categories > weekly column
This Issue's weekly column Articles
Ask Christopher: Too Dolled Up
My wife is about to inherit a major doll collection from her grandmother’s estate. She’s overjoyed. I’m worried.
Ask Christopher: Look Who’s Talking Now
I think you’ve over-empowered my husband. He really speaks up and wants a voice in how our home looks now.
Ask Christopher: Upgrading On A Dime
I’m trying to renovate a master bathroom with little money and everything seems so expensive or construction-intensive. For little cash, how would you spend your wad?
Ask Christopher: Family Matters
I got roped into doing my parents’ anniversary party with my sister whom I have a complicated relationship with, to say the least.
Ask Christopher: My Work From Home Secrets
I have the opportunity to work from home. Which do you think is best: a dedicated room as a home office or a work center in the main part of the house?
Ask Christopher: Party Favors
I was invited to my friend’s dinner party and I’ve heard it’s customary to bring the host a bottle of wine, but I don’t drink and can’t tell one bottle from the next…
Ask Christopher: Design For Rent
I just rented my first apartment, but it doesn’t feel like home yet. What are the first few things I should do to make it feel like my own?
Ask Christopher: Sci-Fi Nation
My husband wants to wire our home for Wi-Fi, stereo sound and a lot of other expensive electronics. He claims that this will improve the value of our home. Is this true?
Ask Christopher: Ah, The Great Outdoors
In my backyard, I have two loveseats and four matching chairs with cushions that are covered with outdoor fabric…
Ask Christopher: Guest Appearances
I’m getting ready to redo my guest room and I was wondering should I do one queen-sized bed or two single beds?
Ask Christopher: Gender Wars
My wife and I are in the process of decorating our second home. With the first home she had free reign, but now I want to be able to tell our friends that I had something to do with the way it turns out.
Ask Christopher: You Are Your Child’s Keeper
My son insists on throwing clothes all over the house and as he’s moved into the teen years it’s gotten worse. Any suggestions?
Ask Christopher: Odds And Ends
Looking through a mail-order catalog, I found an upholstered chair that I really liked but was nervous about choosing the fabric over the phone or through the Internet.
Ask Christopher: Interior Design Is Not High Art
I think I have an affinity for decorating, but I’m not sure if I actually have a talent for it. How do you know if you have an aptitude to be a good designer?
Ask Christopher: Love The Things You Own
My husband has been transferred from Philadelphia to Orlando. I have a house full of furniture that’s very traditional. There is lots of carved wood, oriental carpets and leather furniture--I’d call it “English Manor.”
Ask Christopher: Finding Bedroom Bliss
I have four new bedrooms to contend with. What’s cheaper: making drapes or having them made?
Ask Christopher: Classic Retail Trends
I’m seeing all these huge, heavily-framed mirrors everywhere now. Why is that?
Ask Christopher: Follow Your Vision
I have two wonderful friends who moved into what I can only call a questionable area of town. They bought an old fixer-upper that they’ve been working on forever. It’s an old mansion that seems to be falling down.
Ask Christopher: From Sea To Sea
We recently bought a new home and then went off to Vietnam for a four-day traditional wedding that was life changing--full of color, ceremony and magical romance.
Ask Christopher: The Why-To Versus The How-To
I just read in the trades an announcement about your new TV series. Does that mean it’s finally official? And why did you choose the Fine Living channel?
Ask Christopher: Vertigo Spaces
I have a living room that has really high ceilings. In fact, it’s taller than it is wide. It’s also where the staircase that leads to the second floor is.
Ask Christopher: In Treatment--For Today’s Windows
I see new sheer fabrics in craft stores and finished sheer drapes being displayed in high-end department and home stores. What’s the best way to use sheers today?
Ask Christopher: The American Home
Rumor has it that you’re coming back to TV with a whole new show. My sister said she saw it on your blog. Since I watched every single episode of your old shows, I’m curious if it’s true and what’s the new show about?
Ask Christopher: Wonderful Water… Works!
I read somewhere that you have many outdoor fountains. I would love to add fountains to my yard and am hoping the sound will help drown out the traffic near my house. Will it work?
Ask Christopher: Here’s the Beef!
I’m terrible at cooking meat, especially roasts. I never know when the meat is done and I can’t tell you how many times I end up making pot roast out of prime expensive beef that I intended to be medium rare. What’s the secret?
Ask Christopher: Out of the Closet!
I’m at a boiling point with my closets or the lack of them. I live in an older home that has historical significance and I want to stay true to its period design… PLUS: Getting ready for closet organization.
Ask Christopher: Power Eating for Finicky Kids
I’m having trouble getting my kids to eat before they go to school. We’re always so rushed to get out in the morning and I’m afraid that they aren’t getting enough fuel to get them through until lunch.... PLUS: The come-back of cocktails.
Ask Christopher: Keep It Simple
Dear Christopher: I’m trying to choose a queen-sized bedspread for our master suite. It seems that no matter what I bring home, my husband doesn’t like it. Any tips?
Ask Christopher: The Art Of Art
Dear Christopher: I’ve got a big new modern house and a lot of empty walls. I know nothing about art and don’t want it to show.
Ask Christopher: Too Many Pots Spoil The Broth
Dear Christopher: I moved from a home with a large eat-in kitchen to a home with a very small kitchen as a way to downsize.
Ask Christopher: Fire At Your Fingertips
Dear Christopher: I live in upstate New York and we use our fireplace all the time, but I’m sick of the stacks of newspapers, starter logs, smoky upholstery and cleaning up the ashes.
» Advertisement «