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Show rxXXXOOCXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDOO HOW TO SAVE 8 MONEY WHEN 8 I SHOPPING 8 ey mrs. harland h. allen ooocxcoocooocxx;oooooocXaj lis), VJ-2, Harland H. Allen.) THE VOGUE OF THE PLAIN RUG "It Is a pretty safe guess," said the up-and-coming salesman in the cafpet department, "that the average customer cus-tomer Is going to ask for a rug in some neutral shade, such as taupe, or tan, or dull tones of blue. People want certain things and ask for them, and will have them if possible." This is most Interesting, in view of the fact that a few years ago good strong reds and greens were the most favored colors. Interior decorators are supposed to be responsible for starting the vogue of the dull solid colors In the first place, and judging from the demand for them in all carpet car-pet departments today, their choice was a most fortunate one. There are many good reasons why rugs in these unobtrusive shades are so well liked. In the first place, they will "go" with anything. One can be transplanted from the living room to the library or from the dining room to the sun parlor at will, and without offending anybody's sense of the appropriate. ap-propriate. You may remember how the red or green rug of other days had to be dedicated to the "red room" or the "green room," where it remained re-mained as long as it had life enough left to protest. Another reason favoring their choice Is that most of the rooms in-our in-our homes are small today, and a plain rug Increases the apparent size of the floor space. You have noticed how when carpets instead of rugs are used, the use of one solid color on adjoining ad-joining rooms always gives a sense of great spaciousness and unity to the whole house. Of course, the greatest effect of size is given by an unbroken floor space. If plain material is used, a room appears largest which is carpeted, car-peted, next If a single large rug is used, and smallest when broken up by several small rugs. Furthermore, plain rugs, like a plain wall set off to advantage whatever furniture may be in the room. In general, the less pronounced the floor-covering the more harmonious and restful the whole will be. Only one objection Is offered to the solid-colored rugs and that Is that thoy do show dust and footmarks readily. It is claimed, however, that those in the dull neutral shades do not show footprints so plainly as da the darker .colored rugs. ON EUYIL'G FURNITURE The important thing when you go to select furniture for the home Is to know good furniture when you see It, and this cannot be recognized by the price alone. It is much better to buy a few' good pieces of the best models and excellent excel-lent workmanship, than to have your home turned into a queer hodgepodge of ill-assorted ones. Suitability as to size, shape and weight ; as to comfort, style and use; the service each style will give; the cost, and the possibility of renovation all these must be taken into account. That the piece you contemplate buying be suitable for use in your home Is more important than that it look attractive In the display room of the store. Do not be led into buy- Ing "sets" or "suites" or "period" furniture fur-niture when your home is neither large enough, nor furnishes the proper setting for such furniture. The size and shape of each piece considered in relation to the space In the room where you intend to use it, Is the most important point. Very large pieces will not only overcrowd your room If it is small, but everything every-thing else in the room will actually seem dwarfed In contrast to the massive mas-sive appearance. Choose such pieces as are easy to move. They should clear a space of at least five inches between the bottom bot-tom and the floor to permit easy cleaning under them; and if they have pillows, cushions, etc., he sure that these are removable, easy to clean, and Inexpensive to renovate. Avoid those pieces which hnve a high polish and a lot of overdeeora-tlon overdeeora-tlon in the form of excessive carvings. They show scratches easily, and require re-quire more work to keep clean. In selecting any article of furniture, measure the amount of service it will yield against the space It takes up In the room. A library table, of which the top Is the only part you can use. does less to pay Its room-rent than one with drawers and underhung bookshelves, for Instance. Every piece of furniture that serves a double purpose saves buying another article. |