In using papers with decided pattern, no pictures are required, and draperies should be of plain or striped material. The cost to you of good, plain, cotton fabric will be small. Therefore you make up for the extra money you may have to put into a paneled background by the saving you accomplish in the other decorations. “But I’ll get tired of paneling”, you may be thinking. That is possible, but those who have paneling seldom tire of it. But, if you should it is possible to vary it by repainting it a different color and repapering the side walls.

Bevel edged wallboard: a similar effect and certainly a charming one is gained by the use of wallboard, as the picture of the French provincial dining room below tells you. Here is a product we are turning to more and more because of its versatility. It may be used in the natural color in which it comes or painted to suit a color scheme. It has excellent insulating qualities and if used on the ceiling with an air space between it and the plastered walls, it deadens sound. It is a very useful material for remodeling of any sort.

Wallboard may be used upright as on the side walls of this dining room, and turned crosswise to cover the chimney breast. It comes in several widths, suitable for various spaces and for varying results.

Wall to wall curtaining. By this is meant curtaining an entire wall space, either on the length, or on the width, of a room according to the placing of the windows. It is a new note in decorating in which has grown out of the large groups of windows of newer houses. This treatment may be used to enlarge windows by using draperies over a plain wall space. In the attractive room above the curtains are on the long wall of the room over a group of windows with the effect emphasized by using the same material (or matching wallpaper) on the ceiling.

Even the indirect light is covered with the pattern. The fireplace wall is of brick painted to match the background of the colorful chintz, with the fire opening completed by a fascinating copper hood. The other two walls are of plaster. Note that the French Provincial chairs of Beachwood, covered in small all over print of the period are drawn up to an 18^th century mahogany pedestal table. The beige rug, with is nubby surface, completes an unusual and delightful bit of decorating. The combination of furniture of the right scale, of different periods used with imagination such as this shows the new decorating trends. Now turn on the room opposite: here is a new type of dining room with walls of wooden plank painted gray green with the brick fireplace of the same tone. The metal supports of the table and chairs are black, as is the 17^th century black iron candle fixture suspended over the table.

Your selection of fabrics for the dining room depends, naturally, on the type of your room. The best materials for draperies in the majority of house are chintz, cretonne, crash and rep. for glass curtains, organdy, net, marquisette, sheer rayon and cottons are good. In formal rooms more formal fabrics, such as damask, silk or silk and cottons are naturally the choice. In the informal room, design as well as fabric plays a part. Many a chintz is formal, while another pattern would be definitely informal. The choice is yours. Today, good wearing qualities are to be found in permanent finish nets and in washable sunfast, colored or gray patterned cottons as well as cotton and rayon fabrics. If a room gets hard use, shop fro the sunfast washable materials. There is no rule you must follow in choosing fabrics except in period rooms, where type should be followed. Contemporary decorators, however, achieve delightful effects with chintz, rough woven rugs and striped satin chair covers making certain only that the colors blend. Texture frequently sets the tone of a room. Generally speaking rough fabrics fit into an informal room, while smooth fabrics, such as satins and damasks, belong in a formal room.

Have a screen in the dining room to hide the door to the kitchen or pantry, unless the room is very small. There are small three panel screens that you may find useful. Many women do not realize how decorative these screens are. In a room with plain walls, a screen covered with gay, colorful wallpaper, which you yourself can apply will do a lot for your room.