New Britain herald., 1929-12-03
NEW FURNITURE MAKES COFFEE
 DRINKING A FINE SOCIAL ART

l Illc CcIelllOily OI dlLCI- -uliiJlel COl- fee has developed it's own special ! furniture. In the spirit of modern l inventiveness, manufacturers have wrought tables, china, glass and silverware of beauty to increase the | pleasures Of coffee drinking. Bright color and startling shapes have ap- peared to add modern twist to 3 venerable habit.
 To emphasize the highly sociable nature of after dinner coffee low broad tables are used so that friends may gather about them. These | tables should be about two feet hign and of surface ample enough 10 hotd the tray bearing the coffee pot, the service cups and both cigaret box and dinner hints.
 The nations smartest shops dis | play all manner of these intimate coffee tables. Some have Queen Anne legs to recall the reign of Queen Anne, during which the Eng fish developed coffee drinking into one of the major social arts. Others reflect early American days of cof- fee drinking by gracefully turned legs reminiscent of Duncan Phyfy. And others are so modern th"N have no legs at all, but seem rather the playful dreams of cabinet maii- CTS come true in exotic woods and metals.
 Prices Are Varied Many of these tables are equipp tl with trays that fit exactly over their i tops. Others are without trays. l They range in price from what we can pay to what we might dream Of being able to pay if our ship ever does come in.
 But coffee tables need not cost large sums of money. Any woman with taste and a few dollars cln ! purchase at most of our stores un- painted coffee tables that reflect dG- curately the fine era aftsmanship an historical influence of the more eV- pensive ones. An eye for color, q | few sheets of sandpaper and a can Of good paint-behold, an exquisite bit of modern social equipment
 
 ing tone of your living room. Be- fore applying it, be certain your unpainted surface is as smooth as velvet Sandpapering will achieve l this. When the first coat is dry, sandpaper the painted surface light ly with No. GO paper and then paint again. Shellac twice for hard surface.
 1 For a Pleasing Result Coffee tables in soft green har- monize with almost any kind of room. A Chinese lacquer effect calls l for a can of Mandarin red paint at least three coats--much sandpa- pcring, and two coats of darkened | shcllac. But the small amount of | extra work will produce a large re- 1 suit. A table in natural wood Is | singularly appropriate for a room in | the modern manner. Sandpaper. ! then more sandpaper, plenty of el- bow grease, can of furniture wax and some more elbow grease will | transform a few sticks of wood into a coffee table worthy of the most i sophisticated hostess.
 1 Although rich fragrant coffee is the most important feature of the the enjoyment,
 Attractive coffee pots of china 1 or porcelain can be obtained in various colors and shapes. The new l glassware serTice, in ambre, sap | phire. ruby and emerald costs far less than it's beauty would suggest. 1 Glazed pottery in odd, squat shapes some daring even beyond imagina- ' tion-otfer new and refreshing ways to carry on a social tradition. And oi course, sterling silver is always in order.
 Accessories Arc Important
 Demi-tasse cups of china, peasant pottery. glass and glazed ware offer a variety of choices. Small coffee spoons are needed. But let no hos tess deny herself the serving of after dinner coffee for lack of silver spoons. Our best five and ten cent stores carry small spoons in quiet and approved patterns that fit the occasion with grace. Only in con- temporary living can such grace De so inexpensive, by the way. Linen
 s not necessary though it is ire quently used Specially resigned cof- fee napkins are being Introduced by exclusive linen shops. Some hostess lay a strip Of bright fabric under the service. or a piece of lace or even Chinese embroidery. But in these matters. the color of the room. the type of table used and the nature of the dinner and the hostess cap rice will correctly settle the ques- ton.
 So much for the furniture Of after dinner coffee. When the guests have gathered in the living room, and the hostess pours, let her be sure that her coffee is strong and clear and pungent, that hospitality sits on her right hand and on her left, wit and saiety.