From a Designer's Eye
By Columnist Kathleen Wright

Kathleen Wright Q/A: Your Home Decorating Questions Answered

Q: My living room has dark paneling. Is there an inexpensive solution to brighten up the room?

A: Dark paneling is one of the leftovers from the late '50s and early '60s, and thought to be especially lovely with orange shag carpet! There are two types of paneling. One is solid wood and can be painted or faux-finished for a Country or Rustic Americana look. Take a sample to your favorite paint store for more advice on what type of primer will be necessary. The other type is a paper photo-finish laminated to a wood composite board. Nasty stuff! Either may have been nailed directly to the 2 by 4 wall studs, without drywall behind it. This was an inexpensive way to finish a room. If you have the photo-finish paneling, without drywall, you may be able to use a heavily embossed wallcovering/paper over the surface. Your favorite paint and wallpaper store will have commercial wallpaper books. Commercial wallpaper comes in 54 in. wide and 27 in. wide goods. Be sure to ask about the best primer and adhesive for the wallpaper. Last solution is to get out the crowbar and rip that stuff off the wall.

Q: I'm in desperate need for a mini-home office, or even a small work area, but I have no extra space. What can I do?

A: One of the best solutions to the home office is to hide it in the closet. Replace by-pass doors with bi-fold doors. Use two vertical file cabinets (the two drawer, 29 in. variety) for pedestals, and a hollow-core door for a desktop. The doors come in 24 in., 30 in., 32 in., and 36 in. widths and are 6 ft. 8 in. long. Measure first! If the door is too long, use 3/4 in. interior grade birch plywood, good on both sides. Most of the home improvement stores will cut the plywood to your measurements. The first two cuts are free. Use an iron-on wood veneer tape to cover the raw edges. You can paint or stain the door or plywood. An electrician can bring power to the site. A new receptical costs about $50 to install. Chairs, lighting, and other office essentials can be found at any of the Office Super Stores.Take your room layout with you for more options on office furnishings and furniture arrangement.

Q: My family room has a patio door and a small 2-ft. by 3-ft. window on the same wall. What kind of window treatment do you recommend?

A: So, you have a lovely patio door and a funny little window next to it. This is one of the best reasons for the invention of draperies. For a traditional look, use a continuous valence over both windows. A full length pair of drawn draperies on a traverse rod for the patio door will work nicely. Then use a one-way draw, full length drapery panel, on its own traverse rod, for the small window. The draperies should stack-back off the patio door to allow passage. The bottom of the valence should be only an inch or two below the top of the door, if it is a sliding door. If the door is hinged to open into the room, the valence must be above the top of the door. The continuous drapery treatment will tie the two windows together. The addition of sheer panels under each drapery will add privacy in the daytime. Your favorite Home Fashion Department Store will have sales staff to help with measurements, fabric, and the appropriate hardware selections. They may even refer you to someone for the installation!

Kathleen Wright, interior designer
Kathleen's home decorating features can be found in HouseNet's library of articles.
HouseNet, Inc.

Back to Home Improvement Preview Lawn And Garden Home Decorating Preview Shopping Center