Dream the impossible in one hour, to quickly makeover your home with little fuss and minimal time
involved.
The quickest way to transform a space is to:
1. Rearrange: Change the view, make a new focal point and stop "arresting your furniture –
everything up against the wall!" Keep moving pieces until you discover a refreshing setup. The key
to a newly arranged living room is that it can have zones, like an armchair with a lamp for reading, a
couch and chair for entertaining, and a corner with a desk as an office.
2. Take It Away: Subtracting pieces helps a room breathe. Choose two or three key elements like the color
green, glass, and something modern, then take away everything that does not have some of the key
elements. Pare down your magazines/books so that they won’t overpower the accessories on display.
4. Dress It Up: Adding new pillows and a nice throw can make it look like you’ve got a brand-new couch or
armchair. Reframe photos with matching frames and buy new lampshades.
5. Brighten Up: Flowers should be for every day, not just special occasions. Even the humblest
grocery-store bouquet brings a burst of color and life to a space.
6. Hide Away: The credenza is the perfect place to stash media technology. Let’s be honest. No one wants
to stare at a stereo or DVD player.
7. The High’s and Low’s: To emphasize the ceiling’s height, use dramatic draperies that cascade from
ceiling to floor. The pictures on the wall, on the other hand might need to be lowered – the center of
the pictures should be at eye level.
(Rebecca Cole’s Digging in the Garden column is part of On the House media, www.onthehouse.com.)Dream the
impossible in one hour, to quickly makeover your home with little fuss and minimal time involved.
The quickest way to transform a space is to:
1. Rearrange: Change the view, make a new focal point and stop "arresting your furniture –
everything up against the wall!" Keep moving pieces until you discover a refreshing setup. The key
to a newly arranged living room is that it can have zones, like an armchair with a lamp for reading, a
couch and chair for entertaining, and a corner with a desk as an office.
2. Take It Away: Subtracting pieces helps a room breathe. Choose two or three key elements like the color
green, glass, and something modern, then take away everything that does not have some of the key
elements. Pare down your magazines/books so that they won’t overpower the accessories on display.
4. Dress It Up: Adding new pillows and a nice throw can make it look like you’ve got a brand-new couch or
armchair. Reframe photos with matching frames and buy new lampshades.
5. Brighten Up: Flowers should be for every day, not just special occasions. Even the humblest
grocery-store bouquet brings a burst of color and life to a space.
6. Hide Away: The credenza is the perfect place to stash media technology. Let’s be honest. No one wants
to stare at a stereo or DVD player.
7. The High’s and Low’s: To emphasize the ceiling’s height, use dramatic draperies that cascade from
ceiling to floor. The pictures on the wall, on the other hand might need to be lowered – the center of
the pictures should be at eye level.
(Rebecca Cole’s Digging in the Garden column is part of On the House media, www.onthehouse.com.)