New Britain herald., 1930-01-24
Iandicraft Of French Peasants Holds Hints
 For Housewives

New York, Jan. 2t - French peasants can give pointers to Amer ican housewives on many knotty problems Of interior decoration.
 The main reason for this is that the French peasants have such natural solutions for things that they are extremely pleasing. Their furniture is comfortable and deH- orative, their pottery cheerful. their prints gay and yet not gaudy, their ornamental crystal and DOT celain usually reminiscent of out . doors with designs Of birds, flow CTS. fish or some other sign IF. nature that takes the mind afar.
 Perhaps the almost childish sinl- pllcity and naivcte Of everything they make or arrange is the losi- cal outcome of their cheerful home life. Children help abont the house, their needs are consids cred, and when the work is dona, they help their parents with the l weaving of straw article, the carr- ing of furniture, the decoration of pottery.
 Some Household Hints
 The current exhibition at the Mittlcdortcr Straus peasant N;l- lage, atop one of New York's sky scrapcrs has innumerabIc hints for Housewives.
 Take, for instance, how the %or- mandy peasant treats a window that lets onto q very unsightly view. What does she do to retain the light and vet shut out the sight beyond 1 She trims the window neatly with peasant print curtains to the sill and put some kind of shelf or brack- cts in window to hold plants with | trailing tendrils or lovely, odd d-shap- ed crystal that is highly decorative and yet clear so the light can pen | citrate. Moreover her curtains ar" hung on swinging wrought iron rods, so that on dark days th~y nay be swung clear back.
 The groupings of peasant firni. trre in the exhibition are sound,y based on the principle of utility. At the window, a Wide-scatcd, comfort able Provincial chair with arms. up- hclstcrcd in the same chintz as the curtains has by it q triangular end table Of fine peasant handicra ct with it's top glass over the same chintz print. A PrivinclaI window shelf makes q handy book rack. An other grouping includes high backed chair with curved stretchcrs ana q graceful small table boastinc Il drawer and pretty little doubl. SIclt for books or ornaments.
 TIc Peasants Scttcc
 For corner effects the Breton peasants employ the old ".poo,' , style of turnnG to make corner Chairs, two Of which, placed .n %cthcr form q Scrtcc. Straw cusn. iruS ln Nari-colorcl effects Iigntrr the corners and over the chair ma> b' one of the little wall corner cup. boards with q couple of shelves which hold Il bit of peasant china with some of their pretty cla3s
 "ltchcraft balls hanging nor them like big soap bubbles. Or on, O the loW-soated slipper cla,r. which are really peasant pray. seats may be inst the right solutioy for corner that should be utilize, effectively.
 Much is made Of children, chairs by the French peasant. E,arI { chIld has its own chair and the vary Ing lzcS add m interesting touch lt my room. Too often American ch;l |''n do Eoi know the pleasure u' tHcir own little rockers. their ON; Wee, straight. arm chairs. Some oI the peasant chIldren's furniture i, very bright, painted in gay coors 1T the designs children love, such a, chickens, dogs, cats. flowers or litt!, beats. Rush seats are generally used
 Among the most interesting bit. of peasant handicraft are tn. novel stands, wall brackets. tabi, racks and other effective Howe, hoiuers' lneSe recognize uni Versal need for growing flowers il the home. There is some kind o holder for almost any conceivab; spot. The Noln9 boys of Brittau, make many of these. There i imagination in the swinging ba8 Lets, delicate. lacy stands. meeniou wall brackets they make of iror
 Many gre portable. so the por.i.tcu housewife may move tine plaLi , nom one rooms to another in pur , suit of tn" suns rays to cncoura4
 blooms. Watering pots and all kind Of interesting garden tools ar
 shown, too. as if in a concerto |, move 10 get flowers into AmerclI , homes.
 EVenc if one docs not use Frcnr' ., peasant ware 10 get the effect , here achieved, the ideas bchin :. these effects may be carried or s successfully. They are worth try l!G, anyhow.