File:American homes and gardens (1909) (18159046491).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar61909newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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404 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS October, 1909
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Frieze: birds and animals of the house and farm of Chanticleer above the doorway and two scenes showing the little girl on the fence watching the pigs and the boy calling the cows home are shown in the illustrations. Another interesting series is that of the bedtime pro- cession, which is especially adapted for the sleeping-room. Then there are friezes of children's toys, favorite animals and Mother Goose characters. There is a good deal of discussion as to the proper pictures to hang in the child's room. Shall these be copies of real works of art? Pictures that are world-famous by their prominent position in art galleries? Or, shall there be simple subjects within range of the child's comprehension? My own preference would be for the latter, just as it would be to withhold the masterpieces of literature from children when their intellects are too immature to enjoy them. When a frieze is not attached to the upper third of the wall, a picture-paper may be pasted in consecutive strips on the lower wall to a height of five feet, leaving the space above to be filled with a plain paper, or the new sanitary covering in unglazed finish. If an entirely plain wall is preferred, some decorations are in order in colored prints, framed and hung according to the different spaces. A common mistake in hanging nursery-pictures is in putting up too many that are small in size and insignificant in detail. Stencilling is so much in vogue at present that its adoption on nursery-walls is often inquired about. It can be success- fully done by an amateur, and may be applied to a tinted wall, upon oil-paint or a plain paper. Its simplest form" is as a border running under the picture-molding; or, it may be laid on in panels, according to the construction of the room. The furniture for a nursery can now be had in small sizes in oak, mahogany, bent wood, splint seats and wicker. Only a few years ago this statement would have seemed unbe- lievable, yet at the present time many of our large depart- ment stores have quite a collection of children's chairs and tables. For a boy's room the Mission type with leather seats would be the most attractive, and for a girl's room some- thing of less heavy construction. A window-seat is always enjoyable for children who are housebound, but too often the seat is placed so high that it is not easily reached. If the board can not be lowered, some low wide steps may be added. When bookcases, cupboards and lockers are built into the nursery, due forethought should bring them within reaching distance of the children themselves to inspire an individual care of toys and other possessions. Some new nursery chintzes with Kate Greenway figures are attractive for bed-covers, curtains, box-coverings and screens, and in all the mirror articles for the nursery—china- ware, mantel ornaments, accessories for the toilet-table— if one is intent on keeping away from the conventional equipment for adults, there are very charming substitutes at hand.

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