The Washington times., 1922-04-10
HOUSECLEAN|NC.
ORDEAL A THING.
} Of THE PAST.
Modern Electric Devices En-
able Housewives to Keep
Their Homes Tidy.

Has It attacked you yet. the
housekeeper's spring fever that
means such upheavaI throughout
the home, a general disgorgtng OF
the contents of closets and dresser
drawers, an energetic taking down
and putting up of everything imasi-
nable, moving furnitul about to
change the wonted appearance Of
rooms, papering. redecorating en-
tirely perhaps; in short, making as
fresh and new a habitat for the
family as possible in the old en-
vironment7
Now that the old, strenuous
thing, Of the past, thanks to mod
ern efficient methods of keeping the
home in a state of year-around
cleanliness, the housewife is free
at this time to indulge in an orgy
OF renovating, II she will, trans
forming the winter aspect OF the
home, and suiting the rooms to the
lighter mood of spring and sum-
mer. And not the least important
OF the changes she makes Is in
the home lighting.
Fascinating Possibilities.
The possibilities OF obtaining
beautiful and varied effects in home
lighting are so fascinc ing that II
is really a very stupid thing to
keep on using the same old lamps
and the same old shades from sea
son to season and year to year.
There is small excuse in the mod
ern home for failure to paint" the
rooms in pleasing gradations of
light and shadow, colorful and suit
ed to the different purposes of each
part of the house, and to change
the lighting from time to time in
order to avoid monotony.
One of the attractive variations
which may be introduced is the
translucent shield for wall-bracket
lights. You may find 1t in silk. in
parchment of isinglass, or you may
contrive your own cut Of almost
anything. These screens may be
used to good advantage to strike
the light, informal note which one
particularly wishes in spring and
summer.
In selecting them, 1t should be
understood that the tone of the wall
paper has a very definite relation
to the degree OF opaqueness desi-
rable in the screen. II the wall
paper 10 dark, quite a heavy screen
IL permissible; IL the paper is light,
then one must choose screens which
are thin and transparent. Opaque
ness does not necessarily mean
dark color, you will note-another
way Of saying IL is that with dark
wall paper only a comparatively
little light need shine through the
screen, but with light-colored walls,
the screen should be only heavy
enough to diffuse the light and pro-
tect the eye from the glare of the
lamp filament.
Avoid Too Much Contrast.
The reason for this is that there
should not be too much contrast
between the reflected light on the
wall and the amount of light which
filters through the screen. II an
opaque screen is used and the wall
paper is very light in tone, then
inappropriate. II the screen is
very transparent and the wall be-
hind is dark, then the spot of light
will appear too bright.
so make sure, when selecting a
shield OF this type, that you see II
displayed against a background
comparable to the one in the room
in which you intend TO use II, and
thus avoid the possibility OF disap-
pointment.
The same principles apply, in a
general way, to the choice of all
lamp shades, of course, for all
shades must harmonize with the
furnishings OF the rooms in which
they are placed. II you are smitten
with the renovating infection. you
will find great deaf of delight in
studying the various designs and
choosing those which best adapt
themselves to the spring and sum-
mer complexion of your rooms.