Tips for Displaying Art when Faced with Little Wall Space by Rose Bennett Gilbert on Creators.com

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Tips for Displaying Art when Faced with Little Wall Space

Q: The living room of our '60s ranch has almost no wall space. The picture window runs all the way across the front of the room and the other "walls" are mostly archways leading to the hall, the dining room and a small porch. We have just inherited a rather valuable painting from my husband's aunt. I guess we could hang it in the front hall or dining room, but it seems a waste not to enjoy looking at it. Any suggestions?

A: You might do as the Victorians often did: Stand the painting on an easel in one corner of your living room. The Victorians loved decorative easels — often elaborately carved or made of bamboo — so your chances are good of finding one at an auction or flea market.

You might also steal an idea from the pictured room. In a room graced wall-to-wall with glass, the decorator simply suspended a favorite painting using screw eyes set under the window frame; it appears to float over the window itself. Framed by fringed draperies on either side, such sleight of hand certainly puts the art front and center as the focal point of the room.

Two points to consider: 1. As the back of the painting will be on view to the outside world, think about covering it in a solid color, such as black felt, to make it virtually disappear. 2. If privacy's a problem, be sure to hang the painting so it clears the draperies when they're pulled shut.

This photo, by the way, shows one room among other decorating ideas in a new book, "Staged to Sell (or Keep)," by Jean Nayar and the experts at PointClickHome.com (Filipacchi Publishing).

Q: What's your favorite color?

A: If you're like roughly 70 percent of all adults, it's blue or green, says author Heather Knight.

Writing for a Benjamin Moore publication called "Ensemble," she says that "regardless of gender, nationality or income," most people name blue or green as their favorite color.

At the same time, Knight points out, "We also have an innate desire to fill our world with color variations," which might explain why "hot" colors are constantly sifting in and out of the marketplace.

So if you're in that 30 percentile that doesn't love blue or green the most, wait awhile. Like the weather, the color currents are about to change.

Q: Want a tip to prevent furniture from tipping?

A: Look for new restraints that help stabilize dressers, chests, armoires and other clothing storage units (more than 30-inches tall), so they won't tip over when the drawers are all open.

Children, not always known for neatness, are most vulnerable to furniture tip-overs. Therefore, the American Home Furnishings Alliance has adopted a voluntary safety standard developed by the ASTM International. To meet the standard, a dresser or chest must not tip when all drawers are open two-thirds of the way, or when a 50-pound weight is placed in an open drawer ... as when a child might be climbing up.

Furniture that complies with the new standard will have a permanent warning label as well as certified tip restraints you can use to secure it safely to a wall or woodwork. Learn more about furniture safety at www.findyourfurniture.com.

Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Hampton Style" and associate editor of Country Decorating Ideas. 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.