QUESTION: Our family room is very long and narrow with a fireplace on one of the long walls flanked by two windows. We've tried to rearrange the furniture in a position other than along the walls, but nothing works. Help! -- Jason and Beverly, Huntington.
ANSWER: Unfortunately, if your room is very narrow, lining the walls with the large furniture pieces, like the sofa, may be your only option. Trying to place the sofa perpendicular to the fireplace would probably only make a very effective roadblock. You can however, create a very cozy seating area with the fireplace as the focal point by using two chairs at right angles to your fireplace and the couch along the wall directly across from it. All of these pieces could be surrounding a small coffee table and be anchored on an area rug to define it as one space.
Now that you have your main seating area, if your room is long enough, create a couple of areas for different purposes. At one end, you can place a small dining table and chairs for eating or playing games and cards. At the other end, choose a corner to add a small reading nook with a comfortable chair and ottoman and a reading lamp. If there's no room for a side table, consider using a floor lamp that takes up minimum space. You might even find space for a small bookshelf along the wall next to your chair.
QUESTION: We are getting ready to put ceramic tile down in our kitchen and wondered about putting something different around the border of the room like pictured in lots of magazines. Should we use a smaller tile that blends with our large one or choose one to stand out? -- Paula, Barboursville.
ANSWER: Using a different tile to create a border on the floor is very appealing to the eye, like using an area rug to ground a space. Be careful about the color you choose, though, if your kitchen is on the small size. A contrasting color could make the area appear smaller, while running the larger main tiles all the way under the cabinets and appliances would create a flow that would make the area appear more spacious. Another trick to make the space seem larger is to lay the tile on the diagonal. If your kitchen is large, a border on the floor would be beautiful and help define the area. On the other hand, if your kitchen is small, a border would be beautiful. In other words, consider these guidelines and do what pleases you. There is no right or wrong.
Karen Hysell is the owner The Finished Room in South Point, Ohio. Her columns will appear each Thursday in The Herald-Dispatch. E-mail her your decorating questions at decoratinggal1@aol.com.
7-day Archive
