Home decorating and design

In a message dated 11/4/02 5:37:03 PM Eastern Standard Time, dgwct@... writes: All, I CANNOT believe that control freak who was on Saturday night. Holy cow, she made Doug so mad. I don't blame him. He can come and stain an inlay on my wood floors any time. To have such talent and creativity and then to waste it-OMG! When she called Doug's mahogany paint "poo poo brown" I thought he would flip, but he kept his cool and class. I have to say Hildy's bedroom fit the owner's taste's to a tee-CHEESY!!! Gotta check my bean soup- Susan

I have a couple! The first thing I would try would be to move the couch away from the wall, placing it across the room w/ its back facing the kid zone. That way both entrances to the room could be used by a pedestrian w/o him or her walking in front of someone watching the TV--assuming, of course, that the TV viewer would be sitting on the couch! An idea I like even better, if you think it would work, would be to shift the kid zone to the other end of the room, the end w/ the two windows, and then place the couch in the middle of the room--same as idea # 1--w/ the fireplace to its right and the kid zone again to its back. That arrangement would incorporate the fireplace into the adult zone which I'm guessing that the kids don't use too much. Also, since there seem to be a number of different patterns going on and the room does seem a little dark, how about removing the curtain parts of the window treatments and leaving just the valances for softness? (This assumes, of course, that the valances are separate from the curtain panels.) Removing the curtains would let in more light and more view and cut down on the busy look that the room seems to have now. The bookcases could go on the wall where the couch is now, and the TV--unless it's cable, then you're in trouble!--could go in one of the corners in the former kids' area. I hope that some of these ideas appeal to you and that they help make your room a "better place." The best part if that none of them costs a penny! Diane

I just heard a promo for three back-to-back episodes, all repeats, this coming Saturday beginning at 8 PM. One of the episodes is of the lady who almost burst into tears upon seeing her room. (Don't you wish they'd do follow-ups to let us see if the people keep their rooms or how quickly they "fix" them?!) Diane

Does anyone have a HP scanjet? I'm having difficulty, and I have a question that maybe someone could answer. Marion

not sure it was HGTV, coulda been DIY or something else.

Hi All, HAPPY HALLOWEEN, I have a problem. My home is over 100 years old. We added a sun room on to the kitchen. The wall between the two rooms is the original outside logs, on the sunroom side. We put old barn boards on the arch way between the two rooms. When I was painting the kitchen (we are remodeling the kitchen) I got paint on the barn boards and need to know if there is something to get it off. I can"t sand it because that would ruin it. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also there is green crayon marks in the logs. Can these be removed and how does one clean the logs? The plaster between the logs is breaking up and falling out, any tips on this would be appreciated , also. Thanks, Bonnie

Hi Liz and Everyone, A few nights ago we watched a show (HGTV?) about a hardware convention. They had a gadget that was made specifically for tinting caulk, some kind of drill bit that gets inserted into the flat end of the caulk tube. No mess. You just remove the gadget and put the tube into your caulk gun. Hubby thought it was way cool. (Don't know if they used paint or pigment to tint the caulk.) They didn't show the technicalities of inserting and removing the bit, but it looked easy (LOL). We're keeping our eyes open, hopefully it will show up on local store's shelves. Renée

Hi: We are still upgrading the house bit by bit. Now the kitchen has new countertops, backsplash, and tile floor. We have stainless steel appliances with black trim. The countertop (sapphire blue granite) matches beautifully with everything. We have a black marble 2" liner on the backsplash among very subtle colored ceramic tiles. They are almost nonshowy from a distance, which is good. The tile on the floor is light, with just streaks of tan in it. The cabinets are white. Overall it looks beautiful, but now I know it lacks bright colors. It is a black and white kitchen, basically. Even the dinette furniture is cream tone. Cant use wallpaper border because of the way the walls are. Dont want to paint it with something bold and then it wont look good, as we have an open style where you can see into the family room and the formal dining room. Wondering how to incorporate something nice and colorful in the kitchen, without it looking gaudy. Any ideas? Thought of stained glass type ceiling lamp. Cant figure out what else to do. Have two windows and a sliding door in the long kitchen. No drapes yet. That is another thing I cant decide on, as it needs to look compatible with the adjoining room. Daisy

Hi, I'm new here, and I'm gonna jump right into it. I like retro stuff, furniture and what not. I don't have a lot of space and about $200 bucks... What can I do with two rooms and a bathroom??? Any Idea's or places online that accept paypal? Thanks ~Joe

Upon entering my condo there is a long narrow foyer. I would say that the length is about 14 feet and the width is about the width around 5 feet. The space there is blank and it ends at the door to the kitchen. I want a warm welcome for people who come through the door. What can I place in the foyer in terms of decor? A series of paintings on the wall? Something run along the floor? Any ideas?

Julie, About the canopy. Try making a frame out of 2x4s or 1x6 which ever suits your style. Then fill in the middle with thick dowels. Then cover them with a nice fabric. Stain the wood to match your bed. Doesnt look so nice from the top but when you suspend from ceiling all you see is underneath and it looks like a 19th century canopy over a 4 posted bed. I saw this on Trading Spaces or Changing Rooms (cant remember). You could always do the christopher lowell method with pvc pipes and elbow joints covered in fabric suspended from the ceiling with fabric sleeves covering the chain. You can use nice sheets - most of the hemming is done for you. A few ideas.... Cara in Maine :)

Hi Anne, Here's my suggestion...would love comment from others who are more experienced. (Blast away, I'm here to learn!) Either rough up the surface of the old paint with light sandpaper or liquid sandpaper. Pnk/red paints have a tendency to bleed. For primer, try using pigmented shellac. BTW, it cleans up with ammonia (or denatured alcohol), not thinner. Is the table going to be used much? Perhaps consider a white epoxy paint, available in spray cans too. This stuff rocks -- tougher than alkyd enamel and never yellows. For the trim, be sure to use a good brush. (Rustoleum gloss black is my personal fave, but have paint thinner on hand.) Would use liquid sandpaper underneath, too. This may be overkill, but we're very hard on furniture...hubby is a force of nature leaving destruction is his wake. We tend to go the long route! HTH, Renée "Anyway, I want to paint an old table that I have (not antique, just old). It is made of wood and is currently painted off white with pink trim. I would like to paint it white with black trim."

Hi Kathie, Glad you liked it. It was fun. You might want to look at the other post where I give more info on how I mixed up the colors, I figured out a way to make it look almost exactly like real stained glass. I love the idea of doing it on plexiglas, that will be so much easier than working on a vertical window. You could be really silly and do a stained glass pumpkin for halloween, oooh! and a stained glass wreath for Christmas, or maybe just stained glass colors in burgandy and green . . . .hmmm . . .lots of ideas ;o) Take pictures!!! Liz

Liz: That is such a beautiful stained glass effect. I want to do something like that (not in the laundry room though, it has no windows). Would you mind posting the technique? Thanks. Daisy

Liz- I love your window, so original and well done! The tapestry bulletin board is awesome, where did you get the frame? I have always wanted tile counters but I heard that the grout gets quite dirty and holds bacteria. (although your looked beautiful) Have you had to regrout and how would you clean it? I have a very light grey laminate, ugh. Boring, boring, boring! Thanks, Susan

That was fun; thanks for sharing. I sent my daughter at college an e-card of Ty on the front and said "Your Space or Mine?" inside. She thinks he's just too cute! Nancy

I have an idea of taking ordinary bamboo and turning them into curtain rods. The problem is how to attach it to the window so it stays up. Any ideas anyone?

Can someone help me? I purchased 4 small, oval prints. They are scenes from Jane Austin's time (mid-1800's) and the prints were probably manufactured in the 1940's. There used to be labels on the back of each frame but someone tore them off. There is still a bit of the labels left and here is the info I can piece together: "Styled and Manufactured.......by the......Hugo W. Schm......Detroit, Michigan.....Number 246....patent......" I can't find anything on the internet. Can anyone point me in the direction of a reference book or place where I might find out more info about these? Thanks in advance! Ann

Thanks Judy! The sales woman give more a new piece of granite to bring home. It's about 6x6 in size. She sealed it first and then said do what ever you want to it. Even pee on it....... I promise nothing will happen to the granite she told me. *With the exception of *NO Alcohol* used on the granite. Alcohol removes the sealer that you put on to protect the granite. The sales woman also said plain old soap and water is your best cleaner. Well let's see so far I've poured hot coffee on it. Let mustard sit on it for an hour and tonight its sesame ginger orange juice marinade to try. LOL I will hopefully win this battle with my dh. Gee I wonder what I should try tomorrow. ROFL Deirdre

Hi all, I'm a college student and was wondering if any of you out there could help me out with unique decorating ideas for my dorm room. I have a pretty large space in the middle of the room and the walls are plain old cinder blocks, so not only is it a little tough to stick things onto the wall, it's not a pretty site without things hung up. If anyone has any bathroom decorating ideas, that would be nice too- but my main problem area right now is the room. It needs help. My goal is to have a room that's stylish/fun and at the same time I don't want to spend too much, if any money. Oh, and also- the ceiling is unusually high and I have bunk beds. Right now, the only things on my wall are post cards from NY and a poster of "Starry Night" by van Gogh. I'm trying to veer away from the predictable and average wall poster. Thanks! And I'm very excited to read all of your creative ideas :O) -Sydney

perfectionism usually goes hand in hand with ADD. It's nice to know i'm not the only one in the group. I am known for my unfinished projects. I helped my mom do a ragging technique on her bedroom walls. We also painted the ceiling. We did a trading spaces technique of working two straight days one weekend only taking time off to eat and sleep. My mom is not ADD and extremely organized. I felt like I was being tortured being made to stay on task.lol we got to a very small strip of wall between the two closet doors and were debating the best way to do it. I told her it could be my signature piece and we could just leave it. She thought that was hilarious and it remains unpainted two years later. I have done to walls in my livingroom with glaze and i'm not happy with the way it is turning out so i stopped. I'm still perplexed as to what would make me happier with the result. So it sits. That is why there are no pictures of the inside of my house in the album. melody

A local gas station had trouble with it's furnace from the time he bought it. It was a well known brand but the company wouldn't make good on it even though it became obvious that it was a lemon. After five years of frustration he put it out on the curb(very busy road) with a for sale sign on it. He listed the name of the company: ****furnace for sale cheap five years old Never did work right. it only sat there for a couple of days before the company made good on the furnace.

Regarding Sears; it is too long a story to go into ( wrong carpet delivered, etc ) but finally I phoned Sears main store in Chicago and within 3 days had $1,000 rebate if I agreed to lay a similar carpet ... also I have discovered that delivery persons, movers, etc.. are often day labor, hired by independents that own a truck, therefore they are not professional delivery persons .. ( I am not putting down day labor, I am putting down the companies who profess to experienced employees. Sierra

I would try "Mop and Glo" --- get the stuff in the bottle --- I haven't tried their version of the Swiffer yet. The stuff is great - my mother uses it to keep the bricks on her fireplace shiny! Cat

Ours came from Sears and the service left a lot to be desired for us too. No problems with the doors though --- lol --- we got one of those with two on it! Call Sears and make them fix it. They may hem and haw a bit since someone signed at the end and said everything was okay --- but you if your polite, but firm --- I feel certain they will make it right. Cat

I've been meaning to answer this post, but it's another of my half-finished ideas HAHAHAHA You will fit right into my little group. So far it's just me and you - the ADDD (Attention-Deficiet Disorder Decorators) I have something started in every room in my house, and none finished. Partly it is a short attention span and partly it is perfectionism rearing its ugly head . . . I want it done perfectly, so I never finish, because I can't figure out how to get it done EXACTLY RIGHT. Oh! Or the other thing I do which is to finally do something, then have to do it over - so far, I've done and redone - the kitchen counters, the bathroom counters, the laundry room window, the stair wall, um, I'm sure there's more, oh yeah, the bathroom floor has to be done again, because we had to cut a big hole in it to repair a rotten place. It's not like I don't have enough to do that has never been done!! I don't have to keep doing the same things over and over!!! One person who is NOT invited into our group is Missy, who can remodel an entire home and PUT EVERYTHING AWAY while her kids are taking a nap. Oh, about your wall, you might want to slap that 'florentine' 'tuscany' 'whatever' plaster treatment, it really looks better than orange peel walls. And anyone can do it! I promise! Liz

I'm going to be decorating my daughters bedroom in a butterfly garden theme. I am getting new carpet & can paint the walls any colour (or so my husband agrees now!) I don't have much experience with decorating, so I thought that maybe some of you would have some suggestions for me? Any good sites that I can get pictures from? I am going to the library tonight, so hopefully the books will inspire me. TIA! Lori PS - My daughter is 14 months & I want the decor to last a few years.

I got a new fridge delivered and the door does not swing out the way I want it to. I want to it to open from the left than the right. I made that clear when ordering the fridge. They messed up. Is this easy to do? Or should I call Sears to fix it? BTW I was not home when it was delivered

I'm glad I'm not the only one with the countertop dilemma. I have looked at Silestone, but don't like the colors as well as Corian. I don't know why --- but my heart is set on the Mediterrain (sp?) Blue and I haven't found it comparable in color with anything else. Oh well --- at the moment the money that was going to pay for it --- went for a new lawn mower and some trees instead --- so I will continue to study the possibilities! Cat

I got the course information from Sheffield and also got some sent from the San Francisco Art Academy. Does anyone know anything about this school? Does anyone know how you can find out about a schools accreditation? Their courses sound really good - but I would feel better if I knew someone who had taken some of their classes or at least heard of the school! Thanks- Cat

big mistake I made --- when we moved in to this 10 year old house 2 months ago, I already knew the blush kitchen cabinets were not to my liking, plus they were bleached from sunlight in some spaces --- so ... mistake --- I hired a painter who sanded them all down and with 3 coats of white paint ( semi gloss ), they are now bleeding thru in some places a pinkish tinge .. what to do - what to do - ?? they were nice and white for about 2 weeks --- suggest please .... and if anyone has painted their kitchen cabinets with a darker paint, please tell me what and how ... I now know I should have just jerked the cabinets and had them replaced....... I am so angry with me and the wasted money and pinkish tinge.. ... Oh gosh, I could use some wisdom & experience .. so many of you have solved my ceramic tile and carpet situations so easily .... many thanks in advance, and I apologize for being such a leaner , Sierra ps: white & black ceramic tiles, backsplash, with white & black ceramic tiles on floor, counters are a very light sage green with some swirly white concrete, appliances are white, except the refrig is black .. white shutters ..

Does anyone on this list have Corian countertops and if so - how do you like them? I have been looking at granite, Corian and Silestone. I'm hung up on a particular color of Corian --- but I've gotten some good reports about it and some bad. Anyone had any experience with it? Cat

Hi Judy: We have Sapphire Brown. The sealing was done by the installer. Looked good when new, but when I wipe with just water, it leaves behind streaks. Should I use soap and water instead? Our water is very hard too. I thought using Windex was not the correct thing, I guess I was wrong? Daisy

LOL - I've thought of about three different ways to address your problem --- I finally decided that it sounds like the easiest way to handle it --- would be to not only put the ceramic tiles in your den, but just redo the kitchen with the same tiles (since you don't like them anyway) and then there is no need for transition tiles or borders or trying to match colors where it looks okay. I would go with earth colors since you seem to be fond of 'earthy' things (Indian artwork, leather) --- and then I would play this up --- by looking at the Indian artwork and finding a small color that I like in it --- and painting the walls with this color. If I didn't like any of the colors in the artwork well enough to do the walls with it --- then pick a color that sort of complements the artwork and make that the focal point of the room. I would also pick up a copy of "Western Living" (I think that is what it is called --- it is similar to Southern Living and Coastal Living) and look for color,tile ideas in it. I would probably add an Indian Rug in front of the couch --- also similar earth colors. Course if your tired of the Indian Artwork --- then you could always just bring more of your sage into the area --- but having decorated a cabin with a western look some time back --- I found there are many different ways to display Indian artwork making all of it look classy and (LOL) tre' expensive! :-) Together with an earth color tile --- the room would be a knockout! Good luck! Cat

hi! just got a new 2 bedroom/2bathroom apartment in northern nj. currently in the process of doing some renovations (refinishing walls, installing hardwood floors, etc). was thinking about hiring a decorator to help me arrange the place (layout, colors, etc). would like to know about what are the standard fees and commissions i w'd expect to pay the designer. also want to know if a designer can get discounts for its clients when buying furniture. thanks.

I have a long narrow dining-living area. It is a little less than 10' wide and about 24' long. I want to replace the carpeting w/ a snap-lock wood grain laminate. My first inclination would be to lay the woodgrain/board direction across the narrow width of the room. However, when I picture this in my mind it seems that by doing that it may actually emphasize the narrow width instead. I've considered that laying it on a diagonal might help the narrow issue best. But, because I will be installing this myself (w/ little or no skill in this area) I'm not so sure that I want to complicate the installation w/ that. I plan to carry the flooring into the kitchen that is attached to the width on one end (creating an L). But, the floor space of the kitchen is only about 5' x 8'. So, I don;t see it having much effect on reducing the "hallway" feel of the living/dining room. Also, I'm thinking that the "plank" width of the faux wood laminate flooring might be a better choice than the wide plank look. Would love to hear everybody's ideas and opinions and suggestions so that I can knock them around awhile before I get too far into the planning stage. Thanks!

Hi guys. I just watched a show on HGTV (Designers Challenge, I think) with a two level high ceiling. They treated both the upper and lower windows as one long window with long, roman, (hoizontally folded) white shades and long draping drapes in a rich, silk, color on nice wooden rods. Because each "set" of windows was on each side of a fireplace; They had the pullbacks and thus the draping on only the "far" side of each window set exposing some of the shades. They had an interesting window treatment for the windows on an adjoining wall too. It was more like one of a those japanese look folding screens w/ wood and white, opaque, paper.

Hi Judy: I have granite countertops newly installed in the kitchen. I would love to get ideas on keeping it shiny clean. I find that when I wipe it down with water, it does not have the shiny look. Do I need to buff it every time? Also, in the faucet area, I find water sits on the counter around the faucets, everytime we use it. Hope this does not ruin the granite. We have already sealed it with Aquamix (I think that is the brand name). Thanks in advance. Daisy

. .. here in Las Vegas ceramic tile is the better choices .( although I have seen some beautiful wood floors done here ) --. in our stucco homes, with stucco walls . LOL -- we don't stray far from " cool " materials. .. thank you for helping me, Sierra

Welcome Jan, I see you are near Toronto. I will be there next week for three days. I've never been before. Are there any must sees that you recommend that I must see? After Toronto we are off to London, Ontario to visit friends for a few days. Welcome, Kurt www.kurtcyr.com

In our new house, there are plenty of windows. In the family room, which has a high ceiling, there are two rows of three windows each. The top row of windows are at second floor level. The room is south facing. We get pretty strong sun and it really reflects strongly on the TV and the furniture, during mid day. Also have two very long windows along the stairs, facing west. Strong sunlight from them too. Wondering how to cover them. I hate to put wood or faux wood blinds, espcially on the top windows as there will be the cord to tackle with, and of course, how do we get up there? Thought of window tinting, but not sure of that yet. I think it makes the house dark. I was thinking of making curtain similar to hourglass curtains, minus the sashing, for the top windows, and with sashing on the window on the stairs with some very light sheer type fabric, but don't know if it will be enough to block the strong sunlight. Any ideas? Looking for more ways to tackle this very new to me problem. Also have a sliding door in the kitchen area along the same wall as the FR windows. The house is open wall style, can look from family room to the kitchen and stairs. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for all your help in the past. Daisy

I'm really excited that I found a group that has activity in it. I put a few pics of the outside of my house in an album called mels. The inside is a constant work in progress. Actually that is the case on the outside too. The fence has been made in stages. We meant to put up arbors this year but got distracted with putting up an above ground pool and deck instead. I have six kids at home ranging from 4 to 18 and a dog. I'm not to crazy about the dog but the kids love it. I was wondering if anyone has worked with glazes that I could ask a few questions.

wooden flooring would be warmer, but I am trying to connect new ceramic tile to the old existing kitchen tile ( the grey & white swiggle design ) Can I just start anew at the den with solid white ceramic tile, using the existing grey grouting ? I would love wooden floors, but here in the desert of Las Vegas our temperatures warrant cool ceramic. .. plus I have a friend of a friend who will lay it at half the price HD charges.. ....has anyone successfully made the connection of two rooms ? all comments and ideas appreciated ... thanks so much, Sierra

I feel so backed into a corner with this problem of mine ... kitchen and den are attached -- the kitchen floor has white tile with grey swiggles in it and is 9 years old ( outdated pattern )... rather than recarpet the den, I would rather ceramic tile this room also -- ( this room contains a white marble fireplace hearth with grey & black swiggles in the pattern... ... walls are all white with indian art and black leather furniture ( white shutters also ) ... I hate the kitchen tile so I don't want to carry that into the den .... black tiles would not work .... .. what do you suggest ? someone told me there are ' transition tiles " to put between the kitchen tile and the new tile ???? can you help me with adding tile and taking up the old carpet ... carpet colors in other rooms are a sage. .... the only idea I can come up with is just boring white tile , because it will have to attach to the kitchen tile..... which will not have any warmth or pazazzz.. .. I would appreciate any ideas and is there any sites I can go to ?? many many thanks, Sierra

Hi Everyone, This weekend will hopefully be spent building a simple valence for my office window, probably just a plywood box type. I have two questions I would really appreciate some help with..... What size should the valance be -- length, height, and width? Window is 6'W x 3'H, about a foot down from 8' ceiling in a small 10'x13' room. There will be a 3 sets of layered sheers, floor length, probably hung on a homemade triple rod. How far should valence extend past the sides of the window? What color would you recommend it be painted? Room is medium green-blue with white trim. Furniture is dark green-blue leather. Sheers are white, pale blue, and pale green. Floor is white and black checkered squares. Seems like painting the valence white would be okay but boring. Thinking of a darker color to match the leather but don't want to overpower the light airy feel of the room. Thanks so much for any suggestions! Renée -- Those who don't hear the music think the dancer's mad. - Fortune Cookie

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Hi everyone! I'm new to this list and looking forward to sharing ideas with you! I am hoping someone can help me. I saw the show that had an interactive jungle theme done for a young girl who was blind. I would love to do something like it for my bonus room. I need some creative minds to give me ideas...painting a jungle scene, having a monkey hanging from a vine, birds...? Whatever you can suggest. It showed a tree made using sound boxes from books and foam along with fake leaves. The animals it looked like were painted with the head pieces some sort of masks that was attached to the wall. Our bonus room is big and has the sloped ceilings on two sides with a paladium window and an alcove that I thought would be a good spot for a bar area, maybe make it look like a hut with a thatched roof? It also opens to my son's room,(he's 8) there is no door separating it, so I will need to incorporate the ideas into his room or use something between the rooms. I can send pictures if anyone want's to see the room. I need painting and decorating ideas, I'm not a great painter but can copy things ok or use a projector. Also if anyone can help me with how to make a bar that looks like a hut would be great. Thanks for any help! Pam

I have did small faux stained glass projects but has anyone done large projects such as sliding glass doors? That is another project on my list of things to do. I have seen spray paint stained glass (which would be good for large areas) and I have the paint in the bottles. Anyone have pictures of link ideas? Thanks, Wendy :-)

Hey all! I posted some pics of my front door I did. I used stain and a wood graining tool and it turned out perfect! The only thing that doesnt show up well is the pretty berry colored stain that I used:-) I put the pics in a folder named like the subject above:-) Wendy ;-)

First, thank you all for your suggestions on painting my LR/DR. I decided to go with the taupe walls (eggshell finish) and white trim. I'm really excited about this new look. We recently had a window removed, and covered with drywall. I know you're supposed to prime something like this before painting it, so today I primed the entire wall with Kilz, going over that area several times. I noticed that, when the light hit it, that whole repaired area looked duller compared to the rest of the wall. My question is, when I actually paint it with the eggshell finish paint, will I have this problem also? And if so, what can I do to fix it? I'm hoping the new drywall and mud just soaked the primer up but will take the new paint okay. I don't paint all that often so I don't know all the ins and outs. I did finish the ceilings today. They look great but my neck is soooo stiff. Thank you, Stephanie

Well, I have been fabric shopping and real window shopping for my ideas on the cornice boxes. Went to this curtain store yesterday and fell in love with 10+ pair of curtains. They were expensive. I would estimate I would need to spend about $100/window!!! Is that normal. But these fabrics and ideas looked so nice and I wouldn't have shotty homemade window boxes. Thoughts?

Hi, People were asking me about faux fireplaces and where to find them. I mentioned that J.C. Penney had them. Well, I just received the free Spiegle catalog you get when you lose 25 lbs on Weight Watchers. Low and behold there were 2 pages of faux fireplaces that were so gorgeous. They were about $400. Jane

Thanks Pat. Still not sure about the colors, but will have to finalize soon. Daisy

Hey, Now I have been swimming this idea all day in my head :-) Our den/office is aboutt 10ft by 11ft. How is this different than the other types of wood flooring, do you know about how much less is costs than regular wood floor? Would it be OK to paint and seal it the same as I painted my kitchen cabinets the faux cherry? Or would I just want to really stain it? You say it's easy to do? Thanks for the exciting idea, sorry about the million questions....Missy

Hmm, I will ask my dad how he does the ends of the boards, because I know he does it after he puts it down, and it looks great! Or maybe he just does the 'pegs' after he has put it down. Liz

Need ideas for lighting our family room which has a Cathedral ceiling. Will cans being on an angle wash the walls ? and the angled cans! will they work better? ed in the dark Mandeville, Louisiana

With every interest there are purists who insist on rules. Are there such things in decorating? For example are there rules about the color or whether your curtains should be darker or lighter than your sofa etc? I am in the process of buying curtains and I am clueless.

Hello group, I am new to this group and slowly trying to transform my new home into something I enjoy. I have started with the living room and decided on dark greens, golds and purples. I think I am going for a Renaissance look. Havent yet decided. I am trying to get all the painting done before the preasure of deciding on carpet. There is so much to do. I have been lucky at finding some great furniture at goodwill stores. I picked up two gold antique velvet chairs in very good condition for 60bucks that seem to fit nicely with my decor. Its still a long way to go but slowly I will have it the way I want it. I hope to get some great ideas from here and looking at the past posts I see a lot of info. Look forward to sharing with you all. Happy decorating! Wendy

I need some ideas. My aunt has given me an antique mantel from her 1918 home in Tennessee. She said it is original to the home and therefore has I guess some antique value to it. It is a freestanding mantel piece-like a "U" shape with a top and 2 sides. It is in excellent condition and I don't have to do any repairs/refurbishing to it. The mantel is oak and stained a medium color. How can I use this in my home without using it over my fireplace. (Our fireplace has a brick facing and hearth that runs the entire wall it is on. The hearth won't allow the antique mantel to be placed there because the mantel is too tall.) Any ideas will be greatly appreciated! TIA, Jennifer

Ok, this is my last post about Threads magazine site LOL . . . check out the video on making designer fringes - it's great - and solves a couple of the problems that I've had when I tried in the past to do this - she makes a 'harp' out of a coat hanger to loop the fringe materials on and sews them to a grosgrain ribbon base - great ideas! oh! and they have great instructions for using rubber stamps to emboss velvet Liz

Thank you everyone for all of your great tips for my apartment! I will probably head over to Low's when I get some extra cash. We don't really have a problem with roaches, but thanks. Hope to talk to you all soon!

Melanie, Threads is an excellent magazine! I've been a subscriber for many years. It comes only 6 times per year and is pretty pricey. Another good sewing magazine is Sew News. Often, it has articles for those who want less difficult projects. Judy

Pat, I tried looking on his website and also on Discovery channel site, but nothing came up. Perhaps in the old archives, and it did not show up. Thanks for letting me know about it. Daisy

Hi, I am new to this group but I have an idea for separating your walls to paint them different colors. I have the same problem at my house. I wish I could take credit for solving this dilemma myself but I saw it on a recent "Trading Spaces" episode. The designer put up this long piece of molding/trim vertically down the wall to separate where he painted a separate color. Not only did it do the job but it added architectural interest as well. Hope this helps, Angela

I have a 10' x10'screened porch that is exposed to outside on two adjoining sides. I plan to enclose it w/ white french doors on both sides (including the door). However, I will have some space approx 4" to 6" at the corner and at the door where I will need to fill in w/ trim of some sort. I would like to use stock lumber/molding to make some kind of trimwork, perhaps faux pillars? I would like to look at examples of possibilities. Can anybody suggest a website or book that I may be able to check out from a library, or other reference tool that I could review to decide on a style??

The faux fireplaces that I have seen are a decorative mantel, faux bricks and the interior is usually electric light-up logs. Just for looks, ya know. Jane

Hi! I'm new to this group and I have been reading everybody's great tips. I live with my fiance in an apartment and I am going through a major "nesting" phase. I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to make my one bedroom, teeny tiny apartment more homey feeling. I can't paint the walls, or put up wall paper, so I just don't know what to do. It is basically a college kids apartment, with a desk in the dining room instead of a table. I am open to any and all ideas. Thanks so much!!

Renee: Ha! Well, I should have thought of that as well. As I suspected, no dealers in town - I would have to go to Denver and I'm not sure when that will happen. Although I did take a decorating class tonight and they talked about a lot of furniture stores in Denver that I would like to check out so maybe I could make a day of it. Thanks for your help. Nancy

I have bought my first home and I am excited at the prospect of decorating it. One thing I know that I really want is a faux fireplace. Just a mantel against a wall that I can place candlesticks etc on. I would like it to be lightweight (the place is a 5th floor condo so stone is not an option). Does anyone know any sites where I can buy such things? Or maybe instructions on how to make one (although my skills in that area are weak)? Thanks

This was sent to me by mistake - it's a new member! Hi Everyone! I'm a newbie that LOVES to fiddle around with the house, much to my DH's dismay. I just finished turning our formal diningroom into an office, and building a partners' desk out of our old kitchen table, and want to work on the master bath next. I thought joining a list like this would give me a slew of new ideas! ;) I look forward to sharing projects with all of you! ~~Bren

Hi I have a living/dining/great room area, as you walk in the front door,there it is the whole house so to speak, the kitchen everthing is like straight ahead and visible. You walk in, you are in the house, no surprises. Here's the deal, I'm thinking of making a type of screen using a light weight wood, hinging 3 maybe 4 pieces together, painting it and attaching it to the wall to separate living and dining area? I'm going to move the large sofa in front of the screen to further separate(the couch will be first, screen behind it)?? My husband says it's crazy and why bother, it's a small house and just leave is as is but I'd like to decorate and maybe paint the 'dining' side diffent colors than the "living" side so I need something that is a definite divider. Does this make sense? Melody

re : Jane's painting LR/DR --- be careful with vanilla color that you mentioned. a stream of sunlight gave mine a greenish cast in some places and the wall of vanilla seemed to yellow up after awhile.. Sierra "

My blue paint is peeling off my chairs, primer and all. I bought a flat latex. I have pics if anyone wants to see. I also have pics of my Mustard yellow living room, it is finally finished. I can't post them because they are on AOL pictures posted directly to my puter. Email me privately, or not, and I will send you the pics. In Spirit, Susan

I am doing a nursery for a frind. We want to make a boarder around the nursery to make it look like a carousel top. I was thinking of scalloped edges, with lace. And one know how to stencil lace? Angie

Renee, It sure stresses me out but more so with color and style like sponging and glazing. That is why I joined this site. I will never use flat paint every again. The walls that I painted when I moved in are so dirty; it is horrible. Jane <<Does picking out paint really stress anyone else out? I'm very sensitive to color, so deciding *exactly* what shade just about makes me implode. *Then* you gotta decide on gloss -- high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin, egg shell, flat. It's enough to make me not want to paint! :-)

Hi Everyone! Does picking out paint really stress anyone else out? I'm very sensitive to color, so deciding *exactly* what shade just about makes me implode. *Then* you gotta decide on gloss -- high-gloss, semi-gloss, satin, egg shell, flat. It's enough to make me not want to paint! :-) So...would anybody like offer some of the general considerations you use when making your decisions? This is all I know about paint finish, some of which has been touched on lately: Gloss opens up room size due to light reflection. Flat is more "decorator" but harder to clean. High- and semi-gloss need primer or liquid sander between coats. Anybody want to talk about what goes through your thoughts when deciding on paint finish? Thanks, Renée -- Those who don't hear the music think the dancer's mad. - Fortune Cookie

Hi- I am Diana, mom of two teen boys, engaged to a wonderful man who shares my home. I have learned to seek small pockets of loveliness and serenity here in what I like to call the Testosterone Zone. My current problem has me baffled, and I am needing some help! I rent my home, and it is an older place, originally built with no (NOT ONE) closets. In my room, they added a closet, the length of the wall, with 4 bi-fold doors, totalling about 8 ft across. There is about 2 feet of wall on each side of the closet. There was never any decorative trim put around the closet at all, so you can see the definite line between the drywall and the frame. My walls are light blue, the closet is the original brown ( sort of light). I am invisioning some flowered garlands tacked around the frame, and maybe painting the closet and inside bedroom door white or very light blue...but, the garlands would probably be more of a dust collector than anything. I don't have the faith in my creativity to draw anything freehand, but stenciling is an option, but again we have that unsightly frame... Perhaps a wall paper border? I really do love the garland idea...can silk-type flowers be feather dusted and stay clean? I was thinking morning glories, even though they wouldn't match my curtains, it would be so nice to wake up to...with white lattice work on the walls on each side to weave some onto, also...and then maybe matching garlands across the tops of the windows and door? Of course, I am also thinking we need to rearrange the big heavy furniture and see if we can come up with more floor space!! Let me know if anyone can come up with any ideas for helping me dress up my bedroom for not a whole lot of money! Thanks so much for listening! Diana

What is uplighting? Anyone have a floor lamp that is decorative and give off a ton of light? Jane <<layering the lighting -- uplighting behind sofas and plants, floor lamps, spots, whatever. Lots of low-wattage soft lights. It will have to wait for re-roofing (long time), but we also want to get those mirror-lined sky lights...can't think of their name.

Hi, I am a week or so away from having to make a final decision on what color to paint our L shaped living room/dining room. All by myself. We are currently waiting for the mud to dry on the drywall which is covering an awkwardly positioned window, right over where our sofa is. So we are left with one window in the DR, and a large window in the LR, which gets lots of light (actually too much in the summer-it gets pretty hot sometimes) with hanging plants in front of it. In the DR, we have a large mirror on one wall which I plan to keep there. Really seems to make the room look larger. There is no separation between the two rooms, except on the ceiling, where there looks like a beam. I have pine furniture in the DR, I guess it's early American, with heavy looking chairs, also a corner cabinet and an antique sewing machine table and china cabinet. The LR furniture is plaid, with the main colors of burgundy and blue, with taupe. I really like those colors, they seem country/homey to me, which is the style I like most. We have neutral carpeting, which will be replaced in the next year or two, but I'd like to get one of those large wool rugs to put on top of it in the meantime, to add some interest and dress it up some. The LR is a pretty good size. I've pretty much decided to go with neutral color walls (vanilla or antique white) and a white ceiling, and would add a border that has the burgundy/blue colors or possibly stencil (depending on how the stenciling I'm doing in our BR turns out). I like a touch of Americana. Here's what I need help with: Should I go with the off-white type colors our would taupe look better? I'm just not sure about the taupe color. And most importantly, what color trim? I've seen in magazines taupe walls with white trim and it looks good, but my Aunt suggested off white walls with burgundy trim around the doorways & windows, and that sounds interesting, but would it look strange? You can see directly into the blue and white kitchen when you walk into the LR, so would burgundy trim around the kitchen entrance look stupid? What color background should I go with on the rug, burgundy or beige? I'm thinking that burgundy might make the room look bottom heavy since the furniture is darker, so beige background with colors on top might look better. And I am planning on having shear curtains on the windows, over the vertical blinds which are essential given the strong sunlight, with some kind of neutral background curtains/valances with touches of burgundy. Or should I get rid of the vertical blinds and opt for drapes that can be opened and closed? Sorry this is so long and detailed, but I really need advice badly, and wanted to give you the best description I could. Thank you all very much for any suggestions. Stephanie Sewin_Mom@...

Pamela, Thank you for the paint advice of Sahara Sand. We have a Home Depot here and I will go check it out. Oh, yes. Never will I paint with flat paint again. I will definitely be using semi gloss paint for cleaning and reflection of light. What type of curtains do you have? Jane

In a message dated 9/25/02 1:19:29 PM Pacific Daylight Time, weekieloli@... writes: << I was also thinking these curtains might brighten the room instead of my off white and dark green printed flowered curtains: Hi, Jane. Welcome to the group! I'm sure you will enjoy it very much. I used to live in Framingham---are you anywhere near there? The printed curtains you now have sound as tho they would help make a brighter room, unless you wanted to change your color scheme completely. If you need a valance then you could coordinate it with what you have. You didn't say what type of furniture you have---tell us a bit more. Marion

I'm new to the group and haven't really had a chance to chat alot, but I would like to know if anyone has any ideas for my new project: We are in the process of remodeling a kitchen and adding on an additional dining room. I would like a "theme" for the kitchen, but I'm not that creative and haven't a clue where to start?? It seems EVERYONE has the apple theme or the rooster theme so any other than that :) Thanks so much! April

Hi, I am a new member to your Interior Decorating group. My name is Jane and I am from Massachusetts. I love all the shows on HGTV and TLC: Trading Spaces, Designers Challenge, Designing for the Sexes, etc. I am a mom of boy/girl twins who are 3 1/2 who currently share a bedroom. I am going to separate them into their own rooms but before I do that I have to clear out a bedroom, move furniture around, and do painting. Three bookcases have to be moved out of the spare bedroom and be moved to the livingroom. Before I move them and attache them to the wall I need to paint the livingroom. So, lots going on with moving of furniture and painting. I hope this group can give me lots of honest opinions. Jane

In a message dated 9/25/2002 1:40:08 AM Mountain Daylight Time, naturehaven@... writes: Good for you! I'm 44 and am having trouble coming up with that enthusiasm and confidence in beginning anew so you are an inspiration to me. Nancy

In researching programs I found that there is an educational organization that rates distance learning programs. I went back to find the exact name and I couldn't find it in my quick search. But Sheffield is the only interior design program recognized by this group. There are tons offered by other schools but this is the only one. The other schools and programs recognized were from really well known schools so Sheffield was in an elite group. I am going to go back and find exactly where I found that little tidbit and get it to you guys! Jen

Hi, If you live near Uncertain, TX, (near Karnack or Leigh, TX) would you please write to me offlist - THANKS! Liz

In a message dated 9/23/2002 7:34:18 PM Mountain Daylight Time, shorton@... writes: How exciting! I love her - she's my favorite designer on Trading Spaces! Is she just like she is on t.v.? Does she charge a fortune now that she's famous? Tell us all about it for those of us who are Trading Spaces fans. Thanks for the info on the ASID qualifications. I, too, hired a decorator who didn't listen to a thing that I wanted or liked and came up with ideas that I would never use. It was a waste of money and now I'm afraid to try anybody else. Nancy

Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Mother Teresa, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.

Just signed up last week. Hopefully getting my course material this week. This is what I discovered looking into different education options. To be ASID certified as an interior designer you must complete an actual degree in interior design at schools that are accredited. Then take the national exam to get an ASID membership. Of the 50 states about 20 have actual agencies that liscense int. designers and have qualifications that you must meet to be an interior designer as opposed to an interior decorator. In the other states you can legally call yourself either but designer is a bit misleading. Some of these states require ASID certification as one qualification others just require a degree and several years work experience. I looked into my local community college and they have an interior design program but it is not recognized by the ASID. I realized that going back to college that is recognized by ASID is impossible at this point with my family and location. I checked out designers in my area and realized that most are not actual designers by ASID standards they are technically decorators. In fact according to the ASID website there are not nearly as many ASID certified designers as you would think. I checked into Sheffield. What I found was that I would get the same courses as I would get at my local community college in a shorter amount of time and less money. Sheffield is a great program but is not recognized by the ASID as a program that qualifies you for membership. Finishing Sheffield or doing my community college would get me to the same place in the end. It does give me the background that I need to start my own business as a decorator. In my state the distinction between decorator and designer is not governed by any agency so it was a great fit for me. I don't think the average client would care about the difference if your work meshed with what they wanted. You just can't draw houseplans and such. Decorating is about pleasing the client and even those with the ASID label might not do that. The first decorator I hired was terrible. Didn't suggest anything that I hadn't thought of other than room arrangement. She took measurements and then charged me $150 to rearrange my living room. She had to go home and play with the layout. Guess what she was ASID certified. Not impressive and I didn't use her again. Our tastes didn't mesh. Then I had Laurie Smith(trading spaces)in...she lives in my home town..our tastes were very similar and she suggested some really quick and practical things to do and worked out some really great color schemes. To make a long story short I realized that with some great training I can do this too. I won't make everyone happy but others will like my work and they won't care about the designer vs. decorator label. I will let you guys know when I get started!

I just joined...& I hope to get to know you all. I am an Antiques Dealer (that always sounds pretentious)...I don't buy/sell shiny period furniture or fancy breakable things. I prefer country stuff that's been well loved, worn, a bit shabby & chippy. & my house is a revolving warehouse so it's fun & a challenge & a mess at times! Hope I can keep up with you guys & I'm looking forward to your posts. ~Lyn~

Hi I just painted the kids bathroom taxi cab yellow using the washable paint. I then stamped animals and things all over the walls using acrylic paint. Now what do I seal this with since the base paint is washable being in a kid's place and I want the stampings to stay intact? Thanks. Melody

What happens to these if they get wet? I hadn't thought about flour and water --- I remember the pinanta days --- also remember making a dinosaur for a school project! Life seemed much simpler then! :-) Cat

My mother used to make these... way before all the gimicks came out. She used flour & water. SIMPLE! You make a paste similar to when you make pinatas out of newspaper/flour/water... same paste... dries the same. Works great and is SO inexpensive! Angie

Hi all: Any advice on how to make low ceiling walls "look taller." Or at least ways to decorate that won't make the ceiling appear lower. My dh thinks that a border at the top will make the ceiling appear even lower. The ceiling also SLOPES (on purpose LOL). So a border there may be out of the question. I can reach the touch the ceilings! Also, the windows have wooden cornices(sp?)over them. I think these cut the wall in half, but of course my dh loves the "cabin" look and they match the pine paneling in the livingroom (2 of the four walls). I think I could get away with NO curtains, especially since the kitchen windows face the big pond,and I don't think anyone can see in(she said hopefully). I have some gauzy tabbed curtains that I can use in the L.R. but the tabs will be invisible under those cornices. what do you all think?? thanks in advance. OHLINDA

I was thinking of trying that. These were water proof and liquid starch wouldn't be - would it? Cat

This reminded me of another ghost I have seen. You use cheesecloth --- blow a balloon up - put it under the cheesecloth and then spray it with something (?). Once it drys you pop the balloon and you have a 'ghost'. You can add eyes to it etc. My question is --- does anyone have any idea what the stuff you spray on the cheesecloth might be? My mother and I tried to make them a couple of years ago and couldn't get the cheesecloth stiff enough. I tried a polyurethane coating and a couple of other things, but it never got stiff. We orginally saw the ghost at a craft festival and were going to duplicate them. Cat

A double roller uses 2 different colors of paint at one time and as you roll it blends the colors. The more you roll, the more blended the colors become. I love the effect and that I can determine how blended or not blended I want the colors. My livingroom is done in wine and beige, my kitchen in green and white with white trim, my bedroom in hunter green and wine with hunter green trim. Our bedroom used to be white with little pink flowers (wallpaper) and even with the lights out it was waaaay too bright at night so I wanted to go very dark. Believe me, it's DARK in there with the lights out! But not too dark in the daytime, just perfect. I like bright rooms, either with light colors or great lighting, but when the lights are out, I like it dark. Later today, I'll post a pic of my livingroom, any and all suggestions are very welcome!! Between Hubby and I, we aren't afraid to try anything, he's very good with wood, it's just coming up with the ideas that we have a hard time with. Sorry for being so long-winded and thanks for letting me babble... Paula.. ps. I'm 40, live in WV with Hubby of 22 years, Dale, 10 yr old daughter, Jessie, and a 21 yr old son, Kris, who is a US Marine stationed in CA. 2 dogs, 3 cats, 1 guineapig, 1 frog, 1 lizard, 2 aquariums... lol, just in case you were interested!

What is a double roller? Sounds fascinating. I am too new at painting. Daisy

Hi, I'm new here and would like some help with matching colors in my living room. Right now, I have a verigated wine colored carpet and wine/beige walls that I used a double roller on with dark brown trim. I love the double roller look, but it's waaay too much of the same color. The carpet is less than a year old, so I don't want to change it, but what I want is olive green/beige walls with beige trim. Any ideas on how to get the wine carpet to go with olive green walls? I'm buying new livingroom furniture, but I want to wait until I decide on a color for the walls first. Thanks! Paula

In a message dated 9/14/02 7:26:14 PM Pacific Daylight Time, rufsue@... writes: << Your first job is to decide what your style is......or you want it to be...... then decide on an overall plan. If you're out during the day..consider taping some decorating shows on Discovery and HGTV cable channels and watch in the evening..... Have fun.....just get in to it:)) Sue in FL..... Saturday I discovered that the Learning channel (TLC) had a whole day of Trading Places, etc. I didn't get a chance to see any of this--did anyone else happen to watch the channel? Marion

Hi I saw a design show and the designer took cheapie square or rectangular picture frames, took out the glass, glued foliage and flowers around the frame and made a wreath or wall art. Thought that was cool, Walmart sells cheap wood frames for like $2. I might do one or two to go on the kitchen wall. Just wanted to share! Melody

Hi Crystal, One thing you might try is to make a Wish Book (or whatever you want to call it), maybe a 3-ring binder with dividers for Bedroom, Kitchen, Living Room, etc. When you see a picture of something you like, clip it out and paste it in your Wish Book. When you've got several pictures, go through them and compare...thinking about what the pictures might have in common, which will help you develop your own style. Being that you're 21, you're memory is still intact (LOL), but your Wish Book also becomes a reference file of sorts so you can *remember* what you like when it's time to decorate. It's also a nice way to window shop on those rainy no-money days. I started my Wish Book at your age (I'm almost 42 now) and it's fun to browse through, seeing how my taste has changed or not. It was Laura Ashley in those days, now it's sleek/modern...so those old pictures with all the ruffles crack me up. HTH, Renee

Hi Liz, Thanks for the link. I just got "Making Concrete Garden Ornaments" by Sherri Warner Hunber. Doesn't take a crystal ball to see what's in my near future! Happy pouring, Renee

LOL, well --- the last time I was in my country phase --- the ducks with the blue ribbons on them were all the rage --- so I'm out of touch. I believe that various shades of yellow (like golden yellow) are in right now (if the show Trading Spaces is to be believed). Hopefully, someone else on here is more up to date on this than I am! Cat

I don't know if anyone already gets these catalogs, but here are 3 that you might enjoy. Great for inspiration, too. Someone was interested in British Colonial--lots of stuff in there. Marion in Nevada goodcatalog.com or call 1-800-225-3870 touchofclasscatalog.com or call 1-800-457-7456 casuallivingusa.com or call 1-800-843-1881

If anyone wants to play, and can't upload the photos, send them to me and I'll upload them for you ;o) Liz

Can anyone tell me how to post pictures for a LISTSERV to view? I belong to an early childhood group and we are discussing "beautiful environments" for the classroom. We want to share classroom setups and ideas. Thanks, Susan

Hi All, This looks like a really great list! Does anyone have experience with throw pillow stuffing? I've been asked to make 25 pillows and have 2 weeks. No problem with the covers, but my budget doesn't allow for purchasing pre-made pillow forms. Down and feathers are too pricey also. I need something cheap and available. Loose poly fiberfill comes to mind, but I've never used it and don't have time for mistakes! :-) Also, the pillows need to be kinda nice and poly fill might feel a little cheesy? I've looked all over the web for techniques and pros/cons of different stuffings I would *so* appreciate some advice about pillow stuffings. Thanks for any help! Renee

Hi Who are some of your favorite artists? I have a few prints by Jack Vettriano and Michael Parkes and I think they are probably right now my two favorites. I got Jack's Dance Me Til the End of Time in a totally large matted litho(?)frame for my birtday. I need a huge dining room to put it up in. My bedroom will suffice. Melody

Hi all - I am trying to make arrangements to attend an artist's workshop in beautiful San Antonio the week of November 18. Are there any members who would be willing to rent me a room for 4/5 nights? It might be a nice way to meet you, but I'll be exhausted and you won't see much of me, I promise. Heck, I'll even sleep on the couch ;o) If you live in the area, and are willing to consider it, drop me a line off the list. Thanks! Liz

I am FINIS with my powder room!!!! I finished the niche, framed the mirror, trimmed the cabinets door insets with nice moulding, put nice wooden wreath embellishments in the centers, added knobs, and did the same cherry faux finish on my kitchen cabinets on all of it. It's terrific if I do say so myself. It's SO much better. Now I have to put in my nice baseboards and it will be all set :-) Pics coming soon.. Missy

Hi I'm new here too, just found this forum. I'm interested in interior design/decorating. How hard are the studies for this field in college and are there a lot of math type classes that have to be taken (that is my worst subject)? I love the Christopher Lowell show, Trading Spaces, and most of the HGTV shows that focus on homes and design. Thanks, Melody

There was a little patch of really loose tile I ripped up last night and also removed a nail sticking out of the floor. My landlord bought the tile for me. He had 3 types of tile duct taped together near the kitchen. I ripped up the tape and one of the tile types. The kitchen tile is still in decent shape for now, so I am just going to do the dining room floor right now.

Hello! There is a room in my house that is supposed to be a Library (shelves all around the room) That I am converting into a bedroom. Any ideas for closet space? thanx~

Hi, Peter We're a distributor of Ren dinnerware - Nothing as fancy as the piece you have pictured on your website, lol... nothing quite so ornate. You might try Royal Selangor - they have some unusual pewter pieces, as does Morton's in Canada. Both resources are wholesale only, of course. Good Luck ! Kat

Lady Dragonfly - Do you have pictures of your designs anywhere? Not just the bags, but the clothing, I'd love to see it. Liz

Angie, that is "junque". Just and antic becomes antique....

Hi: I finished the bathroom walls last week. I did sponging on part of the wall (lower half), stenciling on the upper half, and wallpaper border in the middle where they join. Came out nice. Even my husband thought I had some talent!! Anyway I will post pictures. Dont have a digital camera yet. I do have a question. I have a clear glass table top for the dining table (it is round). The base has a pretty design on the top which can be seen through the top. We like to use a turntable to put the hot serving dishes on. Anyone know of a turntable that is clear? I have looked and no one has them. Will a glass shop be able to make me one, and would that be heatproof? Thanks for all the great ideas. Daisy

Quality service to our customers is our highest priority. My responsibility as your E-commerce/Wholesale Customer Liaison is to: *Act as a liaison between BDI-Laguna and our E-Commerce/Wholesale customers. *Update and send tracking report daily for previous days orders for E-Commerce accounts that are currently not EDI with us. *Generate inventory report daily for previous days orders for E-Commerce accounts that are currently not EDI with us. *Enter customer orders for Sales Reps. *Provide customer service for E-Commerce/Wholesale account status inquiries (i.e.: ETA info, Track #s, inventory status, etc.) *Process and issue BDI-Laguna E-Commerce RMA requests Frequently Asked Questions How do I contact you at BDI-Laguna? Our mailing address is BDI-Laguna 3655 Atlanta Industrial Drive Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30331 Our phone number is: 404-696-9996 or 1-800-241-5641.

Hi all, I'm fairly new here and haven't been online for about a week because we have just moved into our new home. Would it be possible for me to participate in the gift exchange??? If so, could someone please give me the guidelines? Thanks all! Deb