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Lavish effect, less cost • . . SUPPLEMENT TO MCHENRY PLAINDEALER - PAGE n -WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7,1978 Natural-look decorating everyone's reach You don't have to spend a fortune for the Natural Look. Just because today's most popular decorating style makes lavish use of natural materials (and earthy colors), some people think they can't afford it. After all, natural materials don't come cheap. But that reckons without man's (and woman's) ca­ pacity to improvise. For example, what could be a bigger challenge than turning to a Fifties-style kitchen (one of those dated affairs with metal cabinets) into a modern Natural Look kitchen -- without spending loads of money? Yet that's what the editors of Family Circle's Great Ideas For Decorating Maga­ zine did for their current is­ sue. They improvised. Where possible, they substi­ tuted realistic-looking man-made materials for real but costlier natural materials, and relied heavily on do-it- yourself projects instead of hired labor. The first order of business was to pick a color scheme. That's often the key to suc­ cessful decorating. Borrow color A ready-made color scheme can usually be bor­ rowed from your furniture upholstery, draperies or even a favorite picture. In this case, since the room was a kitchen, the floor was a logi­ cal place to start. The editors selected an Armstrong vinyl tile that faithfully reproduces hand­ made ceramic tile right down to the tiny "cracks" in the "glazed" surface. (Actually, the surface is a tough, clear vinyl that won't absorb spills and cleans up easily.) These Armstrong tiles are the do-it-yourself kind that can be installed by the aver­ age person in a matter of a few hours because there's no need to spread adhesive. It's already on the back of the tiles. The next step was to trans­ form those metal cabinets to go with a Natural Look theme. The solution: contact paper in a pattern of random-width planks of knotty pine. But first, the cabinets were painted a russet color lifted from the colors in the new floor tiles. (The tiles are rus­ set, beige and gold against an off-white background.) Rich illusion Next, the contact paper was cut into strips between the "planks" and applied diagonally to the cabinets, leaving 3/16-inch between the strips for the paint to show through. The result: the illusion of custom-made wood cabinets for the cost of contact paper and a coat of paint. To unify the room ele­ ments, russet was picked for the color of the countertops and the window frame too. The window itself was given the charm of leaded glass through the application of a simple design formed from wood dowels and heavy cord, obtainable at any crafts store. The cord was tacked to the edges of the frame and glued to the panes to make it hold. The same design was re­ peated under the cabinets. It was tacked to the wall, and wooden cooking utensils with screw hooks on the end were suspended from the cord. The walls were rejuve­ nated with a coat of textured paint: instant "stucco" right out of a can. Added interest was fo­ cused on the ceiling through the addition of "beams," ac­ tually two-by-fours covered with the knotty pine contact paper. Herb bouquets dangle from the beams to lend a homey touch. The table and chopping block, the shelving and stor­ age unit around the range, and a mobile spice cart were do-it-yourself projects. The shelving and storage unit is nothing more than standard-sized pieces of pop­ lar board nailed and screwed together, sanded and given a honey-tone natural finish. The light golden wood tone of all of the furniture was sug­ gested by the gold color in the floor tiles. The wine racks flanking the range were fashioned by merely lacing cord through screw eyes. Stemmed wine­ glasses hang from grooves cut into one of the shelves. ~ The table looks harder to make than it was. The legs are three one-by-fours glued together. The sides are more one-by-fours nailed together in a rectangle. The top is chopping block Formica glued onto '/i-inch plywood and resting on the legs so that the surface is flush with the sides. The sides and legs are fastened with wood screws, which are hidden by the copper sheet­ ing on the corners. Purse-saving projects The chopping block on the table is a replica of the table top, done one-quarter the size. The spice cart was another home workshop project, made mobile with the addi­ tion of casters. The lamp over the table was put together from a woven basket, a socket avail­ able at any hardware store, a white globe to shield the light bulb and white electrical wire. Other items of natural beauty complete the decor. At the sides of the cab­ inets, a ladder made from manila rope with dowels for the rungs holds tea towels and more baskets. Cutting boards are looped by their leather thongs around a thick dowel on the wall. The Natural Look is brought indoors with plants that look like balled trees, thanks to the use of raw bur­ lap with draw strings for pot covers. The use of burlap was prompted by the beige color in the floor tiles, which shows how a color scheme can provide inspiration for a whole room. The burlap also saves buy­ ing fancy pots for the plants and typifies the cost-cutting measures that produced this Natural Look kitchen on a shoestring budget. The greatest asset of any community is its youth. Come to tho Trade Fair, and see how Litton's exclusive Meal-In-One"Microwave cooks 3 foods at once. Saturday, June 10th 1:00-5:00 and Sunday, June 11th 11:00-3:00 ••••••••••••••••••••••••a** *************************** :::::::::::::::::::: Model 540 Reg.$629.00 Trad* Fair Special With the exclusive Litton Meal-In-One™ cooking system yon cook 1, 2, 3 foods -- even a complete meal -- all at once. ' We'll shoy, yQuhow a roast buttered new parsley potatoes and asparagus can all be cooked tooetber -- in the same amount of time. More evenly than ever, too. Because unlike with ordinary microwave ovens, microwaves surrouhd and cook the food more evenly, it's a microwave cooking breakthrough you've got to see to believe. Litton's representative explains. You just prpgram cooking temperature or time andsfc>eed with the touch of a finger. And the solid-state memory changes them automatically, while cooking. Vari-Temp® automatic temperature control and the temperature sensor insure just-right goneness, too. So now for the first time, cooking complete microwave meals is simple, and delicious. "; ** Come see--and taste--for yourself. The Meal-In-One Microwave is just part of Litton's complete line of energy-saving microwave ovens and ranges. IB LITTON Cooking • V Register at the Trade Fair for a $50.00 gift certificate. Participants must 6a OtfeHpt II yaars of aga. Litton..; changing the way America Cbakjj. Come taste Jin*energy-saving microwave cooking demonstration. CAREY Appliance SALES--SERVICE 1241 N. Green St., McHenry 385-5500 J* .<v. t e ! i t f r ti: t