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.

The transcript follows.

You may also browse an archive of previous Home Front discussions.

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Arlington, Va.: I'm looking to remodel my bathroom, but I want some inspiration before I go to get some estimates. Can you recommend any showrooms or stores (other than Ikea, Home Depot, Lowes, Expo) that carry bathroom furniture? thanks.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Good morning all...sorry for the brief delay....technical problems at the other end.

Bathroom furniture, indeed. Love the concept...Indeed, yesterday we got a press release touting a bathroom coffee maker.

For the most comprehensive (and, fair warning, pricey, looks in what's hot, visit the Washington Design Center's bath and kitchen showrooms on the lower level. You don't have to have a decorator or architect in tow to look around and you'll get some ideas.

It's at 300 D St. SW...

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New homeowner: Hi, ladies - We just moved into our first home (yea!) and we really want to paint the office a light gray color, with white trim to make it pop. The problem is that that level of the house has the builder's standard light beige carpet, which we can't afford to replace anytime soon. Will this clash? Does the whole house have to be earthy because of the carpet color? What do you recommend? Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Newbies -- Congrats on the nest. Contractors often use beige because it is such a blank canvas. Your can stay with a pale gray if it has a touch of blue in it.

Restoration Hardware has just brought out its first paint color fandeck (alas, it costs $7.50) and one of the colors is a yummy gray is actually called Atmosphere Blue. Also, try Sherwin Williams Upward or North Star.

As for the carpet, you can go as vivid and intense on the walls as you'd like...red, orange, deep green...

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Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear All --

We're about to shamelessly plug a really useful and timely column by Jeanne Huber on P. 4 of today's Home Section. This Know-How column explains why it's a great idea to hire a home inspector to check out your house even if you're not buying or selling.

The recent flooding and storm damage brought a lot of problems to people's attention (Jura found her flat roof had a leak and was in very bad shape, and had no idea since she's not so good on a ladder).

Think of it as a physical for your most important asset. It may cost a few hundred dollars but can save you thousands. And wouldn't you want to know in August, rather than December, that your furnace is shot.

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washingtonpost.com: Inspect Now, Sell (or Not) Later , ( Post, July 27 )

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Indianapolis, Ind.: I've got a large Chinese ink painting (about 2.5' per side) which, unfortunately, has been folded for many years (like 7!). It was actually folded by the artist when he gave it to me and I have not been in a position to have it framed until now. Of course, it is very creased. Is there any way I could get some of the creases out? My mother suggested an iron held over a cloth (without pressing) but I am afraid to do that since the paper is fragile and the ink water based. Do you know who I could ask about this? A frame shop?

Thanks for your help!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Indianapolis - How lucky you have such a treasure, but do not, repeat, not, put an iron anywhere near this piece. What you need is a qualified paper conservator. Call a local museum or art gallery for a recommendation.

And good luck.

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Herndon, Va.: Hello Ladies do you know of a service that will paint furniture for you? I have a double bed that is currently painted an ivory color I would like it painted white. It is also very curvy so I am worried about doing a good job myself. Do you know a place that will do this?

Thank you.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Herndon - Ask your friendly neighborhood painter or carpenter to help. Or if you have a neighborhood list serve, check there. You may find someone nearby who would love to do this. And if you want a really glossy finish, you may even consider calling an auto body shop.

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PB and BM: Saw the item today on special Benjamin-Moore fan decks at Pottery Barn. People also should know they can pick up a free, mini-fan deck at PB stores that coordinates with the colors in the new catalog. I got one over the weekend. I'm thinking "Barley" for the dining room!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Thanks for the tip. We didn't have space to include that. And we like Barley.

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Arlington, Va.: Help! I just bought a new condo, which has builder installed blinds. They are functional, but not so nice. I'd like to hang drapery rods, but the windows extend to the concrete ceiling (8ft), and are bordered by crown moulding on either side. The windows also cover the majority of the width of the (small) room. Is there a way to hang a decorative drapery rod from inside the window box?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Arlington - Yes, you could do that. But to make the window space look larger, you can also attach hardware to the very top of the molding or even to the ceiling. It may require a carpenter with a masonry drill but it's doable.

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Arlington, Va.: Does anyone know of a place where one can purchase interesting vintage or vintage-inspired metal patio furniture? Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Arlington - Don't know what era you want, but I'd start with consignment shops, yard sales, flea markets (there is a good one on Sundays right by the Arlington Courthouse Metro stop)and the Post classified section.

Or call Finials, a good vintage shop in Chevy Chase DC 202-362-8400, 3813 Livingston St. NW

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Arlington, Va.: I have a small master bedroom with low light that I'd like to paint a nice warm color. Right now it's light gray and is very depressing. I was thinking a khaki color and even chocolate brown - no brights - but am not sure how a darker color would look and how it would go with my light maple/pine colored furniture. The room is quite full of this furniture. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Arlington - To give our new RH fandeck a proper debut workout, try Restoration Hardware's Latte, which is a wonderful, velvety hue like the coffee drink itself.

Or try Duron's Sable, which is dark and rich without being too cave-like. Would look great with your maple furniture.

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Overwhelmed: My husband and I have moved into our first home. It is a new house, but I would like to add color and decor. The problem is that I'm totally overwhelmed. Where do you suggest we start? When starting in a certain room, do you start with curtains or a rug or? How do you make sure all the rooms flow with different paint colors?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Overwhelmed -- Breathe deeply and relax. We're here to help.

Start with the bedroom, your sanctuary, where we suggest the two of you pick some really fun sheets, shams and a comforter. Those colors will set the stage for the rest of the room...Next go to paint (you can do three walls in one tone and the headboard wall in a contrasting accent hue). After that, a rug and window treatments, followed by a couple of pieces of art.

Once you've done that, move on to the room where you spend the most waking hours -- either living room or family room/den. A rug is often a good place to start, say the experts.

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Small renovation job -- where to look?: Hello, Ms. Annie and Ms. Jura. I'm in NoVa and need to re-do my kitchen counters, floor, sink, and appliances but am having trouble finding a contractor who wants the job because it's not a big, high-end one. Can you help me get past this frustrating initial stage?

Lowe's is out because they'll make us do the countertop removal and hauling ourselves -- we really want to find someone who will do it all. Materials will be high-quality but not luxury, if that matters. I would be forever in your debt for any suggestions on where to start with this!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Small Renovation - Try your local listserve, join Angie's List ($10 to join, $6 a month ...www.angieslist.com) or check out Case (www.casedesign.com). They are very reliable.

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Ashburn, Va.: Hi,

Our sofa has detached pillows for the back which lose their shape every time we sit. By the end of the day, the sofa looks saggy. Is there anything I can stuff them with to keep their shape better?

Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Ashburn - You could have foam cut to fit inside the cover for springiness that won't sag. Try American Foam Center -800-241-3626 - or Custom Fit Foam & Futon 301-881-8283. Happy Sitting.

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Mclean, Va.: I don't know if it's the humidity or a new coat of paint (or both), but I'm having issues with the doors in my house.

Specifically, in my son's room, the door makes a huge groan when opening it (and not just closed to open, but even from ajar to fuller opened). It usually wakes him up when I go to check on him at night. Which isn't what I want at all!

My question is how to fix this? Should I sand the door (or the doorway)? Or replace parts?

Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear McLean - Try putting a few drops of WD-40 on your hinges, they could be the culprit.

As for squeaky wood, are the any carpenter types out there who want to weigh in?

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Olney, Md.: Wondering: What's the etiquette/protocol for (or against) leaving dining room tables set for hypothetical dinners?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Olney - Unless you are staging your home for sale and want potential buyers to imagine their own glittery dinner parties, or are preparing for a big dinner a few days in advance, we recommend against this because the dishes will get dusty.

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Falls Church, Va.: My husband and I are thinking about purchasing a sofa from Marlo furniture. Is there anything we should be aware of? Quality? Delivery? Service?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Does anyone have any experience to share about Marlo.

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ISO Sofa Bed: Where can we find an inexpensive queen size sofa bed? Is Jennifer Convertibles any good - their prices seem too low to be possible... We're looking for something conservative for a library/office that needs to double as a quest room. Thanks!!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear sofa bed -- Try Storehouse, Arhaus, Hamilton Sofa Gallery, Belfort furniture and C-Mart (which is hit and miss, depending on shipments from High Point, NC showrooms). Any Jennifer convertible sleepers out there who want to chime in? WE always suggest actually lying on a piece of furniture for a couple of minutes or even longer if possible.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello there! I've got a calendar that I love and I'd like to somehow display the prints. What's the best way to do this? Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear DC - Great idea, because many calendars have great images (Annie is still waiting to do something with a 1993 Art Deco version).

Try Target, Michael's, AC Moore or Ikea for multiples of identical frames and then figure out a grouping that works for your walls.

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Richmond, Va.: I want to paint some old wooden tables for our daughter's new apartment. She can't afford to buy the new tables she loves from Pottery Barn. How can I get my old tables to look like the "flat black" painted tables from Pottery Barn? What type of paint/finish should I use?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Richmond - Buy a matte or flat finish latex, and when it's really dry, take a fine sandpaper and go around the edges and legs for that slightly "distressed" look. If you remove too much paint, you can always reapply a bit.

And hooray for you for designing on a dime.

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Groaning Door: If the groaning-door person wants to check to see if the hinges are the problem, and doesn't have WD-40 on hand, she should spray Lemon Pledge into the hinges. If the hinges are the problem, this will work temporarily.

I learned this from a sound man on a movie set...

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Groaning- Good tip.

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Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: PS - Everyone should keep WD-40 around the house. It does everything from alleviate squeaks to remove sticky price tags from glass or plastic, and comes now in several new containers. One has a built-in skinny straw for hard-to-reach places and the latest is a pen that is the size of a marker with a felt tip that transfers the magic elixir onto the surface.

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McLean, Va.: I want to hang framed photos (in matching frames), but don't want all the nail holes (we rent).

I was thinking of the blue tacky stuff I used in college (does it still exist?), but I'm not sure it will be strong enough for wood frames.

Any good hole-less hanging products?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear McLean - The risk with using that is that it's not as strong as nails. If you have ceiling molding, you can hang frames from wires, like museums do. And if your walls are white, you can make discreet holes for hangers and spackle before you move out.

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Groaner: I really don't think it's the hinges making the noise (but thanks for the Pledge tip). I sounds more like a problem with the wood door not fitting right into the wooden door jam

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Groaner - Time to pull out the wood plane and shave away, but this may require taking the door off the hinges.

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Vienna, Va.: Hi!

We just moved into a new place, and things are finally starting to get settled. However, we have a problem with the master bedroom.

One wall is all closets, and one wall is a glass door to the patio. I didn't realize that two whole walls were taken up and our bedroom furniture doesn't work.

Any ideas would be great. we don't use the patio off of the bedroom, but cant but anything in front of it because of vertical blinds.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Vienna - This sounds like a good candidate for House Calls that runs on P. 2 of the Home Section every Thursday.

Send to makeover@washpost.com

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Adams Morgan, Washington, D.C.: re painting a bed, I've got an iron bed that my grandpa painted for me when I was 11. He used auto paint for it. I'm 31 now, and it's JUST starting to need a new coat.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear AM - Lucky you, to have some of Gramp's handiwork. And metal furniture is a perfect candidate for auto paint.

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Groaning door: It may be the humidity - I have a door that does that. Once the weather improves so does the door. Maybe get a dehumidifier first before sanding the door? Sometimes it is hard to get the right once they are off the hinges.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Great idea about the dehumidifier. And maybe you want to turn up the A/C a tad to help dry things out.

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Door issues: I've heard that you can run a bar of Ivory soap along the edges of the door to help with closing issues due to humidity or still-drying paint. I have not tried it yet, though.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Another great idea.

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Silver Spring, Md.: We just finished painting our kitchen/dining room BM Palladian Blue. Can you recommend a complementary brown/tan for the adjoining living room?

Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear SS - As you know, PBlue is a Home Team fave. Try Cabot Trail, Benjamin Moore's yummy cocoa, to pair it with.

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Silver Spring, Md.: We painted our bedroom Duron's Quietude, a sort of a green-blue color. Our blue curtains don't quite look right, and I'm doubting we can match the color on our budget (think JCP curtains). What other color would you suggest? Beige? Other thoughts?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear SS - Jura votes for khaki or chocolate brown curtains; Annie favors white sheers.

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Smaller furniture: Hi, I'm a small female (5'1") looking for smaller scale furniture that not only fit smaller spaces (D.C. row house) but also let my feet touch the ground. So many sofas are overstuffed and large. Can you recommend where to buy such furniture? I prefer actual stores to online so I can see and sit on the merchandise. Preferably better than Ikea but not too high end. My taste tends toward simple, though I like a range of styles. Thanks.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Smaller - Annie feels your pain. She often feels like Lily Tomlin's Edith Ann character with dangling feet in a giant chair. Check out Storehouse for smaller scale pieces by Rowe and Jonathan Adler.

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Marlo Furniture: I purchased a sofa bed from Marlo. It took way longer to deliver than what I had been originally promised. Like months longer. The condition wasn't great either. It wasn't too bad, but it wasn't pristine and new looking. It could have been the fabric of the couch that I ordered though.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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College Park, Md.: Thanks for taking my question!

I'm moving into my first apartment this fall--very excited!--and I wanted to get some recommendations for places to buy cheap furniture. I've tried yard sales and thrift stores, but there are some things you just need to go to the store for. Thank you! (I'm already a big IKEA fan!)

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear CP - Congrats. Try Target, Pier 1, World Market and K-mart's Martha Stewart collection.

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Jennifer sofa: I have a queen micro suede sleeper in my basement and people who sleep on it say it is very comfortable. One thing that is great about it is that the big arms and the legs come off to make it easier to get into the house.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Now that's clever. We love things that are easy to move. Thanks for the tip.

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Door issues: Don't shave the door! It's probably just humidity. If you can, bear with it and it will go away naturally in September or so. Shaving can't be undone...

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Point well taken, but the squeaks do wake up her child...

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Weirton, W.V.: For person with Groaning Door.

Check to see if the screws are tight in hinges (on both sides) before trimming the door. It is a wild shot,but might just be the problem.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks

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New Haven, Conn.: So now that I have invested in a lovely duvet, quilt, matching sheets and cute throw pillows, does it mean that I have to make my bed every a.m. before work?

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Yes, if only because when you return home at day's end, you'll be so much happier than if you were facing an unmade bed. Trust us on this one.

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NoVa Small Renovation: I recommend Guillermo at allmarble-aol.com 571-437.0173 for granite and tile installation in NOVA. They do a nice job and are dependable. I used one company prior to them that left me without a sink/ dishwasher for 14 days!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks. it is a small,small world after all.

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Dehumidifiers belong below stairs: Remember they put out a lot of heat. If folks aren't using a/c, they might want to use damp-rid, a chemical, instead of heating up with dehumidifier.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: thanks for the heads=up.

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Woodbridge, VA: I have a couch made of material and would like to add two chairs to make up a set. Will two leather chairs match up with material? Or, would it be better to find chairs that are also made out of material.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Woodbridge - The great thing about leather is that it goes with so many thing. And these days, it even comes in fun colors so you won't be limited to brown and black. Go for it. If you have an extra fabric swatch or pillow, take it with you when you go shopping.

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Alexandria, Va.: Hello Ladies!

I'm sending this early while I think of it, regarding last week's discussion about dehumidifiers. I live on the ground floor of my building, and used to have moisture problems. But the dehumidifier has really solved them. I shut my windows each day when I leave and turn on the dehumidifier (It's too loud to keep running when I'm around.), and although it doesn't cool the place, when you come in and feel the drier air it feels cooler. It's really worth using!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Alexandria - We're big dehumidifier fans, too.

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Alexandria, Va.: Hello Decorating Goddesses,

Just painted a spare bedroom Sherman Williams Lacewing Green, with the ceiling painted extra white (flat) and extra white trim (high gloss). The carpet is called Hagen (beige). Now I need a curtain solution, but am stuck on what colors will work (besides white which is the only thing I can come up with). Please help! Thanks!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Alexandria - Think beach glass and look for a very pale blue sheer (light aquas are hot right now). For guidance, check out SW's paint colors Bubble or Aviary Blue. You'll feel like you're on vacation.

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Refinishing desktop: I have an antique desk made of quartersawn oak that I really love - I think it was actually a Stickley prototype, but I'm not so worried about the value. It used to be painted black (!) but was refinished and is now a lovely honey color. Unfortunately, when it was refinished, it was discovered that the top was warped and had to be replaced with another piece covered in veneer. It's kind of ugly and doesn't quite match, so I want to replace/change it. Could I possibly take off the veneer, sand and repaint? I think I want to do something fun, like paint it a glossy cherry red. Paint recommendations would be great too! Thanks.

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Dear Desktop -- We've just talked to our fave Stickley collector and expert, DC City Councilman Jim Graham, who suggests you email a photo of the desk (jim@grahamwone.com) and he'll try to give you an opinion and turn you on to a few dealers.

Okay, everyone, we're outta here. Annie is on vacation for the next few weeks, so Jura will be on the case alone. She'll be divine, as always.

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Adams Morgan, D.C.: My parents bought a queen-sized sofa bed from Jennifer Convertibles in 1998 and it's fabulous. They chose a sofa that worked better as a sofa than as a bed, which suited our needs. They did upgrade from a foam mattress to a spring mattress, which cost an extra $100 at the time, which was a smart move. The bed is so clearly a sofa bed - I don't think I'd enjoy sleeping on it for months, but it definitely works for house guests. My advice: definitely go to the showroom and try the sofas for comfort.

Hope this works!

Annie Groer and Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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