are all
interesting, but the wallpaper appears to be of the ugly time of about
1880. Something more appropriate should be chosen.]

Walls may be tinted or painted, and paneled with strips of molding which
are painted the wall color or a tone lighter or darker as the scheme
requires. Also, the wall inside the moulding may be a tone lighter than
the wall outside, or vice versa, but the contrast must not be strong or
the wall at once becomes uneven in effect and ceases to be a good
background. Paintings may be paneled on the walls. If one has only one
suitable picture for the room it should be placed over the mantel, or in
some other position of importance, making a centre of interest in the
room. Using pictures and pieces of tapestry in this way is quite
different from having the walls painted in two sharply contrasting
colors, because the paint gives the feeling of permanence while the
picture is obviously an added decoration requiring a correct background.
I am speaking of the average house, not of houses and palaces where the
walls have been painted by great artists.

Painted walls are appropriate for all manner of homes, from the
elaborate country or city house all through the list to the farm house
or small bungalow, but if, for any reason, one cannot have painted
walls, or prefers paper, one need not forego the restful pleasure of
plain backgrounds, for there are many beautiful plain papers to be had.

Personal taste usually decides whether paint or paper is to be used.
Paint is thought by some to be too cold or hard in appearance (it is
only so when badly done or when disagreeable colors are chosen,) or it
is considered too formal, or, with the memory of New England farm houses
in mind, too informal. For those who wish paper, the possibilities are
very great if the paper is properly chosen. The reason why so many
people are disappointed with the effect of their newly papered rooms is
that they judged the paper at the shop from one piece, and did not
realize that a design which appealed to them there might be overpowering
when repeated again and again and again on the wall. When choosing a
figured paper several strips should be placed side by side to enable one
to judge whether the horizontal repeat is as satisfactory and pleasant
as the perpendicular. When an acceptable one is found a large sample
should be taken home to pin on the wall to show the effect in its future
environment. Samples of the curtains and fur