Many people like to decorate with what I call the "subtles." Bythat I mean color combinations such as gray and green, cream andgray, or olive, rust and gray.
Some refer to these as non-colors; they are simply tints thatseem to create magic in rooms that have a collection of Europeanantiques or objets d'art from the Marco Polo era.
If you are a subtle person with a desire for a subtle look, trythis decorating scheme for your living room: Select a wallcoveringwith a gray and beige stripe design - perhaps one of those crackledtextured stripes that are very popular these days. At the windows,hang olive-green taffeta draperies, the kind that have a reflectiveand iridescent quality. Use wooden poles and wooden rings, and tiethe draperies back with rich cording. The taffeta curtains will lookparticularly elegant if they are hung over windows treated withwooden louver shutters.
Now for the sofa: Pick a gray and beige tweed for theupholstery, and accent it with exotic throw cushions made of tapestryfabric and spotted faux animal fur.
A room with muted colors needs interesting furniture. Considera French bergere with a pine frame, upholstered in a subtle beige andgreen tweed. Or try a coromandel Chinese screen for a littleintrigue. For the coffee table, my suggestion would be one with ananodized-green metal base and a glass top. Again, we're looking formaterials that reflect light. On the coffee table, accessories suchas a big wooden lacquer box and a set of candlesticks would make the perfect subtle statement.
And of course, a sophisticated room like this needs books, and abookcase or armoire to house them. You might even consider a steeland glass etagere for your books, since it won't take up a lot ofwall space or look cumbersome. Fill the shelves with classicaccessories: an old Roman bust, a series of antique Israeli bottlesand some leather books.
Q. I share your enthusiasm for hunter green and would appreciate your advice. I just moved into a 50-year-old two-story brickColonial home that has beautiful floors, baseboards and window trim.The living room will be used for reading, casual entertaining andgathering around the fireplace. Using hunter green and traditionalfurniture, what do you suggest for a sofa, chairs, accentcolors/pieces and window treatments?
A. Begin by installing a crown molding around the room, as wellas a chair rail. Paint or stain the crown molding a soft walnutcolor. Paint the walls below the crown molding to the top of thechair rail hunter green. For your sofa, select a brick-red tweedfabric. On your club chairs use a flowered print that featuresshades of green, white, yellow and soft pink on a red-brickbackground. Pick a hunter-green and white check fabric for the seatsof the occasional chairs. An antique trunk would make a nice coffeetable, and purchase some old wrought-iron standing lamps with piercedshades for occasional lighting. Use an Americana hooked rug for thefloor in front of your fireplace.
Q. We live in a row house that has two small 1950-stylebathrooms. The tiles in one of the bathrooms are blue; in the other,pink. The shower tiles are barely 5 1/2 feet high, so I am uneasyabout using wallpaper to brighten up these baths. I am consideringsponge painting or stenciling.
A. Why not paint 3-inch-wide stripes of blue, white and forestgreen on the walls of your blue-tiled bathroom. For the showercurtain and window curtain, choose a bright flower print of yellowand green on a white background.
For your pink tiled bathroom, why not sponge glaze your walls(washable sponge glaze, of course) in pink and lilac. Stencil somelavender flowers with green leaves around the room for a garlandeffect. For windows, choose white louver shutters. The showercurtain can be lavender, trimmed and tied back with cotton cord.
Questions should be addressed to Carleton Varney, ChicagoSun-Times Features, 401 N. Wabash, Chicago 60611.
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