Q: I recently moved into the garden apartment of a wonderfully located though poorly maintained building. I'm concerned about some exposed insulation around a heater pipe in the bedroom ceiling and in a window sill in the kitchen. It looks grim, though I don't know enough about insulation materials to determine if it's toxic. Anyone recognize these materials? Should I be concerned?

Q: I found this great print at a local thrift store for only $8. I was wondering who the artist is and what it might be worth — any ideas?

Q: I recently got extremely lucky and scored three Eames black leather soft pad executive chairs for an amazing price...don't be jealous! My husband and I are opening a very small (12' x 12') office space soon, and I wasn't planning on black leather desk chairs, but now I've got to work them into the style since they are classic...

Q: I'm in love with this rug, but I'm looking for something similar in yellow... does anyone have any suggestions?

Q: I have a sofa/chair/ottoman set, purchased in the 70s.  It is nothing special or sentimental.
1.  Is it worth reupholstering?
2.  Should I consider trying to do it myself (no experience)?
3.  Can I get some kind of estimate for a professional job?  A "WAG" would be just fine to give me an idea. Thanks.

Q: I'm thinking about buying this lamp. I think it will look gorgeous in my living room. The walls are turquoise and my idea is to paint the lamp base in a contrasting color, but not red  - I hate red. My friends think the lamp is ugly and will be difficult to paint. So, the question is: What do you think of this lamp? What color would you paint it? 

Q: My new apartment's kitchen has a breakfast bar which really isn't a breakfast bar, since it has no space to put legs underneath and is too tall for standard stools. Since I can't use it for extra seating or eating space, what CAN I use it for? It's too much space to simply go to waste... any novel ideas?

Q: I bought these two chairs from The Door Store several years ago. The bonded leather has cracked along the seams. I'd love to repair or recover them. It appears that the leather is glued to the foam padding of the seat and then attached to the underside of the chair with velcro. More

Q: I own a one bedroom loft with very high ceilings (25-30 feet). There is a staircase going up two of my walls, with wonderful, large windows providing a lot of light. One of my interior walls, however, is a giant white wall with nothing on it (except for my TV and a couple of decorative glass panels only going 5-6 feet up). What can I do with this wall to make it less spartan? Most of the decor and design of the condo is very contemporary.

Q: I'd like to replace our industrial style coffee table (steel corners and edges are too dangerous with little kids and I feel the color is too dark for our space). I am considering replacing with a large gray round tufted ottoman I found for a great price (47"W x 47"D x 15.75"H) or two smaller light blue cubes from CB2 (18.25"sq.x14"H). What do you think? Any advice on style, color, size? Also - would you add any curtains or window treatments to the space?