The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-04-06
BEAUTIFYING THE HOME.
How to Make Mantels Ornamental
Frightening Halls.

noider is, perhaps, moIe intefSseeu AZ
changes to be made in 1.-THE home
beautiful" than in any other sort OF
decoration. The shadow of the an
nual house-cleaning is cast athwart
every well regulated household and
every we'll regulated housewives mind
is filed with vi sions Of changes, which
ma y or may not be improvements in
the furnishings and decorations of her
home. She NAV have the plan of at
tack well laid out in her W mind;
more likely she has not, and will be
glad Of suggestions which may help
her out of her dilemma.
Very few people properly appreciate
the value of an o~ver-inantel. A pretty
over-mantel will do much toward re-
deeIning the ugliest room; and to be
pretty il need not be costly. We will
assume that the fireplace is surmount-
ed by a CHASTITY white marble mantel.
1t Is not always practicable to do
away with it entirely and replace it
with one of natural wood, and so its
ghastliness must be hidden.
This reform may be easily effected
by supplying first q shelf of plain
pine OF the dimensions of the marble
shelf, covered with billiard cloth. To
the edge of this attach a valance a
foot or so in depth in the centre,
which will conceal the facing above
the fireplace, and long enough to
reach the hearth at the ends, and
thus hide the jambs. The color and
material of this valance must cores
pond with the other furnishings of
the room, and may be very simple
and withal effective.
Next, have some carpenters make a
second shelf with two spindle legs to
support it in front and a panelled
wood back, or the panels may be
mirrors. They are small and will not
be expensive, even though they are
looking glasses. This shelf may be
finished with oil and sheIlac and re-
uuires no draping. Small ornaments
may be placed beneath it, the taller
ones being reserved for the top. Or,
with the same treatment of the man.
tel-piece proper, a panelled back Of
wood, either with mirrors or without,
will form a good background for
ornaments. L%incrusta Walton also
may be effectively utilized in the
same way.
Surprising neither of these treat
ments for over the mantel is desired,
much may still be done to relieve the
barreDness of the chimney. Drape
the mantel in some way, unless it be a
handsome one, and above it place a
small picture-at one side, not in the
centre. Above this drape some har-
monious material, and on the other
side arrange some pretty fans, or any
thing else that taste and convenience
may suggest.
Avoid anything like a stiff arrange
ment with a decided centre point, and
do not put a pair of anything ON the
mantel shelf. If there are two vases
let one be tall and slender, the other
short and stout, and place them side
by side with other articles of bric-a-
brac on either side of them.
Much more attention is being be-
slowed upon the hall than in by-gone
years, when it was regarded as simply
an entry way 10 the stairs and other
rooms of the house, and il it served
its purpose no more was required of
it. ALI this is very properly changed,
and modern house builders and home
makers are lavishing the greatest at
IcllllOA uDOA bAlo pdIJ vi tie QOullClle
and sparing no pains to make it as at
tractive as possible. This is as it
should be. The hall is where are de-
rived the first impressions of the
home, and If it be bleak and barren it
takes a great deal of cheerfulness in
the decoration of the interior rooms
to dispel the unpleasant feeling which
a dark and dingy hall excites.
If possible, do away with the car
pet. A hard wood floor is, par excel
lence, the thing; next to it comes
yellow pine, with a border of alternate
strips of pine and cherry, finished
with coach varnish, which is more
easily kept in order than a waxed
floor. DO not stain the pine; a depth
of color will come with time and will
be much handsomer than if artifici-
ally applied. The woodwork should,
if possible, be finished in the same
manner. If already painted it may
be reprinted to harmonic in tone. If
for any reason the relaying of the
floor is not desirable, the next best
thing is wood carpet, which is not
costly and wears well. 1t comes in a
great variety of handsome patterns.
The floor may be also stained, or
painted and vanished, which is the
cheapest way of dealing with it. and
if smooth and free from cracks the
effect is very good.