Give and Get Advice

Tips of the Day

• "To give a traditional room a more contemporary look, use two bright colors. For a more conservative pairing, choose softer hues that have gray or brown in them."
  — Mark Chamberlain, decorative painter, New York City – 07/03/2009
• "Open shelves for display help personalize a kitchen. Recess them into niches for a clean built-in look."
  — Michael O. Eserts, architect, Los Angeles – 07/02/2009
• Use a garden hose to lay out the rough shape of a proposed walkway, garden pond, or driveway. The flexible hose bends easily and gives a good sense of the finished size and shape of the project. – 07/01/2009
• Hold a neighborhood or community paint exchange. Everyone brings usable leftover paint to one place, where it is sorted and given away to other people who can use it. – 06/30/2009
• When an outdoor light goes out but the bulb is good: Turn off power to the circuit. Use an emery board to sand away any rust or corrosion from the metal contacts on the socket. Then, spray them with an automotive-ignition sealer. – 06/29/2009

Your Old House

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