Evening star., 1927-10-28

The bedroom is our place for quiet
rest and meditation and a retreat from
the exciting incidents of the day. For
this reason it should be furnished to
suit our individual taste and tempera
ment. with the type Of furniture suited
TO us. and with decorations harmonic
ing with us.
Before planning for the furnishing
of bedroom, first look to the walls
since they are the largest area in ;he
room. Walls can be either painted or
papered. In either case choose n
color that will emphasize the best
points in the room. For northern or
western exposure warm, soft yellows
and tans will give the necessary light
while in a sunny southern and eastern
room a soft blue-green can he used.
One must have real knowledge and
appreciation of values and colorS In
wall papers in order to get the lest
results. Do not leave the choice en-
1irely to n paperhanger.
A plain paper usually simplltles
decoration. but there are also many
quaint, old-fashioned all-over lowered
papers that are charming, but be care
ful that the flowers and design do not
stand out too strongly. VAL paper
in enamel finish is always effective,
especially for a young girl : room, be.
cause it intensifies the tones used. 1t
comes not only in white but also in
French gray and other colors. 1t may
he tinted to any desired shade Win
artists tube paints, remembering thas
the undercoating must be unteo
similar to the enamel.
Wall papers can be renovated, If
they have become worn, by adding a
border panel, of some contrasting
shade. which gives a fresh appearance
and vet beauties a room at small
cost, often interesting effects can be
obtained by following out this plan,
more especially if it harmoniZes with
the colors used, not only in hangngs,
but in rugs and furniture.
Decorative Effects.
The bedroom lends itself to dec.
oratiye effects more than any other
place in the house, often accomplished
through the use of colorful cretonne,
glazed prints, one-toned linen plpeo
with a contrasting color, or sunIaSt
materials so suggestive of good cneer.
While these are usable for window
hangings, they are equally adaptable
for upholstery and bed covering.
A very attractive note is a WINDOW
shade of glazed chintZ. Glazed chlntz
is an English chintz. or cretonne,
with a smooth, shiny finish, and quite
stiff, making it most practical as well
"a attractive for window shades. 1t
comes in very lovely designs and col
ors, and is very decorative. An in
teresting finish for the bottom OF the
shade is a six or eight inch scallop,
bound with bias tape or ribbon or the
dominant color of the chintz. 1t is
usually unnecessary to use an over
drapery with such shade, but II 1t
is used It should be of plain material,
such as poplin or soft silk. Ruined
dotted Swiss curtains would be pretty,
as the shades are colorful and dec
orative enough in themselves.
For a simple colonial room or a
room with painted furniture, there is
nothing as pretty as old-fashioned
braided or woven rag rugs. They
eften solve the problem of a floor
decoration and are probably the best
type of small rug that can be used
in a bedroom. They come in a va
rety of colors. shapes and designs,
and they harmonic with any color
scheme. They are more effective
when the floor is an old one, painted
a soft gray or putty color to match
the wall.
Cushion Covers.
Gayly printed cretonne decorations
of floral patterns, so widely used in
bedrooms, need cushion covers of a
quieter character, either invisibly
striped or plain, if a restful effect is
to be attained. The extreme of plain
ness in unadorned cushions in subdued
colors is in the best taste.
To make puff cushion cover from
leftover materials or remnants, first
cut from cardboard two true squares,
one Of them three and one-half inches
wide and the other two and one-half.
With the smaller Of these as a pat
tern, cut from leftover cotton pieces
Ga squares. These are to be the backs
of the puffs, or blocks. Then, choos-
ing the prettiest and newest from
your .silk scrapbag. cut out 64 Of the
larger squares. Sew each silk piece
to the small cotton square, making a
box plait in the center of each of
the three sides of the block. Have at
hand one-fourth pound of plain cotton
batting. Before finishing the fourth
side of each block stuff the block with
a small bunch of the cotton, not too
full, but enough to allow the little
plaits to unfold and a light puff to be
formed. Now finish the fourth side.
Sew these blocks together in rows of
six, scanning on the wrong side. When
making up the rows try to alterna te
dark colors with light, and in sewing
strips together continue the alterna-
ton. This will make a downy pillow
about 1S inches square. Back this