Matt Fox 11/26/2002

HGTV: Welcome to HGTV's hosted chat room. We have a little bad news... Shari Hiller is a little under the weather, so she won't be chatting tonight. However, Matt Fox is here to answer as much as he can. Shari will be back for their next chat in two weeks, Dec. 16th. Hello, Matt!

Matt Fox: Hello everybody! I'm terrified because my fellow chatter isn't here with me tonight... but I'll get through it the best I can. So be gentle!

Question: Do either of you have ideas for quick and easy decorations for an outdoor tree? Also do you know where I can buy a portable paper laminator?
Matt: For the quick tree idea, I just saw the coolest thing. It was a tree that had large ornaments, perhaps available at garden centers or home centers, they were gold and blue, and they hung just from the lower branches, and this was on a maple tree. It looked stunning. The big bulbs on the bottom made the whole tree look decorated. I found a laminator, also. EZ Laminator. It's made by Manco Co. On the internet, if you type in EZ Laminator, you'll get all sorts of hits. It's fun and easy.

Q: Love the idea for slipcovering patio furniture cushions! Also, in early November I submitted photos for a room makeover. Is it too late to be considered for this season? Will bribing Matt with homemade chocolate chip cookies help? Take care-JulieB (hunter green carpet)
Matt: Cookies are always welcome, and you can certainly bribe me. But Shari's not on the take. Unfortunately our season has been booked through February, but that doesn't mean someone won't drop out. Keep your fingers crossed! And I prefer walnuts with chocolate chips, by the way.

Q: Is it OK to mix painted trim with stained trim in adjourning rooms?
Matt: Yes. In fact, a room that we worked on, about six months ago, I had painted baseboards, and I stained the trim. It was such a large room that it needed the combination to make the room seem smaller.

Q: I have a problem coordinating paint with a colorful carpet.
Matt: I wouldn't worry about the paint. I would go to a neutral background and let the carpet speak for itself. By neutrals, I mean the beige and taupe families. Then you can always add extra color in fabric or pillows. Let the carpet be your focal point.

Q: I don't have a fireplace, got any suggestions on incorporating Christmas stocking into the holiday decor?
Matt: Sure, I don't have a fireplace in my home, so I built a coat rack with pegs, and I hung my stocking and my cat's stocking by the window with care. It's about a 4-foot long, 1x6—pine board with six pegs spaced evenly.

Q: How can I cover a frosted skylight with some type of easy to use window covering?
Matt: I know that Hunter Douglas makes blinds specifically made for skylights. Check out Hunter Douglas' website, they should be able to help you. You can always use two tension rods with fabric draped between them. The only downfall is that once it is up, you won't be able to control opening and closing. I miss Shari!! She's the brains—I'm the brawn.

HGTV: For those of you wondering about that last comment, Shari is a little under the weather. She'll be back next month.

Q: Just wanted to say I love the show. Sure wish you could work in travels to other states in your budget. Could really use your help. Blending two people's furniture to coordinate is hard to do. Thanks.
Matt: Yes, we would also like to travel to other states. When we do personal appearances we have so much fun meeting with all you folks. Unfortunately, budgets still need to be met. As far as combining two households, we have found it is easier to stay "his way" and "her way"—one room his, the other room hers, etc.

Q: Great show!! We are going to repaint the inside of our home and the walls and ceiling have knockdown texturing. Do you have any suggestions as to how to get a crisp paint line where the wall and ceiling meet since the knockdown texturing prevent the corners from being a smooth corner?
Matt: That is a very tough situation. And I have tried using regular masking tape for just such a case. But I still had a little bleed-through. So I tried a lacquer tape, which comes in a green roll. You need to push it down with the end of a spoon to make sure it doesn't seep through. It may bleed slightly, but from a distance, you won't notice. One tip: remove the tape as soon as you paint; don't let the paint film dry over the tape.

Q: Can Matt tell us the difference between a mantle and a mantelpiece?
Matt: A mantelpiece is just the shelf, and the mantle can refer to just the shelf or the entire surround.

Q: Your show is my favorite. Just one quick question. Where do you get the ripped wallpaper?
Matt: Thank you for watching, and funny thing, the show is my favorite, too! Although I do like Paul James and Pat Simpson. The paper is called Paper Illusions. And we found it at our Sherwin Williams store, but I know that Lowe's is starting to carry it. Great stuff. I am not a big paper-hanger, but this stuff I would try any day.

Q: Help!! I have white carpets and two big black dogs that shed A LOT, and occasionally make messes on the carpet. I also have a new baby and my husband is in school so we can not afford to put in hardwood floors yet like we would like to do. do you have any suggestions that we could do that would be inexpensive, but not look cheap? thanks.
Matt: First of all, until you're baby grows a little older, keep the rug that you have, but do exactly what you are trying to do. Keep it tidy. You can purchase inexpensive area rugs and runners that can be placed in the high-traffic areas. Home Depot and Lowe's carry a wide variety of low—cost rugs. Live with them as long as you can, and they can be disposed of eventually until you are ready for hardwood. That's the beauty of dogs and kids; they make your life interesting.

Q: First of all, I love your show and want you to come and do my family room/kitchen in Toledo—I am almost graduating from Kent State, if that can help bribe you, and Toledo is so close! My house was a house of the year in the '60s, and this same area of the house was featured in House and Garden magazine in October of 1967. The rooms in question are in Moroccan style, with an almost semicircular arch between the kitchen island and family room area, then has 2 arches on one side which are similar, one housing a barbecue, bar sink and fridge, and the other a fireplace. Behind the arches are ceramic tiles that are mostly off-white, but contain black, yellow and blue in Moroccan style. There is a large floor to almost ceiling bow window opposite the kitchen end that is screaming for a complementary window treatment—right now, it has a non-matching lambrequin around it with sheers behind it. On the wall opposite the fireplace and grill is a sliding glass door, which does not extend as high as the bow window, which only has sheers on it. I am afraid to tackle this myself since it will cost a bundle, and I don't want to make any mistakes. Please help me!!!! The walls and floor are in the same off-white as the background of the tiles. There are wooden beams on the ceiling, also, which, after seeing your show on Oriental carpets, I plan to play down with the placement of a rug (in dark colors?—again, a costly choice!). Sorry I'm so wordy, but I only missed by 3 questions last time you were online, and my needs grow by the minute!
Matt: Let me say first of all, congratulations for almost completing your coursework at Kent St.—great choice. You do have a large project that needs to be tackled, and of course it is hard to help you without seeing the space. But it sounds like the wall backgrounds and window treatments need to be updated first. Have you considered getting away from the off-white and going with a warmer color, suitable for the Moroccan style? The best way to handle any large project such as yours, is to pick one area that you can accomplish first. And that sounds like the walls. Even though you say it's a '60s style room, the Moroccan style is still very prevalent today. So live with what you have, most people would actually be envious.

Q: Love the show, so glad to just see the Victorian home redo. Would love to see more Victorian as we own one. I would love to see how to create a window seat like what was in the show tonight, we have the turrets but not the seats. Thanks for your great ideas on your show.
Matt: Shari and I both love Victorians. My hometown of Findlay, Ohio, had many fine Victorian homes, so I grew up around them. We have found, though, that most Victorians have already been taken care of. So we don't get the opportunity to do a lot of them. The window seats were basic construction of plywood boxes detailed with decorative trim. Very easy to build and there are many building books teaching you how to build them. Black and Decker has a wonderful series of workshop books.

Q: Hi Shari and Matt, would installing a chair rail at 22 inches make a room look less linear than installing at the normal height for chair rail?
Matt: Not at all. In fact, I find it more appealing because it is not the cookie-cutter way of building something. It almost becomes the unexpected, and it works great if you have low ceilings. It creates the illusion of height. So chair rail on!

Q: Shari/Matt: We enjoy your work. We have a combined kitchen/family room/ We have a fruited wallpaper in the kitchen that ends at the sliding glass door. We are having trouble making the two areas blend. What do you suggest?
Matt: Can you continue the fruited paper from one room to another? If the kitchen has the fruited paper, then use a border with that motif that is in the kitchen and runs through the family room. That should help tie the two together. You could also introduce some fabric with the fruit throughout the family room. And thanks for watching our show!

HGTV: For those joining us late, you're not hearing from Shari because she's not feeling well tonight, so Matt's going it alone. Shari will be back with us next month, Dec. 16.

Q: Hello, Matt and Shari, from the sunny Cayman Islands! I'm in the process of decorating my kitchen for Christmas and want to do something a little different this year. What do you think of my idea of a mini-Christmas tree with cookie cutters, whisks, etc.?
Matt: First of all, maybe you need me to come down there and help you—since right now we have about eight inches of snow in Cleveland. Your tree idea sounds great. Remember, this is the time of year to decorate with your heart, and if it makes you and your family feel good, I support it all the way! Thanks for joining us tonight.

Q: What do you do more of—ideas or execution of Shari's ideas?
Matt: Executions of Shari's ideas. My job is to take her design knowledge and make it work in the room. But it goes both ways, too. Shari is very receptive to my ideas, and Shari can run a hell of a router. Which is why we have so much fun together.

Q: How can I decorate my three bay windows in my home. I thought about a photo window in my family room.
Matt: Not that I do a lot of the window treatments for this show, but I have lived in homes with bay windows, and what I did is create privacy panels on the lower part of the window, and kept the upper part of the window open. The privacy panels could be sheers, they could be half-blinds or even shutters. For the upper part of the windows, you may want to consider a valence board with fabric attached. Joanne, etc. has many books available on window treatments for homes, and I know they cover bay windows. I'm sorry that Shari wasn't here to help you more than I've tried to do.

Q: I really liked the show where you painted a bamboo style finish on the walls with a double border on the upper quarter of the room. How can I get more info on that? I tried to find the show in your archives and was unsuccessful. Thanks for the help.
Matt: Look for show #1501. That was a room that we decorated in Florida. You have great taste—that was a fun room. And HGTV.com should help you out.

Q: Hi Matt!!! I was just wondering... Where do you have to live to be on the show???
Matt: Shari and I live in Cleveland, Ohio, and that is where the show is produced out of. You have guessed right. Most of the shows are shot here. But we do two travel shows a year, so you never know...

Q: Happy Thanksgiving! My living room is in shades of banana cream, tans and brown. Carpet is tan. I'll be getting a new sofa and loveseat in the near future. What color would you suggest to give the room some "punch"? Sage green? Also, how does the chenille fabric stand up to heavy use?
Matt: Happy Thanksgiving to you! I'm already thinking about a drumstick and extra whipped cream on pumpkin pie. The sage green couch sounds great. You could probably even get away with a brighter green. Now is the time to bring in a couple of pillows with a variety of colors on them to find your inspiration piece before purchasing the couch. I'll be honest with you. I can't tell you if chenille will be a durable fabric. That's my partner's job, and unfortunately she's not with us this evening. I know it is a popular fabric, however, so it must be fairly durable.

Q: Hi. Two or three weeks ago you added wall plate tags to a wall. The tags came from a catalog. Can you please tell me the name of the catalog? Thank you.
Matt: I know it is Renovation Hardware, and there is a phone number: 888-401-1900. I use these guys a ton, not only for show projects, but for my own home. They have a great catalog.

Q: Matt, we really enjoy your show. we really like the way the two of you get along. Do you really get along that good?
Matt: The only argument that Shari and I have ever had was when we were lost in traffic in Knoxville, Tennessee, the home of HGTV. And of course, Shari won. I can't think of a better person to work with and be friends with. And I think it comes across in the show. I can't believe how fortunate I am to work with her.

Q: Our house is 3-1/2 yrs. old and has flat white paint on most of the walls. If there are only a few smudges and stains do we have to use primer before repainting? Thanks!
Matt: Nope, not at all. All you need to do is wash those areas with a little warm water and soap. Rinse well and repaint. But promise me you'll use a satin-based latex paint.

Q: I love your show. Here is my question: Can bathroom tile (around the tub) be painted or is it easier to just replace it? Thanks!!
Matt: You can paint it, but I'll tell you, it won't last very long. And if you are going to go to the work of repainting it, you may as well replace it. Sometimes a quick fix...is just that. And can lead to more work. And putting tile in is a lot of fun.

Q: What is the best shape/design of a kitchen/eating area? One long room or an L-shaped one?
Matt: Personal preference: I like the one long room. It seems more open, and when you are working in the kitchen, you still feel a part of the dining experience.

Q: Hi Matt! Really enjoy your show...hope Shari will be feeling better soon! Have a question! I recently venetian plastered my small foyer. It is a gold color and very pretty; however, I don't like the white ceiling, any suggestions as to what would make it look more complete?
Matt: What about going to a completely wild color? Would you consider a deep red? It would give not only a great impact, but it would work well with the gold tone. To me, that would be totally cool.

HGTV: Well, everyone, our chat hour has ended. Thanks for joining us tonight. And Matt, you did a great job covering the chat all by yourself this evening.

Matt Fox: Well, thank you for joining me tonight, and I am sure Shari will be back with us in two weeks. And even though she isn't here, we would both like to extend to you a Happy Thanksgiving. See ya in a couple of weeks!