Imperial Valley press., 1930-04-28
MOUNTAIN CABIN DECORATION
REVOLVES AROUND FIREPLACE

tains calls for simple furnishings
although they should be artistic and
| comfortable. For we go to such a
place for recreation in its broadest
sense-and to rest.
Hiking and, sometimes, horseback
riding and fishing are the princi-
pal modes of recreation in the noun
tain regions adjacent. to Imperial
Valley. These should be taken into
consideration when planning the
mountain cabin.
Shoes worn when hiking are usu-
ally of coarse material and are there
fore hard on floors. For this rea-
son an Inexpensive grade of hard
wood flooring will be found to give
better service than fir flooring.
here is now being manufactured a
grade of oak flooring admirably
suited to this type of house 1t is
called "Tavern", and comes in 4 in.,
D IN. and i'll. widths. 1t is practic-
ally one inch thick, and may be
used in any one width, although it
makes more interesting floor it all
three widths are used, and laid ir-
regularity. Ii this type of flooring
Is used one would not use many rugs
\ small hearth rug for hospitality's
sake, would be sufficient since the
beauty of grain and texture would
be so interesting that it would be a
shame to cover them, with less in
teresting material. This also makes
for ease in housekeeping.
Cne no longer furnishes the vaca-
tion home with the worn out things
discarded from the regular home
Rather, they make for themselves,
Or have made by the carpenter who
builds the cabin, simple, artistic
rustic furniture of beautiful wood
a stone fireplace thanked on either
side by settle such as is shown
in the illustration, would compose a
charming group. Copies of the
early American trestle tables would
be good for dining, in cabin of
this type. Or If the dining and liv-
ing room are one this might be used
as II reading table during the day
One Inexpensive way to increase the
seating capacity is with benches
placed at the end and side nearest
the wall, and chairs at the other
side and. end. These benches might
be constructed with backs or with
out, depending upon how near to
the wall they were placed.
There are many sources Tor de-
sign Of this type of furniture, the
public library, garden magazines,
and booklets, published by various
organizations.
Wood interiors, because of their
warmth, tone, and feeling are best
for such cabin. When plaster or
any other more cityfied material is
used for the interiors the cabin i'm
mediately loses that feeling of be.
longing to its setting, and seems
like thing brought from some 9th.
er atmosphere and set down amongst
the country things. Shiplap made
from pine, cedar or redwood is most
satisfactory for use in the noun
ly or horizontally as the effect will
tain cabin. 1t may be used vertical.
be good either way. Interest may
pt SdIheu DE uolnS portion or the
room with the boards running up
and down, and the rest done hor
lzontally. Also some of the boards
may be left natural while parts of
the room might be stained light
-hadc of some color which may be
reTeated by something just outside
the house, such as "A wild lilac, or
the green of the tail pines, or sturdy
)ak; or, again, the beautiful red
of the manzanita bark. There are
countless places and things from
which one may draw for inspiration
and ideas in making the moutain
cabin home a rare and beautiful
place, in which to rest and dream,
through the long summer days.
Do not be misled by thinking
that beautiful things cost more than
those that are ugly They do not.
Quite often beauty costs less than
uglyness. 1t all depends upon the
thought that is put into place,
what the results will be when it is
ready to be called "My Summer
Home"