A BOUDOIR BEDROOM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20483, 8 December 1934, Page 34 (Supplement)

A BOUDOIR BEDROOM.

Easily Attained by a Clever Woman. EMPHASISE DRESSING TABLE. (By A BEAUTY SPECIALIST.) Few are the women who have not, from time to time, longed for a real pretty bedroom, a boudoir bedroom, such as was enjoyed by the famous beauties of olden times celebrated iD song and story. Perhaps we feel that surroundings such as theirs may add to our charms, or perhaps, it is only the natural yearnings of womankind for pretty and dainty surroundings, and yet, the dream of the* boudoir bedroom is rarely realised by the average woman. Nevertheless, it is one which may easily come about —and all througl attending to the handling of that a.l important accessory to the feminine toilet —the dressing table. Take your dainty bedroom as a beginning. True, the bed is the centre of its arrangement, isn’t it? To which everything else “leads,” just as in a wellarranged living room the mantelpiece is the central- point to which the rest of the room must conform. That doesn’t matter! Emphasise the dressing table, which with its central position in

the room and its bright mirror, that so j naturally attracts the eye, is just as satisfactory a centre for decoration as is the bed—and 10, the thing is done! Easv, isn’t it? And to show just how easy it is, let’s go over the room together, and see how doing this has turned it from an ordinary bedroom into the boudoir of madame’s dreams. A bed dops not belong to the boudoir bedroom. Of course it does not! So for yours, substitute a divan. Cover it with ruffled taffetas or cretonnes, pile gay cushions upon it in varying shapes ami sizes—and it stands disguised. The boudoir, in which you may receive your more intimate friends, without seeming to invite them into the precincts of the sleeping room, is now well begun which is, as you know, half done. Emphasise the Dressing Table. It may easily be draped like the bed bv attaching a barrel-bead to the wall, and tacking taffeta or bright cretonne to it in box pleats in such a wav that the heading rising above tne rough frame, will completely conceal it, while the curtains may be brought down to the dressing table in graceful festoons, where they may be held by a satin knot on either side. It is an easy matter to have an electric wire run round behind this, so that the light may be placed within the improvised canopy, and if both lining and shade are of rose colour, a most charming and becoming light will be furnished for these appoint: ments of the dressing table. For this, a kitchen-table may be used as a basis, a wide “skirt” of the curta : n material falling about it with the heading standing U p above the edge of the table itself. The top should be covered by a length of taffeta or cretonne, or a la.ee cover, or even a cover of metal lace in silver or gold looks lovely. And last, but not least, a sheet of glass and an old, tall

silver or bronze candlestick on either side lends dignity to such an arrangeA Charming Boudoli. An original woman of my acquaintance has a very charming boudoir, the walls and wood work of which are painted alike in grey. Her furniture, including the divan, is enamelled glossy black, the divan being covered with the gayest of gay cretonnes, and piled high with rose, red, grey and black cushions in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Her dressing table is—you will nevet guess a kitchen table enamelled glossy black, and skirted with the same cretonne a rich design of rose-coloured and red roses massed with a heavy green foliage. I lie same cretonne composes draperies, curtains ar.d upholstery""for the chairs. The floor, painted black, was almost covered with a rose rug, and a black-framed mirror topped the dressing table, upon whifch appeared in all their brilliancy olass toilet accessories, nothing in mere amber or amethyst glass, if you please, but flasks and boxes in clear crystal, striped in blight colours and sprinkled with gold stars, decorated by hand in rose and black, in blue and yellow, in orange—a riot of colour, truly, with no softening scarf to mar the contrast between their daring hues and the glossy black surface below them, where they are reflected in all their gaiety. The clever and original woman can devise almost anything —and succeed with it, too, in these days of odd and

brilliant combinations. And as this is so, we need no longer cling to the prim banality of the white draped bedroom, when the boudoir of our dreams is crying to us to claim it —all for the pleasure of the making and just a little bit of expense! A Few “ Don’ts.” No, 1. —Don’t imagine for one moment that beauty will take care of itself. Cara ! must be exercised to retain that which we have, and more care must be taken to obtain that which is within our reach. Were it easy of attainment beauty would be of far less value, and yet too few women realise liow willing Nature is to assist us. No. 2.—Don’t try to reduce the weight too quickly. Remember that Nature must be given a chance to readjust itself to new conditions, and if not given this chance more harm than good n.ay result. No. 3. —Don’t dry the hair by artificial heat. The artificial modes of drying tend to make the hair brittle. No. 4. —Don’t sleep with the head high; if possible lie perfectly fiat upon the bed, or at least, with but a flat pillow under the head. Hold the chin high, however, and keep the facial muscles tense to prevent tlieir sagging. No. 5. —Don’t forget that the parched face relishes a drink of cool water quite a* much as the parched throat. Fill a bowl with cool, soft water, and holding the breath, immerse the face several times in it. You will be surprised at the result. No. 6.—Don’t dress by a poor light. Have your dressing table placed where it will receive a good evenly distributed light at al! times. Don’t forget to dry the hand's, thoroughly after washing them, applying immediately a little cold cream or some glycerine and rose water or glycerine and witch hazel to soften I them. Don’t forget to manicure your nails once in every 24 hours.