Furniture creates new looks

YOU DON'T have to spend thousands of dollars to create a beautiful

striking home interior.

According to a new home im-
provement video, creating an at-
tractive, inviting room has less to
do with what you have than how
you use it.

Here are several tips from the
video which you can use today to
create a beautiful home interior:

Start with function. How do
you want to use the room?

Will you work, eat, read, watch
TV?

Look at your present fur-
nishings and decide what you’ll
have to add or eliminate to meet
your needs.

Create a scale drawing on graph
paper of your floor plan and cut
out scale drawings of your fur-
niture to experiment with fur-
niture arrangements. Include
doorways (and door swings), win-
dows, fireplaces, stairways, bay
windows, etc.

Next, find a focal point. It
should provide the dramatic and
magnetic element that catches the
eye and draws you into a room.

A fireplace, built-in bookcase
or beautiful window are obvious
focal points.

Otherwise, use a large, bold
piece of furniture or painting, or
even several smal! things such as
an antique bench and a basket. of
_ dried flowers.

Experiment with your furniture
templates and floor plan, keeping
the focal point and these tips in
mind:

@ Avoid creating a lineup of
furniture around the room.

Instead, pull pieces away from
the walls into welcome, close-knit
groupings. '

@ Make sure there’s a handy
resting place for drinks or books
near every seating place.

@ Combine furnishings of dif-
ferent heights and hefis for tex-
ture.

@ Make the most of lights near
chairs and sofas, on desks, beside
the bed.

. Place lights behind large plants
to open up dark spaces.

Dramatize a piece of artwork by
lighting it.

@ Break up a big room into
two or more groupings for
coziness and better function.

@ While small-scaled fur-
nishings can help you make the
most of a small room, try one
large piece such as a vintage ar-

moire for a feeling of grandeur.

@ Rather than emphasize a
long, narrow area by lining walls
with furniture, place major fur-
nishings crosswise to break the
skinny room into a friendlier area.

Span the end wall with some-
thing wide, such as an oversize
poster or a group of bookcases.

@ Raise a low ceiling with
floor-to-ceiling window treat-

ments and tall furniture pieces.

Lower a ceiling with a colorful
area rug and low-level lighting,
and hanging artwork so that it’s
at eye level when you're seated.

@ Use furniture to subdivide a
space and create a room within a
room.

For example, if your front door
opens directly into your living
room, create an entrance by posi-
tioning a bookcase or sofa
perpendicular to the front door.

Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate

FURNITURE ALREADY in your home can be moved about the
house to create new styles. An unused den can become a quiet
tea and reading room simply by changing a few furnishings that

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