Mesa free press., 1901-03-22
SIMPLE PRsTTY nENFoR = elRL.
The Transformation of an Ugly Room
Into an Attractive One. ~


As q rule, when a girl reaches the
age of 16 or II she begins to pine for
a den Of her ''very own" place where
she can sew or paint or study, or in
dilge in any special hobby without in
terruption. In the average house or
tiat-It is ,not always convenient to
spare separate room for this purpose
but great deal may be done to beauti-
fy an ordinary bedroom so that by day
1t bears more Of the aspect of study
than of sleeping room.
A Cambridge woman, says the Bos-
ton Globe, finding herself .teased by a
daughter Of 16 for den of'this kind.
has just accomplished some marvellous
effects with an ordinary room. Indeed,
if you could have seen the place before
its renovation and get a glimpse of it
now you would scarcely believe your
own eyes.
The bedroom as it originally stood
cannot be truthfully described as a
pretty apartment. The paint was dark,
the paper of dull color and antique
pattern, and the furniture old fash
ioned. The room, too, being situated
at the very top Of the house, possessed
the disadvantage of a sloping roof. AS
set-off against this, however, the WIN
dow was very large and a pretty one
The first thing that this matron did
was to dispose of the old-fashioned fur
niture.
Her next act was to get an estimate
from jobbing decorator who agreed
to furnish new paper, hang it, bright
en- up the ceiling and repaint the wood
work of the room, all for $40. An en-
pire wall paper of pale apple green, fig
ured in pink and violet, was selected,
and for the woodwork, ivory. white
paint. Three coats of paint and top
most varnish were required to COM
pletely destroy all traces of the old
paint.
The painting finished, she set about
her task Of furnishing. For the floor
she purchased a cream mating with
green figures and cheap butspretty
rug.
Then she purchased a neat little
white enameled bed with gilt trim
mings. Fortunately, this fitted into a
little recess in the room, so across this
SPOT brass rod was fixed and then
supplied with curtain of cream-col-
ored cretonne figured in pink and vio-
let flowers and green leaves. When
drawn, the curtain completely conceal
ed the bed from view.
Another odd recess just large enough
to hold the washstand-a single one
was treated in similar fashion, so
that during the day the two most ro-
mantle pieces of furniture were well
,out of sight. Dainty dotted suisse sup
piled the window curtains and the
mantel drapery consisted of fancy silk
oline to correspond with the general
color scheme.
AS regards the bedroom suit, it was
inexpensive and consisted of the dress
ing table, chiffenier. washstand and
two chairs. ; ~
For covers for the dressing table and
chiffonier linen squares with torchon
edge were used, and these were made
at home.
Next she provided dainty o'clock
tea set in white china, an ivory (cellu-
lQid) dressing set for the toilet table,
and the toilet ware itself was selected
of art green.
A soiled linen basket is by no means
a strictly beautiful object, but when
an old one was enameled white, and a
big, spiky bow Of broad green satin
ribbon, tied on to the handle, it didn't
look half bad. 80
, A few simple photographs in frames
of stained green wood helped to relieve
the monotony of the walls, and on the
mantelpiece was placed pair Of Cupid
candlesticks in white china. For the
student.s lamp there was made erin
kled paper shade, in tone Of pale ap-
pie green and cream.
A big basket chair, which had seen
its best days as regards appearance.
was the very quintessence of comfort
when enameled white and provided
with fresh cushions covered in silko-
line and cretonne. A plain white wood
writing table and folding o'clock
tea table We're also enameled white,
as were little set Of plain wood book
shelves.
It took only few days to furnish
the room and, as all will agree, very
beautiful effect was accomplished with
the expenditure Of only a small sum.
Her Sweetheart's Double.