August is sort of an in between time of year. End of summer. Too early for Fall and way too hot to do much of anything outside, so.....I've seen other bloggers open up their blogs for questions and thought this would be a great time to that.
So, now is your chance....do y'all have any burning questions you're just dying to ask me? If so, speak up now. It can be general decorating questions, personal (within reason!), just anything that you can think of that you'd like to ask me. I usually do all the talking around here, so it would be fun for me to hear from all of you now. If I get some good decorating dilemma questions, I will do some posts with pics and let everyone participate in helping out. Doesn't that sound like FUN?
So, put on your thinking caps and post your questions and I'll compile them for a fun post or two! I can't wait to see what you come up with. Of course, I reserve the right not to answer something if it's in poor taste. :)
Throw them at me!
EDITED: I'll have to close the questions for now! Got enough to keep me busy for a long while, so thanks for the participation. Stay tuned for some Q AND A.
58 friends stopped by:
Okay...here's one. I have these two picture frames from Pottery Barn that my son displayed vintage postcards in. He has taken the postcards down, but left the empty frames. The frames look really good and I want to use them for something.
There are 6 spaces in each frame...the spaces look square but the dimensions are 12 by 14 inches.
Right now I have nothing in them! LOL
So...I would love ideas. I can send you a pic later today if you chose to answer this question.
What a great idea Rhoda! Thanks,
Diane
Oh Goody!!! Here's mine...
I have these moldings in my Dining Room and I am thinking of putting something inside of them, like a decorative tin or plaque in each one, or decorative molding (scroll, fleur de lis, etc) or a painting technique (would have to be something EASY)...the pics are here:
http://bella1104.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-dining-room-all-dressed-up-for-fall.html
Whatta ya think???
Thanks, Rhoda!!!
Bella
Here's one that I think you've been considering also...
My home is decorated mostly in reds, golds,& greens. I want to incorporate some of the beautiful robin's egg blue that has become so popular now. I've noticed spots of it in my rugs, couch, etc...Want to include more through the accessories but it seems so different. Any ideas?
I'm actually redoing my living room right now. Thought about painting the ceiling a very light version of that color.
Stacey in Oklahoma :)
Rhoda, you are going to get bombarded! Here's mine.
Since we took down the wall length mural and painted that wall, I have no idea what to put in its space. Plus I don't want to spend too much $$.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/fringe_elephant/frwall.jpg
Trying that link again.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e144/fringe_elephant/frwall.jpg
Sorry- the complete link won't go through.
I don't know if a lot of people would be interested in the answer to my question so you can post it on my blog if you want. My best friend and I want to start an interior redesign-home stagging business. How would you suggest we get started? There is a 3 day class for this but it is thousands of dollars and while we think we are qualified to start without a certificate do you think we need to go this route first? We have done interior redesigns for friends but is this enough to get started on our own? How did you get your business up and running and how did you come up with pricing? Thanks!!
My son has done some art work for me that I would like to have framed and display....where do you put things like that in a home? Also my hall walls are bare and would like to hang family photos here...is this appropriate?
Hi Rhoda,
What a great idea.....we might get you as our personal designer....cool!
My question is we have a l*o*n*g* hall that the bedrooms are off of. What do you think looks good in long spaces like that? On the side that is exceptionally long there is the second bathroom door at one end and then the long hall down to our bedroom (so one bathroom then our bathroom butts against it and a closet inside our room would be behind that long wall). I hope I made sense.
Thanks so much,
Darlene
Is it time to start putting away my seashells and decorating with pumpkins?
Oh my, the questions!! BTW it looks like we have the same living room rug -- the one with the black ground, red border. Karastan (sp?) Williamsburg. My question is about paint. I never like the paint color I've picked out as it is going on the walls. We have had painters here for two weeks patching, painting trim, etc., and now they are going to start on the wall color. It's a blue gray -- the color of the sky in winter around here. So yesterday I asked the painter if I could change my mind and go lighter but he had bought the paint just that morning. Thanks for reading this far, so my question is -- do you ever like your paint color right off or does it have to grow on you. Should I switch the color -- bear in mind I will own first color -- no returns.
Thx
What a great idea Rhoda! I've got several "BURNING" questions and you're the one in the "KNOW"!
We're building a house and we’ll be able to pick out all the stuff. So here goes...
• What color of wood flooring would you recommend? Pretty much all of our furniture is a dark chocolate color.
• What would be a good color for my kitchen/breakfast bar walls? My kitchen/breakfast bar is next to and opens into the family room. The family room has the dark furniture accented with the green plants and blue and white pottery. I'll be painting the family room with the Sherwin Williams Blonde (many thanks to you). The kitchen will probably have dark brown granite counters and accented with the celadon green pottery from Korea.
• What color would you recommend for the dining room walls? The furniture is dark brown and the seat covers are off white. My china is Lenox with just a simple gold rim.
• I’m up in arms about the ceiling color throughout the house. What do you advise?
• I would like the home to have a nice flow from one room to the next. What would you suggest for paint color for the halls and main living areas? My furniture is dark wood with accents of blue, white, yellow, green and some reds. That is pretty much the flow of our home.
I would love for you to discuss ways to decorate your fireplace mantle for the upcoming seasons and holidays. I am always looking for ideas - because I never have any! Thanks!
Oooh! Free decorating advice from the master? Goody!
We have a beautiful cherry 4-poster that we splurged on years ago. The rest of the furniture in that room is hand-me-down 60's modern dressers covered with scratches. Given our current financial situation, I don't see us buying new new dressers soon. I'd paint them black but that doesn't seem to go with the cherry bed. Any ideas on how to cheaply make this room cohesive?
Yes- here's one.
What is the square footage of your house? I wonder that you can keep adding on and never fill up!
Yes- here's one.
What is the square footage of your house? I wonder that you can keep adding on and never fill up!
Love your blog!
I have a 4 poster bed that sits up high off of the floor...what are some ideas on bedspreads or comforters to use. The bedskirts I find are too short to come to the floor....plus, I think I'd like to show off the pretty maple wood (oh, and I've finally cleaned out from under the bed)
Oh wow..can we just set up an appointment?? haha..
OK..My upstairs is getting to me. When we built (3 years ago) we painted the play room bright yellow. Butter in Ben Moore to be exact. This is a large room w/ no windows. Once school starts, I will be cleaning out toys and rearranging. There are 3 bedrooms up there also, a bathroom and a "library". The guest room is the same bright yellow, but has three big windows. One bedroom is lavendar, one is pink. I have GIRLS! The bathroom is a Blue. I want to change the bathroom. Right now its ducks. Girls are getting older and I wanted something different. I was thinking of chocolate and teal/blue (you know what I am talking about). But I didn't know if it would clash w/ all the rest of the colors..or if it even mattered. I am not ready to paint the girls rooms over yet. I have even thought about changing the play room color..but its a big room and it would take a lot of talking to my hubby. The guest room is a beachy room. This bathroom is separate ..a room on its own..not shared w/ a bedroom. So...do you have any suggestions. I know this is long, and I am sorry. but I would like some ideas. Maybe I should post pics on my blog soon. Thanks so much..this is fun..
Love your blog! Just wondering if you do your own house cleaning? If you do, I am sure you must have this down to a science on how you get it all accomplished (with so many items to clean. Care to share your organizational skills on this?
Also, would love to know what church you attend??
Keep up the great work! You are a doll and such a joy! XOXO Gena
Rhoda,
You have such a popular blog. How do you manage your time blogging? Do you have set hours during the week to blog? Do you stick to those hours?
I'm trying to schedule my blogging so that I can get everything else done as well. I would love to hear how you do it.
Seems like I'm the only one going for the personal question.lol
Brandee :-)
Hi, Rhoda! Thanks for taking our questions! My blog has pictures of the half bathroom makeover I told you about last week. There are before and during pictures and my husband is painting as we speak. I'll post pictures of the room when the paint dries.
Any ideas for simple decor would be great. Due to my son's autism, his occupational therapist recommended a more minimal decor for our home. We like mostly traditional things and some contemporary styles (more for the sleek lines).
Thanks for any help you can give!
Where do you put your Christmas tree?
Hee! Rhoda, talk about opening the Pandora's Box!!!! You're going to be up all night. I have no questions for you- too overwhelmed with my house to know where to start, but I saw Prissy's question about a skirt for a tall four poster bed and I wanted to throw out what we did for a while. Get out your staple gun! I stapled fabric to the back of the side rails. Once time, I took apart a bedkirt and stapled that and one time I bought fabric and stapled that to the rail. You don't ever see the staples so nobody will ever know.
You probably already know that trick because youre such a pro, though, right Rhoda :) !!!!
Here's one...How do you find such great yard sales? LOL. ;-)
Do you have any advice for covering up scratches in wood floors (other than the area rugs that are consuming our home? ;-)? We have soft wood floors that scratch super easily (thanks in part to the dog -- no matter how many times we trim her claws). I'd love a scratch cover-up solution since we just refinished the floors when we moved in in January!
What a great idea. It looks like you will be busy for awhile.
I think my question will be easy for you. How do you put a signature on your blog?
Thanks,
Kim
Oh myyyy! Rhoda you will be very busy for awhile. I think this was a great idea.
I dont have any questions right now so I will take a rain check. lol!
Thanks for stopping by.
I need the answer to Kim from Happy @ Home's question too!
Also, where do you store your yard sale finds, various items you aren't using but want to use in decor at some point? I keep things because I know I'll use some other season, etc but it is so unorganized and I have a hard time finding it once I am ready to use it.
Victoria
How generous of you to share your time & expertise with us all...right now I have no questions but am looking forward to reading the answers to others' questions. ;-) Brown-Eyes (aka Bo)
Hi Rhoda,
I have one: how do you put the pretty trim on your header ? Thanks to you I know about Picasa but I can't seem to master the trim ie: your pretty damask....am I explaining myself okay ???
Thanks for your time,
Kathy :)
Oh...I thought you meant questions about you...and I cannot resist--which is your fave room in your home and why??
Oh wow...the Ask The Designer show is on and I almost missed it! lol Ok here goes...I got a million questions...but I'll play fair...what do you tell your clients when they have two different design tastes..like me...I love country... rustic.. fall colors and alot of black distressed furniture...old pieces..but there is a traditional part of me that loves the chair rails and the bottom half painted creamy white with the picture frame moldings..is it crazy to mix the two together? You know from my blog what parts of my place look like but I would love to do this in my foyer but then I think it would make me take a direction toward too much traditional because I do so love me some toile wallpaper...but I adore checks also in a country prim black and cream...huh...what you mean my time is up...I'm just getting started! lol lol Seriously I think this is so sweet of you girl and I can't wait to see the answers to all these great questions..If my questiion needs medical attention just let me down gently!!! lol lol
Wow, lots of questions already! OK, I'll get some of these ready to answer soon & the more complex decorating questions, we'll have to get to later. I may need some pics for those!
Kim and Victoria, I did a post on that signature thing last year, so will link you here, just scroll to the end of that post:
http://southernhospitality-rhoda.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-winners-are.html
Kathy, that damask pattern is actually fabric samples from online. It's not attached to my header, so that's why you can't figure that one out. It's called wallpaper or background on a blog.
Thanks ya'll for participating in this! It's fun & I'll try to get to all of them eventually.
Rhoda
Ro: So far I'm loving my new kitchen and hubby likes the calmness of all the neutrals! One of my favorite bloggers (besides you!) pointed out that if I put paper on the back of my cupboard, it might clash with my vingettes...she's right and so I've pretty much ruled out papering the back. I'll wait until another color inspires me!
Can't think of a question right now....I pick your brain so often for other stuff but I'll let you know if I have one.
Also, on the floor, so far the "grout" has held up but for one little place that I used full strength amonia on the other day trying to clean the floor...my bad! I'll just have to mop with a diluted strength cleaner.
XOXO
Judy
Hi Rho,
You are a brave, brave gal....& so kind to share your talent freely.
My ? is....what do you have to do legally....as far as taxes to start a business? Just wondering because I'm selling some things in a local shop.
Good luck answering all those ???
Hugs, DebraK
Do bloggers get paid or get any compensation for what is online? Is there a financial component to blog? Do you submit or receive payment?
Ohhh thanks girl...now what about if I do the below the chair rail creamy white with the picture frame thing in the foyer....will that make too much of a clash with looking into the kitchen where I have alot of country things...or will that just be to much traditional to mix with my other country stuff....I know..I know..that's two appointments I've had already but it's within a 24 hr time frame and I am trying to keep it all on one bill! lol Thanks again girl for all the info!
What are your thoughts on silk floral arrangements vs. fresh flowers?
All the decorating shows say to never use silk flowers but some of my favorite decorating shops have beautiful (and expensive) floral arrangement. I love fresh flowers but they can be hard to maintain (I travel for work) and it could get expensive to replace them every week or so. Thanks!
I can't remember how I found your blog, but I just love it.
Thanks to your advice on painting furniture black, I painted my plain pine pie safe RL Turret and glued on some medallions. It totally changed the look of a very inexpensive piece of furniture that I use to store my large cookbook collection.
If you are still taking questions, I would like some help with window treatments. Specifically, I have a large octagon shaped window in my living room that looks out on my front entry. It has a willow tree design etched onto it (very 80's ya know!), and I don't know how to cover it. The only other windows in the room are in a row on the adjacent wall. They have 2" blinds on them and a Marley valance from Pate-Meadows Designs that I made myself.
Here is my question, would you come by my blog and pick up your award? I love, love, love your blog and always feel uplifted when I visit. Wanted to say thank you. I know you have won awards before, but I am another gal to add to your list of people that get alot out of what you post!!
Have a lovely day!
Debbie @ ribbonwoodcottage.blogspot.com
Rhoda, I want to know how you stay so slim when you are such a good cook and we have all seen pictures of the food you eat dining out!
Also, besides decorating what is your favorite pastime other than spending time with family? ~ Mary
Hi Rhoda.......I check every so often here but don't post too much. I have a question for you on decorating , our favorite past-time subject. On an open floor plan like I have with columns & little bits of walls seperating the foyer from the LR & DR.....foyer in the middle - Do you think an patterned oriental in each room is too busy (silk checked drapes in the DR in REd & gold) . should I do a small rug in the foyer at the door area & leave the rest of the floor unadorned & maybe a round table under the foyer light or what is your opinion of making this work correctly so I don't have too much pattern going on. Right now the DR has no rug , the LR has one & the foyer has one. I am thinking for balance maybe one in the LR & DR & smaller rug in the foyer at the door or no pattern rug. What is your feeling on this...I would love to hear. My pics are on webshots & GI if you need to refresh what I have going on.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/553178829kxzioP or
http://groups.msn.com/GreatImpressions/bonnies.msnw
Thanks for you helpful knowledge! You are such a sweetie to want to help :) ........Bonnie
Holy cow...it might take you a year to answer all these questions!!!LOL I don't have a question for you...I just wanted to comment that you are such a sweetie to try and help so many people out with design delimmas :o)
~Des
Well, I am just beside myself to be able to ask you a question. So many thanks for this chance....
My biggest decorating problem is our Franklin Wood Burning Stove in our living room. It has the large black pipe that come out the top of the stove and goes thru the roof. OK..I have a mantle of sorts behind the pipe on the wall. Since the pipe divides the visual space, it is very hard for me to know what to put on the mantle and wall.
Any suggestions would be fabulous and, when you get to my question, I can send a photo of my stove to you.
Again, thanks so much for this fun Q & A session...it's great.
love, bj
Hello Miz Rhoda,
I think it's incredibly generous of you to open your blog to decorating questions. I have so many but will contain myself to only one in the interest of being fair you to who is being so gracious. And I also would like to add that I love your blog so much, to echo the words of others, your blog is very uplifting and I so wish you were my neighbor!
I've seen you do some incredible rehabs on finds. I found a great pair of lamps at a yard sale. I think they are unglazed ceramic but I'm not sure. They are very heavy. Could I send you pictures and get your advice on how to paint/glaze/whatever to make them better suited to the color scheme in home? Also some advice on lamp shades, shape, style, great inexpensive place to find them, would be appreciated as the ones that came with them are not the right type and are truly awful.
TIA! You are such a sweetie!
Just found your blog and wanted to let you know how much I love it!!
I wondered how long you've been in your present home and if you have a favorite one? Also, are the homes out past St. Vincent's Hospital as expensive as they look? I loved driving that street during the azalea blooming time! The homes are large, but homey and loved.
You probably hear this all of the time, but here goes...how do you accomplish a beautiful, layered look in your home where everything ties together and it is not too overwhelming? Is there a big secret or rules that are for decorators only?
hmmmm the ones I was going to ask were asked, so I'll be looking foward to the answers, one quick one, have you had many blog meets?
sarah
My husband and I are house hunting and one thing we both agree on is that we want a sunroom. I already know I want to decorate it in the colors of a Mexican sunset, but what I need are ideas as to what to do. It will be a totally blank canvas with windows all around (i.e. halfway down the wall running around the top of the room) about 10' x 10.' Any ideas?
I have several green tole ware trays that I want to hang over my headboard. This space is between two windows and is a little wider than a queen headboard (sleigh bed). How many should I hang in that space and should I incorporate any other form of wall art?
Great idea!!
Jen
Oh My Gosh! 50 questions... Well I don't have a question but I can't wait to see how you address all these dilemmas. : )
~~Liz~~
Hi Rhoda,
Just wanted to let you know how very much I enjoy your blog. Good Luck on 'Got Questions'.
Rhoda,
I need ideas for decorating the mantel. The wall above the fireplace is very tall (to the second story). Currently, I have a large and tall floral arrangement in the center. On the right is a clock. On the left is a tall candelstick.
I need new ideas.
Janet
Wow....you are so sweet to take this on! You'll be answering these questions till the cold weather sets in. Love all your projects and recent posts!
OK, girls! I think all of these questions will keep me busy for a long while, so I'm going to have to close the questions for now! Thanks so much for all the participation.
I'll do my best to address every question, but it might take a good while to do that. I've got another post ready to begin to answer some of these & I'll post that shortly.
This was fun! I had no idea what sorts of questions I would get.
xo,
Rhoda
Rhoda,
My one real decorating dillema right now is my fireplace. Here is a link.
http://makingitourhome.blogspot.com/2008/07/busy-week-for-some-more-before-and.html
I am perplexed. I think I should paint the brick the same color as the wall. Then maybe paint the mantel black to match the insert or white to match my wall cabinets and molding.
What do you think?
Thanks for doing this!!!
Aren't you generous with your knowlege! So many of us will most definitely appreciate this!
My question:
Our LR is very odd shaped with a rock fireplace that dominates the room. We have tried to make the fireplace the focus of the room, but I have no clue how to decorate the oak mantle. Our walls are painted a beautiful "adobe straw" which is very neutral and my cutains and rug are predominately sage. I would LOVE any suggetions for a beautiful mantle. I'll be glad to post some pics so that you can see the room.
Thanks for yur ideas,
Jen
Rhoda, PLEASE let us Bham people know when you have your yardsale!
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