Decorating in Good Taste
To decorate a home in good taste requires serious thought and some knowledge of colors and color harmony. The interior decorative treatment must begin with the wall surfaces for neither floor coverings, draperies, nor furniture can minimize the influence of the walls that shut out the world and enclose the home.
Harmonious Color Scheme
The development of a harmonious color scheme depends upon the architectural detail of the rooms and their exposure, and also the coloring and style of draperies and furniture.
Simplicity in the decorations of modest homes will permit a wider range of pleasing color schemes, that will show good taste and import a quiet, restful feeling. The more pretentious dwellings may carry a more elaborate decorative treatment, but still must be developed in harmony with detailed surroundings.
Personal Preference
As each home expresses the individuality of the home-maker, so the color schemes must always follow personal preference. In a very real way the home expresses oneself.
Light and Color
As a rule colors should be chosen with reference to the quantity and quality of light which enters the room. When going into a new house, where the walls are not yet decorated, it is often difficult to get a correct impression of how light or how dark the walls will be when treated with design and color.
If a room is dark, sunshiny yellows or warm rose tints, will make it bright and cheerful. Yellows, reds or golden browns are the rule for a north room as it has but little sunshine. A room with a southern exposure requires cool, light colors—blues, greens or grays. Olive Green is well suited to northern exposure as this color is likely to take on a brownish tone at night. Such treatment will be pleasing and in good taste in both daylight and artificial light. Rooms that face east and west will take practically any color.
Harmonious Color Tone
It would not be in good taste to do all the rooms in the home, or even on one floor, alike; the ideal is to choose a combination of shades that will blend and effect a harmonious color tone in adjoining rooms and halls.
Vari-Tone
IT has ever been the desire of Interior Decorators to develop a practical and simple method by which the plainness of a solid color on wall surfaces might be relieved. To meet this desire many methods have been in use such as stenciling, stippling, mottling, relief work, paneling, etc.
However, all of these methods lack ease of application and are limited somewhat in the possible variety of color combinations. A new and practical method of wall decoration has been made perfect by the invention of the Sponge Roller.
Sponge Roller Method
This device makes possible the application of two or more colors on the same surface, producing an intermingling of shades, which effect is both pleasing and harmonious. The Sponge Roller method is the only simple, practical and economical means by which color can be applied in a clean and uniform manner to produce this attractive and novel decorative effect. The possibilities of this device are limited only by the originality and taste of the operator.The method of applying second and succeeding coats of Sani-Flat or Muresco with our patented sponge roller, is simple, effective and economical.
Planning Decoration
When planning to decorate a room in the style, the existing condition of the walls should be considered. New white plaster surfaces afford a splendid ground for a beautiful color scheme, or if walls are already painted and the shade satisfactory as a ground color, all that is necessary is to select a color, or colors, that will blend properly, but if the old ground color is not desirable, then it will be necessary to apply a new ground or body coat.
Applying Solid Coat
First, if necessary, apply a solid coat of the desired Sani-Flat or Muresco shade over the entire wall surface to be decorated and allow to set. After stirring the color for the first coat, pour some of same on a piece of cardboard, glass or several plys of paper about 15 inches square.
Loading the Sponge Roller
Soak the sponge roller in water and squeeze off the surplus. Then roll the roller in the color until the sponge is fully loaded.
Rolling Downward
Begin at a corner at the top of the side wall and roll downward until the color in the sponge is exhausted, then reload as before and continue the same strip to the bottom. In repeating the operation do not overlap the roller on the previous strip, butting the edges carefully.
Maintaining Pressure
While operating the roller, maintain the same degree of pressure as near as possible and the final results will show an even figured effect.
Second Coat
A second coat applied in the same way will produce an intermingling of shades that will be attractive and beautiful. Full directions and suggestions are furnished with the tool.
