Advice Wanted

Okay, let's have some advice for the next residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. We want to hear from you. What should the Obamas do with those 132 rooms? Granted, they aren't really allowed to make over the whole place, but every first family has made its mark on the White House. George Bush put in a pool room. Word is that Obama is hankering after a basketball court.

What would you advise them to do to make the place their own, or to make it feel like home?



Would the country-casual-elegantl-simpe look work? Send in your comments.

Comments

[Kimberley]

I really like the room itself. It has an airy and cheerful feeling. On the other hand the table and benches do not really suit it in my opinion. The table would be much nicer with an elegant yet simple, light oak or birch table. A nice white or creamy table cloth would be very pretty. Even something that incorporates the greenish blue in the chandalier. The table in there now is more suited to a rustic log cabin type home. Or a dining room with a wood wall paneling or a midieval setting.

[carole a. ouimet]

I love this look and think it could work but with one or two more items added to the room. I would scrap the small plant at the end of the table..lower the chandelier and have a long white or tin (steel) planter in the center with the flowers of the day lined up in it. Perhaps 5 daisies in a row..or grass..or 5 green orchids. A tall mirror framed in steel or white, strategically placed on a wall would also add some simple and depth.

[julie Continenza]

I don't have a comment, but I have a question and I wasn't sure where to ask it. I am currently a Sheffield student and between raising my family and working on my Sheffield courses , I am always working on some kind
of project in my home. Well my newest project is I want to make canisters
for flour and sugar out of clay plant pots. I figured out how to do it, but my
only question is I am not sure what to do with the inside of the clay pot
where I will put the flour and sugar. I can't line it with saran wrap,foil,or a bag because the bag will move around. I thought about putting a polyurethane protective seal on it too, but I am not sure that would work. I need something that will protect the inside and not contiminate the sugar or flour inside the clay pot. If you have any suggestions I would greatly, greatly appreciate it. Please get back to me.

Thank you,

Julie Continenza

[Alexia Rosetti]

Hi Julie:

I applaud you on your creativity in reworking found objects and making something new out of it. Unfortunately, a clay pot is a very porous material. Unless you plan to glaze it and fire the pot to seal it, a clay pot is not a good object to hold food items like flour or sugar.

I advise you find a smaller container like a glass jar that's smaller than the pot and insert that in the pot to hold the flour. Or if you take a class in pottery where they have an oven to fire the pots - under professional supervision, of course - you can still reuse that plant pot.

[julie Continenza]

Thank you so much for the advice. I never thought about that, but I think
I will try the idea of putting a smaller jar inside first and see if that works.
I'll let you know.

Julie Continenza

[Ed Lange]

I believe the rustic table and the elegant room does not complement each other. The drapes and beautiful chandelier would be more suited to an elegant table and chairs.