Ask Us! You’ve got design questions. We’ve got the answers. Designer and Style at Home contributor Karl Lohnes solves your decorating challenges.

Q➊ I would like to repaint the front door of my house. My house has beige siding. Which colour options would look best?

Julia D., via email

S@H  Painting the front door is an easy way to update the facade of your home. The front door should have its own colour – don’t paint shutters or the side or garage doors to match. Since your house is a neutral colour, choose a different neutral with an undertone for a subtle, classic colour combo. If you want more drama, almost any blue will look great with warm beige siding. I like Evening Dove 2128-30, with its blue undertone, and Gray Mountain 1462, which has a lavender undertone (all colours in this answer are from Benjamin Moore).

EVENING DOVE 2128-30, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.ca

GRAY MOUNTAIN 1462, Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.ca

Another approach is to choose a hue on the colour wheel that’s opposite to the house’s main colour. For example, if the home is red brick, choose green for the door. If it’s yellow brick, choose blue. If it’s white, almost any colour will add oomph. In this house (above), a bright teal (Teal Sky C-5487) wakes up the white siding (Silk Tie C-5306), giving a beach-town vibe.

A favourite tip of mine is to paint the inside of the door the same colour as the exterior to connect the interior with the facade. As for finish, glossy is popular right now and it tends to be easier to clean.

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Q➋ Can you advise me about mixing different types and colours of wood in the same room? My floors are light wood and the furniture is darker. Should I paint some of the furniture to reduce the number of different wood finishes?

Rosetta O., via email

S@H  People tend to collect a lot of wood in their homes over time. Inherited furnishings, new pieces and second-hand finds mix with structural elements like wood floors and kitchen cabinetry, and we end up with a mishmash of wood tones and colours. But have no fear. You can fix this. My rule is to have no more than three different wood stain colours in an open area; any more and your place starts to look like a used furniture shop. Solutions include refinishing and restaining furnishings to simplify the overall look (note that it’s usually easier to go darker rather than lighter with stain colours); and when installing new floors or kitchen cabinetry, choose ones that blend in with your three-stain colour plan. You can also paint furniture, as you suggested.

White or cream paint will brighten a piece, but it will also give it a more casual or even country vibe; a black or dark taupe colour will lend a more sophisticated look. And a final thought: if you have a lot of different woods in a space, keep rugs, wall colours and upholstered furniture light, neutral and pattern-free.

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Q➌ I’m renovating my bathroom this summer and love the look of creamy travertine stone for the floors. Is it durable for bathrooms?

Paul, via email

S@H  Travertine is all the rage right now with its creamy beige, natural look. It will remain popular for the next 10 or more years, so if you like travertine, then it’s a sensible investment for long-term elements like flooring and countertops. Travertine pairs up beautifully with other creamy, off-white elements in the same room. For instance, in a bathroom, choose warm white or cream-coloured porcelain for the tub, toilet and sink. Note that natural travertine can be porous and should be sealed after installation to make it impervious to water and stains. Because travertine is so popular, you can also find porcelain and engineered stone surfaces, like Dekton, that offer both a natural look and greater durability. Many of those surfaces come in popular large-format sizes for a continuous look on floors and walls with minimal grout lines or seams.