Ask An Interior Designer

Amy and Beth, The Redesign Team (left), Kim Boyer, with the Buckleys (right)

So did you actually think three days was enough time for our Techno-Gurus to hook up each lucky family with the latest in high-tech gear AND make it all look pretty?! Though they seem like magicians at times, even the Gurus only get 24 hours in a day, just like everybody else.

Luckily, they've got the keen eyes and creativity of some amazing interior designers backing them up...and now you can, too!

Amy Ross and Beth Sammarone, of The Redesign Team in Pittsburgh, helped make the Jesserer and Zaharko home makeovers an absolute smash. And Kim Boyer, of Kimberly Boyer Interiors, made the Buckley family's new jewelry and music studios sparkle and sing as much as the art now coming out of them.

They all specialize in "interior rearrangement," which means they can redecorate your place using many of the household items you already know and love. The also do real estate staging, so they literally know how to make a home look like a million bucks, usually in just a day or so.

Our My Home 2.0 designers have graciously agreed to answer your interior design and decorating questions -- just fire away, right here, and post your question below.

Just keep in mind, our designers' specialty is making your home look and feel cozy and nice, not necessarily high-tech -- for those kinds of questions, you can Ask a Guru.

Thanks to Amy, Beth and Kim for sharing their expertise!

hi. my desk is a big tangled mess of cables and power cords from my laptop, desktop, cell phone, printer, ext. HD. any ideas for managing all this clutter? thx.

Hi Mice Elf,
Go wireless! Just kidding. Dealing with all the wires is a huge problem. First try to get them as organized as possible. Then to coil a few of them together and secure with a thin plastic tie, you can find them at Home Depot or Lowes. If you can, plug them all into a power strip and try to camouflage it behind your desk if possible. If the wires are running along the floor to an outlet, secure as above, then you can use masking tape to hide the wires along the floor and trim. Hope that helps.

thx Kim, i actually have been trying to get my printer working wirelessly but that's probably a question for the tech gurus. but even still there are always power cords and usb's around.

the plastic strips are a good idea, i will get some. but what do you mean by camoflaging? hope its not with one of those knitted things my grandma puts over her tissue box, lol.

Hi Mice Elf,

Along with zip ties, computer cable covers are great to bundle all of the wires! Its a thin plastic tubing that comes in white, grey or black that wraps around all of the cords. you could use insulation tubes, or PVC pipe too for a more "industrial look". Depending on the type of desk you have, you could drill a 1 inch hole in the top to drop all the wires down through eliminating all that too.
Also, a Powestation charger is great for the cell, phone, PDA, and misc items. All the cords and plugs are hidden under cover into a power strip and one cord plugs into the wall from the charger - I love mine! Pictures always help - if you would like to send us a pic of your desk area, we could give you some better tips :)
I hope this helps!

No, no knitted caps involved. There are actually units you can purchase to put the wires in, but I think once you get them all organized, they will fit nicely behind your desk (if it backs to a wall) and no one will know the difference. The masking tape trick works great, and using extention cords that blend with your wall color helps too. (black,brown,vs white). Have a great day!

i don't have a camera but thx for the offer to look. :)

the pvc is a good idea and ihave some of that in garage. thx for the help!!

Glad we could help - let us know how your solution works out for you!

Hello, ladies. I was wondering if there were any "right" or "wrong" ways in terms of bed placement in a room. Lying east/west vs. north/south? Under a window or across from it? I had one person tell me your AC vent should blow across/perpendicular to you when you sleep, rather than parallel, and yet another person tell me not to store stuff underneath the bed because it's bad Feng Shui.

Are there any hard-n-fast rules you go by when determining where to put the bed in a room?

Oh, and by the way, congrats on the mention in today's Philly Daily News, Kim!

Well, if you get comsumed by the feng shui of it all - no clutter under the bed, cool, restful colors, and absolutely no tv or gym equipment! It is best when the head is facing east and dont place at an angle coming from the corner unless you put a screen or plant behind it. The A/C unit is new to me. The best placement for a bed for me has always been across from the best view or making the statement when you walk in the door. But it all comes down to traffic flow and how you walk around the space and how you want to use it - always make sure there is easy access to the doorway, closets and if you have an adjacent bathroom. Focal point and traffic flow is key to any placement in any room. Let us know how it turns out!

Hi,
Sorry I missed you, I was away for the weekend. But, yes, I agree with Beth and Amy, the focal point and traffic flow are important in any room arrangement.
I have not heard about the AC flow either, I would go which is most comfortable for you. Some people like having a breeze blowing over them when they sleep. The bed should make a statement when you enter the room and is usually most appealing to be facing you as you enter. If there is a window behind your bed, you have the option of playing it up with window treatments to frame the bed, or, if it is more in the way, you could hide it entirely with a window treatment or faux canapy to really add some drama. Just remember, it should be a calm, relaxing space, a retreat at the end of a hectic day. Play around with the arrangement and let me know how you make out!
PS...Thank you for your comments on the Daily News! It's so exciting!

Thanks for the feedback! I mostly wanted to check and see if I was violating any major interior design rules, but it seems like my bed placement isn't too bad as is. My head's facing north when I sleep, not east, but I think the bed looks better facing this way in the room.

Thanks again!

Not a problem. Your ultimate happiness when you are in the room is what matters! And to tell you the truth, I personally have no idea what direction my bed or head faces when I'm sleeping, I never gave it a thought. I just like how it looks! Sweet dreams!

I have a question. I have a bunch movie posters that I'd like to hang up in my place. I can't really afford to get them all framed but I'd like to do something nicer than just thumb tacking them to the wall. Any ideas? The walls I would be hanging are drywall.

Thank you!

Hi Toober,

You have several really cool options! One would be to purchase several poster size stretch cotton canvas boards. You can find a 16 x 20 for as low as $5.29 at Utrecht.com (or at any craft store). To apply the poster, spray the back with a spray adhesive ($3.29) flip over and apply to the front of the canvas.

Another option is to use 2 pieces of the appropriate size plexiglass which you can purchase at your local Lowe's or Home Depot. Carefully drill a hole in each of the corners. Slip the poster between the sheets of plexiglass. Lining up the holes, run a screw through the holes then into a spacer then apply to the wall. It's really cool, because it will stand out from the wall and the wall color will frame the poster.

And finally, you can do the same thing as in option one, but use MDF, Medium Density Fiberboard. Spray the back of the poster with the adhesive then apply to the MDF.

Hope this helps! You should be able to complete any of the above options for relatively little money. Good luck and let me know how you make out!

Hi Toober!
Sorry the delay on a response ( technical difficulties) Anyway, Kim already said a few options, now, I dont know if you rent or own your place, or your type of decor, but you can always paint out a faux frame around your posters. And thumbtacks can even be cool - just get the nailhead strips used for upholstery and frame them out. Another solution and more realistic option, is to purchase empty frames without the glass at a craft store finished or unfinished or buy moulding if you have the know how, and place them up over the posters hanging on the wall. There are also very inexpensive poster frames made of plexiglass and plastic snap on moulding. For an added effect - buy art lighting at IKEA to show them off ! Keep in touch - we would love to know how it turns out!