Evening star., 1923-03-09
RENOVATING AND DECORATING
y THE WALLS OF YOUR ROOMS
Scientific Principles as Well as Taste Re-
quired-Selections Are Made Accord
ing to Exposure and Height.

appears to be too high is to have an
ample wainscoatjng. Five or six feet
above il should be run molding en-
tirely round the room. The space be
tween the wainscoatinG and this
molding should be kept very plain.
covered either with wall paper or
with cloth and used as panel for
pictures.
Paperfns, CaIcimininG or Painting.
self, you will find that papering is
+, the most difficult and painting the
easiest. Should you wish to do
neither, but prefer ca1cimininE, you
should buy the dry colors ground and
blend them to the tint that you want
or ask your paint dealer to do 1t for
| you. 1t Is well to test sample OF
your mixture on some obscure corner
! OF the wall and let 1t dry so that you
can see exactly how IL Will look. IT
Is also well to mix sufficient guam
| tity OF the raint az the beginning
since it is often difficult to reproduce
! the exact tint in a second mixing.
Interior wall paints in lovely tints
and soft water color finish may be
| bought ready to use and specially
| that any woman with the ability to
! read and follow the directions on
| can of paint and has strength enough
| to stand on stepladder and WELD
| a four-inch brush can he her own
| decorator or il the directions are not
quite clear to her she can go straight
to the makers of the materials which
| she wants to use and be taught how
! to use them. There Is no reason why
a longing for an old rose. blue or
| sunny yellow bedroom should not be
gratified for the mere cost OF the
, paint.
| If you decide to do much redeco-
| rating, plan to work on one room at
time. Clear everything out of the
room SO as TO paint the walls first
/ been previously painted. II will be
[ papered, 1T will pay you to call In a
professional paper hanger to strip
off the paper and finish the walls
| for the painting. which you can
walls may be done over again
when necessary without help from
a paper hanger. a good quality Of
| paint can be gone over many times
,. without cracking or peeling Kitchen
walls should be painted frequently.
owing to the smoke and stains of
| cooking.
To Clean Walls and Ceilings.
Plastered and papered walls AMI
ceilings may be cleaned with a wall
! brush or broom covered with soft
light overlapping strokes. as heavy
| strokes will rub the dirt in. The
| wall over radiators and stoves can be
cleaned by rubbing lightly with cot
ton batting. !. The cotton should be
turned as it becomes soiled. wash
able papers USED in kitchens and
bathrooms may be cleaned with a
| dampened cloth, but water must be
! used sparingly. If it seeps In. the
paper will be loosened. Vanishing
the paper in these rooms will make
| it more impervious TO moisture and
steam and will prevent II from peel
! ing. Rough wall coverings, such as
burlap. are hard to clean. The dust
should be removed by brushing or
with vacuum cleaner.
Some painted walls can pe washed.
but as in the case OF all painted sur
faces. the success with which this
may be done depends upon the kind
oil paint has been used. the walls
should be rubbed with even strokes
using cloth wruns out Of light suds
then rinsed with a. cloth wrung out
a dry. soft cloth. IF the paint is
badly soiled and stained, fine
scourer. such as whiting. may be
used.
Enamel paint is paint mixed with
varnish. which gives a hard. smooth
dust. but is made dull by washing
with soap. This paint may be cleaned
by rubbing first with a wooden or
cotton flannel cloth wrung out of hot
! water and then with a clean, dry
cloth. Spots, stains and dirt that will
NOT yield to hot water alone may be
removed with a fine scourer, but il
must be applied lightly In order not
TO scratch the surface Catcimined
| walls cannot be washed or even
rubbed with dry cloth without
streaking the finish. Recoatins Is the
best way OF renovatine these walls.
Thing may be cleaned by washing
| with warm, soapy water, rinsing and
drying thoroughly, or when neces-
sary fine scourer may be used. If
| water is allowed to remain on ttlinz
il is likely TO injure the cement in
which the tiles are set and to loosen
| them. The wall finish known as
metal tiling may be cleaned in the
same way as paint.