Studio: international art (19.1900)

A Room Decorated by Frank Brangwyn

in its subdued, yet varied, harmony of colour, its There is an especial charm in the manner in
severe dignity of line, and its atmosphere of absolute which the colour is managed. To gain repose with-
fitness for its specified purpose, it bears the stamp out dulness and delicacy, without monotony, is the
of an artist who does nothing without exact calcu- first essential in the decoration of a bedroom, so
lation, and leaves no detail to chance. Mr. Brangwyn chose a scheme of quiet tints that

would combine into a restful effect
of warm greys. Into the frieze of
figures and landscape, and into the
panels on the upright strips of
woodwork which divide the walls
into compartments, he has intro-
duced tones of warm blue and
flesh colour, and the cornice of the
ceiling is in a deeper tone of the
same blue. The doors, skirting,
over-mantel, and all the articles of
furniture are made of unpolished
cherrywood, the warm tint of which
contrasts effectively, and yet not
strongly, with the brown paper that
is the covering of the walls; and
the floor is oak parquet not too
highly polished. A slightly more
definite note of colour, a rosier
pink than the flesh colour in the
frieze, accentuates the panel that,
above the head of the bed, hides
a telephone by which the occu-
pant of the room can communi-
cate with the other parts of the
house. The door-handles, the
switch-board for the electric light,
and the little ring handles which
are on the small cupboard doors
of the over-mantel, are in oxidised
silver, quaintly modelled and full
of detail. The lines of the furniture,
like those of the room itself, are
dignified and without any restless-
ness, severe perhaps in their simpli-
pa nted panel by frank brangwvn city, but neither heavy nor trivial.

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