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Show Woman's World Decorator's Tricks Utilized To Alter Room's Proportions CINCE very few of us can select just where we want to live, and even go a step further and design rooms the size they should really be, then we must do the next best thing use decorative effects either to make large rooms appear smaller or small rooms seem larger. Just in case you've a desire to wag your head and say that's impossible, im-possible, then consult decorators who are faced with these problems every day. It's true that you don't magically create space or lose it, but the effect can be changed. When decorators' tricks are used, pleasant illusions are created and you need not feel outsized in a room that is actually small, but made to appear spacious. Or, if the room is large, you need not feel lost in it, if it is at all properly furnished and decorated. , First of all, if you have one or the other situation in your own home, and to an extreme degree, at that, remember you must go all out and follow the recipe the decorators give, or the effect will be lost. You must take into consideration walls, rugs, furniture and color as well as pattern. Avoid Small Things, Plainness in Large Room It's much easier to decorate a large room than a small room, if the former seems a bit lofty and barniike to you. There are many tricks to reduce the size of the room which has deep windows, high walls and an enormous floor area. The first trick regards wallpaper or wall covering. Never use something some-thing plain or with small patterns or they will stand out boldly and show Make large rooms smaller . . . off the large size of the room. Here is the place to use large patterns, but they should be in good taste and not too well denned. Scenic papers and striped ones are taboo. Scenic ones make the height of the room too apparent and striped papers bring out its depth. Break up the large expanses of wall space. This can be done with dados, a divided lower wall section. room, In other words, the, more massive may be its furniture. Make certain the furniture is arranged ar-ranged in nice groupings about the room, not just scattered without plan to fill space. Curtains or Venetian blinds are not enough for the windows. You can hold the room together much better if you use floor length draperies. dra-peries. Small Rooms Can Look Spacious and Serene While the small room is more of a problem, the cluttered appearance and proportions easily will yield to decorative treatment. First, your problem will be one of removing everything that is absolutely not essential. Get chests that will go under beds or couches; do not stack them In the room. Hassocks can be made to contain various items, as can' a window seat or a couch. Now, let's start on the room itself. it-self. Use plain, solid-toned wallpaper wall-paper and keep it light in color. Striped paper may be used to add height, and so may small-patterned paper. Avoid dark colors for walls and ceiling. Repaint in lighter colors if necessary. Here is a good list of colors from which to choose for the small room: Pale gray; light gray green; lime green; light yellow; chalk blue; dead white; light cream, but not ivory: beige, but not tan; dusty pink or rose; pale coral, or mauve. Naturally the choice of color will depend upon the use for the room, but the list is large enough to take care of any type of room, be it bedroom bed-room or living room. Avoid Fussy Furniture, Cluttered Windows Your furniture for the small room may be delicate or very simple with graceful lines if you choose modern. Scale the size of the furniture to fit the proportions of the room. Mirrors are wonderful for adding depth to this type of room. Large panels might be very effective between be-tween windows. Or von mipht iira I li;lpn 1 J And small rooms larger. Plain painted or papered dados with figured walls are especially good. If you do not use the dado trick, have the ceiling come down on the side walls for 18 to 24 inches. This may terminate as a wood pr decorative decora-tive paper molding. Use furniture in proper proportions propor-tions to the room. The larger the them to better advantage over the fireplace or even on a wall where the outdoors can be reflected. If you want to use lightly tinted mirrors, this is perfectly proper. However, never use mirrors with fussy edgings or highly decorated edges, as this will bring attention to the size and shape of the mirror. Sill length glass curtains of sheer material are excellent for your windows. win-dows. If draperies are used, too, have them long and full, to the floor, but do not tie them back. Lacy net curtains are another good choice. Venetian blinds, with or without draperies and curtains, also may be used. Wall to wall carpeting will add a great deal of roominess to this room, while scatter rugs make it look tiny and crowded. Any type of patterned rug also will crowd you. Textured broadloom or a monotone of some type is best |