RENOVATING YOUR HOME COLOUR SCHEMES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 175, 11 August 1937, Page 14

RENOVATING YOUR HOME COLOUR SCHEMES

71/1" ANY women are now considering house renovations. To get the best results it is necessary to study colours and draperies in the rooms for which they are intended. • It may be helpful to^enumerate the effects of different colours and to remember that light shades are more. stimulating than dark ones; that deep tones lend dignity to a large room but make a small room appear less commodious. Red gives a' sense of warmth to a south room and is stimulation to a certain extent, but should not be used in excess. Yellow induces cheerfulness and gives an appearance of increased size in a small house. Blue gives a cool, quiet effect in a room with a north aspect. Light green is a cheerful colour; dark green is restful to the eyes. Neutral grey has a pleasing effect and is not dull when combined with yellow or pale. orange hangings. .Lavender, curiously enough, is often found to produce a sense of irritation when used in quantity and for this reason should be sparingly employed in all interior decoration. Plain window hangings and draperies go best with figured wall papers, and figured draperies with plain walls. Printr ed or plain coloured linens and artificial silk mixtures are inexpensive materials for. curtains. Make all draperies and upholstery so that they can be easily removed and cleaned. If floor boards are in a poor condition and are to be covered with cork carpet or plain linoleum, place thick layers of newspapers, or, a felt sold for . the purpose, between boards and lino. In this way dry rot is avoided. A concave moulding, nailed along the skirting board, will save hours of clean- . ing. When adding omaments consider how much they will add to the character of the room and to the work of dusting. The Japanese idea represents a high type of artistic decoration. In Japan a house has only the furniture actually required and, at the most, tw.o omaments in a room, All other objects of art are kept in a 'chest, from which they are taken at certain tinies and substituted for those which have already been on duty. Japanese Marriage. - Japan is one of those countrles which clings to its ancient customs, Yet, to the astonishment of even some- of the Japanese themselves, an enterprising general store in Osaka has been allowed to open a , free* marriage bureau, which is likely, in that big industrial city at least, to rival the claims of the professional iflakodo, or go-between. The nakodo is usually a discreet married friend of the two families whose children contemplate marriage. This gobetween not only arranges the marriage with the young people's parehts, but also fixes up the mutual seeing, or Mi-at, at which the lovers are allowed to meet and talk to each other. Now, in Osaka, this modem and Europeanised department store has opened a marriage bureau. Men and women may, put their names on the register as desirous of finding partners for life. Tliey must provide photographs of themselves and give detaijs as to their ances- : try, means and occupations. The fact j that the bureau, or registry, is free may, of course, appeal to some poor families, : who would otherwise have to compenlate the gobetween with handsome pre- ■ •ents. How does the department store profit i by such an arrangement? It is not diffi■;ult to see that it intends to benefit by i every wedding arranged through its bur- i

couple purchase their household effects there. The idea will horrify the observer* of strict Japanese etiquette, If it spreads, the marriage-bureau may eventuafly shoulder all the duties usually taken on by the "go-between. For this individual in Japan, not only negotiates the marriage but remains throughout life the adviser of the young couple. To the gobetween, family quarrels and disputes may be referred. If divorce is contemplate d later on," the arrangements are first submitted to the nakodo for arbitration. Will the marriage bureau arrange the official yuino, or exchange of presents, which corresponds. to betrothal? And will it even flx on the lucky day for the wedding? Also, will a .marriage made through a bureau, and therefore, a merely commercial proceeding, not lessen the enormous respect for "her future lord" which is instilled into a Japanese girl almost from birth? She must look to her husband as her lord — The Greater Learning for Women says so; she must serve him with 'all. worship and reverence,* be courteous, humble and conciUatory, however provoked. She may, says The Greater Learning/ look upon her husband "as if he were Heaven itself and thus escape celestial castigatlon." In a hureau-made marriage, cheajjened of.all dignity and tradition, would this deification of a life partner be encourage^? Beauty That Lasts. When the 'brjght eyes and soft euthnes of youth have gone and the fresh colouring has faded, what is left? "What is it that attracts us in a face np longer young and reveals beauty in features lined with age and experience. •Eeauty, after first youth, lies in the expression. "After thirty the soul comes through," says the poet and it is certainly true that, as life goes on, what we think and feel and are shows more and more plainly in our faces. A contented mind, together with an xmcensorious attitude, a refusal to harbour resentment, become bitter, or to give way to useless worry, is the best and surest way of achieving lasting beauty. There are also, however, less abstract ways of improving the expression. The lines which often spoil an otherwise pleasant face, giving the impression of bad temper or irritability, may only be due to nervous facial habits or neglected eye strain. The only way to check these is to spend a little time in front of the mirror, noting facial habits and trying to catch the habitual expression. If you have a way of knitting the brows, or wrinkling your forehead, resolve to stop it now before it mars your expression. It is possible that you need glasses for reading or working, as eye strain is the cause of many an ugly line. Vertical lines between the brows can be cured by the use of wrinkle plasters and gentle massage with a nourishing cream. Cut a strip of court plaster wide enough to cover the skin round ,the line and damp it till it is soft. Smooth out the skin on either side of the line with the first and second fingers, put on the plaster and hold it in place till dry. In the morning peel it off and massage with skin food. Try to form the habit of maintaining a pleasant expression while doing the daily work. When concentrating upon household duties, nine out of ten women wrear a look of grim determination which LS anything but attractive. Go to sleep smiling. This is the most potent magic in the cause of beauty and s a. habit which can easily be fonned.