Evening star., 1942-08-19

- you p1oS OllC SllflIU1l
This one item of personal pref
gives character to a home over
furniture and household equipment
as they buy clothes, have them
fitted to their personalities and
measurements" The memories of
individual use which cling to these
furnishings continue year after
year. No matter if the home back
ground is in New England or Florida,
California or Kansas, certain char
acteristics of ownership are imme-
diately recognized by friends and
family and make any habitat your
home"
Think of all the houses of your
friends and relatives. No two OF
them are alike. in spite of the fact
that modern living demands a GER
tain number of chairs and tables,
lamps and sofas for comfort. You
will remember one house for the
thoughtful arrangement of chairs,
sofas and lamps so that wherever
you sit you are happy and comfort
able in conversation. You will re-
member another because of the
careful arrangement of pictures and
mirrors in relation to wall space
and the fact that they are at ex-
actly the right eye level for enjoy
ment. Another will be distinctive
in color which gives your spirit a
lift each time you come in-and still
another may have no distinctive
feature that you remember-but you
know because of your pleasure in
going there that it must be right. .
On the other hand, there are
many that you will remember for
less pleasant reasons You feel re-
curing irritation each time you
enter the home Of the friend with
too much money to spend, who
must always be sin fashion," SO that
her house is continually being re-
done with never time enough to set
tie down and become a home. Her
idea of a smart" house gives the
impression of suite of rooms in a
better hotel and never has chance
to reflect any of the personality of
the occupants There is the too
careless hollsekeeper who permits
broken springs, soiled upholstery
and cluttered appearance to mar
the fine architecture of a good
house, and the too-neat one who
cannot give you moments relaxa-
tion because she must wipe off the
table each time you place a glass
on 1t or empty an ash tray every
five minutes, while you perch pre-
cariously on the edge of chair
lest you mar or hurt some detail of
the precise interior. Though these
may be extremes, most of us have
encountered them in one house or
another. Between the extremes we
may chart course of good living,
good decorating and good house
keeping which is nearer the hearts
desire.
No one likes mussiness, but there
Is a certain comfort about having
the mending basket, the knitting
tray, your favorite magazines or
books close beside your favorite
chair, and they give to the family
room that essence of your own per-
sonality which makes it unforget-
table. Every one is made unhappy by
the feeling that they must constantly
leave each room as though it had
never been occupied. Ash trays are
easily emptied tables can be COW
cred with glass tops, furniture may
be slip covered, but beyond that,
household equipment is supposed to
be used and a maximum of good
manners and care combined with
the right place to put things should
solve this problem A great deal of
money to spend and plenty of furni-
ture Is not necessarily the secret of
the successful house. It's very nice
to have Just what you want for each
corner, but you are just as likely to
remember grandmother's rocker
with cushion on the floor for
Johnny or Mary to sit on as the
best down filled love seat TIE mar
ket offers. It is the way you use the
things you have that makes your
home.
II you don't like the way your
house looks, change it about until
you do. Don't permit it to remain
static until the day when you can
do it all over at once. Bring out the
things you enjoy and use them to
bring pleasure each day that you
live. Keep the individuality of each
member Of your household and fiji
all their whims and fancies into a
composite picture which they vii.
remember as the years go on.