xt7nzs2k8173 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7nzs2k8173/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station.  journals kaes_circulars_004_450 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 450 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 450  2014 true xt7nzs2k8173 section xt7nzs2k8173 ROOM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT r
For Ll--I-I Clubs
Arrangement Unit UNIT II
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Circular 450 I ’''T  
UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
College of Agriculture ond Home Economics
Agricultural Extension Division
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean cmd Director ’

 I E
. t ROOM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FOR 4-H CLUBS
I Have you often wished for a room of your own in which to ex— W
press your particular likes in furnishings, colors, and accessories? You arran
may have this wish—though more will be needed, of course, than wish- the f
ing. The 4-H Room Improvement Project gives you an opportunity to chang
make your room attractive so that you will be proud to show it to realiz
your friends, and so that you will enjoy working and playing in it. relax
Whether you have a room of your own or share it with another, and these
whether your family owns the house or rents, may make some differ- A
ence in the approach, but the final result can be the same. the ji
Attractive rooms are not obtained with money alone. lf the Hnished fort
V room is to be satisfactory, you must do intelligent planning before 1‘00IT
‘ P buying the furnishings. Many times a girl will find that with care- MTH!
ful planning and her own skill she can create an attractive room at
very little cost.
The hrst step in beginning the Room Improvement Project is Hen
to make a study of the room, considering the following 5 units in the 1
Room Improvement Project:
1. Planning Unit 2
l 2. Arrangement Unit
3. Dressing Unit E
4. Reading, Sewing, or Study Unit {
5. Sleeping Unit Hm
Each of these units includes enough study and work to comprise
a 4-H Club Project. Older girls may complete more than l project s g
in a year if they have time to carry out the requirements satisfactorily.
Furniture arrangement is a project that any girl can do and one
in which usually many improvements can be made. This should pre-
cede the dressing, reading and sleeping projects as one needs to arrange
furniture before attempting to work on individual units. I

 Arrangement of Furmture
Room Improvement Projeotfor 4-H Clubs ‘
By Emru Lacy, Donoruv GENTRY, and LYDA SUT]-IERLAND
x- Whether your room has a "hit or miss" appearance or is well
»u arranged and harmonious depends on you. By right arrangement of
ll- the furniture and accessories you may be able to work marvelous
10 changes in your room with what is already on hand. First you must
;o realize that the bedroom is for the definite purposes of dressing, study,
t. relaxation, and sleep. Your task is to arrange the furniture so that
ld these needs will be taken care of comfortably and conveniently.
1* An orderly, comfortable room does much toward the happiness of
the person or persons who live there. Mental as well as physical com-
gd fort is affected. Rugs and furniture placed across the corners of the
re room, for example, may produce a confused mental state. Therefore,
·e. arrange for happiness and serenity as well as comfort and convenience.
at
WHAT TO D0 IN THIS PROJECT
is Hecd H or Study Group
lc 1. Learn the meaning of grouping, proportion, balance, harmony,
and center of interest, in terms of furniture arrangement.
2. Study magazine pictures and actual arrangements of accessories
for mantels, dressers, and such.
3. Learn to appreciate pictures and to frame and hang them.
4. Learn to arrange flowers.
Hond H or Work Group
SC l. Fill out enclosed check sheet.
ict * 2. Draw Hoor plan to scale and use cut-outs of furniture to try
lY· y different arrangements on the floor plan.
U6 3. Arrange and group your furniture for comfort, convenience,
l`€· and artistic attractiveness.
g€ _ 4. Rearrange accessories on mantel, dresser, bedside table, and
` other pieces of furniture.
i 5. Remove unneeded bric—a-brac and pictures.
A  6. Hang pictures correctly. I ` —'·
‘  7. Plan and arrange the furnishings around the center of interest
_ in your room.
  8. Make some accessory for your room, as a chair cushion or lamp
i shade, or frame a picture.
3

 i 4
9. Arrange flowers for your room,
10. Finish anything left over from the Planning Unit. B·
ll. Make a booklet for this unit of work, or add a chapter if the use i
Room Improvement Booklet is already started. For suggestions room
_ on the booklet see Room Improvement Project "Planning Unit." until
place
i PLAN FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT ON PAPER andi
. . . . artist
Before arranging the furniture III your room, work out the arrange- Ccmc
ment on a paper floor plan. Using paper cut—outs, try out different
arrangements on the floor plan as follows: Grou
I l. Measure length and width of your own room. F
2. Make two drawings of the floor plan to scale, using % inch to {Ogg;
represent l foot. Draw this on paper 8%"x ll", or the size of Chai]
your Room Improvement Booklet paper. Graph paper is good Othe;
for this purpose. for E
3. Measure the base of each piece of furniture in your room and Pew
g record the measurements. [WO
4. Make 2 cut-outs of each piece of furniture, to scale. Paste on Om;
floor plan one set as your furniture is now arranged. Then try dem
the other set in different arrangements to see if you can place B I
furniture in better locations. G Q
5. \Vl1en both plans are completed, put them in the Room Im- I
provement Booklet. rest
piec
. Convenient Arrangements of Furniture piec
larg»
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Bed §    
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A» B. Closet
The beds are arranged so the occu- The dressing table is located between
pants do not have to face the light. the two windows for ideal light. A
To save steps, the dresser is placed comfortable chair for reading or sew-
near the closet. The dressing table ing is by the fire place. A small chest
between the windows has good light- for storage near the double closet
_ mg. A comfortable chair and table makes a convenient arrangement. The
make a pleasing reading or sewing chest is close to the closet, with a
unit. Either twin or double beds can chair convenient to it and to the bed. i
be used. (Illustration 1) (Illustration 2) ’.

   V
THE HOW OF FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT
Before starting this project, remove any furniture not in actual _
e use in the room, and substitute needed pieces from attic or store-
is room if you have them there. It is well also to take out all accessories
" until you have decided where the large pieces of furniture are to be
placed. Arrange the furniture so that it will be convenient to use
and will look right. To do this you will have to know and follow the
_ artistic principles of grouping, balance, harmony, proportion, and
  center of interest. ~
Grouping
Furniture that is used for a specific purpose should be grouped
O together. For example, a desk or work table should have with it a
'f chair, book shelves, and light. Consider the groups in relation to
d other groups—the dressing table or dresser in relation to clothes closet,
for example. This makes for convenience. Consider also how many
d persons will live in the room. If there are two girls rooming together,
two chairs will probably be needed at the study table, and two mirrors, V
U one over the dressing table and one over the chest of drawers. Ease of
Y cleaning should also be considered in arranging the furniture.
C Balance
[_ Balance is that quality in a room which produces the feeling of
rest and stability. You may produce this effect by placing the large
pieces of furniture on opposite sides of the room. Or several small
pieces of furniture grouped together along one wall may balance a
large piece on the opposite side. For example, a small table, book-
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ri . A feeling af balance is given by this arrangement of furniture.
Z) i (Illustration 3)

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shelves, reading light, and chairias a group might be placed opposite ¢Cen·
, a bed or dresser. `Windows, doors, and coarse hangings help to balance ,1
heavy pieces of furniture. Don’t put all low pieces of furniture on one am;
side of the room with all tall pieces opposite. {hg ‘
Harmony or unify Tlmi
i The entire room should give the impression of harmony and unity. bhm
A 4 One of the main ways of securing this effect in a room is to place large .
pieces of furniture and rugs parallel to the lines of the room. Furniture
set diagonally across corners, rugs scattered over the floor, and table I
covers placed in opposition to lines of the table, do not give an impres- Tom
sion of harmony. Chairs, end tables, footstools, and other small pieces the
I need not be placed parallel to the lines of the room. \Vhen placed Pict
differently, they help to prevent monotony. Jive
· In general, a room is harmonious when- . `
The furniture belongs in the room: neither too much nor too little
of it. .
The pieces of furniture belong together and are well grouped. A
` The furniture is correctly placed in relation to the lines of the
room.
The color and color combinations are pleasing and appropriate.
The pattern on walls, on floor, or in hangings is used in right
amounts.
The right textures of materials are used.
Simplicity in a girl’s room cannot be overemphasized. Restful-
ness and beauty of the room depend on this quality. Overcrowding
with furniture and cluttering with ornaments are mistakes often made.
Proportion
Proportion in a room means that the large pieces of furniture
· correspond in size to the size of the room and to the spaces they occupy.
Many large pieces of furniture crowd a small room. On the other sho
hand, low, delicate, fragile furnishings look out of place in a spacious Yor
room with a high ceiling. Place the larger pieces along the large wall ·dre:
spaces, and group pieces of somewhat the same scale together. Ar- is a
range small articles in groups. In grouping the furniture, work out
pleasing proportions in the wall spaces. Too many equal divisions
seen at one time tend toward monotony, while many unequal divisions f
seen at one time give the effect of confusion. Dividing a wall space A
into two parts is pleasing if the object is placed a little less than two- y Ask
thirds the distance from one end. If more than two divisions are . wal
made, a variation of some of the spaces and a repetition of others is Y ini
pleasing. . s cor;

 7
€ *Center of interest
9 A room should be so arranged and planned that some one part
6 ;attracts the eye more than any other. This center of interest may be · I
the bed, fireplace, a desk, a couch, a window grouping, or some other
unit. It may be emphasized by the furniture arrangement, and it
Y should be the most attractive part of the room.
e j . .
e ARRANGEMENT OF ACCESSORIES
ji After the larger pieces of furniture have been placed so that the
Q room appears right, bring in the small furniture and objects to lill in
1 the bare places and to add interest. Such accessories as lamps, boxes,
· ictures, illows, candlesticks, flowers, rowin lants, or other decora-
P _ P S S P
.tive objects add the finishing touches for comfort and beauty. They
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D Informol bclonce on desk obtained by unlike objects. Formal
“ I bolonce on dresser by like objects. (Illustration 4)
F ·should be arranged on the same artistic principles as the furniture.
5 You will enjoy planning the placing of accessories on your bureau.
l dressing table, mantle, and desk. Illustration 4 shows how balance
'· is attained by like and unlike objects.
t
s
S j PICTURES
S A Be especially critical in considering the pictures for your room.! if `rt ·*
·- y Ask yourselves these questions: Are there too many pictures on the
8 z walls? Are any pictures needed on the figured paper? Do the pictures
S Y inuse fit into the room scheme? Are they appropriately framed and
E correctly hung?

 Framing pictures
The purpose of the frame is to set off and give finish to the picture. v N
The frame should be simple so as not to attract attention away from in gl
the picture itself. It should be of correct width for the picture. Usually they
V the color of the frame should repeat the deepest color tone of the O1, dl
picture. Most pictures are framed without mats. However, small mate
i prints, etchings, water colors, and wood blocks are mounted, usually bma
with mats that harmonize with the picture, and are framed with a Colo
narrow molding. Whit
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hem:
of tl
stitcl
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ture
{ A B C I;
In mounting pictures on a mat, the bottom margin should always add
be the widest. On a square picture (Illustration A), the top and gene
side margins should be equal. On a horizontal picture (Illustration
B), the side margin should be wider than the top margin. On a
vertical picture (Illustration C), the side margins are less than the
top margin. i
\iVood frames may be tinted with oil paints to match the deepest
i tones of the picture. Gilt frames look better if antiqued or dulled
in some way.
Hanging pictures
I-lang the pictures flat against the wall. Placing the small screw
eyes for the wire near the top of the frame makes the picture hang
flat. For most pictures an invisible hanging arrangement is best.
An inexpensive hook which is held by a strong small nail put in on the
slant, can be bought. Such a hook will support quite a large picture.
Very large pictures should be hung with two parallel wires running _
from the picture to the picture molding. Pictures should be hung over
furniture and at a height to make the picture part of the furniture
group. A picture hung above a piece of furniture must be related to
it in scale. Small pictures are often hung in groups. All these should
be related in color and--subjejct matter. If you have more pictures
than you can use at one time, you may wish to change them
‘ occasionally.
If a picture stands the test of suitability to the room and to the .
space in which it is placed, it probably is well selected. i

 . 9
y Scorfs and T¤ble Covers
Most girls have learned that dresser scarfs and table covers are —
in good taste if they comejust to the edges of the furniture, or if .
they leave an interesting border around the top. Covers for the table
or dresser should be simple in design and made of washable, practical
materials. Such fabrics as unbleached muslin, linen, Indian head,
broadcloth, gingham, crash, and scrim are appropriate for scarfs.
I Colored borders, machine stitched or applied by hand to cream or
white scarfs are most attractive. Rickrack braid and bias bindings also
make interesting finishes for the edges. Decorative finishes, as Italian
hemstitching, colored threads drawn or woven along the inner edges
of the hem, and shaped hems applied with featherstitching or chain-
stitching are all dainty finishes for covers to be used in a bedroom.
However, in most rooms, scarfs are not needed. Well iinished furni-
ture may look better if no covering is used. i
Use of Flowers
Flowers and growing plants, when carefully chosen and arranged,
; add much to the freshness and charm of a room. Artificial flowers ‘
l generally add nothing to the attractiveness of a room. ‘
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Sources of flowers s .
Through late spring, summer, and early fall, blossoms from the
flower garden are available. Many times the woods and fields offer
opportunities, too. Care should taken in picking wild flowers. Pick
· only those that are plentiful and use care not to injure the plant.
, In late winter and early spring, branches from shrubs may be forced
into early bloom by placing them in water in the house. Forsythia,
pussy willow, plum, cherry, and apple are types satisfactory for this. ‘
Bulbs may be planted at intervals so that blossoms may be had
throughout the winter. Ivy, sweet potato vine, grapefruit plants all ·
may be used. F
Cutting of flowers i
Flowers should be cut early in the morning or late in the evening.
A sharp knife or flower shears should be used. Cut on a slant rather  
than straight across. This exposes a larger cut surface, thus allowing
better opportunity for absorption of water. Never break the stems.
‘ A Most blossoms should be cut before the blossoms are in full bloom. UNE
They then last longer. Some foliage left with the blossoms adds to gz';
the attractiveness of the bouquet. Cut all long stems. As soon as the `
blossoms are cut, set them in cool water and leave them there for 3
hours. The water should be deep enough to reach well up on the stems. Plc;
Containers mir?
The container should add to the attractiveness of the bouquet.
I Plain, simple, well-proportioned containers are better than elaborate, AU
odd—shaped ones. The height and size of the container should be in thc
proportion to the surface on which it is to be placed, and to the UW)
. bouquet itself. Om
Small, low—growing blossoms like violets appear at their best in
low bowls, while tall shrubs such as pussy willow are best in taller visi
containers. I-Iowever, low bowls may sometimes be used for the latter **3**
if the diameter of the bowl is large enough to appear to support the Oli
flowers. I
The texture of the container and the blossoms should correspond. _ tak
That is, large heavy blossoms like marigolds or forsythia are best shown cac
in pottery; Hne delicate-stemmed flowers in glass. Glass or metal flower ; of I
holders are useful in keeping the stems in position, or sand or coarse l
wire netting may be used for this purpose. ` 
Arrangement ·
. Flowers should be arranged to resemble their natural growing { Sch
form. Never crowd flowers in a vase. Often a few blossoms are more F V-

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