SPRING REFURBISHING

Evening Star, Issue 23451, 16 December 1939, Page 17

SPRING REFURBISHING

SCHEMES TO SUIT THE TIMES Spring cleaning has taken on a new significance this year. For, due to the war, some who had planned redecoration schemes or intended to refurnish a room or two, are making spring cleaning serve instead (says a Melbourne * Age writer). It is possible to give quite a new appearance to a room without incurring the expense of entirely redecorating. Take the room, for instance, _ that you were planning to dp up this spring. You want to make it as attractive as possible. First, all the carpets and the covers you intend to replace could be professionally dry cleaned instead or the usual spring cleaning at home; this will freshen them up considerably. _ Perhaps the loose covers are getting a little shabby. The arms generally begin to wear first of all. Why not sacrifice one cover, and make new arm pieces for the other chairs or sofas. It the covers are in a patterned material, either floral or striped, then the covetrless chair could be re-covered in some plain fabric to tone with one colour in the pattern or to provide a contrast. Or again, if the old covers are plain, the new one could introduce a pattern. TO LINK COLOUR SCHEME.

Cushions could be in the same fabric or colour as the new chair cover, and, so provide a definite link in the design. , . , Sometimes one chair gets much more shabby than the others, and an entirely new cover must bo made. If the idea of an odd chair does not appeal, one or two of the curtains could be used to re-cover the chair and a plain curtain combined with the patterned one. If there are two windows along one wall, leave the patterned curtains on the outside of the windows and introduce the new ones in the inside. Again, cushions in. the same colour or fabric will link the scheme together. When covers are to have now pieces added this should be done before they are sent to the cleaners. _ . Perhaps your room has its furniture upholstered in a wool fabric, and you were planning cretonne slips covers, for the summer. If you do not want to continue with this, plan now you can perhaps add semi-slip covers of a lighter material, which will cover the arms right down to below the cushion, and a Separate one to pull on over the back. This scheme can be carried out for a sofa as well as chairs. Maybe your furniture is upholstered in a wine-coloured fabric; then the semi-slip covers can be in biscuit colour, a washable material will add to the summery effect. < Sometimes the removal of a picture or a piece of furniture from against a .wall leaves -a., faded mark, on paint or paper, ' You may have planned to entirety repaper or repaint the room. If it is. temporarily postponed you can get a very modern effect by painting or papering a contrasting or toning panel. If it is the space between two windows that is shabby, it is very easy to put in the panel. . In a primrose walled room, for instance, a greeny-blue panel would be most effective. The whole of the_ window side of a room could be painted and wooden pelmets in the same colour installed. This would give the room a very new note. The same idea could be carried out in a bedroom, and would he particularly effective if the bed is in a recess; or, again, the whole side of the room could be repainted or papered. This scheme is most effective when the wall to be painted is that behind the head of the bed.

COLOUR SCHEME FOR BEDROOM. A most attractive bedroom had three walls painted soft pink and the fourth blue, The furniture was of an inexpensive wood, and looked much better when it had its new coat of white paint. A deeper note was introduced by painting the floor a deep red with a narrow grey border “ spattered ” with white. A deep pleated frill in -the same blue as the wall hung to the floor from the bed, and was partly covered by a quilt of white pique. Little sheer white curtains were draped: for a centre tie of blue. The whole' colour scheme was most charmingly worked out. A new idea for the windows is to frame them rather than curtain them, and it Is specially commendable when ft is desired to avoid the expense of new curtains. It depends on the room, but with green and white colour scheme twists of green, yellow, fuchsia, magenta, and white linen were fastened by one clever designer with excellent effect to cover the wood frame of the window. .... Of course, if this scheme is followed the blinds need to be irreproachable. Venetian blinds look well in such circumstances, and if the framing was carried out in plain fabric, then cretonne blinds might bo attractive. Do not, however, choose this scheme for a room that needs its curtains to keep out the glare of the summer sun. Finally, you can cheer up an outside shade or awning by painting it with dye, or even with a house paint diluted with turpentine. If you arc a careful workman you may even be able to follow the lines of the stripes in the canvas.