A: If you haven’t seen their style already then I think this is the one for you - OKA (www.okadirect.com) offers well made practical furniture with a hint of the exotic. The furniture styles range from simple and elegant to slightly oriental/colonial. Their painted pieces offered in a range of muted colours fit together perfectly to create a calm and sophisticated end result.
Go to their nearest showrooms which are in Chelsea, Parsons Green, Notting Hill and Sunninghill to have a good look around at the various style options, paint colours and accessories. Have a look at their Charlotte Dining table (£855) that has numerous leaves that can be added to seat up to ten if required. It looks stunning with their Echo chair (£120) which you can also buy slip covers for. Their Bloomsbury, Portobello and Groucho range of sofas styles would all fit into your style of property it’s down to personal choice on styling as to which you may prefer. Their numerous rugs and accessories may well feature colours that can tie into your stained glass detail on your bay window.
Q: The previous owner had laid carpet tiles using double sided sticky tape covering hard wood flooring. We have removed the tiles but the tape remains. How can we remove this to enable us to sand the floorboards? Phillip Harrison, Liverpool
A: This tape shouldn’t be a problem for a sanding machine, as it will take off this layer when the belt goes over the surface and into the top layer of the wooden boards below. A floor and edge Sander hire pack costs £65.63 plus vat for a weekend of £105 plus VAT for the week from HSS (www.hss.com)
You may go through a few sanding belts so make sure that you have enough, but they are simple machines to use and will provide a good end result.
Q: Is there some way to distress or disguise brass curtain rails? They are in the sitting room of my seaside clapboard house, which we have decorated in New England-style white and pale grey, and the curtain rails look horribly bright and shiny and completely out of place. I wondered if there was some way of toning them down without having to completely replace them? Ellen Wilson, Burnham on Crouch, Essex.
A: No problem - Try priming them first with Plasti-kote primer and then applying the relevant Plasti-kote topcoat spray. I’ve successfully done this with gold mirrors that I’ve painted silver. They have many different colours and lots of options on finishes to choose from including crackle glaze and faux suede. Available in your local B&Q and Homebase stores. Don’t forget to spray the rings too! For more product info. go to www.plastikote.co.uk
Q: I would like to redecorate several rooms in our 18th century cottage. The ceiling beams in all of the rooms are currently painted black and I would like to change the colour, as they make the rooms too dark. I have tried sanding a small area of one beam, which resulted in large clouds of black dust. Can you suggest any alternative methods or products to do this job that won't create such a mess? Rachel Mackey, Newbury Berkshire.
A: Stripping these beams can be more hassle than it’s worth as you normally would have to use Nitromors which is very messy and smelly. I have painted black beams white to blend with a white ceiling for a client (not an 18th Century home though) and it worked extremely well enabling a much brighter and higher feeling within the room but still retaining the character. Use a product like Bulls Eye 123 primer sealer by Zinsser. This can then be followed by a water-based undercoat. Follow the undercoat with a topcoat of emulsion in whatever colour you want for that room. The Bulls Eye 123 primer sealer can be tinted towards the topcoat colour to eliminate a second topcoat requirement, saving both time and money. These products are available in specialist decorators or your nearest DIY outlet.
Q: The wardrobe doors in our bedroom are pine and have been stained, we have tried to paint over them with white eggshell paint but the old stain is showing through even after several coats. Can you recommend a product that we can paint on first to ensure this does not happen? Helen Brown, Leeds
A: Use B-I-N primer sealer from Zinsser on them first (available as a paint or a spray) to block the existing stain from coming through, then apply a couple of top coats of your chosen colour in a satinwood or eggshell finish. This product is one I’ve mentioned a few times on my House Clinic - great for use on all interior surfaces and spot priming on exterior surfaces. It is formulated to seal, prime and block out stains on previously painted or new work. Any oil or latex paint can be applied over it. Professionals love B-I-N because it dries faster than any other primer. It cures as fast as it dries, making it ideal for kitchen cabinet repainting, doors, and trim work. Fire damage restoration painters love B-I-N because it seals in the acrid smell of fire, as well as sealing in water, soot, and grease stains that plague such jobs. Water stains, mildew stains, knots in new wood, nicotine, gasoline, marking pens, etc. can all be reliably sealed with B-I-N. (www.zinsser.com) It is available in most DIY or specialist decorating outlets.
Q: We have extended our traditional 1950s house, adding extra rooms at the back. The only source of light onto the landing is now from the rear window of the new study, through its half glazed door. This means the landing is quite dark. I thought the solution might be to replace two of the solid 4-panel doors at the other end of the landing with glazed or part-glazed ones to introduce light from the front of the house. The problem is that we need to retain privacy, as the doors are to a bathroom and a bedroom. Do you have any suggestions how we could do this, please? Chris Rose, Letchworth
A: I would look at replacing the doors with part-glazed doors featuring frosted/etched glass that still let some light in but will still allow the required privacy. In addition I suggest that you look at the amount of lighting that you have in your landing area. Down lighters are very effective at increasing the amount of light in a landing area without having to have a pendant lamp reducing the head height and making it feel smaller. Allow at least one every metre as a guideline. Todd Doors supply un-glazed panelled doors with solid lower panels for £65 plus Vat excluding delivery which you could get part glazed with frosted glass for c £70. See www.todd-doors.co.uk for more information.
Q: I'm redesigning a modern-ish room and trying to incorporate a means of arranging small candles across a plum feature wall. I have looked for sconces, but the ones I have seen have been very gothic in style, and I need to blend the look with silver Wedgwood crystal candelabra and silver mirror. I like the thought of minimal bevelled glass shelves or similar. However, I would really appreciate your suggestions for product sources or design. Thank you. Sarah Smith, Cheshire
A: How about the lovely Valencia mirrored shelves available from Next at £149.99 (H5 x W100 x D20cm). These look really contemporary and you could place two of them side by side (depending on the width of your bed) to create a shelf that runs right across. They’re not suitable for lots of weight, but small candles and decorative items would be beautifully displayed.
Another option would be to place a couple of simple and not overly fussy architectural mouldings like a plaster bracket (either painted the same colour as the feature wall or picked out in silver) either side of a mirror or piece of art above the bed and put a small mirrored candle plate on each like the one by M&S available for £7 each underneath your candles. The architectural plaster mouldings aren’t expensive and they’re available from specialist decorating outlets like Brewers.
Q: I live in a new-build house and the fitted wardrobes are ugly - fake wood melamine, and I can't think what to do with them. The kitchen units and fire surround are the same. I thought paint might help, but am afraid it will just look clumsy and streaky. The handles are naff too, fake wood and silver. Is there something you can recommend? Melissa Campbell Irwin, Dublin
A: This depends on your budget available. If the storage space is fine and it’s where you want it then you could look at replacing the doors but keeping the existing carcasses. Try Homestyle at www.bedroomdoors.co.uk as they offer to beat any other quote provided on bedroom and kitchen door replacement. The carcasses for a new build kitchen will be standard, so door replacements should be straightforward.
Make a list of how many drawers, cupboards etc you have with the relevant widths and price it up on the internet or take it to your local DIY outlet and they can price up replacements for you. Alternatively you can get a company like Facades in to do the legwork for you (www.kitchenfacades.com) and they’ll also quote for additional work like replacing worktops and the handles for you, if required. If replacing is not an option and you really can’t stand them, then there are specialist products that are for these surfaces (look for melamine primers and top coat paints) but go carefully or it will look worse than the existing finish. If you don’t have the time or expertise to do this job then perhaps get a quote from a handyman to do it for you.
Q: I have a very tiny kitchen that leads onto a dining room. I only have six cupboard doors, two drawers and a workspace. What colour can I paint it? The dining area is blue. Can I purchase new cupboard doors rather than buying a new kitchen? Anne Herbert, Southampton
A: See information supplied in the answer above. A new kitchen range launched earlier this year by J&J Ormerod is aimed at those on a budget. With costs for a 300mm full height base unit starting at £45, the range offers excellent value for money. 12 door designs are available and the whole range is available through independent retailers nationwide. For more info call 01706 877877 or e-mail npeters@jjoplc.com When choosing your new doors, keep the colour light as the space is so small. I don’t know what colour worktop you’ve got but I would go with a cream colour for your doors and perhaps wooden knobs or stainless steel handles and a wooden work top if your look is more traditional. It’s a classic combination that works well with blue as an accent colour. You could keep the walls white to keep it fresh and maximise the light. Just pick out a few details within the room like a roman blind; some dishcloths or fruit bowls for your worktops in the right shade of blue, which will combine the colour scheme with the dining room.
For a finishing touch, I love the Nigella Lawson storage jars at £15 in cream. These are available from John Lewis online. (www.johnlewis.co.uk)
Q: How do you find a reliable interior designer in London? Do any department stores provide an interior design service? Julie Trafford, London
A: Most designers get work through personal recommendation. I think this is the best way as it’s about providing a creative service, which relies on the client and the designer being able to communicate well. It also enables you to see their work before you decide on whether you want to commission them. Bear in mind when you’re looking at a case study that a lot of designers are briefed to design to their clients taste and therefore the finished result of someone else’s project may not be to your particular taste. If you’re not able to go from a personal recommendation for a list of interior designers in your area you can either log onto www.interiordesignlocal.co.uk and search under your specific area of London, or look at those featured on the British Interior Design Association website (www.bida.org).
I’m not aware of any department stores offering an interior design service, however these nationwide retail outlets offer a service for a small fee – Laura Ashley, Habitat & Fired Earth. Bear in mind that the schemes are going to be specific to their products. www.light-my-house.co.uk an Internet lighting company offer a free e-mail and telephone based design and advisory service. Please bear in mind that if you’re thinking of using a combination of these services it may be difficult to achieve a cohesive look for your entire property, as each area is being looked at on an individual basis. I believe the benefit of working with a designer on your entire property enables the end result to flow and look designed as one space rather than individual room sets.
