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192
The House in Good Taste
·
Elsie De Wolfe
59
When
I
began
my
work
as
a
decorator
of
houses,
my
friends,
astonished
and
just
a
little
amused
at
my
persistent
use
of
chintz,
called
me
the
"Chintz
decorator."
The
title
pleased
me,
even
though
it
was
bestowed
in
fun,
for
my
theory
has
always
been
that
chintz,
when
properly
used,
is
the
most
decorative
and
satisfactory
of
all
fabrics.
At
first
people
objected
to
my
bringing
chintz
into
their
houses
because
they
had
an
idea
it
was
poor
and
mean,
and
rather
a
doubtful
expedient.
On
the
contrary,
I
feel
that
it
is
infinitely,
better
to
use
good
chintzes
than
inferior
silks
and
damasks,
just
as
simple
engravings
and
prints
are
preferable
to
doubtful
paintings.
The
effect
is
the
thing!
One
of
the
chief
objections
to
the
charming
fabric
was
that
people
felt
it
would
become
soiled
easily,
and
would
often
have
to
be
renewed,
but
in
our
vacuum-cleaned
houses
we
no
longer
feel
that
it
is
necessary
to
have
furniture
and
hangings
that
will
"conceal
dirt."
We
refuse
to
have
dirt!
Of
course,
chintzes
in
rooms
that
will
have
hard
wear
should
be
carefully
selected.
They
should
be
printed
on
linen,
or
some
hard
twilled
fabric,
and
the
ground
color
should
be
darker
than
when
they
are
to
be
used
in
bedrooms.
Many
of
the
newer
chintzes
have
dark
grounds
of
blue,
mauve,
maroon
or
gray,
and
a
still
more
recent
chintz
has
a
black
ground
with
fantastic
designs
of
the
most
delightful
colorings.
The
black
chintzes
are
reproductions
of
fabrics
that
were
in
vogue
in
1830.
They
are
very
good
in
rooms
that
must
be
used
a
great
deal,
and
they
are
very
decorative.
Some
of
them
suggest
old
cut
velvets--they
are
so
soft
and
lustrous.
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