Design Q&A

I have a small apartment in Boston and am not sure of the rules. Are you supposed to get smaller furniture for a small room, and how do I make my small space look bigger?

How do I know how much furniture will fit into my space, and can someone help me plan it out?

I just bought my first condo and I have no furniture. How do I know where to start?

I have a really big family room and I'm imagining a large sectional is probably the best way to fill such a space. Do you have any other ideas on how to fill a large family room?

My husband and I are shopping for a new dining set. I prefer French Country and my husband's style is Modern. Can we combine our different styles to create a look we both like?

I have an open floor plan where my living room, dining room, and kitchen are all visible to one another. What type of area rugs should I get? Do I need to buy three of the same rugs to help bring everything together?

I have a small apartment in Boston and am not sure of the rules. Are you supposed to get smaller furniture for a small room, and how do I make my small space look bigger?

First of all, forget about “the rules". While there are some definite decorating tricks that will create the illusion of a roomier space, you must first determine what you like and what your needs are, and then apply “the rules ” – or reject them – accordingly. The key to enjoying a small space is to avoid overcrowding it. By building off your essential pieces for everyday living, you can create a look that is spatially efficient as well as stylish. Choosing a style you like and feel comfortable in, rather than concentrating merely on the scale of your furniture will create a look that you’ll be happy with, not only for right now but also for a longer term. Choose pieces that have versatility in function; for instance, find cocktail tables with storage, use ottomans that double as extra seating, or select accent chairs that swivel so they have more than one orientation in the room. Accentuate your vertical space. You might consider painting the walls in light, neutral tones, contrasting the upper molding, and painting the ceiling white. Adding tall mirrors, artwork, or bookshelves will draw the eye up over the entire space, creating a grander feel. Finally, get rid of all non-essential pieces and keep organized! Clutter can crowd a space, especially a small one, so edit yourself and keep only what you really use. Your space will not only be more efficient, but also more aesthetically sound and relaxing.
How do I know how much furniture will fit into my space, and can someone help me plan it out?

The secret to good space planning is to first determine what function you need your room to serve. Do this by asking and answering a series of questions: * Will your bedroom be used mainly as a sleeping area, or would you like to read or study in the room as well? How much closet space do you have? * How much storage do you actually need, and for what items? * What size mattress do you and/or your partner require? * Do you watch television or movies in your bedroom? * Is there overhead or track lighting, or will table and floor lamps need to be strategically placed? Once you've thought about and answered these questions, it will be easier to decide which bedroom pieces will be both functional and stylish for your room. After choosing these essential pieces, you will be able to choose bedding, wall coverings, window treatments, and lighting that will make your bedroom your own. Come into any one of our six stores and let our home design associates work with you to create a plan for your room and show you styles and fabrics that reflect your personality.
I just bought my first condo and I have no furniture. How do I know where to start?

Furnishing an entire condominium and starting with a blank slate can seem overwhelming, but it is less daunting once you prioritize your particular furniture needs. Our first suggestion is to start with the absolute essentials, and then add on to these as you get used to living in your new space. Initially, your top priorities may be a mattress and foundation, a sofa, and a kitchen table and chairs. Once you have these basics in your new space for a little while, you will better understand how you use your new space and what additional furniture pieces you will need. If you are not sure of what your style is, you can browse through some home décor magazines and find photos of what you like and dislike. Not sure what fabrics or colors you want to put on your sofa? There are so many beautiful and exciting fabrics available today that you will be able to find some that will both express your individual style and serve the function of the space. If you already have an “inspiration” piece of artwork, or an heirloom cocktail table, or a decorative souvenir from a vacation, these items can give you a good start in determining the room’s color scheme. Also, consider what function each room will serve. Is the living room primarily for sitting and reading or watching television, or will it be used for entertaining as well? Bring us your ideas, your magazine clippings, and your room dimensions and we will be happy to help you create a look that will make your new blank slate feel like home.
I have a really big family room and I'm imagining a large sectional is probably the best way to fill such a space. Do you have any other ideas on how to fill a large family room?

A great solution to consider is dividing the space into functional areas that fit your family’s life styles. By arranging furniture to divide the space, the room will have more balance and personality. You could still create a sitting area around the TV, perhaps with a sofa and loveseat or a smaller sectional and then treat the remaining space differently. For instance, you can create a cozy reading area by adding one or two chairs with a small table and lamp to the remaining space. Another big challenge in the family room is often keeping the kid’s toys in check. By adding a decorative chest for toys and an accent rug to distinguish the play area from the TV viewing area, you will instantly create a designated space for the kids to play, leaving the sitting area of the family room more neat and organized. Lastly, if you are a family that likes to entertain, add a pub table and chairs with a small enclosed wine bar to occupy that extra open space. These are just a few ways to make the most of a large open area.
My husband and I are shopping for a new dining set. I prefer French Country and my husband's style is Modern. Can we combine our different styles to create a look we both like?

Absolutely. One of the most exciting things about home décor nowadays is that good design can borrow elements from a variety of different influences. While the more traditional approach of unifying the design of a room by using furniture, fabrics, wall coverings, window treatments, lighting, and accessories all from the same period is certainly still valid, a much more holistic and eclectic approach has developed, allowing spaces to reflect the individuality and personalities of the people that live in them. There are quite a few options for couples like this one, whose individual styles differ. In this particular case, one possibility is to choose a dining table and server with clean, modern lines, then pair it with relaxed, slipcovered toile chairs. Or perhaps a focal point of the room could be a distressed white baker’s rack stacked with modern dishes and pottery, contrasted with a stark black dining table and painted white Napoleon chairs with seats upholstered in black and white ticking. In any room, color and accessories play vital roles as unifying elements. In this couple’s dining room, dishes, centerpieces, wall decorations, window treatments, and lighting fixtures from French Country to Modern to anywhere in between can combine to satisfy each person’s style, and can easily provide the middle ground where these two individuals’ previously opposing styles meet. Let us help you mix things up!
I have an open floor plan where my living room, dining room, and kitchen are all visible to one another. What type of area rugs should I get? Do I need to buy three of the same rugs to help bring everything together?

You definitely don’t need to buy three of the same rugs to maintain a flow between the rooms. Instead create visual interest and creativity to your home décor by incorporating three very different, but coordinating area rugs. Key design elements to keep in mind when shopping for rugs that will need to compliment one another are; patterns of different scale, colors that are repetitive, varying rug shapes, and geometric patterns. When purchasing area rugs for multiple rooms or spaces that are visible to one another keep your color palette and design style in mind. Start with a piece (in this instance a rug) that you absolutely love and use this piece as your base to incorporate other colors and patterns. For example, if you purchase an Oriental rug for the living room - the dining room rug does not have to mimic the colors in that rug exactly. Just bring in two or three colors from the Oriental rug and change the pattern or shape underneath the table. By incorporating some of the same colors in a different pattern, it creates a soft transition from room to room, but keeps both spaces balanced. As you continue into the kitchen bring in another pattern of different scale and just one or two colors used in the dinning room. Great rooms and open floor plans are becoming more and more popular in new construction and they can be more of a challenge to decorate, but don’t let them frustrate you! When furnished correctly, open floor plans are a wonderful way to incorporate various elements of your style into one cohesive look.