Imperial Valley press., 1930-05-26

Inc fortunate rev who can pack
their trunks when the first warm
| days come round and seurrv off to
spots where cool breezes blow. just
put their valuable furnishings in
mothballs and closing their doors
and windows, hurry away. The
stay-at-homes may make the best of
their situation by Transforming their
town houses into places as refresh
ing and cheerful as proper decorat-
ing can make them.
Heavy winter draperies usually
come down first, airy ones replacing
them and bringing the freshness of
summer indoors. Slip covers of light
colored linen or eretonne hide the
upholstered furniture that offered
such inviting warmth all winter.
Rugs are taken up here and there
and broad expanses of vanished or
painted flooring add to the cool eff
feet.
The purpose of this household
tranformation is two-fold; it makes
the house cooler and it simplifies
household tasks. In acquiring the
first of these two summer requisites
the Importance of light colors can
not be stressed too foreibly Light
eolrs not only look cool but they are
cool. This is best illustrated by the
influence on the temperature of a
surface painted white. The white
surface acts as mirror, bending
the heat rays so that they are twist
ed around and shot out again. On
the other hand. black absorbs the
heat. Some colors are as much as
10 degrees warmer than lighter ones
experiments have proven.
Next to white and delivate tints,
the lighter colors are the coolest:
cream. blue, grey and green are in
this class, and because of their heat
influence all these cooling colors
are used in the materials for sum.
mer clothing. With our clothing
made cooler by this principle, why
shouldn't our homes be too.
Rooms that are unduly warm be
cause of an abundance of sunlight
or absence of thorough ventilation
should be especially considered
when the spring painting is done
Walls tinted she'll pink or robin g
egg blue and woodwork painted
ivory would 60 far in giving re-
freshing spring-like atmosphere to-
room. Dotted swiss or voil curtains
and furniture painted in one of the
cool colors suggested here-for ex.
ample, delft blue with pink walls
Or cream with the blue background
would make even the room with
oven tendencies delightful summer
retreat.
Labor Saving Considered
Then there is the labor-saving
element that enters into the house
that has been dressed in summer at
tire. Painted surfaces may be kept
fresh simply by wiping over with
damp cloth. Dust may blow in
that cannot be avoided in most
houses-but the painted surfaces
light in color though they are. ear
be easily restored to their original
freshness.
1t is so pleasant to cat on tho
! porch. Those tempting summer sup
pers so informally served taste eve
so much better outside on the coo
| porch, besides cutting down house
| household tasks from many angles
"But what will happen TO the ap
! pie green breakfast set if it is ex
posed for any length of time9' ask
the woman who is careful of hei
| furniture. Nothing, if it is properl!
cnamelcd, as this protests to iron
sun and rain.
! When rugs are taken up after /
winter of wear, the floor does no
! always look its best in certain spots
The bare floors seem so cool and re
freshing when they are nicely fin
ished that they play "a prominen
part in the scheme of cooling off tn,
house. When the floors are to b.
re-varnished they should first b.
cleaned and lighthly sandpapcrcd
II they have become badly crack
ed or Clipped during the winter i
will be necessary to sandpaper then
more thoroughly or, more satisfac
tory still, to use a paint and var
Dish remover and then refinisl
them.
colored floors fit into many type
Of homes, especially those of th
early Colonial or American cottag
design. Some shades of floor paint
such as blue or green, although at
traetive all the year round, arc e.
peeially appropriate for summer.
stencil border gives the painte
floor an individual touch especiall
when rugs are not ased. Gay inc,
} pensive little rugs, replacing tn