The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-06
XIII. THE DINING ROOM.
BY MISS ANNE BARROWS.


guests, since there are many house
holds where the individual members
rarely meet except at meal time. The
end and aim of our table service there
fore, should be to further the social
life rather than to cater to epicuTes or
I display costly furnishings or make a
/ display Of the latest faLs in table ser
vice. The fashion of the furniture Of
I the dining room and the style of ser
vice are Of less Importance than the
| ease and comfort of every Individual
/ concerned. A meal may be eaten in the
kitchen when necessary, and yet all
the laws of good breeding be observed,
while even in elegant dining rooms
meals are not always served decently
and in order
Few of US can build our homes and
decide upon the location of the dining
room, the number Of windows it shall
/ have and the poiht of compass that
/ they shall face. Probably fewer vet
can follow the sun and serve each meal
/ IN different room Light is essential
/ but if either room must be in a dark
/ corner Of the house, let it be the dining
= room rather than the kitchen. Arti-
fetal light will make the dining room
cheerful. but the cOnnOnest processes
: Of the kitchen need the fun sunlight TO
insure perfect cleanness. Il the out
look from the dining room is not pleas
ant, colOred glass windows are a posi-
! BILE remedy
/ The separation Of dining room and
kitchen is supposed 10 have been a
concession to the aesthetic nature of
] the human being, and to indicate an
advance in civilization. But succeed
! ing generations may find il possible 10
reunite the kitchen and the dining room
under different conditions from those
/ Of the past. Straws that show which
/ way the current sets are the favor
/ shown the chafng dish and the gradual
/ introduction Of the gas stoves. the
/ Aladdin oven and electrical appliances
] for cookery. Any of these means Of
cooking food might properly be in
stalled in an alcove of the dining room
! The modern idea of higher civiliza-
ton is not to move away from insight
~ surroundings, but to improve them,
removing the disagreeable features
Much IS said about cooperative house
Keeping and conservative men and Wo-
men object to the plan, forgetting how
many processes have been put outside
the individual home since the DAYS of
+ cur grandmOthers. Many would be
ready TO give up the individual kitchen,
but would wish to retain the family
dining room. This might be done in
ing to simplify our manner of living
and do little more work with our own
hands
The first requisite for comfort at
meal time is that the dining room shall
be we'll aired. Air is as essential as
food, and indeed should be considered
one of our most important foods. we
are afraid of odOrs from the kitchen.
and yet even a fresh smell Of frying
is less disagreeable than the stale, close
odor of an unaired room. 1t IS not
wise to shut up a dining room after a
meal without first airing it, The re-
moval of bad air should be attended to
as regularly as the gathering up of
crumbs.
Excessive heat is a common fault in
the dining room. When hot foods and
drinks form the main part Of a meal
the temperature of the room should be
lower than that Of the usual living
rooms. Therefore, let the windows be
open for q few minutes just before the
meal 10 change the air thoroughly, and
then close them that there shall be no
draft. An open fireplace is an excel
lent means Of ventilation. and may be
depended upon for heating a dining
room except in the coolest weather.
The location, size and shape of the din
ing room should be carefully consid4
cred when deciding upon it's furnish
ings. In general, light colOrs, the softer
yellOWS and browns, are satisfactory
for the paper and woodwork. Corner
closets, with glass doors above, should
be put in wherever il is possible. They
afford safe resting place for the
chOicer pieces of tableware and ado
greatly to the decoration Of the room
A hardwood floor with a large rug that
f- To- a. IL -
pie dIaperies, if any, at the windows.
and furniture that is graceful, strong
and not ornate are the essentials for
The dining room Decorations should
be few; bay window, full Of plants
and the corner closets or sideboard with
some pieces Of handsome china are
usually sufficient. Upholstery is not
desirable for dining room furniture.
though leather covers may be admis-
sible. Hardwood without elaboratS
carving is best for table and chairs.
the latter should be well shaped and
those without arms are usually pre-
feTed. Cane seats are not as durable.
but rather easier than hardwood.
The round and square tables each
have their admirers; something de-
ponds on the shape of the room. Where
the room is small a bay window NJ
one end, space may be saved by chOOs-
ing a table with oval ends. A narrow
table is never satisfactory, nor should
one be so broad that the center is not
easily reached from the side The rel
ative height Of chairs and table should
be adjusted carefully FoOtstoOls pro-
vided for the shorter persons viii add
much to their comfort. Where there
is chandelier in the dining room the
center of the table should come under
that. The table should be large
enough to give a space of at least two
feet to each person. Where there is a
hardwood floor rubber tips on the
chairs are essential. and there should
be strong enough casters on the table.
wherever it is. to admit Of moving it
easily. Every article Of furniture in the
dining room may come in contact with
foods, and hence il shape and sub
stance should be such as can easily be
kept clean.
This should be also kept in mind
when choosing the tableware, be il
china, glassware or silver. Perfect
cleanne5S is the first essential, and il
is almost impossible to attain this with
the intricate folds in the china, the
filigree of the silver and the deep cuts
in glass. That dishes are clean should
be apparent to sight as well as touch.
Food shows to better advantage in
Ailoot Sel7SS III pain Uioltco. Ciliid Win
high-cOlOred patterns becomes mOnot-
cnOus unless we have a variety of sets:
in the average household it is more sat
iSfactOry to have Il set of dishes plain
white and gain variety through the use
of odd pieces. It is not wise to buy all
the novelties, for no sooner do we be-
come accustomed to the use of a new
article than ii goes out Of fashion This
is illustrated by the ups and downs in
salt cellars and salt shakers, bone
dishes, individual vegetable dishes.
water carafes and the like.
The table linen likewise should be OF
white for general use and should be Sc
lected from standard patterns. with