There were many other cabinet-makers of merit that space does not allow me to mention, but the great four who stood head and shoulders above them all were Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton.  They, being human, did much work that is best forgotten, but the heights to which they all rose have set a standard for English furniture in beauty and construction that it would be well to keep in mind.

The nineteenth century passed away without any especial genius, and in fact, with a very black mark against its name in the hideous early Victorian era.  The twentieth century is moving along without anything we can really call a beautiful and worthy style being born.  There are many working their way towards it, but there is apt to be too much of the bizarre in the attempts to make them satisfactory, and so we turn to the past for our models and are thankful for the legacy of beauty it has left to the world.

A General Talk

When one faces the momentous question of furnishing a house, there are numerous things which must be looked into and thoroughly understood if success is to be assured.  If one is building in the country the first question is the placing of the house in regard to the view, but in town there is not much choice.  The architect being chosen with due regard to the style of house one wishes, the planning can go merrily on.  The architect should be told if there are any especially large and beautiful pieces of furniture or tapestry to be planned for, so they shall receive their rightful setting.  After all, architects are but human, and cannot tell by intuition what furniture is in storage.

It is sad to see how often architecture and decoration are looked upon as two entirely disconnected subjects, instead of being closely allied, playing into each other’s hands, as it were, to make a perfect whole.  To many people, a room is simply a room to be treated as they wish; whereas many rooms are absolute laws unto themselves, and demand a certain kind of treatment, or disaster follows.  In America this kind of house is not found so often as in Europe, but the number is growing rapidly as architects and their clients realize more and more the beauties and possibilities of the great periods as applied to the modern house.  It is only to the well-trained architect and decorator with correct taste that one may safely turn, for the ill-trained and commonplace still continue to make their astounding errors, and so to have the decoration of a room truly successful one must begin with the architect, for he knows the correct proportions of the different styles and appreciates their importance.  He will plan the rooms so that they, when decorated, may complete his work and form a beautiful and convincing whole.  This will give the restfulness and beauty that absolute appropriateness always lends.

[Illustration:  This room shows how fresh and charming white paint and simplicity can be.]