s, would be rather an
absurdity. We may emphasize to ourselves, however, a few phases of the
decorative problem in which lack of thought would lose to us some of
the joys of a house perfected.

If we are not to employ a decorator we must study out the problem for
ourselves. To leave it for the painter and paperhanger to settle would
be a fatal error. Much knowledge may be gained by the study of books
and magazine articles, provided they are very recent. It will be
advisable to weigh this knowledge in the scales of practical
observation, however, in houses of late date. This is not so much
because of changes in fashion as for the reason that improvements in
process are always being made, and even the omnipresent folk who write
books sometimes overlook a point. Concerning fashion, which of course
has its sway in decoration, we will remember that the simplest
treatment survives longest.

WOOD IN DECORATION

It seems that with the steady increase in cost of lumber we have grown
more and more to appreciate the beauty of our woods. At any rate, wood
is being used more extensively than ever in interior finishing. This
is in some ways a healthy tendency, as it makes for simplicity and
admits of artistic treatment at a reasonable cost.

Hall, living room, and dining room, for instance, may be treated with a
high or low wood wainscoting and wooden panels extending to a wooden
cornice at the ceiling. The wood may be a weathered oak, and between
the panels is a rough plaster in gray or tinted to suit the house
scheme. Friezes and plastic cornices are somewhat on the wane, in
smaller houses at least; though, of course, they will never go out of
use altogether.

PANELS AND PLASTER

This plaster effect is less expensive than 40-cent burlap or ordinary
white calcimine or paper. The picture molding may be at the bottom of
the cornice. Sometimes the cornice is dropped to a level with the tops
of the doors and windows (usually about seven feet), leaving a frieze
of two or three feet, the molding then going to the top of the cornice.
Ceilings and friezes of ivory or light yellow are usually in good taste.

The living room may carry out the panel and plaster effect, but is more
likely to demand a simple paper of good quality with no border. Here,
as in the hall, the wooden (or plastic) cornice with no frieze is
suggested. Grilles are discarded, and portieres are avoided where
possible.

THE BEAMED CEILIN