Home Decorating For Dummies
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Just because you have old tile doesn't mean you have to replace it. If you know how to update old tile you can transform even a powder puff pink bathroom into a modern contemporary spa. Tile is expensive to replace. Fortunately, you have options.

  • Faux paint. Paint the wall above the tile, using layers of color that relate to the old tile.

  • Throw down an area rug. Rugs are great for covering offending flooring. Choose one that picks up and plays back the colors in your wall treatments.

  • Paint over the tile. Most tile can be repainted, but you have to purchase paint that is specifically designed for use over tile.

  • Apply wall covering above the tile. Using a wall pattern that incorporates several colors, including that of the old tiles can distract the viewer from the old tile.

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Katharine Kaye McMillan, former senior editor of a New York City-based national magazine, is a writer whose work appears regularly in magazines and newspapers. She is a contributing writer to internationally circulated Florida Design Magazine. She is the co-author of several books on decorating and design, including Sun Country Style, which is the basis for licensed signature collections of furniture and accessories by three leading American manufacturers and importers. A graduate of the University of Texas in Austin, she holds a masters degree in psychology and is a doctoral student in psychology at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.

Patricia Hart McMillan is a nationally known interior designer, whose interior design work for private clients, designer showcases, and corporations has appeared in publications worldwide, including the New York Times and USA Today. Known as a trend spotter and for clearly articulated views on design, she is quoted frequently and extensively in both trade and consumer publications. She a ppears on TV and talk radio. A prolific writer, she is coauthor and author of seven books on interior design and decoration, with Sun Country Style signature collections of furniture based on two books. She has taught decorating courses at several colleges and conducted numerous seminars across the U.S. She is decorating editor for Christian Woman Magazine and reports on design trends for The Sun-Sentinel, a Tribune newspaper based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She has been editor-in-chief of two publications and was head of a New York City-based public relations firm representing some of the most prestigious names in home furnishing and building products. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, with a minor in art history (with an emphasis in architecture), from the State University of New York (New Paltz). She was awarded a certificate from The New York School of Interior Design.

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