Designer Sandra Nunnerley: 'There are no rules. . . . Mix it up.'

New York interior designer Sandra Nunnerley joined Post staff writer Jura Koncius last week on our Home Front online chat. Here is an edited excerpt.

Q. My home has a room designated as my husband's office. We really don't have any art up. We have an ocean blue wall color. Any suggestions on art pieces to use? How about photos? Black-and-white vs. color?

A. You are definitely on track! We use black-and-white photos all the time in a range of price points. There are some inexpensive sources online for fashion photographs. If you want to put a collection together, the auction houses all have photography sales. My motto is "see, see, see." Go to museums and galleries and see what is out there. Even look for "art walks," where artists in your area open up their studios for visitors. We recently did an installation for a client with a great photography collection, and we combined color and black-and-white. Don't limit yourself.

Q. What is the best way to match up frames and other elements of artwork to build a gallery wall?

A. We always lay all the pieces out on the floor and take a photo so we can view it upright and edit as needed. There are also temporary wall hooks that are great to use if you are unsure. I like to find interesting juxtapositions within the work; different genres and periods make for an interesting and personal wall. It should be a reflection of your taste and style.

Q. When is it a wise idea to use photos as art and when would be best not to use them?

A. There are no rules. As I mentioned before, you want your walls to be a personal reflection of yourself. Mix it up!

Q. My house has a two-story foyer with a center staircase. The floors and stair treads are a stained dark brown oak. The banister is also oak, and the pickets and stair tread backs are painted white (like the rest of the trim in our home). The foyer is painted Benjamin Moore's Manchester Tan, and we have a lot of shades of blue (mostly navy), beige and chocolate furnishings. The house is a Colonial, but my decor is a bit transitional. I'd love your thoughts on painting the banister and also a recommendation for a carpet runner for the stairs.

A. I always stain the banister the same color as the floor; in your case, dark brown. For carpet runners, look for a great striped carpet in your colors of tan and blue. I love a striped carpet on stairs to add a bit of punch and bronze stair rods with a simple ball finial to dress the stair beautifully.

Q. I'm always daunted by hanging art. How can I get over my fear?

A. I always encourage clients to think about how to display works. For example, I like to mix different kinds of art, such as tribal or fold art and sculpture, with more everyday objects, like books or whimsical things with no particular value. This allows the eye to make new and unexpected discoveries. I also think many people are afraid to use color on their walls for fear of how it will interact with the art, when in fact art hanging on lacquered cherry red walls or moss green walls can be stunning. Try not to overthink it!

Q. I'm looking for advice on a color and pattern for flooring, something that would not call attention to itself, would go with the room and would not show dirt. We and our two dogs practically live in the kitchen, which is a large room in a 1918 farmhouse with southwest- and northeast-facing windows (lots of natural light from the southwest), off-white walls, medium/dark oak cabinets and a colorful Italian ceramic table.

A. We love using porcelain tiles for a kitchen. They are very durable and available in many price ranges and colors. The great thing about using porcelain is you can put radiant heat underneath, which is such a great affordable luxury.

Q. Can I paint my interior rowhouse black with white accents?

A. I was just in Singapore and saw the distinctive black-and-white Colonial houses. I love your idea. I was so inspired and have been thinking about incorporating it into a project. Do a Web search, and I'm sure you will see how stunning and inspirational they are.

Q. Curious if you have any experience with services/software that allow you to make your own prints/artwork?

A. Flavor Paper (www.flavorpaper.com) is a great source for original and custom prints. You can blow them up to any size, and they provide the wall mounting hardware. We recently used them for a boy's room at the beach for a huge print of a wave and surfer. There are also many image-rights sources online where you can purchase rights to an image for not a lot of money and have it printed. We recently found a fantastic David Hockney image available online.

Q. I chose earth tones for our house in town and happy colors like cream, ocean blue and coral for our condo at the beach. Now we are having a new house built at the beach, and the builder will paint the walls and trim Sherwin-Williams' Alabaster. I am thinking of making a big change and sticking with the off-white walls, bringing color in with furniture, art and accessories. Do you think a color lover can make this big a change and be happy with it? My husband is dubious.

A. You don't have to paint the entire rooms one color, but think about doing an accent wall here and there. Luis Barragán is a great inspiration, one of the great 20th-century architects from Mexico. He is a color master. Go for it!

Q. Do you travel a lot? What design tips have you pulled from the different places you've been?

A. For me, travel is very important. You never know what you will find or when you will see something in a new way. I often discover new artists or modes of expression that are not as well known at home. Right now, I'm loving the Los Angeles-based Japanese American artist Kaz Oshiro. I have one of his pieces in my living room, which you can see in my book "Interiors." In the book, I write about my travels and the inspiration I've found while traveling.

Q. We're looking for new window treatments. Due to the high number of windows in our home, we would like to try to limit our costs. Any suggestions for favorite places where we should check? Our style is mid-century modern/transitional.

A. There are so many great catalog companies today online. Room & Board (www.roomandboard.com) or Smith & Noble (www.smithandnoble.com) are two that come to mind.