Twitter Chat with John Gidding, and a HUGE Giveaway!

Melanie

When creating a color palate for you home, is it best to stick with one bold color, like mocha or a bright turquoise, and then use more subdued colors in the rest of your house. I feel like I get excited about big bright colors, and now my house feels a bit disjointed.

Lindsey

John- My mom has a large yard to take care of by herself. She’s interested in turning a lot of the grass into a natural/mulch type area. What is a cost effective way to do this that won’t lead to erosion? Thanks!

Vanessa

John,
What are you suggestions for simple budget friendly ways to freshen up a space? I love the way that my home is decorated, but it has been a while since I made any updates, and I am itching for change, but I don’t want to make a big investment. Thanks!

Lovey

I have a two-part question…

We are updating the wide vanity of our very 90’s bathroom and wonder if we should stick with one sink centered or switch to his-and-her sinks. Which is more popular with buyers?

We moved the laundry to the basement and, unfortunately, it sits directly at the bottom of the stairs for all to see. For future buyers, would it be best to wall it in (would feel very small when inside) or leave it open and install cabinetry and countertops?

Looking forward to reading all your great advice next week! :)

Michelle

I’m reupholstering a queen anne chair for my nursery. I found this fabulous striped fabric (that happens to be teflon treated). How weird would it be to put the fabric on with the stripes positioned horizontally?

Spenser

I want to transform my house to resemble the Craftsman look. Do you have any paint color recommendations?

Chrissy S.

When painting a large open space that encompasses several rooms – i.e. a kitchen, eating area and family room – what do you suggest? All one color? Is there a way to break up the color and paint the kitchen/eating area a different color than the family room?

Megan W

We have a niche above our fireplace that’s too small for our TV. Any ideas on how to fill the space?

Enyasi

With a new baby we are looking to convert our daylight basement into a playroom / family room. Any ideas for affordable flooring options for a concrete floor, we are on a tight tight budget.
Many Thanks

Cara @ Green Heart Studios

ok here’s a problem… we live in a 600 sq. ft. apartment (we as in me, my hubs, our 1 yr old, and beagle) we have one bedroom and one big kitchen/living room. in this catch-all living room we have an orchid collection, fish tank, play area AND my office. what? is that possible?? sorta. got any tips on how to organize a small office in the midst of all this? I do graphic design and have a jewelry line… we are quickly outgrowing our gorgeous apartment, but have to make it work for at least 5 more months.
Thanks so much!

Laura T

I love how people can mix different patterns, but I can’t seem to pull it off – any tips on how to do that?

Nikki

I recently purchased a loft with a closed-off fireplace (filled with brick). It’s been painted, but now it’s just a blank white space within the nice mantle. Do you have any ideas of how I could add some visual interest without going the candle or painting route?

Robin

I need advice on tying together eclectic furnishings -solid wood pieces from the ’50s inherited from Grandma mixed with the modern look of IKEA furnishings. How to blend the look? Thanks!

Sara

What are some ways to make a small master bedroom seem more spacious?

Sarah Wiedmaier

My husband and I and our 1 1/2 year old daughter recently moved in with my parents as we are in a time of transition right now. We have the upstairs to ourselves; there is our bedroom, our daughters bedroom, and a bathroom. We will be with them for about a year, so I want to do something to make the space feel like ours but don’t have a lot of money to spend (if I did, we wouldn’t be living with my parents:)). I actually like the colors on the walls (light purple in my daughters room, soft blue in ours), so I’m not planning on painting, but what other inexpensive things could I do to make it feel like our home within their home?

Natalie

My favorite color scheme is: white, gray, and turquoise. I have unintentionally incorporated these colors into every room in my house! Do you think a similar palette throughout a home looks nice, or is it boring? Should I should switch out my go-to colors and mix it up?

Hilary

My husband and I live in a Victorian house. It’s lovely, but we hate the textured plaster walls. We would like to downplay the texture, but so far, we have had little success.

Lynn

Hi John and Nicole!

I’m looking to replace my 14 year old sofa set (sage green brushed twill…hello 1994!) and I recently found a chocolate brown leather sofa that I totally fell in love with. I’m thinking of saying yes to the set (there is a nice club chair that matches) but am not sure what else to pair it with. I want to end up with a room that looks more light, airy and modern and less like a stuffy old library.

Thanks!

Amber

When you are designing a room from scratch, where do you start? Furniture, color, layout…?

Also don’t you want to have a season of Curb Appeal the Block in Dallas, TX? :) I know you do!

Antinette

We are in a rental for the next few years- brand new but the colors in the kitchen are dark! Brown cupboards, dark granite, and black appliances. How do I lighten it up???? I want to add white accessories, but they seem to get lost…

Julie

Hi guys, this is a very basic question from someone just getting started and decorating her first house. I am at a loss for how to start planning each room. Do you pick a color scheme first or work around a major piece of furniture you plan to keep? Any basic guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks, Julie

Sarah O

What are some inexpensive ways to cover up hideous wall-to-wall carpeting in a rental?
How do you incorporate a partner’s personality into your home when they are indifferent to home decor?

Norah

What is a tasteful way to display a mix of about fifteen 4×6 and 5×7 color photos of friends and family?

Cassie C

I live in the basement of a rambler style house built in the 70’s it has very industrial looking lights in the ceiling panels. Is there any way I can soften this look? Or rid them of the long flourescent light bulbs that are the biggest pain to change? There is an outlet in both lighting spaces.

Bridget

I don’t have a very green thumb but I’d love to landscape backyard. Can you recommend some beautiful, easy to maintain plants that will look good together?

Meghan Kuyper

I have a limited decorating budget for my home, which I share with my husband and three kids. What are the top three items in terms of decor or furniture that are worth the splurge? On the other hand, are there three areas you’d recommend I save money by buying on the cheap?

Tessa

Where can you find inexpensive, not overly abstract art for apartment walls? It seems like everything is either super expensive and/or just plain ugly.

Mikhal

We will be moving into a home with hardwood floors in the bedrooms. YAY! Estetically, should we go bare, put a large area rug under the king size bed, or add runners to either side of the bed?

Lindsey Rockers

My husband, 7 mo old daughter and I live in a really great 1930’s craftsman.

While the front half of the house, which has many large rooms open to one another, still has the original hardwoods, the back bedrooms and hallway have old dingy carpeting covering it up (not sure what shape its in, but from the corner i have seen it looks pretty good).

I would love to tear up the carpet and restore the original hardwoods, but my husband doesn’t necessarily agree. He thinks families will like having carpet in the bedrooms and that it’s nice for kids. I feel like its a crime to cover up all that wood….. but most of all we want it to look good, function for our family, and be good for resale.

So which wins? We have also talked about just carpeting the bedrooms and doing wood in the hallway. I am just afraid that with a tiled kitchen as well, too many transitions in the flooring will make our house look smaller and somewhat chaotic.

does any of that even make sense?? help!

Eilis

Would it be worth it to invest in granite countertops in a home worth about $140,000 that doesn’t have other high-end features?

Allyson H

I’d be interested to know a good source for upholstery and home decor fabric, preferably online or one who can ship.

Thanks!

Tabitha

I am horrible at accessorizing. Are there any general rules/ things to look out for when putting the final touches on a room? Any cute accessory ideas for the season?

Atien

How do you pick exterior colors of a house? The facade, front door and porch colors in my case?

Jennifer W.

Hi there, I recently moved into a townhouse which is a big fixer-upper. BIG. As in, every room needs a lot of work.
I’m stalled because there is so much to do. I want to live in a stylish, comfy, welcoming space — but have been stunned into doing nothing.
How do I start and what would you start with? One room and complete it top to bottom? or all the painting in the entire place?
Thank you!
Paralyzed in Moorpark

Sara

My husband and I just purchased our first home, but we are on a tight budget. What are some ideas to freshen up an older home?

Sarah

John, my husband and I moved into our first home one year ago and have yet to truly unpack. Do you have any organizing strategies for small spaces?

Kimberly L.C.

I’m just wondering how difficult it is to cover a wall with fabric. I’ve got to do something to our Navajo White walls and I can’t paint (it’s a rental)!

Rachel

Hi John and Nicole,
Any ideas for stylish decor for bathroom walls? We’ve considered going with framed photos or art, but we’re concerned the extreme steam generated in our little bathroom will destroy anything we hang. Our walls are looking pretty boring in there – please help! :)
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

Emily

I always struggle with accessories, since I’m mostly about items with function. What are some good decorative items that can finish off a room, but perhaps also have a purpose?

Rebecca

I’m moving into my first apartment in just 3 short weeks (yes, I am freaking out, yes I am SO COMPLETELY EXCITED), the problem I can already see is that most of the furniture I am taking or finding that’s affordable enough to buy is completely mismatched! Art deco, meets vintage, meets glam, meets just plain old worn around the edges. Any advice for getting things to feel like they fit together?

Jeanne

I need to paint some of my downstairs rooms but am afraid I’ll pick the wrong colors! How do you start to choose a paint color for a room?

Drew B.

I painted my room medium dark purple. What colors are compatible with it that I can use on my sheets/ wall decor/ etc. Thank you.

Lauren

What are a couple simple and QUICK improvements can you make to a small rental apartment to bring in some color and freshen it up?

jennifer

how do I choose a white paint for a sunny living room??

Kelly Warbington

What is the best way to continue a color palette thoughout a house?

Nicki

how do I make a small room with low ceilings look more spacious?

Kate

I am really turned on by calm, neutral rooms right now. How can I go from by bright blue living room to a serene gray with out looking too drab?

Erica

We just finished redoing our kitchen. After spending so much on cabinets & appliances there not much left for accessories. That said, I don’t want the accessories to look cheap in comparison to the hard fixtures. Suggestions??

Abie

Where do you go when you need inspiration?

Erin G

What are some better looking and better storing alternatives to laundry baskets? They are SO big and SO plastic, but very useful.