Ask The Post

Belle Elving (Julia Ewan -- The Washington Post)

This Week: Belle Elving , editor of the Home section, was online Wednesday, August 2, at noon ET to field your questions about The Post's coverage of home decor and design.

The transcript follows.

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Belle Elving: Hi everyone. Thanks so much for joining us today to talk about home and home life. I'm eager to hear your questions, and to know what you think about our section.

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McLean, Va.: I want to change the carpet on the first floor to hard wood floor. I kind of like Santos Mahogany but do not like the variation in color. What do you recommend?

Belle Elving: Hi McLean. I'm assuming that the Mahogany Santos you're considering is quite dark. Dark hardwood floors are very popular now, seen in all the glossy magazines. They are stunning, but have some drawbacks. They show scrapes, streaks, scratches and dust more than lighter floors. They require more maintenance to keep them looking like those pretty pictures. But they are stunning, so if you don't mind the upkeep, go for it. Ask the flooring company you choose what they think.

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Libertyville, Ill.: We have 5 inch wood floor moldings with oak floors, both in a medium oak finish. I would like to put up cove moldings; can they be white and still keep the existing moldings? Or is there something else I can do with ceiling moldings?

Belle Elving: absolutely they can be white. There is certainly no rule they have to match the oak. In fact, lighter moldings will give the room a lighter, higher look, which sounds particularly good this time of year.

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Washington, D.C.: What do you think about high dining tables? Specifically, for a small jr. 1-br apartment whose occupant has a strong tendency to clutter and pile things on the table. I, uh, I mean, she's thinking that a high dining table will be a less appealing place to dump junk mail and has a better chance of being clear enough to actually eat on. Thoughts? Thanks!

Belle Elving: A higher dining table might cut down on clutter (though that's doubtful) but it would also cut down on comfort. How about this instead: admit that it's the place keys and mail will accumulate,and get a pretty tray or basket to corral all that. Easy to move out of sight when you want to sit down to dinner.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I am considering buying a used Stickley dining table and 4 chairs that are in good conditioning and about 15 years old (Queen Anne style). However I am having a hard time trying to figure out if I am getting a good or decent deal. Any ideas?

Belle Elving: Good idea to educate yourself before you buy. There are lots of books and Web sites about furniture/antique values, so I'd check these first. You can also troll ebay and see what Stickley is going for. It never seems to go out of style, as you know. I'd also stop into some likely used furniture stores and just ask someone. Most dealers are happy to chat about such things.

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Washington, D.C.: Moving into a new home and want to get a colorful carpet for the dining room to go under our round black pedestal table (which has a leaf to turn it more oval when inserted). Do I have to get a round/oval area rug to go under it or can I get a rectangular rug? Also, can the rug be smaller than the actual dimensions of the room or does that make it look messy? Would that change if we were also going to put some type of sideboard in the room in the near future?

Thanks!

Belle Elving: You certainly can use a rectangular run under a round or oval table. And your question about size is a good one. One common mistake is to get a rug too small to comfortably accommodate table and chairs, ideally so diners can push back and not get chair legs caught. (I speak from personal experience. Live and learn.) And it will not look messy to have a border of wood show around the edges. Many designers recommend leaving about a foot all the way around. Try putting down some table or paper where you think the sideboard would go, and see how that looks.

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Silver Spring, Md.: What stories are in the works for the Home Section? As an apartment dweller, I'm always interested in seeing stories about issues for apartments or how to decorate on a budget. Any plans for some period decorating stories?

Belle Elving: I think we don't do enough on apartments, and I appreciate the reminder that there are lots of apartment dwellers out there eager for advice. I'd love to hear from any of you who live in apartments and condos about the kind of challenges you face and stories you'd like to see. No storage? cramped kitchens? how to host parties for more than four people? let us know your concerns (or solutions) and we'll pay close attention.

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Go Home Section!: Just wanted to say that I not only enjoy the Home section (and on line chat) but I get so many ideas and useful tips. I particularly enjoy the room makeovers you've been running each week based on problems submitted by readers. I hope you've got a good supply and the series will continue for awhile. Thanks!

Belle Elving: We're so glad to hear you like that feature, and have plans to enlarge it and make more of the After sketches so readers can see the decorators good ideas. We do have a steady flow of readers sending in problem rooms, but are always happy to get more. Including you apartment dwellers out there!

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Anonymous: My house was built in the 60's and some of the rooms have wood paneling. Would it be alright to paint over the paneling or should we take the paneling off?

Belle Elving: Paneling can certainly be painted, with or without some wood grain showing through. If you like the texture and detail of the paneling, I'd certainly try painting first. It's less trouble, less expensive, and you might really be glad you kept it.

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Providence, R.I.: Hi, I have a mid-century rancher that for the most part is furnished in the mid-century style. We love the clean lines! We are looking to give our kitchen a bit of a face-lift (e.g. new countertops, new floor and some new appliances).currently there is a fabulous wallpaper mural in avocado green, mustard yellow and orange that I love and want to keep. However, we would like to add some color to the existing walls, which are currently plain white. Given that the appliances are black w/ stainless; the countertop will be a grey with black flecks granite and the floors black/white check - do you have some suggestions on a color that would work with the orange/green/yellow mural for the rest of the walls? Thanks so much!

Belle Elving: ok. full disclosure here: you're talking to someone who almost always chooses green first, in paint, cars or clothes. so no surprise that my first suggestion is to find a toned-down version of the green in the mural. but really, using any of those colors as a starting point and just pulling them way down might be terrific. I agree white doesn't seem up to the job. ... and consider what you have in adjoining rooms....that ought to be part of your decision, especially when you've got so much going on in there..

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Reston, Va.: My master bath is tiny. Just a shower stall, toilet and sink cabinet. (It is so small that you can't have the bathroom door open if you want to sit on the toilet, or the door will hit your knees.)

I would like to redo the bathroom -- what is in style for a small shower stall and would a pocket door that gave the room more space be a good option?

Belle Elving: pocket door is an ingenious idea. They never seem to close as firmly as regular doors, but maybe that's not a concern. In such a small space I'd suggest the simplest possible shower stall: clean white tiles (like those brick-shaped tiles called subway tiles, perhaps?) and a clear, frameless shower door. With new polished nickel shower head and faucets. Then maybe set off all that clean white with a color you love on the walls? (I just tried something like this in mine, with leaf green, no surprise.)

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Indianapolis, Ind.: Are kitchen tiles pretty much required on the walls above counter tops and below cabinets? Esp. for resale. Toured some lovely 'cottagey' homes (vintage 30s) and struck by how many didn't have tile. We're doing a kitchen remodel. Have refaced cabinets, added granite countertops. Plan 18" x 18" travertine floor tiles and store urges us to put 16X16" travertine tiles to completely fill wall space. They say extra work to cut tiles down too costly and hard. So I began to wonder if 16x16 looks good and if drywalling there better. Drywaller can save us $400. My style traditional - Southern low country, European country cross.

Belle Elving: It is nice to have a surface that can stand up to splatters and cleaning, but there are lots of alternatives to tile. If you have any granite left over, you can continue that as a backplash. Mirrors can look smashing there, and are very cost effective. Or maybe bead board, if you like the country look?

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Vienna, Va.: I have a brand new condo with creamy beige walls. All of my bedroom furniture is white and the carpet is grey/beige. It's so plain! I'm considering painting the walls, but it would be a shame since the paint is new and looks nice in general. But is there a paint color that wouldn't look too shocking with white furniture, or alternatively, window dressing or another way I could add color to the room without painting the walls? Thanks!

Belle Elving: Color on the walls would definitely set off your white furniture and pale carpet. Or even just on one wall, to see how you like it. And if the condo is new the walls are probably in pristine shape, so they'd be very easy to paint. I'm reluctant to suggest a color, because it totally depends on what you like. Look at some magazines. Go to some stores where they've got furniture arranged in room settings, and see what background colors you like. I'm a strong color advocate. You can always always go back to creamy beige.

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Milwaukee, Wisc.: Re: Window treatments- Can floor to ceiling drapes be used in a room with crown moldings? What would you recommend? Thanks!

Belle Elving: absolutely! Look at the pictures in any home magazine. Floor to ceiling draperies are always greatlooking, and very popular right now. More and more stores and online sites sell really lovely ready-made panels, so the investment is more manageable too. One trick to notice: extending the curtain rod beyond the windows, to make them appear wider.

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Fairfax, Va.: Hi! I actually have two questions. First, other than yellows or purples, what are other gender neutral colors are there for a nursery? Second, is wallpaper coming back in style? Would it be okay to use some type of textured wallpaper in a master bedroom?

Thanks

Belle Elving: gender-neutral color? guess what my answer is: green. pale, lovely leafy green, with crisp white trim. But seriously, I don't think colors have genders. ... And wallpaper is showing up more often, and there are really fresh (and strippable, scrubbable) patterns to choose from. Textured wallpaper in the master bedroom sounds great... maybe like a pretty linen look?,

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Since you asked...: Decorating challenges that apartment dwellers deal with include not being allowed to paint or change light fixtures, acres of beige wall-to-wall carpet, the absence (or near absence) of a foyer, few walls unbroken by windows or doors, and few if any architectural highlights (such as crown molding, archways, and built-in shelves), to name just a few.

Belle Elving: I'm going to print this out, as a reminder of these widely shared challenges to apartment. One source we provide every week is our House Calls feature, which often deals with furniture arrangement, creating an entryway, double-duty furnishings. I hope you find some inspirations there.

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Harrisonburg, Va.: My daughter is interested in becoming an interior decorator. Are there schools or training for that? What advice would you give her if she were your daughter?

Belle Elving: There are lots of terrific design schools, including Parsons, Pratt, the Rhode Island School of Design and University of Texas at Austin, to name just a few. There are strong programs around here, too, including programs at Maryland Community College and courses offered at the Corcoran Museum. I'd encourage my own daughter to get a basic liberal arts college background, with an emphasis on arts, and then pursue a design degree.

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Green in Reston, Va.: I love green too! I have a sagey bathroom, yellowy-green kitchen, lily green bedroom (etc.) I need to paint my living room which has a high vaulted (20 ft.) ceiling (so its hard to paint). The greens I love all seem a little too casual. Any suggestions on a good shade of green that's a little more classy (but not too formal) for the living room? Furniture is all off-white (with green pillows and throws) and dark espresso colored wood.

Belle Elving: If you love sagey-green, then you're probably already familiar with the shades of sycamore green and sage green that Restoration Hardware has made so popular. The only down side is it has become so ubiquitous. But if you haven't seen it, you can check it out in the chain's catalogues and on the walls of the Georgetown store. Would look smashing with the furnishings you describe.

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RE: Baby Colors: We just painted our nursery Sherman Williams' Lacewing (light green) with extra white high gloss trim. It looks fantastic. However, I would say almost any bright, light solid with white trim would be a nice gender neutral color. I can't think of one that wouldn't. Go for your favorite, I'd say.

Belle Elving: I'm with you. that sounds really lovely.

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Washington, D.C.: We are going to put our house on the market after labor day and have a question about interior painting. We have brightly painted rooms--the living room is a (more subdued) cherry red, the dining room a (more subdued) mango orange, the sunroom a light Venetian yellow and the kitchen a Baltic blue. The house was originally all the light yellow (all door and window frames are painted white but have original 1924 flower detail) and the kitchen was that Baltic blue. Our agent is pressuring us to paint over some if not all of the rooms except for the red room. I think it will be boring and not show the charm of the house. Obviously, we love our house but felt it was time to move into a better school district. In today's market, do you think she is right and that we may turn some potential buyers off with the bright rooms?

Belle Elving: color enthusiast that I am, I hate to say I have to agree with your realtor. If prospective buyers fall for the charm of your house as you see it, even the Baltic blue won't put them off. but in this slowing market, I'd be on the safe side and tone down at least on of the spaces. good luck.

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South Riding, Va.: When should someone consider hiring a interior designer to furnish the 'empty' rooms (formal living, dining rms)?

Thanks.

Belle Elving: I'd say consider hiring a designer when you've lived in the house long enough to get a sense of how you want to change it: what to emphasize, what to change, where do you spend the most time. And it would save a lot of time (And money) if you have a pretty good idea of what you like before you call someone in. Then working with a designer can be a smart and even cost-effective way to go.

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Belle Elving: Thanks, everyone, for writing in. It's always great to hear what reader's really care about, and want more of from our section. Feel free to write anytime, and I look forward to chatting with you again soon.

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