Ladies' Column.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4866, 3 February 1894, Page 3

Ladies ' Column.

TABLE DECORATIONS.

The announcement that one oi the leading West End firms employ a "wellknown lady artist" to dress their shop windowa (writes Harry Furnies) will cauae BCorea of ladies, well-known and otherwise, to offer their services in similar capacities. There is quite a surfeit of professional table decorators— thoae members of the gentler sex in reduced circumstances who are plua taate but minus means, and go from house to house to superintend the embellißhment of the feafcive board, for London hoatesaea vie with one another ia the beauty of thoir prandial arrangements. The prettiest table I think I have seen was covered with beautiful orchids of a mauve tint, peeping out of baskets tied with ribbons of the same colour, aud the electric light, also mauve, lent a beautifully harmonious tone to the whole. On the following evening I dined afc the house of a lady who ia noted for her unique dinnerß, and here almost everything was pure white. Only snowdrops, placed in white ornaments wifch just a little scarlet in the centre as a relief, graced the table, and the effect waa exquisitely pretty and simple. But the moßt extraordinary aud bizarre effect 9 I ever witnessed were at a moat elaborate aupper given by Van Beera, the painter. The table consiat.d of plateglasa, covered of course by the tablecloth, and the electric light was placed underneath, bo aa to come up through the glass. It was called a "surprise supper," and ifc fully justified its name, for the light would suddenly eh&nge from bright yellow to crimson, then to white, and iust as you had a delicate morsel to dissect it would go out altogether. The gueata consisted chiefly of men, as the erratic effects of the illuminations would have proved trying to ladies, who make up for a light that comes from above—and not too much even of that.