Informal rooms are just as charming as formal rooms and to many people far more attractive. It’s just a case of what you like and the kind of house you have. In an apartment, you can turn the four walls and floor space into anything you please.

The fact that the majority of our new houses are smaller than those of a generation ago means little, as small rooms may be formal, but our manner of living today means a great deal and we are living much more informally. We want attractive surroundings: comfort, sturdiness, color, and as little trouble and care as possible. In others word, our houses are becoming and expression of a way of life rather than a decorating period. And it is decidedly sensible. There are all sorts in formal types a decorating – as shown on the following pages – but since the majority of American houses are adaptations of colonial architecture let us first consider our informal colonial and cape cod houses.

Opposite is a rather typical informal early American room. Its size is about13 x 20 with low ceiling. The fireplace wall, true to colonial tradition, is paneled with pine painted white. On the door of the attractive corner cupboard are black iron H-hinges, typical of colonial days. Strap hinges, equally characteristic, are just visible on the paneled door and harmonize with the iron crane and andirons.