DECORATING ADVICE : New Carpeting Would Be a Smart Mauve

Question: I am redecorating my living room. I can change carpeting and the wall coverings, and I could add another chair. I have a sofa and love seat. They are off-white with mauve and green stripes. I have a mauve Queen Anne chair and two fireside chairs of dark green moire. The walls are covered with a dark-green paneling, and the carpet is a lighter shade of green.

I cannot change the pine paneling or the off-white draperies. The lighting in the room is indirect, so I cannot use valances.

Mrs. Dollisin

Answer: Your room sounds very attractive to me. Why not give it some dash with black and light-green cushions on your sofa? If you must change something, change the carpeting from light-green to a rich mauve. Leave the dark-green walls as they are.

Q: I have an open two-story contemporary family room with two-story windows along two walls. There are no window treatments. The walls are white. A large black-leather sectional dominates the room. The coffee table is brass with a glass top, and the carpet is a caramel color. I have two large abstract paintings, which add color. I’d like to soften the stark look, but I must keep the sofas.

Kay Fulmer

A: Soften the look of your contemporary living room with accessories. Find some colorful contemporary pillows for the sofa. You might even choose pillows with an American Indian look. Find some bright Indian-red lamps to use on a table behind the sofa. Hang an Indian blanket beside the abstract paintings. Purchase a large contemporary light fixture for your room.

Q: My living room seems to lack something, and I’d like to add a new color to the scheme. It is cream, beige, peach and brown. I am enclosing a sample of the couch upholstery.

The draperies are dark peach, and the carpeting is cinnamon-brown. The walls are light beige. One chair is cream with peach trim. The throw pillows on the couch are made of the same material as the couch. I have a couple of brass planters with green plants in the room. There are also brass candlesticks with orange candles on a table. The ceiling is white.

I was considering adding aqua to the color scheme. Would that be a good choice? If so, how would I work it into the room?

Mary Cook

A: Your living room scheme is very monochromatic. Consider purchasing a new carpet in bright green or rich royal blue. If you choose the green, you could add green braid to your peach draperies. If you choose the blue, then you could use blue braid. The lamps in the blue-carpeted room could be made of blue and white Canton vases. If the scheme is the green, choose a Chinese design of black and green.

The brass planters and candlesticks no doubt add a shiny note to your setting. I would not use the aqua in the room, since that color has the same intensity as peach. Choose a bolder tone for your accents, such as the rich green or royal blue.