: I found a nice wooden chair at a garage sale, which I purchased very cheaply. The only problem is that I need to refinish it. How do I go about stripping off the old finish?
Home and Garden
DEAR DESIGNER: My boss is opening a new office. Unfortunately the budget doesn’t allow us to hire a designer so he is depending on the office staff to purchase pictures for the walls. Can you help me understand the differences in types of art and give me direction on what I should be looking for, keeping in mind this is for an office building? — Brandi.
Problem: Guests for dinner and a small dining-room table. Solution: Extend the table. This problem has existed for centuries, and there have been many solutions. Antique and vintage furniture can be found that show these solutions, from drop leaves to extensions.
Thanks to new design requirements, bunk beds sold in the United States today are safer than ever — but parents still need to exercise caution to prevent bunk bed-related injuries among children and adolescents, according to the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
In order to identify one’s needs and wishes — both aesthetic and functional — it’s essential to be aware of a home’s architectural style. Such an understanding will help in deciding what design direction to follow … or to depart from.
DEAR DEBBIE: I’m dreaming of an old Cape Cod-style bedroom for our new house. It’s basic builder now and is crying out for some character. My husband and I both love a good project, and we’re looking for some decorating advice to make the bedroom look inviting. We’ve seen photos of wainscoting and wondered if that would be difficult to do. Thanks. — Sam and Allie.
After more than 50 years of furnishing Las Vegas Valley residents’ homes, the people who work at Walker Furniture have a pretty good feel for what will make their customers happy. So, when they saw changes in the styles and sizes of the pieces people were seeking and the way they were shopping for home furniture, Walker changed right along with them.
As temperatures drop, crickets and other vermin will try to find entrances into your home. If you apply pesticides around the outside of your home, now would be a good time to do that. Spray should be directed to where the home meets the soil. You might also spray inside irrigation boxes where so many pests like roaches and black widow spiders like to congregate. There are some organic sprays that can be used but they are usually not persistent and may have to be reapplied at a later date.
As the hot summer days trade in their excessive heat for cooler evenings and comfortable temperatures, Las Vegans are turning off the air conditioning, opening the windows and, yes, spending more time outside. Autumn is arguably the most inviting and pleasant season in the Las Vegas Valley, so what better way to enjoy it than with friends and family in your own backyard?
Many of us are focused on the economy right now. It seems that every day brings news of unprecedented financial change. The topic is complex but there is a fundamental component that comes to mind as both an opportunity and solution for many. It is the concept of simple living. It is the opposite of a near-trillion dollar corporate bailout, but has the potential to be many times more powerful and effective.