Home Front: Pot Racks and Piddly Dogs

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. This week they talk about favorite movie-set homes, and check out a new D.C. restaurant with green-friendly food and design. Jura was online Thursday, February 19 at 11:00 a.m. ET.

The transcript follows.

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

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Jura Koncius: Good morning! Terri is on assignment in Massachusetts today - lucky her - and I'm here to chat.

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Falls Church, Va.: Can you make any suggestions shampooing/cleaning furniture, such as couches and chairs? Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Not sure if you want to do this yourself. Servicemaster is the largest firm that does this in our region I think. Also check out www.christophersinc.net - Christophers is a high end furniture, fabric and carpet cleaning service that designers like.

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Jura Koncius: Hey everyone. Did you see the article Shift in China Policy in the Home section today? Check it out. And send in photos of your own china. Break it out this weekend and take a photo and share it with us. www.washingtonpost.com/home is where to send it.

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Alexandria, Va.: I purchased a bench to put at the end of my bed. At the moment it is a gaudy gold, I want to paint it and replace the fabric. The bench is basically wrought iron and has graceful, almost Queen Ann legs. My bed is a black four poster. My bedroom is very neutral as I like to change the bedding colors frequently. I can't decide if something metallic would work or just plain old paint. Love your chats!

Jura Koncius: Silver metallic would be nice. Or black.

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Washington, D.C.: Good morning! Thank you for chatting and your wonderful articles. I loved the Blair House piece--fascinating! My question: I'm looking to purchase a very contemporary living room wall unit for a large-screen television that will also provide storage and display space. Thus far, the only designers/manufacturers that I've liked have been French or Italian. This is a major investment for me and I want to be certain that I'm covering all the bases. Can you please recommend any American designers that I've overlooked and what stores I should be going to? In the past, I liked the items at CIA, but that company is no longer in business. Thank you very much.

washingtonpost.com: Where History Meets Hospitality 119 Rooms, Decades of VIP Guests. Welcome to Blair House, Obama Family.

Jura Koncius: Thanks. Blair House is a fascinating place and I hope to do more on it in the future. Have you considered having a carpenter come in and build a custom piece for you? I hear prices are much better on work like this in this economy. Century Furniture has great wall units. Also check out Ethan Allen and Drexel Heritage.

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Pot racks: My husband really wants to hang a pot rack in our kitchen. He argues it will increase our limited storage. I think it would look stupid, because our kitchen is quite small and our skillets and pots are not lovely burnished copper but are rather more utilitarian. Do you use pot racks? Can you please advise on other storage options?

We do cook in our kitchen every night.

Jura Koncius: I am not personally a huge fan of pot racks. I feel that pots are not decorative accessories. Also, I'm not willing to scrub the pots so they shine every time I use them. I have a pot drawer which I love - a deep drawer that all my pots fit in. How do you all feel about pot racks? My mom has beautiful copper pans and she keeps them on hooks on the side of her kitchen and she cooks a lot. She loves the look of copper.

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Charlottesville, Va.: Hi Ladies, a rather unpleasant subject, but maybe you or readers can help. We are trying to redo our kitchen floor, but we unfortunately have a dog that occasionally (translate that to mean often) has accidents. I know laminate is out of the question, but I was thinking of some kind of vinyl or ceramic tile, or what would you suggest that is the most waterproof? I'm up for all options except for getting rid of our dog. He's too sweet otherwise. Thanks

Jura Koncius: You love your dog and you want to have a nice kitchen floor. It should be possible, right? I think vinyl or ceramic tile is your best bet because you can wash it often with soap or whatever without worrying that it will damage your floor. I have a cat who luckily doesn't go outside his box. But are there dog owners out there who can help our friend in Charlottesville???

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for Washington DC : The person who likes the Italian and French pieces might want to go to a custom cabinet shop to get a TV cabinet built. It might be cheaper, and could be built to fit, and finished just as they like.

Jura Koncius: Yes. I agree.

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Alexandria, Va: Is there a store in the D.C. area that sells architectural surplus?

Jura Koncius: Yes. Brass Knob Back Doors Warehouse. www.thebrassknob.com. 57 N St. NW 202 265-0587.

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Leesburg, Va.: I enjoyed the article today about china. I love china, I have been to Stoke-on-Trent to the potteries and I couldn't settle on one pattern I thought I would still love in 20, 30 years. I did not register for china when I got married, instead I registered for Pillivuyt dinnerware and I really like it. I have bought accent pieces from lots of other patterns and It always looks good. I can also display the accent pieces which include teapots, platters, a lovely covered vegetable dish, instead of stacks of china in my cabinet. And if something breaks, which has never happened -- that stuff is durable -- it's not too expensive to replace.

washingtonpost.com: A Shift in China Policy

Jura Koncius: Interesting story. My problem is storage. I wish I had all my dishes stacked in a butler's pantry with glass doors. There just isn't room for all my stuff.

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What slowdown?: In my Arlington neighborhood, there is an astonishing amount of construction, be it renovation, addition, or new building going on. We have contemplated bumping our our kitchen/converting our sunroom to a four-season room, but wonder if this truly is a good time. Have other chatters really found their calls are being returned these days, and bids are more aggressive than in the past?

Any tips on this process would be helpful. It's so much money, I am afraid to take the plunge in this economy. But then again, it seems like the time to act. Thanks!!

Jura Koncius: Yes. You are right. In this economy, we hear it is easier to find a builder and remodeler. And prices are more competitive. I did a story on this last week interviewing an executive at Case Design/Remodeling. Hopefully we can post that in a minute. Have others out there had experiences they could share?

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Washington, D.C.: Can you recommend a soft, light paint color for a basement if you're trying to keep it from looking dark and small? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: What about Pale Straw from Benjamin Moore?

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For the dog problem: Train the dog! Get him a crate, only let him out when it's time to "do his duty." He should be housetrained within a week. Otherwise, take him to a vet.

Jura Koncius: Here is some advice...

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washingtonpost.com: New Model For the Remodel Business Projects Are Smaller, Cheaper in Downturn (Post, Feb. 12)

Jura Koncius: Here is my interview with Bill Millholland, executive vice president of CASE.

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Re: pot racks: I am not a fan, especially if your house in open concept or you often have people in your kitchen with you. If you have a large utilitarian kitchen, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. To me, they are just dust catchers you could whack your head on. But, it sounds as if the writer has a storage problem. I wonder what other options we might suggest to her. Mine is probably not so helpful: if you have problems storing yourpots, maybe you need to get rid of some of them, and just invest in a few really high quality pots.

Jura Koncius: Your advice is really great common sense. And love the concept of dust catchers you whack your head on!!!

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Re: kitchen floor & dog: Vinyl is a pretty nasty substance, environmentally speaking, so can we recommend linoleum or marmoleum instead? I think it cleans just as well.

Jura Koncius: Sure.

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Pretty yellow for a nursery?: Hi we are looking for a pretty yellow for a future nursery. Any suggestions? We prefer to go with Benjamin Moore, something like Provence Creme. Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Funny, I just suggested the color above Provence Creme on the Benjamin Moore fan deck (Pale Straw) for a basement a minute ago. Provence Creme is a relly nice sunny color without being too bright. Nice choice.

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Alexandria, Va.: I think pot racks are a great space saver. I put up an IKEA rack over the stove -- there's no range hood so that space was otherwise unused. I can't fathom having to fit all of those pots and pans in the already-stuffed drawers and cabinets in my minuscule kitchen. I couldn't care less that my pots are -- gasp! -- not copper or stainless. (The horror!) I'm not trying to impress anyone. Shouldn't function trump form in the kitchen, of all places?!

Jura Koncius: Your ideas also make great sense.I guess there are two kinds of people in this world -the function ones and the form ones!

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Expo design reports?: I'm wondering if you or a chatter has been out to the going-out-of business sale at Expo Design Center -- I had some good luck there redoing a bathroom and I'm wondering if I should make the return hike to check it out one final time. Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Last week someone reported that the discounts weren't that deep yet. Has anyone been there this week?

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No. Va.: A chatter mentioned stacks of china in the cabinet . . . glad to hear I am not alone in wondering why people do that. They take a gorgeous china cabinet and then load it up with a stack of plates, teetering teacups, etc. I put all the stacks underneath or in the kitchen and just have the beautiful large pieces (and crystal) behind the glass doors. Who wants to look at a stack of plates anyway?

Have you been getting photos from Valentine's day?

Jura Koncius: Teetering stacks of plates are not great looking. In my two glass fronted cabinets - I have wine glasses and other goblets and crystal tumblers lined up - they aren't particularly gorgeous looking, but they are convenient to use. On the other side, I must admit I have crammed in platters, bowls, pitchers and small serving pieces. Some are stacked dangerously. They look messy. I need to clean this up. My china is in quilted bags on a high shelf. What do you all do?

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Pot Racks: I have always hated pot racks - why in the world would you want something hanging in the middle of your ceiling with things that look like weapons hanging from them? But I have to admit that for storage problems, if the pot rack is one of those half-circle shapes hanging on a wall instead of from the ceiling, I guess they're not too bad...

Jura Koncius: Glad I had some in my camp on pot racks!

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From last week's discussion: I didn't get a chance to participate in last week's discussion regarding good area contractors, and I wanted to share my experience.

Richard's Construction (based out of Virginia) has renovated two bathrooms of mine, plus turned our 1950s-style rambler into a huge great room, complete with totally new kitchen (in the span of seven years). I have never experienced a more professional, polite construction team. Even their subcontractors maintained a level of professionalism that was above and beyond.

This past summer we renovated our master bath, which included reducing the bathroom down to studs and replacing the original plumbing. During this time my daughter was home, writing her dissertation. Nearly every night she'd comment on how nice and neat the workers were -- they swept up after themselves EVERY DAY, worked efficiently, and when laying tile, lent her a pair of earphones to block out the sound of tile- cutting.

I have recommended Richards to all of my family and friends... I do not have a single bad word to say about them. The quality of their work is unbelievable. So if anyone in the Virginia area is looking to renovate, give them a call. I have never been more pleased with a contractor!

Jura Koncius: They sound wonderful. Can you share contact info with us - phone numbers, websites, email?

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Washington, D.C.: For Falls Church - I've had great luck with Clean & Shine. They have done both upholstery and rugs -- also free pick up and delivery.

Jura Koncius: Great to know. I have added them to our list here too.

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Richmond, Va.: Technically I don't have a pot rack, which I think of as a ceiling mounted item, but I did put up IKEA Grundtal stainless steel bars on the wall, and my Revereware hangs on hooks. As far as keeping the copper shiny, Bar Keeper's Friend is your, umm, friend.

Jura Koncius: Bar Keepers Friend! Wonder why they call it that! I also have Revereware and I love it - it was my mom's.

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woodworking furniture maker: I have used this person in Silver Spring:Heiler Fine Woodworking

He's done great work!

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Pot Racks: Is despise too strong a word? Sorry. Pet peeve of mine.

Jura Koncius: I'm with you.

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Curling Iron Burn Mark: HELP! I have a burn mark from a curling iron on my cultured porcelain bathroom vanity. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove the mark?

Jura Koncius: Wow. That is horrible. I had a friend who left a curling iron in her bed just before a party. People piled their coats on it and it burned through all of them. UGH!!! It was an insurance nightmare and could have been a fire! Meanwhile, this sounds like a bad burn - could one of those Bathtub reglazers help you? Does anyone have any other ideas?

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Richmond, Va.: Sometimes, if your dog is older it's hard to train them. I had an older dog who increasingly had accidents and I gated off the kitchen. I had ceramic tile which was easy to clean but not too comfortable to sleep on. I put down a washable dog bed and some towels and did a lot of laundry. I would also suggest always using a non-toxic cleaner on the floor for the dog's health.

Jura Koncius: A green cleaner is a must. Yes. I agree that it is very hard to teach an old dog new tricks, such as not peeing on the floor.

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Arlington, Va.: We just completed a 700-ft addition in Arlington and yes, I think things are slower for the builders/remodelers, so faster for homeowners. When we did our basement in 2006 we had to wait a week or two for each step--the permits, scheduling each sub, scheduling each inspection, etc.. This time everything seemed to happen much faster--they got the permits in a day, materials were delivered immediately, subs were all in one after another, and the whole addition was completed in 8 weeks.

Jura Koncius: Wow.

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Ballston, Va.: Pot racks look pretty, but if they are close to the stove (which they should be) your pots often get covered in grease from cooking.

Pots belong in a draw. And I have nice copper pots and All Clad.

Jura Koncius: I'm with you about the drawer.

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for the dog owner: I suggest Marmoleum sheetgoods. Theya re a little more upscale, customizable, and "green" (since they are made from linseed oil) than vinyls. I worry that the grout of a tile floor would be a dirt catcher. Although Marmoleum makes a floating floor system (Marmoleum Click), the small joints in between might be enough for urine (or whatever) to seep through.

I'm not associated with Marmoleum.

Jura Koncius: Great idea.

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RE: DOG AND KITCHEN: Please owners keep your dogs and other pets out of the kitchen! I'm tired of seeing people with pet hair on there clothes...can u imagine eating from these people....YUCK! It isn't sanitary to have a pet in the kitchen.

Jura Koncius: Oh oh. I'm not sure that a lot of people would agree with you...

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Rockville, Md.: Hi. Our basement bathroom is currently used only sparingly as it is attached to an unused bedroom, but will some day become my son's room. We are in the process of updating it (goodbye masonite!) and would like a color suggestion for the walls. It's a very small room, so it was suggested to use the FreshAire paint from Home Depot. The tile on the bottom is a very light grey with white tiles in the shower. Help! Thanks!!

Jura Koncius: I think I would stick with white, boring as that sounds.

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Alexandria, Va.: In our family room, we have a floor-to-ceiling red brick fireplace. Fireplace needs be relined, we want to install a pellet stove and that's in our '09 budget. What to do in the meantime? I'm not a fan of painting brick --we've balanced the red with some burgundy velvet drapes over the SGD. I'm looking for a screen or cover of some sort for the fireplace opening.

Jura Koncius: I would say do not be afraid of painting the brick - it can make the whole thing look much more a part of the room. Could you paint it white or black? Don't know what else you have in the room or what the walls are.

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Re: Richards Construction: I had them do 2 of my bathrooms since they had done my parents' kitchen. I did not have a great experience with them - they did not stay on schedule, made errors on the installation, did not keep the dust under control as much as they could have. I have a neighbor who also said they are much better with kitchens than bathrooms. Just my two cents!

Jura Koncius: Two cents.

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washingtonpost.com: The Past, Polished At the Brass Knob, The Old Is New Again (Post, Aug. 14, 2008)

Jura Koncius: Here is my piece on Brass Knob. They have two locations and have excellent salvage.

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Silver Spring, Md.: For the pot rack questioner: if you can give up 1-2 sq. feet, we've found that a stand works really well. It also hides any discoloration on the pan bottoms or interiors.

washingtonpost.com: Crate and Barrel Bamboo Cookware Stand

Jura Koncius: Cool.

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RE: Pot Rack: I have a small kitchen and put up a pot rack. It's a half round, I think made by Cuisinart and hangs on the wall vs. from the ceiling. I have a couple nice copper pots but mostly other stainless. I think it looks okay but most of all, I USE it rather than leaving pots out because it's a hassle to restack everything back in the cabinets!

Jura Koncius: More on pot racks...

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Enterprise, Ala.: Re Pets: If you have pet hair all over, you aren't cleaning enough.

Jura Koncius: True.

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Springfield, Va.: Where can I find Bar Keepers Friend? I have looked everywhere - Giant, Target, WalMart....

Jura Koncius: You can order it at www.barkeepersfriend.com. Also great historical info there - it was invented in Indianapolis Here I copied information from the website to share with you "Bar Keepers Friend has been manufactured in Indianapolis as a cleanser for brass ornaments since 1882. Our founder formulated the smooth cleanser, and he himself peddled Bar Keepers Friend throughout central Indiana. He concentrated on places where there was an abundance of ornate metal work - the saloons of the gay 80s and 90s....The same formula which put sparkle into the copper mugs and brass rails at the turn of the century is used today, and without phosphates. Modern homeowners are discovering it works equally well on chrome, stainless steel, porcelain, tile, and plastic. Delighted customers of Bar Keepers Friend are still spreading glowing reports of their satisfaction--over one hundred years later--with the same enthusiasm."

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RE: Wall Units: I found a fabulous wall unit at the new store, Jesse, in Tyson's Galleria. Also, Bo Concepts has gorgeous wall units. Jesse is on the expensive side but Bo Concepts is priced pretty resonably.

Jura Koncius: Good suggestions.

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Shower fixture for old clawfoot tub: Any ideas on where to find these? Ours is old and ratty...

Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Try Brass Knob! See article posted earlier.

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Takoma Park, Md.: Hello ladies! I have two love seats that fit perfectly in my apartment and cannot bear to part with. Can you recommend a good re-upholstering service? Also where can I find twin/full sized sleeper sofa/love seat for under $1,000.

Jura Koncius: Termini & Termini in Rockville 301 468-0660 has been suggested to us as a good reupholsterer. Sleeper sofas at your price range are the specialty of Jennifer Convertibles. Ikea is also another bet.

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Jura Koncius: Looking for some help. We may be doing a listing of stores that carry French decor in our area - do you have a favorite one?

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Silver Spring, Md.: Hi! For the person thinking of a wall unit to house a large-screen TV, we had a built-in bookcase done by Custom Carpentry & Remodeling (Herb Olshin) that looks fantastic and draws rave reviews from everyone. Herb is a very considerate contractor, and I trusted him in my house when I wasn't there. 301-346-0014 or 301-346-2203 cell. I highly recommend him.

Jura Koncius: Great!

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Pets in Kitchens: Isn't grout porous? I'd be worried that with a tile floor, you'd never be able to kill the smell enough for your pet's nose, so your beastie would think it was okay to pee there: "Hey, smells like a good place to pee!"

Maybe hiring a dog walker to take your dog out at midday would help with the leaks. I know it's hard to teach an old dog new tricks, but sometimes the problem isn't will, it's physiology. None of us has the bladder control we used to, right? (Rhetorical question, there.)

Jura Koncius: Lots to digest in this ..

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Barkeepers Friend: I love Bar Keepers Friend. I have been able to find it at Lowe's and Home Depot all the time.

Jura Koncius: I want to get some.

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Alexandria, Va.: Despite the fact that you are all wrong, wrong, wrong to hate pot racks, I will tell you that you can buy Bar Keepers' Friend at Williams-Sonoma and Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Jura Koncius: Bless you. Please don't hold it against us!

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Reston, Va.: For the dog owner: She might consider Congoleum's Duraceramic tile . . . vinyl tiles that are installed and grouted like ceramic. Not as "green" as Marmoleum, but not as expensive and better looking than sheet vinyl. Fairfax Floors recently installed Duraceramic for us and did an excellent job . . . no complaints.

Jura Koncius: Thanks, Reston.

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old stuff: What about Community Forklift?

washingtonpost.com: Community Forklift

Jura Koncius: Yup.

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French decor: Ethan Allen has a French country line.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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daleblooming: Any suggestions on storing purses? I'd like to see them and access them quickly so I don't want to use an under-the-bed box. Any ideas?

Jura Koncius: Just this morning, I looked in my closet at the large basket I have filled with purses and tote bags. It works for me, but you do have to clean out the stuff you don't use every once in a while. Some people like to hang them on hooks or on a coat rack. Any other ideas?

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Gaithersburg, Md.: So when you do a home renovation, do you just give the contractor a set of keys? I am new to this. And I work a 12-hour day, far from home. And I'm not very trusting.

Jura Koncius: This is a really interesting question. I bet there are tons of opinions. The subject of whether the company is bonded is one. Or do you trust this person and just what does that mean? I don't know if there is a right or wrong answer to this. What do you all think?

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Alexandria, Va.: Another contractor recommendation - we used RARCO Contracting in Alexandria for a kitchen remodel last year and loved them! They were on time and on budget, and the work crews kept the jobsite clean and tidy each day. They also went through the punch list as the project progressed, fixing items along the way so there wasn't a huge list of things "to do" at the end of the project. Steve Shook is the owner; everyone there is fantastic. They are in Alexandria, www.rarcoinc.com.

The workers also watch their language (i.e., no cursing!) and don't play loud music all day - very nice!

Jura Koncius: Very nice!

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Nashville, Tenn.: Re Floor for dog accidents: Ceramic tile is not a good choice because of the grout. Even if you seal it, grout will soak up urine stains and you will have to tear it out and regrout.

I work in dog rescue and we get so many dogs dumped because they pee indoors and it turns out to be a urinary infection or a food allergy. Go to your vet!!!

Jura Koncius: So true. Thank you so much.

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Ballston, Va.: Plain soda water polishes up chrome, brass, copper and stainless steel. Used to tend bar and used it straight out of the gun.

Jura Koncius: A bar keeper who does not use Barkeepers Friend!!!

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Chicago: Is Pierre Deux still in business? Not quite my taste, but my mother used to love their frou-frou stuff.

washingtonpost.com: Pierre Deux

Jura Koncius: Yes!

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Montrose, Colo.: Hi. We're buying a new home and plan on making the room in the basement a playroom for our three kids. It currently has dark paneling in it, and we would like to paint it. Any suggestions on good colors for a basement playroom? Any other suggestions or tips for creating a good atmosphere where the kids will want to be and play?

Jura Koncius: We get this question a lot and we always answer that keeping a light color is the way to go in a basment. If you don't want off white or yellow, try something like Hollingsworth Green by Benjamin Moore or Glidden's Winterscape blue.

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Mantel: Do you think I can replace my fireplace mantel (shelf-type installed on the top of the brick, not full surround) with a streamlined, hidden-hardware shelf (think IKEA or West Elm)? Looking to update it and also save money.

Jura Koncius: Sure why not!

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Jura Koncius: Well, I'm going out to buy some Barkeepers Friend. But I'm not going to get a pot rack! Thanks everyone for joining me today. Consider pulling out that good china and serving up a meal on it - surprise your family! And send us a photo. Have a great weekend.

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