BED DECORATION

There remains yet to be found anything more airily, chastely dainty
than the all-white bed with its plain or fringed Marseilles spread and
its ruffled pillows. Though drapery has a picturesque effect, it
interferes to a certain extent with the free circulation of air, and
affords a lurking place for our insidious enemy--the microbe. If used
at all, it should only be in a large, well-ventilated room, and
sparingly, for a fussy, overloaded bed looks anything but restful. If
considerable color has already been introduced into the room, the bed
drapery, cover, and valance should be of some thin white washable
material--dimity, Swiss, and the like. But with plain papers, flowered
cretonne, chintz, etc., are appropriate. The canopy top is covered
with the material, stretched smooth, and either plain or plaited, and
the drapery gathered about the back, sides, and front of this, from
which it hangs in soft folds to within two or three inches of the
floor. It should be simply tied back. The canopy projects not more
than half a yard beyond the head of the bed, and may be either oblong
or semicircular. Very thin white material is used over a color.
Whatever the material, it must, of course, be washable and kept
immaculate. The newest bed, all enameled and with a bent bar of iron
at head and foot, lends itself to a pretty style of drapery, which is
simply a plain, fitted white slip-over case for head and foot, finished
with a valance of the same depth as that of the counterpane, which
leaves no metal visible anywhere about the bed. Pretty Marseilles
spreads may be had for $3; cheaper ones in honeycomb follow the same
designs. The white spread, with a colored thread introduced, may
answer for the maid's room--never for the mistress's.