Community Editor WHO TO CALL: Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen 985-2131 (147) 985-2131 (118) ‘i Home and Garden Editor reative design Wall cracks and scars part of solution Edith Saatkamp a ’ THE QUESTIONS keep pouring in, with this week's selection focusing oa how to turn unattrac- tive decor into shining examples of creative inte- rior spaces. Question: The walls in our kitchen are cracked and scarred. . We don’t want to do a lot of -. major work, but what can we do '.. that is economical and also would look good? Answer: You can repaint, tile or wallpaper, but for any option to be effective, the cracks and ~ sears need to be filled and sand- ed smocth. ... There is a way, however, to ~ let the cracks and scars become part of the solution. Your walls sound to be ideally suited to an old stone finish intended to give surfaces the sppearance of a rock formation, unevenly textured in a _ Subtle blend of colors. With - some imagir ative use of paint ~ + the existing cracks and scars _ could appear: as part of the rock formation. «. :. Prepare th: wall with a plas- ter and mud compound, consist- ing of nine parts mud mixed with one part white carpenter's glue. The secret in troweling this mixture onto walls is to avoid tool-line edges which are easily left by the trowel. These edges have to be sanded out when the wall is dry, so the less you leave when you apply the mixture the less you sand. When satisfied with the tex- ture, apply one base coat of cream-colored acrylic in an eggshell finish. Following the basic glaze secipe, thoroughly mix one part of blue-grey latex, one part water, and one past Benjamin Moore's Floetrol. Apply the mixture with a brush in uneven shapes and use flannel Tags to rub away excess from the edges. The second coat is an ochre- colored stain, applied with flan- nel rags. When the wall is com- pletely dry, it is ready for a mere ‘dusting’ of flat white. This is done with a brush dipped in white paint and wiped off until very little of the paint is left on the brush. Use a light hand to distribute the dusting of white. To achieve the unevenly colored stone effect, be sure not to over- work — traces of each layer should remain to create a sense of depth. Q: 1 am in an apartment and am thinking of repainting the cabinets in the kitchen. The stove is at one end, and the fridge at the other, both of which are a copper color. This room is a combination kitchen-dining- study area. What can we do so that the cabinets are not so obtrusive? A: This question has to do with creating focal points — areas to which the eye is attract- The obvious focal point is the wall you see from the entrance to any room. If this happens to be the dining and study area, it would not be difficult to turn this grouping into a focal point and to play the cabinet wall down. A rug under the dining table; an attractive and adjustable lamp above it, an arrangement of plants in a unique container, and a colorful tablecloth (possibly floor-Iength) would help to do this. Storage of study material could be arranged on a shelf behind the table or in a pull-out filing cabinet on casters under- neath the table. You could then paint the kitchen cabinets in the color of the wall, with buttons or handles in the same color. This would not hide the cabinets, but it would not draw attention to them. There are ways, however, to make an ugly duckling ‘shine’. In other words you can use the cabinets as a focal point, make them cbtrusive, but attractive and interesting to look at. Find a match for the copper color of the fridge and stove, anc paint the top and bottom cabinets — inside and outside — in that color. This will help to unify the entire kitchen wall. Then choose pictures with one or more motifs that match the style of your kitchen and the color of the cabinets. Trim the pictures to fit the cabinet doots: leaving 2 one to two inch (2.5 to 5 em) border. Paint each door with a coat of varnish or glaze, and attach the pictures before the varnish has dried. Then paint one or more coats of varnish on the doors until you have achieved some depth and slightly dulled colors. Send questicns to Edith at North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver V7M 2H4. esign course set “. THE DESIGN and Decoration cer- tificate program at North Shore Continuing Education (NSCE), _- developed to build the knowledge and design skills necessary to start a career or stay competitive in the design-related market, kicks off _” another term this month. .Many courses will also be of interest to those who plan to. remodel, redecorate or build their home. Textiles, The following courses are offered this term, starting Monday, Jan. 15: Design Fundamentals, Color and Lighting. Interior Design {, and Drafting 1. Call NSCE at 986-8888 to reg- ister for a free information session taking place on Wednesday, Jan. 10 course calendar. at 7:30 p.m.; or call program coor- dinator Edith Saatkamp at 254- 6557 for more information and a Friday, January 5, 1996 - North Shore News - 13 STORIES ra Photo submitied | CRACKED WALLS can be repaired in a number of ways — from the tradi- tional fill, sand and paint method to the more adventuroue technique of applying an old stone finish with an unevenly textured blend of coior. - Starts Friday Jen. Sth VANCOUVER 2045 Weat Fst Ave. NORTH VANCOUVER L860 Marinz Drive. : ‘Decorative Fabrics