Home Front: Challenging Living Room Configuration, Cleaning Oriental Rugs, Refinishing Furniture, Washing Pillows and more Posted on September 6th
A transcript follows.
You may also browse an archive of previous Home Front discussions.
____________________
Terri Sapienza: Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining us for our first chat of the fall. Where did the summer go?
For all of your paint people out there, be sure to check out Jura’s great story today on Richmond-based decorative painter Sunny Goode.
Okay, let’s chat…
_______________________
Arlington, Va: Could you recommend a business that cleans oriental rugs? My cat, in a jealousy fit over the new kitten, peed on an antique oriental rug. I’ve tried everything (Woolite rug cleaner, cold water and mild soap, white vinegar diluted in water) and nothing has gotten the smell out. I searched the Post archives, and couldn’t find any articles. Help!!
Jura Koncius: Oh dear. That is dreadful. I think if the rug is valuable to you, you should have it professionally cleaned if you have already tried a lot of other methods. I have two names for rug cleaning Hanna Ayoub at 301 562-4088 in Silver Spring and Quality Pro 301 933-8521. Does anyone have a Virginia rug cleaner to suggest?
_______________________
Please help: I want to find a way to hang a large (three feet wide), round brass table top. It’s beautiful, and I want to display it on the wall. Ideally, I would like to use something like a plate/tray hanger, though I don’t even know how those work. Do they make those for large round objects? Where should I look? (The object weighs 10-12 pounds.)
Thank you for your help!
Jura Koncius: I would go to a place like Michael’s Crafts. Also Bruce Variety in Bethesda has a large selection of plate and platter hangers - coiled wire stretches around the back of the plates - I have large platters hanging in my kitchen using these although I’m not sure they weigh 10 pounds…
_______________________
Rockville, MD: Morning ladies:
Posting early - I have an 11 am meeting.
I’m wondering how to remove tiles from a backsplash and either having to re-do the drywall or retiling the area. If I took off the tiles, would I be able to re-drywall myself or retile that wall again?
My husband is NO help so I can’t ask him what I would have to do (he is against any kind of manual labor and $$ labor).
I’m a do-it-yourselfer and do not, I repeat, do not, have the $$ to pay someone to do this for me.
Please help! Any experts out there who can give me advice?
Terri Sapienza: Hi, Rockville. Tiling is definitely a do-able DIY project. My advice is to speak with someone at your local home improvement store to more info and some direction (some also offer classes on DIY topics). You can also check out the Lowe’s website for detailed instructions on retiling: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=Improve/tilebacksplash.html
Good luck!
_______________________
Baltimore, MD: What do you do about a living room where the two doors are opposite each other next to one of the walls? Leave a pathway and use the rest of the room for furniture? (but the whole room is only 12 feet wide, so the remaining “room” is very long and thin.) Put a big sofa between the doors and make people walk around it? (so the first thing you see is the edge of the couch.) Say the heck with it and fill the rest of the room with boxes and call it a very large closet? The other long wall has a fireplace and one of the short walls has windows - I’m so frustrated with furniture placement! Thanks for your great advice Jura and Terri.
Terri Sapienza: Hmmm…I’m confused about the placement of the doors. Could you try explaining again?
_______________________
Bethesda, MD: Hi! I love some of West Elm’s new designs, namely the Storage Bed and Trestle Dresser. Any comments on the durability of West Elm’s furniture like this? Are there other places I could look for reasonably priced, durable, modern bedroom furniture? Thanks very much!
Jura Koncius: You might not pass down your West Elm case pieces to your grandchildren, but the prices are so reasonable it’s hard to resist. You might check out Bo Concept in Cady’s Alley in Georgetown or Ikea.
_______________________
Shepherd Park, DC: We have a quarter-sawn oak dining room table that we recently got something on that has removed the finish on part of the surface. What are our options for getting it redone? Are there refinishers who will come to the house to do the refinishing, or to pick up the table? Any you recommend? We can’t transport it ourselves.
Jura Koncius: You might consider Furniture Medic at furnituremedic.com. They will come to the house and can probably take care of it quickly.
_______________________
Alexandria, VA: Good morning, ladies. I’m going to replace the flooring in the living room, dining room, and breakfast area of my townhouse with hardwood floors. I’m leaning toward Bellawood Brazilian Cherry. This product comes in both 3- and 5-inch widths. Which width do you recommend? Thanks for your advice. I learn a lot from your discussions.
Terri Sapienza: A choice like this just comes down to a matter of preference. Do you have existing hardwood anywhere else in the house? If so on the same floor that you are getting the new floor installed, I would suggest keeping the look consistent. Otherwise, pick which size you like best and go for it.
_______________________
Baltimore, MD: Do you have any suggestions for two greens - a light, calm one for a bedroom and a darker shade for the attached black-and-white tile bathroom? Thanks!
Terri Sapienza: Take a look at BM’s Hollingsworth Green. Our editor has it in her bedroom and it’s lovely, light and airy. Hancock Green is nice, too.
_______________________
Rockville: How are you supposed to wash pillows? I’m not talking down-filled pillows; rather, I mean the regular, Target-bought pillows? Every time I wash them, they come out all lumpy-bumpy. My dog (and I) will thank you for a helpful answer! (And can you fix those that are already lumpy?)
Jura Koncius: I am checking out my Martha Stewart’s Homekeeping Handbook and learning things I never knew about pillows and pillow care - so thanks for asking this. Martha says first check the tags on the pillows to see if they say DRY CLEAN ONLY. If they do, do not wash them in your machine. Otherwise, she says to wash your pillows every three to six months to get rid of mold, bacteria and odors.(Gosh, Martha must be washing constantly with all the pillows she has in her multiple homes with multiple bedrooms.) She says use a front-loading machine because in a top loader, pillows tend to float on top and not get clean. Set machine on GENTLE and add mild liquid detergent like Ivory Snow or Dreft. Fill the tub loosely with pillows. Repeat RINSE cycle several times to make sure detergent is completely removed. By the way, she says do not use powdered detergent, only liquid. Foam pillows should not go into a dryer, and can be hung on a clothesline, but others can be put into the dryer. I think if yours are already lumpy and they are from Target, it’s best to get new pillows. I got wonderful pillows for my son’s dorm room this summer at the Polo outlet - $14.99 and they were really good quality.
_______________________
Jura Koncius: I want to throw out a caution for this weekend. I hear we may have some bad storms on Saturday and maybe high winds from hurricane remnants passing through. Now is a good time to check your basement - put anything perishable up away from the floor and check those gutters and downspouts as well as outside drains to make sure they are not full of leaves and debris!! Maybe buying a wet vac isn’t a bad idea if you have had flooding recently. I know one family who just did just that. Anyway, just passing this tip along.
_______________________
Washington, DC: Hi there! This question is a bit out of left field but I REALLY hope you can help. I am moving into an apartment with a strange bathroom setup: the back of the toilet is not up against the wall but rather part of the wall is cut out and the toilet is pushed a bit into that nook.
While it saves space I am concerned that the hole in the wall can be an invite to critters (this is a city after all). So I stuck lots of steel wool pads around the toilet. However I need a way to cover up all that steel wool.
I was thinking of taking something like a lacey drape that I can lay down over the back of the toilet and hang down the sides so it will cover the steel wool.
Would that work? Or if you have any other ideas I would REALLY appreciate it!
Thanks!
Terri Sapienza: I’m not a fan of the “lacey drape to cover the steel wool” look, and I actually think it would end up drawing more attention the the problem. Is there any way to have the wall filled in around the toilet or ask the landlord to have it moved forward? I’m having a difficult time picturing this scene.
_______________________
Friendly, MD: Help please!! Where can I find bedspreads that are not solid colors and are more masculine? I refuse to buy another comforter or bedspread that has a flower on it.
Thank you!!!
Jura Koncius: This is a GREAT question. You might try Apartment Zero www.apartmentzero.com - 406 7th St. NW or West Elm. Any other ideas out there?
_______________________
Alexandria, Va.: For last week’s poster seeking corner unit for twin beds: Pottery Barn Teen has a “Store-It” piece for use with 2 twin beds. What you see in the full picture is a basic joining unit on the bottom with a hutch on top.
With the photo, the poster might want to go to an unfinished furniture place (bringing the beds’ width and height) to see if there’s something that would fit the bill.
Terri Sapienza: Great tip, thanks!
_______________________
Furniture Medic: Furniture Medic appears to be a franchise when you go to the web site. Any ideas which location. person, etc. is good? Thank you! I have a big, heavy armoire that needs in-home care.
Jura Koncius: I think you go with who is in your area. They are all trained to do the work. We were very happy with our service recently repairing the veneer on a chest my husband inherited. They also polished it up beautifully.
_______________________
DC: I am trying to find the right shade of BM white for a small room with 2 windows, one facing east the other north. I only have to match the drapes, and no one color works best on both walls. How should I pick between them? Thank you.
Terri Sapienza: I’m a little confused by your question. What color are the drapes? Do the whites you’ve tried not go well with them? Does the paint color have to be white?
_______________________
Capitol Hill: Please help! Paint gurus, here is a challenge: after significant time, expense, and a frankly, a great deal of suffering, we are coming close to finishing our basement, which will include a guest room, bathroom, a big living/play area, and a wine cellar. We want the large living area to be a happy lime color, like BM’s Tequila Lime, Dark Lime or Bright Lime but can’t decide which one. We are thinking of doing the wine area in a “fall-ish” orange or maybe a burgundy. For the bedroom we want a sophisticated neutral which will go with both our current white furniture and the dark wood furniture we’ll buy for it eventually. We are thinking something akin to a cool hotel room. So, what set of colors would you recommend for us, you wise ones?
Terri Sapienza: I’m sorry, but I have to be honest here: I don’t think the combination of any of those bright greens and orange (or burgundy)will be complimentary. I also don’t think that a color needs to be super bright to make a room feel “happy.” But, if you’re committed to these colors, I would be sure to test them out together first. And be prepared for the bright greens appearing much brighter once you get them on the walls.
_______________________
Privacy, please!: I have a standing shower in the master bath with clear sliding glass doors. I’d like to get some vinyl film to make the doors less peep-show worthy, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere. Any suggestions?
Jura Koncius: Try www.wallpaperforwindows.com or www.decorativefilm.com
_______________________
Greenfront: Love the stores, but readers should know that you cannot exchange or return to a different Greenfront location.
Jura Koncius: Hmmm. Did not know that!
_______________________
VA: Help! We’re changing out all the electrical outlets and light switches in our 1971 home. Unfortunately, the wires need to be snipped and stripped and they’re not going without a fight. They keep breaking and not bending right, and the boxes are too small to shove the wires back in. Needless to say, we’ve gotten 0 out of 39 outlets done. People keep making fun of us and saying this is an easy thing to do. Any hints or should we admit defeat and hire an electrician?
Jura Koncius: I would definitely go for a professional - wiring isn’t something you want to mess up.
_______________________
Baltimore, MD: The living room - when you walk in the front door, you are in a corner of the room. When you walk straight ahead, you are walking down the long side of the room brushing the right wall with your shoulder. The other door is directly ahead of you. So the whole room is to your left, but it’s not that big, and the other long wall has a fireplace and no space for a sofa. Arg. Maybe I should give up trying to describe and just send a photo to House Calls.
Terri Sapienza: Great idea! Your room sounds like a perfect candidate. (I still can’t picture what the room looks like - sorry!) Send photos and contact info to makeover@washpost.com.
_______________________
Couple comments, suggestions and a question: For the pillow poster, you can get two pillows at Marshall’s for $10. you can get better quality ones for more but I’ve only gotten my pillows there and they’ve been Ralph Lauren pillows.
For the two door room, it sounded like you could walk through one door and straight to the other one. And if you put a couch there you’ll hit the couch before you get to the door. Does that make sense? I don’t have suggestions for the poster w/o seeing the layout of the room but thought I’d help you with “seeing” the room.
Now on to my question. I’m a first time homebuyer and painter. I’ve heard mixed responses to when to take off the tape. Some say wait for it to dry before taking it off so the paint doesn’t bleed. Others have said if you wait to dry it’ll harden and then you might peel paint when taking it off. What do you or other posters recommend? Is there a time frame for when its best to take off paint? Thank you!!!
Jura Koncius: Thank you for all that. I personally have had trouble with paint tape sticking, maybe due to my forced air heating/cooling system. I say get it off as soon as possible.
What do others think?
_______________________
Furniture Care: I have a lot of solid wood handcrafted furniture that is in need of care (steel wool and wax or oil). It is too much for me to do by myself. Would a handyman be best for this job, a cleaning service?
Jura Koncius: If you are handy, and you have time and patience - you can do something like this yourself armed with some products from your local hardware store. You can hire people to come in and polish and refinish - or take your pieces to a professional to do it at their studio.
_______________________
West Elm feedback: I would not buy West Elm. While it looks nice, the quality is just a step up from Ikea. if you’re going to spend that much, go to Crate and Barrel or Pottery Barn where you’re more likely to get better quality materials. I saw a bookshelf at West Elm for $500 I loved but it’s made of corrugated wood, which isn’t wood at all. I won’t get started on how much they can charge and we pay for materials that aren’t even real.
Jura Koncius: Here you go…
_______________________
Pet Smells: For the lady with the carpet and the angry cat.
Go to the pet store and buy a quart of Nature’s Miracle. The last time I bought it (3+ years ago) it was a white bottle with red lettering. Our pet is long gone but I still keep it around to de-smell trash cans, fish odors, stinky kid sports gear, etc.
Jura Koncius: Okay… you might want to try this. Others have suggested www.odormedic.com or www.urinegone.com. Because it was an Oriental carpet, I hesitated to suggest chemicals that might harm it - I would test it on a small spot or underneath…
_______________________
Washington, DC: How to wash a feather bed?
Jura Koncius: I would use the same directions Martha gave for pillows in an earlier question. But check the label first - if it says DRY CLEAN ONLY you probably should honor that.
_______________________
Bethesda, MD: Sorry to ask a paint color question, but I’d really like some advice. I have a guest room/guest bathroom in the lower level. Both rooms have windows, but they are still rather dark. The floor in both rooms is a white tile with light gray and silver swirls. What color should I paint the rooms? I don’t like yellows/oranges, and would prefer something like a light violet - but will that make the rooms look to cave-like? If I got over my sunny color aversion, is there a color in that palette that you’d recommend? Thanks for your help!
Terri Sapienza: How about a nice light gray, which wouldn’t be dark and would pick up on the gray in the floor? And because gray is such a great neutral, you could accessorize with just about any color and change the look easily and inexpensively with towels, art, etc. Take a look at BM’s Classic Gray or Horizon to start. If that’s too light, rake a look at Wickham Gray and Moonshine, too.
_______________________
Silver Spring, MD: We are in the process of reassigning the functions of some of our rooms and want to take the opportunity to paint. Don’t worry, this is not a paint color question. We’d like to get our walls tested for lead and, potentially, scraped (or however you’d get rid of the lead) before we repaint. Do you or any of the readers have suggestions for companies in the area that do this? Or other resources? Thanks.
Jura Koncius: There are consumer lead detection kits available in your hardware store. Lead abatement is a tricky, complex business. I might call the Maryland Department of the Environment for suggestions.
_______________________
Furniture placement in Baltimore: I have a room that sounds very similar to the Baltimore one.
When you enter the front door, you’re in a corner of the living room, and then you have to walk along the wall (straight ahead) to get to the door to the hallway.
Anyway, I ended up leaving that long wall empty and making a clear path to the hallway door. I have “floated” all the furniture (couch + 2 chairs), centering it all on the fireplace on the opposite wall.
Hard to explain without seeing it, but I’m guessing that Baltimore is visualizing her furniture pushed against the walls. Sometimes it doesn’t have to be that way.
Terri Sapienza: Here’s some advice for Baltimore. Thanks!
_______________________
Glen Allen, VA: For the more masculine bedding - Linens N Things has several lines from Nate Berkus that might fill the bill.
Terri Sapienza: thanks!
_______________________
Wine glasses: Where can I get 8-12 wine glasses that won’t cost me a ton of money? Target has 4 for $10 and Bed Bath and Beyond have a set of 12 for $10. I don’t think of any these are real wine glasses but I’d hate to spend $40 on “real” wine glasses. Any suggestions on where to go or places that have a sale on wine glasses?
washingtonpost.com: World Market has good inexpensive glasses.
Jura Koncius: What a great question! We should follow up on this for holiday entertaining! I got a dozen fabulous bell-shaped wine glasses in a box for $2 each at the Crate & Barrel outlet in Alexandria a couple of years ago. Also Tuesday Morning, TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are a good place to look.
_______________________
Masculine Bedspread: I think a Nautica bedspread could fit your needs. Mostly they are striped, so they are neither one solid color nor flowery. You can get them lots of places. We got ours at Bed Bath and Beyond using one of those 20% coupons.
Terri Sapienza: More great bedspread advice. Thanks!
_______________________
Non-Frilly Comforters: Try the Tommy Hilfiger line at Bed Bath and Beyond. Nautical and Boxy.
Or go mod with IKEA.
Jura Koncius: yeah.
_______________________
Clifton, VA: Nature’s Miracle is safe on wool carpets, recycled plastic carpets, oriental carpets and regular wall to wall carpets. Have used it for 7 years with no problems. And know at least 30 other pet owners who have had similar results.
Jura Koncius: miracle’s happen
_______________________
RE: bright green and orange/burgundy basement: If the poster likes those colors, perhaps they can incorporate the combo in accessories, as I did? Taking inspiration from a painting featuring earth-tone oranges, browns and a touch of grass green, I have a rich, off-white living room with orange adjacent sunroom (little actual painted wall space: SW Rhumba Orange, so it just catches your eye and does not overwhelm). Furniture is mostly dark wood with an off-white couch, and I brought in green accents in accessories (e.g., vase, pillow fabric with all colors). They can work together if all of the colors don’t have to compete — pick one as the feature and accent with others.
Also, I find that once you’ve settled on a group of colors, shopping/browsing stores and magazines helps you find existing decorative items containing all of your colors. Take some cues from those.
Terri Sapienza: Some sound advice for using bright greens and oranges together. And, yes, accessories are a great way to incorporate desired colors without taking too much of a risk.
_______________________
Re: Baltimore LR: I can picture the LR with the door placement and have an idea. How about placing short sofas/love seats/2 chairs facing each other perpendicular to and on either side of the fireplace? Then, as you walk along the right wall you will “brush” the ends of the sofas on your left. Hopefully I’ve explained this well, because I have to be out for the rest of the chat.
Terri Sapienza: More advice for Baltimore.
_______________________
Arlington, VA: Paint question! I’d like to get a black and white damask print bedspread and would love to paint my walls my favorite color - blue. Any suggestions for a “creamy” greyish blue? Am I off base with this, as my trusted advisor, Mom, is against this color choice?
Jura Koncius: What about the favorite Palladian Blue by Benjamin Moore? I think it would be very nice with back and white…
_______________________
Palo Alto, CA: Hi Ladies! A couple of weeks ago, the Home and Garden section had a tip on pinching off the terminal flower buds of basil to keep it blooming. However, I don’t know what “terminal flower buds” are or where they grow! I have a feeling I’ve been doing it wrong - pinching off new leaves instead. I’ve done a web search but haven’t found any images. Can you provide any guidance? Thanks!
washingtonpost.com: If Jura and Terri can’t answer this one, maybe gardenmaster Adrian Higgins can - his chat is next Tues but you can submit questions anytime starting now.
Terri Sapienza: Thanks Elizabeth, I think you’re right. This is a question for Adrian.
_______________________
For Silver Spring: Unless your old paint is peeling, you are better off painting over the (potentially) lead-based paint. Then it will be completely contained. Scraping it off means that you will have lots of lead dust in the air, which you will be breathing for a long while. The dust will also settle in the house and be kicked up when disturbed.
Jura Koncius: This is all very true. It’s dangerous to have this dust around - some people have discovered this too late and have had to had air ducts cleaned and costly other clean up measures.
_______________________
Masculine bedspreads: domestications.com and brylanehome.com have solid bedspreads.
Jura Koncius: Thanks.
_______________________
Destination for good men’s suits: My husband lost a lot of weight. He bought a complete wardrobe in 2004 for his old weight (he was in Singapore). We want to give his gently worn (or not worn at all) suits to a men’s version of Dress for Success–and use USPS, UPS, or FedEx ground to do it. Do you have ideas?
washingtonpost.com: Some ideas here: Clearing Out for a Cause (Washington Post Home Section, Jan. 3). Also, locally I know that Samaritan Ministry helps formerly homeless and struggling people find jobs, including providing outfits for interviews and work.
Terri Sapienza: More great ideas from our lovely producer Elizabeth.
_______________________
Charlotte, NC: Sounds to me like Baltimore needs to define a “foyer” area and float a sofa across from the fireplace…
Jura Koncius: Good thought…
_______________________
Paint advice: I have just finished a lengthy bathroom renovation and am stuck on a paint color. The tile is a mosaic of blue glass - like sea glass without the greens. It also has a natural cork floor. Any advice on where to begin?
Jura Koncius: Sounds lovely. How about Benjamin Moore’s Tidal Wave or Water Sprout by Behr.
_______________________
Wine glass source: Costco has real glass wine glasses for cheap. We bought 18 for under $30 (actually I think they were $20 but I’m not sure!).
Jura Koncius: Oh. That’s a great idea. Look out for these are you’re stocking up on laundry detergent and trash bags.
_______________________
Painters Tape: Just spent the entire weekend painting the whole house. Definitely remove the tape almost as soon as you’re done painting. Anywhere we waited, the paint started to peel with the tape. One alternative is to use an Exacto knife or razor blade to separate the tape from the paint, but I hesitate to do that since you risk scoring the drywall.
Jura Koncius: This is good info. Thanks.
_______________________
Washington, DC: Any Ben Moore colors for a nursery? Should be gender neutral. One window, no natural light in the room. Ceiling is white and trim will be bright white.
Thanks.
Terri Sapienza: How about a soothing, pale green? take a look at BM’s Dark Linen. Odd name for a green, I know.
_______________________
Oven Help, North Jersey: Hi Ladies, I love your chats! Here’s a crazy problem — After living in my apartment 1 1/2 years I finally cleaned the oven this morning (never used it, don’t like cooking for myself). The oven looked fine, but many of the slats of the two oven racks were covered in a fuzzy green mold. It looked like velvet. It was gross. I threw them out immediately.
And now my problem is where do I go to buy replacement oven racks? I left a note for the super in my apartment building this morning but maybe I’ll have to take care of this myself. I called Home Depot and you have to call a special 1-800 number and they’ll deliver it to you. The added pressure on me is that I am having guests come on Saturday for a week so I need an oven.
I just want to go to a store and buy oven racks. Any ideas?
Jura Koncius: Whoa! This is a yucky problem. I don’t blame you for throwing them out. Here are some ideas. Ask your super to raid another apartment that isn’t occupied for some racks. Ask a neighbor to borrow racks for the weekend’s entertaining. Look up the manufacturer of the oven online and see if you can order racks for your oven and have then overnighted to you.
_______________________
Silver Spring, MD: My boyfriend has a very small second bedroom and we wanted to make it a sitting room until it’s needed. We’re debating about the best way to furnish it. I want a daybed, but he is very tall and needs more room to spread out. Please recommend an arrangement that we can enjoy lounging, reading and watching TV together.
Terri Sapienza: Is the room big enough to fit a small-scale sectional with a chaise? Sounds like that might be a perfect solution for your bf’s need for extra lounging space.
_______________________
terminal buds: Those are the tallest part of the bush or plant. Sometime look at “daisies” at the supermarket and you will notice at the “top” of the main stem something is missing. What is missing is the terminal bud. It causes the plant to branch out (more but smaller. If you want big but fewer, pinch off the lateral buds).
Terri Sapienza: Oh, perfect, someone with a green thumb! (I, unfortunately, have the blackest thumb around). thanks for the info.
_______________________
Help a girl out . . . red couch dilemma: Hey ladies: My husband and I bought red couches a few years ago. While my tastes have changed slightly and I might not buy something so bold now, we do like the couches. And, they are fairly new so getting rid of them is not an option (and we do like red).
The problem is the walls. For 6 years, the walls have been yellow (less than lemon more than butter). But, we are tired of it. Any other colors that go with the red? FWIW, our colonial has pretty dark rooms w/o a ton of ambient light (boxy rooms with small windows). So very dark colors or dull colors (i.e., beige) are out. We do like bold but not ridiculously bold. Help?
Jura Koncius: Don’t fret. I think a zippy taupe/khaki would be good with red. What about Pantone’s Latte or Sand? Behr’s Pecan Sandie or Harvest Brown?
_______________________
Oven Racks: Remember to remove the oven racks before you set your oven for self-cleaning and you won’t have this problem. For replacements, check with the manufacturer or find a store that sells that model.
Jura Koncius: Thanks.
_______________________
Removing painter’s tape: I’ve had good luck using a craft knife or spackling knife run down the edge of the tape to separate paint on the tape from paint on the wall before removing the tape. If you leave the tape on too long it dries out and is terrible to remove.
Jura Koncius: Agreed. Thanks.
_______________________
Men’s Suits: Green Door in DC is always looking for larger sized professional wear for their clients. They are people reintegrating into society after recovering from serious mental illness.
washingtonpost.com: Another good organization.
Terri Sapienza: Great tip! thank you!
_______________________
Washington, DC: We’re thinking about replacing the floors and countertops in our kitchen. Assuming we have to do this in pieces (one project this year, one next year) which would you suggest doing first?
Jura Koncius: You could toss a coin - otherwise, I might suggest the counters as you might get more daily pleasure out of that change vs. the floors.
_______________________
Opposite door suggestion: Can the poster put the sofa across from the fireplace? What about chairs? Or putting the sofa so that people have to walk behind it to get to the other door?
Terri Sapienza: More advice for Baltimore…
_______________________
Pittsburgh, PA: I saw on TV that Men’s Wearhouse is holding a national suit drive. They are accepting gently used dress apparel at any of their stores. There’s probably more information on their website.
Terri Sapienza: perfect. Thanks!
_______________________
Portland, OR: For the person who tossed the oven racks because they were moldy - please think of the environment! The last thing we need is to throw things away because they are dirty. Put some gloves on and get your Palmolive or PineSol or Bleach or whatever out and go to town!
Jura Koncius: A good thought.
_______________________
Washington, DC: I liked Jeanne Huber’s recent column on painting cabinets, something I want to do but am nervous about. Can you also paint ceramic tiles that have a smooth surface? My kitchen backsplash has 4×4 accent tiles that I really dislike.
washingtonpost.com: How To: Renew Old Cabinets (Washington Post Home Section, Aug. 28)
Jura Koncius: Great article here…
_______________________
Create a wall hanging: I have a batik cloth (large) that I want to use as a focal point on a wall. How should I frame it? It is a light fabric so it needs some substance before I put it on the wall.
Thank you!!!
Terri Sapienza: Because the fabric is delicate, I would suggest taking to a few professional framing places to see what they suggest, then decide.
_______________________
re: Furniture Medic: Just wanted to say that based on recommendations here I just used them to refinish a virtually brand new dresser whose top was ruined by a spill. They did a great job quickly, but they did have to come to my apartment and remove the dresser, so there was an additional $95 charge. And as much as I hated having to put out more money, my dresser now looks unscathed and for a lot less than it originally cost.
Jura Koncius: Thank you for sharing your experience. We would love to hear from more of you.
_______________________
When to de-tape: I’ve heard that you should wait until the paint is “tacky” but not completely dry. That makes sense to me — it’s not so wet that any might bleed over when the tape comes off, but it’s not so dry you risk pulling up paint from the walls.
Jura Koncius: Makes sense.
_______________________
Terri Sapienza: That’s all the time we have for today. Thanks for joining us. Talk to you next week.
_______________________
Editor’s Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.