September 12, 1943

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

An Edith B. Crumb interior design column.

Came From New Baltimore Home​
House for Which Furniture Was Made Was Built 100 Years Ago
Antique Pieces
Old Quilts Used as Bedspreads
This is the residence of Mr. and Mrs. George C. A. Opp, 20144 Refrew road. On the first floor are hall, living room, dining room, powder room, breakfast room and kitchen. On the second floor are three bedrooms and two baths.
The living room of the Detroit house has green carpeting, cream wall paper, white woodwork, and floor length lace curtains. The furniture is Victorian.
This oil painting (executed on an old tin beer sign about the time of the Civil War) shows the old home of Mrs. Opp's parents which was built in New Baltimore about 100 years ago.
The dining room has green carpeting, striped and floral wallpaper with green predominating, white ruffled curtains, and all antique furniture.
The northeast bedroom has raisin carpeting with leaf design, gray ground wallpaper with dogwood design in white, gray and yellow. The four-poster bed and cradle to match were brought from Europe many years ago.
By Edith B. Crumb
Interior Decoration Editor
The Detroit News

Most of the furnishings and accessories in the residence of Mr. and Mrs. George C. A. Opp, 20144 Renfrew road, Sherwood Forest, are heirlooms, many of which came from Mrs. Opp's old homestead in New Baltimore, and when she has purchased additional pieces it has been with having them harmonious with those which she has cherished for so many years.

The present house has on the first floor, vestibule, hall, living room, library, dining room, powder room, breakfast room and kitchen, and on the second floor there are three bedrooms and two baths.

Lace Curtains
The walls of the living room are covered with cream paper having an indefinite medallion design in white. The woodwork is ivory and the floor covering is green carpeting. At the windows are floor length, white lace curtains, and the furnishings are Victorian. A large corner cupboard was made from a huge wardrobe and this is filled with antique dishes. The Victorian sofa and chairs are covered with small pattern tapestries.

The floor covering in the dining room is green carpeting to match that in the living room, and the walls, above the dado, are treated with two-tone green striped paper having a floral design in white and beige. The dado and woodwork are ivory, and at the windows are white ruffled organdie curtains. All furnishings are antique and include a drop-leaf table, large china cupboard, chest of drawers with ogee over-mirror, and chairs. The top-most shelf of the cupboard is slotted for the purpose of hanging spoons from it.

Chestnut Walls
The walls and woodwork of the library are wormy chestnut, and at the windows are traverse curtains of rough textured beige material. The floor covering is a large oval braided rag rug. The furniture, including a large secretary, is antique.

The woodwork, dado and ceiling of the powder room are deep ivory, and the upper walls are treated with silver ground paper having a scattered floral design in gay colors. At the window are white ruffled curtains.

Wooden Dishpan
Tan marbelized linoleum was selected for the floor and counters of the kitchen, and in that of the floor is a red feature strip. The lower walls are yellow tile, and the upper walls, woodwork and ceiling are deep ivory. The curtains are of red and white checked voile. Mrs. Opp uses a huge burl bowl for a dishpan. This belonged to her grandmother and has served as a dishpan for years. The soft surface of the wood prevents breaking of china and glassware and scratching of silver.

The breakfast room floor covering matches that of the kitchen, and the dado is of paper simulating veneer laid in checker formation. The upper walls are treated with a paper in a floral design showing tints of beige. The drop-leaf table and chairs are antiques. The draperies are of blue-green ground flowered glo-sheen.

Old Washstand
The southeast bedroom floor covering is a two-tone raisin carpeting with interlacing leaf design, and the walls are treated with silver and light-blue striped paper. At the windows are white organdie curtains with embroidered ruffles. All furniture is antique and includes spindle bed, washstand with wash bowl and pitcher, dresser with small embroidered fringed doiles, and large desk. The spread is a white quilt with appliqued

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tulip design in rose and green. The table and washstand covers are old linen towels with red borders and netted heading fringed ends.

The carpeting in the northeast bedroom is also a raisin-colored leaf design, and the curtains are white ruffled type. The walls are treated with gray paper having a dogwood design in white, gray and yellow. The woodwork is ivory. The furnishings are antique. The bed is a spindle four-poster and beside it is a cradle in the same design. The spread is white with red and green rose design applique. The pillow shams are red and white.

The northwest bedroom, which is the only room in the house which has new furniture, has beige carpeting, and at the windows are ruffled curtains of white embroidered organdie. The walls are treated with peach paper having a floral bouquet and stripe in white and beige. The woodwork is ivory. The furniture is mahogany, Eighteenth Century type, and the spreads are of white organdie trimmed with a flounce edged in a ruffle.

The color scheme of the north bath includes Perisan tan painted upper walls and ceiling, and for contrast aqua was selected as the color for the shower and window curtains.

The south bath has light blue and white tile floor and lower walls, light blue painted upper walls and ceiling, and ivory woodwork. Dusty rose was selected for the color of the shower and window curtains.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.