September 24, 1942

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser

Detroit, Michigan, United States

An Edith B. Crumb interior design column.

Bedroom Grouping Decorated With Roses
The fronts of the drawers in the chest (also the dresser and dressing table) are covered with this material which similates quilted chintz.
For further information call The Detroit News, Randolph 2000, line 555.
By Edith B. Crumb

No apologies need be offered for that phrase "Just looking" as a Detroit furniture store this evening, and on the remaining two evenings of this week. For "Just looking" will be expected of visitors who attend the Open House of this store to be held during the last three evenings of this week, as a means of presenting to the public its new fall collection of furniture.

During the Open House hours, from 7 to 10 p. m., no sales will be made, but visitors will be given an opportunity to ask advice about furniture arrangement, choice of fabrics, styles, etc., for which no charge will be made. During the day, sales will be made as usual.

The new merchandise which will be shown will include a fascinating group of rich damasks, fine tapestries, matelasses, brocades, striped satins and velvets.

New Construction
Chairs will be seen with down cushions, spring seats, spring cushions and also the new construction which must be accepted for the duration - for example, a Duncan Phyfe sofa without cushions, looking very much like the solid hair-cloth sofas, stiff and formidable but surprisingly comfortable.

Charming new bedroom furniture has heads of the beds, fronts of chests, dressing tables, dressers and chair backs decorated with a moss-rose design. This has the appearance of white ground quilted chintz and is so convincing that only by running a finger over it can the real material be detected. It is a smooth veneer treated by a photographic process. The other surfaces of this furniture are lacquered in an ivory tint and some of the edges are highlighted in gold.

This set of furniture is also made with hand painted sprays instead of the full covering of chintz-effect, as shown in the dressing table beside the bed in the picture.

Bedroom sets of rich dark oak, cherry and satinwood are all included in this collection, as well as Victorian type chairs, settees and tables.

Victorian Group
The Victorian group is unusually interesting, for there are side chairs, ladies' chairs, gentlemen's chairs and settees which had as their inspiration the old parlor set of Great-Grandmother's day. No wonder they had such long lives, these parlor sets.

The line of sofas will be of unusual interest for in it are not only the small trim types but also the large, soft, luxurious kind with soft arms, cushions and back sections.

Armless upholstered chairs trimmed around the bottom with wide bullion fringe; wing chairs that are narrow, wing chairs that are wide, high, low - any type, in fact, and all covered in handsome materials will be on display.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.