Evening star., 1943-04-04
Camonthge
At Home
By MmSaref NoweU

~ M TG0ref NOWeH
Lavish use of a bright be-
f1owered fabric can furnish a
whole room. Windows, chairs,
bed or sofa, even walls and furni-
ture, may boast a fabric surface.
The only stipulation is that you
must not be stingy! Start out to
be generous and open-handed
with bright, gay pattern, and
don't disappoint your audience
by losing your courage halfway
through.
Let's pretend you are the occu-
pant of the average Washington
apartment with the usual cream
walled, window bedroom.
Though all the essential comforts
and necessities are here, there
are restrictions about changing
wall colors, so if this room is
destined to be distinctive it will
be so because of what you do to
it yourself. The quickest, most
inexpensive and most portable
transformation may be achieved
with fabric.
: For long time we have been a
little afraid of materials with a
large, brave, highly colored de-
sign. A yard or two was all right
for spot of color" but we felt
we must tone 1t down with several
plain colors until we succeeded in
actually drowning our first little
squirt of interesting pattern.
Famous decorators have led the
way by splashing about in vivid
greens, bright cerise, hot blues
and lemon yellow until we have
all become inoculated to the ex-
tent OF trying our own hand. The
results are often satisfactory be-
yond our widest dreams-and the
most ordinary background ends
up by becoming just four walls
and a ceiling to hold up yards of
colorful fabric.
So-for our cream walled bed
room we select fabric which has
a pale green ground on which
grow wonderful roses ranging
from white, through rich yellow
into deep coral tones. Deep
brown, thorny stems and dark
green foliage form a thread of
design. Planning to submerge
the room in fabric, we purchase
the whole bolt.
The two windows, treated as
one, become a fabric -draped wall.
Sheer cream net covers the glass.
At either side the flowered fabric
hangs in straight folds to the
floor. Starting at the wall, it ex-
tends just over the sides Of the
window frame. In this way no
light is lost and the wall is made
most important. A draped swag
OF the fabric is caught up above
the windows. Beginning at the
ceiling line, it extends Just over
the top frame of the window.
On the opposite side of the
room a tiny love seat and two
chairs are slip-covered in the
same fabric, which gives nice bal
ance to the room. The headboard
OF the bed is upholstered in the
rose-strewn material, which also
forms the petticoat around the
bed under the counterpane. Two
bedside tables have panels of the
fabric set into the doors. A
dressing table has swish skirt of
the same and a cushioned bench
before 1t. Most Of us would think
that that was quite enough of
one fabric, but this one bears re-
peating.
A cluster of white roses and a
cluster of yellow roses are care
FULLY cut out of the fabric and
mounted on coral-colored board,
framed In deep white frames and
hung over the bed to make a pair
OF charming pictures. Coral-col-
ored chintz, quilted, makes the
bedspread and forms the top Of
the dressing table under glass.
Aside from small accessories
about the room. the coral color is
the only deviation from the one
fabric. in either color or pattern.
The beauty Of the fabric makes
1t a pleasant possession, it's
quality means that it is long
lasting and may change its hab-
itat without difficulty. Its lavish
use insures that this whole room
may be transported from Cali
fornia to Maine and still keep its
personality. The drapery treat
ment has accordion" tendencies
and Is equally effective for one
window or three. With several
yards Of extra material on hand,
variations on the primary theme
may be worked out.