What fun when the circus is in town!

Press, 5 February 1987, Page 13

What fun when the circus is in town!

“Living Space”

by

PRUDENCE ROTHENBERG

A week before the circus came to Christchurch we made a decision. We would go to the circus! The ease of booking with visa card was marvellous. A telephone call answered by a helpful girl promised us the best seats available, which she sent by post. We loved the circus, every bit of it. The razzmatazz — the colourful big top, the bright costuming, the noise, the oohs and ahs, and the laughter.

There were children of all ages in the audience. The young ones trying desperately to stay awake, many of them falling asleep before the interval. Not being fond of caged or trained wild animals, we nevertheless enjoyed the act with the chimps, the only animals in the circus.

Roving acrobats, jugglers and magicians performed before crowds right back in history and they still do. The wire walkers still thrill and give the feeling of apprehension. The Nanjing acrobatic troupe were superb.

The lion dance was a feat in costuming, dancing and acrobatics. Highly trained acts followed in quick succession.

The end came all too quickly. At 10.30 p.m. we walked out into a beautiful warm evening in Hagley Park.

Q I would greatly appreciate your advice on a colour scheme for our holiday home in.Twizel. (Photographs enclosed). The wooden boxes have to stay, as they are needed in the winter, so

that the doors do not freeze. The house is 750 square feet and is situated on a corner section. The roof is galvanised iron. We would eventually like to take out the window and put in French doors leading on to a wooden deck. The roof line would be extended. This will not be done for a year or two. The colour of the houses around us are red, white, and grey; and red, white and blue. Have you any ideas how to make the house look less of a box? S. B. Christchurch.

A Thank you for the photographs. I know the houses in Twizel and it is difficult to be original. Once you have made the extension you mention your holiday home will be more individual. In the meantime, if you want to go to the extra expense, shutters or window boxes would help. I would suggest you paint your home in Dulux driftwood. It is not so dark as to make your home appear smaller, yet dark enough to give character. Paint the window frames and sashes white, the doors Dulux grenadine and the roof either green or grey. I hope the weather stays fine for your painting.

Q We have bought our first home. It is really nice and we are going to enjoy it. The house is about 20 years old and it requires new curtains and painting throughout. The trouble is buying the house has extended us financially and there is little left for decorating. There were no curtains in the house. In the bedrooms I have put up

polished cotton linings and we are quite prepared to live with them. I would really like a pretty (or smart) fabric in the family dining and adjoining sitting room. Do the curtains have to be the same? The carpet is plain fawn and is in good condition (thank goodness). We have a cane suite with brown covers. This we will have to keep for some time. I have been looking at fabrics and, to my horror, there is nothing I can see under $35. At the moment, this is more than we can afford. Do you know of any pretty or smart fabrics which are not so expensive? We prefer salmon, blues and greens. We have used Spanish white (Resene) and love it. Is there any reason why we cannot use it throughout our house? Later, of course, we intend to paper work areas etc. If you can help us we would be most grateful. M. A., Blenheim.

A Thank you for your letter. I am glad you have found a home that you enjoy and I hope you will spend many happy years there. I am fond of Spanish white as it seems to take on whatever colour is put with it. By all means use it throughout your home. I do like a flow of colour. Each room will take on its own character with different furnishings. Fabric prices can

be quite frightening, but I always keep my eye out for hard-wearing attractive materials for people such as yourselves. I have just received a new book from Sekers Jawatex. There are some wonderful fabrics in the salmons, blues and greens. Stardom melon mist is a mix and match cloth. It retails at $23 a metre plus GST. Dynamic Ceramic is a particularly attractive design selling at the same price. There is also a matching plain chintz retailing at $17.75 plus GST. Wilsons have mix and match fabrics in their East Indies collection retailing at $17.55 including GST. There are various others but space does not allow me to specify. If you prefer not to curtain with the same fabric in your dining and sitting room, either use a mix and match or a matching plain chintz. Good luck in your new home.

Q Your ideas please for a colour scheme for the painted surfaces in my kitchen? It measures lift by lift and has a white ceiling and trim. The east facing window has white cafe curtains with a beige border. The walls are papered (sample enclosed) and this will have to stay.

The bench top is stainless steel and the work areas are blue formica. The floor has a mottled brown/fawn vinyl with two mats in a toning vinyl. There are four double layers half size cupboard doors above the work bench on two walls. There are longer cupboards beneath the work areas and continuing around under the bench area, plus three drawers.

There are three exit doors and a door to the cylinder cupboard. I would like to change the colour scheme but feel * restricted by the paper. I am sorry I have not included a plan. I hope these details make some sense to you.' P. M. C, Ashburton. A A pretty wallpaper! I have taken, the colours from the paper that I hope you will enjoy more

than your orange, cupboards. Paint the block cupboards Taubmans bunting blue and the bottom cupboards Taubmans sweet pepper. Use Taubmans sienna on the doors and cylinder cupboard and paint the windows, door architraves and cupboard trjms white. Use either white or sienna, the background colour of the paper on the skirtings. Happy painting.