> HOW TO MAKE A NEW ROOM from an old space: add sliding panels and an ambience-of flowers. Panels hung froma valance create new breakfast-lamily rcom at one end ofkitchen. All-over flowers — Wall-Tex’s ; “April Showers/May Flowers” — unify walls and doors. Same scrubbable walicovering accents kitchen. Hint for apartment dwellers: try the same trick to divide a galley kitchen from the living room! ‘THE AMERICAN KITCHEN TODAY: COLOR IT FRESH, NEW, NATURAL While most consumers . today tend to take the availability of appliarfces in ' .@ variety of colors for granted — the wide-spread , application’of color in the kitchen only dates back little * more than 20 years. - At the turn of the century, the only appliance found in * most American kitchens was a black cast-iran stove. ft had to be black to hide the ‘soot, smoke and grime ‘produced while burning wood, coal or fuel oil. tH The introduction of the electric range changed that. ange pioneer George Hughes began early to dress up his products with bright nickel trim, and then white enameled oven doors. His sales literature pointed out to homemakers that “since anelectric range hasnoscot, ashes or flame, it can help make the kitchen a more pleasant rooni.” In 1924, the first all-white, fully enameled electric range was introduced, and within _ afew years almost all ranges — as well as other electric appliances — were produced in gleaming white. And that was the rule for the next 30 years, Color literally exploded on the appliance scencin the fall of 1954 when General Electric introduced a line of appliances and cabinets in “Mix-or-Match” colors: Cadet Blue, Turquoise Green, Petal Pink, Canary Yellow, Weodtone Brown and, of course, white. Some of the new colors did extremely well in selected geographic locations. Some started fast, peaked quickly, and then faded out. The first casualty was blue, and in the early 1960's Woodtone Brown gave way to the darker, edge-shaded Coppertone, which proved an Instant success with builders, In 1965 came the introduction of Avocado, a ‘ medium-dark green with shaded edges. And Harvest Gold, a warm yellow with darker edge shading was previewed in 1968. After the introduction of . Harvest, there was little activity on the color front save the introduction of Poppy, which has very limited appeal, and the resurgence of black as an appealing option to the lifestyle and trend-conscious homemaker, But the color revolution is continuing, A .complete palette of clean, pure solid appliance colors called “The New Naturals” has been inttoduced by GE iti response to the changing needs of today’s consumers, “The New Naturals” bring outdoor colors into the home, permit more freedom of expression, and are fully compatible with current appliance colors, so they will fit as well in existing decors as in newly designed kitchens. ’ A completely new appli- ance color for the American kitchen is Almond, a light beige that is neutral enough to mix or match with most types of kitchen decor and existing appliance colors. It also complements today's trend to the use of natural materials in home decor- ating. There also are lustrous new versions of the estab- lished yellow, green, brown and white appliance colors, called respectively: Harvest Wheat, Fresh Avocado, Coffee and Snow. Rounding out “The New Naturals” is Onyx, a, high- gloss black that servés to highlight and act as a counterpoint to the extensive: woodgrain trim on many deluxe GE appliances. From the bright and bold of the mid-1950's to the subdued, natural Earth tones, of the mid-1970s, color in the American kitchen has come full-circle in just a generation. Look to Walls for Sleight-of-Hand Remodeling Trick Houses are like people, with good points and bad --- and both can take time to discover. But while we accept flaws in our friends and spouses, we don’t have to settle for them in our houses! _ . Fashioning a house closer to heart's desire can be a matter of basicyremodeling — adding a new wing, orre- shaping the space you have. ’ But often it-can be a matter of visual sleight-of-hand..- — The trick: focus on the walls and use pattern and color to change space, change character, too, _ According to Robert Cappel, design director of - Wall-Tex wailcoverings, “A wallcavering can do a lot more for-a room than just look pretty, Depending on the size and coloring of the pattern, and the way it’s used in the room, it can make a space look larger or smaller, ample or cozy, It. can even help carve two rooms oilt of one.” A case in point is the breakfast room in our photo, Simple sliding panels, hungfromavalahce, | divide a large, old-fashioned kitchen into two rooms. By covering doors and walls with Wall-Tex’s bright and splashy floral — it’s called “April Showers/May Flowers” — the new room takes ona garden-fresh look that’s. pretty enough for, parties! You could try the same trick to divide the children's room — but use two different wallcoverings so each child truly has a room to call his/her own. - Hint: get color-coordi- nated wallcoverings —likea plaid and a matching floral , — So that the two spaces can work as one super room when the sliding panels are open, Sometimes, < the wall- - coverings alone can create a new space. Cover one wallat the end of the living room with a special pattern, and immediately you set itapart as a special place — perhaps for dining, perhaps forstudy or games. For a dining area, you might choose a tiny geometric on.a shiny foil to reflect candleglow, spark conversation; for games, maybe a lively stripe or a novelty. If you do .remodel,’ wallcoverings can’ provide a big assist. Firat, there's nothing like pattern on the walls to unite two different, areas — for example, where old and new parts of the house come together. - Second, a sturdy - wall- ‘Check Building R Regulations E Before Starting Project It's a wise homeowner who does his homework before going ahead with a home improvement project, especially if structural work ora change in the living area is planned. To be safe instead of sorry, get a copy of the local building code from the building inspector. Checking the regulations before. making major decisiona on home remodeling can save time and effort, . Andersen Corporation, a leading window manufac- turer, says remodeling can be a good investment if the improvement is one that is likely to interest future buyers. An updated kitchen 4418 Legion or a second bath are examples. One thatis highly personal, such as a .gfeenhouse or sauna, may not be. However, if you're content with your home and not interested in selling it, you needn't be overly concerned about a return on your investment, What ovght to be considered is energy conservation, Whether the modernization is designed to spruce up your-home for resale or to make it more convenient and comfortable for your family, the high cost of energy to ‘heat and cool a home these days virtually demands products designed to keep operating costs within bounds. Replacement windows are an example, Their initial cost shouldn't be the determining factor in their selection. Many ordinary, run-of-the-mill windows are inexpensive to buy, but costly to own. Quality windows are easy to operate, close snugly and help conserve energy by - reducing heat loss through the glass areas. Signs of a well-built, well-designed window include factory- applied weatherstripping, sash and frame materials made of wood — 4 natural insulator — or wood sheathed in low maintenance vinyl, and double-pane insulating glass. Andersen points outthat . ite Perma-Shield windows and gliding doors have factory-installed weather- stripping, which reduces air - infiltration to well-below recognized ‘standards. All Perma-Shield units have a sheath of rigid vinyl over preservative-treated wood core sash and frames. Double-pane ingulating glass, also standard in these units, eliminates the bother of separate storm sash while providing a major part of the same protection against heat loss. It also reduces the effort and time spent washing windows. OSES OS POP RHO Their Here! SPRING IS INSECT SEASON IN TERRACE - GLACIER GLASS KEEP THEM OUT! covering is g great cover-up for ald walls. Putting up a wallcovering need hold no terrors: it's easier than you think. You can get pointers from your ° local wallpaper store ‘or home center; some of them even have a corner set aside where you can try it out for yourself, on the. spot! PODS ISCF SH OCHO UE OE HOT WATER BASEBOARD Better homes in the cold _ateas of our country have ireferred hot water base- yoard heat for more than thirty years, both for better comfort and economy. The heating element is usually topper tubing, either ‘’” or %4” diameter, with aluminum fins on the out- side. The hot water from the _ boiler is circulated inside the tubing, and the fins quickly disperse the heat to the room air without moving Parts of fans, This heating clement of tubing and fins is enclosed in -a strong sleel cover, and mounted as baseboard at the floor along the outside wall. Cool air is drawn in through the lower opening by natural convection, is heated by the fins, and passes out through the upper opening to warm the room and its occupants. The baseboard heaters are quite inconspicuous, measuring 8" or 9° high, ‘ and only a few inches déep. They-come in neutral colors or can be painted to match the wall, and do not inter- fere with the placement of” furniture or drapes. Having no moving parts, there-is no expectation of ' wear or replacement prob- lems, and because of their sirength and superior per- formance, they have become the favorite for many builders in n cold: areas of the nation., Big Capacity Big Savings Big taoe $70% than any previous Big Tub Maytag PILLOW FURNITURE now accommodates lifestyles of different age groups, thanks to new frame treatments. Soft, casua! pillow seating is the latest trend. PILLOW TALK Reflecting the trend to- ‘ward more relaxed life- styles, pillow furfilure is emerging as an attractive possibility -for spring deco- - rating. Because of its portability and comparative low cost, Terres, BG esi pillow ‘furniture has been particularly appealing to the young set. However, thanks to pedestal frames designed especially for such furni- ture, older people are now expected to take to pillows for casual decors, as well. ‘Wicker or chrome frames add versatility and comfort Specializing in Quality Handcrafted Items GEMSTONE JEWELLERY ‘ CERAMICS ~“scRoop” WOODCRAFTS - MAGRANE suds wintigad ‘de to the colorful pillow backs - vances Sabie an aim - and seats, now available ina wide range of solids of prints such as florals, Egyp- tian motifs and fantasy designs. This spring, pillow furni- ture will: give everyorie — young and eld alike — a chance to really get “down to earth. Daily 4 - 8 p.m. ‘6pm. -Deileate, Permanant press) = and fabric cycles . 4 Water feval settings .3 Water » temperature settings . Zine cabinet with tough ’ acrylic enamel finish . Glant ‘size porcelain enamel Power Fin Agitator . Altrsctive = Chrome metal trim A308 regular coated steel tub swith ‘Haytz Dependability-the most Iuportant feature of all! LIMITED EDITION WASHER