Q We've just finished building a large great room. Although we've added new floors and furnishings and painted the walls, the room still feels unfinished. What can we do?
-- Donna Miglin, Huntsville, Ont.
A Finishing your great room by adding rugs and window treatments will make it feel cosy without taking away from the view, which is definitely the main focus of your new addition. Hang drapery panels on the sides of the larger windows (as seen in the picture above), except the angled upper ones, to soften the walls and windows; select a colour found in the sofa and chairs.
Add simple two-inch light-tone oak blinds for privacy at night and a natural touch during the day. A nine- by 12-foot area rug in the main sitting area will tie all the furnishings together and help define the living area. A decorative runner in front of the door will also help divide the two sitting areas and introduce more colour into the space. Take your inspiration for the area rug and runner from the furniture, making sure to choose tones that are richer and deeper than those of the furnishings in order to ground and tie them together.
Q I'd like to paint my kitchen cupboards and walls. My countertops are currently a rosy mocha colour. What colour would you recommend?
-- Val Dunham, Edmonton
A In my opinion, there are really only two colourways for kitchen cupboards: white or dark brown. A dark espresso colour, which is trendy now, will update the cupboards, but you'll probably want a change in a few years when it's out of fashion. For that reason, I suggest painting the cupboards white for a classic look that will be easier to live with longer. If you have white trim in your house, paint the cupboards the same colour.
The first step is to have the cupboard doors and drawers removed and sprayed by a professional for a smooth finish. If you're going to do the job yourself, prepare the doors by sanding and priming them, and apply paint with a foam roller.
This is also a good time to remove the old hardware, fill in the screw holes and add new up-to-date choices. For an eclectic look, choose decorative bronze knobs for the cupboards, and bronze pulls for the drawers. The bronze tone will blend beautifully with the rosy mocha countertops.
For the walls, I'd suggest Autumn Brown 2099-40 from Benjamin Moore, a rich mocha colour that contains a hint of pink. It will not only tie the countertops into the overall scheme, but the dark shade will lend some drama, too. To add punch, introduce green accents (green and pink are opposite on the colour wheel and complement each other nicely) throughout the room.
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