418 RENTED ROOMS

An old dresser can be used, for the legs and mirror can be re-
moved and the mirror hung separately. Painting them light im-
proves them. A table should be selected to fit the size and feeling
of the room. A kitchen table and two kitchen chairs, painted to
suit, are satisfactory. Two comfortable chairs are also necessary.

A large grass, fiber, cotton, or felt rug is inexpensive and satis-
factory. New offerings in rugs should be examined. String and
other small rugs, even carpet remnants, may be used.

Fabrics should be chosen which carry out the theme and add
life, cheer, and color. For practical purposes the couch cover may
be darker and heavier than the curtains, Draperies may be made
from fabrics like denim, desert cloth, gingham, or men's shirring
which are dense enough for draw curtains, making roller shades
unnecessary. Plain, unbleached muslin may be decorated with
many tassels sewed in rows.

Two plain, adjustable floor or table lamps are needed. If a plain
white shade, such as a plastic, is not obtainable, a decorated shade
can be simplified by painting it all over with oil paint or covering
it with fabric.

Desirable table equipment is sometimes procurable at the dime
stores. For constant use it is best to buy plain white dishes and
plain clear or white glassware and provide bright colored linens.
However, Chinese dishes or undecorated colorful dishes may be
added for salads and desserts and colorful glasses are festive.
Knives, forks, and spoons may well be plain plated silver or may
be steel with bone handles if they fit the theme. No table cover is
ever necessary if the table top is good looking; if it is not, fiber
place mats, or strips of brightly colored cotton or linens are de-
sirable at meal rimes. See page 104.

Pictures which have personal significance can be framed inex-
pensively by inserting them into the frames of pictures from the
dime stores. If the pictures are small, several of similar subjects
should be hung together over a piece of furniture. See page 421.
For flower containers fish bowls, mixing bowls, and tin dishes in-
tended for the kitchen are often more desirable than regular flower
vases. The person who does not livs in a permanent home should
buy some containers arid other accessories of metal rather than the
breakable pottery or glass, A blossoming house plant is delightful
in a one-room apartment ,