case employ a floor painter and begin by removing all old paint.
Paint removers come for the purpose. Then have the floors planed to
make them even. Next, fill the cracks with putty. The most practical
method is to stain the floors some dark colour; mahogany, walnut,
weathered oak, black, green or any colour you may prefer, and then wax
them. This protects the colour. In a room where daintiness is desired,
and economy is not important, as for instance in a room with white
painted furniture, you may have white floors and a square carpet rug
of some plain dark toned velvet; or, if preferred, the painted border
may be in come delicate colour to match the wall paper. To resume, if
you like a dull finish, have the wax rubbed in at intervals, but if
you like a glossy background for rugs, use a heavy varnish after the
floors are coloured. This treatment we suggest for more or less formal
rooms. In bedrooms, put down an inexpensive filling as a background
for rugs, or should yours be a summer home, use straw matting.

For halls and dining-rooms a plain dark-coloured linoleum, costing not
less than two dollars a yard makes and inexpensive floor covering.
If it is waxed it becomes not only very durable but, also, extremely
effective, suggesting the dark tiles in Italian houses. We do not
advise the purchase of the linoleums which represent inlaid floors, as
they are invariably unsuccessful imitations.

If it is necessary to economise and your brass bedstead must be used
even though you dislike it, you can have it painted the colour of your
walls. It requires a number of coats. A soft pearl grey is good. Then
use a colour, or colours, in your silk or chintz bedspread. Sun-proof
material in a solid colour makes an attractive cover, with a narrow
fringe in several colours straight around the edges and also, forming
a circle or square on the top of the bed-cover.