March 2000 - 1 & 2 of 6

1 - Make It Stand Out
Few decorating projects offer the luxury of starting from scratch. So we must learn how to maximize the special elements we already own. Perhaps you have a handsome brick fireplace, a magnificent needlepoint rug, a beautiful painting or a fabulous sofa that will star in the room. Make it stand out strongly with a neutral backdrop, or surround it with softer complementary colors to push it forward. Pick up its colors for other elements in order to refer everything back to this focal point.

2 - Conceal It!
In a less happy scenario, you may be stuck with an element – an almost new carpet or bathroom tile work in good condition but in a color or style you loathe. One approach is to conceal it. The unloved carpet color can be mostly obscured with an area rug. Hide or distract attention from the tile with an opaque shower curtain, a washable wall-to-wall rug, and big fluffy towels hung on racks. You can also work with an undesirable hue. A classic solution is to find a strong print that lightly incorporates a bit of the undesirable color, and then turn to the prints other hues for the remainder of the décor playing them up and minimizing the disliked color. Ceramic tile can also be refinished with special paint or, if you’re more ambitious, professionally reporcelained or tiled right over with thin-set mortar.