ABSTRACT
The cosy corner, particularly popular in the 1890s, could be a simple arrangement in the corner of a room with two settees abutted, or something much more complex. The journal Furniture and Decoration explained the variations: ‘Sometimes it is merely a seat, at other times, it is quite a miniature boudoir. Sometimes it is large enough to contain a whole family, whilst at others it is with equal satisfaction made sufficiently diminutive to only just accommodate two individuals’. The wall decoration of a smoking-room should be dark, as should also the paint or the polished or stained wood work of the room; the dark colouring gives a more cosy and comfortable appearance. Japanese paper is generally preferred for its rich dark colouring and for the readiness with which it may frequently be lightly brushed to remove the clinging smoke.
