The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-11-05
It's High Time for All
10 Make Il he Most Of Home

The idea of redecorating
brings a glow to the heart OF
woman, and now, with the gov
eminent urging us to conserve
whenever possible, is fine time
to polish up the old ingenuity
and 60 to work.
The first thing to do is to look
around the house and decide
just what is the trouble with the
old furnishings. If the carpet is
worn, or the chairsprings sag,
now is the time to replace them
with new articles, or to have
upholstered pieces thoroughly
reconditioned. Perhaps the room
still looks bare and unfinished
another easy chair or a desk
will help fill up space.
On the other hand, you may
suddenly realize that the room
looks like an over-crowded mu-
scum. Try removing most of the
vases, plants, photographs, and
doilies, and rearranging the rest
in interesting groups. Move the
furniture, too, to give a restful
and harmonious appearance.
Color is perhaps the most i'm
portant element in making
room attractive. Decorators adj
wise careful planning so that the
room is neither monotonous nor
gaudy. If the room abounds in
figured designs, try painting the
walls with a new paint which
goes right over wallpaper, or
cover the upholstered furniture
with plain slip-covers.
HOW TO BRIGHTEN
A DULL ROOM
- On the other hand, a dull room
may be frightened by the addi-
ton of gay little vases and OBJ
jects dart. Colors should be
carefully chosen to blend togeth-
er and unity the room.
Bleached muslin curtains may
have an appliqued design cut
from the same material as a slip
cover, or monks cloth draper
les can be striped with horizon
tai bands of bright material. If
the furniture is modern, an up
to-the-minute note can be add
ed by the use of Chinese pic
lures, carved vases, and Chinese
Chippendale wall brackets with
glazed figurines. In these days
of interest in geography, framed
maps may take the place of pic
lures.
Many homes have outmoded
red brick fireplaces which dom
mate the living room. A coat of
paint the same color as the walls
will make the fireplace blend
into the background, or if the
man of the house is handy with
tools, he can build a new wooden
front to be covered in washable
pine or marble patterned paper.
TRICKS OF TRADE
The scheme of using plain
paper on three walls and a
bright figured wallpaper on the
fourth or in a niche is one which
might be considered. A large
bay window in the living room
takes on a new appearance if
hung with soft glass curtains
and used for conversational
grouping, for a desk, or for a
handsome bridge set.
If there's a large drafty door
way, perhaps between the liv-
ing and dining rooms, shelves
may be built at both sides of the
opening, providing an interest
ing space for books and bric-a-
brac.
Simple needlework comes in
to the picture in the bedroom.
Cotton bathmats may be sewn
together in checkerboard fash
ion to make an inexpensive new
rug. And there is nothing more
attractive than a dressing table
hioNS VI vi dilsC III dtCS CONcTcu
with checked bingham, with a
chair to match.
HOME WORK
Reconditioning of wood pieces
may be done at home. Instruc-
tons on refinishing Scared
pieces are readily available at
libraries or stores, and from
there on, it takes only elbow
grease! Old-fashioned pieces
such as the once-popular sec
tional bookcases may be com
pletely changed by a blcached
or natural finish, after the doors
have been removed. Set on a
low broad cabinet base, the
becomes a very mod
ern secretary. Enameling old
wood furniture will do wonders
for its appearance, and il can
be given a new peasant" look
by the application of decalco-