Milford chronicle., 1930-06-27
Making The Porch 4
Summer Dining Room
BY Bertha Anne Houck

/
When the crispest green salad
and the coolest ice tea fail to tempt
the family appetite, it is high time
to move dinner to the porch. Even if
serving it outside means a few more
steps from the kitchen, the extra
trouble will be more than repaid by
an escape from the oppressive
house which is likely to ruin both
appetite and disposition in summer.
But unless the porch is dressed
up for its dinner guests with gay
color, attractive accessories and
pretty furniture, it will not be the
inviting retreat which it's pOssibili-
ties suggest. The first step in pre-
pairing it for summer enjoyment is
to select an attractive color scheme
for the walls, the floor and the fur
niture. Of course it will be neces
sary to take into consideration the
exterior color of the house. While
smart departure in porch decoration
makes it chic to paint the walls and
ceiling in different coloFs from the
body of the house, these two must
harmonic or contrast pleasingly.
For example, a house painted a put
ty color would be very interesting
if a greyed orange porch gave dTa-
matte color emphasis to the eXter-
ior. Let us go on with this house
and see what other colOrs would be
attractive for the porch.
First, remember that the orange
must be very light and very greyed,
a pale orange known among decOra-
tors as "dirty'-nOt. the brilliant and
trying color that one associates with
Greenwich Village tea rooms. An
odd chair or two rescued from the
garret and painted chartreuse,
rocker from grandmOther's room in
a deep greyed blue and few pieces
of natural wicker vanished will
furnish the porch comfortably and
delightfully."- if refinished correctly.
While the different" iron chairs
and benches which are being de-
signed today for outdoor use are ap-
propriate for the garden or terrace,
they are not comfortable enough for
the porch. However, metal tables,
in a simulated rustic finish or with
glass tops which protect growing
plants, combine delightfully."- with
wood and wicker pieces, and deco
rative metal vines which are fire.
quently made to climb porch wall
and hold bright pots OF flowers are
an exotic and stimulating porch ac-
cessOry.
The porch floor should be tarnish-
ed with an elastic floor varnish or
painted with good quality of deck
paint for easy cleaning. With the
color scheme we are planning, a
dark brown floor would be correct,
partly covered with straw mating in
natural color.
Old furniture which is being re-
finished for the porch should have
the old finish removed with paint |
and varnish remover if it IS in poor |
condition. After taking off the left
over wax and sandpapering, il is
ready to be painted, enameled, or
lacquered. For protection and Clean-
ing, the natural wicker chairs
should be finished with clear var
nish, flowed on so as not to gum up
the crevices. To prevent the rust
that inevitably attacks unprotected
metal surfaces, the metal porch
pieces should be finished with two or
three coats of raw sienna or Van
Dyke brown, the last coat stippled
with a brush dipped in burnt ulpber
to which little ordinary dust has
been added for a natural finish. If
you find colored metal pieces more
fitting for your porch, you should
first give them a coat of special
metal primer and finish them in
paint, enamel or lacquer.
For dinners on the porch or af-
ternoOn teas and luncheons, a tea
wagon will be found a very great
for carrying dishes and
'Ood from the kitchen. A wicker tea
wagon is always summary looking,
)ut a wooden one can be finished in
4 soft light color to go with the
porch furnishings. Oil cloth squares
'or the table will save laundry bills
md give a smart appearance at the
anne time.
Since we seek the porch eXclus-
vely for comfort in the summer, We
must make it comfortable. Screens
re very effective in keeping out un-
Welcome insects, especially if you
,lan to dile on the porch. These
hould be painted every year to pre- :
'ent rust. Mating hung from the
eiling of the porch can be rolled +
p and down to provide shade or !
as desired, and do much to :
GOODNESS during the sum- 9
ler. The mating may be used in +
atural color or painted to conform +
18th the color scheme of the porch. !