Hi Uesmayor. OK, let's back up, here. Yes, those are interesting doors, but in a room only 42 inches wide, they'll be totally wasted. I know, because in my old apartment, I used to have a 48-inch hallway, and it didn't matter what I had in there--Rococo Revival hall tree, ornamental fragments of demolished buildings, 19th century engravings in period frames--no one saw any of it because the room was nothing more than a glorified tunnel, to be walked through in two seconds. In my new apartment, I have a whole extra foot of width, but it still doesn't matter. Sure, I have stuff on those side walls, but only because I needed the wall space to hang it, not because anybody will ever notice any of it. Unfortunately, in rooms the size & shape of our hallways, all that matters is whatever you see at the far end--not the sides--of your hall. So, if there's a wall there (rather than a another doorway) and you're determined to use this panel--that is, one panel--what I'd do is paint it the buttercream you mention, glaze it with a neutral color, attach it to that end wall & pinspot it from above with a narrow-beam light to throw strong shadows on the carving. Meanwile, while you wait for it to arrive, give your hallway--plain sliding doors & all--a few coats of high-gloss enamel in the darkest value of whatever other color you're using in the rest of your apartment. Maybe black, maybe ultramarine blue, maybe eggplant, maybe espresso brown. All that matters is that it's dark, it's fairly neutral & it's shiny. Won't the dark color make your hall look even smaller than it already is? Maybe, but that doesn't matter, because all that a pale color will do is make obvious how small the room is, anyway. Let's face it, a 42-inch room will never look any bigger than it is, no matter how light you paint it, so you might as well go for drama. That, at least is achievable. Here's the thing: we big-city, small-apartment dwellers have a whole different set of problems to contend with than most of the people on this board, so it's important to keep focused on solutions that will work for us and not get distracted by "solutions" that don't apply to our givens. What looks great in a marble-floored entry in expansive new home in the suburbs or in a cozy, window-seated vestibule in a Victorian farmhouse seldom looks equally good in our typically dark, cramped spaces. That's probably not what you wanted to hear, but trying to force a style that works in one place onto a place of a totally different character is just a waste of time & money. And I don't know about you, but I don't have enough of either one to throw away. Anyway, if the layout of your place means those carved panels won't work in your hallway, why not use them someplace else where they'll be better appreciated? Regards, Magnaverde. Magnaverde Rule No. 16: Decorate for the life you really have, not the life you wish you had.

This sounds exactly like "plasticizer migration." The way I explain this to people is that the chemicals in plastics that keep them soft and flexible move into the finish and do the same thing there. It depends upon how extreme the damage is, but it can usually come out. I normally abrade the top layer of finish with steel wool or sandpaper, then either buff smooth or apply more finish. For extremely light damage, you can spray on a _LIGHT COAT_ of something called "reflow solution" (basically, a slow lacquer retarder in a can). But I never seem to get any that slight. For minimal damage , yellow cloths called "Stain Removal Cloths" will remove the damage. Though they will sometimes change the sheen, so you have to readjust the sheen or do the whole table top. I have done some that have sat in a warehouse all summer and the top looked like worm tracks in a muddy sidewalk after a rainstorm. It all came out with rubbing. In extreme cases, the dye is carried into the finish on a light colored wood and I've had to strip and refinish. In any case, I think the damage is in the finish, not in the wood.

My camera is broken, but I may take pics with my sister's tomorrow. I'll let you all weigh in :> A couple things I didn't mention in my first post is the issue we have with our floor underlayment. To tile it the right way, we have to rip all our particle board out and replace it with plywood, and it is a messy and costly process. On top of that, DH's income is HALF of what it was a year ago because he is in sales and directly tied into the economy. Also, he suffered a head injury a few months ago which he is still having problems with which is adding stress to this whole process. So unfortunately, we are doing this at a bad time for us and really had bigger plans. So I'm trying to save money where I can, and I don't have a problem with that. Okay. I think I just talked myself into the vinyl! I'll start a new thread with pictures. Thanks again everybody, and sorry for whining. I know these problems are miniscule compared to what many others have to deal with. (everybody here is so sick of me and all my indecision. It's nice to be able to come to this forum for objective opinions and support :)

I really like it! I would pair it with a bent-plywood dining chair to get warm wood tones, or with something like a Ghost chair if you wanted a really modern sleek look. But ultimately, color balance is very personal. There are great wood dining tables that would pair well with the clean modern look you're creating.