The question of background is absorbingly interesting.  A vase, with or without flowers, to add to the composition of your room, that is, to make “a good picture,” must be placed so that its background sets it off.  Let the Venetian glass vase holding one rose stand in such a position that your green curtain is its background, and not a photograph or other picture.  One flower, carefully placed in a room, will have more real decorative value than dozens of costly roses strewn about in the wrong vases, against mottled, line-destroying backgrounds.

Flowers are always more beautiful in a plain vase, whether of glass, pottery, porcelain or silver.  If a vase chances to have a decoration in colour, then make a point of having the flowers it holds accord in colour, if not in shade, with the colour or colours in the vase.

There is a general rule that no ornament should ever be placed in front of a picture.  The exception to this rule occurs when the picture is one of the large, architectural variety, whose purpose is primarily mural decoration,—­an intentional background, as tapestries often are, serving its purpose as nature does when a vase or statue is placed in a park or garden.  One sees in portraits by some of the old masters this idea of landscape used as background.  Bear in mind, however, that if there is a central design—­a definite composition in the picture, or tapestry, no ornament should ever be so placed as to interfere with it.  If you happen to own a tapestry which is not large enough for your space by one, two or three feet, frame it with a plain border of velvet or velveteen, to match the dominating colour, and a shade darker than it appears in the tapestry.  This expedient heightens the decorative effect of the tapestry.

CHAPTER III

HOW TO DETERMINE CHARACTER OF HANGINGS AND FURNITURE-COVERING FOR A GIVEN ROOM

In a measure, the materials for hangings and furniture-coverings are determined more or less by the amount one wishes to spend in this direction.  For choice, one would say silk or velvet for formal rooms; velvets, corduroys or chintz for living-rooms; leather and corduroy with rep hangings for a man’s study or smoking-room; thin silks and chintz for bedrooms; chintz for nurseries, breakfast-rooms and porches.

In England, slip-covers of chintz (glazed cretonne) appear, also, in formal rooms; but are removed when the owner is entertaining.  If the permanent upholstery is of chintz, then at once your room becomes informal.  If you are planning the living-room for a small house or apartment, which must serve as reception-room during the winter months, far more dignity, and some elegance can be obtained for the same expenditure, by using plain velveteen, modern silk brocades in one colour, or some of the modern reps to be had in very smart shades of all colours.

If your furniture is choice, rarely beautiful in quality, line and colour, hangings and covers must accord.  Genuine antiques demand antique silks for hangings and table covers; but no decorator, if at all practical, will cover a chair or sofa in the frail old silks, for they go to pieces almost in the mounting.  Waive sentiment in this case, for the modern reproductions are satisfactory to the eye and improve in tone with age.