The Daily Star Mirror

By The Attractive Home

EKIN WALLICK

Chapter No. 7.

HOME MADE FURNITURE

If it were possible to evolve a code of definite rules which could be followed by those who wish to make their homes attractive, it would be a comparatively easy matter to decorate and furnish in good taste. We are constantly confronted with difficult problems which must be reasoned out and are often at a loss to know which way to turn.

Those of us who inherit an intuitive sense of good taste will experience but little difficulty in evolving harmonious furnishings for the basis of successful decorating and furnishing is good taste.

For the novice there is a good deal to be said which will be of great assistance. I sincerely believe that if there is a desire to know the good from the bad that our tastes can be improved with remarkable rapidity by mere observation. The house building magazines and books and those devoted to interior decorating are full of excellent object lessons for the beginners as well as the experienced decorator.

If you watch their pages and try to reason out the problems for yourself, you will be surprised what rapid strides you will make.

Probably the element of personal taste is the most intangible feature to be dealt with. To be sure, there is what we term a certain standard of good taste, but we cannot define it in words, and in consequence must trust to the intelligence and discrimination of the individual.

In this article will be found many suggestions for those who wish to make their homes attractive. All of the ideas are easily and inexpensively carried out, some without the aid of outside help. All, however, can be easily made by your neighborhood carpenter at a minimum of expense.

In furnishing a bungalow or small summer cottage, we are not particular about finely finished woods or expensive furnishings. Our initial idea should be to make the rooms as attractive as possible at the least expense. Those of us who have furnished even small houses know only too well that even though we may choose the most inexpensive furnishings to make our rooms livable, a very considerable amount of money must be spent. As a consequence, we are often times forced to use our ingenuity in devising some means by which such expenditure can be reduced.

I know of no better way to overcome this difficulty than to employ the services of a competent carpenter. There are many things he can construct in the house which will admirably answer our purposes and serve our needs until we feel that we are in a position to afford more expensive furnishings.

The pictures which illustrate this chapter will give the reader a few hints for home-made pieces, which can be easily and inexpensively made.

In illustration No. 1 and 2 will be seen a quaint design for a post bed. The head and foot boards and side rails can be easily made by a carpenter. An ordinary wire spring and mattress are used. When the bed is draped as shown in the right hand illustration, the effect is very attractive.

The bedroom offers greater possibilities for carpenter made furniture than any of the other rooms. There are many small pieces such as stools, tables and book shelves, which are easily constructed and which will cost but a trifling amount.

The semi-circular dressing table shown in illustrations No. 3 and 4 is made from a thirty-six inch stock table top, cut in half and arranged as a top and lower shelf. A deep valance of cretonne entirely covers the frame-work and an oval mirror with a white frame is hung on the wall above. The top of this dressing table should measure two feet and six inches from the floor.

Illustrations No. 5 and 6 show a clever idea for an inexpensive wash stand made from a tilt top kitchen wash bench. The wash stand is draped like the dressing table and the wall splasher is held in place by rods at the top and bottom attached to wooden cleats.

An unusually convenient book table is shown in illustrations No. 7 and 8. This is a combination of a book shelf and a small table in one. This table stands thirty inches in height and the shelves are arranged so that books may be placed on them from both sides. Small side curtains add a quaintness to the table.

White-wood should be used in the construction of home-made furniture as it will take either paint or stain and is considerably cheaper than the hard woods.

There are a great many built-in pieces of furniture, such as book-shelves and cupboards, which any good carpenter can build in our rooms at a considerable saving in expense. In the kitchen, particularly, there are many odd things which an orderly housewife will want, and which can be easily made by the carpenter. If he is a clever workman all he will want is a suggestion as to the article wanted, and the general size, and he will be able to execute the work without difficulty.

A bungalow can be almost completely furnished in carpenter made furniture. The very idea of the bungalow lends itself admirably to built-in pieces of all kinds. Next week my article on "How to Repaint Old Furniture" will give you some new ideas that will help you brighten up your home at little cost.

ILLUSTRATION NO. 7

ILLUSTRATION No. 1

ILLUSTRATION NO. 2

ILLUSTRATION NO. 3

ILLUSTRATION No. 4

ILLUSTRATION No. 5

ILLUSTRATION No. 6

ILLUSTRATION NO. 8