Completely In the Dark
Dear Joe,
I've decided to paint my bedroom walls in a deep shade of navy blue, almost black. Should I paint the ceiling the same color?
— Dark Lady
Dear Dark Lady,
Rooms painted in dark colors can be very dramatic. They seem to really come alive with magic at night time. If the ceiling is painted in the same color, it seems to disappear into the night sky! The problem is what the room will look like during daylight hours. If the room is large enough and has enough windows all around to give good cross lighting, then a matching ceiling might work. However, if you have only one window or limited light, a ceiling in the same color could be too much. In this case it would be better to paint the ceiling in a soft white or a much lighter color such as buff. This will help to reflect light during the day and keep the room from looking like the inside of a cave.
Dear Joe,
The small bathroom in my apartment has no closet, a pedestal sink and only a small medicine cabinet for storage. All of my stuff ends up cluttering the sink and I have to store my towels in the bedroom. How can I get some storage space, organize and make things easier?
— Spilling Over
Dear Spilling Over,
I have the same problem in my living space. My bathroom is undoubtedly the tiniest that I have ever seen. At one point I had actually considered creating more space by moving the toilet paper dispenser out into the hallway! My solution was to have a floor standing shelf unit built that sits behind the toilet. The unit is a little wider than the toilet tank and about the same depth. I designed mine to have several shelves for towels and a drop front cabinet for storing toiletries. This type of shelf unit is also available in a variety of styles and prices at home and department stores. Be sure to measure your space before you buy. Because my bathroom is so small, none of the ready-made units would fit my situation. Another solution would be to mount narrow shelves directly on a wall in a place that will not interfere with people moving around in the bathroom. And let's not forget that old trick of using a basket to hold rolled up towels. Martha would be proud.
Dear Joe,
I want to replace the chandelier in my dining room but have no idea what size to buy. I've looked several different places and gotten more confused with advice from sales people. I have trouble visualizing and many of their suggestions seem too big. Also, what is the right height to hang the fixture?
— Shedding Light
Dear Shedding,
Choosing a chandelier and hanging it at the proper height depends more on the visual outcome than anything else. There are, however, a few general guidelines that may help in your decisions. To choose the right width for a chandelier, take the smallest width of the dining room (or dining area) in feet and double that amount to inches. For example, if the room is 10-feet wide, then a good width for the chandelier would be about 20 inches. As far as the correct height to hang a chandelier, 36 inches above the table is a good place to start for an eight-foot ceiling. If your ceiling is higher than eight feet, hang the fixture another six inches above the table for every additional foot. So if your ceilings are nine-feet high, the chandelier would be placed 42 inches above the table. Again, these are only guidelines and need not be taken literally. You may find that an adjustment in measurement is needed to suit your taste and needs.
Please email your questions to jos.riceinteriors@att.net . In the subject box, fill in 'WCT Design.'
Joseph Rice is in interior designer who offers full decorating services. With 21 years of experience, he specializes in 'hard to treat' windows. You can reach him at: Joseph Rice Interiors, Inc. (773) 271-2361; jos.riceinteriors@att.net .
