Decorating Diary: Brightening a dark room | Reading Eagle

| Joan Friedman

Q: I would like to use a deep color for the wall paint but am concerned about it darkening the room. Any suggestions?

A: Break it up with white or off-white wood trim and ceiling. Use the reverse for upholstered pieces, such as a light background with this deeper color in it.•••Q: I have a small apartment, and the living room is all beige. I would like to make it more interesting, but how?A: Here's an example. Choose an afghan in colors of pink and purple and fold it on a chair or ottoman. On a sofa, place small, different-shaped pillows in pink and purple, and one in a pattern of both colors. Across the room, you may enjoy an arrangement of silk or real purple flowers. It would be nice to show off some decorative candles in one of your colors. Assuming you have a large painting showing the two colors, you will have a warm and beautiful arrangement. If that large painting is in shades of blue and green, update your accessories to match these colors.When dealing in a plain room and searching for an upholstery material, you will have the most fun with a pattern. That way you can match the color of the other furniture or the rug, and add interest with another color or two.Best bet: Your room may be happiest with one main color and two accessories per room. The green stems on flowers would not be considered one of the main colors.•••Q: I am looking for a comforter for my bedroom in shades of gray and peach. No floral patterns. The room is contemporary.A: Most of the gray and peach styles are florals; however, there are many geometrics and stripes. You may fine a beautiful gray and white pattern and a coordinating pattern in a soft pink, perhaps one for the comforter and one for the bed linens. Window blinds always perk up a room.•••Q: There are two small bedrooms across from the den in my new condo. I am all out of ideas. Wall to wall carpeting is in beige throughout. The den is in shades of brown and beige. What colors should I use in the other rooms?A: Here is a way to make your selections easy. Choose the bedspread or the painting for each room. These are the colors to use throughout each room.•••Q: I am planning on papering the master bedroom and bath, and was told that the closet also should be papered. This will be expensive wallpaper. How necessary is it to paper the closet?A: Not necessary, but it is attractive to include this area in your decorating. Instead of papering it, a bright color from the wallpaper could be painted in here for a fun look.•••Q: I saw a magazine picture of attractive framed prints in different sizes displayed in between the lower and higher cabinets. Do you think it will be too crowded?A: It's a great place to add something unusual, but you wouldn't want it in an area where you prepare food. It would be very hard to keep everything clean. If it is just extra space away from where the work is done, it would be great.Decorating Diary appears Thursdays. Contact J.G. Friedman at The Decorator, Life, Reading Eagle Company, P.O. Box 582, Reading, PA 19603-0582; email jgdecorating@comcast.net.