Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-16
HOME TOPICS.


The first thing in house-furnishing is
suitable carpets. These should be Of
a small running pattern, as carpet Of
large design will make room look small
The kitchen should have the floor paint
ed a dark brown and vanished, with the
brickwork about the range painted a
bright red. A handy housewife can ac-
complish this job herself and !, thu. save
money enough to buy u pretty Turkish
rug to place on the floor when the room
is cleaned up. The closet room being
scarce, a useful and very ornamental
dresser for the tins may be made by plac-
ing three shelves supported by brackets
in corner, painting them bright red, and
hanging from the top dainty white dot
ted Swiss curtain.
To economize space an ottoman may
be made for this room that will serve to
hold the blacking hammers, tool-boI and
other similar utensils, and make n COM
Portable seat. This ottoman is made of a
box, the cover being larger than the top
aud laid flat across. The lid is then COW
cred with several thickness Of carpet and
piece of Turkey-red cotton is drawn
tightly over the carpet and nailed to the
sides. A deep ruflle Of the red, to reach
the lloor is fastened about the edges Of
the cover, and is finished by row of
brass nails.
A kitchen furnished in scarlctls always
cosy, and the color remains brighter
longer than would either blue or pink. If
the room is large enough, it should have
comfortable big rocker with padded
scarlet back and seat rs so much kitchen
work can be done sitting, and rest may
be obtained ut the same time. The kitch-
en- window should have a white ruffled
curtain looped back with scarlet, and on
its walls should be placed few pictures,
chromos answering the purpose nicely.
A pot or two of flowers placed on the
window-sill OF on n bracket will make the
room much prettier and n very desirable
place to work in An excellent house
keeper should have two tasteful red and
white covers, one for her pine table and
another for her coal and wood box, which
she dons when everything is "tidy" for
the day.
Our dining-room should be harmonious
in its coloring, ii nothing else. A small
buffet, with high back, is the most suit
able as dishes and silver can be put on it
that would crowd the closet. An extern
sion table may be ornameuted by linen
y
we propose to furnish ourroom. A hang
ing bracket of ash, to hold the children's
school books, the magazines and ncwspa-
pers, will be found convenient, and keep
the purlor free of such tritles. Curtains
similar to those in the dining room, with
little lambrequins Of cherry and gray
chintz, look pretty, and simple engrav-
ings and wood-cuts in plain ash frames
h.N ,,ln bn n Y
many as can be hung with taste. 1t is
best to avoid cheap "il-paintings. To
people of artistic taste there is nothing
more repulsive.
If lamps are used it is safest and pret-
test to have them i'll iron brackets, with
white globes or shades, and in the parlor
and dining room should be pink shades,
either OF glass, which are prettiest, or of
pink paper, which can be placed over the
white shade. The pink light subdues
and softens every object in the room.
The parlor used as general sitting
room for the family should be made as
home ike as possible. For winter heavy
scarlet curtains of Persian goods, rep or
Cantol flannel shut out many drafts and
look well. Easy chairs and one or two
foot stools are comfortable, and no one
should have marble top table, which is
too cold aud graveyard an article Of fur
niture for home room. A mantel mir
ror makes the room larger and is exceed
ingly ornamental. Over this place n shelf
about foot wide, cover with black velvet
and on it place bric-a-brac of every de-
scription. This is better than what
not.
Pressed and vanished autumn leaves
and ferns look pretty, crossed and placed
under the pictures, and two long ferh
fronds on either side of the mirror make n
tasteful ornamentation. If you have a
big stove do not put it up. Exchange it
for crate stove, or use an open CRATE II
possible. If you have piano, which
should be an upright one, place it across
a corner of the room, away from doors.
The doors, however, should be taken
down in many places and pretty portieres
hung instead.
Il Ourbed-rooms shouldhaye floors stained