Another entrance-hall was conceived in several shades of gray with touches of soft yellow which stamped it with the quiet, dove-like quality which was manifested throughout the house. Walls and woodwork were painted a medium gray, and there was a small gray hat table and a built in gray settee at the foot of the stairs. The lining of the portieres which led into the mauve and gray living-room on one side and into the rose, green, and gray dining-room on the other, was of soft yellow, and the color was echoed in the thin silk glass-curtains of the entrance door.

A somewhat more pretentious entrance hall was furnished in black and red lacquer. The walls were paneled with black and Chinese decorations inserted. Several Chinese incense burners were converted into lamps, and there were high-backed carved black chairs. Black and white entrance halls are striking and piquant if they correspond with the general decorative idea of the house.

When the living-room of the little house is freed from the tyranny of the furniture "suite" and a pleasant background is selected, it usually evolves itself very simply and naturally. The living-room in one little house had a six foot gray cypress wainscoting and putty colored paper above. The rug was of a darker gray velvet and the fireplace was in dull blue tiles. The two fireside chairs were covered in gray and blue linen and a divan was upholstered in dull blue. There were three rush-bottom chairs of odd shape, and two other chairs and a standard lamp lacquered in black. The shade of the lamp was orange, with the color repeated in the crackled base of the reading lamp which rested on a long and narrow gray cypress table.

In another delightful living-room, modern closely woven reed furniture was used. There was a long low-backed sofa, two easy chairs, several side chairs, and a unique plant stand which fitted over the radiator. The reed was painted midnight blue and upholstered in a linen with richly toned Roman stripes. To relieve the monotony of the reed, several pieces, such as the oblong table drawn up in front of the sofa, a fire bench and several odd chairs were of dark blue painted wood. Three colors chosen from the beautiful hues of the striped linen upholstery were chosen to form a three color harmony carried out in the other decorations of the room.

White reed furniture interspersed with pieces of black painted wood has many interesting possibilities, as also have the warm tans and grays which come out so attractively in the reed. Innumerable are the bright and happy living-rooms which can be conjured up with the simpler types of painted wood furniture and charming modern upholstery fabrics and hangings.

For the person who is accustomed to only the conventional dining-room appointments, the many articles of dining-room furniture which are being offered in the simpler styles will at first be perplexing, but when one comes to see the reason for buying furniture for the particular room and the particular function, the advantage of this opportunity for a reasoning choice will be readily welcomed. For the small and simple dining-room the large bulky sideboard, inseparable from the ordinary dining-room suite, is impractical both from a decorative and utilitarian standpoint. The linens and silver for the small family can be accommodated, usually, in a quarter the space, and the top is neither ornamental, bare, or covered with a mongrel collection of family plate or china. One can obtain now simple sideboards of slender but good proportions which provide ample storing space and take up far less room. It does not pretend to be an important or imposing piece of furniture, but it is sightly and practical and takes its place well in the decoration. If one prefers even slighter and simpler proportions there is the Russian sideboard which is small but chaste. These pieces can be obtained in natural wood or painted finish with a pleasant decoration in contrasting tones. A quaint and highly practical substitute for the sideboard is provided in a Welsh cupboard which, with its ample drawers and plate rack, constitutes an admirable piece of furniture; or there is the drop leaf cupboard which acts in the triple capacity of sideboard, china-closet, and serving-table. The upper part may be screwed to the wall like any wall cupboard, while the lower part with its drop leaf is ideal for laying out the table things before and after meals. This valuable piece of furniture consumes floor space of only fourteen by forty inches, giving it added significance as a saver of space. For the combination dining- and living-room, or for the dining-room where a great deal of cupboard space is needed, a piece of furniture known as a hutch is an admirable acquisition. It was one of the earliest forms of furniture made by man and is a development of the older chest. It has two long commodious drawers below and two roomy cupboards above and only sets out nineteen inches from the wall. In the very tiny dining-room many harassing problems can often be solved by a corner cupboard, and there is a very attractive variety offered with a drop leaf which enhances its usefulness.

The relative shape and proportions of the dining-table to the shape and size of the dining-room is a matter of great importance and worthy of careful consideration. A large table in a small dining-room and for a small family is a useless waste of space and comfort and yet small tables are commonly conceived to be inhospitable. An exceedingly interesting variety of modern dining-room table is known as a Draw Top Table. The extension leaves when not in use slide underneath the top leaving a small oblong table of sufficient size to accommodate two or four people. When the sides are drawn out and extended it can easily accommodate eight or ten and presents the pleasing proportions of a comfortable oblong table. Either the gate-legged drop-leaf or the circular drop-leaf table is a great boon to the combination living- and dining-room, as it can be shoved to one side and used as a side-table when not in use. They are also admirable as serving tables for small dining-rooms. Two identical gate-legged tables with oblong leaves can be used in living-room and dining-room; and for special occasions they can be placed together to form a long banqueting board. A wheel serving tray is a good substitute for the regulation serving table. It is mounted on feltoid casters which turn as easily as wheels and has a removable top tray. For Sunday night suppers or the maid's day out, it is a ready helper to the hostess. The drop-leaf tea table is too widely appreciated to need exploitation.