Painter Tim's Profile

- Preparation: Firstly, unscrew all switch plates, receptacle covers, doorknobs and light fixtures. Unscrew anything that's attached to anything you intend to paint. Then. a sharp scraper and a piece of sandpaper are your best friends. Run your hand lightly over the whole surface. Caress every square inch. When a tiny lump causes your hand to hang up, scrape or sand it away. Run the edge of a scraper or an old screwdriver along a crack to open it slightly before filling it. I use pre-mixed drywall compound. A deep crack or hole will need two fillings, but it is worth it for a smooth result. Do not over-fill. That means extra sanding and dust. Before painting, vacuum first and then wipe down all surfaces with a damp dish towel to remove dust.

- Tape? Don't. Edges end up looking hard and industrial, or lumpy with built-up paint.

- Brushes? Buy the best in the shop. You really do get what you pay for. Cheap brushes are difficult to control, lose hairs and make you grumpy.

Angled brushes? Brilliant. Use one for cutting in between walls and ceiling, along base boards and windows. Again, buy the best.

- Roller? Don't. Use a 4" or larger block brush. It will give you a lovely, smooth finish. It is faster, neater and less wasteful than using a roller. Rollers, even fine-napped ones leave a horrid orange peel finish. Yuck.

- Plan? Yes. Paint the ceiling first. Do it even if you don't think it needs to be done. Then start at the door and work around the room in one direction. Work from top to bottom. Finish one wall before beginning the next. When you get back to the door, you're outta there.

- Sand and undercoat woodwork if you plan to use oil-based paint.

- Carpet? Push a length of masking tape about 1/4 inch under the baseboard with a scraper. Paint. Remove the tape within 15 minutes. Don't leave it any longer.

- Helpers? Make sure that they understand that the agenda is to paint a room, not to have a visit and a lot of laughs. Save that for the meal you will have delivered when the job is done and looking great.

Done? Leave the room for a whole day, if at all possible, before putting it back together.

Picky? Yes I am. People pay me good money for excellent results and I want to feel proud of my work.

The red wall dampens the effect of the colourful accents throughout the space. I feel that some grounding is needed, while keeping the useful storage either side of the fireplace.

I would start by building a box into the wall above the mantel to recess the television, after removing the bizarre trapezoid, of course.

Then, to bring some unity into the room, I would veneer the wall and the alcoves with reclaimed brick to match the opposite wall. Slice the brick to a thickness of half an inch to retain as much space as possible. Inlay metal strips (they will be the same 1/2" depth as the brick slices) in the sides of the alcoves to support adjustable shelves. You could reuse the glass shelves. Paint the fireplace surround any colour but white.

Finally, hinge the frame of a bright, beautiful painting over the television to hide the screen.

Now, how about covering the complicated, stepped ceiling with a curve, from side to side, to form a smooth barrel vault? Then place floodlights in the alcoves above the wall and bathe the curve with coloured light.

Well, Maxwell, it's a noble assertion that "The OUT is as just important than the IN", but only if you walk the talk.

Several times in the past year or so, I have made a suggestion for a simple additional feature that might add interest to House Tours. None of your eighteen employees, let alone any of your 175 freelancers has responded.

I don't imagine that my ideas always are of genius quality, but a good one surely deserves at least minimal response, if you are not merely paying lip service to notions of community and friendship.

Hey, what good is a friend if he doesn't flag your inconsistencies?

Warm wishes, Tim

The curved baseboard around the front of the hearth is pleasing to the eye. Why not frame the brick with a moulding in the same profile?

I'm not convinced that MarlyK's suggestion of aqua and orange would work, but a deep burnt orange within a wooden frame would look lush and set off the stove beautifully.

It's very shiny. I'll bet you have a brilliant cleaner.

Thank you for the floor plan.

Hi daylight, I'm not begging, but I have been making this suggestion for several months. Thank you for being the first person to respond. If an architect, or anyone else, is willing to share photos of their home with us, then it seems a small ask to invite them to show us how it is laid out.

I would like to see a floor plan for all House Tours. It would give us an interesting insight into people's relationships with their homes and it would help us to understand how the space fits together.

There are several excellent examples of how less can be more in this Tour. The net effect is a simple, earthy elegance.

Do try to avoid posting staged and posed pictures. They often show dangerous practices when, almost certainly the real job was done safely. Drilling a substantial hole in a shelf board that is hanging so far from the edge of the table it is sitting on guarantees a teeter-totter unless someone (or a clamp) is holding the other end of the board.

Cool. The building has great bones and you have fleshed it out with flair and wit. Thanks for the floorplan! See Maxwell? People really appreciate seeing how it all fits together. Please may we have a floorplan for every House Tour?

The stairs are simple brilliance. Thank you very much for the floor plans. Again, please provide them with every House Tour.

That's the gargoyle o' my dreams.