Social Life Part 80

Some Useful Bits of Furniture.

A settee table of oak has an adjustable top, which can be turned over by the removal of two pegs, making a high back to the bench, whose deep seat is utilized as a household linen closet. These tables are in great demand where the saving of s.p.a.ce is an object and come in various sizes. They can be purchased without the top and used as a window seat. One in a pretty studio of a woman artist in New York was most artistically treated. It was painted a dull green. The back and the lid of the seat were upholstered in an effective gold colored tapestry drawn over a padding of hair and held down by gimp and gilt nails, making a most artistic seat or table, as its use for either was required. Another one was stained green, and on the back and lid of the seat was used natural toned burlap, with stenciled griffins in dark brown as a decoration.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A PAINTING FOR HOME DECORATION.]

These tables may be treated in various ways to suit their surroundings. It is suggested in _The Decorator and Furnisher_ that one stained the natural oak and upholstered in green rep, turcoman, corduroy, burlap or denim would be most attractive, or for green, subst.i.tute brown in the same materials and put on with dull bra.s.s nails, making an effective seat for a hall.

Another, painted white and enameled, would be charming in a blue and white dining-room. Upholster in dark blue denim with white nails, and fill with a number of pretty pillows in various designs of blue and white, and one of vivid scarlet to give a warm touch, which is needed in these coldly decorated rooms.

The lovely liberty chintzes in dark blue and white, and sometimes yellow, red and white on blue, are good to use on these settees, which are first painted black.

A Hanging Desk.

The economy of s.p.a.ce necessary in apartment living has brought about the evolution of some remarkable pieces of furniture that may be useful in small houses anywhere.

The writing desk may be included in the list of household wonders directly attributable to the necessity of fitting that most useful household article in a six by ten apartment. When closed, it really occupies the very smallest amount of room imaginable, and for the young students' use, or in flat bedrooms, where s.p.a.ce is at a premium, it is unique and valuable.

The material may be oak or such wood as one fancies. Pine enameled in white or black is as good, so long as it matches the woodwork or furniture of the room. Two strips of the wood, each two inches by three feet, are attached to the wall by long screws. Across the top of these are placed three shelves about five inches wide, supported by brackets of bra.s.s. Between the two upper ones part.i.tions are glued in to form pigeonholes.

From four to six inches from the lower end of each of the strips of wood is firmly placed a strip about two inches wide, to which is hinged the shelf that forms the desk. This is upheld when open by bra.s.s chains, and is thus made firm. When it is desired to close it, it is merely shut to the wall, the chains falling into place. The ledge upon which the lid is hinged forms a firm place for the inkstand and other necessary fitments of a desk.

Against the wall, between the supporting strips, may be fixed a j.a.panese panel or some tapestry or silk, as taste may dictate. A picture can be so fastened to the panel as to form a good letter or cardholder.

The whole affair is simple and easily managed. Any good carpenter will make the necessary woodwork for a very small sum.

A Window Desk.

One of the most convenient and altogether satisfactory contrivances quite in the power of a woman to manipulate is a window desk.

Take a board about fifteen inches wide and saw it the length of the window sill. Put small iron hinges on it and screw it to the sill, so that it can hang down against the under wall when desirable.

Tack a narrow strip of wood under the board, near the front edge.

Resting on the floor and wedged under this cleat there is a prop of planed wood, slender and neat looking. You can put a beading around the board, with small brads and stain it cherry or some other color.

The sill holds pens, pencils and inkstands, and a large blotter laid on the board, is a most desirable writing pad. This idea comes from an art student in Paris, who dotes on her window desk.

It will be found useful in the nursery as a place for pasting pictures, drawings, etc., and when done can be swung down and out of the way.

A Hall Chest.

A pretty hall chest is one of the things that may be successfully produced at home. In a seaport town, the chest of some ancient mariner is easily procured; otherwise, one of similar style and make must be fas.h.i.+oned for you by a carpenter. As it need only be made of soft wood the cost is not great. After it has left the carpenter's hands it may be decorated with the applied ornamentation in scroll design, which is now obtainable ready to put on, and afterward treated to a coat of stain.

Old oak is the most satisfactory, or it may be ebonized, if preferred.

Polished bra.s.s corners and hinges may be added, and a row of bra.s.s nails set around the edge with good effect. The convenience of these chests for hall use has been accepted. They beautifully conceal rubbers, mackintoshes, a storm shawl and various unsightly but useful impedimenta of the hall rack, and if, in addition, a seat is desired, a strip of dark leather with a light pad beneath it may be set on with bra.s.s nails across the middle of the lid.

Cozy Corners.

They are so easy to arrange. Have your carpenter make a double right-angle bench, with a high, straight back. The seat must be two and a half feet wide, and the top of the back five feet from the floor. This now looks like an ungainly three-sided square, or rather oblong, for it is better to have one side somewhat longer than the others. The wood should be stained cherry or oak, to match the other furniture in the room, and oiled and polished so as to be smooth and of rich appearance; or, use hard wood, black walnut, ebony, mahogany.

The seat and inside back may be thickly and prettily upholstered, and then piled high with pillows, or, the wood having been nicely finished, the upholstery may cover the seat only. Be sure and have the seat made low, otherwise the Cozy Corner will be uncomfortable, its name will be belied, and no one will hie to what might have been the favorite seat in the room.

Now, where shall we place the corner? Put it in the s.p.a.ce next to the grate fire, and since you have had this place in view, the side to fit in there should be made the requisite number of feet and inches so as to actually fit.

Placed in this part of the room, two sides of the corner are against the wall, but the third side presents a bare and uninviting appearance. This may be avoided by suspending a silk or gauze hanging close to its side, in the same way that the back of an upright piano is often screened. The seats should be piled with sofa pillows, and in the inclosure a few ha.s.socks would not be found amiss.

The word cozy suggests warmth and pleasantry, as well as comfort.

Therefore, this corner is always by the fire, and those occupying it are presumably cheery and happy.

It is just the place to rest in, just the place to read in, just the place for you and your dearest friend to chat in, just the place to play a game in, as bags, b.a.l.l.s, etc., could easily be tossed from one seat to the other; just the place to lay plans in, for you are in no hurry to move, and so your plans, not being hurriedly completed, would be more apt to prove satisfactory; just the place to nap in, just the place to frolic in. Indeed, just the place to add to our already comfortable homes if we would have them one remove nearer the ideal home than they now are.

Plenty of Pillows.

All cosy corners and all couches are incomplete without numberless pillows of all sorts, shapes and sizes.

A serviceable pillow, and one that can be laundered, is of blue denim, with a band of Irish point embroidery running around the four sides of the square with the edge toward the center. A ruffle of denim with a narrow embroidered insertion to match the edge, completes this sensible head-rest.

An Indian silk pillow is always pretty, and is pleasant next to the face when one is lying down.

An open-work scrim with rows of ribbon placed upon the plain stripes, made over a contrasting color of silk, with ruffle of sheer lace over the color of the pillow, is effective and bright looking.

Any one who is fond of an Oriental effect can have it in the pillow by sewing silks and satins. .h.i.t and miss, as in making an old-time rag carpet, then having it woven with black linen chain.

One who is expert with crochet needle can have a creation worthy of handing down for ages to come. Crochet a number of artistic wheels or medalions of knitting silk in a golden yellow shade; join together, making a square the size of the pillow desired. Place this lace cover over a contrasting shade of yellow, finis.h.i.+ng the edges with yellow silk pompons placed close together.

Yellow cheese cloth perfectly plain on both sides, with two ruffles of the same and a fullness of lace between, makes a dainty and inexpensive pillow; the under ruffle being six inches, lace ruffle five inches, and the top ruffle of cheese cloth three inches in width.

For the woman whose tastes run to the elegant, a pillow of silk-faced velvet and satin ribbon is grateful. A novel pillow is the clover pillow, but to carry out the idea as originally designed one must await the coming of the season when clover is at its fullest and sweetest blossom. Then gather the large red clover heads. Take as many as would fill a large washtub, sprinkle a pound of fine salt over them, and stir them well, about once a day, until they are thoroughly dried, without falling to pieces. This is the filling for a pillow made of white linen duck, embroidered with a straggling design of clover.

The convenient and ornamental floor pillow is especially adapted for the summer home, the piazza, the lawn or the lounging-room. The frame, which is made of good springs enclosed in a strong linen covering, is on casters, and can be readily moved from place to place. Covered with Bagdad stripes, tapestry, or any artistic material, it makes a Christmas present that would please the most fastidious taste.

A Corner Closet.

Lack of closet room in a house is a fruitful theme for complaint in these days of contracted s.p.a.ce. Architects there are who are willing to sacrifice every consideration, not excepting internal utility, for picturesque outside effects.

In such cases recourse must be had to wardrobes, but as these are expensive, the busy fingers of the housewife must be depended upon to improvise subst.i.tutes. If there is a corner in the room with sufficient s.p.a.ce (sometimes the architect denies us this small boon) it may be utilized in the manner herewith described.

Two strips of wood as long as you desire and four inches wide by one inch thick are screwed in the angle of the wall about six feet from the floor; boards are cut off to fit in the corner and resting on these strips; this will form the roof. A bra.s.s or wooden rod is then run across the front of this board from wall to wall and from which the curtain is suspended by rings. Cretonne, chintz or printed cotton, will make a good list to choose from, and are inexpensive. One may screw upon the underside of the roof and on the cleats as many hooks as are required, and, if desired, a shelf may be introduced about fifteen inches below the roof, and on that attach the hooks. Such an emergency closet will often be found a great convenience, and the cost will be trifling. It will be well to stretch a piece of muslin or paper across the upper side of the roof to keep out the dust.

[Ill.u.s.tration: REPLICA OF A GRECIAN VASE.]

A home-made j.a.panese cabinet may be readily made of the common materials found about the house, such as boxes of hard or soft wood.