QUESTION: What size area rug should I buy for a rectangular table with four chairs? I want the chairs to sit on the rug when pulled out. Thank you. -- Bonnie, Milton.

ANSWER: Without knowing the size of your table, I can't tell you what size to buy, but I can tell you an easy way to figure it out. Pull each of your chairs out as if someone were sitting in them at meal time. Measure on the floor from the back legs of each set of opposing chairs and choose a rug that is closest to this measurement. For example, if your table is a 3-by-5-foot rectangle, you would probably want to purchase a 5-by-8-foot rug to accommodate the chairs when they are pulled out.

QUESTION: I am thinking about painting the hardwood floors in my bedroom. They are too damaged to refinish and I like the look of painted wood floors. What do you think of this idea and what are the proper steps I should follow? -- Roger, Huntington.

ANSWER: The finished result, as with any other project you might take on, is dependent on a good prep job. Sand the old floors really well, making sure that all of the old varnish is removed. Because you're not refinishing the wood with new stain, you don't have to remove all of the old stain by sanding to the bare wood, but what's left of the original shine has to go. After a thorough sanding and cleaning, you can apply at least two coats of paint that is intended for floors and allow plenty of dry time between coats. The final step will be to use at least two coats of a polyurethane intended to withstand foot traffic. By allowing enough time for each coat to dry, you should be rewarded with a beautiful floor that will last for years.

Karen Hysell is the owner of The Finished Room in South Point, Ohio. Her columns appear each Thursday in The Herald-Dispatch. E-mail her your decorating questions at decoratinggal1@aol.com.

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