The Editor will gladly answer queries pertaining to individual problems of interior decoration and furnishing. When an immediate reply is 
desired , please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope. 
A Wood and Willow Screen 
FOLDING screen of unusual beauty 
has recently been made by the de¬ 
signer of a style of furniture that is recog¬ 
nized as being decidedly out of the ordi¬ 
nary. The screen is about six feet in height 
and has three sections, but instead of hav¬ 
ing a solid covering of leather or some 
heavy material, they are filled in with wil¬ 
low, woven in such a large mesh that a 
most delicate openwork effect is produced. 
Each section of the screen has three wil¬ 
low panels of graduated size, the largest 
at the bottom. The frame is made of 
ash, a wood with a beautiful grain that 
takes stain readily, and that may be done 
in silver gray, brown, green, or any color 
that is desired. The screen has the rather 
unusual advantage of fitting in well with 
furniture of practically every description, 
without appearing too heavy for a sum¬ 
mer room or too light for the more solid¬ 
looking furnishings of a winter apartment. 
Done in a silver gray with the willow left 
the natural color, it serves the purpose for 
which it is designed and at the same time 
gives an impression of lightness and grace 
that is most satisfactory. If intended as 
a more substantial piece of furniture it 
may be done in some dark color to match 
the Sittings of the room, the willow stain¬ 
ed as well as the wood, and a lining of 
thin silk put in to give it more body, and 
to make it quite opaque. 
Hints on the Care of Wood 
Floors 
HERE is no reason for distress over 
the care of wood floors, if they are 
properly “finished” when laid. A natural 
wood floor is easily kept in perfect order, 
when common sense is used and the fol¬ 
lowing hints observed: 
Frequently wipe the floor with a damp¬ 
ened, not a wet cloth, and do not use hot 
water. 
Never touch the floor with a scrubbing 
brush, nor with a broom. 
Never use a washing powder of any 
kind, or a cleanser. If it is so soiled that 
it needs more than cool water, use a lit¬ 
tle castile soap, and wipe it dry with a 
chamois. 
To remove any waxy substance that cas¬ 
tile soap will not dissolve, use a woolen 
cloth dampened with kerosene, and rub 
off quickly. 
Never touch any floor, or other var¬ 
nished object, with kerosene, except in an 
emergency as above described. 
Bathroom Suggestions 
F your bathtub is not provided with a 
“safety rail,” it is a good plan to 
place a strong metal or wooden towel rod 
on the wall, from twelve to eighteen inches 
An uncommon but attractive screen of ash 
and willow lattice work. It readily adapts 
itself to any color treatment 
above the rim of the bath. See that the 
screws penetrate the wood behind the plas¬ 
ter. The soapy slipperiness of the tub 
has been responsible for many accidents 
in the past; the guard rail will give a safe 
hold, and prevent falls. 
If economy is necessary in planning the 
bathroom floor, have it of hardwood oak, 
Georgia pine, maple or birch — the cracks 
carefully filled in, and the whole stained, 
waxed or oiled. A wooden floor that is 
not as waterproof as it is possible to make 
it, is a poor investment, for it is impossi¬ 
ble to keep it from being wet or splashed. 
A window of leaded translucent glass 
is more sanitary than curtains. The glass 
will cost from 75 cents to $3.50 per square 
foot, depending upon the design and the 
locality. Send the window-sash to a 
trustworthy manufacturer, with your idea 
for color scheme and design, and the price 
per foot you wish to pay. Let him send 
you sketches for your approval or criti¬ 
cism. The sash can then be returned to 
you with the glass neatly fitted in, read) 
to set in the window-frame. 
House Plant Fertilizer 
ANY housewives thoughtlessly throw 
away the bones that accumulate 
in the kitchen when these are just 
what is needed for the health of their 
plants. Burn the bones in the “second 
hole” of the range, and when quite white 
pound them to a fine powder. Mix a tea¬ 
spoonful or so (according to size of pot) 
in the soil around the plants, and watch 
results. This powder contains potash 
salts, which furnish an excellent fertilizer 
for the plants. 
A Handy Bungalow Kitchen 
A PROBLEM of the small kitchen is 
to provide a generous table space. 
One of the features of a carefully planned 
bungalow is a table two by six feet, closed 
in below for use as a cupboard. The height, 
thirty-two inches, was a point that had 
to be impressed on the builder’s mind. 
The top is made of North Carolina pine, 
the same kind that was used in the floor¬ 
ing. Two doors open into the roomy 
closet beneath, which contains many bulky 
articles that are too clumsy to go into the 
regular kitchen closet, besides cooking 
and laundry utensils that would have been 
hard to dispose of without this generous 
storage space. Hooks are fixed to the 
sides, as well as to the under part of the 
table top, so that the closet can be used 
for numerous small articles as well. The 
top is protected with one large piece of 
thick linoleum. Above this the ample 
space allows for various shelves for things 
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