Home Front: Reupholstery Advice, Helping Aging Pets Up the Steps, Platform Bed Mattresses, Patio Door Treatments 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, March 26.

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. It's rainy and chilly here in D.C. and a good morning to be indoors and discuss decorating. So, let's go...

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Olney, Md.: Help Please! I have a long couch and a sofa table behind the couch (the sofa table hides my son's toys from the rest of the house). What should we put on the top of the sofa table so it doesn't look forgotten? Lamps? (Behind the sofa and table are windows.) Please offer suggestions or places to look. Thank you!

Terri Sapienza: I would definitely consider lamps. A pair would be nice (and I'm a big fan of symmetry).

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Washington, D.C.: Posting for my parents, who have a 25-30 year old rosewood platform bed that they love. However, the mattress is also 25-30 years old, and they don't so much love it anymore. It's only about 3" deep, foam, but not memory foam. Anyone know where they could get a replacement?

Jura Koncius: You could try American Foam Center 1-800-241-3626. Its in Fairfax. Have any of you had custom mattresses made?

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patio doors: I have sliding patio doors leading out to my deck. Love them but how to decorate them? No to vertical blinds - too 1980s apartment decor for my taste. No to horizontal blinds -- too cumbersome. No to traverse rods (yikes!) or ugly tab top drapes -- too 1990's and passe (people still have these eyesores?!) and besides, who wants to fight drapes to enter and exit all day long? The doors are used a lot as I live in Florida and the sun does get intense. I have sheers up now but don't really like them. And I hate the idea of putting a rod over the door (I have my sheers on a tension rod just inside the frame). My question -- what else is there to use? Any ideas?

Terri Sapienza: why do you hate the idea of a rod over your door? I think it would look better than a tension rod. How about set of lined pinch-pleat panels on either side? Or Roman shades?

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Home renovation classes: Love the chats! I was wondering if you ladies or the chatters could recommend any DIY home renovation/improvement classes in the area. I haven't been impressed with the ones at Lowe's or Home Depot. I know Montgomery and Fairfax community colleges offer some, but I was wondering if there were others that I was missing? Thanks!!

Terri Sapienza: Can anyone offer any suggestions?

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Baltimore: good morning! Can you recommend a pretty, silvery gray for a bedroom? And a crisp white for the trim? The linens have a soft blue and green in them. many thanks...

Jura Koncius: What about C2's Fresco? with C2's Whistler White.

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NW D.C.: Good morning,

I'm moving into a new apartment with two large rooms. I was hoping to 'section' off the bedroom between a couch/TV and the bed with screens. Where can I get options that aren't super expensive and not from Target?

Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: Another nice way to section off a portion of a room is with a bookshelf. Take a look at the Expedit bookcase from Ikea. It's featured in the cover story of today's section, too.

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Vashon, Wash.: RE the couple looking for a replacement mattress: I've used standard mattresses in platform beds and they look fine as long as they fit the platform reasonably well. If they get a nice coverlet that can be tucked in, I bet it would look fine even if it is higher than they are used to.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Pennsylvania: Thanks so much for the interview with Sarah Susanka. I've been a fan of her books for years. When living in rural New Mexico, my husband and I made a trip to Home Depot in Albuquerque. He spent six hours in there (when you live two hours away, you have to make sure you get everything you need) and I read all her books in one sitting out in the pickup. (If I'd realized he was going to be six hours, I'd have made other arrangements for myself!)

washingtonpost.com: Remodeling on a 'Not So Big' Scale (Post Home Section, March 26)

Jura Koncius: Love that you read the books instead of wandering the aisles at Home Depot!!!

She has written some amazing books, and all well worth re-reading.

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Kensington, Md.: I'm moving to a new house and can't decorate right away, so I'm going to have most of the walls painted white to start with until I figure out what to do design-wise. Is there a nice shade of white you recommend -- or another neutral color -- that will work well for the walls and trim without looking totally boring and institutional? Thank you for your advice!

Terri Sapienza: You could try Swiss Coffee, Alabaster and Pale Almond, all Benjamin Moore.

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Bloomingdale, D.C.: I have a front porch and I can't wait til the weather makes up its mind so I can sit out there and enjoy it. I am looking for some nice but not too nice furniture to use out there. Nothing really expensive that someone would want to walk off with. Maybe a folding table and folding chair set that can be brought inside during the winter and used as extra seats. Any ideas?

Terri Sapienza: Craigslist. You can find lots of great stuff that people are literally giving away. If you don't love the color, you can always spray paint it.

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Painting Furniture: I am painting hand me down kitchen chairs and a table. The chairs have brown wicker seats that I want to keep. I am going to paint them white. I don't want a chalky white look--I am looking for something a bit warmer but still white--sort of a cottage look I guess. I had a terrible time picking out paints at Lowe's the other day. I felt like white options were few and far between! I ended up with Martha Stewart's White Calla. Do you think that is a good choice, or is it too creamy?

Jura Koncius: I think it's fine. A cottage look is a good way to go.

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Vienna, Va.: My parents have custom-sized rugs made from carpeting they selected to match their wood floors and cabinets -- it looks great, but they live in Indiana and so do the people they used. Is there anyone in the Northern Va. area that will do something similar? Will any carpet store do this? Thanks!

Terri Sapienza: Any carpet store should do this.

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Elmhurst, Ill.: My aging dog is starting to stumble on the flight of stairs she uses to go outdoors. It's heartbreaking, she's getting scared of them. I put up some ugly hardware store material for now, and the traction helps, but I want a permanent solution. I do NOT want to carpet the adjacent floor, either. How do I cover the stair treads (and risers?) in an attractive way? Do I buy a runner and stop below the top tread? The stairs are right in front of the entrance door so I'd like it to look good. Looking forward to your experienced advice. Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Do you think sisal would be a good material to use? Something crunchy and thick he could stick his nails into. What do other dog owners do in this situation?

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Re: Kensington: I like BM's Blond Wood. Looks really nice with white trim. Keep extra paint on hand. In a new house you are going to have a lot of nail pops within the first year...

Terri Sapienza: Nice suggestion. Thanks!

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I was hoping to 'section' off the bedroom between a couch/TV and the bed with screens.: I love the bookshelf idea! Especially the shelves that are open on either side, so you could display some things one way, and some things another way.

But if the poster is really set on a screen, I got a nice one at Pier 1.

Terri Sapienza: Yes, and the fact that it's open rather than closed will make a small space feel more open and airy.

Thanks for the Pier 1 suggestion.

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For patio doors: Consider using pleated or cellular shades. Custom designs allow you to match the interior side with your walls while the exterior side has a finish that reflects sunlight. We used this solution for sliding doors onto a southwest facing deck above water.

Terri Sapienza: Thanks!

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replacement mattress: How about bedding for thinner mattresses? It seems that so many fitted sheets these days are made with extra-deep pockets, and a 3" mattress would be swimming in one of those sheets.

Jura Koncius: They do make thinner sheet sets for platform and other thin mattress beds. www.platformbeds.com has some.

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Patio door solution: for the person in Florida, call Next Day Blinds. They have a sliding system of wood blinds (looks like plantation shutters but slides) that is pretty cool. I had never seen that until my neighbor ordered it. When both panels are open, it keeps the sun out and when one panel is tucked under the other, you get the sun in. I'm sure other blind manufacturers have it.

Terri Sapienza: Another possible solution for patio doors...

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Washington, D.C.: For the sliding door homeowner, a friend has a vertical pleated shade. She slides it back and forth like the glass door. I don't recall where she got it (J.C. Penney's?) but it is tidy looking and does the job.

Jura Koncius: Thanks. Vertical pleated shades are not a universally loved furnishing product, but they do the job. I personally like the ones that are called "soft" vertical shades - they are sheer fabrics, instead of those clacking plastic vertical shades.

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Yay! Not So Big House: I love the Not So Big House series. The attention to detail and human scale are very appealing.

Another resource for those with this design mentality is apartmenttherapy.com. This blog has incredible apartment home designs for spaces as small as 250 square feet. Reading them makes me feel like my 1000 square foot home is a mansion and gives me good tips to maximize the space and use innovative storage solutions.

Terri Sapienza: Agreed. Apartment Therapy is a terrific resource with lots of great ideas for maximizing space and for decoating on a budget. I interviewed the founder of the site, Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, several months ago and he had lots of great ideas and tips for small space dwellers.

Elizabeth, can you post it for us?

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Alexandria, Va.: What's the best method and product for cleaning walls? I just moved into a new home and noticed that some of the walls are really dusty. I plan to get certain areas repainted soon, but want to make sure they're clean first.

Thanks.

Jura Koncius: You can use a soft brush to clean off the surface dirt and any cobwebs. You can also use a dry sponge specially made to clean walls. Some people like to use a light solution of dishwashing liquid with a sponge or light cloth or microfiber cloth -- test this in a corner before you do the whole wall.

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re: Bloomingdale, D.C.: I bought some nice wicker/rattan seats with cushions from Ikea for my front porch. Not too expensive ($35 Agen chair; cushion $13), comfortable, and looks nice. My front porch is covered and protected on 3 sides so I have no worries about the wicker getting ruined.

Jura Koncius: Lovely, Bloomingdale.

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Terri Sapienza: For the homeowner with the aging dog (which is so heartbreaking, sorry): check out Dash & Albert runners (www.dashandalbert.com). They are inexpensive and great-looking. I think they would be the perfect solution for your problem.

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West R.I.: We've decided on Behr Irish Mist for our kitchen, family room, and living room with Dolphin Fin for the dining room. Dining room has white wainscoting. Eggshell finish. What color do you recommend for trim/wainscoting? Because of the former owners, I think we need to go oil, not latex, on the trim. But maybe just in the dining room?

Terri Sapienza: How about White Dove, Linen White or Marble White? All Benjamin Moore.

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Des Moines, Iowa: I grew up in a very funky converted house with a lot of character. Now I'm young, in the Midwest, and renting a white box with off-white wall to wall carpets. What are your best suggestions for adding character to otherwise extremely bland spaces?

Jura Koncius: Head to your local flea market and hit some of the spring yard sales. There is nothing like some furniture with some patina and age on it to make your space seem warm and lived in! Since you are stuck with the wall to wall carpets, maybe you can put a few area rugs in the living room, bedroom or den to add some character.

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re: Elmhurst: If not steps right in front of the house why not build a ramp? Just a foot or so wide for the old pup. Paint it to match the house. A friend's dog fell over the winter on ice that was older and he had to be put down. Disc problems that would never be right again. Better safe than sorry.

Jura Koncius: I guess I was confused as to whether the steps were in or outdoor...

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washingtonpost.com: Apartment Therapy: The Doctor Is In (Post Home Section, June 19, 2008)

Terri Sapienza: Here's the Apartment Therapy story.

Thanks, Elizabeth!

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Arlington, Va.: I found an amazing armchair in a garbage pile by the side of the road. It needs to be re-upholstered, and when I began to remove the existing really awful fabric, found it has the original horsehair and batting. The frame is carved walnut. I tried to wipe it down with mineral spirits but it needs more work. I don't know anything about refinishing, much less reupholstery, but I want to do something with it since it's a great piece. I have contemporary/transitional taste so do you have any ideas about what I can do to make it shine? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Dear Arlington: Congratulations on your find. Do you know about antiques and upholstering? You might want to take some digital photos of your piece and show them to an upholsterer for an opinion about how old the piece is and how much fabric and labor would cost to have it done.

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Kensington, Md.: Hi -- do you have a rule of thumb regarding picture frames for artwork in the same room -- should they all be a similar color? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: If you are taking about paintings on the wall, no, they can be as different as the paintings require. But if you are talking about framed things on tabletops, it makes sense to make the frames all the same or very similar to pull the collection together.

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Washington, D.C.: If one long interior wall of a townhouse is exposed red brick, what can we do to create an updated and young -- but not modernist -- feel in the living room and entry hall? We'd like to paint the other (sheetrock) walls, and we're willing to change the white carpet and window trim.

We can't think of any color scheme that doesn't result in a dark room or a 70's vibe. Please help, we're baffled.

Terri Sapienza: Have you considered painting the brick?

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Washington, D.C.: I am about to move and I would like to change my decor a bit. I have dark brown leather furniture, and my new place has a bit of light and I'd like to brighten up my living room/dining room with a fun color scheme. Currently all my furniture is wood too, so I kind of feel that all this brown leads to "blah". Do you have any color suggestions for me?

Terri Sapienza: Because brown goes with just about everything, I'd say you have your pick of color schemes. What colors do you like?

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Washington, D.C.: Any suggestions for a good gray/aqua (not too blue) paint color for a den with some amount of lighting?

Jura Koncius: Well, have you considered this chat's fave color, Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore? It has a little blue/green in it. What about Parsnip by Behr?

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Florida: You can put the same glass tint on your patio doors that you put on your car windows. You don't lose the view, but you take about 20 degrees off the heat and the sun-fade on your furniture is diminished.

FYI for cabinet questions: we're renovating an older, smaller house to move into as soon as we can sell the semi-mansion (thanks to the "smaller-is-better" movement), and we've used the Home Depot flat-pack cabinets. You put together a universal "maple" box, then pick the doors you prefer. They're pretty inexpensive and more sturdy than I expected.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Re: Dash and Albert Runners: I just got two of D&A's "indoor/outdoor" rugs, which come in runners, and I highly recommend them - they're hardier than their regular runners, and supposedly easily scrubbable/even bleachable, and also UV resistant but still quite soft (think they're made out of polypropylene or some such, so I wondered if they'd be scratchy, but they're not).

I got them for my kitchen and the front entrance - the red diamond, which I love.

Terri Sapienza: I agree -- they are fantastic. And they just recently starting selling online and ship within 24 hours. You can't beat that.

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re: patio doors: I think pinch pleat panels would be worse than tab top drapes for the FL poster. They didn't want anything too bulky but Roman shades might be a good thought -- I have seen these done beautifully but will let in the light when up and may not let the doors slide when down.

Jura Koncius: I agree. Roman Shades if done properly can look elegant and can be very functional.

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Silver Spring, Md.: I need to redo entire bedroom--paneled walls, ugly drop ceiling, ancient carpet. We also need to build a larger closet in the room. Help.... How do I start this project?

Terri Sapienza: Unless you are doing all of this yourself, I would make a list of everything you want to have done to the room, structurally, then contact several contractors for estimates.

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Springfield, Va.: I have a well-made camel back sofa covered in a wool fabric. It is now stained and I looked into getting it recovered, but the cost was $1,600. Do you know if slipcovers would be any cheaper? Has anyone have experience using the SureFit covers? I use the sofa everyday in my family room and the rest of it is good shape, i.e. springs, cushions. Or, should I just get it cleaned?

Jura Koncius: If the stains are longstanding, cleaning it might not be enough, but if you are willing to invest in it to give it a try, then do it. Slipcovers are sometimes cheaper. Definitely contact several upholstery places and see what their charges are. You could save money by buying your own fabric at someplace like www.discountfabricsusa.com or Haute of Middleburg at 540-687-4646. SureFit is another option but it would depend on how closely you could get a version to fit your camel back -- a bit more difficult than with a standard back sofa.

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another idea for dog owner: PAW PADS 16 PACK

Help prevent injuries from sliding on slippery floors and stairs, protect paws from abrasions and provide better traction for older and arthritic dogs. Ultrathin, lightweight, comfortable and durable, they're backed with medical-grade adhesive to stay put indoors and out. Non-toxic, hypoallergenic black Toughtek neoprene with perforations that allow paws to breathe. Individual cut-outs are shaped to fit each pad. Easy to put on; lasts up to two weeks. Sizes: S, M, L, XL; please see chart below. Package includes enough pads for 8 paws.

Terri Sapienza: Great tip! thanks.

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Arlington, Va.: Thanks for the suggestion re the "found" walnut framed chair. Any ideas on a good but not too expensive reupholsterer? Also, would you refinish the frame or paint it, maybe white? I am afraid that refinishing will be really expensive. Thanks again,

Jura Koncius: Refinishing might not be as expensive as you think and I think it might look better with the style of the chair. You maybe could do that yourself. Some recent posters have suggested these upholstery shops: M&K Upholstery in Gaithersburg 301 670-0325. LUAR Upholstery in Alexandria 703-354-4777.

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Upholstery: Sounds a lot like a chair I reupholstered a number of years ago. When I took the old fabric off, I saved it to use as templates to cut the new. It was a lot of work and my hands were pretty banged up, but it was worth it. I upholstered it in a natural colored canvas and then my son's girlfriend painted a cool design on it. It looked great (and any mistakes I made were not noticed as it was so striking).

Jura Koncius: Cool.

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Paint: We are moving to a place with a great room living/dining room set up. I'm really leaning towards a dark (espresso) wall on that both rooms share. Will is be too overpowering?

I was also thinking of doing big stripes in a shade or two lighter to set the dining room off from the living room.

What do you think?

Terri Sapienza: These are really difficult questions to answer without seeing the spaces. If the rooms are small, the dark brown may be too much. For a smaller space, I would pick a lighter color and use it on all walls in both areas. I would delineate the spaces with furniture and area rugs.

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Sofa table: Since the poster has a son, who I am sure is adorable and I am sure she has a couple cute pictures of him lying around somewhere, why not pick some favorite family photos and display them on the sofa table? Costco has a cheap fast photo center and so does Target. You can even scan and reprint the photos in black and white for a more classic look.

Jura Koncius: All good ideas.

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Washington, D.C.: I'm the mover with the brown furniture. I'm thinking of a yellow, a little on the red side and not pale. My coffee table and end table are light brown with silver legs, so I was going to put silver stuff on the walls (picture frames, clock, etc). My only concern is that the light brown tables will blend in with the walls too much. What do you think?

Terri Sapienza: Without seeing anything, I think yellow sounds like a fine choice

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Redwood City, Calif.: I recently bought a beautiful mid-century sideboard/buffet. It's in almost perfect condition, and I'd like to keep it that way! We will use the top of it mostly for display, but when we have people over for dinner, we'll probably put serving dishes, wine, water pitchers and the like on top. Any suggestions for what to put on the entire top of the sideboard to protect it during those times? I'm afraid that a regular runner or tablecloth wouldn't be enough protection from spills and moisture and heat marks. Thank you!

Jura Koncius: I would run to your nearest custom glass cutting shop. Even at the White House, they have clear glass tops on some of the more precious antiques. You barely notice them and it saves the tops of your furniture from burn marks or water marks from glasses.

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American Foam Center: Yes, have used! Had a crib mattress made. Used for two kids (same crib) -- they even made a cover for it, in case of diaper leakage. The mattress seems comfy, both my kids slept like champs on it!

Jura Koncius: Glad to get a confirmation.

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Terri Sapienza: oops... sorry. Pushed the send button too early.

I was going to say that yellow is a nice color, but a difficult paint color to pick. We'll try and post a story we did on the color in a minute. Check out BM's Pale Moon for a nice shade. But don't forget to test the color first!

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washingtonpost.com: Here Comes the Sun (Post Home Section, April 10, 2008)

Terri Sapienza: here's the yellow story:

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Patio doors: I have done 2 things I loved when I had sliders previously: fabric panels from IKEA that hang from wall or ceiling, and are on multi-track sliders (like fabric shojii screens). Also, bought frosted window cling that was so super easy to apply to the door itself. Gave privacy but still allowed sheer-drapery-like light filtration. I personally prefer "dressed" sliders, and now have grommeted curtains hanging over mine (could not do the fabric sliders since my ceilings in LR are 13' high!).

Jura Koncius: Way good ideas.

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washingtonpost.com: New Model For the Remodel Business (Post Home Section, Feb. 12)

Jura Koncius: Here is the article about remodeling we did recently.

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Annapolis, Md.: I am looking for an article that ran in the Home section a couple of months ago about cheaper ways to remodel. I am thinking of replacing only the countertops to update my kitchen. I have oak cabinets and almond appliances in good working condition.

Jura Koncius: Just posted it.

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Thanks from Washington, N.C.: Late to the party today and had to step away early last week. Thanks so much for the paint suggestion in last week's chat. You ladies inspire me. Have decided to negotiate with my mother about the painting she wants done (kind of like dealing with a teenager re their "favorite color").

To answer your question Terri, the offending color my elderly mother had chosen was SW Galapagos Green. Interesting how companies choose color names -- should have been called Awful Aqua.

It does not "play well" with the richly toned Oriental in the den. Will look forward to the day I can use the running list I keep of the colors you ladies/readers suggest!

Terri Sapienza: that color doesn't seem to be in the current SW paint deck, but I definitely want to check it out!

good luck with mom!

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RE Red Brick Interior Wall: Would we paint the brick the same color as the other drywall walls? Is there a good type of paint for brick? Do we paint all the bricks or just some?

I am remembering the glossy white painted brick walls you sometimes saw in rec rooms in my childhood, and not sure that is less 70s than the brick itself.

Terri Sapienza: yes, treat it like you would the other walls in the room.

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

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