PRACTICAL POINTS about ELECTRIC LIGHTING .sx An Electrical Engineer Gives the Results of His Experience .sx IN the article published in last month's issue , some general remarks were made on the electrical installation for a small new house costing between 1,000 and 2,000 , and some suggestions were given for the lighting of the hall and dining-room .sx The Merits of Double-control Switching .sx Coming now to the lighting of the other rooms , let it be adopted as a general rule that , if a room has two doors , double-control switches shall be fitted to the lights in that room , one by each door .sx The slight extra cost will be more than repaid by the great gain in convenience , and saving in current .sx This applies especially to a bathroom leading out of a bedroom .sx Without double-control switches to the bedroom light this would almost certainly be left burning the whole time the bathroom is in use .sx With the suggested arrangement , however , this would not be done , and you could employ the current saved in a better , or an extra , light in the bathroom , which is generally very indifferently lighted .sx The saving in current with this double-switching arrangement is , perhaps , most marked in the service quarters and on landings .sx It can be taken for granted that the greater the number of switches ( not lights ) installed in your house the less the current bill will be .sx Bedroom Lighting .sx The lighting of bedrooms is important .sx For a room of fair size there should be one centre light for general lighting , and this should preferably be controlled by two switches .sx If you have two doors to the bedroom , place one switch by each door ; if you have only one door , place the other switch near the bed .sx This will be an auxiliary to the special bed light , and will be found extremely useful .sx Special attention must be paid to the efficient lighting of the dressing-table .sx After tests of many types of fittings I have come to the conclusion that nothing surpasses the old-fashioned double pendant .sx If this fitting is of the rise-and-fall type , and fitted with suitable shades , just the desired degree of illumination can be obtained .sx Failing a double pendant , use a single pendant , but this will not be quite so efficient .sx The drawback of this method of dressing-table lighting is , however , that it tends to tie the table to one position .sx Even so , its convenience and effectiveness commend it .sx The bed light is equally important .sx Do not for a moment consider using a pendant hanging from the ceiling over the bed .sx A wall bracket is better , but the best arrangement is to install a wall plug near the bed ( not under it ) and to use either a standard lamp on a bedside table or , better still , one of the special types of fittings designed to fit actually on to the head of the bed .sx Even if twin beds are used , this one wall plug can easily supply two fittings it required .sx Lights actually inside wardrobes and cupboards are extremely useful , and can be supplied from the nearest plug ; but special switches that switch the lights on when the door is opened and off when it is closed , should be fitted , to avoid any possibility of the light being left on .sx My clients often say to me :sx " Oh , don't trouble to put a light over the maid's bed ; she will be reading half the night .sx " They forget that she will probably do this in any case , and if it is a cold night , she will not get out of bed and walk over to the door and switch the light off , but will leave it burning all night .sx I often point out , too , the nondescript little candlestick on a chair by the bedside , with all its fire possibilities .sx OLD FURNITURE for the SMALL COLLECTOR .sx What to Look For and How to Buy .sx AT a time like the present , when money is none too plentiful , the purchase of antique furniture is regarded as an extravagance by many people .sx In point of fact , the wise purchase of genuine pieces is a really sound investment .sx The truth of this is plain if we visit any sale by auction .sx Modern furniture or reproductions of " period " furniture bring small sums under the hammer , while the antique pieces bring large prices .sx To the thoughtful person , who has a liking for the old and beautiful things , this fact should encourage a wish to invest money in this way .sx The difficulties confronting those who want to acquire genuine pieces are certainly many , because the amount of genuine furniture is very limited , but a knowledge of what to look for is within reach of all .sx It is a good plan to go to sales , and compare prices of pieces in shops .sx The general impressions thus gained will be of great value , but they must be backed up by definite reading and visits to museums .sx When making comparisons between the differing prices of similar articles , it is very necessary to consider the condition of each .sx Quite apart from considerations of " style " and " period , " the condition of a piece of furniture determines its value very largely , and the collector must regard this as a most important consideration .sx Too often the condition of a piece is overlooked .sx The price seems reasonable , and a hasty purchase is made .sx Then , later , it is realised that the piece has been repolished or much restored , and so can never prove a sound investment .sx The term " condition , " as applied to antique furniture , comprises colour , polish , repairs , parts missing , original or new handles , escutcheons , etc. , glass and gilding of mirrors , etc. .sx It is generally known that the value of a piece of porcelain is almost negligible if it is cracked , and the collector will do well to remember that the market value of a much restored piece of furniture is likewise almost negligible .sx So , in considering any piece , no matter what period or style , this vital question should come first and foremost .sx Polish and Colour .sx Look at the polish .sx Is it French polish ?sx This is easily detected .sx By slight scratching with the finder nail it will come off , fine powder being left .sx The old hand polish , producing the fine " patina " so much prized by collectors , adds considerably to the value of a piece of furniture .sx Pieces that have been scraped down and repolished , and pieces that have been French polished , have far less value than those with the original polish .sx As regards colour , old wood has a mellow colour produced only by age , exposure to light and years of hand polishing .sx In the case of oak , the colour is a soft , cool brown , seldom the black and never the red-brown so often seen .sx In the case of walnut veneer , the faded colour is unmistakeable .sx Modern walnut veneer is definitely browner and fresher looking .sx Old mahogany is never red in colour , unless the piece has been French polished or stained .sx The fine examples are heavy and of a soft , dark brownish hue .sx Handles , Stretchers and Drawers .sx Look at the handles-are they new or old ?sx If they are new , the marks of the old ones are certain to show .sx As regards added parts and missing parts , where chairs are concerned , look particularly at the stretchers .sx Are they new ?sx Old stretchers will be of very similar quality to the legs .sx New stretchers are often " over-faked " and have polish on the underside .sx In polishing stretchers , it is not usual to polish the underside , and old examples are clean .sx Has the chair been cut down ?sx See if it is about the right height , and look at the height from the stretchers to the floor .sx In small tables of the Pembroke type , look carefully at the legs to see if , in years gone by , diagonal stretchers or an under-shelf have been fitted .sx The points where these were fixed are bound to show , and the market is flooded with examples lacking this feature , which was usually light in construction and has been broken away .sx See if the drawer is original .sx Here the question of colour and grain will help .sx If the drawer was made at the same time as the table , the wood used will be similar in appearance .sx Very often an old drawer is fitted to an old table , the original drawer of which is missing .sx When this is done , either the drawer is made to fit the table , or a rail is inserted just under the top of the table to suit the proposed drawer .sx In such a case the drawer may deceive , being an old one , but the added rail should be the tell-tale .sx Look carefully for signs of stain on the drawer top , and look carefully at the handle position to make sure that the drawer has not been cut down , and the handle added or tampered with .sx Minor Repairs .sx A piece of furniture should be subjected to a further scrutiny to determine the minor repairs .sx In considering veneered pieces , careful examination in a good light will show which veneer is new .sx Drawer edges are often much restored in this way .sx Look at the mouldings also .sx In the case of walnut furniture , moulded members were made from wood cut across the grain , and when this is so , they are said to be cross-banded .sx This type is easily recognised .sx The grain in the wood is at right angles to the run of the moulding .sx Slight shrinkage produces vertical cracks in the run of the moulding which characterise the type .sx Added mouldings may be cross-banded , but are more often of the modern type - simply run with the grain .sx No vertical shrinkage cracks are present .sx The next small matter to look at is that of " stopping .sx " It is astonishing how this is used as an easy means of repairing damaged parts of old furniture .sx Stopping is a preparation of hard wax coloured down to match the parts adjoining the proposed repair .sx It may be melted down and poured in , or it may be softened in the palms of the hands and used like putty .sx Careful examination will again guide the purchaser .sx Doubtful parts should be pressed with the finger nail .sx If the part so pressed is stopping , the finger nail will sink in easily .sx Though the colour of stopping may be very cleverly matched , there is no trace of grain in it .sx This fact should enable the careful collector to detect its presence .sx Old Glass in Mirrors .sx The fact that a mirror has a silvered back , and not a red-coloured back , is not sufficient proof that it is old .sx Modern glass can be treated in this way .sx The colour must first be examined and compared with a piece of modern looking-glass .sx It is a simple matter to carry a small piece of modern glass when the purchase of old mirrors is contemplated .sx The old glass has a dark look , much like the reflection seen in a highly polished pewter dish .sx The surface of the glass is slightly uneven .sx The bevelled edge is soft .sx The angle of the bevel is slight .sx Test the thickness of the glass by placing the edge of a coin against it to show the gap between the edge of the coin and its reflection .sx Old glass is thin .sx Gilding and Carving .sx As regards gilding .sx The appearance of old gilding should be learnt by seeing authentic examples in museums .sx Care should be taken that carved gilt ornaments are really carved , and not moulded and built up .sx In old work , the carving was usually in pine or some soft wood capable of fine work with sharp edges .sx What the Small Collector Can Buy .sx It must be remembered that the fine pieces have for many years realised large sums of money .sx It is in the purchase of country-made furniture that the small collector can invest his money wisely .sx While the great cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century were working in London , country joiners and cabinet-makers were producing furniture of similar design in their towns and villages , often quite fine in workmanship , but in the less expensive woods , such as elm , beech , oak or fruit-wood ( such as pear ) , instead of in mahogany and walnut .sx