by Margot Gunther
 Resize Rooms With Color
Q: Because we have an older house, our ceilings are abnormally high, and at times I feel as if I am lost in the room. In addition, there is no sense of warmth or intimacy. How can we cure this without dropping the ceiling or doing major improvements?
Marie Wasiac
Evanston, Illinois

A: To ground your room and create a more intimate aura, try to visually drop the ceiling. The quickest, easiest way to achieve this is through the use of color. For a country look, the wallpapers in the photo offer good ideas. Instead of using a border paper at the ceiling or at chair-rail height, place it above the normal height and, at the same time, use another coordinating paper at the ceiling line. This will add another dimension to the room. Another trick to lower the ceiling is to paint the ceiling a color. Both of these solutions will draw your eye down into the room. In rooms that have windows, don’t use long draperies, which will create long vertical stripes; instead, just add a topper to the window, which again will bring the focus more into the room. Follow these guidelines and soon you will find that you have a cozy nook instead of a room with a barn-like feeling.
Photo courtesy of Waverly
Q: Like everyone, we are always in need of space. We have a small, misshaped room, which we sure could use if only we knew how to make it work. We could use a small dining room or some sort of hideaway. Any suggestions?
Irene Skolnick
San Diego, California

A: Illogical as it may sound, your room is the ideal place for an over-the-top, floor-to-ceiling wallpaper pattern. This same rule holds true for decorating small powder rooms: When you have an oversized pattern, you lose the sense of the size and shape of the room (the opposite effect of a stripe). Because you have visually erased the corners and angles, the room becomes less rigid, opening up the opportunity for limitless possibilities. Since you are being bold, make sure color is in the forefront, either in the wallpaper (as in this photo) or in your fabrics and accessories. If possible, use a matching pattern for fabrics, so that you become even more enveloped in the effect.
Photo courtesy of Gramercy

Q: My husband and I have a small, dark room in our new house that we would like to transform into a bright, friendly space—perhaps for use as a guest room. We are not terribly artistic and are looking for more of a quick-fix. We love the cottage style. Can you help?
Ellien McNeill
Piedmont, North Carolina

A: Since the room is so small, first you need to concentrate on the basics. A beautiful bed is obviously a priority. You can find lovely antique and reproduction frames at flea markets and on the Internet. Dress the bed with soft, luxurious linens—white is always right for the cottage feel. To save space, make your dresser serve double-duty as a bedstand. Again, white sets a relaxed, casual mood. The next step is color. Even though your space is small, be bold and paint or wallpaper your walls an intense hue, which will really liven things up, especially against all that white. Another way to brighten things up is with a trômpe l’oeil accent window. The one in the photo is light and airy, with shutters and an Impressionistic landscape. It creates an illusion of opening the room up and gives an added dimension to the space. To add to the effect, go to your home center and get a shelf with Victorian brackets to enhance the feeling of a real window. As a finishing touch, the hydrangea border adds a sweet note of cottage charm.
Photo courtesy of York Wallcoverings
Editor’s Note: Margot Gunther, ASID, is a designer who has worked on residential interiors, country inns and restaurants. •