Conference 7.286::home_work

    
    I've never used an interior decorator, but I've gotten some good
    ideas out Home Decorating magazine.  There are several magazines
    of this type on the market.  I don't know if they're carried by
    libraries, but you can always start hanging around magazine racks
    and thumb through them, and buy the ones that you like.
    
    
    Ray

    Having just moved into a new home in Merrimack I can understand
    what you're going through.  I couldn't decide what to do with the
    windows so I called an interior decorator, who happens to be a former
    co-worker at Digital.  She came to the house with numerous samples
    and style suggestions.  Being an analytical I take forever to make
    decisions (it took me a year and a half to find a house) but I was
    able to decide on something in less than an hour.  She suggests
    starting with one room.  (A whole house can be overwhelming - and 
    expensive.)  Her prices for window treatments were less than I
    expected and much less than I would have paid at a retail store.  You 
    didn't say where you live, but if you're not far from Southern N.H.
    her name is Kathy McNabb, Lasting Impressions, Nashua, NH, (603-880-4322).
    
    The major furniture stores such as Ethan Allen have interior decorators
    that will come to your home for free, naturally they'll expect you
    to buy furniture.  Others will charge by the hour, usually from $30 up.
    If you decide to go with a decorator be sure to ask for references,
    or better yet, ask to see something she/he has done.
    
                                                                         
      

    What lighting, fixtures, decoration, etc. will maximize the apparent
    size of a room?

Mirrors on the wall make rooms look larger. Decorators say solid dark
colors on the walls make a room feel bigger, I've never tried it.  I
find that plain white does the same, though light tints of color do not.
Wall-wash lighting systems tend to make the room feel bigger too. 

					>>>==>PStJTT

    No furniture makes a room look a lot larger.  This is the approach
    I have taken since buying a house! {:-)
    
    Stan

    Mirrors on the wall do make a room look bigger. I went to a party
    in a tiny apartment that I assumed was pretty big. This person
    created such a illusion by hanging mirrors that looked like windows.
    He had mirrors that were trimmed with wood and even had the small
    pane effect. It looked great with the decor.

    RE: .1
    
>    Decorators say solid dark colors on the walls make a room feel bigger,
>    I've never tried it.

	I had heard the opposite.  Light colors make small rooms seem
    larger.
    
    Phil

    
    I'm looking into the same sort of thing right now. I found some
    books at the library over the weekend with info on lighting, room
    colors, etc.  A book titled "Walls, Floors and Ceilings" mentions:
    "Warm colors make a room seem smaller" (like white, ivory, light
    yellow)  "Cool colors make rooms seem larger" (black, dr. blue, red) 
    "Patterns and shapes make a room seem smaller." "Smooth textures and 
    patternless walls seem farther away"  It also says certain colors are 
    recommended in certain rooms of the house and white is the best
    color to use in a room with few windows because it reflects any
    light back into the room.   I picked up a book on lighting. Actually
    these books will be pretty helpful to me (the pictures help too). You
    might find the same resources at your local library.
    
    Kathy 

    
    
    Hi,
    
    Need some input on using paint to make a room look larger.
    The bedrooms in my apartment have wall to wall medium blue
    rugs.  One room (which is the room I want to make look larger)
    has a cherry bedroom set and the other has natural plywood
    which has not been stained.  I know that painting white will
    make it look bigger, but I do not want to use white.
    
    My preference in the smaller room is some type of pastel
    maybe a green or pink, but the color has to be really soft.
    The larger room is only bound by the blue rug.  The woodwork
    is painted white, but we are going to strip the paint.  The
    wood underneath is a light color.
    
    Any input would be greatly appreciated.
    
    Michele

    My .02.  I had the same problem with my living room.  What I chose to
    do was to paint the walls a light beige (White Coffee); in addition I
    painted the ceiling the same color.  This gave the illusion of a
    larger room since there wasn't the contrast in color where the wall met 
    the ceiling.  I don't know how well it would work with non neutral
    colors.
    
    Good luck, Rob. 

    .0
    
    
          HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT MIRROR?.... 
    
    
    Matthew.....
    

    I have painted eight house interiors (for sale) and am in the process of
    painting my own.  I have learned that the received wisdom about
    making rooms seem larger is true:
    
    - mirrored wall (I hate them)
    - white/off-white walls
    - neutral woodwork
    - match ceiling color to walls
    
    Personally, I am bored stiff with these conventions and in my own
    house I am using Benjamin Moore pastels on the walls with white
    woodwork (getting raves from visitors), and Atrium (pink base) or 
    Decorator White (gray base) on the walls with COLORED woodwork (very
    lively and pleasing).  I have come to believe that if a room is
    attractive, it doesn't matter what size it is.
    
    	

    
    
    Thanks for the replies
    
    I do not like the look of mirrors so they are not an option.  
    The idea about painting the ceiling the same color as the wall might
    work.  However, we have drop ceilings which consists of a bunch of
    small panels.  This would be kind of hard to paint without having
    some problems with the ceiling tiles themselves.  I will talk to
    the landlady on that one and see if she wants to try it.
    
    I like the idea about the pastels with white trim.  We found a new
    wood stain that comes in frosted colors.  It is very pretty, and would
    look nice on the trim especially around the windows.  
    
    Michele

  .3's mention of Benjamin-Moore's Atrium White caught my attention.
  This is a *fabulous* white color. I just can't say enough good things
  about it, and it's a B-M color, so we buy it at Spag's :-).

  Like .3, we've tried a number of combinations with good results:

  o Atrium White walls and ceiling with Linen White trim (has a golden
    hue) -- this is the most boring, but the room has sharp angles which
    provide visual interest, so it needed a quiet paint treatment.

  o Linen or Cameo White (darker than Linen) walls with Atrium White
    ceiling and trim (also pretty tame, but surprisingly effective).

  o Pastel walls (e.g., Oriental Silk, which is a light golden color),
    Atrium White ceiling, Linen White trim (this combo is *real* nice)

  And a few other combinations, including some custom colors. One which
  worked real well was a custom almost-white grey for trim, Linen White
  walls, and Atrium White ceiling. This is in a kitchen with grey
  counters and bleached maple cabinets. Prints and such provide color
  accents, and we plan to tile the wall area between counter and
  cabinets (about 18") for some more color.

  The overall effect of any of these color schemes is that they're very
  easy on the eyes, not totally boring (enough color and contrast for
  some interest), fairly versatile (i.e., you can do a lot with
  different colors in accent features), very "open" and light, and not
  tiresome (i.e., we won't need to repaint just because we've gotten
  tired of the colors).

  Of course, there are some rooms where wallpaper is more effective than
  paint, both for interest, appropriateness, and possibly even an
  impression of space. You shouldn't rule out paper, but to create the
  impression of a larger room, picking a pattern has to be part of an
  overall plan, and the advice of a specialist who comes to the house
  could help.

  Mirrors don't work for me at all. I grew up in an Italian-American
  neighborhood where everyone had mirrors (including the local
  restaurants), and it got really tacky-looking. Also, now, when I think
  of mirrors, I think of $3/hr motels with waterbeds (not that I've
  "stayed" in many of these, mind you :-).

    Decorators recommend vertically-striped wallpaper to give rooms height.
    How about horizontally-striped wallpaper for depth/width?
    
    Sometimes wallpaper borders give rooms dramatically different looks.
    Obviously, the lighter the colors, the larger the room will appear.
    Furnishings count, too -- dark furniture will make the room appear
    smaller, and the way you group the furniture will affect the look of
    the room, too. Think about window treatments, too -- minimal, lightly
    colored treatments will permit more light to enter the room.
    
    
                                                       

    I am amazed that there are other Benjamin Moore Atrium White fans
    out there!!
    
    In two bedrooms in my house I used Atrium White for the trim work.
    These are my sons' rooms and in one I used a light gray (1A-1417)
    and the other a light blue (1A-1618) for the walls.  There is a
    lot of trim in each room (louver closet doors, multi-pane windows)
    and the effect is really crisp.  I went so far as to change the 
    outlets and switches and faceplates from ivory to white to further
    accent the rooms.  Using crimsons and dark grays for carpets and 
    throw pillows, the end result is really clean and neat looking,
    which was and continues to be important when dealing with pre-
    teen boys!  Last night I added a 20 peg hat rack along one wall
    of one room, painted out to match the wall for one son's collection
    of baseball hats.  The various colors of the hats provides an ever
    changing collage on the wall.
    
    Frank
    

    
    
    	I was wondering does anyone have experience indoor fountains, or
    like a samll stream? I would like to have something in my living room,
    but worried about weight factor.. (it would just be me installing it
    and I dont want anything too too heavy if ever need to move)
    and not too expensive...
    
    can anyone point me into the direction of people that sell these??
    

    .0:
    
    If you don't mind locating the fountain/stream in your cellar, I'll bet
    there's a lot of experience in here.
    
    Dick

    In the magazine Horticulture, and in some gardening catalogs, there are
    recirculating fountains. Usually out of ceramic material, just plug
    them in and add water. This would not require any plumbing and/or
    wiring, and you could easily remove/move it if you wish. 
    
    Also try the gardening notes conference.
    
    Joseph
    

    re. last
    
    thanks that sounds like a good idea...
    
    A noter (thanks Yee) gave me some ideas to work with.. thanks all
    
    
    		wendy o'
    

    
    	I don't think I'd want to run it in the summertime, but it sure
    would be prettier than a regular humidifier for the winter!  Let us
    know how it turns out.
    
    							-craig

    Also try CSVM14::FISH, which coontains info on inside ponds which should
    consider the weight factor.
    
    Dave'
    

    RE.0
    I am currently building on in my greenhouse the componets are a 150
    gallon rubbermaid stock tank,PVC liner for the stream bed, 1/3hp
    submersible pump. The weight wasen't a factor since the whole lot is
    built directly on subsoil. I did choose featherrock(read: lavarock)
    since I diden't want to be trying to position 500# boulders.
    One note about the feather rock is that if it is placed on the PVC
    liner it needs to be padded with 1/2" styrofoam since even the rounded
    edges are sharp as glass. You must use gloves to even handle it just
    building small stream I have wore out 2 pr gloves!
    
    It is a fun project but if you are seeking an informal(natural) effect
    don't underestimate natures design skill it took me ~8 hours to build
    1 18" waterfall to my satisfaction. Ortho has a watergardening book
    that has a few pointers but little in the way of true guidance you
    really have to dig out those creative powers your milage may vary.
    
    -j

    Re: .0
    
    It'll look nice, and sounds like a lot of fun, but here's two words of
    caution from someone who's been there. Immediately post-college, we 
    rented an apartment that had a self-contained waterfountain in the
    living room. Two things spring to mind...
    
    	- If you plan to spend much time in the room while the fountain
    	is running, plan to spend additional time in the bathroom as well.
    	Something about the constant sound of trickling water...:^)
    
    	- Keep kids (or drunken friends) with liquid detergent away from 
    	the fountain. As one particular party was winding down, we found
    	a 'missing' buddy sitting alone in the living room laughing and
    	watching an *incredible* amount of soapsuds cascade out of the 
    	fountain. It took us days to clean out any traces of soap...:^)
    

    
    I saw a nice one this weekend on This Old House (in Santa Fe).  It 
    looked simple and elegant, though not natural, and perhaps doable 
    without too much trouble.  The catch basin was a big, high sided
    pottery bowl or jug sitting on the floor; water trickled into it from
    another similar, but smaller, jug, that was tipped above the larger
    one, as though someone were holding it and pouring the water from it.
    
    CQ 

    there is one in the nature store in the bulrington mall.. I want a 
    small scale of that , ( i think i will try and find someone that will
    do that sort thing )
    
    
    re.-2  (bubbles)...agagagaga  I dieing from laughing.......... 
    			sounds like some of my partys....
    
    		wendy o'
    
    

         We have just bought a gawd awful split. It feels the ceilings
    are very low, 7'1". We will be going for a traditional classic look
    not contemporary or colonial. I don't know how else to describe it.
    All of the trim is narrow and painted. Beige carpeting throughout.
    The living room has a basic small picture window with double hung
    windows on either side. There is a fireplace at the end of the room.
    We hope to put in 3" maple floors soon. 
                   Any suggestions here on how to make the ceilings look 
    higher?  We do not need drapes for privacy, maybe only for
    insulation on a really cold night.We are thinking about putting 
    floor to ceiling built in shelves on either side of the fireplace
    for books, electronics,etc. We are looking for ideas on how to use
    the new trim we will be installing all through the room to get some
    interesting details and give the illusion of height.
                   We are checking to see if we can replace the doulble
    hung protions of the picture window with crank style windows so the
    whole "openable" area can be used(only window in the room). We may
    use divider inserts so it doesn't look like a staring eyeball.
                   Any decorator tricks would be great. This room is
    just the beginning. All three bedrooms will be getting new windows
    (they have horizontal crank windows only my 6'3" husband is tall 
    enuf to see out of). The kids rooms are worst. Absolute boxes and
    the low sand plaster ceilings. Again I'd like to get some intrest
    using trim work. Not necessarily natural wood look. The bedrooms
    are big enuf to put shelves/window seat under new windows. Maybe
    side by side double hungs to fit the existing width of the window
    frame.
                     HELP!
                                           Mary

    
    
    Is there a conference on Interior decor/design? I want to learn more
    about this important tool for remodelling/decoreting.
    

>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Generic Search Tool to fidn a conference on any subject (if one exists):
>    

    Related conferences may be found with the DCL Command:

 $ NOTE_SEARCH == "search/match=AND ANCHOR::NET$LIBRARY:EASYNOTES.LIS"
 
(One may insert this line into the LOGIN.COM file (if they have access to it),
or simply use the command to find DECORATING
 SEARCH ANCHOR::NET$LIBRARY:EASYNOTES.LIS  DECORATING

However, the form:
SEARCH/MATCH=AND ANCHOR::NET$LIBRARY:EASYNOTES.LIS

NOTE: (CAVEAT): node Anchor is only one of the many world wide nodes
	with the EASYNOTES.LIS on it, and is not appropriate for everyone.

	However, if wou use the command  string as given, and use
	NOTE_SEARCH EASYNOTES.LIS 
	as the search entry; a list of every node with this list on it
	will be displayed. Substitute the node in your area for node
	ANCHOR.


is probably prefered if searching for anything with VMS, NODE, DEC
or any other very popular "DEC mnemonic" in its name, since there are 
many conferemces whose descriptive name has some of these characters
either in the descriptions, node, or title.

Some systems have the logical already defined for their own 
system: NOTE_SEARCH, so all you need is to type:
note_search interior or whatever the key phrase is.

The result should then be a list of all conferences with that word
or phrase contained in its listed entry.

The format of the returned description (of the conference) will be:
Example:
$ note_search HOME,WORK

Description			NODE::NAME		NoteNumber in Easy Notes:
Telecommuting - Working at Home RUMOR::TELEWORK                    853
Home Improvements Notes         SERENA::HOME_WORK                  442
Telecommuting - Working at Home easynote.confs.other.telework      853
$


Bob

    I didn't know where else to put this, but this is a great
    idea if you have a wall or an area in your home that just
    need something extra.
    
    I went to a friend's house and some of the walls and also
    that thin wall where two rooms are divided? were done with
    sponging and feathering.  They also had marbelizing on all 
    their window sills.  It was so splashy looking. Colors where
    it would usually be plain white.  I found out the woman does 
    the work herself.  
    
    It's kind of expensive, but I've decided instead of going 
    with 1 x 10 oak shelving (the wall goes half way up then creates
    a shelf and goes up more) in the gameroom we're making, I'm going 
    to have marbelizing done to match the granite bar top we had made.  
    
    If you're interested, send me a note and I'll give you the ladie's
    number.  She's out of Ashland and will give you a free consultation.
    
    Brenda
    
    ADNERB::MAHON
    

    TOH had a segment on marbleizing when they did the old farm house in
    (duh...). The Wetherbee farm I think...
    
    The process looked pretty simple. Paint with a feather, a crumpled 
    trash bag, etc. I wonder if it's the same woman...
    
    Edd

Crafts stores have kits for marbleizing.  Basically, you lay down a base coat
of paint, dab over that with a contrasting color on a sponge, and then add the
veining with a feather.  It's really just paint, but the contrasting color is
mixed so it will flow nicely.  You could probably figure out how to do it in
the long run, but I'd start with the kit.  In fact, the kit works fine and
I'd never bother to figure it out myself.  Anyway, it's easy.  At various
points in the process it looks like you've dribbled paint all over wood for
no good reason, but at some point it suddenly looks like marble.  My son
did a chair this Christmas and it came out great.  I did the feather work.

     Boston Center for Adult Education used to and maybe still does offer 
an all day hands-on class in glazing and marbling.  It was about $120 for 
the day and well worth it.

    
    
    I am about to embark on the "Oh its finally time for the dining room" 
    project. I have already added the 1,000 sq ft addition, complete new
    kitchen and 2 new baths, so.....My questiona are around recessed 
    hutches (closets converted to hutches) ,and how to bleach or white
    wash oak.
    
    We have selected a corain topped, white washed (bleached?) oak base
    table and chairs (and got sticker shock).
    
    The first question would be how to obtain ideas for a recessed hutch,
    The room which will be the dining room has a large closet (4' wide
    and at least 20" deep). I would like to place a bleached oak cabinet on
    the floor, use corain or formica for the surface, and perhaps glass
    shelving ,and mirrored walls, with a lighted ceiling, and perhaps glass
    doors - Are there any pointers to this type of info, and have any of
    the DIY'ers tried this. Perhaps there is an outfit who specailizes in
    this type of work - ideas needed....
    
    Also, is it possible to bleach the oak myself - if I elect to build the
    hutch base, or framing, can raw oak stock be treated w/ a "kit" ?
    If so are they available from the home centers ?
    
    Any info greatly paareciated
    Bob

I believe I have seen something similar in the form of a semi-transparent
white pigmented stain at Builder's Square.  Could have been MinWax or
something similar.  It is probably stocked elsewhere too.  I think I might
have also heard it referred to as "pickling".

I am thinking of refinishing my cabinets with this finish too.  My cabinets
are raised panel pine which were finished with a meduim-tone stained factory
finish and subsequently painted a solid "country blue" (by previous owners).
I plan on trying to strip them, apply the "bleached/white-wash/pickling"
stuff, then give them a polyurethane satin finish.

I would appreciate any hints as well.

-Mike

We have a beautiful but heavy 5' by 3' Kashmir wool carpet.  It is a little too
small for our living room...so we were thinking of hanging it up on the wall. 
Any ideas how we could do this?  The carpet is pretty heavy - so I am concerned
that we might just land up ruining both the carpet and the wall. Has anyone
done something similar?  What did you use to hold the carpet up?

Thanks!

-CR.

I guess if I wanted to hang a heavy carpet I'd make some sort of solid frame,
perhaps out ouf 1/4" or 3/8" plywood (don't want it to get TOO heavy).  Then I'd
add some horizontal rows of carpet tack strips (or whatever they're called).
these are the things that run around the perimeter of the room to tack wall to
wall carpeting to.  that way when you hang the rug, it will at least get even
support.

as for attaching this gadget to the way, I'd be sure to use several VERY STRONG
hooks and make sure they're fastened to studs.

-mark

The best option is to make a clamp using a couple � x 4 x ?s (depending on 
width of rug, make it slightly longer than the width of the rug to be hung)
and non-slip gripper strips (I have seen sandpaper used also). Sandwich 2 
pieces of lumber together, drill several holes (closer to one edge that the 
other) through both pieces so bolts can be put through to hold both pieces of 
wood tight together and are the length to allow a nut to slip over the end
and tighten.  Stain and seal (polypropolene(sp?)) the wood and on what will 
be the INSIDE of the sandwich.  Allow it to cure and dry (may take a day or
two).  Sand the finish slightly and glue the anti-slip strips the entire 
length to the inside of both pieces of wood.  Allow the glue to dry and set 
up a day.  Drill 2 shallow holes (make them deep enough to slip over a nail 
to hang the rug from) that angle up on the BACK side of the sandwiched pieces.  

	X marks drill holes/bolts     
	+ marks drill holes for hanging nails
	/ & \ marks non-slip gripper strip
	< nut
	> bolthead
	-------------------------------------------------     - -
	|    X                  X                  X	|   <|X\X|>
back	|	+ 		                +	|    | / + side
view	|						|    | \ | view
	|						|    | / |
	-------------------------------------------------     ---
          |         rug hangs from this area	      |

Put the bolt through from the back, sandwich the rug between the two pieces
of wood and place the nut on the front.  You may need to adjust the way the
carpet is clamped, which is important when a pattern of strips or geometric
designs are involved so it looks even and make sure the carpet is below the 
bolts and not rubbing against them.  Tighten the nuts.  You can make covers 
to go over the nuts or I have seen someone tap small blocks of wood to use 
in place of the nuts.

Use 2 nails that will fit the holes in the back, make sure the distant between
them matches the holes drilled in the wood and are level with each other.
Hang the rug and enjoy.

    
    A call to a carpet store will get you professional input.
    
    We have smaller hanging rugs. What I did was I sewed by hand 
    fabric loops that are 2 inches wide on the back of the rug at 
    intervals (I threaded thru the entire thickness of the rug
    for security, I used nylon thread for strength and obscurity)
    and I inserted a wooden rod as wide as the rug through the loops.
    Then I hang the rug up by the rod using a thin rope, like a 
    picture wire. We used mulitple picture hooks that grasp the wall 
    boards (I don't know the tech name offhand, but you hammer it in 
    and it expands, but don't even think about taking it off though,
    you'll have to putty it over!) so that we can hang it anywhere. 
    With a heavy rug, I would probably do mulitple rows of loops and 
    use multiple rods to keep the weight distibuted better.
    
    
    Eva  

Thanks for the replies so far!  We were planning on doing this before the
weekend, but I guess we need to look into different options before we try one
out!

--CR.

What I described is .38 is how professionals (museums and art dealers) 
hang Navajo rugs.  I've also seen tack strip or the hook part of velcro
attached to walls and smaller rugs hung that way.  Damage can occur from
this because threads get caught and cut.  :-(  The clamp has no damage.

    The most common approach that I've seen for knotted Oriental rugs is
    the fabric loop approach: in effect, a 2" sleeve is sewn in the back
    of the rug (with the threads being sewn into the warp and *not* all
    the way through). We had this done by an Oriental rug dealer, and
    then I made up a hardwood board to fit into the sleeve, and hung the
    rug from holes in the board. You can also get a solid metal rod to
    fit through the sleeve.
    
    I've used a variation on the split clamp approach with Navajo rugs,
    which are a lot lighter than Oriental knotted rugs. I wouldn't try
    it with the heavier rugs. I split a long "board" (2" wide by maybe
    5/8" thick) lengthwise and then routed out a bit of the middle so
    that there was a gap about half-way up (the gap being about half the
    thickness of the rug to be clamped), then pinched the edge of the
    rug in the gap and used screws to fasten the two halves of the clamp
    above that, in the unrouted area. Works fine as long as you don't
    tug at the hem of the rug while it's hanging, and doesn't warp the
    edge of the rug at all.
    
    
    

>                  We used mulitple picture hooks that grasp the wall 
>    boards (I don't know the tech name offhand, but you hammer it in 
>    and it expands, but don't even think about taking it off though,
>    you'll have to putty it over!) 
    
    Sound like molly bolts. You don't pull them out' when you no longer
    use 'em you just punch them the rest of the way through so they fall
    into the wall cavity and short out your house wiring (then putty
    over the small hole before too much smoke comes out and ruins your
    whole day).
    

    The clamp system described in reply .38 is available at JC Penney
    stores. I think they cost about $45.00 for one that will support a
    3' x 5' rug. They're pretty simple to make. I'm in the process of
    making one in Oak for about $8.00. The nice thing about making it
    yourself is that you can choose the type of wood that matches your
    room.

    
    re . 43 
    
    I don't even bother to punch them molly bolts through when I am done
    with them, I just putty right over them - lazy bump.
    
    Eva