Kitty Bartholomew 9/24/2002

HGTV: Welcome to HGTV's hosted chat room. Today, Kitty Bartholomew, interior designer and host of You're Home, is here to answer your questions. Be sure to include as much detail as possible about your room and its uses by your family so Kitty can give you the most well informed solution. Hi, Kitty!

Kitty Bartholomew: Hi there! It's fun to be back! I look forward to some well-thought-out and challenging questions today.

Question: Hi. Trying to pick a color for my living room and want faux texture. Curtains creme/red toile, furniture mainly green. living room leads directly to hall. Want formal, warm, statement color. you walk directly into my living room upon entering my house-no foyer. My husband liked a blue-green color, I was thinking neutrals-any way to combine in a faux treatment? Thanks for your help and love your show!
Kitty: My instincts are that blue-green would not be a wise choice. It would make the room feel smaller and if it didn't blend well with the green furniture then it wouldn't work at all. I would consider going with the background color of the toile drapes. You say it's a cream, use that as a base and glaze over that with a rich umber (earth/brown) color. Refer to Jocasta Innes' book Paint Magic (which is my personal fave) for glazing techniques. Would you consider a light blue ceiling? This adds a soft dimension and a special design touch to a room. It especially works well if you have crown molding. Hope this works!

Q: I want to pick out a counter top for a French Country Kitchen, Color, pale yellow, blue, red, greens. White Cabinets. What color should I go with for the counter top that will look nice?
Kitty: Were you thinking any particular material? I love having butcher block somewhere. If it were me, I'd like to have a substantial area in wood. In traditional French country homes, one often sees a combination of tile. If you choose tile, how about 4x4 white standard tiles with a soft gray grout (this is very French), perhaps on the backsplash you could introduce a simple border of French country tiles in a pattern or a solid color. You didn't mention what was on the floor and what color material, etc....but the success of a French kitchen is ending up with a cozy warmth combined with many natural materials, wood, iron, tiny patterned materials to give it a cozy look.

Q: My question today concerns my living room. I am looking into buying two different chairs to go with my current couch and rug. My couch is a sand-colored tweed fabric with rolled arms and nail-head trim. My rug is navy blue, burgundy, sage green and sand colors. I have seen a brown leather chair and ottoman that I like very much, but I don't want to buy two of them. I prefer more traditional looking furniture. Please help.
Kitty: I love the idea of introducing leather. Particularly if it's a good complement to the rug. The other chair would be great in a subtle pattern, perhaps a jacquard. Or another rich looking pattern. I love the idea of adding the red tones in the room, so ideally this pattern, that hopefully you will find and fall in love with, will also look great in throw pillows for the sofa. Or at the very least, use that pattern as a welt trim/ruffle accent on the throw pillow on the sofa. Good luck!

Q: I have wood floors that lead from my entrance to the family room, kitchen and breakfast area. The flooring in these areas is tile and Berber carpet. I want to put a wood laminate in place of the tile and Berber carpet to give the room a continuous look. Additionally I have 2 small boys so we need something durable. How would a wood laminate look next to hardwood floors? Would it be better to use a contrasting shade?
Kitty: Yes. Unless it matches almost perfectly, which is next to impossible, the simulated wood next to the natural wood might look a little cheap. I would go at least four shades lighter. My advice is to get a number of samples, place them right next to the natural wood for a couple of days before you make your choice. You may want to consider going with another material altogether. Like a tile or Formica product. Good luck!

Q: My kitchen, breakfast nook and family room are all combined toward the back of my house. My style is traditional, and I have wood floors, white cabinets with gold hardware in the kitchen, iron pieces and sage/olive green sofa in the family room. I would love to paint the walls of the breakfast nook a deep cranberry red. I also want to replace my countertop with a manufactured laminate. First of all, do you think the red will look okay if I have coordinating fabric to tie in the olive with the red. If so, can you recommend a color for the countertop and tile backsplash? Thanks!
Kitty: I love the idea of the rich red in the breakfast room and feel confident that you can find a great fabric combining at least these two colors. Red is a very flattering color at night and feels very cozy to me. Don't feel that you're countertop has to relate in any way to the wall colors. Countertops need to be cost-effective and last (ideally) for many years. With white cabinets, you could go with white, such as a Corian, Surrell or tile. Could you introduce butcher-block somewhere? Perhaps on an island? If you wanted a pattern , perhaps a stone in the marble/granite category would blend well and still be practical and rich. Avoid pink or yellow-infused beiges. They will serve to make your cabinets look dirty. Good luck!

Q: Hi, Kitty. My daughter has painted her room (all walls) dark blue, she has craftsman-style furniture, and that's as far as it goes. We are stuck on where to go from here. Her carpet is an off-white. Need help quickly because I would like to finish her room before she's old enough to move out.
Kitty: You didn't mention how old your daughter is...chances are the majority of her time is spent in her room at night, and so you probably want the window treatments to be light. Is the molding and trim around the windows white? My advice would be to keep it white, particularly when it comes to bed coverings. White is really quite practical when it comes to bed coverings for young girls because stains can be bleached, unlike a pattern or color. Additional color(s) always find their way into young girl's rooms with their bulletin boards, clothes, souvenirs, etc. These things have a way of distracting the eye from the wall color! Believe me, I've raised two girls, my youngest is 15! Stick with white—that's my best advice. Nothing is more feminine than eyelet lace, ruffles, etc., (depending on her personality). When I advise white, at the same time combining different white materials for an interesting look. Good luck, p.s., make sure there is lots of good light in the room. If you main source is overhead light, create a cozy atmosphere with at least two lamps. Good luck!

Q: My bathroom has glossy ceramic tile. Past owners of the home made ugly 1/2 holes in the tiles in no apparent pattern. I would like to fill the holes with something and then paint the tiles with color to camouflage the repair. What do I fill the holes with, what paint should I use and how should I do it? Do I need to sand the tile down? etc.???
Kitty: I can't figure out why in the world the owners would put holes in the tile. You can paint tile but it never lasts for a really long time. It always ends up looking like "I've painted my tile!" There is a company that I think is fairly universal called Bathtub King. In your city it may be called something else. You can check in the phone book under tile/resurfacing. They can do a better job than the average do-it-yourselfer (that includes me!). They don't charge that much and their work is guaranteed for a certain amount of time. My best advice is to paint the tile white, this is no matter who does the work. The biggest problem with choosing a color is the grout lines end up being the color of the tile, which is rarely the case when tile is done originally. White ends up being the best overall long-term look. If you insist on doing it yourself, fill the holes with a silicone sealer this comes in a tube, Speak to your local hardware store. They'll help you with brands. Clean the tile and the grout very well with TSP. Make sure it's totally dry. Then prime overall, including the grout lines, with the best primer you can find. I recommend Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3. When that is dry, paint with a semi-gloss white paint. I need to tell you that there are epoxy products on the market I have used these to paint sinks and tile. These can be tricky to work with and are very caustic. So, to repeat my advice, my first choice would be to call a resurfacing company. If this is prohibitive, then paint it as I outlined. Good luck!

Q: Kitty, I'm thinking about painting a master bedroom a medium to dark cocoa color. The room is large and gets lots of light. I want to paint the ceiling the same color rather than the traditional white. Also, there are lots of pretty white moldings. What do you think?
Kitty: I'm not crazy about the idea of painting a ceiling in a bedroom a medium color value. I don't mind in a library or den. It's going to serve to make the room feel too dark, perhaps even claustrophobic. I'm sure you love the cocoa color and I think you'll be happy with just painting the four walls. Remember that in painting the walls, each wall is going to reflect the opposite wall and the overall effect is going to be darker than the sample. With the white moldings, I think the look you're seeking and will be satisfied most with would be to have a white or perhaps very soft, light blue ceiling. I think you'll feel better about waking up on a rainy day if this is your choice. Good luck!

Q: Even with high ceilings and lots of light?
Kitty: Yes... Remember, it's summer and we've had lots of sun. I don't know where you live, but winter does come and painting a high ceiling the wrong color and having to live with it isn't a good idea. Sorry....

Q: Kitty I live in El Salvador in a very small house and the problem is the illumination, what can you suggest for window treatment without blocking all the light
Kitty: I've been to El Salvador and have been so happy to see the courage that many people have to infuse their homes with many different colors (most Americans don't have the same courage). How lucky you are to live in a climate where you get a lot of sunlight! You didn't mention if privacy is an issue here or what color(s) you've chosen for the inside of your house. However, may I assume that with your climate and sunshine that your windows will be open most of the time? And that you want to encourage the natural light? How about a lace of some kind that will give you the privacy and natural light and ventilation. Nothing is prettier than soft lace and colorful walls in a small house. Hope this works for you.

Q: {from El Salvador} The color inside my house are light yellow and a green in a pale shade and I don't need privacy.
Kitty: Hope the idea of lace panels appeals to you... There is a catalog by a company called Rue de France, www.ruedefrance.com. They have a wonderful selection for all shapes and sizes of windows and I feel they are very affordable. Country Curtains catalog also offers great diversity of styles. May I suggest you let your fingers do the walking! Good luck! (the website is www.countrycurtains.com)

Q: Kitty, I love your show. I enjoy decorating in black and white - are there any tips you have for making that color combo work? How do you decide correct scale and proportion when designing the decor of a room?
Kitty: That is a HUGE question...and is very difficult to describe when I can't use any visuals... But I will give you a couple tips, obviously black adds a great deal of weight to whatever if covers. Whether it's a lampshade or a wall. Can you imagine a black airplane?? I wouldn't trust it to fly!! } So black can be a good anchoring color, particularly below eye level. White can be a very hot color because the color white is a combo of all the colors. When placed side by side, for instance take a circle and cut it in half, the black seems so much heavier and stronger than the white. Play with pieces of paper in various shapes on a white background. This will help you get your personal feeling of balance and help educate yourself on scale/weight/balance. Black and white is fine and if you choose not to use a third color as a catalyst don't feel that you need to. But when you restrict yourself to solid colors and just two, it works only when you vary the texture within the color. Let's say you have a black sofa and you want a black covering on the floor. Perhaps a shag or texture would be a good choice. A nubby throw on the sofa would work as well. Remember to vary also within the texture concept, finishes--high-gloss, such as vinyl, leather, lacquer with matte finishes. I wish I had more time and space...but this is a basic lesson on black and white.

Q: Hi, Kitty. I have a very small and narrow sitting room that I am interested in decorating, is blue a good idea for the chairs and what color should I paint my walls?
Kitty: If you like the chairs and you like blue, then it's a good idea! Long, narrow rooms can feel larger, if that's what you want, by painting the walls a light color. The lighter the color, the larger the room feels. Darker colors make a room feel smaller and cozier. The biggest challenge it would seem to me, is not really the color of the chairs or walls, but to create a conversation area in your seating, which is often a challenge in narrow rooms.

Q: Great show, Kitty. I remember you going through a 'square home' and have been trying to find the episode. Help!
Kitty: I'm happy that you liked the program...please provide a few more details about the house...I can't recall which one you're speaking of.

Q: The 'square home' was a new home and so coordinated that the cabinets, fabric and flooring was all the same. It may have been a retirement community someplace in Georgia? The center or middle of the house had the stove (kitchen area), fireplace (living room area) and I believe the master bath. It was a compact home and I would love to have my husband take a look at it.
Kitty: If you can pinpoint the week the show aired, possibly our viewer services department could help you. The number is 865-694-7879. I'm sorry that I can't recall!

Q: We want to design a third bedroom into an office/guest room but are having a hard time on deciding which is more important. It's a very plain and not too large room with two average-size windows. Beige carpet and very light beige walls... Can you suggest room arrangement, furniture to use, best colors, etc. to efficiently use the room in both capacities?
Kitty: You need to furnish the room with pieces that are multipurpose. I would start with a purchase of a daybed. If you expect to have many guests there are some wonderful styles available with a trundle hidden underneath. There are so many classic styles available in catalogs in every price range from IKEA to Pottery Barn to Room and Board, etc. Obviously, shelving is important. So, bookshelves, as well as a desk that could also have a companion or extension piece that would be a dresser or side table for guests. I would think of the room primarily as an office/library concept because you , as the owners, will be using it far more often than the occasional guest will. Good luck!

Q: What college is the best for interior design—in the southern states?
Kitty: There are many schools that offer various degrees in courses in interior design. In my career I have known many, many professional and successful interior designers who actually never got a degree in interior design. School and classes can be very informative and yet there is NOTHING that takes the places of experience with an established designer that you admire. My best advice is to find an established whose work you admire and beg them for a job! Even an internship...while you are taking classes. This is especially true if you intend to pursue a career in residential design. Architecture and commercial design careers must be preceded by a degree. Good luck!

HGTV: Well, everyone, our chat hour has ended. Thanks for joining us today. And thank you, Kitty, for answering our questions.

Kitty Bartholomew: Thank all of you for the wonderful variety of questions! Now that the kids are back in school we all have a lot more time to focus on getting ready to cocoon for the autumn and winter!