ADVICE
Our expert Celia Rufey answers your interior design questions and decorating dilemmas
Celia Rufey answers your queries.
HOW CAN I RESTORE My HEIRLOOM ANTIQUE LINENS?
I have a quantity of Irish and French household linens that used to belong to my grandmother. They’ve been in storage and now some pieces have specks of iron mould. What is the safest way to tackle this without damaging them? JS, Honiton, Devon. Linens that have been stowed away for some time may have starch lodged in the fibres, so first soak them in a bath with warm water. If the water becomes discoloured, refill the bath with fresh water, otherwise leave the linens for half an hour, then let the water out. The product you’ll need to remove rust stains is Ferrosolve, priced at £10, including p&p, from Restore Products, restore-products.co.uk, a company that supplies specialist textile conservation items. Apply a single drop at a time to the iron mould stains over a 30-minute period, using the dropper supplied, until each mark has disappeared. Give the linen a quick rinse then wash in the washing machine in the usual way with a non-biological detergent.
WHICH PAINT WILL MAKE My ROOM LIGHT? Our sitting room gets limited hours of sun so is usually quite dark. Which paints will reflect light effectively? EC, Cramlington, Northumberland.
INSIDER’S TIP “Resist the urge to shoehorn everything into your kitchen, including little used gadgets. Functional, clutter-free space can be as important as cupboards.”
A pale colour on walls and ceilings will reflect more natural light in a dark room than deeper shades. However, you ask if there is paint with special light reflecting qualities. There is one: Light+space by Dulux. This matt emulsion incorporates Lumitec technology, which reflects twice as much light as standard emulsion. I’m sending you a sheet showing the pastel colour range, but printed shade cards are deceptive and you will need to buy tester pots to be sure which tint will work best in your room. I would suggest Morning Light or Coastal Glow for walls with Absolute White for ceilings.
WHICH STORAGE IS BEST FOR SHOES? Can you suggest furniture to keep the family’s footwear tidy in our cloakroom? JK, Matlock, Derbyshire.
Look for designs that keep each pair of shoes separate, instantly visible and accessible. One company that has the measure of storage issues is A Place for Everything, 0844 414 2885, aplaceforeverything.co.uk. Among its range of 50 shoe cupboards, benches and lockers, try the spruce wood Chedworth shoe locker, which comes in three sizes: upright with six cubby holes, £135; bench-style with eight, £170; or 12, £225. At Cox & Cox, 0330 333 2123, coxandcox.co.uk, the Small wooden box unit (left) with six cubby holes, £155; the Low version with eight, £225; and the Large, with 12, £300, also follow the proven design of open-fronted school shoe lockers.
WHO MAKES THIS STYLE OF CHAIR? I’ve been trying to find a ‘continuous back’ dining chair. Where I should look? LB, Rochdale.
The Bleaker chair (below) in elm with a white finish, £265, from Loaf, 0845 468 0713, loaf.com, is described as a hoop-back with its design hailing from New England – a style history it shares with the Windsor chair. If you’d prefer natural wood, James Mursell at The Windsor Workshop, 01798 815925, thewindsorworkshop.co.uk, makes all his chairs to order, including his Minimalist Comb armchair, £795, as well as the Continuous Arm and Double Bow chairs, £625 each. The Continuous Arm Windsor chair made by Colin Foxhall, 01278 671027, windsorchair.co.uk, has arms and a back hoop made from a single piece of timber bent to shape in three dimensions. Prices start from £520 in ash. For a contemporary take on Windsor style, look at the Burnham and Kimble chairs by Matthew Hilton, matthewhilton.com. The Burnham in ash with American black walnut seat is £1,128; the Kimble, with a higher back but the same continuous arm, £1,218, both from Haus, 020 8533 8024, hauslondon.com.