Foods and home making

6. Clean the refrigerator sink or stove a second time, carrying out your plans for saving effort and time. Time yourself. Directly under- neath your first report, record the date and number of minutes required in the cleaning process. Is there any improvement? CHAPTER XVII THE DINING ROOM AND ITS FURNISHINGS Can you answer these questions ? If not, look for the answers as you read this chapter. 1. What articles are suitable for the top of a buffet? How should they be arranged ? 2. Which is more suitable for a small dining room — wall paper of decided figure or plain (or nearly plain) wall paper? Why? 3. Why should a buffet be placed parallel with one of the walls rather than across a corner ? 4. What is meant by formal balance ? 5. How can a glass dish be tested for soundness? 6. What is the difference between earthenware and porcelain dishes? 7. What is matt gold? 8. Is sterling silver pure silver ? 9. How can tarnished silverware be cleaned without rubbing with a powder? 10. Why is linen more desirable than cotton for a tablecloth? What makes a dining room inviting? We are advised to discuss pleasant things at meal time. We are told that cheer- fulness helps digestion. A dining room, then, should look cheerful. The sun streaming through the east windows of a dining room may help one to start the day’s work in the proper mood. If we are not so fortunate as to have a dining room whose light is cheered by the sun, color may be used to suggest sunlight and cheerfulness. As suggested for the kitchen (see page 149), if there are north windows in the room, use warm colors. When there are windows facing east, warm colors may be used also since the sun soon leaves the east windows in the morning. For rooms with windows facing south or west, the cool colors may be used. 203 204 Modern Housewifery No matter in wnich direction the dining room faces, the walls should be light. Dark walls suggest gloom. Ivory or buff for the north room and light gray or grayish blue or green for the south room make suitable wall covering for the average dining room. Some prefer a figured wall paper in the dining room. This may be pleasing, provided the design is an all-over figure and suitable for the size of the room. Figured walls may make a room appear smaller. For the small dining room, plain or al- most plain walls make the room appear larger than figured walls. A dining room needs to be clean to look inviting. Curtains that are clean and are easy to keep clean are suitable for a dining room. Clean table linens are essential, of course, for a pleasing dining room. Old brass candlesticks with the stains of age may be pleasing in the living room but not on the din- ing table. For use on the dining table, old brass should be scoured. How should furnishings be placed ? Figures 68 and 69 repre- sent floor plans of a dining room showing the position of the dining table, buffet, serving table, tea wagon, and rugs. In Furniture in a Dining Room The room represented here is rectan- gular in shape. The shape of the rug and its position on the floor are in harmony with the shape of the room. The furniture is placed in accord with the outline of the room. Moreover, the furniture is well dis- tributed over the room. The chairs are not only placed symmetrically but arranged so that they can be drawn conveniently to the table.