A Single or Double Bed may be made by having the sides and ends
of a box six inches deep, with slats put across for the springs, which
are made of copper and fastened together by a hook of copper wire
that makes the top flat and of even surface. Wooden legs may be put
on the box, with castors. There is no foot or head board to these
simple cots, only the large square pillows at the head. The box may
be covered with cretonne or chintz, or painted, and with the spread
falling over it all around, the bedstead is effectually hidden. Beds of
this style are often used in England, in country houses, though, of
course, made of more expensive material. The spread and pillow
covers should be of chintz, though if white enters into the furnish-
ing of the room, the bed may be entirely white. A valance should be
put around this low bed, falling to the floor. Husk beds are often used
on these instead of mattresses.
A Low Divan Couch is contrived in precisely the same way, with the
exception that the large square pillows are placed at the back. Hemp
or jute fringe is an addition to a cretonne covering, with the cloth in
two puffs on the box, with gimp between to cover the tacks, and the
fringe below the puffs ; in this case a puff is set in the sides of the pil-
low. The lounges are often made by having the deep box (no legs),
with the castors on the bottom of the box, then a mattress and a chintz
cover with deep flounce, that can be drawn over to the floor and taken
off every night, making the divan serve the purpose of a bed at night.
The pillow covers can be buttoned on during the day and taken off at
night. The copper springs can be bought by the pound, and are very
nice for this purpose, as they are high and fill the box to the top.
Sometimes these bed lounges are put on quite high legs, giving room
for a box on castors that may be rolled underneath and the bedding
kept in it during the day time. They serve every purpose, making
a comfortable bed at night, and a pretty, low, inviting-looking divan
during the day. Jute cloth makes a very pretty cover, with the jute
fringe, but is a little more expensive than cretonne, though if the double
width is bought (used for curtains), with border and fringe, it comes as
cheap as cretonne, for the extra length that must be bought in order to
get the border and fringe, can be used for the pillows. The pillows can
be made of husks, soft cotton, feathers or hair — should be feathers, of
course, if used to sleep on. A good size is three feet wide, six feet long,
and box eight inches deep. The legs should be eight inches long
including castors. The apparent width of the couch is decreased by
the large pillows at the back that make it look narrower.
Window Seats are much smaller, of dry goods boxes, and are
1 72 HO USE F URNISHING.
placed underneath the windows. Make them just the length of the
window, the top stuffed with moss, curled shavings, excelsior, hair or
cotton, covered with chintz, and tied down in diamond patterns with
covered buttons. A ruffle is nailed around the top with strong handles
to lift the cover. They may then be used for packing boxes for nice
dresses or clothes. The windows should be curtained with the chintz,
draped back over the ends of the window seats, bracket or shelf. Shelf
lambrequins can be made to match these covers.
Page 152
Presented as published in 1886. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A Single or Double Bed may be made by having the sides and ends of a box six inches deep, with slats put across for the springs, which are made of copper and fastened together by a hook of copper wire that makes the top flat and of even surface. Wooden legs may be put on the box, with castors. There is no foot or head board to these simple cots, only the large square pillows at the head. The box may be covered with cretonne or chintz, or painted, and with the spread falling over it all around, the bedstead is effectually hidden. Beds of this style are often used in England, in country houses, though, of course, made of more expensive material. The spread and pillow covers should be of chintz, though if white enters into the furnishing of the room, the bed may be entirely white. A valance should be put around this low bed, falling to the floor. Husk beds are often used on these instead of mattresses.
A Low Divan Couch is contrived in precisely the same way, with the exception that the large square pillows are placed at the back. Hemp or jute fringe is an addition to a cretonne covering, with the cloth in two puffs on the box, with gimp between to cover the tacks, and the fringe below the puffs ; in this case a puff is set in the sides of the pillow. The lounges are often made by having the deep box (no legs), with the castors on the bottom of the box, then a mattress and a chintz cover with deep flounce, that can be drawn over to the floor and taken off every night, making the divan serve the purpose of a bed at night. The pillow covers can be buttoned on during the day and taken off at night. The copper springs can be bought by the pound, and are very nice for this purpose, as they are high and fill the box to the top. Sometimes these bed lounges are put on quite high legs, giving room for a box on castors that may be rolled underneath and the bedding kept in it during the day time. They serve every purpose, making a comfortable bed at night, and a pretty, low, inviting-looking divan during the day. Jute cloth makes a very pretty cover, with the jute fringe, but is a little more expensive than cretonne, though if the double width is bought (used for curtains), with border and fringe, it comes as cheap as cretonne, for the extra length that must be bought in order to get the border and fringe, can be used for the pillows. The pillows can be made of husks, soft cotton, feathers or hair — should be feathers, of course, if used to sleep on. A good size is three feet wide, six feet long, and box eight inches deep. The legs should be eight inches long including castors. The apparent width of the couch is decreased by the large pillows at the back that make it look narrower.
Window Seats are much smaller, of dry goods boxes, and are
placed underneath the windows. Make them just the length of the window, the top stuffed with moss, curled shavings, excelsior, hair or cotton, covered with chintz, and tied down in diamond patterns with covered buttons. A ruffle is nailed around the top with strong handles to lift the cover. They may then be used for packing boxes for nice dresses or clothes. The windows should be curtained with the chintz, draped back over the ends of the window seats, bracket or shelf. Shelf lambrequins can be made to match these covers.