Evening star., 1943-06-02
Paintbrush Plus Sense of Hum0r
That's Peter Hunts Recipe for Transforming Your Old

We have been talking about made
over furniture for some months. We
have said it was easy to do, that it
was fun, and that you would prob
ably like your makeshifts so much
better than the original or a new
purchase that you| would never part
with them. But just in case your
eyebrows are still bit raised, here
is proof of our statements, backed up
by Peter Hunt, who has been fam
GUS for years for just this sort of
thing, and by paint company
whose fine quality merchandise gives
the whole thing meaning.
Almost every one who has been to
Provincetown, Mass, in the last
several years has made that trip
more interesting and profitable by
visit to Peter Hunts shop. While
he swapped tall tales with the ma
tives and entertained the Visitors"
he also whipped up delightful pieces
of household equipment from his
huge stockpile of junk furniture. A
morning in his shop sent every one
away with the inspiration to "go and
do likewise" Back home again,
without Mr.. Hunts inspiration to
make it all seem easy, most of us
were scared. But now, with max
ing do the watchword of the pres
ent, he has stepped out of his hap
pily secluded shop to give the gen.
eral public a play-by-play account
of just how he goes about his re-
Juvenation of cast-of pieces of fur
niture to make them possessions
with both beauty and humor
Old picture frames turn into coffee
tables or trays. table legs become
lamps, discarded bureaus change to
kitchen tables, useless radio cab
inets undergo simple changes and
make chests for linen or playthings
These and many more original
transformations are decorated with
colorful freehand designs in the
American style Mr.. Hunt has done
so much to popularize.
Keynote of this Transforming out
dated furniture idea is simplicity.
Amateurs with merely paint brush,
a saw and hammer can ransack attic
and junk shop for castoff objects
and, following the lead of Peter
Hunts Imagination, produce lovely
things for the home. Quite apart
from satisfying ones self and in
teresting ones friends, the creation
of new things from old meets today's
double need for conservation and
cheer, for the hobby as we'll as prac-
tical value of this furniture is high
The ProvincetoWn artist tells in
a pamphlet how he paints the furni-
ture and bric-a- -brac now found in
the smartest shops and homes. His
procedures are carefully adapted and
explained so that every one can par
ticipate in this constructive, recre-
ational pursuit. Using the best paint
for assured quality and uniformity of
result, Mr.. Hunt divulges his tech
nique for every ones benefit.
The characteristic, inexact peasant
style decorations of flowers and
hearts, ribbons, scrolls, feather edges,
notices and other ornamental in
scriptions are also brought within
the reach of every ones ability. A
little practice to gain freehand con-
fldence and, as Peter Hunt says,
Your success is assured if you go
at your painting with your sense of
humor grasped as firmly as your
brush"
First, he advises, be unconven-
tional about planning your trans
formed furniture, letting your needs
determine its use For instance, if
you lack space for linens and silver,
don't hesitate to use an old marble
topped washstand just because it
was once in bedroom, or to convert
an ugly dining room buffet into
kitchen cabinet if kitchen storage
Is what you need. For the latter the
mirror ic rerooyeS 1aoc coroS oH