The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-16

Young Wife, Country Home.-You ask
me to give you a design which will be pref
~ and effective tor your bedroom, and yet
you wish to spend so small a sum that the
materials must necessarily be of the cheap
est description. Well. why not buy them as
cheaply as is consistent with usefulness
and wear? yet insist they may be beau
tiful. You complain that you are almost
poverty stricken. and yet that you have
laundering for a beautiful house AS you
have this advantage that you are compelled
TO buy everything new you may accomplish
even that on a sum small enough 10 aston
ish you You admit that you must have
bureau, bedstead. washstand and two
chairs in this room and that you have not
yet papered or painted it. All of this is in
your favor You have no half-worn, ugly
articles which, from motives OF economy.
you feel obliged 10 use, but which would
throw out your scheme completely
Paint the floor and the woodwork of your
front bedroom a soft creamy yellow mot
so pale shade, however. that you cannot
have your walls a shade lighter.) Paint the
floor all around the edge in border about
two feet wide. BE sure that the best quality
OF paint is used for this. having some var
nish in the last coat. and that it is smooth
ly put on. Then buy just enough carpeting
(sman figures of brown and yellow would
be pretty, or dark blue) to cover the center
of the room. mere remnant would be
enough. Make a mat Of this by sewing it
together and binding it all around with
braid; tack it down carefully, so that il
will come well over the line of your yellow
margin. In front of your bed lay a small,
black fur rug or mat.
Have your walls calcimined in plain yell
low. This can be done for 81 Or s., and
beautiful paper frieze of yellow roses, on
white ground, should not cost you more
than 81. Have the ceiling carried out in the
tint Of the ground work Of your frieze;
this may be cream, just off Of white, or
st may be white
SO Ear you have room sweet, sunny and
airy looking in the extreme. am glad that
you say you do not feel inclined to buy
from the furniture store a cheap wooden
set This would remove all possible dis
tinction from your little room. The cheap,
white iron bedsteads are usually poorly
rainted blue white; you can change this
by giving it two coats of your creamy yell
low paint. This will look well with the
brass tips. and a dainty, carefully made
spread of white dotted muslin, with deep
little bed a thing of beauty. This frill, or
valance. should be quite fun and have a
hem an inch wide If you find it flares too
much while new, crease it in little pleats
WIN the fingers. a good quality Of dotted
Swiss can be bought for from Is cents to 20
cents a yard. There is double width also
for the center of spreads. Hang full white
curtains of dotted muslin at your windows
rufHe the front edges with plain Swiss, two
inches and a half wide. The very wide,
noppy-looking rufles that were once so
fashionable are not used now; crisp looking
little frins have taken their place. Tie them
back with white cords and tassels.
Instead of a cheap bureau 1 would buy a
chifonier, which has many more draw
ers in il. Get one which is perfectly plain,
but has brass handles of a good pattern;
have this and your two plain light wooden
chairs rubbed down with sandpaper and
painted yellow. with the same soft yellow
as your walls, bedstead, etc. Next get one
of the long narrow mirrors, which. hung
sideways, will just reach across the top Of
your chiffonier; paint it's wooden frame
also yellow and hang little curtains of fig
ured yellow India silk on either side OF it.
Run a slender brass rod across the top Of
the mirror, and from this suspend the cur
tains. This gives a quaint effect to your
chiffonier. and you can carry out this little
suggestion by placing a tall crystal candle
stick with a wax candle and pretty yellow
shade in. front of the curtain. But do not
leave your dresser in this state; give it a
dainty and finished appearance by a fancy
basket with yellow ribbons in it. pin cush-
ION, fashioned of bit of yellow silk and
ruch trines. Without them your pretty
scheme is wasted.
A bamboo stand, having a shelf below
makes a cheap and serviceable washstand
Two slender upright strips of wood tackled
at the back and holding a brass rod in
place support a white muslin frill which
serves as a splasher. and on this place
your white and yellow toilet set. For a
little book shelf in this tiny apartment
whose keynote is economy, get a soap or
candle box about two feet long. paint it
black and place it against the wall a little
more than five feet from the floor; support
It by two light iron brackets screwed to the
wall. You can buy them for 10 cents apiece.
Put the bottom Of the box against the wall
the side resting on the brackets, TO which
It is also screwed. Now fasten a small rod
across the upper edge of the box. in 'front.'
and hang silk curtains corresponding with
on either side of the opening. If you wish
10 draw the curtain you will find this con-
venient place for medicine bottles. and
there will Yet be room for the three or four
books that it is pleasant 20 have convent
emily at hand in a bedroom. On top of the
box you can place more books or photo
graphs. and on one end of the top shelf
when you wish to decorate. 1 would place
a small yellow bowl OF white marguerites.
Make fiat cushions for the seats of your
chairs of yellow denim or India silk. and
tie them in with yellow satin ribbons Thus
you perceive we have spent a good deal Of
thought in furnishing this room. but very
little money. and have gone into details
which may be tiresOme, because your letter
voices the appeal of many that come to
me.
y ROSE BEDCHAMBER.
S. H. You write that YOU wish me TO
give you a scheme for the 'daintest bed
room imaginable" 1 Will, therefore. send