New Britain Herald Newspaper, January 4, 1929, Page 23

ATHER'S easy chair, drawn up F before the fireplace, and bis footstool, waiting patiently to offer accustomed comfort, are about to go the way of other quaint Ameri- can institutions. A mere cursory sur- vey in any moderately large American city will ssrve to show that the age of angles and masees is upon us, and that American interiors are changing to moet the new apartment house architecture, There is importance, thersfore, in the ouncement that an exhibit of modern furniture and interiors, cres- tions of a group of world famous de- signers, is about to tour the United States for an exhibition in at least the more important American cities, and efforts will be made to bring this newest modemistic before as lgrrc a portion of the pullic as pos ub‘l'.h' designers wh ted o ors who are represen in this newest effort to offer the gen- eral publis the ldvu“:gn derstanding of the otic :}u‘l values of wmodern interiors in ude: George Biddle, g leading artist in the “made Modetndt” ‘Dousld' Desk ialist in the s ol Yo i i black and in New York; Ely Jacques ploneer in adapting f architecture to fpet i se, of the decoration e at the Hague; Joraph Urben of the Royal osep] e Royal of Vienna and Ralph T. Walker, designer-architect. P Their exhibit is on view in the rooms of the American gners’ Gallery, ’Corl.e Wealls, Black Glass Ceilings, and All Metal feel Dining Rooms Give Hints of What We're A Corner of Modern “Den.” Metal Furniture Pluye » Large Part in This Imtorive, and ritual” Neads Are Not_ Fe ten, If the “Refreshment Bar” &t ' May Be Taken ut lts Face Value, l'{l'l‘”le‘ by Donald Deskey. exhibit offer some explanation of the modern ‘mode—what it is—how it came about, and its practical applica- tion to present day needs. 1t is, of course, manifest outward- Iy at first. Buildings rear thair heads to increasing heights, and only ve- cently a notable visitor, arriving in New York for the first time, de- clared that at last the massive build- ings have succeeded in mastering the sky. They are designed with such skill that they do not seem out of place in the fleecy clouds, but rather give the impression of dominating majestic skyscrapers. It is held, by some, inevitable that this influence should creep into the private lives of ¢men, and a sympa- thetic appreciation of the spirit of the whole scheme is necessary if the 4 Nursery In Which the Child f Supreme. As the Walls Are All Blackboards, the Child Can Go sa Far as He Likes st Marking Them Up. Eshibited by [onks Karsss. P W) Ay ! ) e . K4 i, (@ i reader is to appreciate the new mode. Those fortunate ones who live mid pas- toral scenes in far flung fields prob- ably will find the new furniture strik- ly bizarre and even harsh. There ] of nature in it. It shrieks of the machine age—of careful design, of calculated curve, and of a remorse- less _elimination of waste space. This_latter consideration is of pri- mary importance. The reader who lives in a large city will appreciate the The Modern Trend in it 'Iaull.sufll;'l‘rlbild by th Reeves. Hangii bua:-"l s Thee Pictured h:|;a"';' picuous [l Made.” The ~Tubular Effect in the Settee st Right Also Is Populsr, end Achieves an Unespected Grace. Laft: A New Depurture in Baths. The Brilliunt Designs in Underglaze Tile. and the Built-in Lights and Fittings Sirike » New Note. Exhibited by Henry Poor. value of space. In our centers of popu- lation men and wo men have been driv- indoors. They forced their higher and higher into the sky, antil the talk of one or two huge build- ings, which will house the dwellers of an entire city, has become something less of fancy and something more of threat. Examples spring readily to hand. A bungalow, built on the roof of a modern skyscraper, is a prize coveted by many a city dweller. And few of our skycrap- ers but have one or more to offer at staggering rentals. * Less fortunate modern “cliff dwellers” find their homes opening upon terraces of solid masonry. The buildings are ter- raced, so that families diving on the tenth—the twentieh floors, may have a bit of grass beneath their windows. One of the first Its of this sky- ward progress was a lessening in the ornate design of American interiors. Sheraton and Chippendale seemed out of place. Masses and angles herame the vogue, and the architect strived to pro- duce the effect of space where there was no space. Finally there arrived a “saturation point” for this kind of design. Archi- tects had succeeded in making small rooms seem more or less light and airy. They had built every conceivable con- trivance, from beds to kitchens, into the walls #o that they would not oc- cupy any more space than was neces- sary, and then it was time for furniture designers to attack the problem. The new exhibits offer some idea of what has been done along that line. The furniture designers have not been content with saving space. They have realized another equally important need—that of effect. The most strik- ing example of this is offered by “Re- pose.” a woman's room designed by Mr. Urban. Mr. Urban helped to de- sign and build the modern section of the Abdive Palace for the Khedive of Egypt. He was the architect of the Ziegfeld Theatre and International Magazine buildings in New York and is a leading modern designer. The room “Repose” is designed to Wowsseper Fosture Servicn. 1988 | | This Modern Design Might Suggest the Influence of India. The Ornamental Gesso Work Is in Panel Shades on Natural Wood Backgrounds. offer exactly what its name implies— rest. A day spent in the noisy mart of a busy city may well be expected to frazzle the strongest ne Honk- ings, clankings and ¢ ngs fall endlessly upon the ear. Grim vistas are present wherever the eve fa turned. Upon returning home the city dweller will appreciate a room de- signed to soothe wearied senses. Entering this modern room one im- mediately gets the impression of be- ing removed from the bustle of a workaday world. The tones are dark —black for the most part, relieved by creamy lights. Perhaps the lights are the most unusual feature of the room. A soft ceiling light is hardly noticed All other illumination comes from narrow panels which break the walls into angles. These panels, from a point not far above the floor, are constructed of opaque. cream-colored glass. Lights are concealed in them, and when the lights are turned on the panels give the effect of luminous walls. The effect, elimirating hard shadows and glaring reliefs, iz ex- tremely soothing. The room is small, and an effect of spaciousness must be had to in- crease the restful atmosphere. This fffect is created in a number of ways, the most important of which is the highly polished ceiling. The ceiling is black glass or vitrolite. The lighted panels, rising from the floor, support the ceiling like pillars. The opaque glass continues to the top, so that there is a very clear reflec- tion of each panel in the ceiling. This immediately gives an illusive effect of height, and the ceiling seems to be twice as high as it really is. Desks and dressing tables are built into corners. The desks have con- cave outward edges, so designed that they appeal restfully to the eye, and the black and cream motif, although not stark or har: dds a restful air of simplicity to the room. Excellence of cabinet work, sim- plicity of design, and utility are com- bined in great portions in modern furniture, and it may be noted that the designs have found such h?h favor that there are many who de- clare the apartments of the future will be consistently carried out in the new motif. Henry Varnum Poor has taken the conventional bathroom in hand and wrought a work of art. White tile and ugly plumbing have been cast aside, and rich underglaze decoration has been substituted. The room fs designed as a unit, and patterned floor, tile panels, and colorful tub each add their own note to the picture. The wash bowl and other fjxtures have been redesigned to strike the beauty note. As in other modern rooms lights are sunk into the walls, as are trays, soap dishes and other fittings. The modern . nursery designed by llonka Karasz has a low ceiling and the furniture is designed with the ex- press purpose of inspiring a feeling of ownership in the child. The side- walls are blackboards inviting the child to make all the pictures he wishes. Richly colored textiles have a defl. nite place in the modern interior, as have leather, bronze, alabaster and other unusual substances. Some of the textiles are offered in cubistic and modern patterns. Desks, chairs, sofas and other arti- cles of furniture are designed particu~ larly for usefulness, and at first they are likely to strike a jarring note if the observer has not become saturated with the spirit of the design. But the modern furniture is far lfnll uncom- fortable. Deep cushions and comfort able arms and back are amply supplied. In fact, in most essential respects, the modern designs incorporate all that is good in former designs while adding new notes of beauty and utility. The modern trend is not confined to furniture or architectural design alone. Furnishings offer an excellent outlet for expression of this modern urge, and some of the tea sets, light fixtures, and small decorations exhibited at the modern galleries are extremely unusnal and attractive. They are molded in dull silver with natu wood trimmings.