MAHOGANY AND OAK

Mahogany and oak are the best materials for furniture. The former is
cleverly imitated in a mahoganized birch, which presents a pleasing
appearance and sometimes deceives those who are not familiar with the
beautiful rich tones of the genuine article. Mahogany adapts itself to
almost any sensible style of interior decoration, is likely to be of
careful manufacture, and is almost invariably cherished for its beauty.
Like other highly finished woods it takes on a bluish tint in damp
weather, and if not well protected, will demand attention more
frequently than other materials. But if its purchase can be afforded
the care given it will scarcely be begrudged. The eggshell (dull)
finish requires less attention than the higher polish.

Next in degree to mahogany, oak in the golden, weathered, or fumed
effect is handsome and durable, while it is somewhat less expensive.
The moment one drops below genuine mahogany, however, a wary eye must
be kept upon construction. There are shifts innumerable to make cheap
furniture that has an alluring appearance, and the variety of design in
the moderate-priced materials will lead to confusion for those who do
not exert a Spartan discrimination.



SUBSTANTIALITY

To insure satisfaction there must first of all be substantiality--a
quality which affects both comfort and appearance. A chair may be
beautiful, it may be comfortable, at the time of purchase, but if it be
not substantial its glories will soon depart. A superficial view