Live Q&As

I don't have any resources at my fingertips, but I think I've seen solid wood shutters at Lowe's.

I'm looking at a vinyl material for my apartment from Home Depot. It's called Allure, and imitates wood. I mentioned it in an issue of the magazine and just got an email from a reader who had complaints about it. If you're at the beach, you have to be really conscious of moisture and any material that might trap it (creating mold). The subfloor, especially concrete needs to be sealed, and a natural material that can "breathe" is probably the safest choice. But, whatever material you use....installation and surface preparation are very important.

I love using vintage elements as architectural details. I collect old levels and have them hanging very graphically on a wall. I hung those with pin nails. A ladder would need brackets...but consider something slim and dark (or white metal) so the brakets won't detract from the ladder.

Sounds like the exterior teal color of the door would look great from inside the dining room too.

Sounds wonderful! While there are probably a couple of approaches you could take, here's where I would recommend starting with each wall. Trace a light pencil line horizontally along each wall at eye level. Don't worry about whose eye level. You just want a static consistant line to start building (or hanging from). Place a few of the larger pictures along this line (on each side) and then hang others along the line and in varying directions up or down along the length of it. Visually, you'll probably lose the sense of an overwhelming horizontal line that was your starting point, but it should at least give you a subliminal sense of some order....but you do want it to look "added to over time." So don't try to hard to line things up. Your starting line will launch you in a good direction for hanging.

I can't give you a specific grey from either line, but when you're looking at grays, you want to compare whether they go "cool" or "warm," and either direction is more personal that a rule.

Countertops: man-made stones are excellent and come in lots of colors and imitation stone looks. They're also REALLY pratical in that they're much more solid. You'll have lots of options to choose from.

Appliances: Color is showing up on more and more appliances. My only warningh is that if you go with a color...be prepared to love that color a long time. There's nothing neutral about an appliance in any color other than stainless, white or black.

How interesting that you say that. I sometimes wonder if Pinterest is just a flash in the pan, too. It seemed much more exciting last December... but I must say I still love to see some of the furniture, fashion, jewels and travel vistas that turn up. It doesn't take much time and I love pinning on my iPhone while waiting in a line at the grocery store. It's still growing - Michelle Obama joined Pinterest yesterday! It's cool to see the pins of people such as Tory Burch, OscarPRGirl and Martha Stewart.  I enjoy putting up the work of the Washington Post on my boards so some of the photos can be more widely seen. I'd love to know what you guys think so chime in. Here is a link to my boards: www.pinterest.com/jurakoncius

We have a two page column on front door colors coming in our September issue (out mid-August). But, I love your idea to use orange. Or a bright, cardinal red would be equally beautiful. I could even see a canary yellow against the dark blue exterior with white trim.

Thank you! We're exploring a big re-issue with significant update!

Love Pinterest. I do have a board with about 8-10 themes going. I think of it as a visual bookmarking tool instead of bookmarking websites in the typical way through a browser. I'm visually oriented, so the pictures make it easy to know where the link is going. Does that make sense? I'm also using Pinterest to collect inspiration ideas for my garden...and recipes I'd like to try.

Honestly, there's no one particular way we find them....but most of them come from conversations and relationships we have with designers. We're always happy to get submissions to consider. Email Doretta Sperduto at dsperduto@hearst.com. She's my interior design editor.

Wedgewood Gray by Benjamin Moore has a slight bluish cast to it. With ivory counters, and a sunny space, I might go with Vanilla Milkshake by Benjamin Moore.

If the square space is large enough, consider putting a round table there. It could be draped with a skirt or even bare if the legs are pretty (center pedestal tables work best like this). You could use it as a place to gather and displace something you collect or like. For example a grouping of blue and white Chinese ginger jars....or even simply stacks of coffeetable books supporting a vasse of flowers.

I'm not an expert in that area. I've found Lowe's and Home Depot employees can be extremely generous with advice.

Thanks for this.

I take it all the images are flat art? A picture gallery sounds gorgeous!

It you want to de-emphasize it go with the wall color. Alternately, you could go with the trim color treating it like a part of the room's architecture.

Never forget yard and garage sales, Craig's List online, and even some thrift stores. Look for a table and/or chairs with nice lines—either simple or sculptural—and paint them a great color....or just white!

That's a big wide question...but I recently visited some great stores in the metropolitan LA area. Small home chains like Arhaus is in 40+ locations and 10+ opening this year! They have a wide range of home furnishings and very stylish yet practical things. ALSO, many of their furnishings are made in the USA...look for cards on the pieces.

Then don't. You always have a choice.

Ask us a question and we will answer! We can dish on mildew and packing and yard sales. Would love to discuss downsizing, staging, anything you want to bring up.  Our experts would give you good advice on many subjects that do not have anything to do with color and fabric trends. Decluttering is one of my favorite topics, personally. I tweet a weekly decluttering tip every Sunday under my twitter account @jurakoncius and hashtag #DeclutterSunday. I'm constantly trying to figure out how to do more in less space in my own small home. We have a new column that is starting next month in Local Living written by a professional organizer that will focus solely on organizing and decluttering and lots of issues that people are facing today relating to homeowners of any income or personal situation. I'm sure Newell would have a great suggestion for you on almost any topic. Bring 'em on.

Thank you! Obviously I'm here at HB now, but I worked at Met Home for many years in the past. Articles can be submitted to my executive editor Barbara King at bnking@hearst.com. But we commission all our articles.

I agree. I realized looking at my recent pins that I seem to be drawn to the colors bottle green and gray. So it gives me ideas for how I might change up some part of my house.

If you want something more than a plain solid but are nervous about going too bold, look for a tone on tone pattern. HSN.com has some great rugs and really great prices. Bold options, more quiet options.

I wouldn't try to hide the fireplace. Try lining the inside of the opening with mirrors. They would reflect light and keep it from looking like a dead sad hole. You could also fill the space with a low, fat vase of green branches (fake or real) or with the mirror lining fill it with candle pillars. Lighting them would be magical at night.

This product is very good: Christopher's Own Spot Cleaner for Carpets and Rugs. Find it at www.mychristophers.com. It's made by a high-end textile care company, and although it costs $25 for a bottle, it lasts a really long time and is great for pet stains, spills and dirt spots from dusty shoes. It's even sold at the Old Town School for Dogs, which shows that it does work on those dreaded dog and cat spots.  Do you all have other spray products to suggest?

I don't think the printed version of HB will ever go away. The experience is too nice. But, we do have digital versions with a growing subscription base. In publishing, I think will just have more options to access content....which isn't a bad thing. We're starting to explore all sorts of wonderful things that can be done electronically. Have you seen our mobile links from the pages of HB? Check them out!

This tip is one to keep.

Another way of doing it - thanks.

Many designers take the direction the room faces and other elements like the tree outside the window into consideration when choosing a color (warm or cool). Very generally, I would suggest that a warm color would feel better in a north facing room, but don't forget that even cool colors (like blue) can have warmer shades. Whatever color you like the most, look at a range of shades in that color....weighing cool vs. warm in making your pick.

Thanks, it was a lot of fun and the readers in the DC metro area were so much fun! We'll probably do it again, but in a different city next spring. We started in NYC, went Chicago last year....and were in your beautiful city this past spring. I love DC.

I'm trying to decide whether it's a good idea to do another all one color issue again. What do you think? What color would you do? We've done blue, pink and green.

I would go for a charcoal gray slate. I have a friend who loves the Buckingham Slate from Arvonia, Virginia. I'm planning to install that in my own hearth sometime soon.

LOL, I'm a blue guy.

It is an on-going issue for everyone....including ME. We always highlight, or point out, great ideas when we find them. And, will continue to do so. Thanks!

Hey, That's a delicate question. I think a lot of those shows are more about the entertainment aspect (watching a transformation) than serious (beginning to end) ideas. I like to think they illustrate how much work and how many people it can take to do a job. Whether viewers grasp that or not is another story. We have a sister publication here at Hearst. It's the HGTV magazine, which does a beautiful job of interpreting those shows onto paper.....and making it realistic. When you put something on paper, you're much more accountable then simply speaking it.

Obviously, there are lots of opinions about this. Thank you for chiming in.  What I love about the weekly chats is that we discuss everything from the best sponges to are designer paint colors worth the price to how to remove pet stains to White House Design to where to buy expensive fabrics at a discount. That's what makes them fun.

We move so fast today....in everything. It's hard to call anything a trend, and maybe that's not a bad thing. At the same time, it sounds like a cop-out to say anything goes these days....but it's pretty true. What I love seeing happen is the confidence more people have in expressing themselves at home. It's changed (or really grown) so much in the last 30 years. We simply have SO much more good stuff available today to decorate with.

Nice message. We are very happy Newell could join us today as he has such a great eye.

LOL. I don't have a go-to. I love too many blues, and greens, actually. I even have a pink guest room that feels AMAZING, even for a man.

Not really. But, paint it as cheaply (no primer) and imperfectly as possible....and then wear it down with sand paper and any other instrument that might "distress" the paint.

Hmmmm. Great question. I think a white room with colorful accents is probably the easiest thing to pull off and change easiest -- so in that case, the investment is in the design. 

Thanks for all  your thoughts on Pinterest. We haven't really seen its full potential yet. Love the idea of doing a shared office - this might be a good submission for a Home Front makeover. I love the idea of two built-ins around the perimeter. Each of you could design the sort of shelving, storage, drawers, etc. that would fit your work style. I also like the idea of grays with maybe a shot of blue or teal. I like Martha Stewart's Dolphin or Heavy Goose grays for Home Depot.

Explore Home Depot and Lowe's. I LOVE hardware stores....and I can spend hours in those two....discovering all sorts of great things and great prices.

Mad Men shines a spotlight on the look of the 50s and 60s. But the yen for mid-century modern has been around for decades now. That furniture and its clean, spare lines mixes well with lots of other pieces. So I think it will continue to be a part of our decorating world for some time to come.

That's such a personal decision. The fact that you can simply consider selling them makes me think that maybe you can and should if you don't have a place for them. Enjoy the revenue.....but only do it when you really feel ready. You won't be able to get them back.

We will tell Newell!

I love your question...I don't think it's ever vain when they're photos you love. But, here's an idea that may not feel so bold. The bedroom is a great option. Hallway another. Or, do you have a powder room? Cover, literally cover the walls with photos of the two of you and family. It look so crazy and fun...I think it would work. Powder rooms are great rooms to push the envelop in because you don't use them very often so you won't get tired or overwhelmed by an extreme approach in the little room. Then when guests visit, they get a little surprise.

GREAT suggestion

Agreed! Good job by Megan Buerger, who is also our chat producer! Here's the story:  Brown/Davis.

We all have mildew, so it's a good thing to chat about!

I think the counters have to be dealt with first. They're deteriorating. Explore salvage yards. I think there are even some stores that sell overstocked building materials.

We will pass this one along too.

I don't have paint color chips in front of me, but gray walls with a white trim sounds classic and beautiful.

No. You didn't miss anything. Celebrities and designers are endorsing everything in our world.

With herringbone floors, it's the installation that can start costing more = more cutting and piecing. But there are wood laminates and other materials that come in pre-designed herringbone patterns. I've always wanted big, overscaled herringbone floors....it's very French looking....but not too French if the room isn't furnished that way.

There are SO many wallpapers out there. We do a full page column every month on the topic. There are also many sources with a wide range of prices. Years ago, I learned that the most important thing is to make sure you get a very good installation of the wallpaper, which can definitely cost more. In addition, wallpaper is really not good at hiding poor conditions on an underlying wall. You really need a really good surface to start.