This illustration brings us to the dining-room, and also to the question, Need there be a dining-room?

Of late years quite a movement towards its abolishment has developed; or at least dispensing with the dining-room under many conditions, especially in small houses and apartments of even considerable pretensions. The writer has heard of an architect's home in which the fully-set table is wheeled through wide doors from the pantry and wheeled out again when the meal is done.

While dining-rooms are usually desirable, circumstances do exist in which they are a waste of room which might perhaps be more advantageously employed, and the architecture of the bungalow just referred to suggests a possible instance. If a family is of fair size the retention of a room for this special purpose is almost necessary, but with newly-niirried people not entertaining largely, or when children have grown up and have homes of their own and all space counts in the family economy, then other arrangements will answer admirably.

Some small families badly lack one more room that may be applied to a number of uses - a man wishes to work over papers, books, accounts or drawings, a woman has her sewing or her household budget. If the living-room is necessarily so employed a chance visitor is likely to arrive just when the work is spread about and the room in more or less disorder. Taking the instance of this bungalow, the rear room might then be used as a combination sitting-sewing-library-dining-room and yet still ordinarily remain an extension of the living-room, heavy curtains being supplied at the opening for use in emergency. A desk, tables, book-case, or cabinet should be here, and the sewing-machine may go behind a screen in a corner. A gate-leg or drop-leaf table may be used for meals and set against the wall at other times.

In the country-house in summer a table may be spread on a porch or terrace or in a sun-room; indeed this is largely done in England where outdoor-living prevails to an extent that might advantageously be adopted in other countries.

Dining-alcoves are another resource and these may often be arranged in apartments. After all, little furniture is really required but table and chairs, as linen, dishes and silver may readily find storage space near at hand.

The whole matter therefore resolves itself into a question of which arrangement is, upon the whole, most convenient - and which is the greatest saving of labour to the woman of the house. This last consideration is usually indeed the last to be considered; women being notoriously unsparing of themselves and their own physical welfare. When the subject of kitchens is reached, in the latter part of this book, the writer will fulminate largely upon this subject and give evidence that there is at least one writer who has regard to womankind when she herself has no mercy upon her own physical frame.

It having been decided upon that there shall be a dining-room how shall it be furnished? The bungalow is, again, a good example of the usual arrangement with oak furniture and an ornamental screen. The sideboard is here pleasantly-free from the bar-room display of glassware and the like, only too frequent in American homes.

But - common-sense and independence may have something to say here to the intelligent furnisher of considerable means as well as one who must economise. We frequently find persons spending much good money for a sideboard and then wondering what they are going to do with an excellent chest of drawers for which they have no place! Why a sideboard, then? Will the chest of drawers not answer quite as well? It will afford more storage space, its top will decorate with equal attractiveness, and the householder will have shown some individuality.

Or why not a side-table, as in Chippendale's time? Linen and table-ware may go in a presentable cupboard or a closet. After all, what is the use of a sideboard? Principally as affording attractive wall-furnishing when the chairs are grouped about the table, for many of them have little storage space.

This same principle of substitution may be of value elsewhere than in the dining-room, and when we reach the highest development of this mode we shall see that the manufacturers of expensive furniture are availing themselves of it.

Returning to the furnishing of the dining-room with its usual pieces reference is made to the room designed by Mr. Shirley Wainwright of London illustrated in colour in Plate 8. Where the services of such an able interior architect are possible to the householder one is sure of a result that will be individual and of great charm.

There are two further suggestions which may be made by the present writer, either of which will provide an attractive and practical room.

The first is the use of a breakfast-room set, such as those illustrated in Plates 18 and 21. That in Plate 21 may be cither in the Japanese decoration or the old mahogany finish where mahogany furniture is chosen. The furniture in Plates 19 and 20 is also appropriate for the latter purpose. The lower set on Plate 18 in walnut and ivory would go well with oak furniture elsewhere used, or could be chosen in soft French grey. The decorations in either case supply some colour, and these tones should be regarded and made a key-note for the other hues of the room or as supplementary to the main colour-scheme. Following the triad first provided, we already have the darkish blue hangings at the doors and these are likely to accord with the small quantities of colour used in these decorations, whatever they may be. Special attention should be paid to the few objects employed, such as bowls and candlesticks; and these should be attractive and in the best taste, even though inexpensive. It is often surprising for how little money good shapes and colourings may be purchased at oriental shops, and indeed at the more unusual places where the householder would not expect to find low prices.

The other plan is the use of oak or mahogany furniture, as the case may be, in combination with decorative pieces. The sideboard and table may be of the natural wood - several guiding examples were given in the previous chapter on furniture, etc. - and the chairs might well be the Webster side chairs shown in Plate 16. These may be in the brilliant black, with decorations, as these illustrated, or in a dark blue, which should accord with, though not necessarily match, the door hangings. In ordering any furniture painted in colour a sample of precisely the colour the furniture is to be should be forwarded with the order. If it is decided that the chairs in this instance shall be blue, then a sample of the rep to be used for the door-hangings should first be secured and a tone of blue mixed up in oil-colour properly to accompany it. As just mentioned it may be lighter or darker if preferred, but it should accord with the hangings already decided upon. It should also agree with whatever fabric is employed for the chair cushions. It will presently be suggested that in this case it be one of the stripes, and if a blue occurs among them then the blue of the chairs should be one that will properly accord with that as well.

This, naturally, is the rule to be observed in all such combinations of painted furniture with textiles.

For these chairs make cushions covered with either of the stripes previously mentioned, using cord and tassels, or simply tapes of an appropriate shade at two corners, tied around the back-supports of the chairs. With the sideboard ornaments there will now be abundant colour, so that a grey or quiet tan rug will be found most appropriate.

Another colour for the chairs would be a canary yellow with cushions of the darkish blue rep to match the hangings. Grey rug, yellow chairs, and these hangings would go admirably together. Pongee-colour or yellow casement-cloth or sunfast curtains could be used at the windows in addition to the white curtains next the sash. There should now be some little modified red, but it will have to be carefully chosen to agree with this scheme - a very soft mulberry or neutralised rose in small objects such as pottery or porcelain candlesticks. Beaten brass bowls or dark blue pottery or porcelain would beautifully accompany either oak or mahogany.

In all rooms of the house or apartment it will be advantageous to use, where possible, objects, which perhaps may already be in one's possession, of any of the more neutralised tones - such as citron, slate, russet, soft sage- or apple-greens and fawn, in addition to the stronger hues, when they will harmonise, so as to give variety and prevent anything like an arranged appearance.

Where the alternate harmony of violet, green, and orange is preferred to the first, we already have at the doors the hangings of brownish violet and grey, and may use for the chair-seats the stripe mentioned, if it is not employed in the living-room. If they are to be of solid colouring this could be green, and the orange note introduced by bowls, vases, and shades for the lights. The rug might be dusky violet, grey, or tan.