Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-02-23
Of Interest to Oar Women
MAKING THE HOME BEAUTIFUL.

Y
MAKING THE HOME BEAUTIFUL.
When you 60 into strange house
what 10 the first thing you notice
about your surroundings? Whether
or not they are artistic. If the key
note of the home is refinement, ex-
pressed in good furniture. dainty
hangings and pictures, we uncon-
sciously base our opinion Of the occu-
pants upon these pleasing facts.
IT, on the other hand, those in the
home are willing to surround them
selves with inartistic things. we Judge,
and usually correctly, that the beau.
tiful plays q very minor part in their
existence.
The home IS an outward expression
Of the inward refinement, or lack Of
it, of the woman who presides there.
And 1t should be the object Of every
woman who has home, no matter
how small and unpretentious, to make
it as beautiful as possible. This is
easily done. and inexpensively, too.
If one only knows how.
Let us consider the small flat first
Many women give up in despair at
the thought of the cramped condi-
! tons which exist in the average
apartment and declare that It is alto.
gether impossible to achieve the ar.
tistic In four or Ave small rooms.
This IL great mistake. OF course.
there are odds against beauty in an
apartment of miniature proportions,
but If one goes about it in the right
way great deal Of beauty may be
the result
Decorating a Small Flat.
In the first place, the woman who
lives in fiat must purchase her fur
niture with an entirely different OBJ
| ject In view than the dweller in the
suburbs. As the apartments grow
smaller the size and amount of the
furniture diminishes, and the woman
with taste must pick and choose with
a fine discrimination If she wishes
to enjoy the result.
The room which, Is most occupied
needs the greatest amount Of atten-
ton. Whether 1t be a parlor or a Nv-
ing room, it must be furnished to suit
the tastes Of every member OF the
family. This does not mean that it
must contain necessarily a heteroge-
neous collection of all styles and pat
terms in chairs-not at all! But 1t
does mean that no such extreme
styles as Louis Quinze or mission
work should be chosen for such a
room as this. Good, comfortable
lounging chairs should be selected
with an eye to comfort first, after
wards to appearance.
II the room be small, the paper
should be chosen with the greatest
care. Dark reds and greens are used
a great deal in the new apartment
houses to very bad effect. Red should
never be used in a little fat as it
has the peculiar quality Of bringing
the four walls together; OF shutting
in the room and decreasing it's size
50 per cent Yellow will be found
quite as cheerful. and at the same
time it seems to enlarge the room. 1t
is gray and cool in summer, warm
and bright in winter
| The constant use Of room would
make 1t advisable to provide large
rug instead of the customary carpet.
Especially In an apartment Is this de-
sirable, as the rug can be rolled back
for the sweeping and may be taken
up for beating with the greatest ease.
For a room in which the wishes of
the entire family are to be satisfied
there must be, necessarily, a number
Of different pieces of furniture All
should be in the same style, however,
to retain harmony. Book shelves, or
bookcases, are essential to almost
every household. For a small room
the shelves are preferable, as they
may be suspended in such way as
to allow for another piece Of furni-
ture beneath. Bookcases take more
space, and, while they are more de-
sirable If the room allows, still in a
small room the amount of space TAX
en- might be used perhaps to greater
advantage for something else.
Another requirement Of living
room is a desk. If this is Of con-
venient size it may be placed directly
beneath the book shelves. One with
plenty of drawers will be found a
convenient addition.
For a small room one cannot be too
careful in choosing the curtains for
the windows. Heavy overportieres
are foolish and absurd, menace to
health and eyesight. II portieres can
be abolished 80 much the better.
Simple dimity or lawn curtains, with
border harmonizing with the col
ors OF the room, are in good taste and
need no covering. II the outside por-
there seems necessary, then chintz or
cretonne in the room pattern is dain.
ty and attractive.
Some women think 1t necessary to
have the door portieres the same as
the overcurtains, but this does not
always produce good effect. Har.
mony Of course must prevail, but It
will be found great relief to the eye
If the portieres are contrast to the
rest of the room.
For instance, II the wall paper or
the room decorations are very plain,
a figured effect in portieres will
bring variety. But II the walls are
patterned somewhat gayly plain
| nair of curtains will be found to bal.