THE MODERN HOME MAKER.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 793, 16 April 1910, Page 10

THE MODERN HOME MAKER.

Tie modem woman knows more than her gramimothEr in many things, aad Home-making (says an Australian paper) may be considered one of Hiein bne is not content to stand silently by while her husband builds their home. She will net submit to bathrooms without hand basins, to laundries a dozen yards away from the house, or to linen cupboards wltich' are conspicuous by their absence. It is her lot to spend more than half her lite in the house, and her duty to sea that _it is well kept, and tbereford she insists on her comfort and convenience being studied. Nor does she make unreasonable- and impracticable suggestions. She makes a study of her subject, and brings her experience of what is comfortable and convenient to the discussion of what is beautiful and . possible. Our grandmothers spent hours, and hours in making their houselinen and in embroidering wonderful antimacassars and Berlin wool pictures; the modern woman has her embroidery,

used very sparingly, and never without espert advice. If red is used,' it should be ruby, not vermilion. In the matter of green he gives two rules:—(l) Dark peacock greens are useful for felt carpets, under rugs, for window curtains,, and for table covers, particularly in the case of polished dining-tables, whichwhen left uncovered, reflect so much HgUt from windows that they break up the colour harmony of a whole room, shimmering as do pools of water in a,( landscape; (2) pale greens shoald.be used sparingly, and with -Hie .greatest tact; their tints sboukl not be vivid, but tempered and grey. 'Wien' vivid hues ace chosen the materia-Is should, be of a lustrous kind, like silks, which take reflected lights, and these vaij; the brightness of the green." ' ■'.'_'

In 'the question of the light of a room, while is, of course, the best background; but it should be that soft, creamy white. This reflects 50 per cent, of light,- while red gives only 15 per cent. Browii reflects about 12.5 per cent., wMlo bright and corn yellow give 45. Dark green walls are as bad as red, but pale grej'rgreens ■ are much more luminous, and reflect 40 per cent Sough surfaces absorb more light than smooth ones,.and coloured patterns eat up more light than do simple flat tinie' without patterns;But we could'go oh qnotuig indefinitely, for the book contains so muck

too, but sho gives far more thought to, her furniture, her wallpapers, and floor coverings than did her forerunners. All women of tasta i like their, rooms to possess individuality, and to bo the outward expression of themselvoa, but it is not all who have the knowledge of how to arrive at that, result. They lenow when things are wrong, but cannot say v< hy .they are, nor hW to sot them right. And it-he reason of that is that, though they have tho taste for home-making, they have not learned the fundamentals, the grammar, as it might bo callea, of Ijouso-beantifying. ■ ,

' Any woman who is worrying over a colour scheme gone wrong, or a room that will not arrange itself right, will find great; help.in Mr. W. Shaw Spai> row's new book, "Our Homes, and How toMako the Best of Them.", Hero the -writer, who is an.authority on his eubject, deals with house-making, inside and out, from foundation lo roof. He discusses materials most suitable for special uses, and explains why thoy are so. He goes minutely into cause and eifect, and gives clear reasons for all his statements. His chapter on room decoration is one that should be road by all women who are proud of their homes; for, as he says, many women are apt to- forget that a room should bo a background for a living picture, and that it should be treated as a background; "that is, it must be quiet, not fussy, so as to lie behind the foreground Kgures, who are me.n, women, and children." "Bo afraid of patterns," is his advice. "Tho percentage of the good is very low, and those which are either 'had or defective make a room unquiet and ngiy. Remember that tiny patterns, which invite you to look at them elose at hand,, arc often much more assertive, than largo patterns. Remember, too, that no pattern to be of uso to us should prevent our walls and ourtains from being a qnict background." .

that is practical and useful. A good' deal naturally applies- moro to the English climate and conditions than to ows, but on the whole the advice may bo followed .here .safely and with profit.

Oa tho subject of colour he has much that is helpful, for many people raako tfho mistake of choosing for wallpapers and carpets .the colours they admire in bats and drosses. Ho warns us against terra-cotta, "which is one, of tho very worst, because it deadens a scheme of colour; it.■upsets harmony, like a discord. Vermilion and emerald green are vory nearly as bad. The,y should bo