What to put on table between meals depends somewhat on the type of the room. If it is of a formal type, a silver bowl or covered warning dish brings the gleam of silver to the center of the room. There are many attractive hot water dishes with roll tops, much used in the 18th century that answers this purpose. One of them may hold flowers or fruit or with the top closed be just an ornament. For a table such as on the opposite page, a pottery bowl with fruit is suitable. In a more formal room a covered china urn or a low covered dish would be a good choice. Use something in keeping with the china or silver you have and the general atmosphere of the room.
Just as we love the sunshine in our dining room in daytime so a bright cracking fire warms the cockles of the heart as well as the room at the evening meal. And it’s quite possible after the meal to pull an armchair up to the fire and pop corn or toast marshmallows with the children. Or Darby and Joan may read as the fire dies down.
Windows
Is there a woman who doesn’t want just the right draperies? If so, I have never met her. “What should I do with my windows?” is a constant query, now that woman realize that old rooms and shabby rooms as well as new room are made by their draperies. Many women wait until they can afford fine fabric or delay until they can get just what they want. My advice is against that. Don’t wait. Get some inexpensive colorful fabric make the curtain yourself and enjoy the feeling of a finished room. There is definitely a barren feeling to the curtained room.
