ess dressers from $10.50 to $50; chiffoniers from $10 to
$35; and dressing tables from $10 to $50. Furniture, like friends,
cannot be acquired promiscuously without unpleasant consequences.
There is no economy in buying cheap, veneered pieces which will be--or
ought to be--always an eyesore. The truly thrifty homemaker will wait
until she can afford to buy something genuinely good, and then buy it
with the conviction that she is laying up treasures of future happiness
and contentment. The "good" piece is exactly what it claims to be,
without pretense or artificiality, of hardwood of course, of simple
construction, and graceful, artistic lines, its few decorations carved,
not glued on.
TOILET AND DRESSING TABLES
Simplicity must be the keynote of all bedroom furnishings. The middle
course in price is the safe one to follow, leaning toward the greater
rather than toward the lesser cost. If there is a bathroom
conveniently near, it is better to dispense with a washstand; but if
its use is imperative, make it as little obtrusive as possible. The
home carpenter can easily fashion one from a plain pine table, hung
with a valance to match the other draperies. If a marble-topped table
is available, so much the better. Toilet sets can be purchased for $4
and up, and should be of simple design and decoration, plain white or
gold-and-white being advisable for general use, as neither will clash
with anything else in the room. A very satisfactory set in the
gold-and-white is to be had for $8. A dainty dressing table follows
the idea of a makeshift washstand. It should be made of a sizeable
drygoods box, with shelves, and the top padded and covered to match the
drapery. The mirror which hangs over it may be draped, or simply
framed in white enamel, gold, or whatever blends with the room.
Overdraping not only looks fussy, but means additional bother and care.
The drapery is thrown over a frame fastened above the mirror.
FURTHER COMFORTS
In addition to what is considered the regulation bedroom furniture,
there should be a small table at the head of the bed for the glass of
water, the candle or night lamp, and books of devotion; a couch for the
mistress's rest hours, and to save the immaculateness of the bed; a
comfortable rocker, with a low sewing chair and one or two with
straight backs; and, when two people occupy the room, a screen which
insures some degree of privacy and affords a protection from draughts
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