Home decorating and design

Hi all - I'm collecting pictures of tuscan, country french, or any old-world style kitchens - especially if they have a hearth design or tile work that you're crazy about. I looked a long time on Google and Google images last night but, surprisingly, there were only a couple of pages, whatever key words I used. If anyone has pics in their files and wouldn't mind emailing them to me, I'm adding them to my collection. If it happens that it's your kitchen and not a magazine pic or something, I'd love to know what you love about it and what you'd do differently. Today I saw a door used in an unusual way. It hit me that this old door had been purchased before the house was built- and that when the construction was done, it was done with making this door fit in mind. It reminded me of an article I read a long while back,perhaps in Southern Living, about a couple who had bought nearly all of the components for their home from salvage of one sort or another and had been collecting home components in a barn for a long time before they ever laid the foundation. They made some changes along the way but because they had been, if you will, "building" this house in their mind and in practice for years before, when it came together they described it like you'd describe a cooking show. All the ingredients are gathered together and measured out, they have a solid idea of what the finished product is going to be, and the rest is simply a matter of assembly. That gives me heart. Phase one of our dream home will be the garage and master suite, where we will live while we "add on" the rest of the house to it. Since space will be limited, we're planning to wait until DS graduates high school next year for that part, and it will probably be longer before we start on the rest of it. But for now, the dream doesn't die; it just gets clearer and clearer. Denise Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever.

Ok - this is going to really open your eyes!! I wrote back to rachel and told her that I was appalled by the lack of professionalism in her correspondence, and asked for her to please give me another email address to correspond with. This is the reply I got - I would really appreciate it if anyone who has a comment would write to them. I can't believe this! What game am I playing? I would like an answer to a simple question - if I take the course through Sheffield, can I obtain certification from C.I.D. Is this a difficult question to answer?? Liz

Cheryl... Welcome! I love the saloon girl idea for you bedroom--Victorian furniture and/or accessories, very frilly and feminine. W/ just a touch of sleaze, I'm thinking that your DH is going to like the idea, too! :-) Diane

I just received one that I have not seen before and thought I should let you guys know - It came as an "undeliverable message" notice - so be careful and make sure your virus software is up to date before you check to see what email didn't go to its intended recipient. Norton AntiVirus removed the attachment: ccqtcr.exe. The attachment was infected with the Worm.Automat.AHB virus. PLEASE DO NOT SEND VIRUS WARNINGS TO THE LIST - the list owner is the only one authorized to send virus warnings. This is due to the prevalence of hoaxes and the fact that most people don't bother to check and see if it's real before forwarding them to everyone they know. If you have one that you think should be noted, send it to me first. Thanks. The infected email is below (minus the worm, of course) Liz list owner

This is the correspondence that I have been carrying on with C.I.D. Although I was a bit irritated in my second note, I find their replies badly written, totally unprofessional business correspondence! I did not change any words or punctuion in their replies - this is exactly what I received. From: Liz Armon <mailto:LizArmon@... To: cidinternational <mailto:cidinfo@... Hello, I am interested in taking a decorating course, possibly moving on to a design degree. Sheffield has been recommended to me and I noticed that it is not listed as one of your recommended home-study courses. Can you give me information on what is missing from their course? If I take a course through Sheffield, can I become C.I.D.? What are the advantages of using a class from your list? I would like to take the most complete and reputable classes possible. I appreciate your help in this! Liz Armon From: cidinternational <mailto:cidinfo@... To: Liz Armon <mailto:LizArmon@... liz, none of the programs lead to a design degree. Our CID accredited programs are for the decorator only. Please refer to our accredited schools, edu.Direct and PCDI are the most complete in content. Our DTI program is no less complete, but quicker to finish as written by CID founder. raquel, membershp CID From: Liz Armon <mailto:LizArmon@... To: cidinternational <mailto:cidinfo@... Hi again, I KNOW that they are not design courses - I wrote: "I am interested in taking a DECORATING course" and asked if taking Sheffield would qualify me to become C.I.D. - which is YOUR designation for Certified Interior DECORATOR.... I am beginning to think that nobody READS their emails. --- I would like to take the most complete and reputable DECORATOR COURSE by correspondence 1) Sheffield is not listed as an accredited school on your C.I.D. reference list - If I complete their course am I qualified to join the C.I.D. association? 2) Can you enlighten me as to what is missing from their curriculea? Why are they are not an approved course? I appreciate your reccommendation of eduDirect and PCDI. I will look into their courses as well. Thank you very much for your time, I appreciate any information you can provide. Liz From: cidinternational <mailto:cidinfo@... To: Liz Armon <mailto:LizArmon@... We read your email very well, we are not stupid. CID has no comment about schools not accredited. If you issist on Sheffield go for it. If your are really concerned about becoming a recognized CID professional, you may want to change your attitute. CID is the only association of Professional Interior Decorators in America and Canada dedicated to the individual striving to further their education in interior design and decoration. For more information please review our website and certification requirements. CID

I contacted C.I.D. by email and asked about Sheffield's certification this was their response: "They are being considerd, please check our website for additional information." As far as Sheffields program, I have a friend who is taking their courses and is quite pleased. I checked out Thomason's website and it seemed that they did not go into enough detail. I have been an "uncertified" decorator for about 20 years. My formal studies included architecture and drafting but I never finished and received a degree. I have been creating custom window treatments (my company has a fabrication workroom, and I also sew), pre-construction planning, and remodeling. My father was a contractor, so between him, some school, and what skills God gave me, I have been able to work at what I love (after about a dozen other careers). If anyone is truly interested in helping others create their ideal environment I say go for it. You probably know in your heart if you have those talents and skills. As far as education is concerned you can never get enough. I also am considering taking Sheffield's. I have kept up with the times and trends with everything I could find (TV shows, books, magazines, etc.). I am not certain that being certified by CID is that important. I have had access to showrooms, markets, wholesale and other trades without it. Also, customers who question your ability will ask for references or samples of your work. CID was created by an interior designer (who by the way also offers a course called Decorator Training Institute that is offered at CID website) CID has only been in existence about 6 years. I think its interesting to note that even thought they are suggesting decorators must be formally trained before being recognized as professionals, the course that DTI offers is an eight session prog."that walks you throught the decorating business in a few short weeks (not months of home study)" and your text is a 100 page binder. If you pass their test, they will certify you and state that you are a professional. It is possible that someone already have enough working knowledge that along with this short course could pass their test. But, I would also wonder why you can only take the test if you have completed a course? There is no way someone can learn "all about decorating professionally" in a few short weeks. That is one certification that I as a consumer would question. Anyway, I could go on forever. If anyone has any questions, let me know I would love to help if I can. As you can tell, I can become quite passionate on this subject. Debbie

Hi everyone, I've been a member around here for awhile, and I'm now taking the Sheffield Course. Another lady in the course has started a discussion group for students (current or past) taking any design/decorating courses. It's not a huge group, but we do have a couple of professional designers there. They help us out with answering general questions, and are happy to give us ideas or even critique our pictures. If anyone is interested in joining, please e-mail me and I will send you an invitation to join! Please e-mail me at decoratingsusan@... Susan

I just joined this list and my interest is art deco. I have been collecting art deco items in preparation of creating an art deco bathroom. While I now have all the knickknacks, prints, etc. that I want to use, it is now time to decide upon what to do with the room itself. Unfortunately, i'm sorely lacking in "do-it-yourself" wisdom and am not good at envisioning....(read that: Susie Homemaker does NOT live in my home) so I need all the help I can get. Does anybody know of any good books I can use to get this accomplished, or any good links to websites? I am already removing the carpet from the bathroom/dressing area and am thinking black/white tiles.... ANy thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks all! Stevie

Thank you, Liz, for your tips! I always love looking at your pictures, they give me so many ideas! Did you sand or use any deglossing agent prior to putting down the BINN primer? Most of the instructions I have found online call for this step but I was concerned that sanding may tear it up too much. Also, any suggestion on the number of poly topcoats to apply if I went the watebased route? Thanks again, Gwen gwen@...

I saw instructions on making a desk using black metal pipe for the basic frame and wood for the top and I CAN'T FIND IT anywhere! I "cleaned up" my computer and it dumped all my internet history LOL . . . . I thought I had saved it but no luck, and can't find it in the search engines, so if anyone knows of any plans like this, please send them to me! Thanks! Liz

Blank Now that we have our wood floors (solid Brazilian cherry) in the "new" house, I am trying to figure out the best way to clean them! We have a herd of 7 indoor cats and they are producing not dust bunnies, but dust buffaloes. :) I have tried sweeping, wet-mopping, and dry-mopping, but the issue is the dust buffaloes. They are lightweight clumps of hair and dust, and buoyed by air currents, they hop right over a broom or mop. So obviously I need to vacuum. Our ten-year-old vacuum still sucks very vigorously, but I am afraid that the beater bar will mess up the factory finish on the floor (if not immediately, then over time). I could use my vacuum attachments, but boy is it a drag to vacuum an entire house using the attachments! Is it possible to get any kind of special new beater bar or something? Maybe one made for wood floors? I could go out and buy a new vacuum, but we have an awful lot on our credit cards right now (with paying for all the house improvements) so I am trying to pinch pennies. Suggestions, anyone? Thanks! Ann

it is a used items store.one of many in our area. we live in ohio,where there is a great need for people to recycle,and reuse alot,when it comes to saving money. i found copper items for my kitchen and the prices were ok... most items were .50 cents,to 1.00 each. you have to watch some things are a little pricy,for what you're buying. i love to go there for my son's clothes.and this week it is 75 percent off (yay) fall sale. the clothes for him are 50 cents,plus 75 percent off that!!sounds like you girls could use one of our stores huh? also i love walmart,for saving money,buying paint,and stuff. our dollar general is a good place to shop for bargains too. oh and don't forget odd lots...beckie

I recently purchased a beautiful tapestry from Chateau Selections (www.chateauselections.com). I would like to know where to find decorative hanging hardware for my tapestry. Thank You.

I've been hit and miss lately with emails, but I was wondering if any conclusions were reached on the school decision? Is it better to be a decorator, or a designer. What certification is the best? Sheresa Enquiring minds want to know. :o)

aggie93@... writes: I can share what I did with my floor to ceiling, all brick, entire wall fireplace. (UGH-hated it, I swear it sucked the light and life right out of the room) I painted the entire wall with latex interior paint-named Cotton. Once dry, I then took a giant sea sponge and sponged on various colors of umber, taupe and terra cotta mixed with clear glaze. I started the sponging from the fireplace 'hole' and worked up and out, gradually getting lighter. At the ceiling line and connecting walls, the sponging barely is noticeable. With the difference in colors used, it's not a stark contrast to the other painted walls, and the feel of this room is very warm and inviting...People that come over, ask all the time,"what kind of brick is that, It's beautiful" ~makes me feel good! Next project is to hang some prints and shelves .... Hope this helps with ideas... Lisa

Liz, Wow! Looks like a major amount of work! Your little helpers are soooooo cute!! Dori

I will answer your question since I am an Interior Designer as well as an Advisor at the school. If you were to attend CID, upon completion they do not Certify you for free, they charge a yearly fee. Thompson Education Direct does not certify you. I have heard from students who attended there first, that the course is not that good. I am not here to put down other schools but why would you consider going to a school like Thompson that offers a multitude of courses when you could attend a school that specializes in decorating. I do not know what CID offers as far a courses go. I can tell you though, if you take a Certificate course such as ours, there is a Society called IDS: Interior Design Society, that certifies you in residential design, after working in the field for 8 years, you can apply to take that test. That test is recognized in the decorating world, I am not so sure CID certification is. You should not have to pay to be certified you should have to take a test to show the Interior world you are worthy of being called Certified. I hope that this has clarified the picture for you. If you do however, have further questions, send them directly to me. Sincerely, An'ka Anka Cohen Student Services Advisor

Please pass this on to any friends. Avoid Ztel like the plague as their customer service is HORRENDOUS. Customer satisfaction is non-existent. Last year about this time I signed up for Ztel long distance. Unlimited long distance...$49.95 plus all the taxes and local service, etc. Seemed like a great plan. Get it all set up to go, am told 10-14 days until it is turned on. OK..no problem. I had not picked a long distance provider when we bought our house as I rarely if ever called outside my area, and we had a Baltimore exchange. 14 days, comes. 16 days, goes. No phone service with Ztel yet, so I call customer service. Customer service person looks up the order and says * Oh..! You have a foreign exchange. The order could not be completed due to that. You have to change your phone number to a local number and then we can initiate service.* HELLO? What? No phone call from their service office? I guess they were just waiting for _me_ to call up and check on them. First strike. OK ..I find out what needs to be done * get a local line * ...costs $8 to get done. Taken care of . I call Ztel back, per instructions from the last person I spoke to .It had taken 5 or 6 days for the phone number change to take place. So we are now into 3 weeks past the time of the first call to Ztel. Talk to person and set it up to have the service started with the new number. Again, 10-14 working days, etc. etc. Fine. 14 days comes, 14 days gone. Still no service with Ztel yet. I call. CS person checks and says *OH! The order was cancelled! Someone must have looked at the fact that you had formerly had the foreign exchange.* But again, NO CALL from Ztel to inform me of this! . Strike 2. Now it is 5 weeks from the start of this. I told the woman OK.. what you need to do is get someone and make SURE that the order is put in. MAKE SURE that they have it , and I want and EXACT TIME when the order will be filled. I will stay on the line while you do so. Well, of COURSE she can't DO that. So I said ok..someone needs to call me back within 72 hours and let me know what is going on. She says * Ok..no problem, we can do that *. Well, at the end of the 72 hours, we did have phone service. But NOONE EVER CALLED. Yet another STRIKE OUT for their CS Department. Why did I hang on? Optimism I suppose... *sigh* OK..so this is ... at this point in November. Billing cycle is November 21st-20th of next month. By January, we haven't received a bill or a welcome packet containing the Calling Cards. Ok, no problem they say, we will reissue those to you, and send you the bill. I pay the bill with a telecheck to get the account up to date. Well, by the time March's billing cycle ends, we have received bills, but we haven't received the cards * and still haven't in fact and it is now September '03, and never received a welcome packet *. April comes, and the bill arrives. Wait, something is wrong. They say we owe two month's fees. What??? I can't figure out what they have credited to the account when, their web service isn't up yet, so I request a copy of the billing statements. Amount owed, when credited, etc. " Ok, no problem we can send that " I am told. July comes, no paperwork. MEANWHILE each month's bill contains an extra month's charges, AND LATE FEES!!! I call back. PLEASE send me the paperwork. "Oh you didn't receive it? Ok...we will send it". Meanwhile, the long distance service gets cut off for non-payment. ???? Call up to get that straightened out. Done. Yet more strikes for their lack of coordination and follow through with customer service. As of today, September 13th I still haven't received any of the two *sent* sets of paperwork. Sooo it is now September. They shut off the long distance AGAIN. Michael calls up yesterday and pays the bill as they never * received * the check. Oh, and by the way, he paid both full months even though we really only owe 1 . Great. Long distance will be turned on within 24 hours, they tell him. And he requests the PAPERWORK AGAIN. OK, they say. Order is in. * rolling eyes *. So, 1ish this afternoon I try to call a friend in South Carolina. I get a message saying that *Your long distance service is not available at this time * , which means they STILL haven't hooked it up 24 hours later.I call Ztel. I get a CS person who says * Ok, Ms. Jones, I am going to activate your long distance service and the 9.99 charge for unblocking will be on your next month's bill. WHAT????!!!!! What charge? My husband was NOT told of any charges yesterday. I told her that and she transfers me to another department. One that informs me that even though they have my money, they are not going to turn the long distance back on until we pay the unblock charge. I go through the whole story as I typed it above. They say "Ok..well the papers your husband requested have been put through and the charges for them will be on the next month's bill." WHAT ??? WHAT?? WHAT?? Not only is it $5 for the papers, but $5 PER MONTH'S BILL. They want to charge us $5 for each month since last November !!!! The woman did NOT tell my husband that yesterday because I am TELLING you the man would NOT have ordered the papers. And had there been mention of a $9.99 connection fee, and he was forced into paying it, he would have paid it YESTERDAY. The CS person he spoke to messed up royally. FINAL STRIKE OF THE GAME. I told the woman I was speaking to that this is IT. They are the most disorganized, poorly put together company I have ever had the misfortune to deal with. I said this is not personally directed at you, but I am telling you right now that should your company offer me 5 months' free service to stay , that I wouldn't stay ! So I found a new phone provider and that is that. But not really. Because the last woman I spoke with * I had to call back YET AGAIN * for two hours trying to get this straight, could not help me . It was like speaking to a brain-washed cult member who keeps tossing back the same phrases and lines, but makes no sense. I have NEVER seen a company run that way. Basically it comes down to this. Their CSR's make no mistakes. They record the calls, but they won't utilize the recordings to help customers prove that they are being taken advantage of. Consumer Protection Laws state that before a charge for a service can be billed, that the customer has to be informed of said charges. Ztel knows this, but when their CSR's don't do so, it is up to the _customer_ to prove it . I am going to send this email to as many people as possible as a warning. I am going to make a webpage..JUST TO POST THIS..and log it in as MANY search engines as possible. To the FCC. To the Better Business Bureau. And I will send it to the White House if I get a large enough head of steam up. I am mad as heck and _will_ have satisfaction for mistreatment at the hands of these people. At no time was I rude, condescending or impolite, yet they never followed up, never fixed their mistakes, and NEVER ONCE admitted culpability for their actions. DO NOT SIGN UP with Ztel . They don't care about customer service . Their CSR's are not properly trained and educated, and frequently and often make mistakes. And when they do, the company will not take the customer into account. Beware..you lay you sanity and mental health into danger by signing up with them. Signed, a very disgruntled and UNSATISFIED CUSTOMER FOR OVER A YEAR, Kathie Jones Forest Hill, Maryland Permission to crosspost as desired. PLEASE! "The best way to cheer yourself up: Cheer everybody else up." - Mark Twain

Make sure you are sending your posts to the Interior_Motives@... address and not to the Interior_Motives-owner address. Thanks! Liz List Owner

THIS WAS SENT TO ME BY MISTAKE:

Liz, How was the Christopher Lowell show? Did he have anything interesting to say? Dori

The ceiling in my new place has some sort of spackle-spit texture on it. ("Spackle-spit" is my own word for what this looks like.) The previous owners obviously moved a few lights around on the ceiling and then just patched the holes with flat spackle. I haven't been able to match the effect on the ceiling at any of my local home repair stores. I'm willing to re-do the ceiling if I have to, but does anyone have any suggestions for a store or on-line company that I could go to to try to match the texture of my ceiling? Cheers, C

i just wanted to tell everyone about some good finds... i have been going to a local"reuse industries" store.i have found several items,to add to my growing amount of items to decorate my home with.for little of nothing.,price wise. i found copper pieces,for one wall in my kitchen,and wall baskets,for another wall in the kitchen. so look around used stores,in makes "cents". beckie

hi,sorry it has been a while since i have posted; busy w/kids... a friend told me about a wall primer,called zap,from walmart. has anyone had experience w/it? i have wall sizing on my sons' br walls. i have been too busy to get at all summer.i took some old wall covering off,from the early 80's....i wish i had just painted over it. beckie

Forwarding this for Amy - Hi Im Amy from Ohio. I am married to Dale of 17 yrs and have two wonderful children. We are currently redoing our living room. We are painting, carpeting and buying all new furniture. We are at a loss with the paint. Any ideas about where or who I can talk to about the project. We also need curtains....etc Thanks, Amy

Lowes and Home Depot both carry some nicer outdoor carpeting. Can't remember which store had the better selection. It's so much nicer than that ugly green plastic stuff. Susan

I was wondering if anybody knew of any type of nice outdoor carpet -not the plastic green or blue stuff-that can with stand rain and stuff. (I live in florida). We are putting up a gazebo type thing on our deck and want to put down something nice underneath -the wood gets really hot in the summer.. Any suggestions? Kat

LOL Dale, you are right! And I have lived like that before, when my kids were small and I had goats and chickens and rabbits. However, I keep thinking as I round the corner heading towards 50 that I should be raising my standard of living, not going backwards again!! Liz cheerfully plodding around barefoot still!

Home study with what institute? Liz (considering taking the course with Sheffield)

Have you made your own, or bought them? Did you pay tons of money for them? Where did you buy them? Tell everything you can about your curtains/drapes! =) ~Michele~

Heather, I think that's a wonderful idea. I might even start looking into one myself. It can never hurt to learn as much as we can about interior design. Welcome to the group. I'm a newbie too! Dori

Whoo-hoo!! That is quite THE find. So many things you could do with it.....a marble or crackle finish would be awesome! Please take "after" pics once you get it done! Deb in PA

Hi, new member here. I am about to aquire a gun cabinet. It a stained wood finish and a glass front with a drawer on the bottom. I don't really think I want to put it in the living room, or the bedroom. I think it would match the rest of the oak in the living room, but there is a safety factor I would like to maintain. I do have a home office, but it is small and has a large cherry desk, an antique dry sink, and a 4' wide bookcase. I'm sure the dry sink will be going up to the forier(sp?), but right now it is on the east wall under the windows in the office. Got any suggestion? No, I'm not getting rid of the guns. :-P Thanks! Johnny in Huntsville

Hi, I am a new member to this group. My name is Mary Jane, and I live in northern California. I recently bought a 2002 model mobilehome (first time homeowner here) and have all sorts of decorating and renovation plans. I thought this might be a good list for decorating on a budget. My first question is about the possible use of crown molding. I have cathedral ceilings in my home, and when I bought the place, all interior walls were white. I have since painted the walls (but not the ceiling) in my bedroom and my son's bedroom. Any other homeowners out there with crown molding and cathedral ceilings? If so, how did you do it? Do you like the finished look? Can one person do the job, or would I need some assistance? Thanks in advance and I'm looking forward to getting to know you. MJ

What can I do with a good old wooden table that has a formica like top on it? I have started to remove the dark finish on the legs and they look good but don't know what to do with the top as stripper does nothing to it. Kathy in Ames

Everyone has their own experiences! I lived in NYC for many years and always found people ready to help with information, directions, etc...in a very verbal, animated way. I now live in the suburbs in NJ (where I grew up) and find the same thing except that people are a little colder and more isolated. Whenever my husband traveled to San Francisco he said he always found the people slightly cold, unwilling to relate, give out info. and very self-absorbed. (generalizations of course) I never agreed until I went on a business trip with him and my young son. My child and I (used to traveling all over NYC) spent alot of time exploring and people just were not helpful or very nice...compared to our New York experiences. Then my sister moved to a suburb of SF and found most of the people fairly cold, self-involved and not very warm. ( She was in LA before.. which she preferred) So what about the myths of the "have a nice day" californians and the rude New Yorkers? Now theyve moved back here and find everyone much friendlier, more helpful and very "out there" in a good way! (She is pretty reserved, by the way..also lived in minnesota for years)) Her school-age kids have made friends easier and also prefer the area....so,,maybe we're just more comfortable where we grew up..guess it's all in the perceptions...and certainly dont mean to offend SFers. (Then again we New Yorkers and New Jerseyites are offended all the time!LOL)

I have by either chance or design lived in a number of areas of this great country. Grew up in Kansas, but lived in Hawaii, California, Virginia, South Carolina, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oklahoma and for the last 20 years back in Central Kansas, worked in New York City and at Cape Canaveral and traveled to or through all but 4 of the lower 48. Having said all that, the rudest bunch of individuals I've encountered as a whole has to be those that live in the Boston area. Not only are they rude but seem to be proud of the fact. It took my poor wife years to get used to the idea that people could actually be trusted and taken at their word out here in fly-over country. I remember her telling me years ago when I first brought her out to the Mid West that, "people are only nice when they're after something," but in all honesty that is pretty much the way it is on Boston's North Shore. Our little town is one mile square, has one traffic light and half of the residents probably couldn't tell you where the key to the front door is. We do allow cars within the city limits, but if the kids couldn't drag Main Street they wouldn't have anything to do on the weekends. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are cold and windy, there are very few trees, fewer lakes and streams and it is a two hour drive to a major shopping area, all in all these disadvantages have served to preserve our quaint and quiet way of life. And if you're wondering, there aren't very many jobs that pay over 8.50 to 10.00 and hour, so we're not rolling out the red carpet at this time. Dale -- The Old Man Of The Plains

Boy have we been busy this weekend, I am just now getting to sit down and go through some email. I think I told everyone how we refinanced and are remodeling our living room, well we've been working on some of that this weekend. This tells you how spur-of-the-moment we are, lol... Travis went fishing Saturday with his friend, they come over here that evening and start talking about our remodeling. Well, Travis mentions to his friend how I"d like to have a ceiling fan & light in middle of our living room, but we have no wiring to that area at all (we use halogen-type lamps in the corners) and also mentioned how we were going to paint the ceiling tile that was up there (because it's been painted over before, and has gotten discolored over the years)... Well, they've worked on houses together many times in the past, and one thing led to another and boom we decided to rip down the ceiling tile, run some wiring for a light/fan, and put up NEW tile! LOL, we weren't even planning this AT ALL, until like Midnight Saturday night. So Sunday morning we all went to Lowes, and came home and they worked alllllllll day long until like 3am this morning!! We now have a ceiling fan with REAL light in the room!!! This room is pretty big, tall ceilings, never really lit all that well with the lamps, so I am thrilled that we can brighten the room now!! I have a dimmer switch (which caused more trouble installing than I care to explain right now, lol) and very nice air flow now! WooHoo!!!!! Sooo... some things took longer than expected, it's almost finished, the ceiling tile is not about 3/4 done and looking beautiful!!! (And hubby is sleeping after another day of working on his day off, what a guy!).... Sending some pics!! I can't wait to finally have ONE room in the house completely finished!!! We are getting a gas corner fireplace, new carpet/furniture & the works!! I'm SO excited!!! We are still on a budget though, and trying to stick with that!! ~Michele~ PICS 1. Travis & Pete ripping down old ceiling tile. 2. The old gas heater that we are finally getting rid of!! It worked very well though!!! Just ugly and in the wrong spot! LOL 3. Our old carpet actually looked good once, and we finally know what color it was supposed to be! LOL (this is where the heater was) 4. Travis finishing up the installation of our new ceiling fan!! 5. The new ceiling tile is almost finished! Then we'll have to put up the new trim, and finish patching up the walls for painting!! =) Will keep you updated!! (((hugs))) ~Michele~

Hi Everyone, We are getting very close to opening our furniture store and would like to solicit the help of the Interior Designers & Decorators on the list. I know that a lot of businesses offer "Courtesy to the Trade" and I am not certain that I know exactly how much of a discount is the norm. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot, Judi

HI, I've been a member for a little bit now - but have more or less stayed in the background just reading. I thought it was probably time to introduce myself. I am from the Boston area and live on one floor of a rented 3-family house. The house is quite old and needs to have a lot of updating done to it, but knowing my landlords, it will never get done! I am trying to make things look a little better myself, but don't have too much experience or knowledge in doing a lot of repair type of work. Right now I am working on my bathroom. There is an old, very cheaply made, cabinet under the sink. I think it is what they call particle board. The paint is all peeling and chipping. Is there anyway that I can restore, paint, or at least make this look better? I'm looking forward to meeting all of you and sharing ideas and problems. This looks like a fun group! Dori

Hi all, I've been slowly but surely working on the kitchen/nook decorating since painting it several weeks ago. My latest undertaking is draperies and window treatments. I'm sewing them myself, and found a wonderful window treatment pattern through Southern Living (made by Pate-Meadows) for my kitchen window. I'm so tired of looking at the same old country type patterns in all the regular pattern books. Will they EVER change with the times? The nook bay window will take on the same treatment design as it had before, but with a fresh new fabric. Okay, here we go again... dh and I will be painting the family room and back hall this weekend, in the same colors as the kitchen and nook. Every room in the back has elements (on the walls) of both colors that we're using... a light "crisp celery" and a "light topaz" yellow. Lots of trim to have to paint too (chair rails and ceiling molding), which will be the most time consuming. I would like to promise AFTER pictures sometime next week, but with all the little details that have yet to be done (sewn mostly), I kinda doubt it. I certainly will let you all know when it's completely. For a teaser, I've inlcuding a couple kitchen pics taken last week in my Photo album, under "Debbie S" ... no window treatments yet, though 8-) Debbie S

ok - figured out how to add photos - gees, how easy! they are under Gail's kitchen disaster! Thanks for all your help!

Wow, I just discovered this sight! What a gem!!! I am a 40 year old, married mom of two boys, 16 and 13 and a bay girl of almost 5. I run an in-home daycare and have as many as 8 kids for lunch many days. My home is limited in space (we bought it before my daughter was considered, and find growing boys take up LOTS of room) anyway, I have a problematic kitchen. Have a huge, antique piano on one wall, as there is no where else in the house it will fit. My cabinets do not allow anywhere near enough storage. I want something really great and unique, but budget is a little restricting. I've been thinking about redoing the floor in Pergo or Armstrong the same color as the cabinets. The piano is much darker, but don't know that I could wrap it all into one color scheme. Also have thought about red and white checkers with black accents. Have a friend with a restaurant supply business, thinks he could locate a red or black booth for me instead of my rickety old table. I will take some pix and submit them as soon as i figure out how - any ideas would be greatly appreciated! THANKS

If you're going to sell your home, then it isn't your home any more-now it is a showcase. Think "resale" and what would a potential buyer want? Not everyone has girls and appreciates feminine decorations. I had to paint over all the sweet little roses in my 15 y/o sons room when we moved in...............lol. Neutrals are your best bet for showing/selling your home. Cyndi

I found out that Glidden is offering a rebate on exterior paints and stain right now (excluding primer) -- $5 off per gallon, up to a total of $25. The promotion ends Aug. 31. I couldn't find an online source for this, and also did not see the rebate forms when I went to Home Depot, but I did see them at a local store (Friedman's) which is how I found out about it. So you might want to check with your local stores and see if you can find the coupon. The coupon etc. have to be postmarked by September 30. Ann

I have consumed decorating and, even more so, landscaping ideas in through so many media and for so many years, it seems like it's been a long time since I saw something that was exciting and new - and had any resemblance of reality in Denise-world. A few weeks ago HGTV ran a pool special and I thought, "Wow this is great! I'd love to see some new pool landscapes." Welll.....they're showing the pool at San Simeon and then something else in the Bay area that looks like Zeus would have custom ordered it for Mt. Olympus. I was getting pretty disappointed and thinking, Ok guys, give me something I can work with here. Then... They showed a pool that a guy has converted to a "natural" pool. It looked like a lagoon and oh me oh my - tropical paradise! This pool takes almost no maintenance ( work is up front ) NO chemicals at all, and equipment-wise only requires a pump with an aerator. DH and I far prefer swimming in lakes, rivers, and quarries to a traditional chemical-laden swimming pool. Here's the cool part: according to an article in Mother Earth News, one can be built yourself for about $2,000 - which is 1/10 the cost of an entry-level inground pool around here. Ok a whole 'nother issue and how they come together: Our "dream house" plans are going to be really well-rounded by the time we get to start on it. One of the things we discuss incessantly is a storm shelter. He wants to buy and install a pre-fab cellar. OH UGH. I grew up running through the driving rain and hail to the cellar and I want a basement. DH's contention is that in this part of the country you'd have to be a blithering idiot to try to have a dry, workable basement, especially on our low, flat property. In truth, what DH really wants is a "safe room". Our next door neighbors installed one and it's their master bedroom closet. I'm thinking I don't want to have to unload a closet and then put everything back every time the siren goes off, which is at least 20-25x a season. Now, for some people, keeping a closet where you can get around in it isn't an issue. But remember, we're talking about Denise's reality here! Yesterday I caught the tail end of "Homes Across America" where they had featured a home on St. Thomas and were finishing up by showing the guest house belonging to this home. It is a 300year old tower with 3' thick rock walls dropped 4' into the ground, and since the family frequently has to ride out hurricanes on the island, they just go to the guest house. That was my inspiration for the following: I think that when we build, we can plan to build the "safe room" that DH wants, but attach it to the back of the house. There will be a hall running front to back on that side of the house and the door to the safe room could open into the hall. We could dig out the footings two or three feet to drop it for more stability, similar to the way some garages are a couple of feet lower than the house. If you've ever seen a backyard bomb shelter, this is a good picture of what I have in mind. As for disguising the outside in my tranquil lagoon-filled back yard, we could have the concrete walls rocked and boulders brought in and put the waterfall coming off of the back! I might not be telling it so it makes sense, but if it does and anyone can see any glaring flaws in the plan, please let me know. I'm pretty excited about this and if it's a stupid idea, I'd rather know now. Denise At its very beginning, mankind needed a garden. Nothing has changed since then.

Wahoo!! I finally got an awesome deal on something! LOL... here's a pic of my cute new table & chairs! It's out on the patio right now, nice metal, comfy, perfect little set! Guess what I paid for it?? $100??? Nooooooo, I paid just over $30 for the whole set!!! $13 for the table, $9/ea for the chairs + tax!! It was discounted for more than 50% off!! My boss is a member of Sam's Club and they were selling out the rest of their summer stuff real cheap, he bought a couple for the store I work for, told us the price, and ended up going back the next day and buying the rest of what they had for me, one of my coworkers, and a couple more for the store, LOL. I just couldn't resist a deal like that, I hardly ever get THAT lucky!! Woohoo, had to share =) ~Michele~

Okay I'm driving myself nuts trying to come up with a color scheme for my living room. We want to totally re-do it, and I want to put in a corner fireplace to replace the old gas heater we have. (If we can work it out moneywise)... but I need to come up what the heck color I want to paint the walls (I know I want to paint the trim around the doors and windows white!), and what carpet color we want, draperies, furniture, etc... I'm so bad at making decisions... we have TALL walls and tall windows, so if you have any suggestions LMK! =) Oh, and if you want to see a couple pics of the room, go to the PHOTOS section under LAUGHLADY. Where the TV is now is where we want to put the corner fireplace, and where the couch is in the photo is where we are thinking about putting the TV (not sure, but the couch would go best on the wall opposite the TV where our old heater is now), sooo.... too much to think about, lol... 1. If you've ever painted a room in your home, how did you decide on the color scheme? And share what it was if you'd like... THANKS! ~Michele~

This is a cross post ... sorry to all of you who are on both lists! :) I searched the archives but couldn't find any references to Kelly Moore paint. Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with Kelly Moore paints? We think we are going to have our three stucco walls treated with a terpolymer waterproofing coating that is made by Kelly Moore, so we thought perhaps we would paint our front wall, which is wood siding, with Kelly Moore paint also. However, a friend of ours said he painted his house with Kelly Moore a couple of years ago and it started peeling in a year. But he also admitted that he didn't prime it with the Kelly Moore primer -- just used three coats of the regular paint -- so I'm not sure if his experience is typical. (The same friend repainted his house with Behr paints and said he has been happy with that -- so if anyone has feedback on Behr exterior, that would be good too. I used Behr on our interior and have been very happy with the color and coverage, but it has a distressing tendency to peel right off the wall if hit with anything sharp.) Anyway, if anyone has experience with Kelly Moore, I'd like to hear it! Thanks, Ann

This is something I've done before and it works really well, with only one small difficulty. Craft paints are CHEAP CHEAP, you can get just a little bit but $1 worth will cover a big enough area to get a sample idea. They come in about a jillion colors and of course you can mix them. Once you get exactly what you want, the sample can then be computer matched. The only drawback is that they are quite matte and the differences in sheen can make a difference on the wall once you buy the color and put it up. The only solution I've found is that it means you still might have to buy several quarts to get EXACTLY what you want but at least you might be talking about 2 or 3 and not 10. Denise At its very beginning, mankind needed a garden. Nothing has changed since then.

Ok, I'm at an impass and thought I'd hit the group up for any design advice. Our kitchen is more than a little bit of a pain. I'm planning a remodel but I'm having a tough time figuring out a layout that is both efficient and maximizes on space while still keeping accessibility. The kitchen in our home is also the main entry way to the house so it's the way anything we buy comes in and, when we eventually move or dispose of large furniture items, it's the way things go out. That means I have to be careful about placement of cabinets and the like to ensure that we can get things through. The room itself is about 12'x17' overall although a 3'x10' section is grabbed by the stairwells to the upstairs and the basement. There are FIVE doorways in this little room and they're in about the worst place they could be -- naturally the walls are load bearing so I can't just tear 'em out. :( I sent up a JPG diagram of the kitchen along with measurements in a photo album titled "Noctaire's Work". It's fairly detailed -- shows windows, doorways, and so forth -- so it should give anyone interested a good idea of what I'm facing. At this point, the new plan is to use the back wall (99" in the diagram) for the stove, counterspace, and a dishwasher. Along the 86" wall, sticking out towards the center of the room, I would build an island/alcove -- the fridge would be placed on the 86" wall oriented towards the back wall in the alcove. A small prep-sink would be at the end of the island itself. This would create something of a galley design in the back half of the room -- small but highly efficient while maintaining the kitchen triangle (Stove - Fridge - Sink) and maximizing prep space. A wood constructed bench set would be placed in the corner where the window is at, along the window's wall and the wall to the left of it (L shaped) with a wood table and a single bench on the outside for additional seating when needed. What remains of wall space will have various and asundry cabinets and perhaps some additional counterspace (have to see what kind of room there is after everything is roughed in). I've been bouncing a variety of cabinet ideas around in my head. This is about the best layout I can come up with at this point that will maximize efficiency and keep things open enough for furniture to be moved in and out of the house. I'm open to any other suggestions or techniques. Noc.

I have a question... How do you put a lamp in a room where the lamp is in the middle of the room. None of my furniture is on a wall, the closest plug is 10 feet away. I do not want everyone to walk over cords, and I do not want to see the plugs eigher. I have a carpet covering cords for one of them, but a carpet for the other does not seem very possible. Since the plug is so far there would have to be an extension cord. Any tips or tricks for this ??? Thanks in advance for your help... Tara

Kathy, Unfortunatly I do not have a basement, and I have a cement slab. Can they still retro-fit a plug into a cement slab? How much would something like this cost?

When painting a wall with an outlet on it, how do you paint on the outlet without getting paint in the holes?

What a long 4 weeks it's been! My original goal was go get our back kitchen/nook/family rooms all painted and decorated in 2 weekends, but that was just a dream. So far we've taken down wall paper, painted the kitchen and nook areas (primed twice, painted twice), installed ceiling molding (base molding, really, installed at the top of our kitchen walls), painted interiors of cupboards, and spent hours and hours on intricate trim work. I'm almost finished with decorating in the kitchen too (not that big a deal). Next on the hit parade is sewing window treatments and chair cushions, before tackling the family room and hall. Already the transformation is incredible. It's like a bright, light, new kitchen now. I'm very pleased. Can't wait to take pictures of the kitchen at least, once the sewing is complete, and post them in my Photo album along with the BEFORE pictures. Debbie S

My wife picked out a lime green for the walls (it's actually an American Tradition paint called Maggies Magic which is slightly lighter than a true lime) and she insists on making the bedding and drapes/curtains all white. I feel that just lime green and white is pretty boring so I am looking for some alterior colors that I can use for the drapes/curtains and bedding, accent pillows, etc. Our trim in the room is already white and the flooring is hardwood if that helps. Any suggestions? Thanks Mike

Ok, I have in fact reached the point of...desperation. :) This kitchen is a bear -- whoever created it had no idea what a disaster he was leaving for future generations. There is very little wall space for appliances or cabinets, FIVE (5) doors, a single window, and a goofy floorplan. I have put together a diagram complete with measurements -- it's a simple little JPG. I'll upload to the Photos section as soon as I finish sending this e-mail. To be frank -- I'm out of ideas. We bought a new refrigerator and range, pretty much standard size, and I want to pick up a dishwasher (nothing extravagant). I'm thinking a stationary island off the 86" wall that will hold the dishwasher and a small prep-sink/basin, move the fridge and oven to the back wall (99"), build a small cabinet around the pipe that serves double duty as a utility closet (broom, cleaning supplies), a 2 foot counter between the fridge and range, then just start tacking cabinets up EVERYWHERE. Like I said -- I'm stuck on this one. Once you see the floorplan you'll quickly understand. Anyone have any suggestions? Noc.

Hi~! My name is Nikki, I'm married and have 2 girls under 5. My husband and I had a home built a year and a half ago. Well here we are with this MASSIVE (well massive IMO) entryway and an open formal living room and dining room that flows together. The environment is completely sterile (white walls and white carpet throughout). We ended up with maple floors that run from the entryway into the dining room. But the sad thing is our furniture is all cherry wood! So it clashes pretty bad. I find myself watching do it yourself shows constantly for ideas. I'm still terrified to do anything. The problem is each wall rounds into another space that is broken up in different areas in that wall. Making it impossible to separate wall color. My biggest fear of course is color. I LOVE color but with such a huge area to cover whatever I do is a daunting task and only want to do it once. I also am looking for an easy window covering option. I like my windows open so I'm looking for just a window topper of sorts. I was watching Christopher Lowell the other day and he had a lady who had a product that appeared to be styrofoamy and snapped together. Then she took fabric and tucked it into the creases of this. Well I can't for the life of me remember what it was called and where I can get it. I looked all over his website where he said I'd be able to find it. Well I CAN'T! Anyone have any info on this? Area rugs and a runner are also an issue. I don't have $300+ for an area rug and can't foresee having it for quite awhile. I mostly need ideas and encouragement to warm up our space and make it FEEL like a home. Thanks for reading this far... Any ideas?!?! Thanks bunches! Nikki Hobbs

Ok, yall helped me last time. On the Great Impressions site, I had seen a girls room, which I think included her closet decorated in bright pinks and oranges. Kinda a 70s look, if I remember right. I have been going through the albums for days and still havent found it yet. If anyone happens to know what Im talking about and where I can find them, I would appreciate that info. Seems this is the route my dd is wanting to go. Neysa praisinhim2day@... Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

Lisanne, I'm from the Binghamton area. My mother and older brother still live there. I have a nephew and a cousin (once or twice removed) in Albany but I've only been there once in my life on a school trip to the state museum. Nancy

Fear not. Those of us who "brag" about a new thing are just using words. We can SAY anything!! All projects sound good when described, but that does NOT pick up the laundry!! When my brother tried to name my decorating style many years ago, he came up with "Contemporary Affront." You are NOT alone!! Wait until I start writing about my fernery!! Enjoy! Nancy The question isn't who is going to let me; it's who is going to stop me. -- Ayn Rand home, i just want it to NOT look like terrorists came in and trashed the place!!! your home is lovely-- mine is... hmmmm basic... primitive <grin homes that can be photographed and there's no telltale piles of 'misc' stuff or laundry in the background... about the storm door ornamental grid that will soon be adorning my bathroom wall... and to think, i was sooo proud!!!

Hmm...I like the aquarium pieces..and I REALLY like the map one ..the * olde worlde * look is very interesting * though not anything I have a place for in my home lol *. Kathie..still on the lookout for more painted pieces for a good visual so she can paint her kitchen cabinets "Without God there is a coarsening of the society... If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under."~Ronald Reagan Subject: [Interior_Motives] i want that aquarium one! Hello Kathie, Wow! another brilliant hand painted furniture website. Which one do you like best? i think them aquarium ones are gorgeous, also the one at the bottom of the page which has the blue and black. Very striking. I want to give my wallet a good bashing now! hannah of black panther design

Aren't flea markets wonderful? I am completely addicted, and my house is rapidly looking like it, lol. Cyndi In a message dated 8/16/2003 7:01:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time, choffman@... writes:

What a treasure drove of ideas! Thanks for sharing this. Now, I think I'll decorate my guest room toilet by painting vines and violets. Nancy in Ft. Wayne

Hi! My name is Ian & after watching countless episodes of "While You Were Out" & "Trading Spaces" (as well as its spinoffs), I've got lots of ideas for my own bedroom. I have a 10'8"(Width)x10'3"(Length)x6'8" room. Colors: Lime green, cobalt/ocean blue w/silver accents Theme: Surfing -Posters: Maui & Sons, surf destinations, "Endless Summer" -Surfboard-shaped desk & shelves -Mod furniture -Wave mural/giant photo -Ocean blue carpet Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

I have recently redecorated my home from country to casual. I have now fell into a rut of everything in my home being cream or taupe colored. My living room has cream colored carpeting and curtains, taupe walls, and I just ordered a very dark taupe colored sofa and loveseat. I need to get some color in there besides taupe and cream. Any suggestions on where I should bring the color in? Wall decor, pillows? Any ideas on what color I should add? Thanks! Tracey

Hello Lisanne, I bet you're so excited! i'm very busy most times, but whenever i've got the time i'm watching programs about people buying houses, doing them up and then selling them for a lot more. It's amazing how deadlines are never met, i heard the presenter say that you have to give builders a little bit more then they expect, as they always give the shortest time possible. It sounds nice though! i seem to have come across a lot of people in the process of building their own house.. i never see people do that where i live... it's like nothing gets demolished and rebuilt, which is ok when they're nice old houses but not when they're horrible ramshackle things. Fingers crossed everything goes ok! that flooring sounds nice.. i'm assuming you're doing your home in a modern style? hannah of black panther design

Hello! So nice to see a lot of chitter chatter going on.. anyway i'm new here, i'm an interior designer and decorator and looking for people to give free advice to. I've got a lot of experience with clients on a budget to those on a good wage, so i'm sure you'll find me useful! I'll send some more messages later, just got to have something to eat first, see ya :-) hannah of black panther design

Hey all, DH and I have been busy painting our kitchen and nook, and in the kitchen we've installed a 6" base molding on the upper wall, butting up against the ceiling (rather than a crown molding which takes extra work to install). The molding looks great. We've painted the molding the same off-white color as the ceiling, to make the ceiling appear higher (it's already a 10' ceiling). The walls in the kitchen are a light celery green, and the adjoinging nook is a buttercream yellow. I've since had this idea to repaint the molding the same buttercream yellow as the nook, to pull that color into the kitchen. The only other yellow that ties the nook into the kitchen is in the window treatment. DH feels the molding should stay the ceiling color, but I think it looks too bland. Maybe hubby just doesn't want to deal with the extra work that repainting would entail, LOL. Can anyone lend their "fashion sense" on this? The cabinets are all painted white, btw. Thanks, Debbie

I can pass along one other hint about painting the cabinets: ALWAYS use a really tough glossy paint, preferrably oil base, and apply it over Bin Zinsser *bonding* stain-blocking primer. We painted the cabinets in the house before this one and I can't remember if they were primed before the paint or not. They had had orange shellac on them to start and I know we cleaned them really well first. I'm thinking we primed them but with some kind of cheapie stuff. That was before I knew about the primer mentioned above. Used a a high-gloss latex and it didn't last six months on those soft pine plywood cabinets before it started chipping. We have vinyl wallboard all over this house ( like vinyl wallpaper but no sheet rock paper underneath - applied directly to the gypsumboard.) We've painted some rooms and by far and away are SO happy with the way the paint holds that formerly slick surface when it goes on top of the bonding primer. One room, in fact, has been painted and re-painted; the second paint job is starting to wear because somebody got lazy and didnt' re-prime in between the color changes. Walls take a whole lot less abuse than cabinet doors so we used a satin latex on them and they're holding up great. But I've said before on here that after seeing the performance of Benjamin Moore paints in the upscale houses I've worked in, I'm sold on them, even if it's only used in the places that need a really durable finish. ( It's pretty expensive paint. ) Add the extra durablity factor of oil vs. latex and IMO this is the only way to go for cabinet painting. Oh and PS - I'm another convert about the dark kitchen issue. DH LOVES wood cabinets but I'm crazy about white cabinets and light floors because the change is like moving to a new house. Don't know how I'm going to work that in with the Tuscany style I want so maybe we'll just have to add extra windows for the light factor LOL. Denise At its very beginning, mankind needed a garden. Nothing has changed since then.

Nancy, I recently painted my wood kitchen cabinets and if I do say so myself they turned out rather nicely. They were a medium stain, I think it was called fruitwood. After 36 years of use with 7 kids, hubby, dogs and myself they needed a makeover. Lots of scars, and dings. First I washed them down with TSP, took off all doors, sanded down all surfaces, primed with BIM primer and sealer and painted with at least 3 coats of an water base acrylic paint. I used 4 or more coats of paint on the doors and drawers because they take a lot of abuse. We reinstalled the doors with new hardware, I filled the holes where the handles were and repositioned the handles. You can't tell where the holes were. I also painted the insides so it wasn't so dark in them. Put in new shelf paper. Results, Fantastic!!! Good Luck with your project. Hazel

Nancy this may be WAAAY over the top, but I'll share what our plans are for the house plans we've chosen. I've wanted a fairly deep porch off of the back side of the U-shaped farmhouse style floor plan - maybe even screened. At the same time I don't want the great room light to be compromised. It was suggested that the roof across the back be lifted ( shed dormer installed ) and clearstory windows installed in the dormer. There isn't a second floor, so the shed dormer won't have a floor - the great room ceiling will be very high because of the high roof pitch and the light will come into the great room from above the porch. I've also noticed that dark walls don't do NEARLY as much to make a room seem dark as do dark floors. If you can make your floors light, it will probably help tremendously. Denise - who would positively HATE a dark kitchen. At its very beginning, mankind needed a garden. Nothing has changed since then.

Moderator Liz ok'ed for me to post here. I am cleaning out all of my craft, decorating, cook etc books. I have MANY for sale most in new unused condition. Most are listed at 50-75% off retail. Please contact me for a listing. Thanks Neysa praisinhim2day@... Does pushing the elevator button more than once make it arrive faster?

Debbie, We went to the Street of Dreams in our area (central Oklahoma) and it was wonderful. I had never been before and I wish I had taken my digital camera. There was lots of color in these homes. Most of the palettes were warm golds, apple green, and reds. One of the homes was really beautiful. It had a cottagey look and the most unusual but striking color scheme on the outside. It was a grayish green with a burgundy and gold accents. The inside was fabulous. There were 200 hundred year old barn beams in the kitchen and the most beautiful marble countertops (golden brown with black and light gold flecks). The dominant decorating style was French country so there were lots of chickens (I love chickens) and a really beautiful rabbit border in the kitchen. It has a nice deck that faced a lake on the back of the house that had a concrete technique where they color and texture the concrete to look like flagstones. One of the homes was done in a apple green and gold with red accents and it was so gorgeous. The kitchen had the most innovative light fixture. The decorator had taken the ceramic houses you put tea lights in them and made light fixtures out of them and hung them from the ceiling over the dining room table. The curtains were gold/green/red plaid and the table and china cabinet were French country. The master bedroom was really nice. It had a gauzy fabric that was off white with apple green stripes made into a beautiful window treatment and a really light golden yellow paint scheme. The bed had really nice fabric spreads and lots of pillow in red/green plaids and patterns. It had a master bath that was incredible. The walk in shower door had some kind of old looking glass with air bubbles in it and the top was jagged like it was broken but the edges were smooth. They had taken an antique sideboard and put a sink in it and it had a kind of brushed brass faucet that I had never seen before. There was a nice whirlpool bath with tumbled marble tile around. it. We noticed lots of the tumbled marble tile and the natural looking tile - no shiny tile in any of the homes. The laundry room was one of my favorite rooms. It was painted apple green (never thought I would like that color) and it had an indoor window box in it with silk flowers. It had lots of French country accents in it and was such a cheery fun room. There were tons of gorgeous antiques in the homes. One of them had a jungle/English Victorian look with palm tree motifs and monkeys and animal skins. I didn't care much for it but it was interesting to look at. Several had a rich Renaissance look with lots of deep rich colors and velvets and brocades that were really beautiful. There were armoires from Italy and France and marble topped tables and some of the most interesting paint techniques I have ever seen. One of the studies had a paint technique on the wall that made it look like leather. Some of them had been painted to look like old plaster and several had glazed walls that were really innovative. One thing we noticed that maybe someone can explain to me was that some of the walls had slightly different shades of paint about 1/4 of the way down at the top of the walls. You had to look really hard to see it. I'm sure it was for effect but I am not sure what effect. Maybe to make the walls look old or taller?? Sorry yours was such a bust. I went to ours twice I enjoyed it so much and I saved the brochure to look at when we got home. I can't wait for next years.

Jan in IL,,, I can fix anything! Where's the duct tape??

How about keeping your TP in a coffee can? You could put contact paper on the can to decorate it a bit. If you are handy at sewing you could make a cover for the can. The cat may be able to roll the can around but it can't tear up the TP. Good Luck Hazel

Does anyone have any idea where I could get a covered toilet paper holder? I'm looking for one of the older types with a flip-up lid that covers the roll (probably in chrome). I did locate one online but it was $50! I'm looking for something a leeetle cheaper. :) Also looking for any alternate ideas to solve my problem. The problem is that one of my cats sees tearing up toilet paper as his mission in life! At the moment we are keeping the paper roll in the medicine cabinet, but that's a little awkward when guests come over. :) I was thinking that a flip-up lid might slow him down, at least. But I'm open to alternate ideas! Thanks! Ann

on what she has accomplished in short order!!! i remember when she was debating if they should buy the house...)... i am basically a slug surrounded by soldier ants <grin Trinity, thanks for the compliment! (Well, I *think* it was a compliment! LOL!) Thought you (and possibly others) might be interested in knowing that we moved in to the "new" house last weekend! And we are rather astounded at what we have wrought, ourselves. The Brazilian cherry flooring is all in, and looks great (if rather dusty from the construction dust still all over the place). The new drywall is all in, and textured, and painted (a pale mint green in the bathroom, Opal Cream -- a very pale yellow -- throughout the living room and kitchen and main hallway, variations on periwinkle blue in the master bedroom and guest bedroom, and a nice butter yellow in the office). Our kitchen cabinetry is all in, though the floor and dishwasher and counters are not, yet. We finished the recessed lighting in the kitchen just yesterday and it looks great. And -- what I'm proudest of -- the new Kohler bathtub is not only in place, but the tile surround is completely finished now, caulking and everything! I'm really proud of the bathtub tile, I have to say. I used cheapo tile from HD and mixed it with expensive accent tiles from a tile store, and it just looks fab. Our wonderful Hispanic handyman put up most of the tile (I finished it off), but I cut all the tiles to fit, and grouted the whole thing, sealed it and caulked it. Our plumber and electrician both paid it compliments and said it looked like a professional job (preen, preen!). But as for being a go-getter, all I can say is hah!! My husband is the go-getter. I was just working in mortal fear the whole time. :) Someday soon -- when I get my scanner back in order -- I'll put up some before and after pics. But in the meantime I just had to crow! :) ciao, Ann

Hi all, My dh and I went to the Portland (Oregon) Street of Dreams last night, and I gotta say, we came away disappointed. I took my digital camera, and in the past I've spent literally hours taking shots of decorating ideas, window treatments, and innovative ideas, but last night I didn't take a single picture. There were 6 houses, and most were traditional style. All of those had very similar interiors, with their brownish walls (even ceilings) and darker wood millwork. Not a single home had white painted millwork. They all seemed so gloomy to me. And impractical. I hope that's not the trend in decorating, because here in the Pacific NW, those dark tone on tone type colors only make a the wet, gloomy weather here less bearable. The one house I did like was a contemporary style. With it's clean lines, lots of use of artisan glass in archetectural elements, and lighter, natural millwork, it was a fresh change compared to the others. My overall impression was that most of the homes had used the same designer. But they had not. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed a trend toward darker, tone-on-tone wall and ceiling colors (all in neutrals), and very little use of color... anywhere. Maybe it's just our Portland designers. Debbie

I went to Lowes and purchased a gallon of "Earth Elements Signature Series" paint. The color is called Canyon. I painted my living room, foyer and hallway this color. It is great paint and claims to cover in 1 coat, although I used 2 coats. (had places that were a bit thin) I ran out and went back to Lowes to get another gallon. Same brand and color. Even same guy to mix it up! When I applied the paint to the remaining walls, 2 coats, it's a different color!!!!! Slightly lighter, and not as much depth to it. To make sure I wasn't seeing things in different lights, I painted some on the already painted walls. Definitely different color. How can this happen? Should I complain to Lowes? Lisa -Md

Can anyone that has installed Armstrong composition vinyl floor tiles help me out? I've been trying to find some good instructions on the web and I just can't seem to find anything. Most of the stuff I've found relate to regular vinyl floor tiles, not really the composition tiles. This is the type of stuff you see in hospitals and schools...very durable slightly thicker than normal vinyl tiles. They are called Composition Vinyl on the box. The main things I need to know are how do you cut them? I am basically figuring out they need to be laid just like all tile floors (chalk lines, yadda yadda yadda) but no one has addressed how to cut them. Do I just use a regular utility knife? We just got back from vacation and it's time to finish the rent house. I plan on laying this tile floor in the bathroom this weekend. All that will be needed after that is basic cleaning and sprucing and then we should be ready for renters. Woo Hoo! TIA for any advice on those tiles...Hey Kurt where are you? I know you've used this type of floor lots of times, care to give me some helpful hints? Terri This email message and any files transmitted with it contain confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom this email message is addressed. If you have received this email message in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone or email and destroy the original message without making a copy.

Almost forgot entirely, but finally got that last bay window treatment pic posted to my photo album (in the "Debbie S" file). Another heavily custom-made job. The pic doesn't do it justice. It really is a pretty treatment. I'll keep the bay pics in my album for a week or so before I delete them. Debbie

Has anyone ordered hardwood flooring online? I found what I wanted at a price that will save me $1500.00 off of what Expo charges, but we are leery of having 20 cartons of wood dumped at our front door. Has anyone does this? Does the wood arrive okay, or any damage??? Cyndi

what can a person use to make fabric super stiff? this is for a lamp shade. thanks! jessica Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

I'm currently in the process of auditing our energy uses and adding energy conservation to our day-to-day lives. One thing I'm doing is replacing all of the light bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), adding blinds, exterior awnings, and so forth. I'm interested in what things others are doing to reduce energy costs through interior decorating. Is anyone aware of any decorating & design in particular that adds to the energy efficiency of a home? BTW, I'm also looking for a source of CFLs that are decorative -- if you know of any, please let me know. Noc.

Question: A friend is doing her first * design * job for a man her husband works with. She isn't licenced nor does she have a degree, but she has the ideas and abilities. She is designing and shopping for him, and she and I are going to do painting techniques on the wall, and it will be an ongoing thing as he doesn't have the funds to do it all at once. What should she charge for the job? Should it be by the hour since there is painting in addition to the design? What would be a good price being this is a * starter * job, do you think? We need some general ideas.. Oh and we are in Maryland north of DC by about 1 1/2 hours, to give you a general idea of location. Kitty..you are in this area... HELP! Kathie

Hi! Now that I'm all moved in I can start decorating. I literally haven't had time to do anything - other than TAPE sheers to the windows! Oh yeah, it looks real classy. I've never had a bay window before, so I'm kind of at a loss on what type of treatment to use. Anyone have any suggestions on where I could find photos for some examples, or where I can buy the items? Thanks! Wendy

Debbie wrote: My name is Debbie. I just found this group, and since my head is filled with decorating ideas for re-doing our kitchen/nook/family room areas, I thought I'd join and toss some of my thoughts out there.... Debbie, Welcome to the group. I look forward to reading and seeing your room transform. Good luck in getting that perfect yellow. Terri This email message and any files transmitted with it contain confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom this email message is addressed. If you have received this email message in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone or email and destroy the original message without making a copy.

I am another person who is allergic to Down and Feather. Except add that I get a sever asthma attack along with the other symptoms. I have looked at the comforters that have the fiber in them and would like to get one, because it would be great to change the cover instead of having to put the whole comforter in. But the prices are so high because it is non-allergetic! I was wondering, I have a printed fiber filled comforter , could you use a duvet cover with one of these? Not having seen the comforters made for the duvets except in a package I was wondering what they actually are like. Also how do you keep the comforters laying right in the duvet covers? LOL sorry lots of questions but I never bought one because and don't know anyone who has one. I buy the bed in a bed type deals lol.

We are finally at the point where we are doing the floors in our new rent house. As a reminder, the floors throughout most of the house had some really awful carpeting that we removed to find hard wood underneath. We decided to refinish the hard wood in most of the house. The kitchen had vinyl floor tiles that look ok for now so we're leaving them, and the masterbedroom is concrete so we are carpeting it. The main bathroom we decided to tile in the armstrong composition vinyl tiles (you'd be proud of me Kurt!). Anywho, the wood floors was our project for this past weekend. We rented a barrel sander and some other kind of heavy duty sander to get close to the baseboards. They worked so well! There was still some pretty dark stains but we picked a very dark stain (Red Oak) so it is covering most of them up. After sanding, applying the stain, and one coat of poly so far I can truthfully say these floors are luscious! I'm so pleased! I wish they were my floors now. I've taken pics along the way so once we get the last coat of poly on it, I'll take one last picture and post it. I can't believe the transformation and I'm living it. We've taken a house that was so rank and wasn't really suitable for dogs to live in and made it into a very cute, charming, cozy home. Now I just need to find the perfect renter who will appreciate all we've done for them. LOL...like that will ever happen! Terri This email message and any files transmitted with it contain confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom this email message is addressed. If you have received this email message in error, please notify the sender immediately by telephone or email and destroy the original message without making a copy.

Winnie, Would love to have those 15" bed risers. Have the 6" plastic ones on our king size bed. We've had those about 2 years. But the extra height the 15" would give would be wonderful. Do you have any problem finding the extra long bed skirts/ruffles? I am not much for sewing so would like to be able to get ready made. Casey

Last week someone was talking about beds. I loved the idea of multiple mattresses to make the bed look taller (My bed is tall, and I always get compliments on it). I have a friend who is in the market for a new bed. He has a nice king now, but wants to upgrade. I may try and convince him to just buy a very nice top mattress and keep the ones he has underneath. I had asked the question why the person writing did not like Feather comforters. Other than a stray feather her and there I love mine. I was wondering what was wrong with them? I don't want to recommend them to people if there is a problem with them. Angie

Garden decor at Michael's is on sale 50% off - they have some of the most gorgeous ironwork decor and tables. I bought a strand of lights that has metal and beaded dragonflies and hung it over the kitchen window. I have dragonflies all over along with sunflowers for the summer and it turned out just too cute, wrapped with a sunflower garland. Denise At its very beginning, mankind needed a garden. Nothing has changed since then.

My daughter in hoping to move into her first home this weekend (providing the blasted paperwork gets here in time so we can close Friday...been waiting since May 6, but anyway...rant, rant); the home has plaster walls. I have no experience with plaster - any special treatment for plaster for hanging pictures or is just hammering in a nail ok? A couple of the walls need some repair - I found some plaster repair goop that we are going to try to use to close up a horizontal crack from floor to ceiling in the bedroom and an uneven spot in the kitchen. Also, the home has hardwood floors in excellent condition, which have about 15 coats of polyurethane (?); any special care needed for these? OK to mop with mild detergent? Susan

From: Harewizard@... This is exactly what I'm trying to achieve in my family room. And you, girl, have put it into words, that I can visualize. I think my dilemma is my hubby wants to keep 2 mounted deer heads in the family room...(yes, he's a hunter..) and they are totally throwing me off . So far, I have small amounts of leopard print, I made a bamboo floor lamp, I have bamboo baskets, and old world style crosses on the wall....the color of the family room is called Mother Earth- a golden honey, dirt color. Do you have any suggestions on how to incorporate deer heads in this mix? Lisa _Md ********* Is the style you're talking about here similar to what you see on the Thomasville commercials ( or maybe Ethan Allen??) for their Hemingway line? And maybe the deer heads would fit with the rest of it in a rather natural way, despite the differences between the "deer lodge" and "safari" looks. Maybe you could just do what you want, put up the deer heads, and then if you hate them totally say so right away. What choice is there then? Maybe you could hang them in the garage LOL. I have a friend who took a small room - I mean SMALL it was a storage room off of the carport - and made it into "the guy's room". That is one full room - w/d closet is in there, and their big screen tv, a big black leather sofa, a rocker with camo pads, and aaalllll their trophies. Pine side tables similar to "this end up". It's dark but heck they don't care - they love it. Denise At its very beginning, mankind needed a garden. Nothing has changed since then.

In a message dated 7/21/2003 10:50:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time, ameneou@... writes: ahhh- trusty ole' E-bay......great suggestion. I had forgot all about doing a search there. I was trying to figure out how to get hubby on an african hunting trip! Thanks! Lisa

In a message dated 7/21/2003 1:22:03 PM Eastern Daylight Time, flamnembr@... writes: LOL! We have gone thru many decorating phases with these deer heads. When first married, it looked cool to put sunglasses on them and have cigaretes hang from their mouths. UGH! Christmas gave them a chance to dress up, and they wore Santa hats! They've been thru the country phase....with flower grapevine wreaths.....the traditional hunting look with duck decoys, and antique rifles, and now they are ready for the Old World! <G Lisa

If I'm in the wrong group for this let me know -- it took me a while to find any home improvement/DIY groups tonight and the description made this group sound like the right place. I've been bandying about ideas for decorating our living room and I must admit -- I'm stuck. I'm great with landscaping, but I'm just having a difficult time with putting designs together on the inside, especially on the budget (i.e., not much). The room is 17'x12' and has a basic layout as follows: 2 ------\-\

Ann, You can get a relaxed/not too stuffy look for your curtains by hanging them on rings or using tab tops. Both the sheer panels and the heavier weight fabric can be done this way on separate rods. If you are interested let me know and I will email you some drawings that I use in my drapery business. Debbie

Had a heart to heart with friends this weekend. I'm the one that wants to go back to school but can't decide what to do! We started brain storming ... the end result is that I think I'm g