When my husband and I were working on our book Nantucket Style, we photographed an artist’s house that was built in the 1700s. There was a very narrow wall space in the dining room, next to the door, and she used this to create a photographic display. Here she had framed black-and-white family portraits in the same simple black frames and arranged them to fill the area. Large colorful portraits of these same family members filled the larger walls around the room.

Another artist friend displays a collection of souvenir English coronation tins in the dining room. They are housed on glass shelves in a display case mounted on the wall and illuminated with lighting within the box.

Decorative accessories don’t have to be expensive to be interesting. Whatever appeals to you can be used to add decorative touches. Plants, fresh flowers and potted trees add style to any room. Flowering plants add color on windowsills. When in doubt, use white and garden green. The freshest and nicest color combination is a grouping of white flowering plants with deep green leaves in simple terra-cotta pots. Look for old, used garden pots at yard sales. Sometimes you can find interesting shapes. I like to whitewash mine or create a mixture of glaze and paint to rub over them, very crudely, to make them look Old World. Place these on ceramic dishes on a highly polished table. It’s fun to mix textures and put things together that you wouldn’t expect to find side by side.

Carpeting
Wall-to-wall carpeting should always be installed by a professional. Wherever you purchase the carpeting, this service is usually included in the cost of the carpet. You will also need an underlay, which may be extra. Ask. Carpeting comes in a variety of colors and textures and the price range is just as varied. As with everything else, quality costs. Some carpets have a stain-resistant coating. This is a good feature to look for.

Sisal carpeting has always been a favorite choice of decorators because it’s good-looking and practical, and pretty much blends in with the floor. It’s a good natural background for most furnishings, is relatively affordable and comes in different shades, textures and quali¬ties. Basically it has a flat, matlike feel as opposed to carpeting, which is soft and plush.

If you have good hardwood floors, it would be a shame to cover them with wall-to-wall carpeting. Interesting area rugs would be preferable. Area rugs and carpeting soften the look and feel of a room and help absorb sound.

Area Rugs
Area rugs, such as a good Persian, Oriental, kilim, hooked, or needlepoint, can determine the colors you select for furniture and window and wall coverings.

Rugs come in a variety of sizes and patterns, so know exactly where a rug will be used and the area dimensions before shopping.

If you’ve already chosen a color scheme, take swatches of paint colors, wallpaper and fabrics with you when selecting your floor covering.

Stenciling and Faux Finishing Floors
A floor is the perfect canvas on which to apply a painted design. There are many talented professionals who specialize in this area and can transform a plain floor with a checkerboard pattern, faux tile, the look of marble, a stenciled border, or any number of other patterns.

Whitewashed or bleached floors create a soft film of white over sanded floors, reminiscent of those in country cottages. A thin coat of paint is applied, then quickly rubbed off so the wood grain shows through. Several coats of polyurethane protect the finish and give the floor a nice luster. Floors in many century-old houses are in bad condition and are good candidates for a paint treatment. A decorator with such a home on Nantucket Island painted her floors in a light color, then spatter-painted them with several different colors taken from the wallpaper and fabrics in the room.

None of these techniques is difficult to learn, but all require some patience and practice on a small board before you tackle a large area like a floor. If you want to save money and have a good-looking floor treatment, check out the free booklets offered in home centers as well as some books from the library to determine if this is something you might enjoy doing.

Creating a stylish room for dual purposes can present an interesting challenge.

Since I live in a resort area, I’m usually prepared for a few guests during the summer months. The room doesn’t get used much in the winter so I decorated it in a summery way. I can always add a down comforter and quilt to the bed for winter use if necessary. Friends of mine decorated a den/study for optimum use every day, and for their occasional weekend guests. While my guest room is outfitted in white eyelet, theirs is furnished in tweeds, leather, chrome and glass. One wall is a built-in bookcase, there is a small TV, and most of the time the room is a sleek but cozy den. The floor is carpeted, there are wood blinds on the windows, and the tailored sofa opens into a queen-size bed. Small glass-and-chrome tables function as coffee tables in front of the sofa and, when pulled to each side, become night tables for guests. Two occasional chairs complete the den, and are easily pushed out of the way when the sofa is opened up.

A friend who often has weekend guests suggests twin beds pushed together because this arrangement accommodates any situation. My guest bedroom has a double bed because the room would be too small for night tables on either side if the bed was larger. A double bed is a bit small for two, but most guests stay only two nights, so it isn’t too uncomfortable. It’s fine for one.

Where your guests sleep isn’t as important as how you accommodate them, whether with twin beds tucked under eaves in an attic space, a futon in a tiny space, a sleep sofa in your office or a sumptuous bed in a beauti-fully decorated bedroom. Wherever your guests sleep, the room should be attractive and function well. Most of all it should be inviting. When your guests close the door to their temporary home, they should feel at home.

Guest Checklist

No matter how small, a guest bedroom can be comfortable if you do the following:

1. Remove all of your personal items. A guest room shouldn’t be the catchall for last year’s Christmas wrapping paper with closets full of old clothes that you’ve probably forgotten.

2. Line dresser drawers with scented paper. Fill the closet with pretty hangers.

3. The bed, no matter how it evolves, must be comfortable. Try it out yourself before having guests use it. A quilted mattress pad, pretty sheets, a blanket and comforter make the bed inviting. A patchwork or applique quilt adds to the homey quality.

4. Lots of pillows, soft and firm, will be appreciated.

5. Keep the furnishings simple. This is not the place to store castoffs so your guests have to navigate through the room. A night table and reading lamps, a small dresser and a chair are enough. If there’s room, a bench at the end of the bed is good for sitting and holding a suitcase. I keep a wicker trunk at the end of my guest bed. It holds all the bed linens and towels, and guests use this for their suitcases.

6. Accessories that add to the comfort include a mirror (full-length if possible), clock and phone.

7. Fresh flowers, current magazines, a local newspaper and books make guests feel welcome. Pots of flowering plants on a shelf or windowsill add color and liveliness.

The steps involved in repairing a plastered wall and/ or ceiling are:

• Step 1) The old, chipped plaster is removed from the substrate before any repair is to be done. Ensure that debris is removed thoroughly. Note: if the stress lines appear to run in a diagonal direction, then there is no need to chip away the old, ruined plaster but instead immediately repair the plastering surface by application of drywall plastering compound with drywall tape added to seal holes and stress lines ( see Fig. 1 for what a drywall tape looks like). If the stress lines appear to run in a horizontal direction, it shows this is a serious problem because it is thought that the cause of this is due to the lathe (the lathe is a platform made up of horizontal strips of wood stuck together to support the plaster when it is being applied to the substrate (see Fig.2 for a pic of a lathe)).

Fig.1 Drywall tape                                                                                                                        Fig.2 Lathe

• Step 2) Drywall setting compounds are applied to the area where the stress is found. Drywall setting compounds. The time taken for the compound to dry can range from 20 minutes to 90 minutes. (See Fig. 3 for a pic of a fast drying setting compound). The drywall setting compound is mixed with water until it has a consistency that is not too runny or too thick. The drywall setting compound is applied smoothly and evenly over the cracks/lines.

Fig.3: drywall setting compound

• Step 3) The drywall tape is now applied to the setting compound to cover the cracks or stress lines. A 4″ or 6″ drywall taping knife is used to press the tape into the setting compound. Note: there should be setting compound wetting both sides of the tape.  Excess setting compound is removed by wiping it away with the drywall knife. (See Fig. 4 for an example of a drywall tape and Fig.5 for an example of a drywall taping knife.)

Fig.4: drywall tape                                                                                                                 Fig.5: drywall taping knife

•  Step 4) Make sure the tape is embedded in the mud well because this is so important. Once this is done allow time for drying. When the setting compound has dried, sand the edges lightly. Apply a second coat of drywall setting compound  using a 8″ or 10″ drywall floating knife. Spread the second coat evenly and if necessary, sand down any uneven surfaces.
• Step 5) In this final step, apply a final coat of drywall setting compound using a 12″ or 14″ drywall taping knife. Note: this last coat should have thinner consistency than the previous coats and should be applied in such a way as to achieve the smoothest texture.

Fig.1: example of incorporating the movement of the Sun

into property design

The designed property must be orientated in such a way as to provide good ventilation and minimise wasteful energy loss whatever the weather.

Exposure to radiation from the Sun in the form of infra-red waves should also be considered in the design of the property as during Winter there is much less infra-red radiation exposure as the Sun is positioned more towards the Southern Hemisphere from the perspective of someone living in the Northern hemisphere e.g England, Sweden etc. Instead of property owners having to spend vast amounts of money on heating and gas during the Winter, it would be advantageous for their property to be built in such a way that it receives the most infra-red radiation exposure from the Sun to naturally and cost effectively warm their property. The opposite can be said for a property during the Summer season. As mentioned previously, during the Summer season, for the same person living in the Northern hemisphere, they would find the Sun more orientated towards the north now making the days longer and since their property has high exposure to infra-red radiation, it would be best if their property was designed to reduce the amount infra-red absorbed during that exposure for the reasons being that it would prevent the building structure from deteriorating due to the material expanding when heated and contracting when it is cold as well as the general comfort of the owner.

Other factors that may have an affect on the orientation of the proposed property are: rain, humidity and prevailing winds.

For rain especially in the case of heavy rain, it is best for the building to be designed in a way that it’s thinner exterior walls are not exposed to the impact of heavy rain so as to avoid having to frequently spend money on repairing damages caused by the rain.

For humidity, in very hot, humid conditions it has been found to be warm to anyone but this effect can be countered if there is improved ventilation. For this reason, if a property is to be built in a very humid area, it should be orientated in a way that it transfers this humidity away from the area and improves the comfort of anyone in that immediate area.

For prevailing winds, as mentioned in humidity, the key to improving the occupant’s comfort during hot, humid conditions is to increase ventilation. To do this, the direction of the wind and the speed at which it flows has to be considered in an area where the building is to be placed. The proposed building should be placed in font of very fast winds during the humid Summer season to encourage ventilation.

• 1) Laying concrete floor with strips
• 2) Laying concrete floor without strips

The first method is recommended for inexperienced builders and/ or complicated ground work. In the first method, the steps are as follows:

1. Laying Concrete Floor with strips

• Step 1) Preparation of the base cement coat consisting of a ratio of 1 part cement to 8 parts fine sand to 16 parts brick blast (brick blast being broken red bricks) or in the case of the base coat having to be poured on top of compacted earth, the base coat will consist of 1 part cement to 4 parts fine sand to 8 parts brick blast. The cement base coat is poured until it has a depth of 100 mm. The cement base layer has been made.
• Step 2) The floor area is divided into suitable panels using strips as a guide. The thickness of the strips should be equal to the thickness of the floor coated with cement i.e. 100 mm. Note that the length of the panels should not exceed 2 metres and that the area of each panel should not exceed 2 square metres to maintain floor pattern consistency.
• Step 3) Next, the cement concrete is poured into the panels and when the panel is full, it is levelled off. The cement middle layer has been made.
• Step 4) A wooden float is used to smooth and even the surface of this newly compacted cement middle layer. (See Fig.1 for what a wooden float looks like.)

                                                                          Fig.1 Pic of a wooden float

• Step 5) More cement is placed on this compacted middle layer to make the top layer. The top surface is made smooth with a wooden float.
• Step 6) The top layer coat is examined closely to see if it is even and level using a straight edge. Note: Ensure that the strips are not damaged by labourers while laying concrete. Also ensure that the tops of the strips are clearly visible clearly after finishing with the cement slurry.
• Step 7) The new floor is left to dry for at least 10 days.

2. Laying Concrete Floor without Strips

•  Step 1) Preparation of the base cement coat consisting of a ratio of 1 part cement to 8 parts fine sand to 16 parts brick blast (brick blast being broken red bricks) or in the case of the base coat having to be poured on top of compacted earth, the base coat will consist of 1 part cement to 4 parts fine sand to 8 parts brick blast. The cement base coat is poured until it has a depth of 100 mm. The cement base layer has been made.
• Step 2) The floor area is divided into suitable panels using screeds as a guide (a screed is a flat board, see fig.2). The thickness of the strips should be equal to the thickness of the floor coated with cement i.e. 100 mm. Note that the length of the panels should not exceed 2 metres and that the area of each panel should not exceed 2 square metres to maintain floor pattern consistency.

• Step 3) Next, the cement concrete is poured into the panels and when the panel is full, it is levelled off. The cement middle layer has been made.
• Step 4) A wooden float is used to smooth and even the surface of this newly compacted cement middle layer.
• Step 5) More cement is placed on this compacted middle layer to make the top layer. The top surface is made smooth with a wooden float.
• Step 6) The top layer coat is examined closely to see if it is even and level using a straight edge.
• Step 7) In the next day, the screed is removed.
• Step Any damaged caused by the removal of the screed is repaired.
• Step 9) The panels are cleaned.
• Step 10) Pour cement into any remaining panels. Note: Ensure that the panels are not damaged by labourers while laying concrete. Also ensure that the panels are clearly visible clearly after finishing with the cement slurry.
• Step 7) The new floor is left to dry for at least 10 days.

Filling cracks
A general-purpose filler can be used for the majority of cracks in ceilings and walls. This comes ready-mixed in tubs or as a powder tor mixing with water. The filler is simply applied with a filling or putty knife, pressing it into the cracks and smoothing it flush with the surface. Some cracks need enlarging slightly to give the filler something to grip; fine cracks can be filled with special hairline crack filler.

Normal fillers are quite adequate if you are papering the ceiling or wall, but for paint, a fine surface filler is better. Most fillers take a short while to dry, after which they can be sanded flush with the surrounding surface. Instant fillers set very quickly and are good for last-minute minor repairs while you are actually painting or papering.

Most of these fillers are equally as suitable for wood as for plaster – provided the wood is to be painted – so all your crack and small hole filling can be done in one go, using the same material. For cracks between two different materials, for example the wall plaster and timber architrave (trim) moulding around a door, use a flexible filler. This will absorb the inevitable movement between the two materials without opening up.

Filling holes
Small holes, especially those left by screws, can be filled in the same way as cracks. Cut off any protruding wall plugs or, better still, remove them altogether so that you can obtain a smooth finish.

Larger holes are more of a problem. The kind of hole left by removing a waste pipe from a wall can be made good with do-it-yourself repair plaster, which can usually be applied in layers up to 50mm (2in) thick. Smaller recesses up to 20mm deep can be treated with a special deep-gap filler, while really deep cavities can be filled with an expanding foam filler. Once set, this can be cut and sanded smooth, then painted or papered over. If an area of plaster has fallen off the wall, use a repair plaster, levelling it with the surrounding sound plaster with a straight length of wood.

For larger areas, nail timber battens (furring strips) to the wall to act as guides for your timber straightedge.

What’s the difference between curtains and draperies? Curtains are usually less formal than draperies. Curtains hang from poles or simple curtain rods. Draperies are usually made of heavier fabric and hang from poles and brackets or tracks, and are pulled back, or opened and closed by a rod or pull-cord system. Keep in mind that ready-made draperies are much less expensive than custom-made treatments. Therefore, if you have standard-size windows, you might want to con-sider a plain treatment such as sheer white panels, which are sure to look good. You can always go back and customize later. Without getting too carried away with every type of fabric treatment available, consider the following options for the dining room.

Fabric
A fabric treatment is the most popular way to surround a window with color, soften a room and turn an ugly duckling into a swan. The right treatment can make windows taller, smaller, wider, less obtrusive or grander than they are. Window treatments can be made from many different fabrics. The fabric you choose for your window treatments can set the mood for the room. If you have windows of different sizes or styles in the room, treating them all the same way will bring everything into harmony.

Floor-to-ceiling draperies
Good for tall windows or a large expanse of window area. These draperies should be lined as sunlight will fade colors in a fabric fairly quickly.

Swags and jabots
The fabric drapes across the top of the window frame and down each side in soft folds. This is a nice way to frame a window with a pretty view and a good use of a printed fabric where you want a touch of color or pattern. The fabric might match the wallpaper or seat cushions, creating an accent around the windows.

Cafe curtains
A valance and half curtains to the sill are often found in country dining rooms. This type of treatment evokes a casual, informal feeling.

Tiebacks
Curtains made to cover the entire expanse of window when closed can be pulled back gracefully with a tieback and hooked to the window frame. A tieback can be made from the same fabric as the curtain or a contrasting fabric. It can also be a silk cord or wide ribbon. If you use sheer panels, for example, you can tie them back with fabric used elsewhere in the room or with a solid-color fabric to match the walls.

Fabric Shades
A more tailored approach might be a no-frills fabric shade. One style that I particularly like is the Roman shade, especially made of natural linen. A balloon shade is another option that is quite popular. It is made with cording running through vertical lengths of ring tape that raises and lowers the shade, which usually just covers the window area. The Roman shade rises in tailored, flat pleats, while the balloon shade is more billowy and rises in scalloped poufs. These types of shades are offered in standard sizes and limited but tasteful fabrics through mail-order catalogs. This is an excellent way to have a custom look without the expense. Of course, any of the above can be made to order from your selected fabric through fabric shops and showrooms with decorating/workroom services.

Shutters
We often see shuttered windows on older homes. This is because the casement around the window is deep enough to accommodate the space needed to hold the shutters when opened. Shutters can be solid or louvered. You have the option of covering the lower portion of the window for privacy and adding a valance over the top portion of the window for softening. Or, you can have two sets of shutters or full shutters that fit over the entire window, depending on its size. For nonstandard windows, the shutters would have to be custom-made and costly. Standard-size shutters are available through mail-order catalogs and home centers.

Blinds
Blinds are made of wood, metal, vinyl or stiff fabric. When miniblinds were first introduced, they were extremely popular. They are still a good solution when you want privacy, light control and minimal coverage.

Wooden blinds are currently in vogue. These are not like the old Venetian blinds your grandmother had in her house. These are sleek and sophisticated and come in decorator colors (although white, beige and natural wood tones are still the best-looking), as well as different widths from mini to 2 inches. You also have your choice of different colors for the tape that runs down the front of each side if you want contrast. Go with the same color as your walls for blinds and tape.

Vertical blinds look like they belong in an office. However, like horizontal blinds, these come in a full range of finishes and textures. They offer the ultimate in light and privacy control.

Shades
Pleated fabric shades offer another option for the dining room. Introduced to this country from the Netherlands in the 1970s, they are quite popular for a crisp, carefree, stylish look. A 6-foot fabric shade stacks to under 3 inches, making it a practical treatment where you want to allow for maximum light. The permanent pleats come in 1- and 1 5/8-inch widths.

This type of shade is a can’t-go-wrong solution to covering windows with a streamlined, good-looking treatment. In fact, when you first move in, measure every window in the house, take these measurements to a home center and order them for all the rooms. In this way your home will have a unified look on the outside and even if you decide to add valances, curtains, drapes or other treatments, this will not be money wasted. It’s a good beginning or an end. At a later date you have the option of adding a valance or drapery treatment. If you’re moving into a house, not an apartment, the outside of your house will look better if every window is treated the same.

Filling holes in timber floors
Nail and screw holes can easily be plugged using a flexible wood filler applied with a filling or putty knife. If the floorboards are to be left exposed and treated with a clear sealer, try to match the wood filler, or stopping, to the color of the surrounding floorboards – so do the filling after any sanding.

Larger recesses can also be filled with flexible filler, but if a knot has fallen out, leaving a large round hole, plug this by gluing in a short length of dowel and planing it smooth afterwards. Select a dowel that matches the color of the floor or stain it once planed down.

Filling cracks in timber floors
You will find two main kinds of crack in timber floors: splits in the ends of the floorboards and gaps between the boards.

A split can often be cured by skew (toe) nailing – that is driving two nails through the end of the board at an angle toward the centre and down into the joist. As the nails are driven in, they should close up the split.

Gaps between floorboards are more difficult to deal with. If they are narrow, flexible wood filler will work, but for wider gaps, you must cut slivers of wood and glue them into place in the gaps. Once the glue has dried, plane or sand the slivers flush with the surrounding floor and stain to match if necessary.

If there are lots of wide gaps between floorboards, a better solution is to lift all the floorboards one by one, starting at one side of the room and working toward the other, and re-lay them tightly against one another. Floorboard clamps will help you do this, as they force a board against its neighbour while you nail or screw it down.

Levelling a wooden floor
Individual rough patches on a timber floor can be sanded down by hand, which you should do after using filler, but where floorboards have become cupped or are heavily encrusted with old paint, grease and polish, the best move is to hire an industrial-type sanding machine and re-sand the floor. Begin with coarse abrasive and progress through to the fine grades, working across the floorboards at an angle. Finish off by working along the floorboards with fine abrasive. Hire an edging sander as well, unless you own a belt sander, because the floor sander will not sand right up to the skirting boards.

Penetrating damp
This is caused by moisture getting in from the outside, often because of wear and tear to the structure of your home, but it may also affect solid walls that are subjected to strong driving rain. The first sign of penetrating damp appears after a heavy downpour and can occur almost anywhere, although it may be some distance from the actual leak; mould often forms directly behind where the problem lies.

Causes of penetrating damp
- Damp on ceilings upstairs may be caused by broken or loose roof tiles, or damaged copings.
- Damp on a ceiling spreading from a chimney breast (fireplace projection) or rooflight, under the junction of two pitched roofs, or in corners that adjoin a single-storey extension, is usually caused by flashing that has parted company with masonry, or cracked and crumbling mortar fillets.
- When damp patches are high up on an upstairs wall, look for blocked, defective gutters or downpipes and a build-up of leaves.
- With widespread damp on a wall, look for cracked or porous bricks.
- Isolated damp patches on walls are caused by crumbling pointing and cracked or blown patches of render (large damp patches), or mortar-encrusted wall ties (small spots).
- Rotten woodwork and damp patches around door and window frames are caused by gaps between masonry and frames, missing weatherboard or a drip groove encrusted with paint or moss.

Condensation
When warm, moist air reaches a cold surface, such as a wall exposed to icy winter winds or ceramic tiles, the result is condensation. It is most likely to occur in bathrooms and kitchens where the main activities are bathing, washing and cooking. Controlling condensation requires a fine balance between good ventilation and adequate heating, but while the modern home is warm, it is also well insulated and draughtproofed, so the level of ventilation is often poor. The key to success is to provide sufficient ventilation, without allowing expensive heat to escape.

Is it damp or condensation?
If you are not sure if a moisture problem is due to condensation or damp, lay a piece of aluminium foil over the patch, seal the edges with adhesive tape and leave it for 48 hours. Condensation will cause beads of moisture to appear on the surface of the foil; penetrating or rising damp will produce beads of moisture underneath the foil.