Home decorating and design

Hi...at one point I defined my interest as cottage and then realized that perhaps it was the color of the cabinets in a cottage that I liked : )...which didn't have a 'cottage' kitchen quite as described... so now I have picked out a laminate...Wilsonart laminate sample 'Kalahari topaz' and will have white appliances and am going to paint a yellowish shade on the walls off white on the cabinets... And I need to find the sink...today I looked at Swanstone (a composite type material), a cast iron sink coated in white, and a steel sink coated in white...do any of these sinks resonate with anybody...I have old cast iron that is white coated...but perhaps I didn't realize how worn out my current sink is because the new cast iron looked so shiny...but I'm considering also that I will have a white glass ceramic cook top along the same stretch of countertop. and then, looking at a Delta faucet that comes in white, stainless ...what can be said for matching the faucet to the appliances... so then white sink, white faucet, to much white?....white sink, stainless faucet...that's what I was originally thinking... feedback, ideas?! thanks, Valerie

Hi All, It has been awhile since I have been here. The last time I was here you guys helped me decide on painting my white living room red. I am not looking to paint any more red but I would like to paint my kitchen, hallway and up the stairs a nice neutral color. Any suggestions on brand and color? Thanks. Jane

Jan, I'm sorry to hear about this. But any remodeling or improvements on your home--other than maintenance you should keep those receipts because these are tax deductible when you sell your home to help off set captial gains. Not only can they save you head aches in the future, but also money! Kurt www.kurtcyr.com

You guys are wonderful -- I never would have thought of the wallpaper idea. That is just brilliant. And also interested in whoever is actually marketing something besides white -- though we have a lot to cover, so cost-effectiveness may be an issue. By anaglypta (sp?) I assume you're talking about that textured, heavy wallpaper that you then paint? We put some on walls at the top of old 70s paneling so the panelling (repainted) would look like wainscotting. It came out pretty well, and the stuff was pretty easy to work with, since it's sturdier than regular wallpaper. I'll run the thoughts past my husband as we're on our way back there tomorrow to do more painting. Lori in northern VA

Sorry this is so long, but this is info for anyone selling their home. If you are remodeling your house, save those receipts for everything you buy and do. We sold our remodeled and redecorated home 2½ years ago, and we are now being sued for fraud! Can you believe it? We were served with papers on Jan. 12th, this year. Since selling we had a large house built, and we own our own business in the town we left and they have got to be seeing $$ signs. We built a large bathroom with Kohler fixtures, the shower being a 6' shower pan, durock walls, a tiler did the shower walls, a glass company installed the glass walls and door, 2 shower heads, grab bars, a large linen closet, and a 5' vanity and so on. We had the guy next door do all the plumbing, who was a certified plumber. I don't know if any of you remember me talking about my 'glowing' pink bathroom after I painted it, you girls helped me fix it. We put a lot of work into the whole house, painting, all new carpeting, refinishing cabinet doors, I spray painted my fridge black, (it turned out great, I had posted pictures of it) and the house was kept absolutely spotless, being it was only myself, my husband and my mother living there. Anyway, now it's going to cost us $7 to $10,000.00 to prove our innocence of fraud. They are claiming the house is toxic and her kids have been sick since they moved in, the shower walls are caving in, she has cried since the day they moved in because if she sets something down, it falls over! They came forward with $23,900.00 for new plumbing in the whole house. Now if there was a problem, which I don't believe for one second there is, why would we pay for all new plumbing for the whole house and not just a repair of what they claim to be wrong? These are such lies it makes me sick. So now, after hiring our lawyer, he said you know if you had any of the receipts for contractors and all the things you bought, we should be able to prove them wrong in court. Well, guess what, I had them all, I think he was a little flabbergasted, but I did. Do you remember, Joan, about our conversion about playing the game Spider because we are so into being organized?? I mean it's 2½ years later, and most people would have thrown them out by now, including me, but for some reason I didn't. When you sign a disclosure when selling your house, the buyers have 1 year to sue if they find a problem, but after the year is up they can sue, apparently, for fraud! Please beware, and save those receipts, and never trust a wacko!!! lol Jan in IL We may not have it all together but together we have it all.

Lori, I just got a catalog from a home supply type business (apologies but I don't have the name of the business, website, or contact info in front of me). They had something that I thought looked really amazing pictured in the catalog. Instead of the traditional ceiling tiles that you see on most dropped ceilings, they had tiles that had designs - ranging from contemporary to very traditional - that could be painted, fauxed, or came in metal like finishes. For the first time EVER I actually wished that our basement was left with a drop ceiling instead of finished in with drywall. Now as for the lights, I have no ideas . . . but I'm sure someone on here will. :-) I'll post the name and contact info of the business as soon as I have access to it. Gwen We have a dropped ceiling on the lowest level of a three-story house. I hate dropped ceilings, but everything about this house is original to its mid-80s construction. I was considering stapling either matchstick blind material or fabric to the ceiling, as we are not really up to drywalling it right now. Has anyone ever tried this?

We have a dropped ceiling on the lowest level of a three-story house. I hate dropped ceilings, but everything about this house is original to its mid-80s construction. I was considering stapling either matchstick blind material or fabric to the ceiling, as we are not really up to drywalling it right now. Has anyone ever tried this? I'd appreciate any thoughts or warnings. There are two flourescent light fixtures so we'd have to figure out how to either eliminate them or replace them with some sort of panel so they'd look like recessed lighting. It's just so industrial looking I can't stand it. If no one seems to think that will work, I guess we can at least paint it . . . . This was a family room but we're converting it into our bedroom. Lori

Ronda, we have a corner fireplace, front windows to the immediate left and ent ctr to immediate right. Front door is on the other side of the windows. I don't like furn against the walls, esp when there's no entryway, so the sofa is facing the tv, perpendicular to the windows, with enough space behind it for a sofa table against the wall and space to walk behind the sofa to get to the front door. We have a love seat facing the windows so that the sofa and love seat create an L configuration . The windows and entertainment center create the opposite angles of the square in the room. This works very well, kind of like a conversation pit. I'll add a club chair as soon as I get it recovered. It will sit directly in front of the windows, and will be the only thing, save the ent. ctr, against the wall, although it, too, will be angled instead of actually facing the love seat. I think once you try it you'll probably like it a lot. It's a very up-to-date feeling. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

I really appreciate all your advise. I spoke with hubby last night about color, and he said.. I don't care what color we paint, I just want you to be happy... but happy for a long time, because I will not paint again in a few months. :-) As far as the furniture, what we decided was, we are going to wait until we have the keys in hand and go in and sit in each room to get the "feel" I will then draw a layout and do the moving around on paper. I am really thinking about making a boxed shape (you guys mentioned "floating" sofa) Having the sofa directly in front of the TV and the chair off to the side. Thank you all

Ronda... I'm not quite sure what you mean by "overlapping" different pieces of furniture, but it would make sense to me to arrange your sofa and chair facing the entertainment center and the fireplace which would be the natural focal points of the room.  It's perfectly OK to "float" furniture in the middle of the room instead of placing it against a wall. Diane

Thank you all for the color ideas. I am really liking the "haystack" yellow idea. I can picture a Thomas Kinkaid painting, how when you put light on the picture it is bright and light, but when you dim the lighting it looks like evening. I love that contrast. Also, my friend added on a den to her house and painted it the crimson red, with white bordering and accent. LOVE IT, but the living room is open to the dining room and I don't think just cutting off the red would work. NOW, I have another question. As I mentioned the living room is rather small. We have only three pieces of furniture that is going in it. The sofa, which is a country plaid pattern (blue, maroon, yellow and green) my blue recliner and our entertainment center. It is kind of big. Three sections, but not overly bit. Probably a good 6 feet long. IF you have to overlap a piece of furniture, would it be better to overlap the sofa with the entertainment center of overlap the entertainment center with the sofa. Example below ********************* ********************* ET Center ********************* ****** ****** ****** SOFA ****** ****** ****** ****** OR the other way around, Putting the sofa where the ET center is and the ET center where the sofa is. I sure hope this makes sense. I won't know exactly how much overlapping will be necessary until we get the furniture in, but I am afraid we will have to over lap something. FYI. There is a fireplace at the end of the ET center on the diagram above, so there won't be room to move the ET center down. THANK YOU GUYS, you all are so full of ideas, I knew I could turn to you :-))

Hi Dori- I just emailed the group asking Susan if I could get her personal email address to ask her some q's about the Sheffield course. I went through the Sheffield packet and wrote out some q's I had. It would help having those answers come from someone in the group who is or has taken the course. So, I wanted to know if you would mind if I emailed you too personally to ask you some q's about your search in choosing a course. I didn't know if you had looked at other courses too and compared them, so I wanted to kinda get your input as to what other courses or advice you had come by. If that is okay to reach you via your personal email, could you please contact me at kellyrz@... and let me know? This way, I won't have to post all my personal q's and bore the rest of the group. Thanks so much, Kelly Rezek

Okay, I have a question. How do I go about repainting some old furniture? One piece has just white paint on it and the other is an old hutch that looks as if it were varnished. Any ideas? Also can you paint over veneer? Rhonda

I just encountered same problem with condo I moved into middle of December. Certainly didn't want white walls so went to Lowes and found a paint chip called Haystack from Laura Ashley. THEN....I took the chip and had them do the color in Behr paint at Home Depot. It is a wonderful yellow/gold tone that appears lighter in daylight and at night becomes a deeper, warm color. It did not make my condo appear smaller....it is already small at only 850 sq. ft. I painted the color in entry, living/dining/kitchen areas. In the kitchen (so tiny) the only solid was decided to paint a deeper gold and just love the entire effect. Good luck on your choices and yes.....paint before you more...so much easier. Margaret of Margaret's Manor in TX

Hi, my husband and I just purchased a condo, and I have a BIG question. We are going to paint before moving in. The living room and dining room are kind of small, and the stairs go up, turn, and go up the other way, so there is a vaulted ceiling look by the door. I always thought I wanted a warm color for the walls, but now I am thinking it might make it look even smaller. Suggestions please?? Go with White to keep it bright looking or go with a warm color. I have also thought about one wall being warm, but there is only two walls in the living room and they both have large windows. What about painting the dining room wall warm and the rest white. HELP?? Thanks so much

Ann I have sure-fit slipcovers bought at LNT and I love the things. This house is full of dirty beings- two footed and four footed. There was never a better upholstery idea for a house like mine than slipcovers. They've worn like iron, although they have faded a bit since I got them a year ago TG. They now have that shabby chic faded thing... a little bit, not too much. It's good though - they were too bright to start out with. I was trying to remember, I think I've washed them about 5 or 6 times so far. DH made me some things to help hold them in - he cut pvc to fit the inside length of both the sofa and love seat, and also to fit between the arm and cushion. Glued caps onto them so they wouldn't wear the fabric, and then I tied rubber bands around them about every 4" They go into place and those cushions don't migrate much at all. The old upholstery is a tweedy kind of stuff, if you're putting it over something slick it might slide around more. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

Hi All, Do you remember me???? I'm finally back! We ended up having court for 3 weeks and I am totally exhausted! It was the most boring case that I have ever seen and it was a major effort just to stay awake everyday. Plus, it has been so cold here that it was a real challenge to stand out and wait for a bus every morning. I've been trying to read all of the posts as they come in, but most nights I just came home, grabbed something to eat, got clothes ready for the next day, and then fell into bed. I hope you haven't all forgotten me by now!! It's good to be back. Dori

I have slipcovers from them and they fit very well. Better than any I've bought before, including some very expensive ones from Pottery Barn. The SureFit ones look good and the cost is really reasonable. Nikki

Hello everyone. I am new to this group and looking for some input from others. I am interested in getting into Interior Design/Decorating. I live in a rural area and am a couple hundred miles from the nearest formal school. I do, however, have my Bachelor of Science in Sociology & Psychology. I will have to earn a diploma or certificate from an online/home study school. I have done some research and do not know which is the best school to go through. I believe getting my diploma would be best as that offers a more extensive course of study. However, I am uncertain of which affiliation is the best to seek out such as ASID, IIDA or NCIDQ. I understand that certain schools are not FIDER-approved, but I would like to find out from all of you if a FIDER-approved school is necessary. I have looked into Rhodec, Regent Academy, National Design Academy, Sheffield, KLC, and the Institute of Interior Design (ODLQC accredited) and am befuddled as to what would be the best course of study. I have further looked in several city phone books and notice that there are only a few designers who are affiliated with ASID and another couple through IIDA. However, there are tons of designers who do not have any initials or designations after their name. Does this mean they have sought their diplomas/certificates from one of the other non-ASID/non-IIDA? Is there and advantage or disadvantage for any of the affiliations? I would so appreciate anyone's input and advice. Ultimately, I would like to start my own small design business and would like the proper training and affiliation to be taught well and taken seriously in the field. Please lend your advice. Thanks in advance, Kelly

I'm a lurker here, but I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on distance- or online-learning for interior decorating or interior design. I've found a lot of programs online, but they all claim to be the best. I was wondering if anyone here had taken a program like this and could recommend a good one?

I need help! I started to remove the border in my living room last night with a steamer and it was a huge disaster! The steam must have went under the paint just below the border and the 1/3 of the way down the wall the paint AND texture started to bubble and peel off! The steamer did not work to good on the paper. It only took off the top portion and left the paper backing stuck to the wall. I dont want to have to paint and texture the whole wall just to get off this border. What is the worst is that the carpet cleaners are coming tomorrow afternoon so I need to do something quickly. What should I use? Please help!

It now has more variation with dark blue "washed" over it. We really love it. Now, if we could just figure out now to arrange the silk tropical flowers we bought in all the bright colors (the bird of paradise look great with the pumpkin color). I think I might have to have the pros do it for me. Bryan, I finally had time to look up your link -- and WOOF! Is that stunning!! Yay for you two. Takes some bravery to "just go for it" that way -- but it definitely paid off! Just one question ... of course photos can be misleading, but just looking at your pics online, it seems to me that the only color out of place now is the leftover white walls in the kitchen and so forth. How does it look in person? Does the remaining white work for you -- do you find it restful? Or have you thought about maybe changing it to an off-white (maybe a dilute version of that warm yellow ochre) or that beautiful pale gray? But wow, is that ever great. Kudos to your paint person -- she did a smashing job with those three-paint walls. Ann

Hi there, I'm new here, this is a great group! Fun to see the projects everyone is into. I'll introduce myself with our before and after design project web site. We are still waiting for the custom rugs and have two sculptures on order. We'll keep updating the web site as we complete more. Man this takes a long time. We basically started from white walls. Well, the white paint had one drop of purple in it, but most people wouldn't notice. After seeing many HGTV shows where they added major color we just had to take the plunge and we went whole hog! www.BryanandChrisMN.tripod.com

I tried to find your website but couldn't find it can you send the link again? Thanks Kelly

I just put up some dry floral grass stems in a large vase. The stems are up to 15 feet tall and really give depth to the high ceiling. Especially when someone is standing near the vase. I have two on either side of the entryway and one in the main living room to the left side of our large plate glass windows. I put that vase on a one foot platform and only inserted the tallest stems a foot into the sand, so they reach over 16 feet into the air. I have a variety of shorter stems in there so as to remove that tall 'lanky' feeling of the bare long stems. Has anyone else worked with this type of material? Also, their was only one variety of grass, this one is brown but I have seen cream or white ones too. Has anyone used any other materials that are really long to give depth perception to the height of the ceiling? I really want some other ideas to go with these jungle type grasses. I want to use only natural type products if possible as I want that outdoorsy type ambience. Would welcome any suggestions. Please contact me privately at the hotmail email address below to let me know that you posted a reply as I am in digest mode and do not always read the all the messages. Thanks. Ken solowildlander@...

I have never done this,but I will be trying it in the near future..I have alot of decorative plates to hang as well.Mine are ELVIS. I have heard you can buy wooden plate"railing" the plates just slide them in,after anchoring the railing to your wall. Personally I like the plate hangers,that hold 4 or so. Made out of iron,they are black. Beckie

I don't know where you live but Hobby Lobby has a lot of fabric choices, upholstery etc. Check out www.hobbylobby.com to see if there is one near you. Kathy I have exhausted my efforts to find them at all the local fabric shops such as JoAnn's and Hancock Fabrics, etc., so, I am hoping that someone here can direct me to some web sites that carry decorator fabrics like the ones I've been seeing in the cottage style books and magazines. Thanks for any help. Patty

Hi, my name is Patty and I just joined the list today. I am so happy to find it too. <smile tips and ideas here. For the past several years my decorating style has been country but I am in the process of transitioning to a more cottage style of decorating. I just love all the beautiful floral fabrics and co-ordinating fabrics I see used on sofas, slipcovers and curtains, etc. in photos of that style but I am having a terrible time actually finding fabrics like them to use in sewing things for my home. I have exhausted my efforts to find them at all the local fabric shops such as JoAnn's and Hancock Fabrics, etc., so, I am hoping that someone here can direct me to some web sites that carry decorator fabrics like the ones I've been seeing in the cottage style books and magazines. Thanks for any help. Patty

I have had the same thing,peeling paint. I painted my bathroom cupboards with a dark yellow,to go with the celestrial deco I did,with boarder on the walls.The paint peeled in big spots,and I have had to retouch them 3 times so far.It chips of too. Beckie

I was a PC Volunteer in Nepal and never had the luxury of a refrigerator. Kept unrefrigerated eggs for several days and they were still fine. Most of the villagers also did the same. No electricity anywhere. Seems that we here in the States get very anxious about any slight possibility of any bacteria anywhere. I just would make sure you cook the eggs well. Believe me, if an egg is rotten, you can tell immediately. Ande

Blank. This is SERIOUSLY off topic, so if you are not interested, just hit "Delete" now .... Okay, my question: How long will raw eggs stay good for when you leave them out of the fridge? I came home from the store the other day and in the rush of trying to get back out the door again to go somewhere, I neglected to put my newly acquired eggs in the refrigerator. They sat out on my counter at room temp for about six hours before I found them and finally put them in the fridge. Now I'm scared to death of them -- visions of salmonella dancing in my head. The stupid eggs only cost a couple of bucks, but I'm just cheap ... anyway, are they still okay, or should I just toss them? Thanks!! Ann

I'm just trying to figure out when chickens came up with refrigerated butts! On a serious note though, if you do decide to toss them, you could crush up the shells and put them in your potted plants, or blow them out and dye/decorate them for the upcoming Easter holiday. At least then they aren't a total waste. Good luck! Denise

Val, try either Barkeeper's Friend or (my favorite) Bon Ami on the rust stains. I've used Bon Ami on rust stains on old porcelain in houses with rusty old pipes in many places. The results are usually pretty good, anything from very good to just making things a little better. Find either of them with the Comet and other cleansers. There is also another product called Whink that does a super job on rust but it's some baaaad stuff. Wear gloves and open a window- and try the Bon Ami first. My favorite way of treating mildew stains is cleaning first with a brush and regular or lemon Scrubbing Bubbles, then rinsing and spraying the wet walls with Clorox Clean up. Close the shower door to keep it wet as long as possible, up to about an hour. Rinse it out, then take the brush and a bucket and the spray bottle and go at it again in the resistant places. Sometimes it just plain won't come clean in spots but you can sure make it a lot better. Dry showers can't grow mildew, so the sooner you can get it dry after use the better. A very good and easy start is to leave the doors open to both the bathroom and the shower at least until the whole thing has dried out. People who swipe the area with an old towel after showering never have a problem either - but teaching household members this habit takes more gumption than I have. I don't like using exhaust fans because we pay a lot to either warm or cool the air in our home and I hate to exhaust it out. What works just about as well is either a small ceiling fan replacing the ceiling light fixture or even a table fan on a counter. It seems to really move the humidity out to the rest of the house. In the winter, that's a big help. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

Nikki I have some blue willow plates hanging by plate hangers like you'll find in the frame department. Actually I bet you can find them at dollar stores. I have large grill plates, a smallish platter, and three saucers, and they all hang well. The grill plates are very heavy so I had to put a heavier wall hanger up for them. Also, for some reason that I don't know, the plate hanger popped off of one of them while it was just hanging on the wall... I was standing right there hanging the others and caught it! Me, who never caught a fly ball in her life! Maybe that just reflects what's REALLY important to me LOL. I don't know why it suddenly did that, and nothing like it has ever happened again. If you want to go decorative and have the room, check out special metal brackets made for displaying plates. Most of them are really pretty with different types of ironwork. Kirkland's and Treavor's has a good selection for good prices. You can get them to hold different numbers of plates ( I think 5 is the biggest I've ever seen) and in either horizontal or vertical configurations. If you have quite a few to display, you could still use the plate racks - if I had a big enough space I'd get a few more plates and use a 3-plate rack in the center and flank it on either side with 2-plate racks. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

Hello, I'm new to the group and have enjoyed reading many of the suggestions. I was wondering if anyone could tell me how to hang decorative plates on the wall. I have a small collection of Blue Willow plates that I'd like to display. Nikki

If you know the manufacturer's name, as well as the name of the carpet (like, I dunno, "Aurora" by Monsanto) can't you just go to Google.com and do a search for those terms? If you can locate it more cheaply, then the only hurdle I can think of would be installation. I believe the carpet price usually includes installation, doesn't it? So if you order it online, you may have to either install it yourself or hire someone to do it. If that's the case, you'll have to factor that cost in as well. Ann

I posted this to the doityourself list and thought I would post it here too. I have selected the kind and color of carpet I would like to install in the upstairs of my house. (approximately 1600 sq. ft.) Because I know the name, color and amount, would it be feesible to order this off the internet? Has anybody done this before? Or am I destined to pay 26.99 a sq. yard for this stuff?? Yeah...I know expensive stuff...but with carpet...3 kids and the dog...need I say more?? LOL I don't want to be replacing it in 2-3 years. Anyway, thanks in advance for any advice or suggestions. Jen in Texas

Iman, we recently redid the entire interior of our house and used Behr paints for all the interior. The thing I love about Behr paints is the color palette. They offer a very bright, light, true color palette, which you don't see in a lot of the others (they tend to have brown or gray tones mixed in). So that was why I went with Behr in the first place. BUT I have been unhappy with peeling already, and we only painted in July! Behr is just not very tough paint, IMHO. If you brush up against it on the wall, you end up with a bald spot where the paint peels off. I have a bunch of places already that I need to go back and touch up. If I had it to do over again, I would go with Glidden paints, which are also available at HD. (We used some Glidden paint later in the painting of our house, and have not had any problems with peeling.) The Glidden only costs a little bit more and I think it is tougher. If you like the Behr colors, just take the color chip with you and tell the paint person to match that color. Just my .02, of course! Ann

Ok,I have a question... We have a type of wall covering,not the cheap wall paper,with the already pasted backing... I need to know how to wash it,cause we have natural gas heat,and it causes a kind of oily film on the wall. I don't want to end up using something ofs(off the shelf) at walmart,and causing it to come off,of fall apart. My dad paid like a hundred dollars a roll for this stuff... And it has been on the walls since the late 80's.Believe it or not,it still looks new too. Oh ,also there is one room,I am going to wainscoat,so I am hoping it will except paint on the top 1/2 of the wall. Beckie

Margaret, I have a can of something called OOPS. Says it removes latex paint. You might have to use several cans and I don't know if it really does or not. You might have some in your house already, and if you do it would be worth a try. I've heard that TSP is hard to rinse. Vinegar will cut any kind of detergent. If you re-wash the walls be sure to rinse with vinegar water. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

After successful painting of several rooms in my condo finally got to where was going to do one kitchen (itty bitty) wall in accent color. First I washed the wall with TSP and when wall was dry...began painting. The paint didn't seem to be going on correctly....but finished anyway and thinking after it dries will put on 2nd coat. WELL.....hated that color so painted another color over that coat. When finished discovered the paint was peeling off the wall. Am disgusted. Went back to HD and they told me to keep peeling off all the paint and then sand the wall. I have been peeling paint for 2 darn days......anyone have a solution as how to get this paint off quicker? Right now the wall looks like a childish interpretation of modern art. BTW I used Behr paint and in all the years of painting rooms NEVER ran into this problem. Margaret of Margaret's Manor in TX

Anyone have any favorite websites that have pictures to copy decorating ideas from? I am not very good at decorating but good as seeing a room on TV or in a book and copying it! Magazines and books are getting expensive though! Thanks

Have any of you ever had any success painting over laminate? I see on all the decorating shows, they use cheap bookshelves and paint them.

hi Christi...ebay has lots of rustic stuff. Lynne P.S. Welcome to the group!

Lynita, We put a hot tub into a room of our home last year. Dh installed a large exhaust fan that we run for about 1/2 hr after the hot tub has been used for approximately 1/2 hour. It has done an excellent job for us. By the way our hot tub is used daily for medical reasons, so that means the exhaust fan is run daily,. DH is in bed or I would ask him specifics of exhaust size. Any questions? Susan

Hello! Just joined this group and wanted to say "HI". I love home decorating especially with Candles!! Looking forward to getting some great information from this group!! Christi Olson Sales Manager / Career Developer Northern Lights at Home www.northernlightsathome.com

I just saw a show on this very subject the other night. It was that Home Inspection show on HGTV and the problem was a humid, wet, moldy bathroom. They said the exhaust fan was not big enough for that room, plus it needs a timer on it or a self monitering fan, so that it goes off when the moisture is gone, because most people take a hot shower and have the fan on, but then they turn the fan off when they are done in there and that's just not nearly long enough. Karin

Oh, lordie ... let me second that -- if you have cats, do NOT buy wicker anything (unless the cats are declawed). Cats just can't help themselves when it comes to wicker, and trying to get them to cease and desist clawing it will only make both of you unhappy. (Thus speaks the voice of experience! :) Ann

O.K.....I worked in advertising (in a previous life). First of all, an hour is ALOT of talking time. So, what you need to do is have class participation to help fill in time. But, first things first. You're format. All of your little sub categories need broken down like you put in your post. You need an easel with a flip tablet. On the front you write down all your sub-categories. Write ENTERTAINMENT across the top and then list your subs ie: television,vcr,dvd,cd, mp3,home theater, etc. Go to a Circuit City, Best Buy, etc. and find out what their annual sales for each item is. When they find out it's for a school project they'll probably tell you. Make sure every student has a pc. of paper for their little "test". Ask them to rate in order of sales volume what item they think has the largest sales. (this will take up some time, plus keep their attention). After they write this down collect all papers. Then, you begin to talk about your first subject ie: t.v's. Get pamphlets from Circuit City, etc. on each model and run copies if you have too. Pass out to each student. Make sure you include high definition t.v.'s., etc. Explain the advantages of that particular t.v. All the info should be in pamphlet so that makes it easy. Do this with every sub category. Now, how do you hook all this stuff up? I don't know, but the guys at Circuit City will, OR they'll have a fact sheet telling you how. Now, back to the flip chart. As you go to each new sub-category you flip over the next sheet of paper with the next topic written across the top. People like visuals. They DON'T like to hear people drone on and on. You could even draw a diagram on a particular page showing how a vcr would hook up to the back of your t.v. Toward the end of your presentation have someone come up and help you tally the results on your "sales volume" test that you gave at beginning. These are just some quick ideas. If I can help you further let me know. Lynne (redeyeart)

You might also want to try homedecorators.com. I receive their catalog and their prices are reasonable. You can pick out barstools AND choose from their fabric selections combining the two. I've purchased quite a bit of stuff from them and their quality is good. No hassle return policy, too! Good Luck, Lynne (redeyeart)

Hello, My name is Amanda and from kentucky. This is my first post here. I was previously a member of the Style on a Budget Group and received this group name from a member there. I purchased my first home in March of 2003, and been trying to repaint and decorate everything along with getting settled in. I want to start thinking about spring planting. We pulled up a huge flower bed last year and want to make a smaller one this year. I dont have much experience in gardening, so I thinking of buying a landscape software program. Has anyone used one or have any advice? Thanks and I hope to enjoy this group! Amanda

Hey Denise! No clue, I sold the house. It held up great for the years that I was there, about 3-4 after painting the sink. I actually baked the sink in my oven to set the paint LOL. Yes, faux marble, and about 3 coats of oil-based poly - since this was before I discovered water-based. One thing I miss about living on the east coast (about the only thing) is the abundance of good furniture at yard sales, because of the proximity of the furniture builders. Out here it is hard to get good used furniture (or even new for that matter.) Room Store is taking over - augh! Anyway, the dresser was a fantastic addition to the room, since there was only about 17" between the wall and the door. And boy did those drawers spoil me! I hate cabinets now - I would love to find dressers to put in both my baths-to-be. I did do some kitchen counters with waterbased poly and they held up really well for about 2years, til I sold that house ;o) Liz

Liz, I love the look of the dresser in the bathroom.....we need a new vanity so I may look into that. I assume you had to remove at least the top drawer to place the sink? And the faux marble is great. I recently did a faux granite counter in my kitchen and I *love* it! Winnie K9Castle@...

Hi Tia..possibly a pale apricot or pale yellow. Both of those colors would have a tendacy to tone down the green. I like your idea of antique stuff. If you can incorporate that onto your walls, where tile isn't, that should also help, especially if it's wood tones. I would probably use painted wall tones for bath rug and shower curtain. On shower curtain if you could find tile color AND wall color in similar tones that should look really nice too. Something in a pattern that will take your eye away from tile. If you have room on vanity top, I'd carry the same colors there, along with towels. Since you have to work with the green, try to find shades of green in your towels, rug, shower curtain that are shades of green you like. Just make sure they all have the same color you painted walls in, also. Hope this helps, Lynne

Hello! I'm new to this group and I was needing a little help with my bathroom. It is very long and narrow and has green tile halfway up the walls? UGH! I cannot set anything on the floor because there is not room. I wanted to do it in antique bathroom stuff. I realize I am going to need shelving on the walls and stuff, but what colors would you use?? It's kind of a medium to pale green. I realize I could take the tile off, but hubby likes it, why I don't know....LOL~! Tia

Thanks to everyone for the color suggestions ..... it was almost unanimous to add a sage green as the third color, so that's exactly what I'll do. ;-)) I think it will be perfect. And thanks for reassuring me about mixing the wicker Parson's chairs with what I already have. I received my new issue of 'Better Homes & Gardens" today and lo and behold ..... they have a pic of a glass dining table with a formal Parson's AND wicker chairs! For **once** I seem to be on track, lololol. You're all invited for wine and cheese when I get this done. ;-0 Winnie

Hi Winnie...sounds good to me! Lynne (redeyeart)

I'm buying a new dining room table. It's a dark wood base; a rather formal style. The top is round glass. I already have 2 Parson's chairs ...... dark wood legs that match the wood base of the table, but covered in a fairly casual fabric. I'd like to add 2 more Parson's chairs ......but the ones I like are very dark, very tightly woven wicker. My thinking is that the 2 wicker Parson's would 'tone down' the formality of the table and the 2 upholstered Parson's. Opinions? Winnie K9Castle@...

Hi Anne...I would probably thing about a doing an L shape sitting area. I'd use solid color colors for throw pillows, something in the tones of your couch. I'd also pick out a wall color from your couch and put that color in both rooms to tie them together. If you split the large room into different sections it will be more intimate and functional at the same time. I'd have a seating area, work area (computer desk) and if you have room a table with side chairs. I'd cover the chairs in a fabric that pulls from your couch and use the same fabric for curtains. Hope this helps, Lynne (redeyeart)

Hi, Winnie! It sounds to me like what you might need is a color to bridge the gap between ivory & burgundy to tie them together (instead of a contrasting color). How about a muted apricot? Meyerson Hall in Dallas (a lovely concert hall, done in the old European style) has all the chairs upholstered in a muted apricot velvet, and it is just lovely -- very rich and warm. But I would stay away from pink or mauve with the burgundy -- that color trend is pretty much over, IMHO! :) good luck! Ann

Hi All, My LR & DR (open to each other) are basically ivory and burgundy. Any wood pieces (hutch, chair legs, etc) are dark. I need to bring in a 3rd color. Any suggestions? Thanks Winnie K9Castle@...

Hey everybody I wanted to thanks for all the feedback you have all given me. This is what we are doing the velvet green bedspread we are just getting rid of and going with a differnt red material. as far as the head board we are going with a simple design but we are going to put bating on it and then a fake leather material my husband Charlie found he really likes. Then we are going to anchor it to the wall. Then I am going to put a canopy around just the head of the the bed with a black netting matarial and I am going to put some scones and a mirror above the bed. So far thats what I have. I do have a couple questions. Can you paint over wallpaper and if so does it stay on pretty good? Also going into my kitchen the doorway is just straight and Charlie wants to build an arch how do you go about doing that. As I get things done I will post pics. Blessings Misty

Hi Meg, I don't know what photos you're looking at but you must have gone to the wrong site LOL It is not a neat house YET it is just a skeleton LOL Although we do have the hallway framed in - and it is beginning to look like it's actually achievable. I spent yesterday knocking down the remaining ceilings and cleaning. Next time I go, I get to run wiring!! Whoo hoo!! The floors are completely level, and I just discovered that there is oak flooring in the livingroom, don't know what kind of condition it's in, but hopefully it's usable. I won't know till I pull up the nasty carpet, which I won't do until we're done destroying, er, I mean remodeling the house. Thanks for your enthusiasm, you keep me going :O) Liz

In a message dated 1/9/04 2:14:36 PM Pacific Standard Time, momof2girls3304@... writes: << i see according to the poll there are 17 of us in PA. where is everyone else? I'm in York. Anne Just want to say that the York area is so pretty. We used to go to the hotel there for Sunday Brunch years ago. We had friends who had a farm in Red Lion. Are there still farms left there? Marion in Nevada

<<if marble can be sealed so that the water and colored soaps don't stain it (makeup, etc) then you could do that but put a marble top on it. I've seen lots of marble topped chests and dressers in the furniture stores or maybe you could get really lucky and find a used one. That reminds me of a dresser vanity that a friend of mine has, it had a damaged, peeling veneer top and so they just took it off completely and put a corian top that looks like pink marble on it and the sink on that. It saved the dresser and looks great, and no water problems, and cheaper than the real thing. Then they just shortened up some of the drawers to allow for the plumbing and she has lots of beautiful storage. In Christ, JulieBeth Lamb Clothed in Scarlet Home Redesign

Hi group! I've been reading all the "talk" about what everyone likes and dislikes about their kitchens and thought I'd chime in about the choices we made in our recent remodel. We redid our kitchen to look like a 30's or 40's farm house kitchen. My cabinets (built by my husband) are stark white with bead board in the doors and sides of the cabinets. Some of my cabinets have solid doors, some have no doors and some have wire inserts in the doors. I like the white paint. I scrub the heck out of it and it only goes with the old look of the kitchen better! When it gets too worn for me, I'll repaint. My counter tops are wood. They have decorative "rope look" trim on the edges. We finished them with an oak stain and the kind of finish they put on bowling alley floors. The only place that doesn't have wood is in my baking center. There we used 4 12"x12" marble tiles we bought at a over stock type store. I can use a dough scraper on that surface. My husband set the tile tightly against each other and used some kind of silicone sealant in between instead of grout. You can't see it, but it keeps liquids from leaking into the joints. Now, the floors. We used tongue in groove pine porch flooring for our floors in the living room and kitchen. (they are essentially one room) We knew pine was soft, so we beat up our floors ahead of time and then stained them. The stain is darker in the "wounds" of course, but any new marks and I just touch it with more stain to darken the spot and it blends right in! Goes with the old farm kitchen look too. The floors have really done well. I've only had to touch up one spot where I dropped a large can while unpacking groceries. OOPS! LOL! wouldn't you know I'd be the first! Now, the one unconventional thing we did that we don't like in our house,(so far) is the vanity we did for the bathroom. Yep, that's right, wooden top. We have two girls and now a granddaughter and only parents with girls know what fingernail polish remover can do to a wooden surface! <grin with stand teenage girls. Well, just putting in my 2 cents worth. I say, consider all the good advice on this list and then do your best to get as close to the picture in your head as you can. You'll love the result! Darla in slippy slidey Missouri

Just a note to my moderator(s) - I REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE YOU! And everyone on the list should, too, since the list would no longer be in existence without your help! I have not had to deal with it in a long time, and I REALLY REALLY APPRECIATE all your help, caring and concern for the people on the list. THANKS!! Liz list owner

<<When I get to do my kitchen how I want it I want stainless counters and knotty pine with brushed nickel appliances and wood trim. I like the contrast of the sleek and the rugged surfaces, they go with our family's western Americana/Lodge styling. I like that too...I like the look and function of the industrial in with the comfy textures too. Pat

Well hey... what an idea. Use marine grade varnish and that might do the trick. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

One thing we haven't mentioned is that you don't need to have all of your counter in the same product. Many homes have gone to cutting board areas, tile prep areas, marble or granite slabs for rolling dough, heat proof areas in formica or solid surface counters. Think about what you will be doing where in your kitchen and be sure the counters work for how you work. That could be a solution for the coffee maker problem mentioned. In Christ, JulieBeth Clothed in Scarlet Home Redesign

Kathy, I think if you want to do that, you might still be able to do what you want. One material I've had no experience with is marble, and if it can be sealed so that the water and colored soaps don't stain it (makeup, etc) then you could do that but put a marble top on it. I've seen lots of marble topped chests and dressers in the furniture stores or maybe you could get really lucky and find a used one. I suppose you could put a composite marble top on it, too. One of the absolute cutest ideas I ever saw was where the family had taken an inherited child's desk - not a small child's desk...student desk?? that had been grandpa's as a boy and put that in the kid's bathroom for the vanity. The bathroom was a children's theme and that desk made it just perfect. Can you picture the one I'm talking about? They used to sell them all the time with children's bedroom suites - desk with knee hole on one side and a wide shallow pencil drawer underneath, and three drawers on the other side. Actually that make a perfect vanity because all it needed was the pencil drawer removed ( drawer face was glued back in) and a top cut out of the desk over the knee hole where the sink could be dropped in. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

That's what I'm thinking, too, Jen, a mock jury. I hope that Dori will keep us posted, esp if it's a high profile case. Anybody know of any major trials going on in the Boston area? Diane

I was thinking of soapstone in the kitchen when we renovate....any ideas, pros, cons? I have four boys, messy hubby, one cat, and next year a dog. I had never heard of soapstone tiles until about a week ago in a magazine. Thanks Kati

Hi Guys, Just thought I would check in before I hit the shower and go to my new "day job!" If you haven't guessed by now ..... yes, I was one of the chosen six (actually seven) people to participate in this study. It looks like it's going to be fun - but oh, is it hard to get up and out everyday!! Just in case you are interested in what it's all about - well, I don't really know myself yet - smile! We are all sitting in a courtroom watching an actual trial. Every night after we come home, someone calls us and asks questions on our opinions of different things that went on in the trial. Why they are asking these questions and what they will be using the answers for, no one knows! And....of all times to have to be getting up early and going out to catch a bus - it's is actually freezing here in Boston right now. Yesterday, I think the high was about 20 something, and today it is supposed to be colder. Brrrrrrrr! I hate it! I don't think I've ever been sooooooooooo cold!! I miss you guys, but will try and check in when I can. By the time I get home each night and get things ready for the next day, I am ready for bed. Dori

Dori... Can you talk about--w/ us, that is--who's on trial, what the charges are, things like that? I know that "normal" jurors can't, but if you can, I'd love to hear some of the details. It's freezing here in Detroit, too--highs in the teens w/ wind chills in the single digits and below. Anyone in the lower latitudes want/need a house guest for a few weeks?! Diane

Denise---although you also burst my bubble, thank-you! I have always wanted to get an antique dresser & use as a vanity in my bath...have seen photos of this & it is gorgeous! I am so glad to learn NOW that the finish really doesn't hold up with all the moisture....I had not even thought of that! Thanks for sharing! Right now, my main concern is getting the wallpaper removed from my bath...previous owners had wallpapered over the wallbaord without any prep...GRRRR! I really can't be upset, tho as the rest of the house (which we have already stripped paper & painted) was all done properly & paper came down super easy (we also used DIF gel-- wonderful product!). Anyone have any ideas for my bath?? DH wants to remove paper that is "loose", sand edges to smooth, then prime & paint...I am NOT fond of painting over any wallpaper, so may try steamer first. TIA for any advice anyone may have! Best wishes--Kathy

Karin; it's a fine cherry wood dresser, top and all. Well, maybe desk would be a better word- with the hole cut out of the top.She has that Kohler tulip sink mounted in it; the taps are mounted on it as well. It's really not a dresser; Kohler has these specially built and they actually are vanities but don't look like a vanity at all. In the magazines you see all the time where people revamped old dressers and desks and mounted sinks in them. If you didn't open the inside and see that it was built configured for a sink mount then you'd never guess it wasn't intended originally as a desk. People who have fine wood in their living rooms use coasters for a good reason; having fine wood finishes that close to puddling water day in and day out has had the same result as if someone never used coasters on expensive side tables. You'd think someone would have put two and two together before that size investment went "pffffftthhhtttt". The mottle brown corian I was describing doesn't show ANYTHING; but I have family who have white corian countertops and I'm not so crazy over them either, and I'm not nearly as picky as you describe about tiny crumbs -that sort of thing doesn't poke my compulsions at all. The white I saw either looks too stark and new or it looks like worn white. The colors and mottled tones, like in carpet, seem to fit in better. Or maybe I just like a natural look. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

I'm betting that it's just a matter of perspective when it comes to tile. Mind over matter... what you don't mind doesn't matter LOL. One of the things that using 12" tiles on the counter would do is make a lot fewer grout lines. In addition to having had tile countertops all those years ago, one of the houses I clean every week has a HUGE kitchen- probably 30 linear feet of tiled countertop. I clean this tile countertop every week, and of course the client cleans it between times. I just spray the messy areas with windex and then wipe it all down with a microfiber cloth for regular cleaning. It's never a problem on most of the counter -including the place where the often-used rice cooker sits. However, in all that space, there is one place that is teeth-gnashingly annoying - the area under and around the coffee pot. She's filed out the grout, re-grouted and sealed, all to no avail. Zap doesn't get it ( and it permanently marred the stainless steel finish on her $5K viking range to boot ) and neither does bleach. But that, along with the shampoo- stained concrete grout in her shower, are enough to convince me that I want dark grout with the tilework I so love. Except for the coffeepot arean, the rest of the counter gets the same treatment as the Corian counter out in the guest house. BTW the corian in the guest house is a taupe with brown and black speckles, and the backsplash is tumbled marble in taupes, sand, and cocoa browns. If anyone is wondering how it would look, the answer is "smashing". There is another problem with that counter that isn't the fault of the tile - it's finished with a wood edge instead of the edge tiles. Water gets in between the tile and the wood, which has a fine-furniture finish on it. I've been around since they rebuilt this old house and put those cabinets in. The finish on that edge didn't hold up any time at all. For that matter, none of the cabinet finish did. Whatever kind of hardwood they used has such a hard tight grain that it won't take touch-up stains, either. That is not the fault of the tile, though, because I cleaned another house with oak trim, traditional finish and not fine furniture finish, on formica counters and the trim did exactly the same thing. I concluded that wood trim on counters is a performance problem that I never want to deal with. I also decided that, although fine furniture finishes look fabulous, they are too delicate for real kitchens that serve real families. Same goes for bathrooms - she has one of those Kohler dresser-style vanities for which she paid about $2200 in the downstairs bath. The most benign water spots that you'd expect from daily use ruined the top finish on that thing in the first six months. The reality is that kids are not going to wipe the counter every time they turn on the water... then again, many times it's not just the kids, either. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

Misty, I have done a fair amount of dye work, and I'm sorry but the answer is no, you will never get it to go from green to red. (Maybe if you had professional equip. and could bleach it out first, you could get the color, but otherwise no.) However, you could get it to go to a dark green, a dark brown, or black. (Black is tricky -- to get a really solid dark black, use one packet of black, one packet of dark green, and one packet of purple. Since the green is already in there, you might get away with just a packet of black and one purple.) The dark green or the brown would be easier to achieve than the black. The other issue is the material itself. "Velvet" refers to a fabric weave and texture, not what it is made of. So you can have silk velvet, cotton velvet, polyester velvet, rayon velvet, etc. Some fibres like cotton, silk, and nylon take dye very well, but polyester does not want to take dye at all, period. So if it is made out of polyester you can forget dyeing it. Also, water affects some velvets' textures. So you might end up with a flattened or crushed velvet look. And the fabric might have a splotchy look. One more thing about dyeing for a really deep color: Machine-dyeing is easier but you hardly ever get a really deep intense color that way. You usually have to fire up a big pot on the stove and boil the fabric for a while. (Note: do NOT use a pot that you will ever cook with again! But you can pick up huge old aluminum pots at garage sales for a couple of bucks.) Add a little vinegar and a little table salt to the water to help the dye fix. Cover up counters and floors with old newspaper ... dye will *usually* come off a laminate counter okay if you have an accident, but it will get into grout in between tiles and stay there forever. It is just easier to keep all the little dye spots off the counter and floor in the first place. I'm not trying to discourage you from dyeing, though I guess it sure sounds like it! :) Just be aware of what you are getting into, and that the results may not be what you want. But if you already know that you will never in a million years use the bedspread unless you change the color, then you might as well give it a shot. Good luck! Ann

JulieBeth; Thanks SO much for this mention! When I read it, it was a big DUH moment; well of course that's right! The cottage look is what I want and of COURSE tile counters are the answer. I wasn't the original poster but we definitely have to do something different in our kitchen and the cabinets aren't worth putting expensive countertops on. Tile is only an option because we can do it ourselves. Right after TG walls and carpet in DR/LR changed to sage-y greens ( walls would actually be called khaki green or putty green) with golds, dusty plums, and cranberry reds. It's all one open L-shaped area and the counters actually round into the DR- so the teal countertops in the kitchen have to go. Guess that's one thing about remodeling; it's hard to find the stopping place. I like the clean look of white cabinets and flooring but the white is going to be too stark. The color idea that keeps me on track is sand and sage- several gradations of each, and touched in different rooms with the above accent colors. Since I know (now) that I want tile on the now-teal-formica counters, I'm wondering if I should paint the cabinets the same very light closer-to-white-than-sand that we are using as trim paint against the khaki green walls. I also wonder what you guys think about using floor tiles on the counters- using 12" slate-look tiles in sand shades on the diagonal. I totally love tiles set en pointe, they seem to have a difference that really makes them stand out. Am I off my rocker? would this look ridiculous? I definitely plan to use some kind of colored grout, too. I once saw AND LOVED white tiles with dark green grout... would the dark green grout be too much contrast when the overall decor is going to more natural colors? Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

Just wanted to say thanks for everybodys advice. Yes I am a bit gothic. I do have another question My mom gave me an old fashion velvet bedspread that is a vomit green YUK I would like to make a drape out of it but I would like to dye it red can you dye velvet and does it hold. It is a really old bedspread but in really grat shape has been in the family for years but the color is ugly. Thanks for everyones help. p.s. I was thinking of taking an online interior decorating class to get my degree because there are no schools close what are everyones feelings on this. BLessings in the Moonlight Misty

#2 - We are replacing the floor covering. While I would prefer hardwood floors, my husband thinks our dogs' toenails would scratch it badly. Does anyone recommend the flooring that is a laminate? I don't know much about the laminate floors except what people have told me. Everyone that I have talked to loves it. My son-in-law brought home a piece and tried to scar it and even put a cigarette on it. It held up very well. I am going to have it laid in 3 rooms. As far as the wood floor goes, I will never ever have it again unless I am going to be the only one in my house and that is doubtful with dogs and grandchildren running in and out. Barbara

Hi We have a L shaped island and have bar stools 3 along the outside and one on the in side and two in our breezeway. Every party we have people always congregate there even though our dining room is only maybe 6 ft. away. It looks like the small part of the L is going east & west in the breezeway and the long part of the L is connected going north and south. And the stool on the inside of the L (going north & south is closest to the kitchen counter and sink ect... I hope you can somehow picture it. Bernie

Hello! I wonder if someone here has a pub table and matching chairs/stools, and what they think of their decision to go with that instead of a "normal" height table and chairs for an area adjacent to the kitchen counters. The chairs are about the height of bar stools, I believe. The set I'm seriously considering is in a (very reputable) catalogue, so I can't go into a retail store and try it out. Of course the ideal would be able to try it out in the setting it will be used, but that's not possible. I'm hoping that some of you folks here who have purchased a pub table can share your experiences... especially, would you do it again? This will be in the area one might refer to as a breakfast nook or whatever. The "normal" size dining table and chairs are in the dining room just a few yards away, so for those who might prefer lower seating, they can always use that table. I thought it might be fun to have a pub table in the kitchen, and by the way, it's kind of a French Country style, or "Provence." Very pretty! But with that much of an investment, buying it only on the strength of an image in the online catalogue, I would be grateful for input from the folks on this list who might be able to share some of their experiences. Thanks in advance! :-)

We are going to remodel our kitchen and I need some advice. #1 - Does the gauge of a stainless steel sink really mean anything practical as to the length of time it will last or the way it looks? #2 - We are replacing the floor covering. While I would prefer hardwood floors, my husband thinks our dogs' toenails would scratch it badly. Does anyone recommend the flooring that is a laminate? #3 - Can an inlay be put into a laminate floor? I would like to put in a lighter color floor (?maple?) and then have an outline of a rectangle of a different color (?cherry?) put in front of the sink. #4 - What websites can you recommend for advice? I haven't been able to open HGTV.com but don't know where else to look. Thanks for any and all advice. Joanne

Yikes! That sounds a lot like jury duty--only for a lot more money. :-) Let us know about the experience--esp if it has anything to do w/ decorating. Diane

Hi, Just wanted to let you guys know that I might not be around much for the next few weeks. I got a call the other night to see if I wanted to participate in an on-going focus group project. It's being run by some sort of marketing firm. Anyway, I have to go to the first meeting tonight at 5:00 pm to see if I qualify. If I do, I will have to be available Monday through Friday from 8:00 until 5:00 for the next three weeks. Don't know how that's going to work (too much like going to work!) but, they are going to be paying $150.00 a day, so .......... you can guess where I will be!!!! If I don't qualify, I'll be back here with all of you tomorrow morning! Just wanted to let you know ahead of time so that you didn't think I had fallen off the face of the earth. Dori

Kathie----I am envious of your sewing ability! I am wanting to learn & have "new-to-me" machine that is a Pfaff Hobbymatic or something like that! I haven't used sewing machine since I was in HomeEc...MANY years ago! I have the instruction booklet so hope to figure it out! My first project is to make curtains (simple-with curved valance) for laundry room, back door, & small valance for door going into the garage. Any tips? I may be needing some help! I looked today for fabric but didn't find any I liked, so may look on ebay. Has anyone ever purchased fabric from ebay? Thanks in advance!

I have bought many items on eBay -- including fabric -- and have never had any problems with a vendor. As long as you buy from someone who has sold a lot of items before, and has a good customer satisfaction rating (always look at the feedback!!) then you should be fine. There sure are a lot of bargains on eBay and you can save some money! (Be sure to factor in shipping costs.) BUT be aware that because of differences in monitors, lighting when photos are taken, etc, the color of the fabric that you see on your monitor may not be exactly the way it is in real life. If your fabric has to be the EXACT shade that you saw on your monitor or you won't be happy, then you should probably buy your fabric in person instead. However, if it can be a little lighter or darker and you will still be happy, then you should be okay. Happy hunting! :) Ann

Hi my name is Misty and I am a stay home mom of 2 ages 3 and 5. I interior decorate as a hobby. I help friends out with it as well. I constantly redo my home. I also enjoy reading my animals and family, body modifacation and motorcycles. I am 28 and married for 11 yrs. Okay my question is I am doing my bedroom in gothic style colors are black,gray and red. I have a queen size bed but it is just the railings and the mattress and box spring. I want to come up with a head board for it that won't cost a fortune because I am on a budget but still go with the gothic look. Even if it is one I need to make on my own I will give it a shot. Always willing to try anything. If anyone has any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks and Blessings Misty

Kathie, congratulations on getting back into sewing! Sounds like you are having a wonderful time! :) Re the gall bladder ... just wanted to share my story. Several years ago I was working very hard on tutus for a ballet company. We were working lots of overtime, plus real tutus are actually very difficult to sew -- you have to FORCE all that tulle through the machine! Anyway, I started having horrible pains in my side and went to the doc. He thought it was gallbladder, and had tests done. Turned out my gall bladder was just fine ... but all the bending over the sewing machine had caused a nasty cramp in my muscles right over the gall bladder. Anyway, I just wanted to suggest that you take time out to stand up and stretch when you are sewing a lot. It *might* just be pain from bending over in a cramped position for too long. (The muscle cramp can actually last for days.) Or of course, it could be gall bladder ... anyway, it never hurts to stretch a little bit. :) Have fun with all your lovely projects! Ann

This is what is up for me with sewing, for my family and my house, for the New Year. Well, I am happy now because WOO HOO I CAN SEW! I had been without a sewing machine since June. Long story, but while sewing costumes for a children's play at church my machine died. My antique machine's cord fell apart. My serger literally fell apart on me. And to top it all off, the extra machine I have, and old Kenmore, wouldn't RUN AT ALL. Pfffft. No machine. I was able to get a new machine, a nice Viking because I am tired of killing sewing machines. I have gone through 8 or 9 machines in the past 13 years. Time for one that can survive. In the first week that I had the machine I made Brenna 3 dresses, 2 skirts and repaired untold numbers of items that had been waiting around for repair since June * or before if they were in the mend pile and hadn't made it to the sewing machine *. I bought my new machine * and a serger YEAH * two weeks after Thanksgiving? I think it was. With the holidays I haven't had the chance to sew as I normally would like to be.I am glad to be able to get back into it! Yesterday afternoon I had a wicked gall bladder attack and was in so much pain I had to take a pain killer that the doctor had given me years and years ago when my gall bladder bothered me. I hate that stuff...it makes me feel so yucky afterwards. Anyway, last night I pulled out a box full of parts of jeans to start making a crazy quilt jeans quilt for, well, I don't know who for. :o) It may just be for using for picnics or keeping in the van. My dogs are creatures of comfort so they may claim it at one time or another. Hehe I am just happy to be able SEW on a machine again. These denim has been sitting about for years waiting to be made into a jeans quilt. Or two. Or three. Did I mention it is a lot of fabric? *G* Before my daughter went to sleep last night I asked what she would like me to make next for her: pants, a top, or pajamas. She chose pajamas. So that will be what I cut out this weekend and make for Brenna. I bought some really nice oriental style fabric and gave it to hubby for Christmas. His music room is decorated in an oriental style, so I am going to make curtains from this fabric, and I also bought enough to make him a kimono robe. Brenna wants to make him pillows so we bought extra for that. Then I will have to get fabric to cover the floral print sofa that is in there. While the colors are right, the print isn't exactly correct for the scale of the room * it is a small one *, nor is it very oriental in nature. We will have to fix that ! Following that I have about 40 sewing projects around this big ole house. I have to justify the expense * can you say ouch? * of this machine. LOL Somehow I don't think that will be a problem. In my dining room alone I have 4 windows that I have to make curtains for. The style I want, when I priced curtains, was going to cost something on the order of $1200 dollars. YIKES. My thrifty soul almost went into shock! LOL I bought enough fabric on an uber clearance at a local store to do what I want on all four windows, for, GET THIS, about $50! That is with panels, drapes across the top and three diamond shape drops for the top of the window per each window. Right before Christmas Big Lots * OH I LOVE BIG LOTS * had Christmas ornaments on sale for half price. The ornaments were a conglomeration of beads and on the bottom was a crystal of one shape or another. Do you know how expensive those would have been separately? I was able to pick them up for 68c or so apiece. I bought 30 of them. LOL I have all I need for decorating! Kathie Mom to Brenna *8 years* and furbabies Kylea *13 yrs* and Shia *7 mnths* the Keeshonden Forest Hill, Maryland "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic." ~Dave Barry

Hi y'all Happy New Year! My mother converted the attic for me when I graduated from college. I wanted 'my' own space, but I needed to spend time paying off bills and getting on my feet. Sleeping on the same furniture from my childhood was not cool! Anyway, while I was away on vacation, she hired someone to drywall, paint and tile. She converted it into 2 rooms, a bedroom and a living room. I had fun decorating my new 'adult' space. The only problem I had was the temparature: tooo hot in the summer and toooo cold in the winter. I probably got 4 good months a year. So if you work that out before finishing it, I am sure you can get some great additional space. Andie

Welcome, JulieBeth. Redecorating on a shoe string is right up my and my family's alley! I look forward to your tips. You probably are aware of the program on HGTV for this concept called Design on a Dime which seems to stay within this type of budget parameter. I am watching all of those I can to get ideas. Welcome to this group - I have learned so much here! Pat Hi, my name is JulieBeth. I am a stay at home, homeschooling mom of five children in rural central California..... Recently I decided that maybe I could start a career helping people redecorate on a shoe string..... In Christ, JulieBeth

The music of that era is the one thing I do miss. Those soft lyrics sung to the background of a softly strummed flat top guitar were indeed nice. I just can't get used to the idea that loud is good. I thought that Joan Biaz might have been a political mess, but I loved to hear her sing. No Meg I'm not sorry to see that era past, and I do regret the general moral decay that it spawned. I still feel that the 50's and early 60's were probably the only sane decades of the last century. Dale

I'm going to have my kitchen cabinets painted off white and the walls painted a yellow...the cabinets were built in the 60s and the plate rack has sort a swirl to a point pattern with the same sort of pattern inverted over the sink... I am looking at selecting forbo marmoleum for the floor...which comes in a very large variety of colors... And for the counter I may go with Formica or a solid surface type and the back splash is currently a 4x4 white ceramic tile which I see changing... Any ideas on a nice color scheme...I had thought of creating sort of a 'cottage' type effect because of the style of the cabinets... Thanks for any suggestions, Valerie

Cheryl, Congrats on your new baby! How exciting. I noticed you mentioned Missoula. That always perks my ears up. I grew up there! Where abouts do you live in Montana? Kurt www.kurtcyr.com

Sorry about the stutter! I've been having problems with my email. Hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday. Kurt www.kurtcyr.com

Sorry about that. I wasn't clear at all! I meant I probably wouldn't buy the Kilz primer again, but I loved their new paint line. That help? Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

This is a great list to be part of, and I feel like I know you all. I just wanted to say,,, May your wishes be more in 2004! Happy New Year! Jan in IL We may not have it all together but together we have it all.

In looking back over the mail of the last several days it appears that I may have offended some by my comment of "Gaudy and In Poor Taste" in regards to decorating a room after the Hippie Era. If this is true I apologize for I did not mean that the tastes of any individuals were in poor taste but that the whole intent of many of the decorations and motif's of the time were deliberately meant to be gaudy and in poor taste as an "In Your Face" statement being made to the established social standard. all be it, some very nice art also was displayed, and isn't it interesting that the conversion van of today was a direct spin off of the old junk service trucks that were converted into living quarters by the Hippies. That period is an interesting historical study, for as with any period that embraces an element of general turmoil, there are certain to be changes made in the social order. It is true that there were some who were quite thoughtful and therefore very deliberate in their resistance. Some of these groups probably had at heart the best interest of future generations, while there were others who were using every technique at their disposal to simply disrupt. Both of these groups though diverse in their intent emerged not much worse off then when they began, but it was the large mass of the "Me Too" followers who were caught up and went along for a good time that seemed to loose their direction and in all too many instances even their lives. There were "smoke ins," "LSD parties," "Heroin shoot outs," "love ins," and just about every other antisocial mode of behavior that can be imagined, and needless to say, many paid a price for their indiscriminate behavior. So yes, from my vantage point "Gaudy and in Poor Taste" is pretty descriptive of that overall period. There is a great deal more that could be said but this is sufficient for right now. Dale

I think someone mentioned looking for sturdy children's furniture. The most solid, nearly bomb-worthy furniture I've ever seen is what comes from This End Up Furniture. It's all built with 2x4s and weighs a ton, and is so indestructible that I don't know that ANY kid could tear it up. Denise I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing that you need so you can do what He wants. Hebrews 13:20,21

Hi, all. I don't know if it's ok to talk about brand-name stuff, but I wanted to say a little something about paint. (I won't mention the brands that I don't like - just the one that I do like) Anyway, after trying - almost - every brand of paint over the past five years, I find I get the best results with Behr Eggshell finish paint. It covers so nicely in one coat and is so easy to apply. A lesson that I have just learned lately - silly me - is just how MUCH difference primer makes. I never thought it was worth bothering with before, but now I use it before painting anything. My daughter's room is quite a large room, and by using primer before painting, I was able to paint her entire room with less than one gallon. (The time I painted it without primer, I used three gallons and still ran out!) Suzanne

(Me again) Hi. I notice that the designer on Divine Design uses Roman shades often. She used some the other day that looked like she hung them without all the usual hard ware. They were made with a sheer fabric (just lovely, BTW) and it appeared like they were hanging from a small, round curtain rod. I kept hoping that they would show a close-up of the shades, but they never did. They were the blousey style (not the tailored style). Has anyone hung this type of shade on a regular curtain rod? If so, how did you string the cords at the top of the shade (usually done with eye hooks, I believe) so that they would go to the right and hang down properly? TIA, Suzanne

Hi everyone---I am coming out of lurkdom to wish everyone on the list the very best in 2004! As for our family, we feel very blessed as we are in our new home to celebrate the holidays. After 10 years in a mobile home, we are so enjoying all the space in the 3 br/2.5 bath ranch home that we purchased in September. Marion: sure hope you & your husband's health quickly improves; to Diane: so sorry about the loss of your dear fur-baby! Our little Tuxedo (cat) means the world to us so can't imagine how sad you are! It seems there were so many sad happenings this holiday season...in my dept at work in one weeks time, 3 people lost their father, 1 employee who was 45 died of cancer AND one of the girls 25 yr old sister was killed in tragic accident--all the week before Christmas! It quickly puts things into perspective! Makes me so very thankful for the roof over my head, cars to drive and most of all my dear family! Here's wishing you all the very best of health, happiness & success in the year ahead! One of my resolutions is to start posting more, lurking less! Oh, one more thing--Liz--thanks for all you do to maintain such a great group here!! I so enjoy everyone's posts & always learn so much! Best wishes to all--Kathy

I have uploaded some pictures in my photo album called Taneise's Photos for those that may be interested in getting ideas for their kids rooms. Also, there is a website called getdecorating.com that shows various ideas of interiors and even exteriors. It is a great website to get inspiration on. Taneise

Sorry Liz, I'm afraid I was lazy and just didn't make time to wish everyone a Happy Holiday, even though I do. Sooo.. I hope what ever holiday you celebrate was a happy one. For the New Year, I wish all of you Joy, Health, successful decorating projects, and