Name: Linda Graveline
City: Los Angeles
State: CA
Country: USA
Comment:

My client owns an animal hospital that I’m helping him update. The project will be done in stages, mostly this fall. One thing we’re planning is to replace the front office/lobby flooring – it’s currently a vinyl faux brick pattern. Since customers have been going to this neighborhood animal hospital for many generations, we want to retain the old school charm/humor that the previous owners infused and add some modern aspects as well. For example we’re going to keep the quirky church pew seating in the waiting room but add vinyl pads to make them more comfortable and add some color. I like the look of the flooring Vons recently used to update their produce departments. We want to make sure the cost of these updates don’t have to be passed on to his customers. Can you recommend some reliable flooring companies in the L.A. area who would have reasonable pricing and wood flooring suitable for a high-traffic animal hospital?

Thanks!

Vicente Responds:

No I don’t. Off the cuff I’d try concrete or self-levelers for the floors. These are easy to maintain and can come in a lot of different colors. I think, however, that our readers may just be the most helpful in this instance. Do any of you out there know of a good wood flooring supplier in the LA area? Please share that here. (Don’t you love that we can all learn from one another?)

Name: lori
City: Glasgow
State: Scotland
Country: UK
Comment:

Dear Vicente,

I am scouring online sites for two old Hollywood style arm chairs – something elegant yet a little quirky – that you might see in Aunt Mame’s apartment. So far I have only found one that fits the bill but at £4000, it is way over my budget.

Any inspired ideas for a Scottish girl who dreams of a glamourous 1940′s Hollywood life?

regards, Lori

Vicente Responds:

Marry a rich man? I suggest you try thrift shops and antique shops. Remember if you find only one you can always have it copied. Or if you find some in a rough shape you can have it reupholstered to give it a fresh look. Try checking out theater staging prop houses – maybe they have something leftover from a movie or a show. I’m not sure how big thrift shops are in Scotland? The other thing is to check when people have house sales or auctions. Good luck – I hope you find your glamor!

Name: Veronica Risko
City: Boca Raton
State: FL
Country: USA
Comment:

I have a dining room table that I absolutely love. It is a Directional City Scape by Paul Evans in chrome and brass purchased in 1972. It is a large octagon that can be made larger with leaves. Now for the problem – the ’tiles’ were damaged by a moving company and my attempts to get it repaired were not successful. There are ’tiles’ that no longer stick on, have tarnish or are dented. Do you think there is any hope for this table or do I have to stop living in the ’70′s? I have been enjoying the rediscovery of the retro feel and mid-century modern and have never really fallen in love with a dining room table since. I am about to move into a new home that we custom built and don’t know how to solve this dilemma. If the ’tiles’ cannot be replaced, do you think the whole table could be refinished in some other way. It would then be a great table shape but would be obviously missing that shiny wow factor that is so retro. I would appreciate! any advice you could give.

Vicente Responds:

Why don’t you see if you can find any high-end metal workers in your community to advise you on the situation. They would be the best ones to give you a full assessment, replace the squares that have been damaged or polish the table as a whole. Rather than refinishing it, I would suggest you try to sell the table as it is, because to strip it would be a real pity. They are worth a fortune and you could get some money back. However, if you restored it you could really enjoy it as a great piece so look into that option first.

Perhaps some of the readers have some contacts they could share?