Question from Kathryn Heemskerk:
"I have to paint my front entrance but do not know which colour to choose. There are four doors leading off the entrance and each area is painted a different colour. Which room affects the colour choice?"
Karl's answer:
You can do two things: highlight the entrance as another separate area; perhaps wallpaper the walls in a pattern or paint it a cold, bright colour (like red, purple or orange). If the house feels small or crampled, I suggest painting it the same colour as the living area. I would also paint the walls going upstairs the same colour. Using one colour will make a choppy small space flow better.
A few other decorative things you can do: Paint the trimwork the same colour as living room (white), define the entrance with a durable flooring like stone, tile or laminate and hang a light fixture with personality; a mirror will also help to make the entrance feel larger and brighter.
Question from Brian Eastcott:
"We have a large plain wall in our condo's spare bedroom/den. The ceilings are tall, we get lots of light and there is a concrete ceiling which helps add a modern touch. what can we do with this wall?"
Karl's answer:
It's obvious that you like modern décor and also bright colours. I would leave strong colours for the furnishings and accessories and repaint the walls in the room a more dramatic neutral colour; taking inspiration from the colour fo the concrete. I suggest granite af-660 from Benjamin Moore paints. The darker wall colour will help lighten the look of the concrete ceiling (which right now looks a bit heavy/grungy). I will also make the coloured furniture and accessories feel more important.
Purchase some interesting, large-scaled and fun artwork for above the sofa, which will show up nicely against a darker, neutral wall.
Question from Gail Taylor:
"We've recently renovated our family home (six of us live in the house). we've made the back of the house an open-concept kitchen/family/dining area. How large should our area rug be in the living room? Should we have a rug in the dinging room too?"
Karl's answer:
Area rugs are invaluable in open-concept spaces as they help to ‘ground' the furnishings into groupings. The rule of thumb for a living or family/sitting room is that the area rug needs to be at least 12" under the front legs of the furniture. I would use a 9x12 rug in the living area. an outdoor rug is a great option for busy households as they can easily be cleaned and are affordable.
As for the dining room, I would not add a rug. Usually one rug within one space is enough. a rug under the dining room table takes a lot of abuse from spills and chair legs. keeping the floor free of a rug will make busy corners feel less cramped too. if you decide to use an area rug in the dining area then make sure that the rug is 18-24 inches larger on each side of the table; measure the table, not the room!
Question from Joanna Stevenston:
"I recently bought a new condo. The living room has a full corner of glass windows. Which style of window treatments would work best? I am not a fan of mini-blinds."
Karl's answer:
There are two modern options that will help replace the mini blind option. The first option is the shearweave roller blind. it offers a variety of ligh filtering options and helps to keep the windows looking modern and sleek. you can order the weave of the blind looser or tighter depending on how much light you want to come through.
The second option is a vertical fabric blind called luminettes from Hunter Douglas. This will give you a clean, modern look of sheers. This look is great for creating a clean look and still looks great with traditional furnishings. Both options can be seen on the Hunter Douglas window fashion website.
If you have a decorating question that you would like Karl to answer, email him at homedecor@ctv.ca. For great decorating tips you can now follow Karl on Twitter @karllohnesCTV
