Replace all those Cabinets or Refinish Them? How to Get a Cost Effective Kitchen Update

By Caryn Starr-Gates Friday, July 23, 2010, 06:23 PM EDT

When many homeowners are considering a kitchen makeover, they automatically assume that tearing out and replacing the cabinets and countertops, or refacing the cabinets, are necessary components to this big project.

Lucia Portali-Waters, owner and lead designer of FABU Designs by Lucia in Hasbrouck Heights (http://www.fabucreations.com), takes a very different tactic … and says that homeowners whose kitchens are large and contain many cabinets and drawers are likely to save a lot of money by refinishing the cabinetry instead. Read more

Skylights Look Hot But May Need a Cooling Touch

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Friday, July 09, 2010, 07:36 AM EDT

Q: We loved the idea when our contractor suggested that we put skylights in our new master bath addition. But he didn't tell us how hot that would make the bath, not just in the summer but all year-round when it's sunny. The ceiling is slanted, so I can't use regular curtains.

Help!

A: Help is as close as your nearest window treatment center. Skylights are cool to look at, but as you've found, they can be hot to live with. You have a couple of smart solutions to consider: Read more

Frenchmen Can't be Wrong About Their Favorite Furniture Style

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, June 03, 2010, 10:28 AM EDT

Q: I spent my junior year in the south of France (Montpelier) and fell in love with French-style furniture (with everything French, but that's beside the point). Now, my husband and I are furnishing our first home and I would like to create a French provincial theme. He's not for it and says French furniture is too "effeminate." Au secours!

A: "Help!" In any language, that's what you need to bring your husband past his stereotypes. Read more

Passe Pass-Through Morphs into Display Shelves

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Friday, May 21, 2010, 07:14 AM EDT

Q: I need to close up the pass-through between my kitchen and the living/dining room. I want to put a large sectional sofa against that wall and move the dining table to the other side of the room. The pass-through will look weird with the table gone. How can I close it up so it doesn't show? — Jeanne

A: It should be easy enough to put drywall over the opening on both sides. But you could be missing an opportunity. Read more

Adding Art to a Room, No Hammer Necessary

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, May 06, 2010, 07:32 AM EDT

Q: We have such a small living room (12 feet by 13 feet). I don't know what to hang on the walls. Anything I put up might make it look crowded, but my husband says that it's too "minimalist" when bare. What do you suggest?

A: Your husband's maxim about minimalism carries truth. Less is often just less. Accessories exist to add color and interest to our environments. Hence, we expect to find works of art in every room. But that doesn't mean they can only be hung on a wall. Read more

Personal Taste Trumps Conventional Decorating Ideas

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, April 22, 2010, 05:14 AM EDT

Q: Is it OK to use all painted furniture in a room? We have inherited a couple of soft-blue painted pieces from my husband's European-born aunt, and now we would like to add more.

A: Usually, my knee-jerk reaction is a big yawn to anything that's all similar. But your bedroom is your private domain, your personal business. Close the door and live as you like, and never mind that the operative word for decorating today is eclectic, meaning a compatible combination of many styles, many colors, many materials. Read more

Connect with the Design Experts Through Benjamin Moore

By Michelle Zakko Monday, April 19, 2010, 11:06 AM EDT

Benjamin Moore has launched, the Experts Exchange, a Facebook application that can assist with your interior decorating and paint color projects. The new application lets you connect with not only the eight experts who appeared in the recent advertising campaign (Jamie Drake, Darryl Carter, etc.), but also with dozens of other designers and painting contractors. Read more

Painted Stripes Offer an Enthusiastic Welcome Home

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Friday, April 09, 2010, 07:35 AM EDT

Q: We're trying to decorate our new condo on the proverbial "shoestring" and need some quick and cheap ideas. Also, we both work long hours and don't have much time or energy left on weekends. I guess we're the "instant gratification" generation, but please don't hold that against us!

A: Nothing wrong with "quick, cheap and easy" when it comes to decorating. In fact, an air of spontaneity can be very appealing — fresh air for any interior — as long as you maintain a certain degree of visual decorum (read, good taste). Read more

Forget 'Suite' Thoughts and go Eclectic with Furniture

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, April 01, 2010, 06:17 AM EDT

Q: Our new master bedroom is very large and I'm not sure how to handle all that space. We moved in with a Hollywood king bed (no headboard) and a couple of bedside tables. Obviously, we have to buy some new furniture, but I'm not sure what kind of bedroom suite we should get. We are mostly traditional in taste. Read more

Blue Plate Special: Letting a Collection Inspire a Color Scheme

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, March 18, 2010, 06:41 AM EDT

Q: I've been given a collection of old plates by my aunt, who told me in no uncertain terms that they are "works of art and must be displayed prominently." They are beautiful, but I don't know where to put them. Our dining room is small and already full of things I love looking at. Are plates appropriate in a living room?

A: Well, yes ... a thing of beauty can be a joy wherever. Don't fall victim to thinking in cliches, such as:
Read more

Making the Right Arrangements: Think Close Enough to Gossip

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Friday, March 12, 2010, 06:46 AM EST

Q: I don't have a clue about arranging furniture. We bought a condo that has a big window on one side of the main room and French doors on the other side.

Should we put the sofa facing the window or looking out on the patio? I tried it against the wall, but it didn't feel cozy. Read more

Organized 'Clutter' Becomes an Interesting 'Collection'

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Friday, March 05, 2010, 07:03 AM EST

Q: What should I do with my husband's large collection of 19th century and early 20th century toys?

He wants to display them in the living room, but they just don't seem to "go" with our very contemporary furniture (besides, making it look way too cluttered). Read more

Space, Like Beauty, is in the Eye of the Beholder

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, February 25, 2010, 07:23 AM EST

Q: We have the world's smallest master bath and can't expand the space. What can we do to make it look bigger?

A: Take a leaf or two from a top designer's book of professional tricks. The pictured bath has charms far greater than its actual floor space, thanks to the legendary legerdemain of designer Barclay Butera. Read more

Here's a New Angle: Off-Center Arrangement Energizes a Room

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Thursday, February 11, 2010, 08:06 PM EST

Q: Our long, narrow living room has windows on both sides with a fireplace on the end wall. I'm having trouble arranging the furniture. I don't want it to look like a bus station with all the seats lined up, marching down the sides. In another column, you gave some suggestions on arranging furniture when there's a wall to back it up. What about my problem? Read more

Forget Wallpaper: Simple Shelves Show Off a See-Worthy Collection

By Rose Bennett Gilbert Friday, January 29, 2010, 06:05 AM EST

Q: We're spending the winter renovating the little beach house we bought (a foreclosure) last fall, and I'm stockpiling ideas about colors and furniture. This is a shoestring rehab. We're keeping the kitchen appliances, sisal bedroom rugs and the old plumbing -- and I mean old: we have a claw-foot bathtub! Ideas appreciated. A: Lucky you, a claw-foot tub is a real keeper. Read more

Replace all those Cabinets or Refinish Them? How to Get a Cost Effective Kitchen Update

Skylights Look Hot But May Need a Cooling Touch

Frenchmen Can't be Wrong About Their Favorite Furniture Style

Passe Pass-Through Morphs into Display Shelves

Adding Art to a Room, No Hammer Necessary

Personal Taste Trumps Conventional Decorating Ideas

Connect with the Design Experts Through Benjamin Moore

Painted Stripes Offer an Enthusiastic Welcome Home

Forget 'Suite' Thoughts and go Eclectic with Furniture

Blue Plate Special: Letting a Collection Inspire a Color Scheme

Making the Right Arrangements: Think Close Enough to Gossip

Organized 'Clutter' Becomes an Interesting 'Collection'

Space, Like Beauty, is in the Eye of the Beholder

Here's a New Angle: Off-Center Arrangement Energizes a Room

Forget Wallpaper: Simple Shelves Show Off a See-Worthy Collection

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