DECORATING ADVICE : Put Some Pizazz in Your Dining Room

Question: My dining room and living room need pizazz! Both rooms are white with brown trim, and the carpeting is a multicolor brown. My dining chairs are a sand, and my sofas are dark rust. I was thinking of a white accent rug for under the coffee table. I have some red accents, but I need help. Should I reupholster the dining chairs? What color should the draperies be?

Jill Griffin

Answer: Your dining room does need a face lift. I suggest you paint your walls Wedgwood blue. Paint the trim ecru white and paint your ceiling white. Reupholster the seats of your dining room chairs in a rich salmon color. Your draperies can be a zippy print of salmon, Wedgwood blue, ecru white and nutmeg brown. Slipcover your sofas in the same fabric.

Q: What color paint would go with a red rug and what type of draperies?

Mrs. P. Glory

A: Almost any color will work with red, so choose one to fit the mood you want to create. Soft yellow or soft aqua would look vibrant with a red rug. If you want a cozy look, paint your walls cream or dark green. Navy blue will lend a classic, patriotic tone, and gold will bring an exotic look.

Here’s a plan I particularly like: Cover the walls with a soft, buttery yellow paint and the trim with a white semi-gloss enamel. Hang a print drapery on brass poles at your windows. The print can be bright red, soft blue and green on a soft yellow background, perhaps in a pattern that features apples or pears. Upholster the sofa or a pair of club chairs with a quilted version of the print.

Q: I want to spruce up my home, but I don’t have any money. Any suggestions?

Cindy French

A: Hold on. There are lots of simple, inexpensive ways to bring new life to old decor. If you’re dying for a change but think you can’t afford it, try a few of these suggestions.

Take an inventory of the lampshades in all your rooms, and replace the ones that are scorched or coming loose from the frame. One lampshade maker in New York City creates shades using the old frames. String, quilted fabric and linens are just a few of the materials this artisan uses. If your shades merely need a lift, add colorful trim to them.

Examine the painted walls in your house. Think about repainting those plain off-white walls with a sparkling new color such as azalea red, pumpkin, rich royal blue or tangy pineapple. Dark-colored walls can really add sparkle to a setting. Remember: Cream, beige and white are not the only neutral colors in the world. If your living room scheme is cranberry, beige and soft green, there is no reason why you can’t paint your walls rich hunter green with white trim.

Check out your upholstery, and begin to think about recovering or slipcovering it. I prefer slipcovers; they really transform a room. If you have a living room that is all white, you might want to cover the sofa with pumpkin and yellow slipcovers. Against a white wall, white piano and white draperies, the new colors will sparkle.

And don’t forget to look beneath your feet! Do the floors need polishing, carpeting, restaining or bleaching? You’ll be surprised at what a difference a bleached floor with a stencil design will make. A white floor really makes a room come alive.