Question: My two daughters and I moved into our house last July. I am a widow with no interior design sense. Can you help? My girls want a better-looking (more sophisticated) living room. I am not opposed to new furniture if necessary. I have no clue what to do.

DARRELL CULLEN
San Mateo

Answer: From the pictures and floor plan you sent of the living room and dining area, it appears that these spaces must fulfill several family functions simultaneously: The living room is also the TV watching area, and the dining area is doubling as the computer work area, perhaps a home office or student work space.

This furniture layout shows several areas that can be used by everyone in the family at the same time, so there's a feeling of staying connected yet without disturbing each other.

Let's start with the most significant change -- adding a combination TV cabinet and desk space. I've designed this unit to better separate the living and dining rooms and to be very functional. Someone can be working at the desk while someone else is watching TV or reading. The new wall unit is two-sided; on the living room side is a cabinet for a TV and stereo system that incorporates the design of the built-in bookcase that's already there. On the dining room side, it has a large desk area for the computer and work space. It can even incorporate a floor-to-ceiling bookcase on the wall perpendicular to it. The desk can have shelves (with or without doors) above it, and drawers below. The unit itself can be closed off with pocket, 180- degree swing or folding doors on both sides so it's attractive when you have guests. The new furniture arrangement in the living room puts the largest piece of furniture, the sofa, in front of your picture window. This window doesn't appear to offer a particularly dynamic view, so it's acceptable to use it as the backdrop for the sofa and turn your back on the view. Additionally, with an interesting window treatment behind the sofa, this window wall sets the stage for the rest of the room. In front of the sofa is a coffee table. Everything else in the room is square or rectangular, so use an oval table to break up all these straight lines and soften the look. To complete the conversation area, place two comfortable chairs opposite the sofa. The one nearest the fireplace might have a higher back, perhaps like a wing chair, but the one that's floating in the middle of the room should have a lower back so it doesn't obstruct the line of sight from the sofa to the TV.

Another comfortable area for reading and watching TV is created with a club chair and matching ottoman. Put a little table and reading lamp next to it. When more people gather in this room, this club chair can be turned toward the conversation area and the ottoman can be pulled around and be used as an additional moveable seat.

Your small cabinet with mirror will be perfect near the front door, where it can be used as a place to put keys and check how you look before you leave the house.

Your console table is placed next to the fireplace and is useful for serving guests in either the living or dining room, and the dining room still has your hutch, dining table and six chairs.

After arranging the furniture and adding the TV/desk wall unit, concentrate on coordinating colors, accessories, lighting and plants.

The carpet, window treatments and large furniture are the focus, so select a dominant color that you like. Choose versions of it and two other colors that complement it for the secondary furniture and accessories.

To educate yourself about using colors most effectively, browse through home decorating magazines. Look at how the rooms you like are put together, how the carpeting "grounds" the furniture, how the drapes complement the sofa, how throw pillows pick up the color in the drapes and other details.

If you're still overwhelmed at the prospect of pulling off this transformation by yourself, then it's time to call in a decorator. Some are available on an hourly basis for consultations to set you on the right path. It's an affordable way to avoid costly mistakes when making large purchasing decisions.

 

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