Help, I moved into an apartment with ugly broadloom on the floors. I don't really want to put another rug on top of it or spend the money to tear it out. Do I have any other options?
You do. First, have the broadloom cleaned, then consider covering it, wall to wall, with any of the following: rubber mats, vinyl or even painter's canvas. The latter can be primed and painted any colour you like - I would suggest a lacquered finish to seal the deal - and then tacked down where it meets the wall or folded over at the edges to create a border and then tacked down. (And if you don't like what you've created on the floor, hang it on the wall and call it art.)
Really, though, I would advise that you purchase some area rugs, a long-term investment that you can easily move to your next abode. P.S. As several readers pointed out after a recent column on rehabilitating popcorn ceilings, some older stipple ceilings may contain asbestos. If yours predates 1980, call in a specialist.
Architect and interior designer Dee Dee Taylor Eustace is the president of Taylor Hannah Architect Inc. in Toronto.
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