You have no defense if you build your own house. If you are making the
best of a rented house or an apartment, that is different. But good
taste is sufficient armor against the snare of gaudy beads and cheap
glass.

[Illustration: DETAIL OF A FINE OLD FRENCH FIXTURE OF HAND-WROUGHT
METAL]

There was recently an exhibition in New York of the craftsmanship of
the students of a certain school of design. There were some really
beautiful lanterns and wall brackets and reading lamps shown, designed
and executed by young women who are self supporting by day and can give
only a few evening hours, or an occasional day, to the pursuit of their
avocation. One hanging lantern of terra cotta was very fine indeed, and
there were many notable fixtures. There must be easily tens of thousands
of young people who are students in the various schools of design,
manual training high schools and normal art schools.

Why doesn't some far-seeing manufacturer of lighting-fixtures give these
young people a chance to adapt the fine old French and Italian designs
to our modern needs? Why not have your daughter or son copy such an
object that has use and beauty, instead of encouraging the daubing of
china or the piercing of brass that leads to nothing? And if you haven't
a daughter or son, encourage the young artisan, your neighbor, who is
trying to "find himself." Let him copy a few good old fixtures for you.
They will cost no more than the gaudy vulgar fixtures that are sold in
so many shops.

The photograph shown on page 108 illustrates the possibility of using a
number of lighting-fixtures in one room. The room shown is my own