going out of the house, combination stands with mirror, pins for hanging
up hats and overcoats, umbrella holder, a chair or so, or a settee for
the guest awaiting reception, etc. Often the chair or settee is of the
most uncomfortable design, conspiring with the narrow quarters to make
the visitor's impression of the house and its inmates a very
disagreeable one. If space is lacking to make the hall a comfortable and
pleasing room, it should be abolished, and the visitor, if a social one,
taken at once to the parlor, and if a business one, to the living-room.

Where, however, size permits it, the hall should be made the most
attractive part of the house. Here is the proper place for a
"Grandfather's Clock," a rug or so of artistic design, and a jardiniere
holding growing plants or flowers. The wallpaper should be simple and
dignified in design, but of cheerful tone. Some shade of red is always
appropriate. Remember in choosing decorations that the colors of the
spectrum--violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange, red--run the
gamut of emotive influence from depression to exhilaration. Violet
and indigo lower the spirits, blue and green hold them in peaceful
equilibrium, yellow begins to cheer them, and orange and red excite them.

However, the color scheme of a hall is largely dependent upon the
wood-finish, because of the amount of this shown in the stairs.

Dark red is a very suitable color for the stair-carpet. The best way to
fasten this is by a recent invisible contrivance which goes underneath
the material. Brass rods are ornamental, rather too much so, and carpet
tacks are provoking, both in putting down and taking up the carpet.

Where the hall and stairway are wide and room-like, pictures should be
hung on the walls, interesting in subject and cheerful in decorative