BUILDING AND HOMES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 130, 26 February 1929, Page 19

BUILDING AND HOMES

(by

JACK PLANE)

MAKING THE HOME

THE ART OF FURNISHING

MISTAKES TO AVOID

If you aspire to furnish a house in a manner even approaching success, leisure is of the greatest importance. It might be said that time is almost more valuable than money when furnishing; for only with leisure can a thorough knowledge of the stocks of every firm in your town be obtained, the contents of the dealers’ rooms become known to you, and auctions be attended. Possibly you are one of the fortunate who build their own houses, and, if this is the case, then the question of allotting the rooms has already been carried out according to your wishes. But if, on the other hand, you are going to rent or buy a house, then of primary importance is an intimate friendship with that building. Visit it as often as possible until you feel you know each room, its size, its good and its bad points, its atmosphere, as it were, in both morning and afternoon lights, on sunny and dull days. This will enable you to decide on the uses to which you will put the various rooms. To do so successfully it will be necessary to. disregard completely the original purpose for which the rooms were intended, and re-allot them to suit your individual want?. So you must at the outset decide whether a living room, with a dining alcove or separate dining and sittingroom, or even a formal drawing-room, will suit your family’s requirements best. While this important question is under consideration and dscussion, do not overlook the attraction of the upstairs sitting-room. In a town or suburban house it has a special appeal, and the problem of serving afternoon tea upstairs is a very minor one in comparison with the pleasure this room will afford you. The allocation of the bedroom is entirely dependent on your own wishes and mode of living. Should you spend much time in this room, then ope that is a. combined boudoir and bedroom will be required. An important one, which catches the maximum amount of winter sunlight and passessing a generous fireplace, should be chosen; a balcony or sunporch would be an added attraction to' this room. If, however, your bedroom is merely used to sleep in, then a far less important room can be taken. You will find it quite impossible to carry out the leisured allocation of the various rooms without a mental picture forming in your mind of how you would like the rooms to appear when furnished, and so unconsciously ideas have been collecting that will prove of inestimable value when the time comes to buy the furniture.

The importance of the dining-room in the Victorian and later days can be traced to the fact that dinner was served at four o’clock in the afternoon and frequently continued late into the night. The ladies of the party at a comparatively early stage of the proceedings of necessity retired to the withdrawing room, while the young ' and old bloods continued their “dinner” freed from the restraint of the ladies’ company. For such “dinners,” as can well be imagined, a large and formal room was demanded. But to-day the position is reversed, ami it should be borne in mind that this is the least important of all rooms; for it is occupied for about two hours daily out of the twenty-four, and for the greater part of that time artificial light is used, so that one of quite small dimensions may without any misgivings be set aside for this purpose. A sunless room with no outlook, of even a bad outlook, could be utilised, for in the furnishing all the interest and colour wished for can be obtained. The living room or sitting-room is the most important room in the 'house —the room which will be occupied at all hours of the day, and at times by all members of the family. A room that will be cool in summer and sunny in winter is, of course, the ideally situated one. I have no hesitation in recommending that the most beautifiul room in the house should be chosen. ...... , A fireplace is of primary interest, and so much importance do I attach to this, that should the house be a rented or a purchased one, and possessed of a suburban tiled, coal-burning grate type, I would alter this, even if the cost entailed be considerable, and to substitute an ample, well-proportioned wood-burning one of the open type, with a wide polished or painted mantel board. The money spent on this alteration would never be re’’Afthere are children I would here plead for a day room for them, however spia.lL your hourse. , . • , If for any reason it is necessary to furnish in haste, get just the bare necessities, and complete the house at your leisure. A girl will spend months preparing her trousseau, and then try to furnish here whole house in as many days I Hie result is that she either wearies and hands the task over to a firm, or she buys without any deliberation or thought the things with which she has to live for many years. Ignorance and lack ot confidence and leisure are the main troubles of the young when furnishing. It has been frequently said to me: “How on earth can I possibly furnish my house? Why, I know nothing at all about it.” Though I must admit, at the same time, it has never been added: “Neither .do I care.” . Most people are interested ’in furnishing. It you feel that the problem- is not only beyond your powers, but that you have neither the time nor the interest to give to it, then by all means call in the professional ' decorator; state the sum at your disposal, and retire from the scene. But I warn you, if you do this, do not be disappointed if the rooms have an impersonal feeling, however beautiful they may be, for that much sought after “atmosphere” or “personality" can only be transmitted to work by the owner giving her individual attention to it. Should you, however, wish to furnish your house yourself, yet feel that the technical difficulties and knowledge are beyond you, then the professional can be of the utmost assistance to you, and should you decide to accompany her on her buying expeditions then I may safely promise you will get much pleasure ana knowledge from what seemed to you m your ignorance a terrifying problem. ■ It will be necessary to be quite firm and never buy anything solely for the reason that “it was so cheap. To many a bargain is a great temptation. Possibly it is just a trifle easier to forgive if the explanation of a not too becoming dress is, that it was “such a bargain, the frock will in time wear out, but, alas, the sideboard will not, and out of harmony with everything else, remains labelled “I am here for one reason only—-1 was such a bargain!” Pray do not understand me to say that bargains m furniture are undesirable; on the contrary, most desirable are they, provided they nre what you require. It is a far greater sin to buy “because it was so cheap than to go without “because it was too dear, but the only justifiable reason (if one must be given for a purchase) is that it was exactly what I wanted for that room.” . The mistake of buying “because it was old” must also be avoided. _ If it is your ambition to furnish witU antiques and you possess no knowledge of the subject, but sufficient money to play this attractive but most expensive game, then it would be advisable to place yourself in the hands of an honest dealer. Ruth Lane-Poole, in “The Australian Home Beautiful.”

STRAY NOTES

BEDROOMS OF TO-DAY

The tendency to simplify, to eliminate, is as noticeable in our homes us in our attire. The plumes and trains of another generation have vanished, and with them have gone the plush draperies, the overmantels, and the myriad small tables laden with bric-a-brac, writes M. Garland in the “Ideal Home.” Nowadays our homes contain only the essential; but it is a good sign that never before has so much attention been paid to the aesthetic qualities of every detail. No longer do we rely on the ornamental value of a few statues and pictures to decorate our rooms—-the actual const!action and each practical detail is a decorative asset, and the modern deeprator is a craftsman who has known how to make the everyday things of life beautiful. The elimination of dust-collecting objects has not only led to the abolition of bric-a-brac; it has given us built-in furniture. The realisation that time spent on unnecessary tasks is time lost has led to labour-saving devices, and these in their turn have produced a type of beauty which, though far removed from the elaborate decoration of palaces, once the ideal of every householder, need not be severe because it is simple. In no room is hygiene more important than in the bedroom, and, until lately, in no room has it been more neglected. Canopies and draperies obscured the windows. prevented air from reaching the occupant of the bed and collected the powders and lotions of the dressing-table. In a typical modern bedroom, the builtin bed, devoid of all mouldings, has a bed-head cleverly constructed to include a bedside table—therefore, ■no moving of furniture, or dusting around legs. The built-in cupboard, also devoid of mouldings, is scarcely noticeable, and does not interfere with the sweep of plain wall, so restful to the eye. The dressing-table is all that convenience and coquetry could desire. Its rounded shape is excellent for a small room —no corners to knock against or catch—the adjustable mirror is held in place by a rustless metal rod, and the composition top is washable but unbreakable. A drawer is practised in the thickness of the table, and the stool is made to fit into the hollow beneath. . : Anpther space-saving dressing-table shows the utilisation of the space between two windows in a small room where an ordinary table would have been inconvenient. The entire wall has been covered with mirror, from the ceiling to the skirting-board, where a narrow shelf supports it. On this and on the smaller shelves which branch off on either side, all the toilet necessaries are kept, and a brilliant light is obtained by tube lamps, hidden beneath. the curtains, which reflect into the mirror.

PARQUET FLOORING

Parquet flooring is usually made in thicknesses varying from iin. to H in -> ot oak, teak, maple, and other woods. The termed “herring bone pattern, but it can also be obtained and fixed in panels of geometric design, and colour effects can be obtained by tile use of different coloured woods. A British technical journal gives the following instructions on laying floors of this type: If the parquet is to be laid on an old floor, the latter will require to be gone over with a plane and made perfectly level. After this has been done the blocks or pieces should be laid to the pattern and fixed down by means of glue of a thin, consistency. Should any of the pieces not remain in position with the glueing, they can be nailed through the edges to the flbor with small wire-cut nails. When the parquet is dry, level off with a smoother plane and finish with sandpaper. If the whole room, is to be treated in parquetry, commence from the centre and work to lines drawn upon the floor so that the proper alignment may be kept. Should a polished floor be desired, first fill all joints, holes, etc., with wood filler and, after a space of 15 or 20 minutes, wipe off clean, across the grain. When the filler is dry and hard, say, in 24 hours, sandpaper with a fine sandpaper and then apply a coat of copal varnish; put on fairly thin, go over the surface again with fine sandpaper, and finish . with two coats of best floor varnish. Avoid dust and keep the room as dry and warm as possible. For a dull finish, rub final coat of varnish with powdered pumice and crude oil, on felt, and then wipe oil and pumice off thoroughly. A Wax finish is got by first giving the parquetry two coats of raw linseed oil, and, after the latter is dry, polishing with a mixture of beeswax and turpentine made up to the consistency of a thick cream. This is well rubbed into the wood until the desired finish is obtained. The thin parquetry will be found an ideal method of covering old floors, and will help to preserve rugs and carpets which are prone to wear through, when laid on old and uneven floor boards.

STEEL CASEMENTS

With small sparkling panes set off by slim steel muntin bars, steel casements pattern the light and colour out of doors with a brilliance that wide blank lights of class can never give, says an American authority. And because they afford variety instead of monotony, they give to the window opening a texture that blends attractively with colours and fabrics. The shimmering panes and the slender tracery of steel bars form a background for dainty colourful draperies that lend to the room the same individual charm that the chic of a Paris gown does to my lady. The units may be so put together, too, as to form ensembles appropriate to every type of house, from the steel casement with a semi-circular transom above it—an ideal combination for the Spanish type of house —to the broad, low casement one associates with more intimate architecture. And for the various types there are on the market curtain rods and assemblies by means of which the windows may be draped as simply or elaborately as the purse will allow and as good ta Aside C from’ their intrinsic beauty and the possibilities they offer for interior decorating, steel casements have practical advantages that the homemaker cannot afford to overlook. Not the least of these is that they give 100 per cent, ventilation in contrast to the ordinary window that, at best, can be opened only halfway. And as the steel casement opens outward, the window may be set at such an angle as to deflect into the room a breeze that would not be available to the occupants under ordinary conditions. . . . This type of window is easily washed from the inside. Extension hinges hold the open swing-leaves far enough away from the wall to give easy access to the outside of the glass, so doing away with the expense of window cleaners for openings beyond the reach of the cleaning woman.

The cost of weather stripping is also done away with in the case of these modern steel windows, for they shut weather tight at all times. Steel meets steel in a broad flat line of solid contact all around the sash under the clamping pressure of a gracefully curved locking handle. Electric through-welding of all corners makes easy opening and accurate fit permanent, built-in qualities. No matter what the weather, the casements can neither warp, swell, shrink or stick, so they always open easily at the touch of a finger. . Because they possess such practical advantages and so particular a charm, one might expect these steel casements to be expensive. Although their original cost isslightly above tha| for ordinary windows, their installation is so much simpler that their final cost is found to be little if any more than that of ordinary windows. When one deducts from that the cost of weather stripping or storm windows that must be placed on some openings to conserve as much heat as the steel window does, and the sums that must be paid window cleansers during the course of but one year if upper-story sashes are to be kept clean, it takes little figuring to determine which of the two types is the Cheaper in the long run. And if the house must be sold, its modern windows will add to its value.

TINTED LIGHTS

To obtain a charming lighting effect in a room which has been carefully furnished and decorated with a view to the artistic, the latest idea is to difuse it with a beautiful colour by means of tinted lights. The parchment, alabaster and other mediums that are used for indirect lighting are very attractive, but they are not sufficient to supply the soft radiance which is so helpful toward making women look their best —which they should do in a pretty room. This new scheme, however, for giving colour effect does not come frotn shade reflection, but ftom the electric bulbs which are coloured all over with a particular kind of ink. One woman who tried this decorative scheme,, found that colouring the globes only failed to give the desired effect, so she coloured the inside of the inverted alabaster bowls, too.