FLOORS ARE FOUNDATIONS

Radio Record, 29 July 1938, Page 43

FLOORS ARE FOUNDATIONS

Practical Suggestions For Good Furnishing

By

ROSALIE

URNISHING begins at foot level. The woman who is wise enough to get her floors, right will get the best results from her furnishing schemes. She can make the simplest pieces.look charming if their setting is harmonious. Let me tell you about some good floor treatments; they may give you just ww

the ideg you want for your own house. A yarnighed floor is the most difficult one, in my opinion, to keep in order. A polished floor, on the other hand, is easy, once you have acquired a good surface. Water and oil stains give a smooth mellow finish. I did a whole room with vardyke-brown water stain for less than sixpence. I bought sixpennyworth of powder from the ironmonger and mixed it till it was smooth and "runny." Then I rubbed it in with flannel rags. You need a lot of rags, a deft touch when-you get near the skirting boards, and a tin of good polish when the floor is dry. Try the stain on an odd piece of beard until you get the right consistency and colour. The shadeg can be varied from pale gold. to nigger-brown, but.the mid shades are most successful. The floor must be well polished at least twice before it comes into use, as the wax seals the stain. If you want to modernise a room 2 plain fitted carpet is your best choice. For the height of comfort choose pile, but for good looks, hard wear and a low price, choose haireord. If you think plain carpets are not practical for a family house, ask to see some of the spotted and small checked carpets which have recently come into fashion for floors. For a warm, cheap carpei: use core

nut matting, sewn and bound. This harmonises with both modern furniture and old. A scrubbing brush will remove spots and the matting will wear for years. UGS and carpets should know their placé-which is on the floor. The carpet which.rises and "hits you in the eye" will overpower everything else in the room. It is sometimes happier to have your design in the texture of the

earpet or rug, rather than in the pattern. Modern rugs make a special feature of "textural design." Generally speaking, if is a good rule to put plain carpets in a room where the walls and curtains are patterned. A wool carpet will in every case

wear and look better than one made of cotton A cottor rug can look very dazzling when it is new, bunt soon becomes faded and "dead’’ when it is on the floor. This is specielly true of cheap "Oriental" rugs, which pre made of a mixture of cotton and iute. and have their designs stamped on, not woven into the yarn. Antique rugs, which always look very lovely, can be tested by pulling out a thread from the pile. If the surface colour is more yellow and "antique" than the thread at the root. you may be sure the rug has been artic licinlly "faded." Very light eolonred rugs and carnets are seldom nractieo, eveent in show houses. and childlase homes Fren then thev are not nonular far, softer all, rues ara meant ta he walled on, ard nastel shades go down under the test af feet, Thin rungs and carnets are much improved by padding which protecte them from wear. esnerially if the floor. is uneven. Thick felt under anv earnet is sound econamy always. Smallish rues can he padded by an amateur and lined with a smooth, tough material. ALL carpets can be shaimnooed. but it ig better fo entrust plain ones to an exnert. Yon must not use mueh water, end you mnst work aqniekriy Thick side on a damn lath, immopdintely re. moved with a clean damn rag, will work, wonders on a sniled earnet Tf the earnet is small, tf is a good nian to tack down the edges to prevent shrinkage,