Handbook of domestic science and household arts for use in elementary schools

A dining room should be characteristic, light and gay, English ideas to the contrary notwithstanding. One of the famous dining rooms of modern times is that designed by the artist Whistler for a London house. The walls are pale blue decorated with arabesques that recall the feathers of a peacock. Peacocks decorate the carved panels of the window-shntters, and on gilt shelves rests the bine and white China porcelain. One almost suspects that this scheme of color and decoration was suggested by the dining rooms in the houses of those Chinese mandarins that chance to be of royal blood. For the walls of these rooms are hung with yellow, decorated with the dragons, and against these hangings rests their blue and white china. Particularly does the notion occur to one who looks into Whistler's own dining room, for his walls are hung with canary yellow, and the only decorations are blue and white china. Comte Mole used to change his decorations to suit his guests. For example, in giving a dinner to a foreign diplomat, pictures, flowers, plants, — all were such as were characteristic of the fatherland of his guest. Lord Lonsdale went so far as to make the color scheme of the room such as would best suit the complexion, hair, and eyes of his beautiful guests. Certain practical points, however, must be thoroughly taught before one can go even superficially into the aesthetics of the subject. I. The dining room is in daily use. II. It must be immaculately clean. III. It must be beautiful. IV. The cost of furnishing it must be within one's means. For these reasons, the furniture should be plain but good, the colors gay but light, and the decorations for the most part plants, flowers, or perhaps an aquarium, rather than hangings of any kind. A light rug is the nearest approach to a carpet that may be permitted. The necessary things for a school dining room are : — (1) A table, by preference round, or at least broad, rather than long and narrow. (2) Chairs. (3) The following china, the number in each case depending upon the number of students who will be doing practical work in this room at any one time : — 1 soup tureen Soup plates Tumblers 2 platters Dinner plates 2 vegetable dishes 1 salad dish Salad plates 1 dessert dish Dessert plates Coffee cups Bread plates Sugar and cream set Tablespoons Teaspoons Steel knives Fruit knives Forks Carving set 2 tablecloths Ifelt Napkins The additional desirable things are : A china closet Bread-and-butter plates Olive dish After-dinner coffee cups Salts and peppers 2 carafes Finger bowls Coffee spoons Salad knife and fork Doilies The proper equipment of a dining room at a minimum cost has been discussed in the last chapter of this book. Method. — Discuss with the girls the use of the dining room, the necessity for cleanliness, and the logical conclusion with regard to (a) floor, (6) hangings, (c) ornaments. Tell them of various original and beautiful decorations. Let them suggest others, but in the end choose something quite plain for the school dining room. Let them make lists of needed articles, and keep these lists for comparison with similar lists made after they have studied the room.