20th Century Home Decorating Guide by Andrew Caxton
The custom of appropriate and harmonious treatment of home decorating, interior decorations and suitable furniture, seems to have been in a great measure abandoned during the present century, owing perhaps to the indifference of architects of the time to this subsidiary but necessary portion of their work, or perhaps to a desire for economy, which preferred the cheapness of painted and artificially grained pine-wood, with decorative effects produced by wall papers, to the more solid but expensive though less showy wood-panelling, architectural mouldings, well-made panelled doors and chimney pieces, which one finds, down to quite the end of the last century, even in houses of moderate rentals. Furniture therefore became independent and "beginning to account herself an Art, transgressed her limits"... and "grew to the conceit that it could stand by itself, and, as well as its betters, went a way of its own."
Interior Conservatory Finishing
The interiors, handed over from the builder, as it were, in blank, are filled up from the upholsterer's store, the curiosity shop, and the auction room, while a large contribution from the conservatory or the nearest florist gives the finishing touch to a mixture, which characterizes the present taste for furnishing a boudoir or a drawing room.
There is, of course, in very many cases an individuality gained by the "omnium gatherum" of such a mode of furnishing. The cabinet which reminds its owner of a tour in Italy, the quaint stool from Tangier, and the embroidered piano cover from Spain, are to those who travel, pleasant souvenirs; as are also the presents from friends (when they have taste and judgment), the screens and flower-stands, and the photographs, which are reminiscences of the forms and faces separated from us by distance or death. The test of the whole question of such an arrangement of furniture in our living rooms, is the amount of judgment and discretion displayed. Two favorable examples of the present fashion, representing the interior of the Saloon and Drawing Room at Sandringham House, are here reproduced.
Dramatic Powder Room Makeovers by Jeanette Fisher
Your guest bathroom, or powder room, presents a great place to start with your home makeover. This small room takes less money and effort to decorate than your larger rooms. Plus, you get a chance to develop you personal home interior design skills without committing to a huge project.
Because guests view this little space privately, visitors take more time to notice the interior design details. For this reason, you want to showcase great design to make a good impression. Also, hospitality shines in a well-appointed guest bath where it takes just a couple of splurges on extravagant fixtures to make a huge impact that your guests will remember. Company may not remember your living room walls because they're focusing on the people in the space, but they will remember your powder room.
What if you don't have a powder room and guests use your children's bathroom?
Children appreciate being treated as adults and don't need a childish bathroom. Don't use juvenile-patterned wallpaper or accessories.
Keep bathtub toys in the bathtub (in one of those plastic-coated wire baskets) and hang a ceiling to floor curtain in front of the bathtub. This curtain can be hung in front of the normal plastic liner from the ceiling. For small bathrooms, where the daylight comes in over the bathtub, use white or another light-emitting fabric. A curtain made of soft gauze or cotton does double duty: it softens the space with fabric while masking the bathtub, which is not a guest-bath feature.
Powder Room Basics
To finish any proper powder room, you need a great sink, faucet, and cabinet with a large mirror, plus the toilet. If you're working on a budget, look for sinks on sale at a warehouse store or at Habitat for Humanity’s thrift store, ReStore. Don't buy a poorly constructed cabinet; look for an antique dresser or buffet that spans the wall space.
Dramatic powder rooms emphasize remarkable mirrors. You may be tempted to keep the ugly wall-mounted medicine cabinet, but if you truly want an impressive guest bath, hang a spectacular mirror instead.
Store toothbrushes and other necessities in the cabinet below and move medicines to the kitchen, out or reach of children.
If you need to replace the toilet, which only needs to be functional because the other details will outshine it, look for a toilet which blends in with your home's style.
