STICKY FINGERS

Ever find yourself in a sticky design situation? A few weeks ago on a steamy summer day we found ourselves smack dab in the middle of an interior design disaster...anxious to rip out our enormous, inefficient fireplace to make room for a wood burning stove, we ripped down the old hood revealing a sticky, gooey brick wall behind it. I begged Joe to rehang the hood and promised to buy heavy winter sweaters for cool nights, but function trumped form and I lost my battle. Desperate for a solution to cover up our mess, I let my fingers do the walking through several design magazines and stole an idea from the latest THIS OLD HOUSE. Aspect Ideas (www.aspectideas.com) makes a line of peel-and-stick metallic tiles. No grout means no pout! The tiles come in three colors for approximately $20/square foot. Next time you're feeling hot and bothered, chill out with sticky tiles!

TIME TO COMPETE TASK: Two hours to install tile on 9' x 4' wall

COST: $20/square foot at www.aspectideas.com

STRESS LEVEL: Planning ahead for a hot winters night: LOW