Retiring? Ditch the dark, one piece at a time
Q. We are planning to retire at the end of the year and move to the lakeside bungalow we bought eight years ago. Suddenly, I realize our old furniture can't make the move with us - it's all dark wood and the upholstery is dark plaid and paisley. We didn't budget for a whole houseful of new furniture. What should we buy first?
A. Go for "investment" furniture - quality-made sofa and chairs. Then you can fill in with accessory pieces, like coffee and end tables, lamps, art and such. You might even consider painting some of your "brown" (wood) pieces and enlisting them for temporary duty while you're shopping for more permanent furnishings.
Remember, decorating should always be an ongoing project - a good reason to spend your retirement scouting out the furnishing options in your new environment.
Just keep thinking light, bright and fresh when you shop. Take the sunny room we show here as inspiration. It's a vacation for the eyes, in whites, pastels and lighthearted patterns (from top furniture manufacturer E.J. Victor, which showed off these and other new collections at the fall High Point Furniture Market in North Carolina).
Note how much of the fun shines from the designer's choice of accessories: the tropical artwork and collection of vibrant yellow pottery on the open showoff shelves. And the great thing about accessories is you can change them when your mood does, so your rooms always seem new and interesting.
Q. We're remodeling to open up the doorway between the dining room and the great room. Our desire is to retain privacy (sound proofing) when we have grown-up dinner guests and the kids are in the great room. How can we dial down the noise without actually closing off the doorway?
A. French doors could be a lovely answer. They're graceful and attractive, and - ta-dum! - they'll muffle the kids' noise and still let you keep an eye on what they're up to.
Personally, I have a thing for French doors almost everywhere inside the house, anywhere you want to let in the light, both actually and figuratively.
One exception: Recently, we stayed in a boutique hotel done over by a famously edgy architect. The rooms were tiny; the colors, dark; the attitude, daring - if you consider see-through French doors on the bathroom daring!
Q. My mother-in-law is English, which may be why she allows her two dogs to jump on the furniture. That's her business in her own house, but I don't want the dogs on my sofas when she brings them to visit. What's this all about, dogs on the furniture?
A. You've already supplied the answer: Your mother-in-law is English, and the attitude of the English about their dogs can be summed up in a perhaps apocryphal story about English decorator, John Fowler.
Partner in the famed firm of Colefax and Fowler, which decorated many a gentry's stately home in the early 20th century, Fowler eschewed everything that looked too new and perfect. His secret formula for lending instant patina to a project: finish everything to perfection, and then let the dogs in for two days.
In your case, I'd simply bring out color-coordinated sheets and cover your furniture whenever your family dogs come to visit.
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