The
furniture should be severe and architectural in design. A column or
pedestal surmounted with a statue, a fountain, an old chest to hold
carriage-rugs, a carved bench, a good table, a standing desk, may be
used in a large house. Nothing more is admissible. In a small house a
well-shaped table, a bench or so, possibly a wall clock, will be all
that is necessary. The wall should be plain in treatment. The stair
carpet should be plain in color. The floor should be bare, if in good
condition, with just a small rug for softness at the door. A tiled floor
is especially beautiful in a hall, if you can afford it.
If your house happens to have the hall and living-room combined, and no
vestibule, you can place a large screen near the entrance door and
obtain a little more privacy. A standing screen of wooden panels is
better than a folding screen, for the folding screen is rarely
well-built, and will be blown down by the draft of the open door. A
standing screen may be made by any carpenter, and painted or stained to
match the woodwork of the room. A straight bench or settle placed
against it will make the screened space seem more like a vestibule.
Another objection to the staircase leading from the living-room of a
small house is that such an arrangement makes it almost impossible to
heat the house properly in winter.
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