TWO HOMELY PIECES BEAUTIFIED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18500, 22 February 1930, Page 15 (Supplement)

TWO HOMELY PIECES BEAUTIFIED

Two colourful pieces of furniture observed recently have been much admired by everyone who has seen them. Their manner of decoration offers countless suggestions for decorating other panels in their doors and drawers or elsewhere, such as kitchen cabinets, dining-room dressers, secretaries, wardrobes or chests. The pieces seen had been decorated at home quite easily and in each case an old and shabby article on hand had been converted into something with real charm. One of these was originally a discarded kitchen cabinet, standing about four feet high. It had a wide flat top and just below were two drawers, side by side, and under these were two large doors, which on opening revealed two or three shelves.

This was paintbd in black, vermilion, jade green, and gold, and gave a fascinating note of colour to the liv-ing-room of the house, where it was used for music records and magazines. It would have been equally appropriate in the dining room as a place in which to store table linens.

Formerly there had been an upstanding curved piece of wood above it at the back, but this was taken off. Paint remover was used to get rid of the old paint from the entire cabinet, so that the lacquer paint and the clay to be applied would adhere well. Then the flat top was given a coat of lacquer paint in vermilion colour, as also were the wooden knobs on the doors and drawers, and the edges of the panels in the lower doors. The panels on , the front of the drawers were painted jade green. At this stage in the. work the paints were set aside and all the rest of the piece of furniture not yet painted was covered with a substitute for art clay, the latter being too expensive for use on so large a surface. There are several brands of these substitutes, sold at all large flaints stores. One pound of this substitute clay, selling for perhaps 50c, will cover about one square yard of surface. Directions for use come with it. In. this case it was put on with a brush* the wood being touched lightly with only the tip of the brush, so as to produce a stippled effect, care being taken not to put it on too heavily. When it had become dry, the panels of the lower doors were covered, over the clay, with jade-green paint, and this, when dry, was touched up lightly with gold paint and the gold was also brushed thinly over the vermilion edges around the jade-green panels. All the rest of the piece of furniture not already painted was then covered underneath gave a stippled' appearance.

The second of these two attractive pieces of furniture was for a bedroom in the same house. It was an old-fash-ioned movable wardrobe but had been made very different looking and lovely by repainting in a manner somewhat similar to the piece just described, but entirely different colours were chosen. As oil paints were to be used, the old paint was not removed, but the entire surface was sandpapered and panels were, in addition, rubbed with steel wool so that clay would adhere well. All panels were then covered with the clay in a stippled effect, particular care being taken not to have it heavy looking. When dry, these panels were painted so as to produce a mottled colour effect, three colours being used, light buff to match the walls of the bedroom, cobalt-blue, and rose. First the blue and rose were applied separately here and there in small lar patches, after which the buff was used to fill in places not already covered and also for blending the blue anfr rose together, the result being very dainty. When the paint was dry, the panels were touched up delicately with gold paint, put on lightly. No clay was used on the wooden knobs, but they were painted in the same mottled effect with blue and rose and buff, the gold being omitted. All the rest of the wardrobe was given a solid coat of the light buff paint, put on in just the ordinary manner.

CONCERNING WALNUTS.

Some finely-chopped walnuts introduced into chocolate blancmange will take away the rather cloying sweetness. Many creamed vegetables are improved by sprinkling with finely-chopped Walnuts just before serving. A f£w chopped walnuts in orange marmalade give a new and delicious flavour. Prunes, figs and dates stuffed with walnuts make sweets that are very wholesome for children. A plain bread pudding gains flavour from chopped walnuts.

APPLES WITH CHOCOLATE.

Core and peel a number of cooking apples. Cook them in a syrup. Then fill the centres with a Spanish chocolate cream made in this wise. Break up two and a-half tablets of chocolate and set them in a warm place in a can containing a cup of cold water. Reduce over the fire, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is thick enough to use for filling the eggs. Beat up the whites of two eggs with sugar and a little chocolate powder. When they are very stiff cover the apples with them and brown them in the oven.