Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza
Washington Post Home Staff
Thursday, July 3, 2008
11:00 AM
Every week, writers from the Washington Post Home Section talk 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 Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza take on all things home related. They were online taking questions Thursday, July 3.
A transcript follows.
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Wine Bottles: We have two wine bottles that we saved from our engagement. In addition to them being special from the occasion, they are very good vintages. We'd like to keep the bottles and do something with them -- but we have no idea what to do. In the past we've peeled off the labels, but we'd rather not do that this time. Do you or the chatters have any ideas what we can do with the bottles in a decorative way?
Jura Koncius: What a neat idea! Have you thought about having them made into lamps? I have seen champagne bottles used that way. You could use them as vases - hmmm any creative thoughts out there - we are having a few technical difficulties this morning and we apologize!!!
Jura Koncius: Let's try again.
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washingtonpost.com: Sorry for the delay, chatters. Home Front will be up in a few...
Jura Koncius: YIKES hang in there.
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NW North Dakota: A poster last week asked if anyone had experience with Dry-Lock product for water proofing. Our arts center, an older building in our town, used it on the basement walls and it's been great. Recommend it.
Jura Koncius: Thanks North Dakota!
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Derwood, Md.: Good morning. Just when I felt that there was no way to compromise between my husband's desire for a dark color in our powder room and my desire for a soft color instead, I read about your tip on metallic paint. So I went looking at Ralph Lauren's Regent Metallic line and fell in love. I'm trying to decide between Moss and Turquoise Sea. They are perfect -- soft, yet rich. I am so pleased!
So with a metallic paint, what color would you recommend for the baseboards and crown molding? And how should I treat the door and door trim? Should we/can we paint them the same color as the wall to make them disappear? Should we paint them to match the baseboards? Should we paint the door like the walls and the trim to match the baseboards? And what do you suggest for the ceiling? HELP!!!!!
Thanks!
Jura Koncius: I think painting the door and trim the same color as the wall is a good idea. I would do the rest of the trim and the ceilings in Decorators White by BM.
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Arlington, Va.: I always enjoy the house calls feature. Do you know if some of the people have implemented the recommended designs?
Terri Sapienza: Hi, Arlington. Actually, it's funny that you should ask. We recently had a former House Calls participant contact us to say that she had followed the designers advice and redone her entire room. We're planning on running a follow-up story about it soon.
We would love to hear from other House Calls participants that have followed the decorators advice. So, if you're out there, contact us and send us "after" pictures.
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Austin: Hello! Porch decorating question for you two. I have a screen porch that is currently empty. Patio furniture is so expensive and I haven't found a lot that I like. I prefer a vintage modern look. Do you have any ideas of alternatives? Can I use indoor furniture at all? It is exposed to outdoor air of course but isn't exposed to rain, and it isn't very humid here. Bonus would be using craigslist finds rather than buy new for economic reasons. Thanks!
Terri Sapienza: Before resorting to indoor furniture, I would scour consignment shops, flea markets and Craigslist for outdoor pieces, repainting if necessary.
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Soft Pumpkin Patch Blues in Maryland: Please, please, please help me with a pumpkin paint question. I need a slightly less orange, slightly less dark color than BM's Soft Pumpkin. I have a 2x2 foot Soft Pumpkin patch painted on my family room wall and it is not quite right. I really need to fix this before my husband frames the patch and calls it art. Thanks! Love your chats.
Terri Sapienza: Do you have white trim in the room? If so, try mixing a little of the trim color paint in with the pumpkin. Keep adding until you get the lightness desired. Or, look at the BM fan deck and check out the colors above the pumpkin you already have.
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Adams Morgan, D.C.: I have a bank of three large windows in my living room, with a nice cornice spanning all three. I'd like to hang sheers on a rod inside the cornice, but I cannot figure out what type of curtain rod to use. Are there rods that are attached from above, rather than screwed into the walls on the sides? Can I find one rod or two rods that span 6-7 feet? Something inexpensive will do, because you won't see them. Thanks for your two cents!
Jura Koncius: Have you thought about using tension rods?
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The Forgotten Room: Good morning, I enjoy your house calls, "before and after." How does one go about getting a makeover? I have a small room that I would like to turn into a office/woman cave. A place where I can get away from my spouse and be one with my books. I have a few ideas, but I don't know where to start. How can I apply?
Terri Sapienza: If you want to apply to House Calls, send your name and contact information with photos of the problem room to home@washpost.com and in the subject line, put "house calls". Thanks!
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House Calls: I wish the designers would draw in where the lamp cords go. Does the one on the table between the two chairs go through the carpet somehow?
Jura Koncius: That's a very good question. Lamp cords are a huge problem in a room and can also be a safety hazard. We will try to ask the designer what she had in mind and get back to you.
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Lusby, Md.: I'm about to buy the place I have been renting. I'm very excited to not only have my first place but to remodel and upgrade the house as I see fit. It's a modest house -- a rambler. I want to replace the kitchen appliances with black appliances or should I go for stainless steel? Red will be my accent color in my kitchen, I think the red would really pop with the black. In a few years, will the black be dated like white appliances are now? Thanks ladies!!
Jura Koncius: Stainless or black are both good choices. I feel that black has become a basic and not a fashion color in appliances. since you'll be living there for a while, choose something you like. Both are good choices.
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Baltimore: We recently purchased a 1930's all brick traditional home with bland white shutters. We would love to paint them, but can't figure out what color would work best. Do you have any recommendations? The shutters aren't original; they are plastic. Can they even be painted?
Jura Koncius: You should be able to paint them. I would recommend BM White Dove.
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Alexandria, Va.: Good morning and thank you for taking our questions. Do you or the chatters have any thoughts about mirrored cocktail tables? I am trying to brighten up our living room, but am not sure whether they're a passing fad (Neiman Marcus has all their mirrored tables on sale) or a pain in the neck to keep clean or versatile enough to go with our furniture which is not art deco. Thanks for any information you can provide.
Terri Sapienza: Rather than worrying about whether the mirrored tables are a passing fad, I would instead think about whether it's something that you will tire of after awhile or you will like for a long time. It's more important that you purchase furniture that you will like for a long time rather than purchase furniture that other people will like. If it's something that you will always like, then it will never go out of style.
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Washington, D.C.: I am moving 2 blocks away soon. I'm looking for movers and don't have much stuff, so I hate to pay a fortune for it. Friends and family from out of town recommend "Two Men and a Truck" but they don't have it here in D.C. Are there comparable companies folks have used and recommend?
Terri Sapienza: Anyone have any suggestions?
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How do things have to match? Del Mar, Calif.: How closely does an upstairs hall bath have to "match" its surrounding bedrooms, hall, etc.? Is it okay for it to have a life of its own, or should it coordinate with a guest room across the hall, or even the hall itself? I have a yucky mint green bath I want to re-paint. I am fairly flexible. While I am at it, does the same "rule" apply to downstairs powder rooms? Thank you. I have been reading you for a long time. D.C. friends clued me into your chat.
Terri Sapienza: If you'd like your guest bath to have a life of its own, go for it. Because this is a space that's not used very often, I think it's okay to go as bold as you want in this bathroom. And don't worry about coordinating with the surrounding rooms. This is a place to have a little fun if that's what you want.
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Arlington, Va.: We're looking for a new kitchen/dining room table. Not interested in anything formal -- we only have one eating area in our small house, we have little kids, and we don't "entertain." Any ideas? The table we have now is small and cheapo.
Jura Koncius: I was just at Belfort Furniture in Dulles, Virginia. They have a very large selection of kitchen tables in all sizes and heights. I suggest you go out there.
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House calls question: What's the price and brand of the two chairs in today's House Calls? I've noticed quite a few "offline" items that are not priced out (custom made room dividers a week or two ago) that would seem to add quite a few $ to the total cost.
Jura Koncius: Please send an email to home@washpost.com. Kat will answer your questions.
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Frederick, Md.: Another front door question. Red brick house, white shutters, white garage doors, white front door (currently). I want to spice things up, and I know you often recommend blue as a color for front doors, but I'm not a "blue" person. My living room colors (door opens directly into living room) are greens, golds, brick reds. Any suggestions? Garage doors are new, so no change option there -- but I might think of also replacing the shutters soon.
Jura Koncius: I painted mine Old Glory Blue and I love it. But, you could do BM Suntan Yellow or Amber Waves, which is more of a creamy tan.
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Fells Point, Md.: Does full-spectrum paint (e.g., Ellen Kennon) live up to the hype? I live in a rowhouse with one north-facing window in the living room. I want to brighten and warm things up but I'm having trouble finding the right color because of the lighting (e.g., yellows and golds can look either green or brown). My walls are a patchwork of paint samples and I still haven't found a color that I like. Before I invest any more money on paint samples, do you think that the pricey full-spectrum paint will be better than regular paint to address my lighting issues?
Terri Sapienza: I personally have used a full-spectrum paint and I really like it. But that doesn't necessarily mean it will be better for your situation than regular paint. I would suggest that if you would like to try a full-spectrum paint, before shelling out the money on a whole gallon, buy some paint samples and put them on the walls next to the regular paint to see if you notice any significant difference.
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Washington, DC: I need suggestions for a paint color for our small living room. Right now we have C2 Linger, and it's too light. the furniture is camel-colored (we've gotten new furniture since we first painted). I'm thinking a slate blue-gray, but I don't want to go too dark -- the room gets poor sunlight. It adjoins a room with Silver Sage, so nothing in the green family. Suggestions or other ideas?
Jura Koncius: Here's two suggestions: BM Thunder Cloud Grey or Shadow Grey.
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Dupont Circle: Do your chatsters have any tips for cleaning grout in a bathtub? I spent an hour scrubbing it with bleach until my knuckles were raw and some spots just wouldn't get clean. I was tempted to use caulk to hide the spots!
Terri Sapienza: Chatters? Ideas?
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Columbia, Md.: Hello, Could you please recommend a paint color for my home office? The adjoining living room is Netsuke by Sherwin Williams (a khaki color). I am looking for a warm color in the salmon color family. I prefer Behr paints. Thanks so much
Jura Koncius: Summer Melo by Benjamin Moore is a great color. Unfortunately, I don't have my Behr paint deck with me, but if you sign on next week we'll give you a Behr color. I'm on vacation in Mystic this week.
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Richmond, VA: I have a small 1/2 bath on my first floor. I am considering switching the door for a pocket door. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this? The bathroom is rather small and the door almost hits the vanity (I'm replacing that, anyway). Is there some kind of hardware for the pocket door that is easier to use, especially as we get older? Thanks.
Jura Koncius: I'm not a big fan of pocket doors. They look unfinished and would not be good for resale. Give it a lot of thought before you take out a real door to put in a pocket door.
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Mirrored furniture: I saw on of the TV design shows, one designer was saying not to use mirrored furniture in areas with high traffic. If it gets banged around or gets lots of use, she said the mirror tends to start looking old fast.
Jura Koncius: Thanks for the tip.
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RE: Wine Bottles: There are places (online) that will melt the bottels down into a cheese tray...looks pretty cool
Jura Koncius: Great idea.
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Movers: Have the college kids left town? Try a bulletin board at GMU or NOVA
Jura Koncius: Good call...I'm sure they could use the money.
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Great Falls, Va.: A comment for Austin and her screened in porch -- check at Target and KMart (Martha Stewart collection) for great pieces of outdoor furniture that can work individually instead of the entire set. The furniture is well priced and suited for the outdoors -- our screened in porch still gets mold/mildew -- so the outdoor fabric is most important. Great outdoor rugs are available now that make the space even more comfortable. Our cats love it out there!
Jura Koncius: It's probably very affordable, too.
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Clifton, Va.: Vacuum cleaners
Dyson works best. Filter is washable. Hoover's, Miele have HEPAs which cost $70 or more. I hate bags but then I have two rough collies and during shedding season would fill up three bags on each level. Dyson is the best at picking up pet hair and last the longest. My bro had a Panasonic which he placed with a Dyson. He has a Malinios. All my herding friends have Dysons.
Jura Koncius: Good plug for Dyson.
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Washington, D.C.: Mirrored cocktail tables. As a toddler, I slipped on the hardwood floor in the living room and cut a huge gash in my neck on the edge of a square glass covered cocktail table. I still have the scar. Just a thought.
Jura Koncius: Thanks for the warning. I think we've all had some childhood coffee/cocktail table trauma.
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Two men and a truck: Was operating in DC recently -- is she sure? I used them and was satisfied. Great Scott also does moves that friends of mine were happy with.
Jura Koncius: There you go!
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Arlington, Va.: Arlington Kitchen table seeker, try Solid Oak and Cherry Gallery in Alexandria behind Marlo Furniture off of 395. They are having a big July 4th sale right now. Also try the Chair Shop on the other side of the complex.
Jura Koncius: Thanks for the tip ... good timing.
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Cleaning Grout: Kaboom works wonders -- but we always follow up with Lysol or some other disinfectant.
Jura Koncius: Thanks.
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Jura Koncius: From Terri at the beach in Maryland and from me in Connecticut, we hope you have a great Fourth of July! We're sorry for the technical problems this week, but we'll be back in our offices next Thursday to answer your questions.
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