Home Front

Every week, the Washington Post Home staff talks about various ways to improve your home. Find out about new trends, upcoming antiques shows and a variety of how-to help.

Ask Post staff writers Annie Groer and Jura Koncius about all things home related.

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Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Good morning! Like to blab about your laundry room, your favorite wallpaper pattern or how you fill out your sofas under the slipcovers? Sign on with us for an hour long chat about all things home like.

Meanwhile, I'd like to inject a personal issue here. Towels. Anybody have some favorites to share with us?

I must admit, I just bought for the first time a set of Nate Berkus towels from Linens 'n Things. Very well priced and very nice quality. And in a great color that reminds me of that Restoration Paint Color silver sage...

Any other towel kudos - let us hear from you.

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Clifton, Va.: We are looking to add a great room to our home. The only place that it would work would be in the back which the kitchen window resides. Does having a kitchen without a window to the outside decrease the value?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: No, because hopefully light will come from the Great Room. Any chance of some skylights?

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Washington, DC: I have some old silverplated flatware that need to be re-silvered. Do you know of anyone who does that?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: We called Don Williams, a Smithsonian senior conservator and co-author of our new column Safe Keeping - see page 4 of today's HOME section. He and Louisa Jaggar as the co-authors of the book Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve your Collectibles, Heirlooms and Other Prize Possessions. Don says that yes, you can recoat your silverplate. He says perhaps to take to to antiques row in Kensington and compare prices at a few of the dealers there. Now that Georgetown Plating and Polishing is gone, we don't have a handy source to suggest ourselves. Anyone out there know of one?

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Baltimore, Md.: Domestic divas,Looking for a solidly built loft bed for a kid's room. Any advice on where to go?Thanks

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Check out the brand Stanley Young America. They make very good well priced kid's furniture.

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Tenleytown, Washington, DC: Hi there -- love your chat! My question concerns matching rugs with furniture: I have two overstuffed club chairs upholstered with a fairly large paisley fabric mostly in olives and golds... I would love to go with a patterned, Oriental-type rug, but have no idea how to pair the two patterns together without looking like a psychedelic nightmare. Any thoughts/guidelines?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Hmm. Psychedelic nightmare. Are you sure you want an Oriental? The best thing you could do is try and find a rug that has olives and golds in it. That look is popular in traditional circles. But might you consider a non-Oriental in a neutral tone like a wool sisal or a Wilton-weave in olive and gold? Try Farsh in Alexandria. They can custom make a rug in any colors you want. 710 Jefferson St. - 703-548-8884.

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Brooklyn, NY: Hello!!

I just wanted to thank you for the tip last week. I had the mismatching sofa and loveseat and you guys recommended a stripe pattern to match the solid. I was able to find a great slipcover and now everything looks great. THANKS!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Yeah Brooklyn!

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Rockville, Md.: The furniture in my house is a compilation of hand-me-downs from my parents, my husband's parents, and some old college pieces. It's definitely time to start updating the collection. Where would you suggest I start? I see the cheaper sets at the Room Store and Marlo: are they decent quality, or is it true that cheaper means bad?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Does cheap mean bad? This is a question that can be answered a million ways. Furniture is worth what you want to pay for it - or can afford to pay. Not everybody can buy Prada handbags even though a Prada bag may last for decades while one from Wal-mart might fall apart in a few months. You need to shop around and educate yourself.

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South Jersey USA: Last week someone wanted to know about good places to get area rugs. I highly recommend homedecorators.com and Peerless Imported Rugs (don't know website for latter but can be googled.) Happy hunting!!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Many thanks South Jersey.

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Washington, DC: I've been seeing the new Target commercials highlighting their newest designer, Thomas O'Brien (what a cutie!). Do you know anything about his high-end furniture(not the Target stuff) and where I might find it?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Thomas O'Brien makes a stunning, modern collection for Hickory Chair. It is very uptown and has great lines and beautiful detailing in the hardware and finishing.

Go to www.hickorychair.com for a description of the pieces and where to buy them in your area.

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Alexandria, Va.: How would you decorate a mantle above a long, large brick fireplace that has little wall space above it? I'm looking for suggestions for the placement of items on the mantle and/or hanging things on the wall above. The fireplace is 8.5' long and there are about 3' from mantle-top to ceiling. Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: I bought a fabulous thing at Crate & Barrel a couple of years ago that would work perfectly there at this point in the holiday seasonal madness. It's a pinecone garland - thick with beautiful pinecones that you can drape on your mantel from Halloween and even thru Christmas if you add in some red candles, tiny apples or red balls.

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Alexandria, Va.: I am turning a corner of my apartment into a home office and would like to separate it from the rest of the living room space. I know screens are an option, but what do you think of a rich fabric hanging from the ceiling? If so, do you think I could patch up the ceiling if we should move? Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Fabric would give it a sort of exotic look. There are also these neat floaty things you can hang from the ceiling - like the capiz shell strings from West Elm.

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Washington, DC: Any advice on a decent, but not too pricey frame shop in metro DC?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: My husband and I have used a place called International Art Gallery & Framing, 1625 K St. NW, 202-466-7979. They do very high quality work and we thought they were reasonable.

Framing is a pricey proposition in most cases - do others of you have framers to suggest?

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What matches fruitwood?: Ladies, I am hoping you can help me out. I have a 25+ year old fruitwood dining table from White Furniture Company (which has since gone out of business), but no dining chairs. What matches fruitwood? And where can I find chairs that are not too expensive?

Thanks as usual.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Fruitwood is a beautiful lighter wood that often takes on a rich aged patina. Biedermeier was often made of fruitwood. Estate sales and auction houses like Sloans & Kenyon are a good place to look for dining chairs.

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Olney, Md.: I need to replace the 1980s brass light fixture in the foyer of the house we just bought. Where's your favorite source for contemporary lighting that I can turn to without breaking the bank? Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Good question Olney. Try Restoration Hardware. Also www.shadesoflight.com. We hear Shades of Light has a super outlet store in Richmond. But we have alas never been there.

Also try Expo Design, Great Indoors or even Home Depot.

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Alexandria, Va.: I really love the Premiere Collection towels from Target of all places! They're inexpensive and really soft and fluffy. The solid colored ones have a neat diagonal rib that looks nice in my bathroom. Unfortunately, the pear color I like has a really bad reaction with some kind of toiletry that I use, so there are some yellow blotches on it. But the white towels with stripes are really nice.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Sounds good. I haven't tried the Target towels but someone told me they have a Martex line there that is great. We have blotching going on on our towels - watch out for toothpaste that has whiteners in it - it can bleach out little stains on your colored towels. Also my son's acne stuff has bleached a few of our towels - we now ask him to use a white washcloth! Is this TMI???

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Philadelphia, Pa.: For Clifton, VA--we added a great room to our home three years ago and removed a kitchen window and sliding glass door in order to do so. By adding windows and french doors on both sides of the new room, we added a great deal more light than we lost. We love our new room and don't know how we did without it!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Go Philly.

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Re; mantle decorating: I wrote the original question. I meant everyday decorating, not holiday decorating. For example, do I have a couple vignettes of objects on it, do I try to find a really long, skinny painting, or what? I'm at such a loss because it's so long with no heighth above! Thanks.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Hmmm. A collection of something very small, What about teacups? A row of apples stretching all the way across. Do not line it with a ton of frames. Tiny pumpkins. Forget the long skinny painting. Change the stuff on your mantel all the time - its fun.

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Ocean City, Md.: Non-paint question! Any comments on ceramic tile vs. porcelain tile? We are considering it for the kitchen, bathrooms, hall in our beach condo.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Yo Ocean City. We called Nilia Agostinho a design consultant at Best Tile in Rockville 301-984-3399, 11601 Boiling Brook Parkway. She gave us a crash course in Tile 101. Porcelain is fired at a higher temperature and can go indoors and outdoors. Inside, it is great for the foyer and the kitchen because it takes wear and tear quite well. Ceramic is better in bathrooms, low traffic residential areas and in a kitchen that is lightly used. Ceramic tile runs on a strength scale from 1 to 5 (we didn't know this, did you?) Numbers one and two are good for walls, three for low traffic areas, four for residential and low commercial traffic and five for high traffic commercial and residential. The best way to clean porcelain and ceramic is with a mop, soap and water or regular tile cleaner. Do not take granny's advice to use vinegar and water (sorry Heloise, we know this is your fav substance on the planet) because after awhile, the acid in the vinegar will cause your tile to lose sheen and color. If you want to put porcelain outdoors, make sure it is frost proof and acid proof. Thanks Nilia, you rock.

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Washington, DC: Re: cheap = bad.

Really cheap furniture is nearly always poorly constructed and will not last long. I'm afraid that low-price stuff at Room store and Marlo may be like that. Eliminating the junk, there are often options that determine the price: fabric choice on upholstered pieces, wood species on case goods. Learn about construction, woods, etc -- difference between solid, veneer, plywood, chipboard. Talk to people who bought their furniture many years ago and it still looks good, and see what they can tell you! We bought a smple mid-price sofa for our first living room, and it lasted beautifuly while our sister-in-law's family went through 3 sets of "Sears Roebuck Colonial" cheap stuff.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Thanks for weighing in on this very controversial subject.

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Tankless water heaters: I missed the session last week but saw that someone asked about tankless heaters. In a word: NO. When we bought our house on Capitol Hill, the previous owner had renovated it and had put in a tankless water heater. It couldn't even begin to keep up with the demands of the house, even though there were only two of us living there. We ended up spending a ton of money on a supplemental reservoir tank in order to get adequate hot water for the house. Also, as you mentioned in your chat, few people know how to repair them. When ours needed a new part, it was a nightmare. We had the plumber on the phone with the manufacturer several times trying to figure it out. He told us that tankless heaters are good for tiny apartments (he said they are big in Japan) where there is minimal need for hot water. I would definitely not recommend them for a standard house where you will have need for simultaneous hot water use.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: And thanks to you too.

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Resilvering source: Check out Rubesch and Miller in Alexandria for this -- rubesch.com .

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Oh great. A local source. Thanks. We just called them at 703-299-0172 but their fax machine was turned on so we could not ask how much they charge...

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Fairfax, Va.: For area rugs: we have been happy with contemporary-style ones bought at Bakersfield (Baileys Crossroads), Bloomingdales, and Town and Country furniture (a made to order program that's great!). Don't be afraid to bargain over prices, by the way. "Rug merchants" really do sometimes adjust a price, especially if you buy more than one rug.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Good for you Fairfax.

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Clifton, Va: Re fruitwood dining chairs, two suggestions - one, we completely gave up on finding antique/vintage/2nd hand dining chairs. They just get too much use and are wobbly and nicked. Some of the antique websites (e.g., Go Antiques) have some but you have to consider shipping. And finally, consider the time it would take to find an appropriate set! - I just LOVE HomePortfolio.com - http://www.homeportfolio.com/- their search engines can be refined way way down (I found one set of Pasadena fruitwood dining chairs in about two seconds). You can create and save a Portfolio, by category. You can rank by price - but the ones "to the trade" are at the bottom, then. It has a "where to buy" link. And finally, if you're good at saving pictures (right-click), you can create a document of things you like to take to your favorite furtniture store! Try it (no, I don't work for them, I just hate driving around shopping)!

http://www.homeportfolio.com/

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Clifton - that is really good info. Thanks!

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No love with towels: I have yet to find anything that I really like. The problems - too much lint, and they don't stay soft and fluffy long enough. The only ones I like are some I bought from Land's End 15 years ago, long gone by now...

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: I used to love Royal Velvet. Sigh. And Chambers catalogue.

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Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: In your opinion, which furniture stores in the area have the best deals? I'm a bargain shopper but I don't want to buy things that will fall apart.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Mastercraft Interiors has great warehouse sales. Check one of them out. Keep looking at our Sales Talk feature on the Home Front Page. Leesburg Premium Outlets has some terrific furniture outlets that are worth checking out as well.

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Herndon, Va.: Good morning!

Can you tell me an inexpensive way to decorate wall space above a fireplace? The wall is big enough for a large painting or mirror. It doesn't necessarily have to be a painting, if you have any other ideas. Don't think this matters, but it is a 2-story family room, so there is a big window above this space.

Because paintings are so expensive, can you describe a method for making our own without it looking amateurish? Can we really do it? If so, what would we need to buy? Thank you so much!!!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: A mirror would be the perfect solution. Get yourself a beautiful old frame from a thrift shop, second hand furniture place or flea market. And have a mirror installed. It looks elegant and will make the room look larger.

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Custom slipcovers?: How much should I expect to pay for a custom slipcover for a couch with three seat cushions, but no back cushions? I'm not looking for anything fancy, no piping. But I want something better than the out of the bag store bought slipcover. Any ideas on where to go? I'm trying to decide whether to slipcover or just buy a new couch.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Have you checked out the Furniture Falsies in our HOMEFRONT column today... Meanwhile, slipcovering is costing hundreds of dollars in labor plus fabric these days. Unless the slipcover person is related to you...

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Painting a Ceiling: This may be a very silly question, but what is the best way to paint a ceiling. I need to paint a couple of ceilings in my home and NOT looking forward to that project!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Painting a Ceiling. We went to www.helpwithdiy.com. This is a site we just found and we think is pretty cool. We went to the page on How to Paint a Ceiling. It is a little elementary - they suggest removing curtains, fixtures and light furniture from the room, putting the heavy pieces in the center, covering everything with a dust sheet. Remove loose floor coverings or cover the whole floor. Wash down the walls with detergent to remove dust and debris. Inspect the ceiling for cracks, holes and loose plaster. If necessary, use a fine filler for small cracks and something stronger for bigger cracks and holes. When filling, try and leave a smooth finish and sand it with fine paper until the ceiling is flush. Then to paint, take a smaller paint brush and fill your paint can or pan so paint comes halfway up the bristles. Start in one corner - the pros suggest the farthest one from the entrance to the room - and try and cut as straight a line as possible against the wall. If you paint the ceiling first - you can touch up the walls later. And you should paint it first. Cut around any light fixtures or fittings. And then use a large brush or roller for smooth parallel strokes. Let the first coat dry and repeat until it's the way you want it. Hint: Glidden now makes a dry ceiling paint that dries pink for the first 30 minutes so that you can see whether you have missed any spots.

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Washington, DC: Best towels -- hands down are the Turkish towels from Restoration Hardware -- they last forever.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Oh great suggestion.

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Atlanta, Ga.: I recently bought some lovely, wonderful, fluffy sage green towels from Ikea. They've washed really well and are so soft even I can't belive it. They weren't the cheapest towels at Ikea, but at $10-$13 dollars each, they were still reasonable and a great investment.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Great Atlanta.

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Fairfax, Va.: I enjoyed today's article on the restoration of Gen. Marshall's house in Leesburg. I was wondering about the experts used in the restoration--do you know how they got into their careers? Do they work for firms (design, architectural, etc.) or are they usually free-lance individuals? they seem to have various skills combined into one: historians, designers/decorators, sleuths.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Annie says they have a variety of backgrounds and very extensive training. Some was learned on the job and some was academic. William Seale, for example, the restoration historian, has worked on nearly a dozen state capital buildings and governor's mansions and has written about the White House restoration. He is an academic and a brilliant storyteller. Laura McCoy who worked on reproducing the design of the wallpaper is the daughter of an interior designer who spent hours as a child going through wallpaper books and later worked for the company started by Hobe Erwin, a wallpaper designer who did the sets for such movies as Gone with the Wind. These people are all specialists and have fascinating jobs they love.

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Waldorf, Md.: I don't know what to do with the large wall behind my new light sage green sofa from Domain. The carpet is light beige and the walls are currently off white. I tried a green one shade darker, but that makes the sofa blend in. Could you suggest anything?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Waldorf. What about coral for a little pop. We like Goldfish by Everyday Colors by Martha Stewart. Or French Quarter by Pratt & Lambert. If you want something a little more subtle try Shell Coral also by P & L. Then there is always the very safe but very chic Silver Sage by Restoration Hardware...

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Burke, Va.: Hello, I have a living and dining room that are divided by an enlarged opening. In the living room is a tan sofa and an oriental rug with navy blue, pink, and tans ranging from light to expresso. Both rooms have a chair rail. I don't want to paint the walls blue (a lot of blue in the house already) and I don't want plain tan - any ideas? These rooms also lead to the foyer and stairway. Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Burke: We love Mocha. What about Duron's Swept Plains or Cinnamon Spice. Also Cafe Latte by C2 is nifty.

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frameland: Frame Up

317 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

(202) 546-1504 Very reasonable, because he doesn't keep stock, but orders for each job. Cash or check only, and it takes a while, but even less expensive than those frame it yourself places. I've had him frame tons of things.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: yeah.

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Towels: Am I too late? I love the Chris Madden Spa Collection towels at JCPenney. Very soft, and very reasonable (especially when they're on sale). The best part is they have texture (mine have a checkerboard type pattern), so they add a little more excitement to the bathroom!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Yes! Never too late to chime on. Jura is a big fan of Chris Madden's spa towels too. They are really thick, absorbant and soft and come in yummmy colors. Great quality for the price at JC Penney. Thanks!

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Fort Washington, Md.: Where can I find good architectural salvage companies in the Washington DC area? I know they have to exist! Also, a listing of good open air flea markets and auctions in the area.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Yes. Brass Knob at 332-3370 - 2311 18th St. NW. is good. ANd also Brass Knob Backdoor Warehouse. For flea markets Georgetown Flea Market on Sunday, Eastern Market weekends and the Bethesda Women's Farm Market on Sundays.

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Peachtree City, Ga: Good morning:Hope you take this question -- I want to spruce up my house for the holidays!

Need your opinion regarding accent walls. Should I choose a color that is already used in another part of the house - for continuity sake (I have an open floor plan so all the colors flow well from room to room) or can I pick a totally independent color that is taken from the room's fabric or rug? Also,the walls are painted with a flat paint - is it ok to use a satin for an accent wall?Thanks so much!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: We would stick with flat for the accent wall. Good for you for sprucing up with paint. As we have been saying, it is the cheapest way to add some pizzazz to your space. Doing a single wall is easy and fun. It's a good idea to play up a color from your fabrics or your rugs.

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Ohio: Paint question for you two (of course!): my family room addition has one brown-toned brick wall (old exterior of house) and one huge fireplace on the opposite wall with more traditional reddish-toned brick. Right now, the room is red, which is ok, but I want to brighten it up a little, without losing the coziness. I'm picturing something in tan/gold hues. Any suggestions? (I prefer Sherwin Williams paint-- thanks!)

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Ohio. We like Sherwin Williams Interior Preservation Palette. How about Colonial Yellow or Belvedere Cream.

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Washington, DC: Good morning!

I'm the happy owner of a tiny, tiny rowhouse that is currently painted sort of a faded powder blue with a darker royal blue door. I'd like to keep the blue, but freshen it up, hopefully a bit more modern of a hue - thinking perhaps a robin's egg blue with off white trim and a chocolate door. What do you ladies think? Could you suggest any specific paints? I've used Behr on the inside with much success.

Thank you so much!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: What a cute little townhouse you must have. How about Behr's Glacier Bay and the door in Revival Mahogany, a delicious rich brown.

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State College, Pa: How does one paint rooms in an open concept floor plan. My foyer oversees the family room and on the left and right are the living and dining rooms. It seems impossible to paint them all different colors. I have light cream walls right now with medium wood trim. I cannot paint the trim. Thanks

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: We're not sure how much you dislike the cream. If it is totally open plan, do paint the ceiling one color throughout the entire house. You could use a few accent colors, but keep in mind it will affect the look of the entire house and could visually chop up a generous space. Maybe you should use your color in window treatments, upholstery and carpeting.

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Washington, D.C.: Help! I just moved into a new apartment. All of the walls are cream-colored and the landlord is reluctant to let me paint (and I am reluctant to do any painting by myself). Any suggestions on how to spice up the walls? I've heard some people put fabric up, but I have no idea how that works/how permanent it is. I'm thinking I might try a curtain-rod type set up with fabric panels against the wall. What do you think? And do you know of any good fabric stores in D.C./NoVa?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Good idea. We noticed Yi's in Rockville is having a sale on fabric. They are an upholstery source. The sale is through Nov. 23. Check out page 7 in the HOME section today. 301-770-3687. Parklawn Drive and Wilkins Ave. in Rockville on the corner. Also check out the website www.discountfabricsusa.com or visit their mother store in Thurmont - a 90 minute drive - or a small satelite store in Falls Church 703-241-1555. 308 Hillwood Ave.

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Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Bye!!!! See you next week. Thanks.

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