Have an Interior Design Question? Ask Our In-House Expert

Q: I’ve inherited my historic family home and am doing an addition. The original house was built in 1783. We are trying very hard, with research etc., to keep the integrity of the era, but bring the new portion into the 20th century., without compromising the original structure. We are hoping to have some exposed stone in the new kitchen and primary bedroom. Any and all tips welcome, regarding color pallet, kitchen cabinetry, fixtures. We do not have restrictions for the interior from the Historic District. Many thanks!!! – Cynthia Woodward, Nazareth, PA 

A: Hi, Cynthia! Wow, the home being built in 1783 and being passed down through your family are two incredible elements. It’s definitely possible to keep the integrity of an 18^th century historical home while also having it move forward with the times. And lucky for you, many of the colors found in homes built in the late 1700s are returning as fan favorites. Does your property have stone that you can incorporate into the interior of the home? If it does, you can potentially utilize some of this in the primary bedroom specifically. For the kitchen, a limestone floor in varying sizes could work really well, or you could do that in entry or mudroom leading into the kitchen. This flooring combined with a taupe cabinet color like Realist Beige by Sherwin Williams, dark natural stone countertops and a combination of brass hardware and polished nickel plumbing fixtures will maintain the 18^th century feel while also giving it a more transitional feel. For a color palette, I would lean toward beige/taupe tones and if you want to incorporate more color into different areas of the house, sage greens and deep blues would work well. 

Q: Our TV room has a fireplace with bookcases built on each side, an entry to the left from foyer, and entry from the kitchen across from fireplace, and French doors to a sunroom to the right of fireplace. We want to buy new furniture and redesign the room but we are stumped! Would welcome a new perspective. – Elaine B., Wilmington, DE 

A: Thank you for writing in, Elaine! Your fireplace should serve as the center focus of the room, so when it comes to arranging furniture pieces, it should be built around facing the fireplace. You can add a couch or sectional that floats in the center of the room so that it does not block any of the entrances, but still provides an anchor for a conversation area that faces towards the fireplace. A common misconception is that a sofa needs to be anchored against a wall but that’s not the case. If you are going with a three seater sofa, I would add two chairs facing each other on each side of the sofa and a coffee table in between. If you are going with a sectional, you probably don’t need the chairs unless you want to angle one towards the sectional, in front of the bookcase to the left of the fireplace, so that it does not block your walkway to the sunroom doors.

Q: My home, a cape cod, was built in 1941 and the hallway, which is carpeted, has very squeaky floors. (it is a rather large area) It is a heavily walked on area, outside the bedrooms & 1 bath.  How do I get rid of the squeaky floors?  – Cheryl R., Mertztown, PA 

A: Thank you so much for your question, Cheryl! While I am a design expert, I can’t say I’m a flooring one, so I turned to Frank Lio from Hybrid Construction Partners in Westchester, NY to assist. He offered three potential solutions to remedy your squeaky floors. For all three, you would have to pull up the carpet to access the subfloor. 1. Shim Between Joist and Subfloor -Tap a thin wood shim, coated with wood glue, into the gap between the subfloor and joist. Don’t hammer too hard, just snug it in to stop the movement. 2. Adhesive Injection – Run construction adhesive along the seam where the subfloor meets the joist to fill in the gaps and prevent rubbing. 3. Finish Nails and Wood Filler/Saw Dust (for hardwood floors under the carpet) – Drive finish nails at an angle through the flooring into the post, then countersink and cover with wood filler and saw dust.

Q: In my living room I have a light grey sofa, a grey and navy blue carpe, and a navy blue chair. What color should I paint the walls? – Anne K., Vancouver, CA 

A: Hi, Anne! Thank you so much for submitting your question. With grey and navy blue being the main colors throughout the room, you have cool (vs warm) color scheme going on, so lets lean into that with the wall color. This doesn’t mean selecting a paint color with cool undertones; it just means finding something that works well with cool accent colors. If you want a crisp but warm white wall that will complement the tones of sofa, rug, and chairs, I would try Benjamin Moore White Dove or Simply White. If you want to lean into the blues and go with either a light blue or a blue-gray, I would try Benjamin Moore Smoke, Benjamin Moore Silver Mist or Sherwin Williams Tradewind. My favorite option would be bringing some warmth into the space and balancing out the cooler tones of the furniture pieces with a greige paint like Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, Benjamin Moore Classic Gray, Benajmin Moore Revere Pewter, or Benajmin Moore Classic Mist.  

Q: We purchased our house, and it has furr downs in the kitchen. We want to remove and replace the cabinets as well. We want an updated kitchen! Any ideas on this renovation? – Richard D., Brenham, TX 

A: Congratulations on the house, Richard! Starting the kitchen renovation process is both very exciting but can be very overwhelming. I would recommend first starting to search through images on Pinterest and Instagram of kitchens that you feel drawn to and create a list of the features and layout preferences you would want in your new kitchen. Then, ask around for recommendations of local contractor and/or kitchen design companies. I always recommend meeting with and getting quotes from at least three contractors. Never ever go with the first person you meet with, even if you love them. It’s just a general good idea to get an understanding of the range of quotes people will provide you with. From here, you can start to get an idea of what’s possible from your list of wants and what you can do from an architectural standpoint with the furr downs and replacement cabinets. As you get farther along in the process and into the design stage, please reach back out and submit additional questions if you need more help!  

Q: My living room has a 12’ fireplace with bookshelves on one wall. The wall across from the fireplace is the front of the house and is 24’ long with two windows spaced evenly. Do I set the sofa up between the two windows or do I set the sofa up in front of the fireplace with one of the windows centered behind the sofa? Right now, I have the dining room table centered in front of the fireplace, but the other side of the room is looking a little needy. – Karen C., Reading, MA

A: Thank you for your question, Karen! Figuring out the best furniture layout can be tricky, especially in your home. Sometimes it’s much easier to get an outsiders perspective who is seeing (or in my case envisioning) the room with fresh eyes. A fireplace is not always, but usually, designed to be the focal point of the room, so it makes the most sense for the sofa to be centered to face the fireplace rather than centering it between the two windows. This emphasizes the focus on the fireplace and will help to ground the entire room. Once you have the sofa centered with the fireplace, you can create a warm, inviting living space with the incorporation of some accent pieces like an area rug and a coffee table. The windows are an exterior feature to the room. We don’t want to block them, but they are also not the focal point. So we don’t want to design our furniture arrangements around them either.

Q: We purchased a home in 2021. While it’s a lovely home that had extensive remodeling, I’m not a fan of the extensive use of oiled bronze plumbing and bath fixtures in the master bath and kitchen. While most everything could be replaced easily, the master shower is made of tempered glass on two sides with the same oiled bronze hardware holding it to the walls as well as hinges. Is it difficult and expensive to have the shower hardware replaced? I’m thinking perhaps chrome, but I recently discovered some plumbing fixtures in stainless steel. I don’t know if they’re solid stainless or some kind of plating. The home is farmhouse style but I’m wanting to evolve it be more Scandinavian farmhouse. – Andrew, Kansas City, MO 

A: Thank you for submitting your question, Andrew! It’s not impossible to replace the hardware on a tempered glass door, but it does come with its challenges. Tempered glass doors cannot be drilled into or cut, so the hardware you select to replace the hinges and door pull will need to match up exactly in size and spacing to what is there already. If the door was custom made, this might require ordering new custom hardware which can up the price quite a bit. I would reach out to your local glass installer to have them look at it in person and provide a quote. If you do decide to move forward with replacing it, I would strongly recommend having it done by a professional, as the hardware also supports the weight of the glass. Alternatively, it’s very okay to mix metals so I think you could replace everything else to give the bathroom more of a Scandinavian farmhouse vibe and keep the shower door hardware as is.

Q: I am indecisive on replacing my 1,400 sq foot home’s flooring. It is mostly wall-to-wall carpet except for kitchen and bathrooms. Should I replace the carpet or install hardwood flooring? We are both seniors, and I am afraid of increased risk of falls with hardwood floors and area rugs? Do you have any tips or guidance that would help me decide? Thank you for your help. – Linda, Sheboygan, WI

A: Hi Linda! Wall-to-wall carpeting will definitely provide the most traction for you, if you are afraid of falling. Hardwood floors, while absolutely beautiful, can be more slippery, and area rugs do provide something to potentially trip over. Normally, I would always recommend hardwood floors and area rugs but in this case, for safety purposes, I think I would go with carpet. If you do decide to go with wood floors and area rugs, make sure your rugs are anchored down, but furniture and you can use these rug grippers to secure the corners down. 

Q: My office is in the middle of my kitchen/dining room and my family room. I would like to redo my walls. The family room is cream color and kitchen/dining room is white. I would like a Wall Street looking, dark wooded color to go with my old fashioned mahogany desk. What color would you recommend for my walls? Thanks. – Rick, Fort Pierce, FL 

A: Hi, Rick! Thank you for your question. Incorporating a dark color in between the brighter kitchen and family room sounds like a great way to give your office the pop you’re looking for. Something in the green, blue, or charcoal family would work really well to compliment the warm, deep tones of the desk. I would try the following colors: Benjamin Moore Sussex Green, Benjamin Moore Hale Navy, Benjamin Moore Fatigue Green, Farrow & Ball Railings, Farrow & Ball Studio Green, Farrow & Ball Mahogany, Benjamin Moore Espresso Brown, Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron, Benjamin Moore Dark Olive or Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze. Once you’ve decided on a paint color, incorporating bronze accents throughout will help to elevate the space and hopefully turn it into the office you’re envisioning! 

Q: If I am building a house that will have a family room with built-in cabinets, taking up 24″ of depth, in planning for windows on an adjacent wall, should I subtract that amount when centering the windows in the room? – Cecilia A., Healdsburg

A: Thank you for your question, Cecilia! You should center the windows off the walls of the room, not the furniture within the room, even if there are built ins. If you centered the windows off the distance between the build in cabinets and the opposite wall, they would look off-centered in the overall space (which they would be). I hope this helps!

Q: I would like to turn the laundry room in the garden level of our townhouse into a dual-purpose laundry and guest room. Our house is an 1800s mix of original and modern. The laundry room currently has three doors on one wall, the washer, dryer, and utility sink on one wall, another wall that’s a window and door to the outside, and fourth wall with a long table for folding laundry. I would like to redo the floor, install built-ins around washing machines and utility sink, and add a bed that feels nice for guests and can also serve as a place to fold clothes when not occupied. – Loren S., Brooklyn, NY 

A: Hi, Loren! This sounds like a great use of dual space. To give the room more of a guest room feel when you have someone staying over, I would add an area rug under the bed to warm up the space and have a room divider on hand like this one to block the washer, dryer, and utility sink. I would also add a side table with a lamp next to the bed and some books and plants to the built-in shelves. When you have guests over, add a few extra throw pillows to the bed and a blanket at the end.  These small additions should help the room function better as two rooms in one. 

Q: I’m moving from a large house to a much smaller house. How do I curate my current furnishings and artwork to create a space that includes the items I love and enjoy without overcrowding the smaller home. (It’s a bit less than half the square footage of the larger home.) – Erin S., Somerset, KY

A: Hi, Erin! This is always a challenge when downsizing from one house to another, and honestly sometimes the other way around too. I would start by putting aside and moving with everything you know you love, without having the size of the space in mind or worrying if you have a place for something specific. Once you get into your new house, you can assess everything you moved with and take your time figuring out if there’s a place for it all. It might mean getting creative and using art or furniture in a different room from where you had it before. For example, in my last house I had a pair of couches that I loved in my main living room. In our new house, I was determined to use them somewhere, so I placed one in our formal living room, and the smaller loveseat in the playroom for the last three years hoping a more permanent spot for it would eventually present itself. Just last week, I created the perfect sitting area outside of my home office using the couch and it has made me so grateful that I didn’t get rid of it. When I go through this process with art, I’ll place everything I know I want to find a home for together in a closet and I’ll revisit the collection and I’m ready to hang things on the walls. 

Q: Hi! I want to upgrade my kitchen cabinets without breaking the bank, as this is not my forever home. My current cabinets are gel-stained, which has begun to chip. Hire someone to paint? Replace the cabinet doors and purchase them pre-painted and we will paint the frames ourselves? Also wondering about cabinet color, as our walls are SW Repose Gray (millennial over here!). Thank you! – Erin Y. 

A: Hi Erin! You have no idea how often this question comes up. I bought my first house in 2015 and went through this exact scenario. We knew it wasn’t our forever home, but the kitchen was so outdated that I desperately wanted to change the kitchen cabinet color. After just two months of being in the house, I made my husband sand down and hand-paint the cabinets white, which took a very long time—and in retrospect, we should have hired someone to paint them professionally with a sprayer. A year and a half later, we ended up renovating our kitchen, and then four years after that, we sold the house. 

We have zero regrets about the renovation, but I think if I could go back in time and give myself advice, it would have been to decide between either having them painted or replacing them altogether. Time was wasted having my husband paint them just to replace everything the following year, and if we had paid someone to paint them, money would have been wasted. At the end of the day, which decision will you be most satisfied with—hiring someone to paint the existing cabinets, or replacing the doors, which gives you the opportunity to change the style? 

There’s no right or wrong answer here. It’s really about what will make you love being in your kitchen the most during your time in this house. For colors, I know this is not the trendiest answer of 2025, but I love a white kitchen. In our first house, we did bright white cabinets with nickel hardware (year 2017), and in our house now (year 2021), we did creamier white cabinets and SW Accessible Beige for the island with honey bronze hardware from Top Knobs and Zellige tile as the backsplash. Four years later, I have zero regrets about my selections for our kitchen. It felt like a very permanent decision, so I looked past what was trending at the time and thought about what I myself would love for years to come. 

For a white cabinet paint, I love BM Chantilly Lace and Farrow & Ball All White. I also love a taupe/beige/off-white colored cabinet like SW Accessible Beige, Farrow & Ball Drop Cloth, Farrow & Ball Shaded White, Farrow & Ball Shadow White, or Farrow & Ball Schoolhouse White. All of these options would work really well with SW Repose Gray.

Q: I have a 100-year-old house with zero closets on the first floor, which means no easy storage for a broom, vacuum, and mop/bucket. What would be a good way to add this in without having a weird tall cabinet in the corner of my living or dining room? – Jeanne B., Holyoke, MA 

A: Thank you for submitting your question, Jeanne! One-hundred-year-old houses are a tough one when it comes to storage space. My first question would be: do you have a laundry room or mudroom on the first floor? If yes, I would buy wall racks like this to get almost everything off the floor. Some vacuums, like the Dyson cordless, come with a wall mount. If you don’t have a laundry room or mudroom, what about the door to a basement? Some of these things can be hung on the back of a door. 

I would also explore whether you can build a closet anywhere. Adding a built-in might feel more aesthetically pleasing to you than adding a tall unit into your dining or living room—plus, you could factor in storage space for shoes and coats. If that’s also not an option, it’s probably time to explore a cabinet unit. However, instead of specifically looking for a utility storage cabinet, I would actually get creative and buy a bookcase or living-room-specific cabinet that’s intended to be used in main living spaces, like [this] or [this], and then not install all of the shelves. This would keep the interior of the cabinet open enough to be able to fit your cleaning supplies, but from the exterior, no one would have a clue what’s in there. 

Q: I have a dining room that gets little use. What should I do with it? (I’m thinking maybe a home office.) – Ginny S., Centerville, OH 

A: Hi Ginny! I recently addressed this question on Instagram (@jaclynraeinteriors) because it’s one that comes up so often—especially with homeowners who are trying to maximize their use of space. I would say if you need the space for an office, playroom, or sitting room, and the dining room is not utilized often, this would be the space to take for it. 

I’ve worked with several clients who have thought about turning their dining room into a playroom, but personally, I would lean more toward a home office or sitting room. I really enjoy having a place to sit that’s separate from where the TV is in the main living room. The overall vibe is much more “I can breathe,” relaxing, and a bit more elevated versus loungey. Carved-out office space is also key if you have someone who works from home. 

However, if you don’t need the space for one of these uses, think about whether there are ways to use your dining room more. For me, I make a point to eat in the dining room whenever we have people over—not just holidays. It could be for a birthday or just friends over for dinner on a weekend. It doesn’t have to be any sort of fancy meal; it just motivates us to move out of the kitchen area, which always feels a bit chaotic and messy. I really enjoy the visual separation and being able to incorporate a different ambiance for conversation with dimmer lighting, etc. 

Q: Our living room has a partial wall. It goes about 3/4 of the way up. There is shelf space at the top. What would you do with this space? Thanks. – Amanda H., SC 

Answer: Hi Amanda! The dreaded 1990s pony wall. At different points in time, this has been a huge staple in living room design, but it’s definitely starting to feel a bit dated and challenging to incorporate into a room layout. If I were consulting on this in person, I would first ask if it’s load-bearing or not. If it’s a non-load-bearing wall and purely there as a room divider, I’d then ask if you’re open to removing it. If you want to go a route that requires zero construction and just figure out how to incorporate it into your home, I’d essentially view it as a console table. I would line the wall with stacks of your favorite coffee table books and then add a planter with either a real or faux trailing plant that hangs over the shelf and trails down the wall, like pothos, philodendron, or tradescantia. 

Q: My house is a brick ranch-style built in 1969. The living/dining room is long and narrow with four windows that are 35 inches wide by 72 inches tall and three doors: front, hallway, and kitchen. I don’t know how to arrange furniture. Nothing seems to work well. How do I make it look nice? Thank you. – Judy B., Dublin, GA 

Answer: Hi Judy, I’m glad you reached out. It takes so much energy, time, effort, commitment, and money to get to the point of having a house, and it feels like such a shame to not absolutely love being in it or feel like it looks nice. 

Let’s start with the windows. If you don’t already have them, I would hang curtains as close to the ceiling as possible and have the rod extend 12 inches on each side of the window. Hanging them high gives the room visual height, and hanging them wide makes the window feel larger and the room feel more open. For furniture arrangement in a long, narrow room, I would suggest creating zones to break the space apart. Instead of anchoring your living area furniture against the walls, try using the couch as a room divider between the living and dining areas. Position it across the width of the room, with enough space on both sides to walk by. From here, you can add a coffee table and two accent chairs across from the sofa. If you need a console or serving piece in the dining area, you can place a couch console behind the sofa, since it runs across the width of the room. This can sit at the “end” of your dining area. You could place a lamp on each end of the console with a serving platter or coffee table books in between. 

Question: I’m starting a project this week updating a retail hardware store. I have a painting contractor hired, and we are going to start in our converted lumber barn that is drywalled and tiled with retail shelving in it. It has twenty-four-foot pitched ceilings from the peak down. I’m adding new LED high bay lighting as well. The ceiling is going to be painted with a Benjamin Moore high-hide flat white, so it will be bright and easy to touch up in the future from scuffs and nicks. 

My question is about the surrounding walls. Should I go with a white tone, or if I go with light gray tones, will it look dirty? I have a collection of antique tools I will hang on the rafters and walls for nostalgic reasons. Color suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I’m perplexed on which way to proceed and have been in the retail Ace Hardware business for over fifty years. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. – Scott, La Grange Park, IL 

Answer: Hi Scott! This sounds like a very cool project. I would probably steer away from white walls, as they can easily get scuffed even with durable paint. I’d recommend going with a greige color, which will complement the antique tools. Consider Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray, Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray, or Sherwin-Williams Perfect Greige. To give the antique tools a more floating appearance and help them stand out against the wall, you might consider mounting them onto individual pieces of corkboard and hanging those in a gallery wall style layout. 

Question: I have a little nook at the end of the kitchen where the washer and dryer are placed. The problem is the villa was built in the 1980s when appliances were smaller. We were going to put up doors to close it off while doing laundry to reduce the noise but with the newer-sized appliances, we can’t add doors. How can I deaden the noise in that nook? —Carol, Weeki Wachee, FL

Answer: Hi, Carol! A 1980s villa sounds amazing—and you’re right, appliances have definitely gotten bigger. Fortunately, there are several ways to reduce the noise in your laundry nook. If there’s a window, try hanging noise-reducing curtains (also known as acoustic or soundproof curtains). Adding anti-vibration pads designed for washers and dryers can help minimize movement and sound. You can also mount sound-absorbing panels on the surrounding walls. To visually hide the appliances since doors aren’t an option, consider using a decorative room divider.

Q: I need help deciding what size stone to put around our newly installed gas fireplace. —Paul, Wantagh, NY

A: Hi, Paul! There are lots of great options. I’m loving Zellige tile right now, which are hand-cut Moroccan glazed terracotta or clay tiles that have a warm, organic look. For a fireplace, I recommend a 4×4 square, but depending on how high your surround goes, a vertically installed subway pattern could work beautifully too. If you prefer a cleaner, more polished look without the imperfections of the Zellige, consider a large-format stone slab surround.

Q: How can I transform a 17′ x 25′ family living room into one that includes an office area? —Diane, Bedford, TX

A: Hi, Diane! This is a common challenge, especially with the rise of remote work. The key is to zone the space. Start by anchoring the living area (TV, couch, coffee table, etc.) on a rug to create a clear “conversation circle.” Then, designate another corner or wall for a workspace: place a desk, chair, and lamp there. If it’s against a wall, hang artwork above, and add a plant nearby to give the area its own identity and style.

Q: I have a 120-year-old house with a sleeping porch that was converted into two bathrooms. The windows dominate the wall space, and I don’t want to remove them because they’re part of the home’s historic charm. They sit about two feet off the floor. How can I install a shower in front of the windows without risking water damage? —Nancy Kacz, Blooming Grove, TX

A: Hi Nancy! Your home sounds absolutely lovely, and you’re right to preserve those windows. If you’re open to replacing them, consider using tempered glass for added safety in a wet area. Swap out the trim for PVC, which mimics wood but is water-resistant. If you want to keep the original wood trim, seal it with marine-grade paint. Fully tile the wall that has the window, floor to ceiling, and for privacy, use frosted glass or window film rather than a curtain. And don’t forget a high-quality exhaust fan. It’s essential to prevent long-term moisture damage.

Question: Hi, I live in a 1,034 square foot condo/cooperative. I’m forever trying to figure out space utilization. Our living space is an open kitchen, dining, and living room area, with the living room area about 13×13. There is a small fireplace in the corner leaving 6 feet of wall space. The rest of the area is either windows, the sliding glass door to the deck, or is paralleled by the kitchen island. I’d appreciate any tips for furnishing and arrangement. Of course, my husband’s recliner has to stay. Thank you. – Cathy, Duluth, MN 

Answer: Hi Cathy! Thank you so much for your question—and for sending photos and extra details! (For anyone else looking to submit, feel free to email us at designtips@www.thisoldhouse.com.) Since you mentioned that you like having a sleeper sofa for guests and that your husband’s recliner is a must, I’d suggest swapping your current sofa for a sleeper sofa with a chaise. Position the long side of the sofa parallel to the sliding door to the deck, with the chaise extending toward the window that overlooks the lake. I recommend mounting the TV above the fireplace and placing the recliner where your current sofa and the speaker/TV stand nearly meet. Then, add a coffee table to anchor the center of the seating area. Upsize your area rug so that at least the front feet of all seating pieces rest on it. This arrangement will maximize your space and ensure that every seat in the room has a clear view of both the lake and the TV.

Q: We built our 4,600 sq. ft. home in 2003. Entering from the front door, it looks like a bowling alley with 20-ft ceilings. My furniture has adopted the same placement: on the side and facing inwards. I need guidance… – Deanna, Greenfield, IN

Hi Deanna! I can completely envision what it’s like entering your home—especially since I’m so familiar with houses built in the late ’90s and early 2000s. A long entryway with 20-foot ceilings can definitely feel like a bowling alley if it’s not thoughtfully furnished! My own home, built in 1997, has a very similar layout with a long entry and tall ceilings. I initially struggled to make sense of the space but eventually found success by breaking it into distinct zones. Start by adding a large area rug near the front door to help define the first zone. Pair it with a bench or chair and a basket for shoes to create a true “entry area.” You could also include a console table and a mirror here to complete the look. Then, in the next section of the hallway, create a small sitting area—two chairs and a cocktail table work well. Add large artwork or a sculptural wall piece to signal that you’ve moved into a new part of the space. If you’d rather skip anchoring everything to a wall, consider a round entry table centered in this second area. Style it with a large vase, coffee table books, and tuck a pair of ottomans or stools underneath to add dimension. This is a great example of using floating furniture instead of everything being wall-bound. Lastly, if you’re open to a little electrical work, adding sconces can help warm up the space and create intentional focal points throughout.

A: Could you name anything used on antique furniture to protect it from cold or warm months? – Mary, Conway, NH

Hi Mary! This is a great question—protecting furniture is always important, but especially so with antique pieces. After all, they’ve already made it this far, and it’s up to us to help preserve them for years to come. When it comes to humidity control, wood can shrink, crack, or split in the winter, and swell or warp in the summer. To help maintain stable conditions, consider using a humidifier or dehumidifier to keep year-round humidity consistent. For enclosed spaces like cabinets or drawers, moisture absorbers can be helpful. Applying a furniture wax is another smart step. It helps seal the wood surface and slows down the exchange of moisture. In addition, keep antique furniture out of direct sunlight (which can bleach and crack the wood), a few inches away from exterior walls or radiators, and out of direct airflow from HVAC vents or fireplaces—basically, anything that would create abrupt temperature or humidity changes.

Q: I’d like to replace carpeting in my master bedroom and guest bedrooms, both rather large. The carpeting is 20 yrs old. What flooring is best for FL Oceanside living? The rest of the condo flooring is large porcelains tile – Randi, Hallandale, FL

A: Hi Randy! It must be gorgeous living along the ocean in Florida! I’m personally not a fan of wall-to-wall carpeting in bedrooms, so I fully support your idea of switching to hard flooring. In your case, you’ll want something that can handle humidity, moisture, and salt air—while still feeling cool and comfortable underfoot. Porcelain tile is always a safe, durable choice, even if it’s different from what you have in the rest of your condo. You can easily warm it up in the bedrooms with area rugs. Another great option is slate stone, which offers a beautiful natural look. That said, one of my favorite solutions for oceanfront homes is a high-quality, marine-grade or rigid core luxury vinyl plank (LVP) with a wood-look finish. It’s durable, moisture-resistant, and gives bedrooms a warmer, more inviting vibe than tile or stone. Even with LVP, I’d still recommend adding an area rug under each bed—placed so that it extends just past the nightstands. That way, there’s a cozy, soft spot underfoot when you get out of bed in the morning.