THE LOUNGE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 119, 10 August 1927, Page 10

THE LOUNGE

ITS DECORATION. IDEAS FOR TREATMENT. In the house of moderate size, the lounge is a feature comparatively modern. Its first appearance was. no doubt, a good many years ago, but it did not aome into anything like general favour antil a decade, or at most two decades, back. Just before the war, a type of small house was becoming popular, with a lounge or sitting-out hall, as it was often termed. Sometimes this was not much more than a glorified front passage, but in many cases it formed a very useful extra room, quite fit for use, and capable of being furnished and decorated in a manner making it highly attractive as well as comfortable. As with other rooms in the home, the lounge should be treated in accordance with a properly thought out scheme. If it is merely made the receptacle for such articles as cannot be used elsewhere, a happy result is not to be expected. The lounge deserves better things, for, properly completed, it can be as artistic and as inviting as any part of the house. The following suggested schemes for treatment would be effective. The ceiling and frieze should be white, the moulding under the frieze being cream-eoloured. The wall should be panelled and painted. For the panels a choice of colours may be suggested. One pleasing scheme would be duck-egg green for the stiles and a warm putty colour, about the same depth as the stiles, for the panels. Another good result could he obtained by a simple reversal of the colours, using the putty for the stiles and the duck-egg green for the panels. The skirting, it is proposed, should he of putty colour, a shade darker than the panels. Carefully carried out, this colour scheme would form a fitting setting for a nicely furnished lounge. The appropriate furnishings may now he indicated. On the floors, it is suggested, should be grey-green felt covering the whole. Plain coloured rugs can be added, suitable colours being plum or old gold. The curtains will follow the rugs, and be plum or old gold colour. As to the furniture, for artistic effect it should he painted grey or emerald, not too bright, relieved with very dark peacock green. This, of course, is a plan capable of being varied to meet individual needs. Care and the exercise of good taste will enable furniture already in one’s possession and required to be used in the lounge to be introduced without prejudice to the general appearance. In matters of detail, much must naturally be left to personal desires. To produce artistic pictures and ornaments does not necessitate large expenditure. The selection of the right articles calls for taste, without doubt, but beautiful productions can be purchased quite cheaply. In this department of home furnishing immense progress has been made since the days of gaudy vases, artificial fruit and flowers, and that indefensible piece of ornamentation, the lustre. As in other parts of the house, some colour can be introduced in the lounge by means of the cushions. Here the choice is endlcs* and the possibilities great. It is a fact that it does not cost more to furnish and decorate a room artistically and harmoniously than the reverse. The only obstacle is the application of a complete scheme to an al ready furnished place. It is worth while to overcome the difficulty, be cause the result is hound to please The happiness of the occupants max not depend upon their environment, bu it cannot be denied that cheerfulness and even health, may he helped bv : well furnished and decorated home Why, then, carry the handicap of do pressing or inartistic surroundings i it is within one’s power to change then into something that is at once cheerfu and beautiful?