Welldesigned cabinet built in wall niche. into its recess, or a series of holes bored part way through the inner faces of the sides, into which pegs or commercial plugs can be inserted, for adjusting the shelves to various heights. When built into dining room, bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen walls, to hold dishes or cosmetics, the sides and tops of these open cabinets are often edged with decorative scallops in French Provincial style, as in Figure 4.4. Tubular lights be concealed by the. top cornice, with the shelving graduated in depth in a Jffladder effect. HUier favored uses for long but narrow niches include locations over the •atory, or in a wall beside the bathtub, to hold miscellaneous toilet articles emetics. A similar location over the kitchen sink will care for the soap 2 50 FURNITURE MAKING AND CABINET WORK cleansing materials. Recessed above a modern fireplace mantel are often found tall, shallow trinket niches for clocks, vases, or curios. More frequently the telephone handset is found recessed on a shelf in a flush niche in the wall. When cabinets protrude from the wall, niches between them may be utilized in a number of Fig. 4.4. Niche cabinets with scalloped edges. ways, for example, for a desk, as in Figure 4.6. Last, but not least, the ubiquitous ironing board has acquired a niche of its own, in or near the kitchen. The recessed cabinet shown in the kitchen utility cabinet later in the chapter is of a width that will fit between studs on 16in. centers. VALENCES Frequently referred to by their true architectural description as cornicef box valances over the tops of interior window trim are rapidly becoming a mo "must." Not only do they serve as decoration to conceal the housings of venena1 blinds, or to cover the bare poles or rods exposed by draperies or curtains whid ' BUILTIN FURNITURE AND CONVENIENCES 2; do not meet at the top or are uncovered by swags, but also to unify the tops of t curtains or blinds with the window they frame. In essence nothing more than long, narrow, foursided boxes, the simple types, shown in A of Figure 4.7, can be rnade removable to facilitate the replac ment of curtains or blinds. The long front section, known as the apron or fries may be jigsawed from plywood and stained, cut from wallboard and painted, Courtesy Western Pine Associatio Fig. 4.5. Niche used to balance window. scissored from several layers of cardboard, glued together, and covered with match ing material or wallpaper. Good workmanship demands that corners be miterec whenever the apron material is thick enough, and that the top surface of the horizontal dust cap be flush with the top edges of the frieze and its two short side supports. The addition of a narrow crown molding around the top, as in B, will cover the exposed edges of the dust cap if it is nailed directly to the top edges oi the other three members. On narrow windows the dust cap is optional; the inside comers can be strengthened if necessary with angle irons.