Evening star., 1925-08-14
How to Improve the View
Methods to Be Employed in Creating the Best
Possible Outlook From the Home and Making
improvements Within the House.

Cream net curtains, slightly ruffied
and run over aluminium or brass cur
tain rods, which will expand to any
size, are charming at windows where
1t is desired to use the lightest cur
tains possible. Hooks are supplied
with the rods.
The best net to use is that sold for
millinery purposes. Another fabric
that looks dainty at sunless window
is the new string net, which can be
obtained in most art shades. Butter
yellow looks lovely at a dull window.
This fabric is very loosely woven and
consequently let's in every bit of light.
Rama and net combine to make
charming curtains. A charming COM
binatton was carried out in pale cream
net with a border of marigolds in
rama. If curtains of another material
are used for sunless windows. be sure
that they are hung far back from the
actual apertures.
Basement Rooms.
Very often the outlook from the
lower rooms in semi basement houses
is depressing, owing to the close prox-
unity of walls and fences. which shut
out a good deal of the light A certain
tanned by painting the walls or fence
white. BY this means the light will
be reflected from the walls and will
help considerably to brighten the in
terror of the rooms.
Low growing flowers, planted under
the walls or in boxes, will contribute
gayety. Shrubs in pots. provided
they, too are low growing, will flour
:sh If regular attention is bestowed
upon them. 1t is we'll to remember
that good plate glass in the windows
~ hn II
light that passes through it less than
cheap glass.
Behind the Mirror.
1t Is to be regretted that the back
of the dressing table mirror is so
often ugly and almost unfinished look
ing. When a dressing table Is placed
in front Of window. the unsightly
wooden back of. the mirror is easily
seen from the outside of the house
Sometimes, in order to hide the back
of the glass, the dressing table is put
close against the wall, which Is not
always the most successful Way of
using this piece of furniture In
fairly large room IL looks well IL the
dressing table is placed some feet
away from the wall, which is only pos
slble when the back view of the mir
ror is ornamental.
There Is remedy for this defect
however, for the backs of dresser mir.
rors and cheval mirrors may be COW
cred with material to match that used
for the draperfes in the room, or any
thing that will harmonize with the
furnishings. BroCade, easement cloth
chlntz or cretonne will look we'll for
this decoration. Plain material can be
made the basis of a rich ornamental
mirror back. Black suede, for in
stance, could be decorated with luster
paints in a bold design in gold or
some other color to tone with the fur
niture of the room. A quaint design
used by one artist for this purpose
consisted of a green and gold dragon.
which showed effectively against the
black background
A quick way of decorating dark
suede is to punch a design in It. with
proper tools, and lay under il ma
terlal which is brightly colored and
which will show we'll against the
somber suede. When the furniture is
painted at home, the mirror back
could be painted with colored enamel
to correspond.
Novel Window Treatment.
Flowers made Of silk, inserted be.
tween thin sheets of glass. make a
unique decoration for window which
has an uninteresting outlook. The
sheets of glass replace the lower
panes and are inserted in the same
way II may be necessary to fasten
the flowers to one of the sheets These
are especially good to use on small
window panes. The effect of flowers
blooming in a window box is pro-
duced. Flowers, grasses and butter
flies can be used with good effect be-
tween larger sheets Of glass to make
beautiful screens.
Tiles for Summer Rooms.
Light -colored tiles create a delight
fully refreshing and cool atmosphere
for Summer room or reception hall.
To inlay room completely with tiles
is by no means inexpensive, but a
substitute, and an excellent one, if
carried out well, is to paint on the
walls a design initiating tiles. For
the groundwork a cream distemper
will do, which will show between the
tiles, as the interstices of real ones
would do. On this ground the tiles
should be carefully measured and in
dtcated in chalk, according to the de-
sign decided upon. Then each tile
can be painted with enamel. The kind
that dries with a shiny surface is best
for the purpose.
1t is possible to make numerous pat
terms with tiles. Square and oblohg,
big and little. can be used to make an