Annie Groer and Jura Koncius
Washington Post Home Staff
Thursday, May 15, 2008; 11:00 AM

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 a variety of how-to help.

Staff writers Annie Groer and Jura Koncius take on all things home related. Jura was online taking questions Thursday, May 15.

A transcript follows.

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

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Jura Koncius: Hi. Ready to go to the Beach? We'll have a great Memorial day advance issue next week. Meanwhile, read all the dirt about sheets today in the HOME section. Annie has fled to Santa Fe. Good for her! So I'm alone. Let's get going.

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Sunnyvale, Calif.: I'm allergic to dust mites and am looking for stylish and coordinated bed linens (duvet covers, bed skirts, pillow shams) that I can wash. I favor a more traditional type of style. Can you suggest West Coast or national sources for these types of products? Thx!

Jura Koncius: I love Yves de Lorme. Check out their website at www.yvesdelorme.com. They have lots of stores in California too from San Diego to Carmel. Their French designs are sophisticated and beautiful and they change colors and patterns in the spring and fall that mix with their solids.

What other online sources for bed linens do you guys know about? We will also post today's story on thread counts for you.

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Potomac, Md.:3rd Time's a Charm? Can you please throw this out there to the readers if you guys don't know? I am looking for carpeting for my master bedroom and am looking for a reliable carpet installer (good prices, choices, and installation) in the Rockville/Potomac/Bethesda area.

Thank you!

Jura Koncius: We recently did a story on decorator Barry Dixon of Warrenton. One of his favorite carpet sources is Floor Gallery, 12108 Wilkins Ave., in Rockville 301 468-1550. www.thefloorgallery.com.

Any other thoughts?

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washingtonpost.com: Cheat Sheets? (Post Home Section, May 15)

Jura Koncius: Here it is!

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Vienna, Va.: We are debating the best choice of ceiling fans for our living room, which has a slightly vaulted ceiling. Is it better to match the fan to the color of the ceiling (white, duh) or will it show dust too much? Also, have you seen any great-looking ceiling fans anywhere that we might not have thought of? We want something sleek, maybe reminiscent of a wind turbine, since we get electricity from wind power.

Jura Koncius: What a cool idea. Fan Fair on 2233 Wisconsin Ave. NW in DC has a great selection. www.fanfair.com. Also Restoration Hardware.

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Jura Koncius: How are the flooded basements out there? we had a flood and had to throw out a lot of bad area rugs that has landed in our basement over the years. The water came in from a clogged drain and I think a big from the foundation. We have a cement floor down there thank goodness. Want to save one Oriental, but we dried it in the sun and now it smells. Hmmm. I really don't want to pay for cleaning, so maybe we will try and wash it ourselves with soap and water - its sort of used and not too great looking and we thought we'd save it for our son's college apartment someday. Other than that, we used our AC and dehumidifier to help dry things up down there. Any other tips from you flood victims? Hope we don't get too much rain this weekend...

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Holly Springs, N.C.: Not a question, just a comment. I lived in the DC area for many years and had visited antique stores in Frederick, Md. and other places and found great bargains in furniture. Since moving to N.C., I have found a mahogany desk for my computer, a mahogany dresser for my spare bedroom, a plant stand, an end table, and a knick knack shelf, all at antique stores. They are solid wood, reasonably priced and much better quality than what I've seen in stores. So much of the furniture today will only fit in very large rooms that most of us don't have. So for people looking for solid quality furniture, check out the antique stores. The stuff might only be from the 40s or 50s, but it's solid wood, not laminate and can be incorporated into many decors.

Jura Koncius: You are so right! Thanks for posting this.

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Richmond, Va.: How do folks get those expensive cotton sheets unwrinkled? I know these busy folks don't IRON their sheets! I just don't get the obsession with expensive cotton sheets, wrinkles and all. I'd rather have a little poly to keep them crisp and wrinkle free. What am I not getting?

washingtonpost.com: Cheat Sheets? (Post Home Section, May 15)

Jura Koncius: The feel.

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Austin, Tex.: Please please help settle something with me and my spouse. Minted Ice by Behr in a mid to small size guest bathroom. Good idea or mistake? No window, travertine floor, espresso vanity. If mistake, can you suggest something else? Thanks!!

Jura Koncius: Love it.

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Fairfax, Va: Hi, I have a sliding glass door in the master bedroom of a house I just purchased and the noise from the birds outside in the morning is very annoying (I'm a night owl). Is there something besides heavy curtains that I can apply to muffle the noise coming through the glass doors? Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Wow. This is something we struggle with as well as we live near Rock Creek Park. We can't believe the sounds! You could try white noise - you can use a fan put on high or buy a white noise machine. But birds sounds would be hard to muffle out with heavy draperies.

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Arlington, Va.: I need a new rug! I like the look of sisal rugs, but was cautioned by a friend that they can be hard to clean (spills get stuck down in the fibers)--I have two young children, so am looking for something kid-friendly. What about wool sisal rugs? (what are those anyway? Just wool rugs made to look like sisal?) Any other ideas for rugs? What about stores I should be looking at?

Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Many people love sisal and say it's great with children or pets. Frankly, I don't think it's great with pets and you'll never get a ring off of a hairball stain - I have sisal in my son's room and it has stains that never come out. Woven seagrass is sometimes preferred because it has more texture and doesn't show stains as well. Wool sisal has the texture of the woven fiber, but is made of wool which can be easily cleaned. This may be a good bet for you if you want that look. www.capelrugs.com is a good place to look. The rugs at West Elm and Crate & Barrel are also nice. Ikea sometimes has unusual and good looking rugs. Don't discount Orientals - they are very forgiving of stains and last a long time!

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The feel: Overrated. meh, I'd rather feel crisp sheets than soft sheets.

In the summer, crisp feels cool.

In the winter, I go for toasty flannel.

Jura Koncius: The feel from moi: I love soft sheets all year round. I hate flannel. But I also like the old Wamsutta all cotton, no sizing sheets I have in my guest room. They used to have them in Garnet Hill. Very, very crisp pure cotton.

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expensive cotton sheets: The feel, definitely. And they are cooler. Sheets that aren't all cotton make me sweaty at night.

Jura Koncius: Me too.

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Mass.: What are good colors to paint bathrooms with a Tuscan look?

Jura Koncius: Sort of mustardy yellow or a terracotta color. What about Benjamin Moore's Suntan Yellow or Adobe Dust.

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washingtonpost.com: Bonus Home Section Chat Today! Home's Liz Seymour and professional organizer Caitlin Shear offer advice on getting everything all straightened up around the house. 1 p.m. right here at washingtonpost.com...

Jura Koncius: Yes! Don't miss this. Didn't you love the photo of Liz in her attic in the HOME section today? That looks exactly like my attic and I think anyone with storage spaces that have been dumping grounds for stuff should check this out!

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no sympathy: anyone who pays $200 for sheets and complains has only themselves to blame. Come on people, they're sheets, and you're ASLEEP! Lets get some perspective. If you worry that they're not worth the money, it's cuz THEY NOT WORTH THE MONEY! The consumer is at fault for overpaying and supporting a falsely high market for the snob appeal. The emperor is NOT wearing any clothes and you're a fool and a sheep for paying $200 for bed sheets.

Jura Koncius: I feel that way about $300 purses.

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Office furniture ideas: Just wanted to throw this idea out there. I recently moved to a college town and the university there has a surplus warehouse where they sell office furniture (and other stuff) from the university lecture rooms and offices that are being refurbished.

We bought a beautiful mahogany desk, an oak desk, a library table, and some filing cabinets all for under $50.00. Some friends bought several glass-fronted bookcases (we missed those, unfortunately).

So folks might want to check out the local universities and colleges to see if they have a similar operation. It's a great resource.

Jura Koncius: I LOVE glass fronted bookcases. What a super idea. I know that there are places in Charlottesville that sell a lot of student stuff and university cast-offs. Don't know about DC. Does anyone?

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Washington, D.C.: A few weeks ago, a Post article said to kill dust mites one needs to wash your sheets on hot water ("warm water is only giving them a bath"). Today, the Home Section is saying one should only wash sheets in warm. Whose advice should we follow?

washingtonpost.com: Cheat Sheets? (Post Home Section, May 15)

Jura Koncius: If you have dust mites,or suspect them, use hot. Hot water will just wear your sheets down faster than warm.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I've thought a lot about ceiling fans over the years. I used to have really ugly fans with fake dark wood blades in my living room. They produced an annoying strobe effect when both the fan and the light were on.

If your ceiling is white and you go for a white blade and body, the fan will disappear. But I don't think that's the look the chatter wanted.

If you want that high-tech, "wind turbine" look, go for brushed aluminum -- but keep it light to avoid the strobing. If you get an annoying strobe effect, you may wish to paint your ceiling a mid-tone grey or something deeper than a standard, decorator white.

We actually kept our old fans in the living room and changed out the blades to a lighter woodgrain. We painted the ceiling the same shade of deep cream as the walls and while the fan blades disappear a bit, the body and the light fixture still stand out. It's a nice, happy medium.

Jura Koncius: Glad you are happy. Thanks for the tips.

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re: rugs at West Elm: I have a wool/cotton dhurrie rug from West Elm in my living room, and it cleans very easily. My cat vomits on it about once per week, and I can't believe how easily it comes off!

Jura Koncius: I have a West Elm rug that has been trashed by my cat as well. I attest to it's cleanability. It is wool.

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wash that oriental!: Yes! For Pete's sake, wash that rug with a solution of mild soapy water and hose it off. Then let it dry in the sun. You can use a soft brush for the shampoo.

Good luck! Now for a quick question: We have tried to keep the same color scheme everywhere and used only solid colors on all upholstered furniture and curtains, shades, etc. Patterns are only in artwork and rugs.

Trying to get a calm but interesting look of combination French antiques and modern. Is this TOO quiet or should we branch out a bit more?

Thanks for any advice from you or your savvy readers!!

Jura Koncius: Why not add a small upholstered chair in a small check, stripe, floral or print. Too many solids could be a bit boring. Pillows, throws, slipcovers are all ways to add some texture and pattern.

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Boston, Mass.: Love the look of Tuscan in a house, but do not want to attempt the textured painting. Is there a way to have this warm look with paint without doing the textured paint?

Jura Koncius: There seems to be a Tuscan thing going on today. I think a terrracotta color would be a way to go Tuscan without having to do expensive faux finishing, unless you are adept at doing this yourself. You might think about a Ralph Lauren specialty paint such as Ranchitos Red or Clay Red.

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Silver Spring, Md: Wrinkled sheets? Isn't that why they made bed covers?

Jura Koncius: Hmm.

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Arlington: Please help, gurus and posters. I must clean up my home office and need a large and stylish filing cabinet - at least 8 drawers. Ballard Design has a console I love and can come with a fabulous bookcase unit, but the drawers don't have locks! I really want to lock my info away. Any resource ideas? The cost isn't an object - I've got to get this stuff organized. Thanks!

washingtonpost.com: Good thing there is a chat today on home organizing...

Jura Koncius: We will have to check this out. Meanwhile, do you all have any ideas? Or is there a way to put locks on this Ballard thing you love?

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Takoma Park: Help! I accidentally marked my couch with a permanent marker. The line is about 2 1/2 inches long. Does anyone know of a way I can remove it? Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Oops! That's why they call it PERMANENT. Ugh. I got black Sharpie on my favorite nightgown the other day. I sprayed it immediately with Spray 'n Wash and washed it and some of it did come out. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works on some of these, but you'd have to test it on an out of the way place on the sofa. You could try a cleaning service or www.furnituremedic.com.

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Atlanta: Any experience in buying bathroom vanities from Overstock.com? I have champagne tastes but don't live in a neighborhood that supports it so I'm looking for sources of high quality items but at clearance prices (I may need to sell and would like to get most of my money back if I do). Any other thoughts for places to go?

Jura Koncius: Overstock.com seems to be a favorite with chatters here.

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Ceiling fans: We just installed a Concept 1 by Minka Aire ceiling fan and it looks and works great - 3 sleek blades and a 100 watt halogen covered bulb (and comes with a plate to cover the light if you don't want to use it). Comes in a couple of different finishes - we got white - and both 44" and 52" spans. Reasonably priced, and widely available online and at the The Great Indoors. Very easy install too! I'm planning on getting the Minka Aire Airus for our master bedroom. Also take a look at Modern Fan Co - many very sleek modern designs. Any quality brand of ceiling fan can be installed without an adaptor up to about a 30 degree slope and with an adaptor to 45 degrees.

Jura Koncius: Good for you. We have two Minka air fans that we love. Go to www.minkausa.com.

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Alexandria, Va: I didn't understand need for high thread count sheets, until I got a set, 400, but higher than I was used to. I love them. Funny thing is my cat never laid on my old sheets. Now she waits until I get up and slips right into my spot. The cat has good taste.

Jura Koncius: Cats love Martha Stewart's mattress topping featherbed... they do have good taste.

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Office furniture ideas, again: I also wanted to add that these places are like thrift stores -- you have to keep going back to see what's new.

I was very sorry to miss the glass-fronted bookcases because I've been looking for some for years -- zut, alors!

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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University Park, Md.: Bedroom help, please! The walls are kind of a dark seafoam, with white trim and ceiling. We used an aqua Ralph Lauren floral (with a little pink) for curtains and a chair/ottoman. The coverlet and shams are aqua matelasse. Now, what sort of dust ruffle should we look for? And what kind of rug for the hardwood floor? Thanks, ladies!

Jura Koncius: I might do a cream/white dust ruffle as there are a lot of colors and prints going on. Or find a solid color from your floral to do for the dust ruffle. You might do a solid cream/white wool rug with a border in your floral colors.

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Not so FAN-tastic: The website for Fanfair is Fanfairdc.com, and it only lists the location and hours, just so you know! (Also shopping for cool fans...)

Jura Koncius: thanks

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Jura Koncius: Looking ahead. We want to do a great Fourth of July entertaining issue. Do you know of friends who have a great bash every year to celebrate Independence Day? We would love to hear about their tips and traditions. Please email at home@washpost.com.

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Takoma Park, Md.: In a horrible twist of fate, our basement got a dual hit. The plumber was there to fix a leak, but the pipe exploded after he left, and the walls started to seep because of the rain. Fortunately, he had fixed our basement drain a couple of years ago when we had a July rain that flooded the basement. I THINK we have all the reasonable fixes done now. The dehumidifier has been on for almost a week now. Nothing of value was damaged. On the bright side, the basement was reorganized and cleaned!

Jura Koncius: My condolences. There is nothing like a flood to get you to declutter your basement! Tossing out sopping wet shopping bags and boxes of stuff is so satisfying.

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"Insider" sheet info: Shared a long flight a few years back with an executive in the textile industry. He was celebrating a deal and after a few glasses of champagne, really opened up about the business.

Long story short, there is no consistency in the manufacture/labeling of high thread count sheets. He said "it's all in the hand (your hand)" and that your satisfaction is simply dependent on your own sleep experience.

He compared today's towel/sheet business more to ladies' fashions, i.e. it's a lot of marketing and there are quality "anomalies".

Jura Koncius: Don't you just LOVE IT when you sit next to someone fascinating on a plane ride. And a few glasses of champagne does make it more fun... Thanks for that.

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Atlanta bathroom vanity: I work with Grohe and they just introduced two new collections of faucets and fixtures that still have the class and luxury feel of Grohe - and the great performance, but at an affordable cost. It's no overstock, but you do have the guarantee of Grohe quality.

Jura Koncius: We will have to check this out.

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Boonsboro, Md.: A truly different paint question:

I broke down and hired painters to do my two story foyer, and had my father-in-law keep an eye on them - I could not be there. I gave the painters the wrong color number, and now my foyer is orange. Think Sunkist.

Can I just pay to repaint, or can I embrace the orangeness of it somehow?

Jura Koncius: Wow. This is very valuable info for all of us. Do not leave relatives in charge of painting. Now as for the orange, it is a cheerful color. It's retro. You have the right attitude - try and embrace it. But don't invest in too much furniture to go with it.

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Annandale, Va.: Water damage question.

Our basement had some seepage that appears to come up through the concrete floor of an addition that was added 15 years ago.

I'm planning on painting it with Behr waterproof paint and then want to install new flooring.

Current carpet was ruined, is there a good indoor/outdoor we could get?

Would Pergo go on a floor like this (can it withstand water)? Room is playroom for child, future bedroom.

thanks!

Jura Koncius: Families all over town are making decisions like you. One plumber told a friend of mine that storms like this are once in 25 years. So if you love wall to wall, put it back in and hope you'll be living somewhere else when THE BIG ONE comes again! My editor just put in FLOR carpet tiles and she reports that when they got wet, she took them out and is drying them outdoors and plans to reinstall them. Sometimes painting your concrete and then just using area rugs is cheaper in the long rug if water is a more frequent visitor to your basement.

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sleeping in wrinkles: Can't beat the nice sheets! They feel so refreshing in the summer, so soft year round. I've never felt the need to iron them -- they feel just as great wrinkled.

Jura Koncius: Wrinkle free living isn't all that great.

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Ink stains: Rubbing alcohol is the best for getting out ink stains. Apply in small amounts and soak up the stain with a white rag or those cosmetic cotton pads, moving them as soon as they get any ink on them. Don't rub, just press the stain. If you're patient, this will get out most ink stains. I've never had a problem with it changing the fabric color, but of course you should check first in an inconspicuous area.

Jura Koncius: thanks for that

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For Arlington person looking for a rug...: I can't speak highly enough about how great my not that new but still spotless Flor rug is in my family room. So far it has survived numerous sleepovers with pizza, snacks and sodas and even a hot chocolate spill that went undisclosed to me until it was dry. Just like the ads say you just pull out the relevant squares and wash them in the sink - WOW. They really came clean. Love, love, love FLOR! Hope that's helpful to those looking for rugs.

Jura Koncius: This is truly helpful. Thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: My grandmother loves china. She collected it for decades and has sizeable collections of many different patterns and makers. Now she's moving into assisted living and could frankly use the money. While some of it will definitely remain in the family, there's a lot left over. How do I go about getting it appraised, finding a dealer, selling it? She lives in Detroit. Thanks!

Jura Koncius: The fact that she lives in Detroit makes this is a bit harder. You should try and get a list of everything she has and all the makers and numbers of pieces. Check out the values by Googling it and going on eBay. Replacements.com is another place you can check values of pieces = they will buy china, but you probably won't get as much as you would selling it yourself. You can try posting in a classified ad or on Craigslist or putting it in a local auction.

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Grohe collections: I meant to add - the collections are called Eurosmart and Concetto.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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D.C.: Some of the walls in various rooms in my house have some small scuff marks -- if I only paint over just those marks (and I use the exact same paint color and brand that was originally used), will the new paint blend in with the old, or will it be obvious what I've done?

Jura Koncius: It probably won't look too good!

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College Park:"Jura Koncius: I LOVE glass fronted bookcases. What a super idea. I know that there are places in Charlottesville that sell a lot of student stuff and university cast-offs. Don't know about DC. Does anyone?"

Yes -- University of Maryland has a surplus place on Paint Branch Parkway, near the College Park Metro stop. See http://www.purchase.umd.edu/ttrader/for more info. I got several things there a while back for less money than I would have paid elsewhere for a single piece.

Jura Koncius: Fabulous insider tip. Thanks so much.

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Clarksburg, Md.: Regarding good sheets: I have a couple of sets of Sferra sheets which are divine. I iron my pillow cases, and just the turnback of the top sheet. The ten minutes it takes me are worth it for the softness and how lovely the bed looks.

Jura Koncius: Nice to do something for yourself that feels so good.

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Sheets: Liked the article on sheets!

In response to the reader who asked about wrinkled sheets - I usually iron just my pillow cases. If I am feeling ambitious, I wait until my little one heads to bed and then I set up the ironing board in front of the TV and iron and watch TV. I almost always press the sheets in my guest room. Pressed cotton sheets are truly a luxury. I have fond memories of the bed linens at my grandmother's home - washed, line dried and ironed. I'd love to line dry my sheets but am afraid they'd disappear from my backyard...

Jura Koncius: Stealing sheets is disgusting!

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sharpies: Pure alcohol will dissolve almost all "permanent" markers, even Sharpies. So try rubbing alcohol to see if it removes the color of the fabric underneath in an out of the way spot, if not then it will be ok to remove the Sharpie. Soak alcohol and then blot with pure white paper towels (designs will bleed with alcohol).

Jura Koncius: Good to know.

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Paint question: I have a home office with sort of magenta carpeting. Eventually this will get replaced with a wood floor, but not for a while so I'm stuck with this carpet (not a color I would have chosen). I really don't like white walls, but do I have any other options with such a strong carpet color?

Jura Koncius: You know, a mango color would look very cool with magenta. (What were those carpet buyers thinking?) I like Funky Fruit by Benjamin Moore. White is always safe...

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Indian bath towel: My friend from India has these towels for people that are like giant dish towels, in these great plaids. He said that is what real Madras towels are like, and they work better for drying you than fluffy terry towels called Madras towels. Actually this makes a lot of sense, because would you use a hand-size bath terry towel to dry a wet dish? No, obviously you would use a dish towel because the hand towel would leave streaks. So the giant dish towel should dry people better, too. But when I asked where I could get some in this country, he didn't know. What would you try?

Jura Koncius: Help! We need a source for giant dish towels! I love this idea.

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For scuffs on walls: Mr Clean Magic Eraser! Takes off a little paint, but probably less noticeable than painting over the marks

Jura Koncius: Mr. Clean again...

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Paint scuffs: I'd trying using one of those Mr. Clean magic erasers before trying to do touch up paint. I've used them in my foyer and stairways where my husband has managed to leave scuffs from banging his gym bag against the walls.

Jura Koncius: Another..

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Scuff marks: If the scuffs aren't too big, try Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. I used it when I was moving out of my old (rented) apartment. The landlord was so happy that I kept the place clean - I don't think he noticed the walls at all.

Jura Koncius: This stuff must be good.

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Pergo floor for damage: Hi! I work with Pergo, and in the case of water damage - Pergo is a great and easy option to replace your flooring fast, but be sure it won't be installed in an area where it would be continually exposed to water. If you've solved the seepage problem, then Pergo is a great option.

Jura Koncius: I was afraid of that...

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Scuffs on walls: Don't paint over them. Use Magic Eraser (no affiliation) to remove them! Just be careful not to rub too hard, especially if your walls are dark, as they can remove some paint.

Jura Koncius: more tips

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Lake Ridge, Va.: I am looking for someone who can repair a woodburning fireplace. I am new to the area and wondering if anyone has had any luck with a local company. And no... we don't want to convert to gas, for all the work we still love a 'real' fire. Thanks!

Jura Koncius: I'm not sure what you mean by repair... chimney sweeps can help with a lot of fireplace issues. In the past, our chatters have loved Olde Londontowne Chimney Sweeps at 301-718-2875.

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McLean, Va.: Since so many people seem to be fans of Flor tiles, here's another question. We are redoing an area of the basement with the hopes of turning it into the place where teenage son and friends want to hang out and play video games. It has an old tile floor that I want to cover with Flor tiles or other carpet. The Flor website says you can't use padding under the tiles. Do the Flor tiles create a soft enough floor that people will be comfortable sitting on it? Thanks for any feedback on the comfort level!

Jura Koncius: Padding?

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Painting Over Scuff Marks etc.: While I don't really like flat paint because it can't be washed easily, my husband has been doing painting over scuffs and other marks for the past two years (his version of helping me get ready for company) with the builder off-white paint and you cannot see the touch ups. In fact, we were told the builder uses flat so they can do their own touch ups without repainting entire walls!

Jura Koncius: How thoughtful.

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Chicago, Ill.: Oprah changes her sheets every day and has them ironed too.

Jura Koncius: Thank you for sharing.

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Curtains: Last week you suggested that I look at Target for curtains, and I did and found just what I needed. They have a good selection of colors, fabrics and rods. The department was a bit disorganized, but I was able to dig around and find what I needed. Thank you!

Jura Koncius: Glad it worked out. I love the new Washington Target on 14th St.

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Jura Koncius: I typed as fast as I could but I missed my pal Annie today. Enjoy going outside before the rains come back. The Washington gardens are at their best this time of year. And the yard sale season is in full swing. So get out there and see what you can discover.

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washingtonpost.com: Once again, for more Home Section advice today, check out the chat on home organizing at 1 p.m. ET

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