Q: We have a tiny room off the kitchen that used to be the butler's pantry. I'd like to turn it into a breakfast nook, but there are three windows, not much wall space, and just about enough room for a center table and chairs. What to do with three windows in a row? How can I give the little room a little personality?

A: Color and courage are always an unbeatable combination.

Small spaces can pack big impact, as you can see in the little eating area we show here!

Painted an extroverted chartreuse, wall-to-wall, this tiny room radiates energy enough to rouse any sleepyhead. Never mind that there's just space in here for the table and chairs, the room is big on character, thanks also to the dark-stained wood blinds on the trio of windows.

The blinds are a doubly smart choice, in this case: They offer light and privacy control without taking up excess space, either physically or visually. (They are Heartland Wood Blinds with 2-inch slats from Budget Blinds/Home Franchise Concepts).

In the midst of such colorful goings-on, the tropical plant towering over all is the only other accessory necessary.

Q: We have just barely finished unpacking in our new apartment and my husband's family has called to say they are coming for four days between Christmas and New Year's! What can we do fast to make the apartment more hospitable? We have just one weekend to get ready (as if the holidays weren't busy enough already!)

A: First, acknowledge that you'll be doing this to satisfy your own sense of hospitality — any right-thinking relative should be aware of the awesome inconvenience they're laying on you and not dare to be critical.

However, a weekend does offer time enough to make an esthetic difference. Here's how I'd use it:

— Arrange the living room to accommodate the family unit comfortably: sofa, chairs, cocktail table and lamps, underscored with an area rug (there's still time to order online and have one delivered).

— Hang at least one wall with an attractive-if-temporary arrangement of art and mirrors (use removable hooks, such as 3M's Scotch Command, so you won't mar the wall if you decide later to change things around).

— Paint one dining room/area wall a deep rich color (warm red always works.

— Curtain the guestroom windows instantly and cheaply with Indian cotton bedspreads clipped to spring-tension rods and tied back with grosgrain. Cover the bed(s) to match.

— A cotton bedspread also makes a smart shower curtain (with a nylon liner).

— Fill bare shelves fast with a string of holiday lights and greens.

— Position table and floor lamps strategically to warm empty corners with light. There's nothing more depressing than living under bright overhead lights alone.

Then relax and try to enjoy both the holidays and your invasive in-laws. It just may be that they've done you a great favor by pushing you to settle in so quickly!

Photo: Courtesy Budget Blinds.

Tailored wood blinds leverage brilliant color in a small room that makes a design statement far larger than its floorspace. Photo: Courtesy Budget Blinds.

Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Manhattan Style" and six other books on interior design. To find out more about Rose Bennett Gilbert and read features by Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at CREATORS.com.