A pet peeve for many men (and some women) is the holes left in the walls from hanging pictures.  Hennen’s has a solution and they work great.  Heavy Duty Wall Hangers sell for $1.95/pair and each one will support up to 150 pounds.  The best part?  They DO NOT need to be in a stud (and you do not want to hit a stud) and they leave a hole about the size of pencil lead.  No tools are required.  I use them all over my house. 

Aaron’s last post reminded me of similar problems we encounter when customers try to get a mattress and foundation up a narrow flight of stairs.  King size mattresses do flex and they come with a split box instead of one.  This really helps a lot.  You can also get a split box in queen size — thus enabling the foundation to go upstairs.  WHEW!  Don’t worry that you’ll be stuck in twin beds!!! 

Do you have a room that you just can’t easily fit sheetrock into? Maybe the room is upstairs and the stairs take a funny angle. Maybe it’s a weird ceiling. I don’t know. Well, actually I do know. I just had this problem. It was an upstairs room in which only 4′x4′ pieces of sheetrock could make it up the stairway. We could have got them in through an upstairs window, but that would’ve required carrying an 8′x4′ piece up a ladder (NOT easy) or using a boom lift (lumber yard said the cable lines were in the way). So it was down to the 4′x4′ sheets, right? Wrong. Better idea. Tongue and groove pine boards. Inexpensive and they look great. This small den area with 45 degree walls suddenly has more character then any room in the house. In the end, it will have taken about the same amount of time and if the wood is found on sale it can be very similarly priced.

A friend of mine who works in ceramics gave a class on color.  I was thinking about the difficulties we have choosing what color to use and what colors go well together.  A little rule of thumb is to print out a color wheel from the internet.  Colors that go together are directly across from or on either side of the color you selected.  One site I went to was quite fun.  It is http://www.visibone.com/color/posterzoom.html.  And remember, if you paint and you don’t like it, it is really easy to change it - don’t be afraid to take risks.  I have and it is fun.  Some work and some don’t, but it’s only paint! 

We are constantly hearing how using the new fluorescent light bulbs can save energy and I agree.  It is extremely important that we save energy whenever and wherever possible.  However, be aware that fluorescent bulbs can skew colors, especially tan or light beige.  These colors can take on a green hue when using fluorescent lighting.  We have seen it happen in the store - a lot!  Personally, I use reveal light bulbs to get the truest color in my rooms.  Another choice is to use the lighting that gives you a look AND FEEL of sunshine.  Go to www.sunbulbs.com and take a look.  These bulbs are also energy efficient and give you truer color in your home as well as a feel good atmosphere. 

Oftentimes our customers ask, “What is the size of a queen size mattress vs. a king size mattress?” Here’s the scoop… Twin size is 3′3″ by 75″ long. Full size is 4′6″ by 75″ long. Queen size is 5′ by 80″ long and standard or Eastern king size is 6′6″ by 80″ long. California king, usually a special order, measures 6′ by 84″ long. I hope this helps when you are planning your bedrooms.