June 14, 1931

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

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A column from the Interior Decoration Department home series describing the MacLachlan house.

First Floor Arranged to Give Convenience
All Second Floor Rooms Laid Out to Provide Sufficient Wall Space for Accommodating Large Pieces of Furniture
Realization of home ownership creates a feeling of pride and satisfaction, but the first flush of pleasure that comes to the man who owns his own home has its aftermath in several hundred lesser things as he becomes accustomed to the feeling of security and independence that permeates his household.

If you are one of those who owns his own home, you are never faced with the necessity of pleading with a brooding janitor for more heat in the winter, awnings in the same and service all the time. You need not gaze at the wall paper that clashes with your idea of what is proper and pleasing in the home. You are never argued into the idea that it is too early for screens. You are not forced to face the wrath of your downstairs neighbor when you water the plants on the window sill.
it is hard to look at and study this home and not want it for ones very own. It has that personality, if a house may have personality which gives the feeling that here is a structure in which can be created an ideal home.

Here is found a fascinating entrance hall off from which there is a spacious and well-arranged living room, the dining room with its four well placed windows and the ideally arranged kitchen, constituting the first floor.

Much is to be said in favor of the layout of the second floor, also, for the rooms are all well planned with a view to accommodate sufficient furniture to make each room home like in itself.

The following are suggestions for decorating and furnishing the various rooms of this house.
Living room: Woodwork, cream, walls, treated with a two tone fawn paper in indistinct floral design. Colonial in character: floor covering (to include hall and stairs) to be of very dark wine red Wilton, glass curtains cream French marquisette over draperies, black ground chintz with large floral design in rich shades of red, blue, green, yellow, and a touch of lilac; furniture sofa, with slender lines, covered in striped frieze in shades to repeat those in the draperies; wing chair with slip covering of the drapery material; low boy between the front windows, mirror with mahogany frame over this, and candlesticks used at each end of the low boy; circular gate leg table, approximately 30 inches across the top; bannister back chair, with seat cushion of plain dark red velvet, amber water bottle table lame with yellow shade; pewter bridge lamp with shade of plain parchment; small bedside wing chair, over mantel decoration to be circular convex mirror with gilt frame (eagle decoration at top) brass candlesticks to decorate the ends of the mantel shelf, electric fixtures to be equipped with shades of fawn chiffon or georgette over pale yellow silk and trimmed with narrow silk braid to match the chiffon.

Dining Room: Woodwork, ivory, walls treated with paper in soft shades of fawn and apricot in a tile and fruit bowl design; floor covering, large oval braided rug, furniture, maple and to consist of drawing top table, Windsor armchairs, high boy and butterfly table for serving table; electric fixtures to be equipped with shades of accordion pleated flowered chintz shades.
Kitchen: Woodwork, ivory, walls yellow, floor covering, black and cream checked linoleum; furniture yellow red trimmed with red binding to match the shade of red in the chairs.

Front Bedroom right: Woodwork, ivory, walls, treated with a cream ground paper with light green lattice and small bouquet design; curtains cream marquisette with a rose dot, over draperies plain rose glazed chintz, floor covering, hooked rugs furniture, mahogany and to consist of four poster bed, highboy sewing table, chest of drawers with separate over mirror single ladder back chair and small boudoir chair with slip covering of the rose chintz, piped in green, electric fixtures to be equipped with pale rose tinted paper shades. The bedspread to be patchwork quilt in rose and green on a white ground and dresser covers, cream linen bound in rose.

Front Bedroom left: Woodwork, ivory; walls, treated with a cream ground paper with small blue design somewhat Chinese in character, floor covering, plain blue rugs, glass curtains, cream French marquisette, over draperies, plain blue silk rep, in medium shade furniture, walnut and to consist of spool bed, chest of drawers with separate over mirror, table, desk, three tier hanging book shelf, single Windsor chair and upholstered chair, with slip covering of yellow ground flowered chintz electric fixture to be equipped with shades of yellow tinted paper, trimmed top and bottom with plain blue bindings. Bedspread to be blue linen to hatch the draperies, piped in yellow; dresser covering plain yellow linen finished with a cream linen lace edging.

Rear Bedroom: Woodwork, ivory walls treated with a cream ground paper containing rose and blue cross bars in large plaid
design; glass curtains, cream French marquisette, over draperies, rose organdie finished with ruffles; floor covering plain rose Wilton's in small sizes, furniture ivory and to consist of twin beds, chest of drawers with over mirror, dressing table, small night table, upholstered chair with slip covering of striped sunfast material in rose, blue, yellow, and cream, this to be piped in rose, bedspreads plain rose dress linen finished with scalloped bands, piped in blue, electric fixtures to be equipped with shades of pale rose tinted paper.

Bath room: woodwork, ivory walls, pale rose, curtains, rose oiled silk.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.