Home Front: Front Door Colors, Curtain Sources, Wallpaper Installation Tips, Non-Themed Nursery Linens and more

Home Front is an online conversation between two Washington Post Home Section writers and their readers about the best way to feather the nest. Every week, Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza help you in your quest to achieve domestic bliss. They were online Thursday, October 30.

A transcript follows.

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

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Terri Sapienza: Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us today. Let's chat...

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Jura Koncius: Hi - just wanted to bring something to your attention from a question from last week. I got a message from an employee at Mount Vernon reminding me that they indeed do have their own collection of paint colors, for the person who was looking for a Mount Vernon-like shade. Duron Paints has a Mount Vernon Estate Colors line. And this 120-color collection has nearly 30 colors reproduced directly from the mansion's interior - while 90 others are inspired by Washington's estate. Find more info at www.duron.com. They are gorgeous colors indeed.

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Florida: We're painting our dark kitchen cabinets white. Is there a particularly good shade of white for this? I've heard White Dove from BM is one. I'd appreciate other suggestions as well. Should the finish be satin, eggshell, semigloss?

Jura Koncius: Yes. Also Decorators White and Winter White by BM are good. You should use semi-gloss.

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Terri Sapienza: Before I begin with your questions, I have a question for you. During my interview with Jonathan Adler for my orange story, he mentioned that he and his partner, Simon Doonan, painted the front door to one of their homes orange. While an orange front door is a little too crazy for me, I have been recently considering painting our front door a pretty Robin's Egg blue (it's currently black). So my question to you guys is: what color is your front door? Would love to know.

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Vienna, VA: Hi, I am decorating a nursery and am finding it is hard to find good "un-themed" nursery bedding. Do you know of any good online resources for finding more modern, subdued bedding? Thanks

Jura Koncius: Have you tried Restoration Hardware? They have a really tailored crisp line for babies that is new. www.poshtots.com. Any other ideas out there from you mommies?

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Orange works!!!: We have our pumpkins outside and they look great. In our formal dining room, I use a light orange bedsheet and layer it with a lace tablecloth. With orange candles, mini-pumpkins, and a fall centerpiece, the feel of fall is easy.

Jura Koncius: I have a Palladian Blue pumpkin in my dining room, which is Palladian Blue.

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Decorating with orange: Nice article on my favorite color. I'd love to paint my office (or at least one wall) a nice vibrant orange -- I think it would be very energizing. Unfortunately, my carpet is sort of a rose-fuchsia color and I think that would clash terribly. (The carpet was there when we bought the house so don't blame me for that one.)

washingtonpost.com: Orange You Ready For a Jolt of Happiness? (Post Home Section, Oct. 30)

Terri Sapienza: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the story. Orange is such a cheery color and would be great in an office space. But I have to agree with you on the clashing with your carpeting color issue. Bummer.

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NoVa: I'm sorry to be negative Nellie, but today's House Calls was really lame. She just recovered the existing furniture and then placed it even more awkwardly in the room.

Why would you move the couch in front of the picture window and add that screen to the corner to further block the view? It looked like she just threw something together with no thought. I guess you get what you pay for with this one.

That room had such potential, the redesign was a disservice. Her tiny explanation was further proof of the lack of effort.

washingtonpost.com: Hey there, This is Kat Hom, writer for House Calls. Thanks for the feedback. The homeowner this week really wanted to keep her furniture, especially the sofa, so that constrained the designer this week. The designer used some really fun fabrics to punch up the room and tie everything together. Appreciate the opinions and love to hear the feedback!

Terri Sapienza: We'll let House Calls columnist, Kat Hom, reply to this one personally...

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Door Color: Our front door is Colonial Blue to match the shutters. House and deck are a light gray and trim is white.

Terri Sapienza: Oh, that sounds really nice. I love the blue/gray/white color combo.

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Oak Park, Ill.: Hi Jura and Terri,

I would so appreciate some of your expert paint color guidance! We're doing an overhaul of a smallish full bath in our townhouse -- white subway tile, white octagonal floor tile, white vanity, white carrara marble vanity top and chrome fixtures. No windows, but plenty of incandescent lighting. I'd love to find a gray paint that's not going to look icy with all that white and chrome -- do you have any suggestions? Thanks very much!

Jura Koncius: Icy gray. Let's see - Benjamin Moore's Stonington Gray is neat. Shoji White by Duron is also a possibility.

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Fairfax Va.: I have a small hallway bath with laminate vanity top. I want to replace the top but keep the bottom which is in a decent shape. I know I can get a granite or Corian top from Home Depot or Lowe's. Is this too small of a job to go to custom stone places? The top needs to be about 25 feet wide.

Terri Sapienza: You might want to try the stone places first and see if they have any pieces left over from bigger jobs or pieces that are flawed. If they have any, you'll probably get it for a great deal.

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McLean, Va.: We recently completed an addition that has a lot of windows, and we are ready to put in blinds/shades. Budget Blinds showed us a product that we liked that is from the Kathy Ireland line of AltaVista -- which the sales guy said is the "budget" wing of Hunter Douglas.

We would appreciate any info or feedback you or our fellow chatters may have about any of these companies or products, including any experience or info in dealing with Budget Blinds.

Terri Sapienza: I don't have any personal experience with Budget Blinds. Can anyone else chime in?

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Great Falls: My husband wants to build a built-in in his "man room." How hard are they to do yourself? If they are really difficult, we're talking two cabinets and a few shelves in an already-existing nook, who should I look for to build one for us?

Jura Koncius: What will he store in these shelves in his Man Room? Hmmm. Anyway, you can go to a place like Ikea and buy off the rack shelves or cabinets and have a carpenter install them -and they could look almost custom. Or you could have a carpenter build them. Also some places like Closet Stretchers and Closet Factory can build some in for you. You can find a carpenter through your local listserv or your local hardware store.

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Towson, MD: I painted my front door a bright Royal blue (the house is white with black shutters). I really wanted it to pop when viewed from the street, but unfortunately the screen door dulls the effect.

Terri Sapienza: Also a nice color combo. But rats about the screen door! Though having a screen door is nice. I wish we had one on our front door.

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Arlington, VA: Please help! I'm trying to go for a Provence theme in my guest bedroom/office. I painted the walls Behr's Manhattan Mist because I was going for a grayish lavender but it may be too gray. I have a full size bed and an antique dark wood dresser but I don't know what kind of headboard, window treatments, bedding, desk, area rug (I have dark wood floors) and art I should buy. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

Jura Koncius: I don't think of Manhattan Mist as a Provencal color! Go to www.pierredeux.com and look at some of their color combinations. Pale lavender would evoke the color of the wonderful lavender that is grown there and you might then use that as a base with pale green, lavender and cream. Otherwise, the colors of Provence usually begin with a mustard yellow and sometimes include cornflower blue and red.

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Re vanity top:25 feet is a HUGE vanity and definitely not considered a small job. If he/she meant 25 inches, looking for a remnant is the way to go.

Jura Koncius: I agree.

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Front Door: Ours is Hearthrob by SW. Bright Red.

Terri Sapienza: Nice choice!

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Crystal City, VA: My front door is a colonial red. In my development we are limited to the 'colonial' shades. (Barf!) With the color of brick on my house, turquoise would be stunning!

Terri Sapienza: Yeah, that color restriction is pretty lame - sorry. I agree, I think a turquoise door sounds fantastic.

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Jura Koncius: Regarding Halloween, my neighborhood isn't as decorated as I remember in past years. Have you all noticed that too? Do you think it's the economy?

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washingtonpost.com: Here's another question from Kat: Have chatters stumbled on some really awesome Halloween decor this season? Or are their houses really decked out for some spooky fun on Friday?

Terri Sapienza: Here's a question from Kat (it's nice to have her joining us today, isn't it?)...

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Paint ?: I have a small living room that has tan walls and a leather sofa. There is a bookcase/built-in on the other side of the room. Could I paint the built-in a different color than white? Do you suggest painting the walls inside the bookshelf a contrasting color?

Jura Koncius: You didn't tell us what color the walls are in the room. If you have white trim in the room, I would suggest painting the bookshelf white also. As for painting the back of the shelves, it's not a favorite look of mine. Plus, most of the back should be covered with books, no?

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Terri Sapienza: For the person in search of a nice yellow, a designer friend of mine often recommends Duron's Tea Biscuit.

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Washington, NC: Have learned from you ladies and readers that yellows are notoriously difficult to choose. I need a light yellow for a sunny dining room. The room flows into a living room that will probably be painted a Manchester Tan. The dining room furniture is mahogany.

Would love to narrow the choices. Thanks for your help.

Jura Koncius: How about Benjamin Moore Golden Honey or Duron's Lantern Light.

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Alexandria, Va: I'm in the process of winterizing my condo. I have the frost king window shrink wraps. I used them last year and taped them to the wall with masking tape in addition to the double sided tape in the kit.

The masking tape took off the paint when we peeled it off in the spring.

Is there a tape out there that won't do this?

Jura Koncius: That's a tricky question. On former chats we've discussed using the special blue painter's tape which supposedly does not leave any stick stuff behind. But some people have said that on occasion, it also lifts up paint if you leave it on too long. If you are leaving these shrink wraps up for several months, you are risking the tape becoming too adhered to your paint surfaces. If the double sided tape that comes with the kit seems to work better, why don't you just stick to that to be safe?

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RE: Budget Blinds: I have dealt with Budget Blinds in Richmond and it worked out beautifully. They were polite and professional, arrived exactly on time, took measurements and showed me their samples. It took a few weeks to get the products, but that was no big deal. I have one of the Kathy Ireland brand honeycomb shades in a bathroom and it is fine--I've had it for three years.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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budget blinds: Hi. I have purchased from Budget Blinds as has my sister-in-law. We both picked up and installed ourselves. Everything was fine and as promised. For price comparison you may also want to try www.americanblinds.com - same products, no delivery charges. No issues with either company.

Jura Koncius: Thank you too.

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Negative Nellie again: Well, that explains it then. I wish you would have included that in the write up so that we would have known about the limitations she had. Thanks for the explanation!

washingtonpost.com: Space constraints, alas. - Kat

Jura Koncius: Glad to help.

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Tacky? in Centreville...: Love your column! We need to replace our toilet, sink and vanity. We have a beige tub and tile. Would it look really bad to have a white toilet and sink? I hate to perpetuate the pinky beige. The walls are cream and the shower curtain has tan and white stripes. We'll also be putting in a (white?) tile floor and a dark wood vanity.

Terri Sapienza: I think the new white fixtures would add a fresh and crispness to all the pink/beige that's going on in there. And it sounds as if your existing curtain would fit right in with the new color scheme. My recommendation: add a little color with towels and accesories. With the beige and white color scheme, you could pick just about anything.

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Virginia: How hard is putting up wallpaper that is not pre-pasted? I purchased this fabulous wallpaper from Restoration Hardware at a great price however it is not pre-pasted. Should I give it a go or hire someone? If it helps, it's just a stripe and not a crazy pattern. Thanks.

Jura Koncius: That question could have a million answers. Personally, I would not put it up myself because I would not be satisfied with my skills. If you saved money on the paper, why not pay someone to put it up right? Wallpaper can last for years if properly applied. What would you out there suggest to Virginia?

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi Terri--

My front door is purply/magenta, contrasting with the blue-gray siding, aged brick and white trim. It's a hint of the purples to come, inside and upstairs...

Terri Sapienza: Oh, I like the idea of your door being a hint of what's inside - very intriguing! So, now you must tell: what other purples do you have inside? And where?

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Hartford, Conn.: Do you have an opinion of sheers on a traverse rod with a valance in a sunny, cathedral ceiling living room? Sound too old fashioned for a French provencal style home? Antique dining room furniture in attached room. Thanks.

Jura Koncius: It does sound a bit old fashioned. I'm not a fan of valances. Why not go for unlined silk in a Provencal color? Floor to ceiling. There are so many off-the-rack panels available now at reasonable prices.

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My cube: We bought a house that has its original 1971 window treatments, so we're desperately in need of new stuff. Any idea where to buy nice curtains without going broke? A friend recommended Smith and Noble but it'd cost us $250 per SMALL bathroom window.

Terri Sapienza: Many designers suggest buying panels from retail chains (PB, West Elm, Ikea, Restoration Hardware), then adding your own tape trim to the edges to make them look custom.

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No decorations: We had vandals last night. Splattered pumpkins all over the development. This has happened in previous years, so these pumpkins weren't ours. We did get a broken window from a thrown rock. We suspect kids (the throwing arms needed to inflict this much damage suggest the local high school's football stars).

Jura Koncius: Oh dear. So sorry.

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Jura Koncius: Speaking of vandals, can you believe that recently someone stole a huge stone off our stone wall and also stole the nozzle off of our garden hose?!

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Beige tub and tile: You can have these refinished in white. It looks great and is cheaper than replacing them. Then you won't be constrained by the beige at all.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Yellow with Manchester Tan.: My living room is painted Benjamin Moore's Weston Flax and adjoins a hallway with Manchester Tan. They work well together. (Manchester Tan seems to match everything, though!)

Terri Sapienza: A suggestion for yellow paint with Manchester Tan.

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Fairfield, Conn.: We needed a smaller piece of granite for our laundry room sink area. We checked out remnants at the place that was cutting the granite for our kitchen counter and found a beautiful piece for $10/sq. ft. A lot cheaper than the kitchen counter...

Terri Sapienza: What a score! If you want granite for a small space, looking for a remnant is always a great idea.

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Woodbridge, Va.: Hi! Love the chats!! Can you recommend a color (towels, rugs, shower curtain) for a Jack and Jill bath (two rooms share one bath)? The two rooms are opposing colors (one is burgundy/gold and the other pinks and florals). Many thanks!!!!

Jura Koncius: Hmm. Sounds like a boy and a girl. I might go with cream towels with burgundy monograms. Do a burgundy rug and a cream shower curtain with a burgundy stripe.

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Bethesda, Md.: I have 3 shades of grayish-purple: lightest in kitchen, darkest in dining room, and middle shade in living room. Changes are subtle, so some notice, and others don't. I always like more drama in the dining room. Been using and loving purples for 8-9 years, way before this current trend.

Jura Koncius: You should tell us the three shades. Sounds like a neat idea. Grayish-purple seems to be a paint color on people's minds these days!

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cube curtains: Countrycurtains.com is reasonably priced for the person changing out 1971 window treatments. There is also a Country Curtains store near the mall in Annapolis. Lots of choices.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Glen Allen, Va.: My doors are all Duron Farmhouse Red, as are the shutters. The house itself is Duron Stone Lion.

Terri Sapienza: A nice gray and red combo.

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Vandals: Someone recently stole a political sign from our front yard (the sign endorsed one of the presidential candidates). This happened to my in-laws, too, who live around the corner (and who support the same candidate). It's fine if you don't agree with my politics, but leave my stuff alone! I don't go steal the other guy's signs. Sheesh.

Jura Koncius: You are so right.

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Enterprise, Ala.: We have put up wallborder that was not prepasted - I would not do it again. It was hard to get up and worse to take back down.

Jura Koncius: I'm with you, Enterprise.

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Poppy red/orange wall: I painted one wall in my LR/DR a poppy red/orange. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

Terri Sapienza: How fun!

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Falls Church: Our front door is a lovely Terra Cotta-y color as is the trim -- the house is a caramelly color, the trim matches the door. I never thought about a different color for the trim! But it looks great anyway!

Terri Sapienza: Oh, that sounds lovely...

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Springfield, Va.: I'm thinking about upgrading to plantation shutters or wood blinds. What do you think about the faux wood shutters or blinds? Any recommendations for local companies, or should I just set up appointments and go by price? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Faux wood is very popular these days and it is often hard to tell apart from real wood. We had some blinds companies mentioned earlier. Next Day Blinds is also a popular company which has very good service.

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Silver Spring: I have a yellow brick facade with rust shutters and a bright red door. I love it.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Fairfax VA: Unthemed nursery bedding.

I hate that stuff too. Most major retailers have linens that are not themed as well as their Disney-Nickelodeon ick stuff. Also, you might find stuff at IKEA and online (where you can find ANYTHING). And of course you can hire a seamstress if you want your things custom made and can't or don't wish to do it yourself.

Terri Sapienza: Here's some advice for nursery bedding. Some other ideas: John Robshaw has some very cool crib sets (www.johnrobshaw.com), as does Dwell Studio (www.dwellstudio.com).

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Washington D.C.: I have noticed a few photos of claw foot tubs with both a shower attachment and wall or ceiling shower add-ons but no shower curtain. Is it possible to take a shower in a claw foot tub without a shower curtain and not flood the bathroom? I'd love to ditch my shower curtain.

Vienna can google serena and lilly linens and dwellstudio.

Jura Koncius: This is indeed an unusual question. I remember showering in quaint European hotels and trying not to splash, since they seem to have an aversion to shower curtains. I do not have a claw foot tub in my home, but I can't imagine how you could shower daily without a curtain, unless you had a drain in the center of the floor. Any claw foot tub people out there?

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RE: Negative Nellie again: Kat is too polite. It was mentioned in the write up.

washingtonpost.com: Kat is very polite. - Elizabeth

Jura Koncius: Kat is extremely polite and that is one of the qualities we love best about her!!! But don't get me wrong, she is candid and very observant!

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Reston, Va.: Your favorite: a white paint question! Just moved into a new house, where all the walls/trim are painted in some version of "antique white" -- I am used to bright white trim... but won't be painting all the antique walls, at least not right away, and definitely not the 11' ceilings. Would it be bad to have painted walls, white trim, antique ceiling? Is white trim with antique walls odd looking, too? If it is, can you recommend a brighter white trim that wouldn't look like a botched paint job?

Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: I think painting the trim with a different and brighter white than the ceiling and walls would be nice. Sounds like there is too much of the same color going on. Benjamin Moore's White Dove is a popular trim choice, so is BM's Ivory White.

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Curtain Source: JCPenney is great for curtains - and they do have the "buy one get one for a penny" or "buy one get one half off" type of sales if you watch for them.

Terri Sapienza: a curtain source...

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Dupont Circle, D.C.: I am finally moving into my condo in a few weeks! WOO HOO! There are several changes I want to make before I move in, and I would LOVE your opinions...

1- I want to change the countertops to eco-friendly Icestone... does anyone have any experience with this material? Durability, maintenance, etc.?

2- I want to paint the walls (currently a drab brown color) to a light yellowish off white color, something that will brighten up the small space... any suggestions? I'm having trouble finding something that's not TOO yellow.

Thanks! I look forward to these chats every week!

Jura Koncius: Any Icestone users out there?

As for the pale yellow, that's a good choice to brighten up a room. Drab brown sounds really boring. What about Behr's Opal Cream or Rich Cream? Pale Moon by Benjamin Moore is also nice.

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Baltimore, Md.: Any recommendation for a tree trimmer in Baltimore?

Jura Koncius: Anyone?

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Wallpaper: I did one wall with anaglypta (paintable wallpaper) and it was not pre-pasted. It can be done but you sure need an extra pair of hands.

Jura Koncius: And patience. Lots of it.

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my front door: is SW Roycroft Copper (the siding is almond, shutters taupe, roof weathered wood brown)

Terri Sapienza: Nice!

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Baltimore: I put paper that was not prepasted in a front hall myself. It was not difficult and still looks good after 10 years. Not in any hurry to do it again, though.

Jura Koncius: I have a small upstairs bathroom that has had the same wallpaper for 15 years.

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Central Virginia: We have a mahogany front door (wood finish... can't get my husband to consider a paint) that needs to be refinished -- hopefully before winter really sets in. I'd like to get a storm/screen door to help protect it and to also use when we want more light in the foyer, or a breeze on nice days. Where can we find classic styled storm doors that would look nice on a Georgian style home? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: I have a beautiful Chippendale wood storm door that I bought at TW Perry in Chevy Chase. In Central Virginia, I don't know any sources but do we have chatters out there who might suggest a place? Look at www.vintagedoors.com. A friend of mine is replacing his front door and the company he is using told him that it's not a good idea to put a storm door on a southern facing door, as it will build up heat inside and cause the paint to peel. Do you think this is true?

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Between two red houses: Looking for an exterior paint color for my tiny D.C. row house. Both attached neighbors are red (one brick one painted) and my porch is black iron. Any suggestions? We were thinking Gray/Blue. BM paint is best.

Terri Sapienza: I'm partial to BM's Sail Cloth as an exterior color, which would actually look great with your existing black iron porch.

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Fairfax: Don't do the non-pre-pasted paper yourself. It's tricky at first, so unless it's for a very small area that won't kill you if you have to get it off (a mess) you might not want to take the chance. A professional will do it in a fraction of the time and without making a big mess. You might want to reconsider the whole project as well before you start. Is the paper actual paper or vinyl? Paper can be papered over if it is perfectly applied, but it you see yourself removing it in a few years, that can be another major nightmare of you having steamed or shredded-off paper wallpaper.

Jura Koncius: All good thoughts. Thanks for writing in.

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claw foot tub w/no curtain: This is a great question - anyone see the current issue of Domino mag, w/the feature of the gorgeous NYC apt. owned by J.Crew's creative director? I can't for the life of me figure out the bathroom, which features a claw-foot tub w/shower on the wall, no curtain, and newly installed vintage wood floor w/large gaps that make the floor look v. old. Perhaps they want the shower water to run over the floor to further vintage-ize it? I thought it looked odd and can't imagine doing that... unless I had tons of money to replace the floor frequently.

washingtonpost.com: Jenna Lyons' bathroom (Domino Magazine)

Jura Koncius: Ha! That is hysterical. You are right. Sometimes these magazines show lifestyles that are impossible to recreate!

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Shower curtain: I used a bathtub without a shower curtain in Italy. I think the rest of the bathroom got wetter than I did! (It didn't help that the only two settings were freezing cold and boiling hot.)

washingtonpost.com: I have friends in Paris with a handheld shower sprayer and no curtain. I always just sit down so as not to risk getting water everywhere! The French have so many secrets. - Elizabeth

Jura Koncius: The French INDEED have so many secrets. Like how they stay so thin while eating all that great bread and cheese. Sigh. Meanwhile, sitting down in those French tubs is a real challenge and my hair never gets very clean.

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stunning front doors: In Centreville, Md, there are two old houses whose front door colors I love. One house has white siding and dark green shutters. The front door is geranium pink, and they put pots of pink geraniums along the front of the porch in season. The other house has weathered brown-black cedar shingle siding. The front door surround is a deep cream and the door itself is turquoise. Fabulous!

Jura Koncius: It's fun to look at the colors of the doors when you drive through a neighborhood!

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Rockville, Md.: Our basement family room has a large (70" w x 57" h) sliding window that begins right at the ceiling (no moulding or frame). Any thoughts on (1) what type of window covering might work well to allow light in while disguising the view of the underside of the deck; AND (2) suspending it from ceiling drywall vs. beyond the sides of the window?

Terri Sapienza: How about a natural woven shade? If you don't get a privacy liner on the back, it will let in some natural light, even when it's pulled down. If you go that route, I think I would install it from the ceiling, if possible.

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Prepasted wallpaper: The real question is not whether the wallpaper is prepasted but whether it is strippable. Strippable wallpaper is (relatively) easy to remove, whether or not prepasted. Non-strippable is very difficult to remove. Even if wallpaper is prepasted, professional paperhangers often prefer to hang the paper with wallpaper paste.

Jura Koncius: Ah yes.

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Front Royal, VA: For a tree trimmer in Baltimore (or anywhere for that matter), look for a Certified Arborist to make sure that your tree is trimmed in a manner that will not result in undue harm to the tree or its health. One way to find an arborist is to consult the website of the International Society of Arboriculture; on it you can enter your zip code and find a list of all Certified Arborists in your area.

Terri Sapienza: Thanks!

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yellowish off-white for DuPont: Behr's Cancun Sand (310-E) looks lovely in my living room.

Terri Sapienza: Great color tip, thanks!

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Painting front doors: All of this talk about front doors has me thinking about repainting mine (from a weird grey-green to black). What type of paint to use though? We have a storm door, so it's not exposed to the elements. semi-gloss, indoor/outdoor?

Jura Koncius: Semi-gloss is good.

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Jura Koncius: Has anyone been to NEST on Connecticut Ave.?

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blackboard painting an entire room: While we're on the subject of Jenna Lyons's gorgeous apt., she painted her son's bedroom walls in blackboard paint. Anyone else ever do this? It seems like this would soak up every single drop of light?

Jura Koncius: I think one wall in blackboard paint would be nice - not all four.

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Terri Sapienza: That's all for today. Thanks for joining us and for sharing your front door colors - very inspiring!

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