upon the mode of furnishing to be adopted. A good mahogany Chippendale or Hepplewhite chair at present often costs from $50.00 to $100.00 and if one has not the means properly to furnish the house or apartment on this scale it is better at once to face the fact and choose either extremely simple period furnishing or the Modern, inexpensive mode, as these will give pleasing, individual results at far less cost.

In cases where the amount of expenditure is in doubt, careful consideration of the respective advantages of the two systems, as presented and illustrated in Parts II and III, should be given before a decision is reached: for, in furnishing the home, provision is made not for a few years only but rather for many; and the importance of an abiding-place in relation to our lives can scarcely be over-estimated.

Discounting the future by borrowing funds is never to be recommended and is often fatal to happiness. There is another course possible in many instances - the gradual furnishing of the premises. Frequently the use of all the rooms is not necessary, and if those furnished are rendered charming why should one care if others are left till the next year or that following for completion? If then the future seems secure, so far as can be judged in an exceedingly uncertain world, this method may often be adopted.

Another situation frequently exists. In the "Practical Book of Interior Decoration" a fourth manner of furnishing was noted - "The Non-Committal Method." Of this it was said: "In many cases families possess much modern furniture, including wicker, of various kinds and of no particular style, and there is no alternative to using it. While it is not an advisable method of furnishing to be deliberately chosen, when it already exists and the owners have taste the results may be very charming and homelike".

It is then intimated that it is possible and desirable to develop these homes; and this idea will now be given greater force and direction.

In comparison with either consistent method a conglomerate home can never be fully satisfactory, and it is recommended that a change be made, either at once or by degrees, as circumstances may allow. The occupants are happily in excellent position to make improvements, for the premises are already fully furnished and the necessity for quickly supplying and arranging household goods does not exist. Plans may be matured and carried out more or less at leisure, and the result will be all the better because of careful thought.

The first step will be to "take stock" of existing pieces, so as to determine how many may remain, and whether they are of Modern or Period character. If there are a number definitely of either style this will of itself indicate which manner of furnishing may best be adopted in the improvement of the premises. Frequently much good furniture has been inherited, but its quality is obscured by indifferent pieces secured from other sources: these pieces should be weeded out and their place supplied by others that will properly accompany those remaining. The style to be followed once determined upon, background, textiles and accessories should be brought into accord, if necessary to change them. It is possible here also to make such improvements gradually - the main floor of a house or the principal rooms of an apartment may first be treated and the remainder subsequently carried out in the manner decided upon.

It is always well to plan fully and carefully before beginning operations, and to be sure that the scheme adopted will prove satisfying, so that there will be no need of annoying and expensive changes. As the work proceeds some minor alterations in one's projects may seem desirable, but its main features should be such that they may be adhered to, or inconsistencies will result.

To young people just beginning their married life and furnishing limited quarters two courses are open. They may buy very simply, with the idea of subsequently using these purchases in the unimportant rooms of a future establishment; or, if they have studied the matter and have a clear view of what their home of later years is to be, they may at once buy excellent pieces that will act as a nucleus for future acquisitions. The latter plan, when possible, affords the satisfaction not only of a better home for the present, but of having already made a good beginning for future years.