Home Front: Your Design and Decor Dilemmas, Solved

Every week, Washington Post Home Section writers Jura Koncius and Terri Sapienza help you in your quest to achieve domestic bliss. They were online Thursday, Oct. 15, at 11:00 a.m. ET to take your questions and suggestions.

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

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Terri Sapienza: Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us on this cold and rainy day in DC. Looks like you guys have lots to chat about already, so let's get started.

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Great Falls, Va.: Good morning. Terri, congratulations on your upcoming family addition. I am well past the stage of decorating a nursery -- but I so enjoyed your article this morning. It was refreshing to see how one could set up a nursery and not get caught up in the $1,000 crib frenzy! Very thoughtful ideas... Good luck.

washingtonpost.com: Little One, Big Project (Post, Oct. 15)

Terri Sapienza: Thanks, Great Falls. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I had a fun time writing it.

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Rockville, Md.: Besides HomeGoods, can you recommend a place to shop for inexpensive 9x12 area rugs?

Terri Sapienza: Have you looked at Overstock.com? Or West Elm, Pier 1, Ikea.

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Arlington, Va.: Are bunching tables out? I'm looking into getting an Ethan Allen Retreat sofa and loveseat in a light grey herringbone, but I'm not loving the coffee table options there. I was vaguely considering a pair of PB Metropolitan cubes in black (or something similar), but I'm not sure about scale and if it would read too dark, although they are pretty open. Other suggestions?

Terri Sapienza: If you're getting your sofa and loveseat from Ethan Allen, I would encourage you to look elsewhere for your coffee table anyway. It's always nice to mix furnishings from different places. I think a coffee table is a good place to do something fun. If you want to put a couple of tables together, go for it. The black does sound dark though. How about an acrylic or glass waterfall table. I think it would look great with the traditonal grey herringbone furniture.

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State College, Pa.: I work at home, and my desk has become a mass of electronic cords. Does anyone have a solution for all this? It's such a mess!

Jura Koncius: Yes. Go to www.lifehacker.com.

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Connecticut: Do plantation shutters increase resale value enough to warrant the initial outlay?

Jura Koncius: I think they are a wonderful addition to a home of any style. They look rich and they are expensive but they are worth it - and you never have to have them dry cleaned.

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Washington, D.C.: I am re-painting my full bathroom and am thinking of using an eggplant color. To describe the room, we have a Capitol Hill row home and this is the only full bathroom in the house. The bathroom doesn't have natural light and there are beautiful tan/neutral color tiles that cover from floor to chair rail area. Is this color a good idea? If so, what color would you recommend? If not, I am open to a good color suggestion!

Jura Koncius: Certainly eggplant would be a very dramatic look and in a small room you could get away with it. I like Grappa by Benjamin Moore.

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Clifton, Va.: Good morning Ladies,

I need help selecting a color scheme for an armchair I want to reupholster for our bedroom. The wallpaper is very faint, thin baby blue/white stripes; bedding and window treatment are along the same hues -- very calming; the flooring is hardwood -- no rugs. I'm thinking a blue/yellow floral -- what do you think? Please give me suggestions. Thanks a bunch!

Jura Koncius: Pale blue and yellow is a classic combination. And you could use blue and white dishes or lamps to complement that. Light blue and chocolate brown has been a popular color combo recently in design. Light blue and pale green is also a nice look.

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Los Angeles, Calif.: I'm having a girl in early April, so I have time to plan. While I want the nursery to appeal to my daughter, I also want it to fit into my house. Therefore any furniture we buy will be in medium-toned woods, and the decor will not be pink. What are some good places to look for nursery inspiration on a budget?

Terri Sapienza: Did you happen to see today's cover story about decorating a nursery? Lots of good tips from designers. But good places to look for well-prices nursery items is Ikea and Craigslist.

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Refinishing a table: Good morning! Any suggestions on a place I can take a table to for refinishing? Because of the antique stores in historic Ellicott City, I was thinking somewhere there would be good (plus I live close to there). Can anyone recommend a place?

Jura Koncius: We aren't familiar with a place out there so we're sending it out to all of you in Anne Arundel County.

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Frederick, Md.: Pottery Barn outlet in Leesburg had rugs 30 percent off over the weekend. They had some large rugs. Also Crate and Barrel in the same plaza had a few larger rugs all under 200 dollars.

Jura Koncius: Altough they might not be that cheap,there are great rugs to be had at the Stark Warehouse Sale at Dulles Expo Center Oct 21 to Oct 25. www.starksale.com.

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Washington, D.C.: For a baby/toddler's room, do you have any suggestions on decorating the walls, and other decorating tips, for people that live in rentals and can't paint?

Terri Sapienza: Oh, there's lots you can do without having to paint. You could frame pictures from storybooks, cute flash cards or anything else that appeals to you. Hang a series of whatever you choose to bring more color into the room. Some people also like to hang quilts on the wall, and others swear by wall decals such as Wallies.

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Barbara Barry question: Hey Ladies! A few weeks ago, in your article about Barbara Barry, there was a picture in the PRINT version of the home section that did not make it online. The picture had a chandelier in it that I loved -- pretty modern-looking. Do you know the source of the chandelier? I looked on her Web site and did not see anything like it.

Jura Koncius: I'm looking at that issue right now. There are no chandeliers that I can see in any of the photos we used. But below the Barry article is a makeover article that shows a round modern chandelier from Dominion Electric Supply.

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Bethesda, Md.: I'm trying to blend formal cherry end tables with a more casual linen sofa in my small colonial living room. Any tips on how I can pull this all together, or should I lose the end tables?

Jura Koncius: No. Small end tables should be fine with your sofa.

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Maryland: I am a week too late, but I wanted to weigh in on last week's room redesign where the designer "solved" the issue of where to put the treadmill by placing it into an unused closet. Really? Are you serious? 1) how many people have "unused" closets? 2) putting it in a closet significantly reduces the likelihood it is used and also increases the chance of damage when it is moved in and out (both to the machine and to the closet). Form follows function, remember?

Jura Koncius: Maryland has an opinion about last week...

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I love babies: Nurseries are lovely to think about -- all those fun items, pretty colors and promise. In my experience, I offer that "safety" (e.g., no cribs near windows, mobiles securing fastened), stain-resistance/wash-ability, and practicality (e.g., Can crib sheets be changed in a heartbeat? Is changing table at serviceable height? Is diaper disposal near at hand?)are really, really important design concerns. Just saying.

Terri Sapienza: Agreed. And one of the designers I interviewed for the story said just that. One of Alison Naden's tips was to think it terms of practicality first, then decide how you want the room to look.

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Sofa cushions: A couple of weeks I wrote in asking about buying a new sofa with more durable cushions. You asked me why I didn't get new stuffing. I did and am very happy with the results. Under $500 for new high density foam (not for everybody as it is hard but I like it) vs $2,500 for a new sofa. What's not to love? Thanks for the help.

Terri Sapienza: Glad it worked out and you saved money in the process. Thanks for writing.

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Bethesda, Md.: Hi guys -- Posting early...I have an 11 a.m. meeting. My husband and I bought a small colonial in Bethesda last year that has good bones but needs lots of updates. We plan to do a major remodel and addition in 2-3 years, but in the meantime, the kitchen is just awful. It's got white metal cabinets (no match knobs), green painted wood floors to match the one green laminate countertop. It's pretty small so we figured we could do something that wouldn't cost a lot. What do you guys think? We were thinking we could replace the one countertop and put new vinyl or something on the floor.

Thanks a million!

Jura Koncius: I think plenty of people are in your boat. Good for you that you invested in a house and are planning to eventually upgrade it the best you can. I would say if the floor is already painted, perhaps it would be best to paint it a more neutral color - black, brown or white. If you want to invest in some floor covering, what about Pergo or Marmoleum? Go to Home Depot or Lowe's and get some matching hardware. The counter isn't cheap to replace.

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Arlington, Va.: This may sound like an ignorant question but we want to replace our old-style toilet with a low-flush model. I got a couple options from Consumer Reports and know which one I want, but they don't seem to have it at Home Depot and I don't know where to buy it! And can we install a toilet ourselves? We are not particularly handy, to be honest.

Jura Koncius: Check out the Charityworks Green House, a designer show house in McLean - www.charityworksgreenhouse.com - they have Kohler dual flush toilets - Persuade by Kohler. If you're not sure if you can install a toilet, I would say do not do it!

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Re: Plantaion shutters: I would talk to a real estate agent before putting the thousands of dollars into them if you are looking for a return on your money. Depending on were your home is and style of your home I think would dictate their worth. Personaly I would rip them out if I were buying a new home. Way to country looking for me.

Jura Koncius: Hmmm.

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Gaithersburg, Md.: Twenty years ago, I moved into a new house and installed shutters most everywhere. Back then the smaller, more traditional shutters were used more, so I went that route. I can't replace them, but do you think that will be troublesome when we try to sell our house in a few years?

Jura Koncius: Don't worry about it. There's nothing you can do short of replacing them and that is too expensive!

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Rockville, Md.: About inexpensive rugs, I have looked online at sites you suggest but am reluctant to match colors from computer and do not want hassle of returning via mail. Pier 1 doesn't do 9x12's that I have seen. Thanks.

Terri Sapienza: How about going to a rug store and looking at their remnants? you can have one cute and bound to the exact size you need and they are usually marked down considerably.

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Arlington, Va.: We have limited money to spend but are considering a couple home improvements. Which would you put your money into -- redoing a laundry room that is a cave, awful dark space full of spiders, or a 1950s master bath with shower (no tub)? I'm leaning toward the laundry room, husband leaning toward the bathroom. Guess who does most of the laundry.

Jura Koncius: I think a realtor would tell you to do the bathroom for resale. But I can see your point about your laundry room! Perhaps you could do the bathroom and just make a few nice adjustments to the laundry area to make it more attractive. You could pick up a cabinet or folding table at Ikea.

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Takoma Park, Md.: I've been wanting to purchase the Pottery Barn Tanner 20" glass and metal cocktail table for well over a year now but can't justify the $250 price tag. I found nearly, if not the EXACT same table in the Home Decorators catalog for $129 but it needs to be assembled. Does anyone have any experience putting together furniture from Home Decorators? They did send me the instructions and it doesn't look too difficult but I've had my share of put together bookcases that I just couldn't assemble correctly. Thanks!

Jura Koncius: I'd say offer to make dinner for a handy friend who could help you assemble it.

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Apt. kids room: For the person who wants to decorate the kids room without painting -- if you go on-line and google "WALLIES" or "wall art" and you'll get all sorts of decals that stick on the walls and peel off. They have murals of princess castles, race cards, all sorts of bug things. Or small butterflies, bugs, fish, whatever you might be looking for. They aren't that expensive and you just peel them off the wall when you're ready to move.

Jura Koncius: Yeah Wallies.

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Boston, Mass.: I'm looking for window treatments for my living room/family room. This is a front to back classic colonial living room with 5 windows. Since this is also our family room I'm trying to keep the room more on the casual side. I also have baseboard radiators that would interfere with panels. What do you think of woven blinds on their own. The room has wood floors and is painted Manchester Tan. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

Terri Sapienza: Did you mean woven shades? If so, I really love the look of natural woven shades and think they can be casual or dressed up to look more formal with panels. Sounds like a good pick for your room.

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Treadmill: "putting it in a closet significantly reduces the likelihood it is used and also increases the chance of damage when it is moved in and out"

That was my thought exactly. I have a treadmill in my basement that I use several times a week. Even though it folds and has wheels, it is extremely difficult for me to move -- there's no way I would do it regularly. (And any treadmill that is small and light enough to do this easily is not likely to be sturdy enough to hold up to substantial use.) If you really want to hide it (I don't bother -- my idea of making it presentable is to remove the workout clothes that usually hang on it), just put up a nice ornamental screen.

Jura Koncius: Screens are amazing, aren't they?

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Maryland: Bullocks Furniture Restoration in Odenton, Md. They did a fabulous job on several pieces for me. They have new owners since I was last there, but I heard that the employees all remained, so I would think their high quality would still be there.

Jura Koncius: Thanks for that.

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Rockville, Md.: Thanks Frederick for the Leesburg idea.

Jura Koncius: Thanks to Rockville, Frederick and Leesburg.

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Room and Board: A chatter last week mentioned Room and Board for furniture. I'm thinking of using their design-your-own service for a particular space I need to maximize. I don't mind the price IF the quality is good -- what's R and B's reputation? Thanks!

Jura Koncius: It has a very good reputation. They are actually opening a store in our area - they said next spring - at 1840 14th St. NW.

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9x12 rugs: Check out Plow and Hearth. Yes, it's a Web site and catalog, but there's a store on Rockville Pike (in the plaza with Whole Foods and the Container Store) and you can order from the catalog if something isn't in stock (save the shipping costs) and pick up and return items there. I like their rugs -- I've focused on polypropylene, but I'm pretty sure they have other kinds too. I also second the suggestion of IKEA.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: Thanks for the nursery ideas, I especially love the patterned rug suggestion to hide stains! For some more great nursery ideas, I love Apartment Therapy's kid room site, Ohdeedoh.com. Lots of great modernish ideas.

Jura Koncius: Thank you, Pittsburgh.

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Frederick, Md.: The trim and woodwork in our old house is still unpainted -- just has a natural stain -- which we love. We're thinking about painting the original 1940s cabinets white and adding new hardware. What should we do with the "natural" trim around the windows, baseboards and doors in that room. Do you think it would be okay to leave those plain old "wood" looking, or should we paint them white, too?

Terri Sapienza: Are you talking about kitchen cabinets or cabinets in another part of the house?

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Area rug in small room: Love your chats. I am redecorating a small living room/family room. I am thinking of painting the walls in BMs Powell Buff. Do you think a chocolate-colored area rug (8x10) would make the room seem smaller or with the lighter wall color would it be alright? I am trying to choose a rug. Thanks.

Jura Koncius: Powell Buff is a nice Historic Color from the Benjamin Moore line. The chocolate rug would draw your eye down to it - but it is a good color to have for wear and tear. You might also consider a rug with a brown border that is lighter color in the middle.

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Home Decorators: I like Jura's suggestion of making dinner for a handy friend to help with the table. I bought a mission-style entryway bench from Home Decorators and I was really pleased with the experience. The items were packed very well with all of the instructions and hardware. That said -- I would have NEVER been able to put it together myself. It took my handy husband about an hour to assemble.

Jura Koncius: You are lucky your husband is handy. We would have to invite over someone else's handy husband to put together a table at our place.

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Bowie, Md: Window shades: My niece just bought her first home and has 10 windows that need window coverings. She loves the look of solar shades, which still let in some light. However, at about $100 each, it's a little much for someone who just spent all her money on the house. Any suggestions for a similar item that is a little friendlier for the budget? She prefers a very contemporary look.

Jura Koncius: Roller shades in a fun color do the trick and aren't expensive.

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Solar Shades: Try JC Penney's Website. I picked up a simple white solar shade for about $26.00 on sale.

Jura Koncius: Wow.

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Midwest: Gorgeous nurseries today! Thank you for the ideas! I hate to be a downer, but I did want to point out for your readers that every major public health organization -- including the American Academy of Pediatrics -- recommends that baby's crib be totally empty...no bumper pads, pillows, stuffed animals, blankets, etc. So while the photos you presented were absolutely beautiful, I caution against the items that were depicted. I sit on our state's infant mortality review team, and at every single monthly meeting we see tragic cases of infant deaths due to suffocation and entrapment because of items like these. It happens, it's unthinkable, and it is preventable. So for expectant and new parents, I just wanted to put the word out to carefully consider what you put in/near your baby's crib. There's great information available through the First Candle organization (First Candle).

So, again, not to be depressing, but I work in the maternal-child health field and wanted to pass this along.

I love your section and read it online every week!

Terri Sapienza: thanks for your comments.

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Sterling, Va.: This is sort of an entertaining question, I hope that's okay. We are having a big Halloween party, it will be a "mill about with your food and drinks" sort of deal. It feels as though we never have enough seating and people are occasionally left standing awkwardly. What are alternatives to filling the first floor with folding chairs?

Jura Koncius: I would say don't put up too many folding chairs. The point of a party is to mingle and meet others. If people sit stiffly in chairs eating, it won't make the party take off.

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Nashville, Tenn.: I love my shutters -- have them throughout my tiny condo. But please know, they must be dusted regularly and thoroughly cleaned occasionally. Mine are more than twenty years old and they still look great!

Jura Koncius: Good for you.

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Maryland: I spent $5K or so putting plantation shutters and coordinating wooden blinds (for places the shutters didn't work)throughout my home. Every person who has visited me has commented and complimented on them. They are a key architectural feature. The one place I used fabric blinds instead shows substantial wear and are going to have to be replaced soon, but the shutters still look out of the box new 5 years later.

Jura Koncius: This is a good story for those who are hesitant about investing in shutters.

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Fairfax, Va.: I've got a small sculpture of a sun that I'd like to turn into a lamp. Do you know of anyone in the area that could either do this or who would be able to drill the sculpture so I could wire it with a light kit?

Jura Koncius: Yes. Gaylord's in Chevy Chase. They are moving in November but they are still there now. 4620 Leland St.

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Re: window shades: I used the roller shades in our sun room and they have worked well. I made a valance to hide the roller then pull it down when needed. We used the paper blinds too until we could afford to buy nice 2inch blinds for the front of the house. Save your money and buy a little at a time. Less waste...

Jura Koncius: So true.

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Solar Shades -- Sale: JCPenney is having a sale on their solar shades -- great prices on already decent prices. Depending on which option you go for, they're running 50 percent or more off right now.

Jura Koncius: Thanks.

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Alexandria, Va.: To the State College, Pa., chatter looking for cord management, a good place to check out is The Container Store (The Container Store) they have quite a few things for cord management and their site and stores are a little more user-friendly than Life Hacker.

Jura Koncius: Good alternative.

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Boston, Mass.: Terri -- Thanks for your response. Yes, I did mean woven shades. I was looking at a bamboo option from Hunter Douglas. Do you recommend a color similar to the floor? And last question -- Do you think it's worth the investment to have them professionally measured and installed?

Terri Sapienza: Hard to gove advice on color when I've never seen the space. I would just bring some samples home see which one you like best.

And YES - I think it's absoutely worth the investment to have them professionally measured and installed. I highly recommend you do so.

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Hardwood Floors: Hi there -- thought I'd get some professional input on this. I have honey-colored hardwood floors in my house, but am considering refinishing (or painting) them to a dark brown color. Yay or nay? If it matters, the wood strips are on the narrow side (I usually see the dark floors on wide planks). Can't decide if it would look odd or not. Thanks!

Jura Koncius: Think carefully before you do anything to your floors. It's expensive to change them back. I would not paint the floors, but if you want dark, have a stain applied.

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Postponed kitchen remodel: So...we were going to remodel our kitchen and started pulling things apart. But then the economy fell apart, and we had a baby, and so on. So it looks like this is another couple of years down the road. (We'd actually like to do an addition, so may wait until we have enough resources to do a proper job.)

But now I'm stuck with horrible 1970s dark brown cabinets. Is it possible to paint them? And what color? A neutral? White? Beige? The kitchen joins on a family room with a brick fireplace, but other than that, there's no decorating/color scheme. Any thoughts?

Terri Sapienza: I would paint the cabinets and the brick fireplace. Too difficult to give color suggestions without seeing the rooms, but if white would work, I might go that route. Sounds like it would really brighten things up.

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Woven Bamboo Window Coverings: JCPenney has these on sale, too. Black or Brown.

Jura Koncius: great.

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Nursery: I did something a bit unexpected for my son's nursery, which was also a guest room: it was essentially all white. There were touches of blue (pillows, curtain tie-backs) in toile-de-jouy. So pretty. I knew that my older child didn't play in her room, so figured he wouldn't either. Also, we would be moving before he was 2. Also, if my usual conditions prevailed (they did), he would be premature and in the hospital off and on. I needed something to focus on!

Not for everyone, but it was unusual and I liked it a lot.

Terri Sapienza: Sounds lovely. thanks for sharing.

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Sun Prairie, Wisc.: Re Frederick, Md.: I'm jumping in here with a suggestion that worked for me. My wife and I built a house with stained trim and loved some white bath cabinets. We wanted the trim consistant thoughout the house so had white cabinets and kept the base shoe that ran around bottom of baseboards and toekick of cabinets finished to match trim. It looked great and tied the cabinets to rest of room. Sometimes it is hard to gracefully have different trim colors but cabnets look fine. My two cents.

Thank for your column always fun/informative.

Jura Koncius: Thrilled you are clicking in with us from Sun Prairie!!

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Re: shutters: My friend has a 100 year old four square house in Frederick and the shutters look great. For my 10 year old house i like the feel of the fabric curtains floor to ceiling to keep the windows looking big. Its a personal thing.My point was dont buy shutters thinking your going to get you money out of them when you go to sell your house. Talk to a professional before you invest 5K. If you buy them because you love them more power to you.

Jura Koncius: I am always in favor of buying what you love, not what is best for resale. Life is not a dress rehearsal. And that is my final comment for today.

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Clifton, Va.: Looking to replace a toilet

First try Lowe's. If they don't have it try see if there is a Ferguson's close by. They should carry it. Toilet installation is relatively simple; you need a wax seal and some adjustable wrenches and two bodies. And the most important thing to remember is not to overtighten the nuts holding the toilet down. Just tight, not over tigh,t or you'll crack the toilet. Flexible water lines amke the job easy. No need to flare fitting etc. Scrape off old wax seal completely.

Jura Koncius: thanks

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Silver Spring, Md.: Hello ladies,

There's a resource out there for those of us with mid-century bathrooms that we hate (or love!): Save the Pink Bathrooms

The site is part of Retro Renovations and has tips for tiles of other colors too. I got some ideas for paint colors for the walls of my mid-century bathrooms (3!).

Jura Koncius: one last thing.

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

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