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How to Make an Attic Bedroom Worth the Climb
Q: My husband's niece will be living with us while she goes to grad school nearby. He has been doing over the attic for her bedroom — paneling the ceiling and putting in a new engineered wood. Now it's my turn to decorate, and I don't know …Read more.
Two Seating Pieces can Double Your Fireplace Pleasure
Q: How should I arrange furniture in a large contemporary living room with a fireplace on one wall adjoining a window on the side wall, with the space open to the dining area? I plan to buy a new sofa, but I have no idea where to position it. We …Read more.
An Open-and-Shut Case For Dressing Doors Differently
Q: Our sun porch has six windows plus a French door that leads out to the patio. My furniture is mostly traditional, so I'm thinking of using pleated draperies on the windows. But what should I do with the door? It opens into the room, so more …Read more.
Ask Michelangelo: To Wallpaper a Ceiling, it Helps to be an Artist
Q: We have a quirky room, a sun porch with six, large arched windows and a cove ceiling — lots of different angles. I would like to wallpaper the ceiling, too, but I don't know how to handle the curves. Any helpful hints?
A: Wallpapering …Read more.
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Give Namby-Pamby Neutrals the Color-Punch of BlackQ: I have always liked living with calm, neutral colors, but lately, I've decided all that beige may just be too bland. Without getting all new furniture (not the year for that!), what can I do to punch up my color scheme (taupe, cream, and beige-beige-beige)? A: Contrast. It's an eight-letter word for adding zest to a color scheme. See what we mean in the up-market pictured sitting room. New York designer William Sofield casts a golden glow over his Greenwich Village pied-a-terre with a palette of mostly neutrals. It's the exceptions — the black armchair, strong artwork and deep-toned wood furniture — that give the space its visual energy. And without ruffling the overall calm and luxury feeling, those draperies are made of cashmere, the better to ward off the winter chills, says the designer. "Real glamour is rooted in practicality," Sofield told Michael Lassell, author of "Glamour: Making It Modern," the new book published by Filipacchi, from which we borrowed this photo. Sofield's touches of gold on accessories like the drapery rods, candlesticks and mirror don't downplay the glamour. But all that glitters does not visual interest make: hence those strokes of black for gravitas. You can easily follow the design pro's lead without jettisoning your current furniture. Add dark-toned decorative pillows to a beige sofa. Change white picture mats for black ones. Paint the inside back of a bookcase charcoal gray ... you get the idea. While we're on the subject of neutral color scheme, listen to the advice of The Trend Curve, a marketing group that tracks the latest in decorating ideas. They identify four categories of neutrals you should consider: 1. "Whisper-Light Pales" — from cream to muted olive to a purple so faint it may look brown or pink 2. 3. "Metamorphic Mid-Values" — greenish browns and grays with splashes of mauve, beige and deep blues 4. "True Deeps" — tones you might find on a dense forest floor: greens, browns, grays and the blues of evergreen needles, accented with golden moss and light mineral tones A far cry from your same-old beige, yes? Who says neutrals are boring? Q: Our neighbors added a great room to their home, which practically sits on the property line. It has big windows all around, so they can look into our living room. We put up blinds, but I hate having them closed all the time. What else can you suggest that will let in the light but give us a little privacy? A: Do it with mirrors. There are window films that let you see out but not vice versa. One version turns the outside glass into a mirrored surface that also reflects heat and glare, more good reasons to consider window film (sources include Vista, 3M, and Sears). Uncle Sam is even offering up to $1,500 tax credits for making your windows energy-efficient (windowfilmtaxcredit.com). Remember what designer Sofield said about real glamour being rooted in practicality? You might also consider something more decorative. Wallpaperforwindows.com and Brewster Home Fashions (800-366-1700) make appliques that look like stained or beveled glass when you press them onto your plain old windows. . Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Manhattan Style," "Hampton Style," and five other books on interior design. To find out more about Rose Bennett Gilbert and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM. 
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