Every week, the Washington Post Home staff talks about various ways to improve your home. Find out about new home trends, upcoming antique shows and how to reupholster your furniture.
Ask Post staff writers Annie Groer and Jura Koncius about all things home related.
Live Online photo of Post Home staff writers Jura Koncius and Annie Groer.
(Jennifer Crandall - washingtonpost.com)
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Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.
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Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Happy snowy morning, all. First off, we'd like to thank those of you who already have sent photos of your problem rooms for our possible makeover feature. As we said last week, this idea is still very much in the planning stages. But we'd love to have a trove of pictures in our files for that lovely day when we can consult assorted designers about your domestic difficulties (of the home variety.) send digitial phots to home@washpost.com or mail snapshots to Annie Groer and Jura Koncius, 1150 15th St NW, Wash. DC 20071. We can't return them, alas. And make sure to shoot the room from several angles, lighting it as brightly as possible.
Thanks
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Bethlehem, Pa.:
Last weekend, my husband and I upholstered a new headboard in a delicious brown microsuede (similar to Behr Acorn Spice). Now I want to paint our bedroom but I don't know how to play up the browns of the wood and suede. I like using whites for the curtains and linens. Thanks for your advice!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Bethlehem - Good for the two of you for executing that crafty DIY headboard. Since Acorn Spice is a deep gold, how about offsetting it with a soft creamy yellow like Behr's Mist Yellow or Country Dairy. The white linens will make it all crisp and bright and set off the rich browns.
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Arlington, VA:
Good morning! Does anyone know of a good framing shop in Arlington? We are looking to get a huge (54" x 36") print framed as a focal point for our living room (which is sadly lacking in a focal point). Thanks.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Okay chatters - let's hear about a few fave Northern Va. frame shops.
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Southwest D.C.:
I want to redecorate an apartment that has huge windows with aluminum frames and aluminum decorative work outside. I was considering a color called Brown Sugar, but I think maybe I should stick with cool colors (grays, etc.) because of the aluminum. What do you think?
Thanks so much for all of your advice -- I really value your opinion.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear SW - Conversant as we are with lots of paint colors, you do need to tell us who makes Brown Sugar so we can give you our usual sage advice.
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Takoma Park, Nd.:
Thanks for your assistance - I'm in a quandary. We are nearing completion of a kitchen renovation (yes, I know...) and we got the cabinets installed, the floor done, appliances on their way, and now we need to figure out what color to paint.
1920's bungalow, have tons of light, oak floors, cherry cabinets (lightly stained), dark greens in the backsplash, stainless appliances, and black granite countertop.
We were originally thinking green on the walls - but it's tough to match the tiles. We've used Benjamin Moore in the past - and have been happy with their coverage so plan on using them again.
Rest of the house has fairly bold colors - wild flower in living room, stuart gold in bedrooms, brookside moss in study.
So - any ideas? Butter yellows? Eggplant? Pumpkin?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Takoma Park - With all the color going on in the rest of the house and in the kitchen, why not go for a nice BMoore white in the kitchen...Pure White actually has a touch of gray, which could work with the green you're having trouble matching. Or try White Diamond, which is several shades brighter.
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Washington, D.C.:
I have a dining room with a wood table and upholstered chairs. Dominant colours are a a textured paint that tends toward a wine-brick (Ralph Lauren River Rock before it was reformulated to a browner colour) and a golden color (down the hall). The chair upholstery picks up both colors in a print that includes a few shade variations and small bit of green. Any suggestions for table linens?
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: When you say linens, I am assuming you mean napkins and a tablecloth. If so, think about a traditional white or ecru, or even a cutwork cloth with Battenburg lace inserts. If you want something less formal, try for a matching or contrasting green. Or skip the cloth, show off that (gleaming, polished) wood and go with place mats in the abovementioned colors.
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Angers, France:
Hi
I'm a transplanted Washingtonian who needs help! Our living room has a wall of three French doors that go up to the ceiling. They are great but the problem is window treatments. Can't put a rod up for cutains which still allows doors to be opened. Don't much like the idea of shades of any type or blinds. Ideally, the windows would be bare as we have no privacy concerns being 11 floors up in the air and the look is architecturally fine. BUT! the sunshine in the mornings is a killer. Any ideas?
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Bonjour!! Is it possible to mount rods directly on the French doors at the top and bottom. That way you could get sheers that would look fitted and block out some of the light.
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Washington, D.C.:
Hi! What auction houses are there in the DC area other than Wechsler's ? What experience have people had trying to use these as source of home furnishings?
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear DC - At the moment, you can try Sloan's & Kenyon in Bethesda, which has just moved to the old Parvizian in Bethesda. Annie is about to do a big roundup of area auctions in the next few months so stay tuned.
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Arlington, Va.:
RE: Framing. BOK Framing on Lee Highway in North
Arlington is my go-to place for framing. They're not
cheap, but they do an excellent job. They listen and
get it done on time.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks.
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Arlington, Va.:
Missed last week's live chat but I wanted to say I think the makeover feature is a great idea... I hope you will be able to include rentals and smaller spaces in the mix. Keep up the great work!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: We're excited about the makeover possibilities we've received and we are excited about working out the kinks so we can get it going.
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Re: Acorn Spice Redo:
Ladies,
On my monitor, Acorn Spice looked darker--more like rusty chocolate. Sorry I didn't have the actual paint chip. Do you still think yellow would look good?
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear AS - I have the paint chip in front of me. It would look fine.
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Framing shop in Alexandria:
I used a great frame shop in Old Town Alexandria - it was either called A Perfect Touch, or An Artist's Touch, or something similiar. They framed a 30 x30 print, and it's beautiful - the focal point of my living room. Reasonable price too - I was able to negotiate.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks for that too.
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Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Ooops, computer malfunction here, Annapolis. About that sofa dilemma. We went onto www.ethanallen.com and there are 72-inch Chippendale sofas at various prices depending on fabric. Check it out. And if you still want to redo your own sofa, remember it could cost you about $1,000 and up for fabric and labor.
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Arlington, Va.:
RE: Framing
I highly recommend the Framing Guild in Clarendon - not inexpensive by any means, but exceptional work.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: love it. you all are terrific.
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Bethesda, Md.:
Enjoy your chats! Hope you can help with this one. We recently put up 84" long silk drapes in our living room. How do we iron out the wrinkles? Thanks!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Bethesda - Borrow a steamer from someone you know. That is what the pros do.
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Fairfax, Va.:
We painted our master bathroom yellow and the color is, well, a little intense. Is there any sort of painting technique that can soften it a bit? Would a 50/50 mix of white paint and water work? Any help would be appreciated.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Fairfax - The first solution that pops to mind is buying another gallon of much lighter yellow and painting over your mistake. Particularly in a bathroom, which gets lots of moisture, you do not want to be watering down your paint.
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French doors in France:
I would have thought a movable screen.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Bon! But it would have to be fairly tall to do the job. Good thinking.
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Sheets:
Just re-did the bedroom and am looking for sheets. Partner is picky - wants cotton, higher thread counts (400 or higher). Where can I get such sheets in darker colors? I have found lots of pastels, but we have cream-colored walls and red, brown and gold accented art, pillows, etc. so the pastels really won't do.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Ah, the things we do for love...The latest Garnet Hill catalogue (www.garnethill.com) features 310-count cotton sateen (which is a yummy, soft finish)in several rich tones that would work for you, including Spice (which looks like a nice russet) and Garnet. And if said partner will accept flannel for cold winter nights, GH's Paintbrush flannel line includes Sunlight yellow, Pumpkin and Red Maple. Sweet dreams.
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Takoma Park, Md.:
I just ordered a new living room couch and matching chair in black leather with chrome feet (fairly modern looking). Now I need to figure out a good color to paint the living room walls and trim. The room opens into to a dining room which we're thinking of painting yellow (Ben Moore Straw). We don't have any rugs or window treatments yet so are fairly open. Ideas? I don't want the room to look too dark with the black furniture. Thanks!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Try Benjamin Moore Yellow Squash, which is a nice paper bag tan.
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Arlington, Va.:
Framing shop: K 'n H Framing on corner of N. Glebe & Lee Highway is good. If you're having a poster print framed, they have special deals for that stuff---about $40, including drymounting. Do NOT go to Michael's unless you have the 50 percent off framing total coupon. They take way too long and never seem to call when framing is done.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks.
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Gaithersburg, Md.:
Do either one of you have the curtain/drapery setup that you can use a remote to open and close the drapes? How expensive are they and can one install them or does a professional need to install? Thanks!!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear G'burg - Call the JC Penney custom order drapery department at the store nearest you. They can give you some prices - which we won't do here since it all depends on the size of the windows, the curtain fabric, etc. If you want blinds on a remote, Next Day Blinds offers Hunter-Douglas products that work with the touch of a button.
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Washington, D.C.:
What is the conventional wisdom on art above a fireplace mantle? Landscape or portrait, or doesn't it matter? I'm having the hardest time with this.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear DC - There are no set rules. Don't rule out a cool mirror. Art is one of those things that definitely is in the eye of the beholder. Just make sure it is in scale with the fireplace and the room.
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Falls Church, Va.:
Re: framing shop -- there's a great place on the corner of Walter Reed and Columbia Pike incredibly affordable and they do a fantastic job!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks...framing is clearly on the minds of our chatters. So if any of you have favorites in DC and Maryland, send those in as well because it's getting to be time to do a framing story.
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Angers, France:
OUI! In fact, a movable screen sounds great!
We want to preserve the view so covering each door couldn't do that. Thanks to the reader to offered another suggestion. These chats are terrific. Many thanks to you gals and the Post for offering them!!!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: You're welcome.
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RE: Toning down yellow bathroom:
You could get lighter shade, mix in some glaze and do a sponge/rag technique over the darker shade. Good thing is that not only does it tone down the initial color but you don't have to be accurate in your application.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Good point. We love imprecision.
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Rockville, Md.:
Odd question here. I accidently knocked hot candle wax on a painted wall. I've scraped as much as I could. How do I remove the rest of the wax? The paint is a flat paint. Thank you.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Rockville - The old Heloise hint really works, says Jura, who had a tacky houseguest who huffed and puffed and blew out a green pillar candle on her yellow walls (ugh!) So get out steam iron and a roll of paper towels and start iron the towel over the wax, which will gradually get soaked up.
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Arlington, Va.:
I attended the Washington Design Center sample sale for the first time.
What is the big deal? Everything was tremendously expensive. Not all the show rooms were open, and some of the ones that were open only let you go into half the store, and blocked off the rest with tables designed to keep you out and make you feel like you weren't good enough to see the rest of the store.
Most of the stuff i have seen in other stores and catalogs. I don't know why they bother advertising it to the public. It doesn't appear to be worth the trip.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Arlington - Thanks for sharing. This sale, like all others, is hit and miss. Some times you score, some times you don't. Clearly you are not going to find bargain basement prices there.
But here is some other great shopping advice. Hit the Leesburg Premium Outlets. The stuff won't be so high style but starting today, Restoration Hardware opens its outlet there (a colleague of ours zipped out at dawn to snag a $2,000 sideboard she had been told was going there for $1,000). There may be a few dings and dents, but hey...On Saturday, Annie and Jura did a home furnishings blitz trip there and scored big at the outlets of Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma, Le Creuset and more.
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Washington, D.C.:
I was fascinated by the article on serial painters. Do these folks strip the paint off the woodwork each time they paint? After a few coats of paint the wood trim must look pretty thick.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear DC - They generally do not paint the woodwork, preferring to work directly on the walls. They either left the trim a natural wood tone or painted it once or twice in a light neutral.
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Jeffersontown, Va.:
Dearest Ladies, your advice is WONDERFUL!!!! A friend turned me on to your column and now I'm addicted!!! Thank you! Here's my question - I hope you'll pick me so I can finally remove the plastic covering on my new furniture! We purchased the Arhaus Greta sofa in the color on their website, sort of a goldish khaki color. I can't decide what color to paint the walls of this currently all white room with a vaulted ceiling. I have many red and olive green accents in the pillows, throws, etc. The room doesn't get great light so I can't go too dark. I am thinking about DR Plantation Beige - what do you think? Can you also suggest a different color(s)? The room also has a chair rail - I thought about going white lower color upper then white ceiling, but unsure! We have dark wood floors. Thanks so much - love you!!!!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Va - That's what we want - an addicted fan base. Flattery will get you everywhere. Duron's Plantation Beige is a good choice, but it may be a tad dark. You might want to try the slightly lighter Sandy Lane.
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Washington, D.C.:
I've heard that there's a home and garden expo coming up, but was disappointed to learn it's all the way out in Chantilly VA. Is that this season's main home and garden expo for the metro area, or will there be one in DC as well? (or at least closer in!) Thanks for any info!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear DC - You are in luck. The Washington Home and Garden show takes place at the DC Convention Center on March 17 -20 (closing day being the first day of spring.)
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Annapolis, Md.:
I submitted early last week, but my question wasn't answered, so I will try again. I am debating whether to reupholster my 20-year-old sofa, for which I paid about $800, or buy a new one. It is a Chippendale camelback sofa, 72 inches wide and 27 inches deep. All of the sofas I have seen are much larger in scale. Where can I find a smaller-scale traditional sofa (other than Mastercraft)? Would my existing sofa be worth recovering?
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Annapolis, We seemed to have posted an answer without posting the question - but try www.ethanallen.com
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Kansas City-Paint Inertia:
Hi, great story today on serial painters. I'm at the other end of the spectrum. I know I need to paint, just never get around to it--paralyzed by the idea I think. My 12-year-old son's room still has a floral border that was there when we moved in, and it's been 7 hard years with 3 kids, so we really need to redo every room. I keep thinking that I have to hire someone (and that expense was daunting, because we need to paint the exterior too-I need the professionals there). After reading today's story, I'm inspired to take baby steps--one room at a time. Any advice on getting started? Thanks.
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear KC - Look in your closet at your favorite clothes and use that as a guide for room colors. Start with the kids' rooms and let them pick colors. These rooms will look so fresh you'll want to do the rest of the house.
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South Jersey:
Hello ladies! Adore the chats! My mom in Northern Va. has many pieces of 1950s Heywood-Wakefield and Conen-Ball hardwood furniture in desperate need of professional refinishing. Can you suggest a place, preferably someone who would pick up and re-deliver? Thanks so much!
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear South Jersey - Lucky Mom having all that groovy vintage piece. They are definitely worth restoring by a professional who cherishes their history and design. Annie has used Don Selkirk in Annandale for her mid-century modern furniture. 703-256-8547
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Washington, D.C.:
I just got a great new job but my first windowless office. I have always enjoyed having a couple of plants but now will I have to settle for faux foliage? Are there any houseplants (floor and/or table top)that can survive under fluorescent-only lighting?
Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear DC - We're out of time and on most days, would have leaned over in our chairs and asked Garden Editor Adrian Higgins for advice. However, he is snowed in somewhere in Virginia. So, we'll ask all our green thumb friends out there to post next week with stories of miracle plants that have survived in windowless offices.
Cheers till then.
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