Thought it would be interesting to share a few interesting questions from clients.
1) I bought a sofa at Mitchell Gold 3 years ago. It was expensive. Why does the welting look funny? The cushions don't quite look good either.
Ah, forensic decorating. It did not hold up right. This is often the case I find with the big retail chains. In retail, they have little time to make a sale and price is a determining factor. How do you drive cost down? One way is to skim on quality. Done correctly, welting is cut on the bias. This means on the diagonal. Welt cut on the bias has more give and keeps its shape better. But it takes much more fabric to cut on the bias so it costs more to make a sofa whose welt was cut on the bias. Manufacturers can save money by cutting welt on the straight grain. They get more welt out of the same amount of fabric.
The cushion? Detective decorator thinks they use a lesser quality foam insert. I sell mostly spring down construction on the seat. The spring in the seat allows the cushion to come back up. Foam breaks down over time and the foam seemed to have settled. It just didn't look as fresh as it should have after 3 years. Or at least I should say, for a bit more money, you can get something that will look fresh for 10 or so years.
2) I understand the importance of Low- or No-VOC paint and it's impact on my family's health and the environment. But what are the trade offs in terms of quality?
The best paint made was lead paint. Went on like a dream. Lasted forever. Poisoned children.Then there's another long-lasting paint, the oil-based. Real great finish, spreads well. Poisons the water supply and the air we breathe, among other things. No longer available in many states. So yes, the technology of the Low-VOC paint has some trade-offs. It sets up rather quickly. Some of the additives, which are no longer present because they contain the toxins, slowed down the drying time, allowing for nice pull marks on trim and even spread between the rolled parts and the brushed parts. The problem with the additives is that they are comprise a lot of the poison problem. Take them out and the paint's performance changes as dry time speeds up. The new paints, like everything else in life, are a trade-off. Truth of the matter is that these environmentally-friendly paints take a certain feel of the brush and roller. But I haven't heard any complaints about durability. Just application.
3) When I look at the picture of the sconces, it looks like they are very close to the China cabinet. It seem like they should be more centered between the corner and the cabinet. What do you think? (Scroll down to see an image taken. The tape shows where China cabinet will go.The holes next to it are where the wiring will go -- the center line of the sconce.)
I think the sconces are placed properly. You want them to have a relationship to the cabinet.Sconces will sit above the extra chairs and make a nice still-life type vignette. That being said, it’s not too late to change it, if it feels off to you. So when I see you next week, how bout I bring some pictures of finished DRs? I keep a whole bunch of pictures in files.They often have scones on either sides of china cabinets so you can see how that would look. I can see what’s in there. I bet I have a picture that will help you to see, or I can do more fun sketches with my Sharpie.
