Plain walls, whether painted, tinted, or papered, are more restful in effect and form better backgrounds than figured walls.  This is not a question of the beauty of the design or the expense of the material, but simply the fact that a plain surface is quiet, while a figured wall, even if only two-toned, will at once assert itself more, and so be less of a background.  If many pictures and mirrors are to be used, or a figured rug and much furniture, by all means have plain walls.  If one has some special object of great beauty and interest, it should be treated with the dignity and honor it deserves and given a plain background.  A miscellaneous collection of lares and penates can be made to hold together better by having a plain wall of some soft neutral color rather than a figured paper, which would only make the confusion more pronounced.  Small rooms should have plain and light colored walls, as they then appear larger.  Plain walls give a wider scope in the matter of decoration, for, beside the possibilities of plain stuffs, chintz and various striped silks and linen may be used which would be quite out of the question with figured walls, more flowers may be used, and lampshades, always a bit assertive, take their proper place in the scheme, instead of making another distracting note.

[Illustration:  A built-in corner cupboard has an architecturally decorative value for it supplies a spot of color in the paneled walls.  The modern china closet is bad, and the chairs have the failing of many reproductions, the backs are a little too high for the width.]

The question of paint or paper has often to be decided by circumstances, such as the condition of the walls or the climate.  With paint one can have the exact shade desired and either a “glossy” or eggshell finish.  With paper it is often a matter of taking the nearest thing to the color wanted and changing the other colors to harmonize.  Paint is better to use in a damp or foggy climate, as paper may peel from the walls in the course of time.

[Illustration:  This fine well-curtained four poster, once the property of Lafayette, the trundle-bed, cradle, chairs and table, are all interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about 1880.  Something more appropriate should be chosen.]

Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme requires.  Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good background.  Paintings may be paneled on the walls.  If one has only one suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the room.  Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.  I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the walls have been painted by great artists.