The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-07-28
Efficient Housekeeping
 By IrAURAiA HERMAN.
MAKING THE MaNTEai-PIECE
 ARTISTIC,

The old-fashioned ''nantel-piece" was an overloaded horror, boasting vases, Sea-sheIls, plaster figur1nes, gilded ornaments, photographs, and generally a massive marble clock For in grandm others day Interior Decor alton was an almost unheard-of term, and the idea, of restful surroundings benefitting the nerves had not yet been conceived
 I believe that the average house. orator, is more lat sea" regarding the treatment of her living room mantel. than about any other section of her house. Letters from my ''Is there any accepted and conven- honal treatment of a mantel?" say such letters; "are there any particu- lar ornaments which must or must not go on the nrantel?'
 To which I am obliged to reply that every mantel brings its own in dividual problem There are hardly two that can be treated exactly alike. For they differ so greatly Notice a this fact IS you go about the homes Of your friends The wood, the til- ing, the color of brick, the position in the room, the size, the surround fngs-fall these points must be taken into consideration when planning the correct treatment of a mantel. So Mrs As problem is never the same as Mrs. B's The only thing for my Reader Friends to do, if they want me to help them, is to write me a minute description of their own particular manteL so that I can advise them personally con cernin4g it GA stamped. self-ad- dresseI Id envelope should accompany such fequests).
 ar1, There are. however. certain gen about certain classes of mantel A low, short, mantel, for instance, should never hold a massive orna- ment- An unusually large mantel. on the other hand, is not well balanced if fit bears only diminutive objects. A Nnantel which is placed in the cor mex of a room looks best with a small, square rug. directly in front of it (never with the corner of a large rug snebinting into it). A naantel tiled s .sith terra cotta brick is given char 'hlcter by piece of terra cotta pot IS tery.
 " But perhaps the crudest mistake nal mantel informally. By a for mai manteT I mean a mantel placed among perfectly symmetrical sur on either side of it. at equal dis tances. or with even paneling on either side of it, or with the built in twin bookcases on either side of it. Such a mantel should bear a pair of cardlesticks, or a pair of vases, or a pair of oil sketches. or a pair of any objects which will give it a formal appearance 1n harmony with its sym metrical surroundings The formal arrangement which I prefer Is a me d1um-slze bronze or duII-brass clock in the center and pair of candle sticks at either end: the clock is a most appropriate ornament for a mante1, and candlesticks always give a quaint old-time dignity which is de- HEhtful-
 And now, what may the informal mantel bear? It may bear anything For instance, you may stand a bas- relief at point three-Quarters of its length, if you wish, and a good-Iook- ing jade green bowl may hold flow CTS at the farthest point from 1t That's the best of the informal man. tel; we can try various odd things upon it and make an original mas terpiece of it-as the artist does with his paints and canvas
 I once heard successful Interior decorator say. Show me 6 persons mantel, and I'll tell you how much artistic taste he has" And I believe it iS true that the mantel is either e tribute to us or gtve-away