Ask Alice

Do you have an interiors dilemma? Consult our resident specialist

Q. Dear Alice, My sitting room has a beautiful ceiling rose, but rather than paint it white, I'd like to give it a more imaginative treatment. What do you suggest?
Sarah Anderson, Whitehaven

Q. Dear Alice, My sitting room has a beautiful ceiling rose, but rather than paint it white, I'd like to give it a more imaginative treatment. What do you suggest?
Sarah Anderson, Whitehaven

A. Last year, I got spectacularly creative with my dining room ceiling rose. First, I sealed the plaster with a coat of shellac and then sprayed it with red oxide spray, using masking tape to protect the area around the rose. I then decided to do a DIY gilding job with goldleaf, which was attached to the plaster using a layer of goldsize (slow-drying tacky material). I should perhaps have stopped at this point, but I got even more carried away and decided that it needed an extra sparkly finish, which I achieved by highlighting the raised areas of the plaster with PVA glue and then gently applying thousands of tiny, pale-green glass seed beads with a paintbrush. The result is a stunning, shimmering ceiling rose that still makes my neighbours faint with envy - although it did make my arms ache horribly for weeks afterwards. All the materials are available at good art shops and specialist DIY centres.

Q. I live on the top floor of a two-storey house, and want to clean my windows, but don't fancy climbing a ladder. Do you have any ideas?
Lottie Morris, by e-mail

A. If you have access to a garden tap and hose, why not try a telescopic cleaning system? For £49.99, H&G Promotions (01299 266303; www.hgpromotioms.com) will supply a five-metre telescopic pole, suitable for cleaning the windows of most two-storey buildings, with a nylon coil water feed that produces a powerful spray. Its "porcupine" head attracts dirt and is also useful for cleaning conservatories and velux windows.

Q. Dear Alice, While I had scaffolding on my house, the scaffolders bashed a hole in the wall next to my front door. Is there anything I can do myself to fix it, without having to pay for a builder?
Simon Knowles, Gillingham

A. I have an incredibly cheap and easy solution. First, fill the hole to the level of the brick surface, using a cement-based compound, ensuring that the texture isn't too smooth, so that it replicates the natural surface texture of the brick that you're filling. Then, to match the colour, carefully scrape a little pile of brick dust from the surface of a brick from an inconspicuous area of your house. Then mix this dust with some PVA glue and, using a putty knife, apply your mixture to the surface of the repair. When it's dry, it will be indistinguishable from the rest.