A manual of home-making

Floors are made to l)e walked upon and are subject to hard I usjige. They should, therefore, he durable. Floors cannot l>e easily rlianged; therefore they should be permanent in material and finish. Since they contribute to the color scheme of thofl room* they should be finished accordingly. Floors continuous in ctjlor as far a,s the eye can »ee have a unifying eilect. WcmxI is the material most used for tlooi*s* WtX)d that is hard, of in- conspicuous grain, and resf>onsive to color treatment should be chost^n. Well selected oak is prol>al>ly the best. Maple and birdi are very duralile, but light in color; hard pine Is also possible and relaf ively inexpenhive. The matter of color and finish can l>e rc^guluted to some extent to suit the character of wood sclccteti ajjd the color scheme of the room* Hardwootl floors should in general l>e finished like hardwood trim, except t hat caution sliould be ol>servc<l in attempting dark M stains, Ijecau.^e all lioors through usage tend to wear back to fl the natural color of the wood. Since all wood floors t^nd to darken in time, the rather light appearance of a new^ floor should l)e endured with patience. If after a period of thne the tone of the floor still apix^ars too light, it is easier to darken it sUghtly M than to remove a dark mussy stain. Furthermore, rugs can m always be relied on to remedy the color effect of the bare floor. 1 HOME FURNISHING 45' Softwood floors of pine* sut'h as are often fonnrl in old houses, can be tinished by filling the spaces between the Ixjards with either a standard or home-maile crack-filler and then applying; two or more coats of good liard paint, such as the ordinar>^ deck paint. Some hoiLsekeepers have had success with a crack-filler made of flour paste intcj whicli a pulp of damp newspaper ifiii iten. Under all conditions, however, a painted floor is a ompromise and will recjuire frequent renewals. COLOR Color is more potent in ereatijig the atmosphere of a house or 3m than is any other influence. IlarrnonioyH coloi wilt cover a multitude of sins in tlesi^n, while no amount of good design will atone for discordant color. Color produces a distinct reaction on the human system; is cheering, depressing, irritating^ or restful^ as the case may It is, therefore, of primary importance to understand the , right use of color in the home. Since the question of color is ivolved in the finish of walls and of woodwork, it is the first etor to l>e considered in the treatment of an interior. Color has tlirce generally recognizable charact-eristics: First, ^at quality that gives it its general or popular name and dis- ngui^hes it from other colors — as red from green, or yellow- reds from purple-reds, yellow-greens from l)lue-grt»ens, and the like. This quality is named by the scientists, hue. Hues, or colors^ may in general be classed as w^arra or cool. Yellow, range, red, and colors strongly tinged with the^e, coonerted they are with ideas of sun anrl fire and blood, are the warm " colors. Blue, green, and violet, and eolcjrs strongly tinged with these, associated in thought with cold and distant things like ice, the sky, the wfKxls, and purple hills, are the coT>l colors. A second characteristic or quahty of color is the strength brilliancy, termed l>y the scientists, chroma or intensity.