
DATE: Sunday, June 22, 1997                 TAG: 9706200117

SECTION: HOME                    PAGE: G1   EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: AROUND THE HOUSE

SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   85 lines

MANY MOTIFS ADD APPEAL TO GIFTS AND COLLECTIBLES

COLLECTIBLES WITH more than one motif are all the rage on the gift-shop circuit this year, according to Country Business magazine. This rug, for example, should appeal to those who love their country and cats too.

Another upcoming trend, according to the trade magazine for wholesalers and retailers of country accessories, includes ``happy everything'' items. These products might picture all four seasons or celebrate several holidays at the same time. An example would be a wreath that includes a flag for the Fourth of July, a piece of Halloween candy, a Thanksgiving cornucopia and a Christmas tree.

Bees are swarming into gift shops this year - on jewelry and stationery, in framed prints, on teacups and saucers. And fruit is yielding quite a harvest too. Baskets piled with fruit, Colonial style, are cropping up in paintings and stained glass, on pillows, place mats and serving trays.

Snowmen of all types and Raggedy Ann and Andy will be celebrities this gift-giving season, predicts the magazine. Also popular will be gifts with dog-and-cat designs, metal-forged items such as hanging lanterns and lamp shades and accessories that have a rustic lodge look are also happening. QUICK FIXES FOR KITCHEN

If your kitchen needs a makeover, but you don't have the time or money, a recent issue of Woman's Day magazine suggests 50 quick, inexpensive fixes. Our favorites:

Use a kitchen wall to show off your children's artwork in simple frames.

Cluster votive candles on a shelf or table.

Put lights on a dimmer switch to soften glare.

Line cabinet interiors with leftover wallpaper.

Change the color of your refrigerator for the price of a can of spray paint.

Add warmth and color with a tablecloth and a throw rug.

Stitch a valance to bring life to a window without hampering the light.

In lieu of window dressing, install a narrow shelf just above the window to hold potted trailing ivy, framed photos and colorful crockery.

Make your kitchen homier with a lamp or two. Bring a small lamp to the counter or lighten a corner with a floor lamp.

Unclutter countertops with appliances that mount under cabinets.

Bring unexpected furniture into the kitchen, like an old chest of drawers or a bookshelf. CHECK YOUR ARTWORK

Have you taken your artwork in for a checkup lately? If it has been in its frame for 15 years or more, indeed, it may be time to take a treasured piece to a professional for reframing. That is the recommendation of the Art & Framing Council, a nonprofit industry group of professional framers, distributors and manufacturers.

``If your artwork was framed more than 15 years ago, it probably doesn't have the kind of conservation framing materials available today,'' said Kimberly Ahern, council director.

Exposure to light, moisture, heat and cold may produce these signs of deterioration: fading inks or colors; hairline cracks in the paint or paper; condensation inside the glass; water lines or brownish spots on the paper; paper pulling away from the mat board.

To protect your art from light, the council gives this advice:

Choose subdued lighting that doesn't reflect into the glass.

Never use fluorescent lights to illuminate artwork. Incandescent bulbs have lower ultraviolet concentrations, which can be destructive.

Even when it has protective, UV-blocking glass, artwork should never be hung in direct sunlight. INSTANT BIG BED

Abracadabra! It's easy to transform two twin beds into a king with a product called Mattress Mate. The soft foam wedge fills the gap when twins are pushed together.

The tidy solution sells for $9.99 at Westpoint Pepperell, 3750 Virginia Beach Blvd., Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

COUNTRY BUSINESS

This rug with its cat and flag motifs is an example of collectibles

with broad appeal.

Photo

MATTRESS MATE

Mattress Mate, a soft foam wedge, lets two twin beds serve as a king

bed.