HORIZONTAL STRIPES IN DECORATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 336, 23 April 1928, Page 5

HORIZONTAL STRIPES IN DECORATION

The powers that, be in the decorating world have ordained that walls papered horizontally instead of vertically are to be the “last word” this season. This method gives the designer an opportunity of creating a variety of new effects, for three, four, and sometimes as many as five, different papers are employed. For the most part the papers are in different shades of the same colour, the deepest coming just above the skirting board and the palest at the top; the more courageous decorator, however, uses such tints as grey and purple, beige and petunia, blue and lemon-yellow, with results which are quite in harmony with modernist furniture. Plain papers are generally exploited in such schemes but an exception is made in favour of the landscape designs which combine with a “cloud” paper at the top and a panelled one as a dado. All are, of course, pasted on the wall from east to west, instead of from north to south. Oriental materials with horizontal stripes are being used by the leading stores for curtains and door hangings. Very bright colours, combined in some cases with a hint of gold thread, appear in their make-up, and it is curious what a different aspect they lend to a window or door, giving interest to the least arresting of fittings. A conspicuous advantage in these fabrics lies in the fact that, whereas in the ordinary striped material well-calculated colour effects are confused by the folds and draperies, the horizontal line remains unaltered whether the curtains be hanging full or severely drawn.

ORIGINAL DECORATIONS To write of flowers of brass would call first to mind the metal blossoms that decorate lecterns, chancel gates and other massive work of metallic art. But a clever woman artist has evolved a new and more dainty form of decoration from the metal. Water-lilies, chrysanthemums, anemones and other fragile flowers are fashioned from this seemingly impossible material. First of all, the metal is beaten and rolled out to the thinness of tissue paper, then the flowers are cut and assembled by hand. Finally, the metal is treated with a special lacquer so that it is untarnishable and impervious to atmospheric conditions. All the flowers are attractive. Perhaps the most beautiful are the shaggy chrysanthemums on their tall stems, though for a floating bowl of rich blue could anything be lovelier than a water-lily of brass with leaves of copper?