STRAY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 112, 9 February 1928, Page 17

STRAY NOTES

NEW FURNITURE With extreme simplicity fts the watchword in the arrangement and furnishing of the home of to-day, the cabinet-makers content themselves with adopting materials that are beautiful in colouring and in texture —exotic woods of fine grain, rich in knots that give variety to tint, and yielding surface, smooth as satin, on which can be put a polish that is a delight to tlie eyes. For preference these skilled artists execute their severely plain models in the blackish-purple woods of the East Indies, giving a rounded surface to fronts of eabinets or chests, perhaps, but no ornament other than a bevelled edgo or a reversal of the grain. Decoration obtained by tools —carvings and twists—is strictly tabooed and is, in fact, regarded with disdain. The only note of fanciful invention is to bo seen iu the knobs or handles of door or drawer. These may be merely a cube of polished ivory or a tassel of brass or aluminium that catches the eye like a merry smile. Often two woods are used for the handsome piece of furniture that is to be conspicuous in hall or corridor, in drawingroom or library; a very knotty walnut, for instance, combined with rosewood in two tints, that of Madagascar united with that of Rio; or the rosewood may. have coral wood, or Norwegian birch, let in for decoration. There is an extra touch of elegance about a room when the door is of the same wood as the furniture, treated in harmony with it. In designing furniture the artists cannot lose sight of the fact that .many families nowadays live in homes just a size too small. Does anyone know a housewife who does not yearn for one more room? Compactness is therefore necessary, and pieces of furniture destined to stand against a wall must not project too far into the room. Glass plays an important role in a room filled with dark, polished wood, seen against the background of a bare and neutral wall. Just how important it may be you realise when you see one of the new lamps set on the polished violet-wood table. It is merely a large globe of clear glass, on which is engraved the graceful form of two or three fish. . The electric bulb is fixed on top of this globe, and concealed beneath a shade of soft-toned parchment, and all sorts of charming lights play in the crystal surface. Cutglass handles on all the doors are also a help to the modern room. Among devices for economising space is the broad shelf with wall recesses above it set on cither side of a tall mirror, Ihe whole taking the place of the dressing table. The recesses with glass doors invite the most decorative of bottles, those for costly perfumes and lotions, while all the other dainty arrangements needed for a woman’s toilette are disposed on the. shelf. Little lights are hidden in the cupboard recesses and all round the mirror. There need be no lack of personality in the modern home, in spite of the disappearance of knicknacks and carved furniture.—Alice M. Ivimy, in the "Daily Mail.” CUSHION COMFORT It is n matter for thankfulness that the period of elaborate, over-trimmed cushions is past. They were made for adornment and not for. comfort; you could not squeeze them into ytiur back, nor yet pull them about your neck—that is, unless you were prepared for ti slight depression in your hostess. To-dav’s cushions, though mode first for comfort, are by no means lacking in attractiveness. Velvet, is as fashionable for cushions as for dresses, alid ti design that is much seen shows a bolster cushion covered in velvet of three tone* of the same shade. Thus, beech, bronze and brown merge gently into each other, aud remind one of the woods iu autumn. The greens and the purples and wine colours lire also particularly successfully treated in this fashion. lhe shot taffetas are always in demand tor use in conjunction with bright cretonne chair covers. . Tf you are making your own cushions remember to include one or two triangular shapes. Tf finished with a heavy tassel on the one point they are immediately fanshape and very attractive. Kapok is the cheapest of fillings, but down the more lasting. Real eiderdown is prohibitive, but goose down is a good working substitute. Buy down-proof ticking for the under cases or, failing that, be sure to coat the inner surface with soap or beeswax to prevent the feathers working through. Make the inner case the exact size of the cover and stuff it tightly. An insufficiently filled ease very quickly goes limp and flat at, the If your stuffing feels slightly, damp when it comes from the shop, air it near the fire before use, shaking continuously, till the lumps have dried out.