Hello all those of gracious living!
Randy- rival Martha Stewart? Well, that shouldn't be difficult nowadays...although to be honest, it would seem I'm going for that "Warsaw 1945" look- so chic! Shabby taken to the extreme!
Colleen- I am glad I've given you some bits; here's some more! Wallpaper: period photographs seem to indicate that if there was a wall, closet, or ceiling it Must be papered! But I believe this to be Victorian residue; for equal amounts of plain painted walls are seen- even in rented places or boarding houses.
Whicker seems to have been quite popular, giving the weekend summer place feel, even in cities. Bookcases and desks were as typical then as a tv is today...even in the slums one had at least a shelf of a few beat-up volumes of something. My immigrant Great-Grandparents would keep a stash of neatly folded newspapers and cast-off magazines, not because they were packrats; they would use the text to teach themselves English! The parlor was usually set up in a grouping of sofa/setee, one or two chairs with a table close by. It was an effort to create conversational ease, pouring tea, etc., as opposed to furniture spread out against walls rendering interaction almost impossible.
Oh! You mentioned chitz...slipcovers were used; but more for the practical reason of hiding worn, out of date upolstry, not because it was "in". Old money kept their money because of such thrift! When "tea-staining" became popular- I don't know.
Well, one last babble: Stain. Dark stain on wood (even naturally darker wood) I think came from the Neo-Gothic movement in the 1840's, when the fashion was to have a home like a Medieval cathedral! I'm not sure if this concept ever went away: we still think of mahogany a dark brownish with a hint of deep red. In fact, mahogany is really lightish- almost like a cherry. But the fashion must have stuck, and that is what people have grown to expect as the "true" color. So manufacturers give 'em what they want! Now, wood naturally darkens with age, but to accelerate the process artisans would throw ink into the stain (hence the term "ink-stained"). And varnish...in the days of linseed oil and who knows what else, that darkens up the wood also. And re-varnishing was a common "spring-cleaning" task...one sees the "crocodile" effect of that in antiques today.
Sorry! Great-grandpa was a cabinetmaker by trade: sawdust is in my blood!
Take care!
Kris
P.S.: Wax build-up? Marketing scheme- wood NEEDS protection; it wears off anyway. Wash grime off with good 'ole Murphy's, dry with clean cloth and use polish. In dry climates, do more often...especially the antiques!
K.
