House to Home
Leather tiles make a great fashion statement on the floor or walls
February 27, 2012
Debbie Travis
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Q: I’ve read about how durable leather tiles are, and that they are an eco-friendly option for floors and walls. I’m upgrading our office/den and adjoining bathroom. Would you suggest doing one wall or should all the walls be the same?
A: I am happy to say that more manufacturers are working on an earth-friendly model of leather tiles. From the raw materials to production methods, to packaging and shipping, care is taken to be ecologically responsible.
EcoDomo sells recycled leather tiles that look and feel absolutely superb. Their selection and design possibilities for floor and wall coverings make choosing just one option difficult. The 12- by 24-inch tiles in the powder room seen here are mahogany buffalo from the Echelon Collection and would be magnificent in your office as well.
Leather tiles are costly so why not create a focal wall and paint the rest. Check out the imaginative floor designs too, combining leather with cork or bamboo is stunning.
Q: Our kitchen cabinets have solid oak varnished doors and melamine sides. I would like to see these cabinets painted grey. Would paint produce a professional look? Would the grain show through unattractively? Is a washed or stained look outdated? Is it even worth the effort?
A: Your choices depend on your budget. The most inexpensive method is to do the painting yourself. But for a professional finish, take off all the doors and hardware before you start, just remember to number the doors so you can put them back in the right space.
Oak is such good quality that a light whitewashed stain would not only look good, but it’s durable and still in vogue. You can also paint them white and I wouldn’t worry about the grain showing — it is natural and has a handsome texture.
Sand the doors to rough up the old varnish then apply a good quality high-adhesion primer. Two base coats should make a solid coverage. Use a paint that is recommended for kitchen and bathrooms as these are designed to be tough.
Q: My kitchen flows into our family room and I have white bookshelves around the fireplace and a bar in one corner with white cabinets. There is one wall to paint. There is a small amount of wall space to paint in the kitchen, which has white cabinetry and stainless appliances. I like red. Would it work for both the kitchen and family room walls?
A: I love red and white together but there are some tips to follow when painting with red. Tint the primer for the wall with some of the red paint. The primer will go bubble gum pink. The tinted primer cuts down on the number of coats of red required for full coverage. (Some brands of paint will take seven coats, so tinting the primer will save both time and money.)
There are only a few reds for each paint brand; the colour choice is personal. With blue in the red you get a wine colour, yellowy red is more orange, or brown in the red becomes rusty. All great shades. I adore either tomato or cherry red.
House to Home is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email your questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Debbie on Twitter at @debbie_travis or at www.debbietravis.com.