Romance in Dishes

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 388, 23 June 1928, Page 20

Romance in Dishes

Cheerful Environment For Unpleasant Tasks GENERALLY only the comparatively young, who know little of the monotony of oft-repeated washing-up, can find romance in dirty dishes—and then it is only when they are assisted in the task by equally inexperienced swains. One hears, too, that even the most hard-worked cook of twenty years ago occasionally had the pleasurable company of a visiting policeman, but now, though the arm of the law lias departed from kitchen regions, so many attractive innovations have been installed that the absence of lingeringvisitors is scarcely needed.

Kitchens are not the places they used to be, bristling with a multitude of utensils, considered indispensable, and as ugly as they were useful. The introduction of colour is playing a big part in making the kitchen chores seem much happier tasks than of yore. Most people, either consciously or otherwise, are susceptible to colour, finding the brighter hues uplifting, the pastel shades soothing, and the neutral ones depressing. Why not, then, choose a colour guaranteed to inspire your happiest mood and work it into the kitchen? Although the craze for painted furniture might quickly wane, the prettiness of a coloured kitchen is likely to gladden the hearts of housewives for an indefinite period. Shining Pots and Pans Prettiness is not usually applied to such places. Pots and pans, however shining, attractive linoleums and spotless enamelware, hardly justify the use of the adjective, but visualise the effect of white and buttercup curtains hanging at the window, where potted yellow or misty blue flowers nod from the sill; a table spread with a white and yellow checked cloth and standing in a cupboard with glass doors the breakfast tea-cups and plates of pale buttercup china. Blue is a good colour to combine with yellow, but discrimination is required when Introducing it, so hat the shade is not too strong for the clear golden tints. One has also to remember that a combination of two contrasting colours, especially in (Ire kitchen, is apt to become tiring un-

less several shades of one colour predominate in the general scheme. For , instance, one’s eyes cannot weary of shades of yellow when they are graded from palest primrose to deep, tawny hues. The warmer tones of lionet and deep amber are softening, and a step further on the colour scale would be a squat milk jug of rich chocolate glazed pottery, which blends admirably, as it tones down the brightness of its fellows. Buttercup Walls Buttercup walls are becoming more and more popular for kitchens, but although the colour is sunshiny, it is quite possible that the over-heated housewife, who has prepared a mixture of food for some party, is inclined to feel a little sea-sick if she is confronted by a whole room of yellows. Kitchens which are rather dark are ideal places for really artistic effects, but the mellow background required is not suited to all the cooking and washing-up being done in the one room. The ease with which modern kitchens are kept clean has successfully pushed the old-fashioned darkbeamed culinary "depot” into the past, but if some of the houses being renovated at present had their kitchens and sculleries slightly altered, so that they may be used as dining-room and kitchenette in one flat, the result would probably be welcomed by quite a number of home-hunters who have a few pieces of goo £ furniture, copper and old oil-paintings to retain the homely, restful environment they desire.