RAISED CHARACTER
What to do? We love our collections. We can't afford to move - at least, not yet.
A: Without going overboard, theme-wise, you can tweak your ranch into becoming a more appropriate background for your Arts and Crafts furnishings.
The dining room we show here is full of good how-to lessons. Borrowed from a smart guide, "The Trim Idea Book" by Mary Ellen Polson (Taunton, publishers), the photo shows a dining room that has been "mellowed-out" with mouldings to make it blend better with the owners' Arts and Crafts dining room furniture and accessories.
Specifically, battens and brackets have been used to create the high wainscoting with a plate rail to show off their collection of transfer ware and artworks. Not a complicated job, this: Battens are nothing more than shallow strips of wood that have been applied over flat hardwood panels. Another flat strip, supported on small brackets, tops the wainscoting and holds the decorative plates.
It's all in sync with the turn-of-the-century attitude evoked by the reproduction Mission (aka Arts and Crafts) furniture. And it's quite easy to adapt for your own room. Check out mouldings and millwork under "Woodwork" at "Product Choices and Considerations" on the Hardwood Information Center Web site at www.hardwoodinfo.com.
Q: We couldn't wait to move from the boonies to the city, but what a shock. Neither of us has had a good night's sleep since. What can we do to make our apartment quieter? Please answer quickly. We're already exhausted, and slowly going deaf.
A: (LOUDLY) You've a number of quiet allies to work with. The Bureau of Standards, for one, offers these tips:
Install padded carpeting, vinyl tile or thick resilient flooring to absorb sound at floor-level;
Seal holes or cracks in windows and doors with caulking or minimum-expansion foam sealant;
Put vibration mounts under major appliances, like the refrigerator and washer, and use foam pads under small appliances.
Window covering are also key. The thicker, the more layered your window treatments, the more sound they absorb, says the Noise Pollution Clearing house, a national nonprofit organization ( www.nonoise.org). Lined and interlined draperies have a high "hush" factor, according to the institute. So do honeycomb shades, especially shades with three layers of honeycomb pleats, like Duette Phenomena. Manufacturer Hunter Douglas says they can absorb up to 65 percent of all the sound reflected through windows. Sounds like something worth shouting about - but don't.
Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Hampton Style" and associate editor of Country Decorating Ideas. Please send your questions to her at Copley News Service, P.O. Box 120190, San Diego, CA 92112-0190, or online at copleysd@copleynews.com.
© Copley News Service
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