Matt Fox and Shari Hiller 01/14/2003

HGTV:Welcome to HGTV's hosted chat room. Matt Fox and Shari Hiller are here to answer your questions. Hi, Matt and Shari. Better late than never... ;-)

Matt Fox: Hello from Guam!
Shari Hiller: Good evening everyone—so sorry to be late, we are shooting a half-hour holiday show for Christmas 2003. And those projects aren't so simple—LOL.
Matt: And because we are late, I think we might get coal in our stocking next year!

Q: Howdy from New Mexico. I love your show, especially the episode with the log cabin themed boy's room. I would like to try this technique but I am not sure about the colors. Can you tell me what color of paint you used, especially the top coat? Thanks.
Shari: Check the Room by Room section of HGTV.com for the Log Cabin Bedroom—show #1110.

Q: Greetings and thanks to you both for such a GREAT show. You're the best! I'm in color paralysis with my pre-teen daughters' room. They have white furniture and have chosen bedding with VIBRANT, "sponge painted" sunset colors (orange to magenta to indigo to purple). It includes scarf valances in the magenta tones. The fabric includes neat India-inspired gold stamping, which I intend to use as a border on the wall... but over what color—they're all so, um, VIBRANT!? Would magenta be a good choice? Would white picture frames tone down the color? I'm looking for fun and funky without being freakish!!!
Shari: Try staying in the sunset hues, but select a pastel, maybe a sunset peach or pink would keep the room fun, yet not overdone. And thank you for watching!
Matt: We aren't the best—you guys are the best!

Q: Hi, guys. Thanks so much for putting together such a terrific show. I'll never look at decorating my house the same way again. My fear of color is gone. Are you ever around the northeast area for shows/conventions? It would be great to meet you in person.
Shari: Thank you for such wonderful comments! We were just in Hartford, Conn. and should be in Newport, RI, shooting a special late this spring. We'll keep you posted.

Q: I want to use a technique you did on a show called whisking and wallpapering—on the whisking you used satin paint. Can this be done with semi-gloss?
Matt: With the top coat being the whisk coat—yes. It will have a higher sheen, but it will still give you the right effect. With that type of gloss of paint, you may have to clean off your whisk broom more often, or also have several available.

Q: HomeTime (PBS) has a great monthly email newsletter. Might you consider doing a RXR e-newsletter?
Matt: HGTV and the both of us have been talking about such a thing. Hopefully, with so many of you requesting it, perhaps both our dreams will come true—ours and yours.

Q: I am having trouble choosing what sofa color to put in my great room. I have "cloud" color carpet and plan to paint the walls a soft brown. HELP!
Shari: It sounds like you could use a print or some texture to give the room some pizzazz. Visit a local furniture store and borrow a couple of pillows and try a pattern out in your room. If you hit the colors just right, anything could work. Because you have a nice, neutral background.

Q: Hi Shari and Matt, enjoy the show. I am in Mentor, Ohio, and understand you started in Beachwood? Wondered how you got started?
Matt: Well we actually started in Cleveland, Ohio, sponsored by the Sherwin Williams Company. And having that corporate backing helped make Room by Room a reality. Good to hear from a northeastern Ohioan.

Q: First, I love your show. My husband thinks I'm nuts for watching as much as I do. Do you do shows in Florida?
Matt: We have done a couple of episodes in 2001, and would love to go back. And—you're not nuts—you're just a great fan.

Q: How many coats of polyurethane should I put on a kitchen table? I want to put pictures on it and then give it a thick glossy shine.
Matt: In order to do that, it will take five to six coats of polyurethane. Have you considered a spar varnish—or even a piece of glass over the pictures—then you can change them when you want!

Q: I have a lovely oak entertainment center with floor to ceiling shelves. I'm at a loss to accessorize it other than family photos. Any tips?
Shari: It sounds like it's time for you to start a collection! It could be plates, small boxes, figurines. And then mix in some greenery to add some softness to those hard-edged shelves. Intersperse the family photos, as well.

Q: Shari, what is your favorite place to shop for accessories?
Shari: As you can imagine, it changes. But right now we are having a lot of luck at TJ Maxx. They have an extensive accessory department } with all kinds of unusual items. I love that you never know what you will find. Ask me next time...and I'll give you a different answer.

Q: Got any ideas for teen's Disney bedroom?
Shari: You know what would look cool? The characters in silhouette on the wall instead of primary colors.
Matt: You can achieve the effect by using an overhead projector to cast the shadow/outline on the wall. They are very inexpensive. Then just fill in the area with paint.

Q:: I really enjoy your show and your brother is a great principal. My daughter still enjoys the picture you signed for them in Findlay.
Matt: You know a lot of people think my show is great, but my brother has a great show going as well: he's a great principal. Yay to all educators out there.

Matt: Sorry to get off-topic for a minute, but? Let us tell you about our special. It's a weird feeling to tape a holiday show, such as this Christmas special, so soon after the fact. But it's better than doing the fall special in July. Don't ever try to go find a pumpkin to buy in July. If you see that special—don't look at the pumpkins too closely—99 percent of them were plastic!

Q: I need to put up some inexpensive window treatments for a nursery. The window is 51" square. I was thinking a 54" square table cloth. Do you have any other suggestions?
Shari: You can find inexpensive roller shades cut to size for your windows—and they are very easy to paint on. Any latex paint or craft paint will do. You can create clouds, stencil on animals or stamp some fun shapes. Layer on a soft inexpensive valance and you are done.

Q: Hello Matt and Shari, I am a Clevelander myself and now live down in Ashland. I love your work! I am trying to build the window seat Matt built on the teen bedroom do you think you could email the work sheet?
Matt: That should be on the HGTV.com website. I think it aired just a few weeks ago. It's show #1701. And if you can't find the plans, it's basically a simple box trimmed out with home center materials. We got the cushions from Pottery Barn.

Q: My question is... What kind of bedspread would you recommend for a 12 year old girl?
Shari: How about something in the color and style she likes? Let her go out and shop around. Right now, duvet covers are the hot thing—maybe she could even sew her own. It would be a great starting-sewing project, too!

Q: Hello from Cleveland, Ohio. What is the best rule of thumb for the placement of recessed lighting in a hallway and kitchen? Should they be in line or staggered?
Shari: In most rooms, recessed lighting is installed in some sort of straight line. However, if there are bump outs in cabinetry you might have a jog in that straight line.
Matt: And cheers to Cleveland—it's a big Cleveland night tonight! Shouldn't you be in bed? Just kidding...we're glad you've stayed up with us.

Q: I have a medium\small kitchen and want to repaint it. It's currently light beige. I have 3 small windows for natural light. It needs brightening up. There are 4 archways and one door coming off the kitchen, so I don't have a lot of wall space. I tried painting one wall white, but it didn't look good. All my appliances are light beige. I'm stumped!
Shari: Any interest in selecting a wall covering with a small enough pattern to show up, but brings a variety of colors?
Matt: And you can use a variety of paper—and it won't be very expensive.

Q: What tips do I need to know to paint over paneling?
Matt: I'll walk you through the quick steps. Wash the paneling with soap and warm water. Lightly sand it with 150 to 220 grit sandpaper. Use a pole sander. Apply a latex bonding primer and follow it up with two coats of latex satin paint. Don't fill in the grooves—they will look just fine.

Q: We just took down my bedroom closet doors (louvered). I am thinking of putting up curtain in their place. Any suggestions?
Matt: Great idea. You can buy a closet pole with the brackets that come with it and make a pocket in your drapery so that the pole will run through it. That's a fun idea.
Shari: You may want to consider putting drapery weights in the hems to keep the drapery straight.

Q: Where can I find more information on the egg shaped dimensional color wheel?
Shari: This is my favorite color book of all time—it's called...Color! It's an Architectural Digest book—published by Knapp. That's where you can find it. It should be on Amazon.com.

Q: Love your shows.. In episode RXR-1612, I wanted to know where you found those curtains.
Shari: I think they were red and creamed checked curtains. We made those, but we purchased the fabric at JoAnn's, etc.

Q: What is a good color for a dark hallway that is adjacent to a forest green wall of a family room?
Matt: Bark.—LOL. Like a tree? Not funny?
Shari: I don't mean to be on a wall covering push this evening, however a light wall covering with touches of forest green will tie it into the family room, but allow it to be much lighter.

Q: I'm wondering why a long sheer window curtain was chosen (in RXR-1703)—emphasizing the small windows??
Shari:We were trying to add some softness to the room and not bring attention to the short windows by putting in an inset blind in them or by leaving them bare, which caused a lot of glare in the room.

Q: I have a small bedroom that has a northern exposure. I want to make it a garden bedroom but am at a loss as to what color(s) to paint the walls. Blue seems to cold, I don't like pink much. What would be good? I do have a bedspread with many colors that is my inspiration piece.
Shari: Well a soft green certainly fits the garden theme, and depending on the shade, can be much warmer than a blue. Is there is a nice green in your bedspread that you can draw from?

HGTV: Well, everyone, it's been a rocky chat, and I thank you all for sticking with us. We're sorry that we didn't get to as many as usual, but Matt and Shari will be back on Feb. 17th at 11 a.m. ET. Thanks, Matt and Shari, for joining us.

Matt Fox: Thank you. We are tattooing the new time on our foreheads. You can count on us being here.
Shari Hiller: Again you folks had great questions, so until next time...when we decorate together?
Matt and Shari: Room by Room!