THE FIREPLACE IN SUMMER.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20222, 7 October 1927, Page 15

THE FIREPLACE IN SUMMER.

There is something very stark and bare about a fireplace in summer no matter how well polished it may bo, out no one will lament the passing of the “ lire screen,” nor of those harbourers of dust and germs so beloved by our grandmothers, paper shavings. Nevertheless the problem of how to make a grate presentable once the fire has departed is one which invariably confronts the housewife. Needless to say the first thing to do is to have the chimney cleaned even if the fire has not been a constant one. During the warmer and drier days of summer soot dries and dislodges, and a sudden _ deluge of soot will destroy any decoration scheme. A delightful idea for a large grate . is a decoration composed of moss and logs A thick bedding of moss should be laid at the bottom of the grate, and upon this are laid several logs or blocks of wood, the suggestion being that of tree trunks lying in a wood. The disadvantage of this' decoration is, of course, that the moss soon withers and browns, and if the decoration is to remain effective it must be renewed frequently. A couple of sods of turf, broken and crumbled, may bo substituted for the moss, and although this does not look quite so pretty it is more lasting. For a smaller grate it is often possible to arrange a little ‘bank” cf moss or turf in which have been imbedded one or more pots containing ferns. Tho pots should bo placed in the bank in such a manner as to give the impression that the ferns are actually growing. For those who do not care for the idea of plants, the idea which a certain woman artist uses in her small grate may be carried out. This woman has cut a stout piece of cardboard to the size of the grate; she has coloured this a vivid red ;nd has painted over it the life-size picture of a black cat. Tho cardboard is fitted into the grate so as to seem as though pussy is looking out from behind bars. For another grate this woman has painted red flames on a dark background, and fixed the cardboard in the same manner. Those of us who live in older houses have sometimes to deal with very ugly fireplaces, and in many cases all that can be done is to banish the fireplace altogether, at leact, for the period during which it is not required. A p;ece of match-boarding papered or distempered in a colouring similar to that of the walls, and fitted exactly into the square of the grate, wilt serve to get rid of the fireplace. Artificial silk curtains may also be used for this purpose. These will be all the better if they match those on the windows, or they may be of the chintz or cretonne which covers the furniture. In a small room where space is very precious it is a good plan to place a desk or cupboard against the fireplace, and if the top of this reaches the level of tho mantelshelf it is all tho better, as the arrangement is less obvious.