January 06, 1931

Detroit News Quilt History Project; Michigan State University Museum; Susan Salser

Detroit, Michigan, United States

A Beauty in the Home column describing a charming room on a third floor.

This department seeks to give assistance to all who are interested in beautifying their homes and will be glad to answer questions pertaining to interior decoration. In order to serve all who seek advice promptly no more than three problems will be discussed in any one reply. Readers are invited to write to this department as often as thy wish, but limit each letter to three questions. State your questions clearly, write only on one side of the paper, enclosing a self addressed stamped envelope and address Beauty in the Home Department, Detroit News. Letters with their answers will be published for the benefit of all homemakers, but names and addresses will not be made public.

A Charming little room such as one would be sure to find on the third floor of a house is shown in the accompanying illustration, with simplicity as the keynote, it is easy to realize how one might have a room such as this in an apartment or house.
The woodwork may be finished in ivory enamel and the walls treated with an ivory ground paper having a beige cross bar and small conventional flower design. If the ceiling line is irregular the paper may cover the ceiling as well as the walls; but if it is just a square or rectangle the ceiling may be tinted in an ivory shade.

The window treatment is the room as shown consists of roller shade, curtains of net for the lower sash only and straight hanging chintz over draperies put with a French pleated valance. This allows for a maximum of daylight n the room when this is desired for when the shade is rolled to the top the upper half of the window has no covering and when the shade is drawn to the center, there is the appearance of the glass curtains going up to the top of the windows.

For the floor covering in a room such as this oval braided rag mats or hooked rugs in geometrical designs would be very pleasing and of, course, these should be in dull colorings.

For the dressing table, any small low stand might be used, this being treated with a skirt of dotted marquisette over Stateen in a color to contrast with the dot. This should match the predominating shade for the pattern of the chintz draperies.
For the bedspreads in a room like this, what could be more appropriate than a hand quilted piece work or patchwork quilt? There is a reviving of this work now and those interested in it might like the leaflet which this department distributes to those who send a self addressed stamped envelope for it.

Glass lamps of the old kerosene type may be electrified and equipped with chintz to parchment shades. Shades of these lamps are also delightful if covered with polka dot wallpaper and decorated with Godey fashion pictures.

Colors for Tables
I am refinishing a nest of tables. Do you think they should all be the same color or can I have three different ones. There are to be used in the sun room.
Mrs. L.A.K.

You will find that the tables finished in three different colors will be much more attractive and appropriate for your sun room than to have them all the same.

The largest one may be in black trimmed with gold lines, the center one in red trimmed with black and the smallest one in antique yellow trimmed with red.

Courtesy of The Detroit News Archives.