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192
The House in Good Taste
·
Elsie De Wolfe
83
Most
houses,
even
of
the
smaller
sort,
have
three
day
rooms--the
dining-room,
the
parlor
and
the
sitting-room,
as
they
are
usually
called.
People
who
appreciate
more
and
more
the
joy
of
living
have
pulled
hall
and
sitting-room
together
into
one
great
family
meeting
place,
leaving
a
small
vestibule,
decreased
the
size
of
the
dining-room
and
built
in
many
windows,
so
that
it
becomes
almost
an
outdoor
room,
and
given
the
parlor
a
little
more
dignity
and
serenity
and
its
right
name--the
drawing-room.
We
use
the
terms
drawing-room
and
salon
interchangeably
in
America--though
we
are
a
bit
more
timid
of
the
salon--but
there
is
a
subtle
difference
between
the
two
that
is
worth
noting.
The
withdrawing
room
of
old
England
was
the
quiet
room
to
which
the
ladies
retired,
leaving
their
lords
to
the
freer
pleasures
of
the
great
hall.
Indeed,
the
room
began
as
a
part
of
my
lady's
bedroom,
but
gradually
came
into
its
proper
importance
and
took
on
a
magnificence
all
its
own.
The
salon
of
France
also
began
as
a
part
of
the
great
hall,
or
grande
salle.
Then
came
the
need
for
an
apartment
for
receiving
and
so
the
great
bed
chamber
was
divided
into
two
parts,
one
a
real
sleeping-room
and
the
other
a
chambre
de
parade,
with
a
great
state
bed
for
the
occasional
visitors
of
great
position.
The
great
bed,
or
lit
de
parade,
was
representative
of
all
the
salons
of
the
time
of
Louis
XIII.
Gradually
the
owners
of
the
more
magnificent
houses
saw
the
opportunity
for
a
series
of
salons,
and
so
the
state
apartment
was
divided
into
two
parts:
a
salon
de
famille,
which
afforded
the
family
a
certain
privacy,
and
the
salon
de
compagnie,
which
was
sacred
to
a
magnificent
hospitality.
And
so
the
salon
expanded
until
nowadays
we
use
the
word
with
awe,
and
appreciate
its
implication
of
brilliant
conversation
and
exquisite
decoration,
of
a
radiant
hostess,
an
amusing
and
distinguished
circle
of
people.
The
word
has
a
graciousness,
a
challenge
that
we
fear.
If
we
have
not
just
the
right
house
we
should
not
dare
risk
belittling
our
pleasant
drawing-room
by
dubbing
it
"salon."
In
short,
a
drawing-room
may
be
a
part
of
any
well
regulated
house.
A
salon
is
largely
a
matter
of
spirit
and
cleverness.
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