Home Front: Annie Selke's Designs, Nursery Window Treatments, Indoor Drying, Flat vs. Semigloss Paint 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, February 26.

A transcript follows.

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

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Terri Sapienza: Hi, everyone. I'm back in the office today after a fun trip to the Berkshires to visit with Annie Selke of Pine Cone Hill and Dash & Albert. Take a look at today's story for a peek inside her world - it's pretty fantastic.

Okay, let's get going...

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washingtonpost.com: Of Color And Comfort: Annie Selke's Cheery, Casual Style Of Home Decor Is About to Hit It Big (Post Home Section, Feb. 26)

Terri Sapienza: Here's today's Selke story.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi Ladies - love the chats! Do you or any of your readers have experience with bathtub refinishers! I've thought about it in the past, and I received a coupon from Porcelite yesterday so it's on my mind again. House is about 50 years old -- the bathroom tile still looks good, but tub is dingy and scratched. Don't want to remodel in this economy! Any comments would be appreciated. Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: Can anyone help out a fellow chatter?

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Rockville, Md.: I am sure you have answered this 100 times, but I am tired of blue and need to update my bedroom - what is a good Benjamin Moore White Paint, or perhaps even a clean crisp Cream to change out my bedroom? Thanks for your help.

Jura Koncius: Good morning, Rockville. You can't go wrong with Benjamin Moore's Linen White. I also like their Power Sand. Farrow & Ball's Pointing is a wonderful choice as is Vellum by C2.

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Curtains vs. Blind for Baby's Room: Hello -- we are debating whether to put curtains or blinds in the baby's room. The window itself has lovely molding which we would prefer not to cover up, and I never like the look of heavy drapery. The choice is between lightweight, seersucker material for drapes (with a sheer behind) or a pull down fabric shade. Thoughts? The room is pale yellow and gets northern light. Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: If you love the look of your molding, I think a Roman shade would be a nice choice. Be sure to pay attention to the pull-cord, which can be dangerous with children. I think there are special cords you can order with your shade that stay hidden and out of reach of tiny hands.

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Alexandria: Hello,

I am looking for a good broom that will sweep up pet hair (not just hold it in the bristles), any suggestions? Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Rubber Brooms seem to do the trick on pet hair. Try out www.simplygoodstuff.com.

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Annie Selke, Slip Lamps, and Stray Dog Imports: Just wanted to say today's home section made me very happy - the article on Annie Selke, whose rugs, quilts, pillows & PJs I adore, and the use of a Slip Lamp and a Stray Dog Designs "peacock" in House Calls - three of my favorite companies/artists.

Wanted to point out, however, that the Slip lamps website, whose address is listed, doesn't appear to have all of their lamp and shade styles and colors listed - what's so cool about Slip Lamps is that you can, in essence, create your own - pick a base, pick a shade, and pick the colors you want in each. If you Google, you can find some other sites that show more of the options, or, even better, find a store that carries them and it can often order them for you - I just ordered two of the "Sally" lamps in Miami Pink with a Linen Pink shade (yes, I agree with Annie Selke on pink!) from O'Suzannah here in Charlottesville (which also carries some Dash & Albert rugs and lots of other wonderful products as well, check our its blog at http://osuzannahnews.blogspot.com/- just in case anyone is planning a road trip to Charlottesville).

Also, re: the Stray Dogs peacock - I have some of their smaller birds in Stray Dog Aqua and Stray Dog pink (you can pick from a number of great colors), which are much less expensive than the peacock - they're a lot of fun, and I've seen them popping up in home mags the past few months, not just the birds, but the various other sea creatures, animals, etc., which they make in papier mache. Stray Dog Designs has a lot of other cool stuff, too, look around the site while you're there. Plus, they're very nice (as is everyone you'll meet at O'Suzannah's - and no, I don't work either place, unfortunately).

So, anyway, thanks again for a great section today! Excited to see Selke's empire is expanding, and look forward to her book -

washingtonpost.com: Of Color And Comfort: Annie Selke's Cheery, Casual Style Of Home Decor Is About to Hit It Big (Post Home Section, Feb. 26)

House Calls: Defining a Space (Post Home Section, Feb. 26)

Terri Sapienza: Thanks for the comments and the tips. Glad you enjoyed today's section.

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Omaha, Neb.: Good morning ladies! I received a set of lovely embroidered napkins and table cloth as a gift. I love them, but the linens are white. I am wondering how to keep the table from looking sterile (my dishes are a traditional Blue Willow pattern.) Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: If your linens are white, you can add color with your dishes and other accessories, like flowers, candles, glasses, etc.

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for Bethesda re tub refinishing: I work for a remodeler and here is what he has to say about tub refinishing: it is not the same as used to be about five years ago, due to new regulations about what chemicals can be used. Generally speaking, the new finishes will only last 3 to 5 years. If this tub is used a lot, the poster should try to find out if replacing the tub would cost less in the long run, or if planning to refinish again in 5 years makes sense.

Terri Sapienza: thanks!

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Rockville, Md.: Could you advise on effective natural/organic cleaning products? I've just learned I'm pregnant, plus I have two dogs, so I would like to make an effort in switching out the harsh chemicals. Thank you!

washingtonpost.com: Green Is Cleaning Up (Post Home Section, April 19, 2007)

Jura Koncius: Check out this article. There are so many green cleaning products out there right now and you don't have to go to a special store to buy them. There are many at your local supermarket. If you do want more information on green living, you could check out green stores like www.greatergoods.com - Greater Goods at 1626 U St. NW.

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Fort Myers, Fla.: Good Morning! I just moved from Southern Maryland to Fort Myers, Fla. I love the chats. We are using our tax return to install a vinyl privacy fence around our yard. We have several local companies coming out to do a quote. My question is what is everyone's experience with Home Depot and Lowe's installation service? I've read mixed reviews online, and I trust this peanut gallery's opinion. Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: Hi, Florida. I'm very jealous - I love the Fort Myers area. A friend and I used to visit Sanibel Island every January to escape the DC winters...

But as for your question, I don't have any personal experience with fencing from Home Depot or Lowe's. Hopefully, others will chime in.

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Frederick, Md.: Hello Ladies! I tried to paint the inside of my house and I mistakenly used flat paint where I should have used semi-gloss. Can semi-gloss be applied on top of flat paint?

Jura Koncius: Yes. But you can't put flat on top of semi-gloss without a primer.

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Today's house call: I enjoyed today's House Call because even though I don't have a pentagonal bedroom, the ideas are still pretty applicable. I particularly liked the reading area and am thinking of getting a nice, small, chair to add to my bedroom to set up an area like this. Two questions though - 1. How do you keep yourself from using the chair as a laundry pile? And 2. How long should I keep bed linens before completely replacing them and using the old ones as rags? I've got some hand-me-downs from my mom that are so soft, but they are also so old! thank you.

washingtonpost.com: House Calls: Defining a Space (Post Home Section, Feb. 26)

Terri Sapienza: Discipline! That's the only that will work. And I speak from experience. We have a chair and a bench in our bedroom and the bench is way too often accessorized with my clothing. Putting clothes away is so boring, but we must do it.

As for your sheets, I think you'll know when it's time to invest in new ones. The old ones may be worn-in and soft, but once you feel your new ones on your bed, you'll probably wonder what took you so long.

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curtains vs. blinds in baby room: You will want to put at least some blinds up on the windows, so you can darken the room for the baby's naps. You will want your baby to nap! Napping = happy baby AND happy parent..

Terri Sapienza: yes, of course. If you chose the Roman shade route, may sure to include a blackout backing.

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Fort Myers, Fla.: The Lowe's and Home Depot installers are contractors, and around here the construction business has slowed to the point that only the best contractors are still working.

We just had a set of appliances delivered by a Home Depot contractor this morning, and not only did they show up during the early part of the 4-hour window, they called to let us know they were on their way. The guys were clean, quick, and polite--quite a change from a few years ago.

Come on back--Sanibel is calling and it's 75 today!

Terri Sapienza: Now you're just showing off : ) Thanks for the info. Now go apply more SPF and soak up some sun for us all in DC.

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La Vista, Neb.: What advice can you offer regarding the matching of cabinet hardware, door handles, curtain rods, bathroom faucets, etc. Should all metals throughout the house be the same? I want to replace the builder polished brass. Bathroom fixtures are chrome. Should lighting fixture, cabinet hardware, etc. be chrome; should curtain rods in dining room match metal of light fixture? Should kitchen hardware match stainless steel of appliances? Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Wow this is a really great question! I called designer Christina Dutton of McLean for her opinions. She says all the metals in the house DO NOT have to be the same. Consider each room separately when deciding what to do. Let's take the bathroom. She says it's best to be consistent in there - if you have polished chrome faucets, stay with that same metal for the towel bars. In a small space, it will look best. If you go into the dining room, drapery hardware does not have to be the exact same as your chandelier but they should be complementary. She says something like black iron hardware and rods would go with almost anything. It's mainly brass and silvery metals that don't really go together. Should kitchen hardware match stainless steel appliances? Christina says she likes to use brushed nickel with stainless appliances. Good advice.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: Hi there,

We recently moved from an open home floor plan in northern California into a 1929 redone home in Chevy Chase. We are trying to work in the formal living room with pieces of furniture we had in our former home. Would digital photos be the best way to show you what we are up against in terms of space and to obtain your advice? Thanks so much!

Terri Sapienza: Sounds like the perfect dilemma for a House Calls designer. Send photos, contact info and what you are look for to makeover@washpost.com.

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Arlington, Va.: For the person decorating a nursery, I'd definitely vote for shades. We used room-darkening shades on the three windows in our younger kids' room, with a valance. The shades roll up out of sight during the daytime to let in lots of light, but at night (and naptime!) the room is DARK, entirely crucial with small kids!

Save the nice curtains for later. I don't worry that my 6-y.o. will pull down her curtains.

We got our shades at Country Curtains and they do have hardware to screw into the molding for safety.

Terri Sapienza: Yes, great advice for a nursery. Thanks.

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Reston, Va: I'm looking for some art work to cover my bare living room walls. I like the look of canvas art, but I've discovered it can be very expensive. What do you think about canvas art versus framed art?

Jura Koncius: We called designer Kelley Proxmire for ideas. Kelley says - why not find some of the beautiful wallpapers out there now and frame pieces of them? There are scenic prints or medallions or abstract designs. You could do a piece of a beige print or textured wallpaper with a beautiful gold frame as well. Kelley just was antiquing in Connecticut and found a beautiful cache of framed Hermes vintage scarves with an equestrian theme. That would be beautiful in a dressing area or a bedroom.

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for removing pet hair : People swear by FlyLady's "rubba scrubba" -- http://flylady.com/pages/FlyShop.asp

Jura Koncius: Wonderful.

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Frederick: What kind of paint is best for a bathroom? The paint up around our showers looks kind of runny and almost wet even well after the showers are done for the day. Is there something to wash the walls with? Or does this just happen to paint over a few years around a shower? The shower tile doesn't go all the way to the ceiling...

Jura Koncius: Dear Frederick. I have this exact problem in my 1937 colonial main bathroom. It has lovely vintage black and white tiles, but they don't go up far enough. I have to paint it every few years it seems as the paint peels where it hits the tile due to all the steam. We installed a fan a few years ago, but even that doesn't totally do the trick. Just last week, I had it painted again. This time, my painter used a layer of Kilz after scraping the area and patching it. A semi-gloss paint is the best thing to apply on top of that. Some companies make a special paint for bathrooms and wet areas.

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Green cleaners: White vinegar works suprisingly well! I use it even though I'm healthy and not pregnant.

Also, there's been some recent concern about inhalation of chemicals so it's probably best to pour rather than spray the vinegar. When you spray it's much smaller pieces and therefore easier to inhale. But obviously you can't make yourself crazy over these things.

Jura Koncius: Good thoughts. Thanks.

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Bethesda, Md.: The flat-semi gloss paint question made me think... where should one paint flat paint vs. semi-gloss in a house? We are slowly repainting the inside of our house (mantle, trim, fire place included) and I am just never sure!

Thanks.

Terri Sapienza: Typically, flat paint is used on ceilings; sometimes walls, too, though an eggshell finish is most popular for walls. A semi-gloss finish is most typically used on trim, molding, etc. and in bathrooms.

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Fencing Response: My understanding is that Lowe's and Home Depot have local contractors for installations. You're going to want to look for experience with those local contractors in the Fort Myers area. Good luck!

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Green cleaning: There are also quite a few books and Websites offering very sound counsel on green cleaning that does not involve the purchase of manufactured cleaners. Save money, decrease the environmental effects of shipping bottled products, and use household ingredients that are safe, such as vinegar, borax, baking soda, washing powder, etc. It is easy and economical. Just a suggestion.

Jura Koncius: The book "Green Clean" by Linda Mason Hunter and Mikki Halpin has been well received. Their website is www.greencleanbook.com.

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Too much art?: My long, narrow living room is open to the dining room on one side, and has 3 walls that are currently completely blank. The longest wall (opposite the DR) has 2 windows, with some space between them (that's where my couch sits). I need to do something on these empty walls -- is it going to be too cluttered looking if I put art on all of them? One wall has a buffet, one wall has the couch, and one wall has nothing except a chair in front of it. Would it be better to put some bookcases on the blank wall behind the chair, and only put art on 2 of the walls?

Terri Sapienza: You could hang art on one wall, then hang a large mirror on the opposite wall so it reflects the art. They always say that you should hang a mirror so that it reflects something nice and that you wouldn't mind seeing twice. A mirror will also have the added benefits of making your space look bigger and reflecting light.

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washingtonpost.com: More Coming Through the Door at Consignment Shops (Post Home Section, Feb. 26)

Jura Koncius: Have any of you been consigning things? This great article by Annie Gowen in today's Home section has gotten my juices flowing about getting rid of stuff and checking out what has been consigned. Do you have favorite shops to suggest?

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shades for child's room: FWIW, we've had good luck with the J.C. Penney online selection of window treatments. They have a number of cordless Roman shades as well as very reasonably priced top-down/bottom up (the latter is less valuable for the baby's room, as they are corded, but might help someone else.

Not a huge fan of JCP stores in many respects, but we've found a nice variety of shades online (and oddly, what is in store and what is online are entirely separate, and you can't talk to the store people about the online stuff. That is the one downside. But they have a very good return policy, so that helps if you end up not liking the color or whatever.)

Not a fashionable and trendy boutique, but maybe it helps, especially for the people looking to be economical.

Terri Sapienza: That's a great tip, thanks.

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Tiffin, Ohio: New or old mirror glass? I have a lovely walnut Chippendale-style wall mirror hand made in the 1940's by a craftsman in Lancaster, Pa. It has sentimental value because my father-in-law surprised my mother-in-law with it one Christmas, and she treasured it for itself as well as for the thoughtfulness it represented. It has hung in our front hall for thirty years. The glass is showing its age, and now that we are getting ready to move to a smaller place, I am wondering whether I should replace the glass--or does new mirror diminsh the value? I have read both things. Thank you so much for your articles and this forum--I have learned a lot!!

Terri Sapienza: Personally, I love the look of a antiqued mirror, especially if it's genuine. People pay to have that look on their mirrors. I would most definitely keep it as is.

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More of a craft question and sad news: The sad news first. Not really a decorating magazine, but Hallmark magazine is ceasing publication. I loved it. Just a fresh upbeat magazine with ideas from fellow readers.

One of the ideas was for a crafty Christmas present (that I'm still working on for my family in February!). You take a 7 to 10 inch wooden bowl (you can find them online for cheap), paint it and decoupage the inside with old photos. You can use the bowl as a change catcher or for keys, etc. I've made copies of old photos of my mom and dad (both deceased), and background it with a few newspaper articles (mostly of my mom's volunteer work in Minnesota). I also copied the inside of a birthday card she sent me and cut out where she said "I love you and God bless, Mom"

I'm working hard on this, but every once in a while I think my family will think this is just another piece of homemade junk they could do without. Can you and the beans out there let me know honestly if you would appreciate something like this or not? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Sorry to hear about yet another magazine closure. What a great idea to be thinking about Christmas gifts in February, and making something personal and not expensive. I actually think the bowls sound charming and it brings up another idea. Finding old photos of family and framing them in quirky, elegant or unusual vintage frames you might find at thrift shops or at consignment shops is a wonderful thought for a holiday gift. On another crafty note, my niece Samantha who is a wonderful photographer collected a dozen or so small mostly gilded wood inexpensive frames from her grandmother and from antique and vintage shops and arranged them in a collage in her bedroom. It has a wonderful look!

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Canvas Art: There are also a number of sites -- www.globalgallery.com is one -- that offer "canvas" versions of various art prints, which might be worth checking out. I don't know what the price range of the poster is, but it might be something to check.

Jura Koncius: Thanks a lot.

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last weeks chat on pot/pan racks: I missed last week's chat but read it later on Thurs and wanted to chime in on the discussion on pot racks. I don't have a pot rack but in my *very* small kitchen I put up a peg board on one wall and have hooks holding all my pots and pans. Definitely a space saver and makes me feel a little bit like Julia Child with them displayed like that. My pots and pans aren't anything to write home about in that they aren't pretty, and I haven't been able to keep my copper pan properly cleaned, but I don't care. It's nice to have that space.

Also, thank you to the chatters b/c I got the Barkeeper's Friend to see if that will help me keep my copper pot shiny (vs. the expensive stuff at Sur La Table).

Jura Koncius: Hurray for Barkeeper's Friend! And thanks for your two cents on pot racks - this is clearly a controversial subject.

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TUB QUESTION: We are gutting our 1960's bathroom. It still has the original BLUE tub and sink! My issue is the tub. Is it cheaper to replace the entire tub with a new white one or put on of those fitter over top. We are doing the job ourselves... our issue is fitting a new tub over the existing plumbing. Readers, any advice???

washingtonpost.com: Triage for Dated Tile (Post Home Section, Jan. 25, 2007)

Terri Sapienza: Check out the story above which addresses those issues. Good luck!

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Art: People need to be careful when they purchase art to complete a room or it ends up looking like a model home. It's best to start with a few nice pieces -- things you really like -- mirrors etc. They might want to check out consignment shops. Today's article made it sound like there might be some good deals out there.

Jura Koncius: Yes. I totally agree. Old mirrors are a great way to start -- they add a nice aged patina and also make a small room look bigger.

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Richmond, Va.: Question on painting wood kitchen cabinets, now oak with a dark stained finish -- do you paint the interiors as well?

Terri Sapienza: That's completely up to you, but if it were me, I would paint both inside and out. I wouldn't want a fresh new color on the outside, and the old dark wood on the inside. I think the interior should be just as pretty as the exterior.

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Alexandria, Va.: Consignment shops: I've used Not Too Shabby on Mount Vernon Avenue in Alexandria with mixed results. They sometimes have to be prompted to send the check after an item has sold, but beyond their casual approach to bookkeeping, they move stock pretty quickly and their pricing seems fair to me.

Jura Koncius: Thanks for that tip. I have also found that many of these places are a bit slow in paying and you have to prompt them.

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re: J.C. Penney blinds: We got all our blinds from Penney's, and yes, online is definitely the way to go (you can return at a store, which is cheaper than trying to ship stuff back).. Love our blinds, which are also in the baby's room (now 17 mos old and a 3 year old, they share the room) Neither has/had any inclination to get tangled in the cords, but they have cordless shades at Penney's! AND a fabulous selection... I'm a fan of their window treatments.

Terri Sapienza: Another pro-J.C. Penney for window treatment post...

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re: Greener Cleaners: Consumer Reports lists easy recipes for greener cleaning products. Ingredients are cheap and readily available at the grocery store. Surf over to www.consumerreports.org and search for "Homemade cleaning products." It's available to non-subscribers.

Jura Koncius: That is a good suggestion.

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Richmond: I also have a small kitchen and my pots hang under the cabinets. There are hooks hiden under the bottom of the cabinets and I hang my pots in a row under there. Has the utility of an overhead pot rack without the installation effort.

Jura Koncius: Good idea.

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White Linens: The poster with the new table linens might want to break up the white with a blue linen runner down the middle and/or solid blue or Provence-yellow chargers for her Blue Willow china. Since Blue Willow still has quite a bit of white, it sounds like she's looking for a way to add more color to the table.

Jura Koncius: The runner is a good idea.

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Chevy Chase, Md.: We have a desk area set up between our kitchen and dining room in the "butler's pantry." We need to find seating for the area, with casters/wheels. We are leaning towards a stool of some sort; but the ones we have found so far seem pretty institutional; like the ones you'd find in a doctor's office. Any suggestions on finding what we're looking for? Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: How about the upholstered Parsons chair with casters from Ballard Designs? You can have a slipcover made in any of their fabrics or a fabric of your own. www.ballarddesigns.com

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Alexandria, Va.: Do you or the chatters have an positive experiences with any indoor clothes drying racks or systems? The old flimsy, foldable, college dowel rack from 15 years ago is just not cutting it with a growing family. We are trying not to use our dryer and after a month now, I would like to upgrade to something more practical. Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Found a great one. www.breezedryer.com. This is a great idea for a story. Good for you for doing this for many reasons. Do you have any other ideas out there?

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re: Too Much Art: I have a similar setup of living room that is open the the dining room. I also have the couch against the wall between the two windows. I didn't want the boring old painting above the couch like everyone else. I had an artist come in and paint a mural on the wall instead. It is FABULOUS and gets many oohs and ahhs. I had a geometric patterned mural, but really the sky's the limit on what you could put there. I found the artist through the Service Magic website. Cost was around $250 -- about the same as a nicely framed painting would have been.

Jura Koncius: Thanks a lot. Cool.

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D.C.: Do you have any recommendations for people to mount a plasma TV on a wall? I don't want to even try to do it myself. I know stores like Best Buy do this, but they're pretty pricey, and I've heard mixed reviews.

Jura Koncius: Try a local Handyman service.

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Frederick: JCP is also a great place for your basics like sheers. I had some really nice silk sheers on my front windows that I paid good money for -- they were 108 inches. The sun is so strong in the front of our house that they were toast in about two years. You could stick your finger right through the fabric. So I bought the polyester ones from JCP and they are great and have been up longer that the ones I paid four times as much for.

Terri Sapienza: More J.C. Penney...

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New vs Old mirror: Resilver the old mirror if you want it to work as a mirror. My mother bought a Victorian era dining room dresser for me, had it refinished, and they replaced the mirror. I think about that fact every time I look at it. It seems the price of the new mirror and the resilvering of the old one were the same. She took the advice of the refinishers. I've regretted that she has for over 20 years.

Jura Koncius: Hmmm.

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Centreville, Va.: Flat vs.semi-gloss paint. I had my entire house painted with flat and the hallway walls leading to my garage is always smudged. Afterwards it was suggested that my painter should have used semi-gloss for the high traffic hallway area to prevent smudging the walls. I'm always having to wipe those walls down to remove the smudge marks.

Jura Koncius: Wow. Great cautionary tale here! Thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: Hello! I hope you can help.

We're about to invest in some furniture for an awkwardly-shaped living room (and for some other rooms). We need help with things like furniture arrangements (hence sizes to buy), paint colors, and arrangements of accessories.

We also need help on figuring out what to do with some currently unused space, finding the best location for our hulking piano, and locating great places to shop for furniture!

I have some ideas (thanks, Home Front!), but need lots of advice on translating them into something concrete. However, we can't afford a full design job.

What we really need is some interior decorating help that falls somewhere in between the "two-hour-let's-look-at-what-you-have-and-use-it" approach and hiring a designer for a full design service.

Any thoughts on where we might find such help?

Many thanks in advance!

washingtonpost.com: Just What You Need: Design Advice Cut Down to Size (Post Home Section, Feb. 21, 2008)

Jura Koncius: Check out this article. Also, consider shopping at places like Ethan Allen or Bloomingdale's where you can get designer advice with your purchases.

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Knoxville, Tenn.: Just have to say that I have two Dash and Albert rugs and absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE them. They are beautiful, stylish and hold up remarkably well in a home with two boys and a dog.

Terri Sapienza: They are pretty great, aren't they? The colors are fantastic and the indoor/outdoor versions can be taken outside and actually hosed-off. Perfect for households with kids and pets.

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Hanging a Plasma TV: We've done this both ways -- had one hung by Circuit City (back in their good days) and just this week we hung one ourselves. The one done by CC was large (like 50") and had wiring behind the wall, so we were happy to pay to have someone do that for us. The one we did ourselves was 32". We bought the mounting kit at Best Buy, screwed two bars into the back of the TV and the bracket onto the wall, and placed the TV on the horizontal bars -- pretty simple but definitely a two-person job to get the TV on the mounting. If yours isn't too large you may want to give it a try!

Jura Koncius: Great to hear of your experience.

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Chicago, Ill.: Speaking of air drying -- which I do a lot of indoors -- on warm spring or summer days I would love to be able to hang a clothesline off my back porch, but our condo association has a rule against it in the bylaws. Isn't that horrible?

Jura Koncius: Horrible.

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Indoor Clothes Dryer: I have the Hamilton Beach garment dry station (http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/garment-care-quick-dry-garment-drying-stations.html) and it is the best thing in the world!

Jura Koncius: Have not tried one of these.

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Flat vs. SemiGloss: The good thing about having the walls -- and high traffic areas -- painted with the flat paint is that you can do touch ups and no one will ever know. Just keep an extra half gallon around!

Terri Sapienza: This is true. One of the reasons I chose flat paint for many of my rooms was for this very reason.

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Terri Sapienza: That's all the time we have today. Thanks for joining us. Chat with you next week.

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