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192
The House in Good Taste
·
Elsie De Wolfe
85
Don't
litter
your
drawing-room
with
bric-a-brac.
Who
hasn't
seen
what
I
can
best
describe
as
a
souvenir
drawing-room,
a
room
filled
with
curiosities
from
everywhere!
I
shall
never
forget
doing
a
drawing-room
for
a
woman
of
no
taste.
I
persuaded
her
to
put
away
her
heavy
velvets
and
gilt
fringes
and
to
have
one
light
and
spacious
room
in
the
house.
She
agreed.
We
worked
out
a
chintz
drawing-room
that
was
delicious.
I
was
very
happy
over
it
and
you
can
imagine
my
amazement
when
she
came
to
me
and
said,
"But
Miss
de
Wolfe,
what
am
I
to
do
with
my
blue
satin
tidies?"
In
my
own
drawing-room
I
have
so
many
objects
of
art,
and
yet
I
think
you
will
agree
with
me
that
the
room
has
a
great
serenity.
Over
the
little
desk
in
one
corner
I
have
my
collection
of
old
miniatures
and
fans
of
the
golden
days
of
the
French
court.
There
are
ever
so
many
vases
and
bowls
for
flowers,
but
they
are
used.
There
are
dozens
of
lighting-fixtures,
brackets,
and
lamps,
and
a
chandelier,
and
many
candlesticks,
and
they
are
used,
also.
Somehow,
when
a
beautiful
object
becomes
a
useful
object,
it
takes
its
place
in
the
general
scheme
of
things
and
does
not
disturb
the
eye.
The
ideal
drawing-room
has
a
real
fireplace,
with
a
wood
fire
when
there
is
excuse
for
it.
An
open
fire
is
almost
as
great
an
attribute
to
a
drawing-room
as
a
tactful
hostess;
it
puts
you
at
ease,
instantly,
and
gives
you
poise.
And
just
as
an
open
fire
and
sunshine
make
for
ease,
so
do
well
placed
mirrors
make
for
elegance.
Use
your
mirrors
as
decorative
panels,
not
only
for
the
purpose
of
looking
at
yourself
in
them,
and
you
will
multiply
the
pleasures
of
your
room.
I
have
the
wall
space
between
mantel
and
frieze-line
filled
with
a
large
mirror,
in
my
New
York
drawing-room,
and
the
two
narrow
panels
between
the
front
windows
are
filled
with
long
narrow
mirrors
that
reflect
the
color
and
charm
of
the
room.
Whenever
you
can
manage
it,
place
your
mirror
so
that
it
will
reflect
some
particularly
nice
object.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
