Twitter Chat with John Gidding, and a HUGE Giveaway!

Liz H.

What’s the best way to visually open up a small bathroom? I’m considering a large mirrored medicine cabinet, but I don’t want to lose all of the wall space for storage (shelves, cabinets, etc.). Is it worth it to try to store bathroom stuff somewhere else?

Paola

I have an L shape kitchen/breakfast nook, it measures 12 x 10 ft., unfortunately i can’t seem to fit a much needed island without getting in the way. Any suggestions??

stephanie

i’ve been trying to think of ways to make a somewhat wide (but not incredibly wide) hallway functional without making it seem too crowded. any ideas?

Carrie

How do you accomadate for storage (especially seasonal like coats and such) in an older house with very few bedroom closets, NO hall or general use closets?

Lisa

How can I make plastic storage bins in my bedroom look less “college-like”? Or should I just get rid of the altogether? If I did that, what’s an inexpensive way of adding storage space to my room that looks nice and goes with my current decor?

P

I have a small bedroom, about 12 feet length by 7.5 feet width with 8.5 feet height, with a double window on the east side of the room. I’m going for a whimsical island theme that could work in all seasons. So far I’ve got the sky blue and ivory bedding and a lavender dresser. Would you have any ideas that would work in a grad student’s budget?

Lauren

Is there a general rule for hanging wall artwork when your ceilings are really tall? I feel like art should be hung around eye level, but then I worry that all that wall space above it looks weird. Also, do you have any suggestions for how to decorate around a flat panel TV set? Do you hang whatever around it, treating the TV as just a large frame?

Laura Benson

Our house built in 1933 has a small screened-in porch on its side. I would love to have a small table and chairs out there, but I’m stuck. I was thinking a Parisian-style bistro set. My husband wants wrought iron, and the chairs must have arms. We also need suggestions on lighting and accessories. Any ideas? Oh, cushions are out. Getting Steve to agree to cushions is impossible. Believe me; I’ve tried. And, we have a year-old dog so we can’t have a low table top.

Lee-Anne G

I am in the camp of people that feel that wood trim should not be painted out white. However, I would like to brighten our living room space. Any suggestions on paint colour to combine the traditional wood trim with a bright fresh more modern look?

Lauren Gibson

I’m dying to replace the combo floor-to-ceiling windows/sliding door that runs the entire 20-odd feet across my living room. The windoor (as I like to call it) is original to my house (1968), and is ugly and drafty… What’s the best way to go about doing this without (completely) breaking the bank… Everyone keeps telling me the size of the project means I should go custom. HELP!

Shirley Varela

I am thinking of replacing the tile in my kitchen with wood flooring. Do you think its a bad idea because of durability? I love the look of wood compared to ceramic tile.

Laura

I just moved into a house with the ugliest kitchen floor known to man (imagine something like greenish black linoleum tiles meant to look like serpentine). The rest of the kitchen has all of its original hardware and sink from the 1930’s. What might you suggest for floor options that would fit with this white retro feel of the rest of the kitchen?

tara

My question is: how do you even get started on a kitchen remodel? Should we go to a home improvement store and have them design a kitchen for us? I mean, we’re totally lost on this. I think once we had a plan in place, we could actually get rolling.

Nicole B.

How do you create drama on a wall that is tall, large, and expansive, yet has several doors? If we put an oversized piece of art, what is a good inexpensive but creative option?

Thanks!

Nelle

I’m about to convert a spare bedroom to a dedicataed home office/studio for jewelry, sewing, painting, and any other project i can come up with. Any suggestions on how to make it SUPER functional, but also attractive?

marybeth @ www.babygoodbuys.com

what’s the best way to integrate a desk/workspace into a living room?

neysa

We have a very long room that we use a formal living room. The space is difficult to arrange, because it is so long. I am looking for tips on how to manage such a space: break it into multiple “rooms” or use the entirety of the length for one room. Worry with first idea: how to make it not look a poorly broken-up space. Worry with the second: how big is too big for a conversational grouping?

Thanks!

jodi

The floors in my rental apartment are in desperate need of refinishing. Is it possible to refinish floors piecemeal? Or would we need to remove everything before having it done?

JWalter

I bought a new square dining table that I love, but it is very low, and I’m having a hard time figuring out what kind of chairs to use. I was thinking of doing an upholstered settee on one end, and upholstered chairs around, but they either don’t fit below or they are too wide! Any alternatives for keeping the space warm (extension of my living room), and less formal dining room-ish?

Eleanor

I live in San Francisco and my husband and I have a 1908 Edwardian home which still has the original kitchen. We have put off renovating for years, but have managed to scrape together a modest amount (by San Francisco standards) to work on the kitchen space, and I’m trying to figure out how to get the most bang for our buck, while really improving the overall functionality of the ‘three room’ space (butler’s pantry, main cooking area, breakfast room)

My biggest idea is to take down the (load bearing) wall between the main cooking area and the breakfast room so that guests don’t feel stranded there when we cook, but I fear the cost is going to eat about 1/2 our budget.

What are ways you can make your kitchen renovating dollars stretch — especially if you and your partner are not great DIY folks?

Jennifer Glamour

I can never decide whether or not to paint the ceiling when painting a room. I have heard it can open up the room and give it more character. But then I’ve also read that it can be overwhelming to a room, especially if it’s small. Do you suggest painting a ceiling? If yes, do you paint it a lighter color than the walls or an entirely different color? Thanks so much!

Marci Circa1972

We currently cannot afford to tear out the remuddled kitchen of our 1906 American Foursquare. Other than a coat of paint, what can we do to make the space more attractive that isn’t going to be a giant step backwards when we can rip it out, down the line? We don’t want to be wasteful with our remodeling time and money.

Alana

I’m a first time homeowner, and only 25. I love bright colors, but don’t want my house to look like I just moved into my college dorm room. Are there certain tones I can use to keep things bright without looking so young?

Helen

I live in a condo with a loft and a cathedral ceiling. It really needs painting and I am at a loss as to what color to paint it. My husband doesn’t like white. What other shade could I use?

Camila

How can you decorate a room that a teenager and a baby will share? I’m mostly worried about privacy for the teen, I don’t want her to feel like she’s living in a nursery! Is that even possible?

Renee

What are some tips for apartment decorating. I can’t paint the walls, or make any serious changes…But I don’t want it to feel like a mishmashed college apartment.

Amber

I am looking forward to all the questions and his & your answers! I am into ANY and ALL design questions and tips. The giveaway is pretty swell too!

My questions: Are there rules as to where and/or how to place round rugs vs. rectangular in a space?

Personal question for you two, do you think with older homes it is best to keep old good condtioned wood (trims, floors, doors, etc) bare or is it a faux pas to paint something like that?

Thanks!

Angela N

I want to hang 2 large pieces of artwork over my stair case. I am just not sure how to get the measurements right. I found the mid point, but how do I know how high to hang them? And what distance apart? Thx!!

Lindsay

I too am an interior designer, my question is related to the business end. How do you grow your company and brand in this economy? In addition to local designing, I offer online decor packages, what are ways I can increase the notion that great design doesn’t always have to cost so much!!

Lindsay@ A Design Story.com

Lindsay

Our hallway (the bedrooms and main bath are off of it) is standard – not particularly wide. Is it best to leave it blank or hang some framed pictures or art work? Any tips?

Shay

What’s your favorite ceiling treatment? How do you feel about white painted ceilings? Wallpaper – a passing fad or here to stay?