Show dark walls can be brightened by simple plan by BETTY WELLS my walls have distemper she wailed walled the lady was exaggerating but nevertheless dark walls the sort that aren t deliberately planned by a smart decorator can present a difficult problem not many years ago many english type homes were built with darkish rough plaster walls we don t think the builders had the esthetic values so much in mind as the fact that such walls are extremely practical never showing dirt or children s finger marks but what to do about them if the budget doesn doean t allow a complete change of wall view and what it if our furniture bought to last a lifetime does not exactly fit in a background like that with the dark tan rough plaster the ideal type of furniture is jacobean heavy sturdy oak that dignifies the dark walls but with a heterogeneous group of furniture it is still walls that don t show dirt possible to achieve a pleasant warm room even if the walls are darkly forbidding the rug should have brilliance use a bright turkish type oriental a modern rug or a twist weave broadloom in a warm vibrant color or polish the floor to shining asplen dor and use bright throw rugs the sombre walls wont won t matter if t the e floor is gleaming windows should be treated simply yet colorfully try stripes clear greens with pale rust bright blues with deep dubon net in simply tailored draw type draperies and with no glass cur tams of course furniture can be pulled together with slip covers a rough textured tweedy material in neutral toned stripes might be the thing for the sofa while incisive tones of the col ors used in the draperies could be picked out for upholstered chairs season with ceramics and get as many highlights in the rooms as possible perhaps a huge green bottle standing in one corner will catch the light from the hall and drag it by its heels into the room if one or two pieces of furniture can be added try a long low oak table in front of the fireplace or a sturdy straight backed jacobean arm chair 0 by betty well wells service |