dividers to form a 16in. central compartment midway between two 7?4in. outer sections. The top of the chest is cut across its width into a center leaf 16 in. wide, 9 in. from either end, as indicated in Figure 2.67. This center leaf is fastened to the rear of the top frame assembly with invisible hinges or a 16in. continuous, pianotype hinge, and has a mirror fastened in place with metal brackets or a wooden molding. If desired, a lid stay can be fastened in place to hold the mirrored underside at a special angle; otherwise it will tilt back to rest against the wall behind the chest. This makes a standardsize chest whose drawer tops and bottoms will line up with the bachelor chest, when placed side by side with it. Unit Assemblies. The vogue for unit assemblies of furniture is an architectural approach to modern styling. Built to a uniform height, the various pieces can be "butted" together, side by side, to form various combinations of seemingly continuous, solid pieces of furniture. By adding a piece at a time, the strain on the budget is eased, the ingenious housewife is afforded facilities for new arrangements, and the means are provided for the walltowall arrangements so economical in a limited space. While the average householder is not yet attracted to architectural simplicity in the living room or boudoir, unless dictated by cramped living conditions, nevertheless there is a distinct trend toward the simplification of functional rooms such as the dining room, a masculine bedroom, or neuter guest rooms. It was for this reason that the paneled bed, bachelor and vanity chests, and the writing table, previously described, were dimensioned to a common height. By constructing a pair of commodes with 16in. solid tops of dimensions otherwise identical with those of the vanity chest, two units will be provided that can be set on either side of the bed, for a builtin headboard effect, or on the sides of the writing table to form a vanity. For the dining room, two of the small commodes placed against the ends of a solidtopped chest of drawers will provide an authentic sideboard. If desired, the chest can be built 10 in. wider with a shallow, compartmented half drawer, lined with tarnishproof felt, sliding on cleats in the inside of the top drawer for storing silverware. The lower two or three drawers can be omitted and replaced by shelves, recessed to take in. plywood doors. When space is to be conserved, or in the den, rumpus room, or nursery, a walltowall installation will probably require the construction of at least one oddsized piece. Here, too, panel doors may alternate with tiers of drawers, together with one or more bookcase, 31J4 in. high and 10 to n in. deep, constructed with the typical mitered 3in. bases, and with flush sides. Units can be built to house radios, and drawers made with solid bottoms to hold phonograph models. The possibilities are limitless; several designs are available from the preceding pages of this chapter.