Follow these decorating rules, but only if you want to

Rules are made to be broken. That's very true - and even legal - when you're dealing with decorating.

But on the other hand, rules such as "don't hang too many family pictures in the living room" or "hem your drapes one-half inch above the floor" can make sense.

So, rather than rules, here are some tips that members of the Illinois Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers use to handle everyday design questions.

Large posters

Question: Is it proper to hang a large poster of President Obama in a home's "public" spaces or could this make some visitors uncomfortable?

Answer: Mixed.

Michelle Rohrer-Lauer, of Grayslake and Chicago, says yes.

"Overall I think even people who didn't vote for him are comfortable with him, so that's OK."

But Rohrer-Lauer thinks it makes a big difference that Obama is the President and represents the whole country. During the campaign it was a different story. She doesn't think it's a good idea to put large pictures of candidates in areas where you entertain guests. And get your teenage son to put his wild posters in his own room.

Gayle Veach Davis of Accumulations Inc., in West Dundee, says no to the Obama poster.

"It's not comfortable for everyone and more appropriate to have it in a more private space like an office," she said.

Family shots

Question: What about family pictures? Should they be hung in a public place?

Answer: Let's be careful here.

Davis thinks they're fine in moderation.

For example, she likes a large painted portrait over the fireplace with a few other family pictures on the mantel.

Rohrer-Lauer tends to agree.

Make sure any photographs are well matted and framed, she said. And while she thinks a single wall of the dining room can hold family shots, she also likes them in a hallway or lining a secondary staircase so people pass by and are not forced to spend a lot of time looking at them.

Question: How do I hang pictures above the sofa?

Answer: For an uncluttered look, Davis frames them all the same, even if the pictures are different sizes.

If you want to form a dramatic rectangle, first make one out of paper. It should be between one-half and two-thirds the width of the sofa, and the height should be about a foot smaller. Arrange your photos in this template until you're happy.

"If frames and mats match, you have the cleanest look. It's much simpler, almost Asian," she said.

She runs a "frame" of molding around the display and paints the inside a contrasting color to serve as a "mat."

It's OK with her if these are family photos, and she particularly likes the contemporary look of having them all shot in black and white.

Rohrer-Lauer says one large picture flanked by two thinner ones would work above the sofa as would a large picture with sconces on either side.

She likes the look of a frame within a frame and says larger frames make a picture look more substantial.

And above the fireplace

Rohrer-Lauer likes a single picture above the fireplace, perhaps about 2 feet narrower than the mantel. And it should be a foot from the ceiling if it's an 8 or 9-foot ceiling.

If you have a two-story ceiling, hang a picture at least 6 feet tall.

Davis likes your art piece about the same size as the fire box if you have an 8-foot ceiling.

Chandelier

Question: How large should a chandelier be?

Answer: Chandeliers go everywhere these days, said Linda Navara of LMR Designs in Arlington Heights. For one in the traditional spot above a table, measure the width of the table and subtract 12 inches. This is the diameter of your chandelier.

Under an 8-foot ceiling, hang the fixture so its bottom is about 30 inches above the tabletop. With a higher ceiling you can add 4 to 8 inches to that distance.

In a foyer, bathroom, bedroom or wherever else you want some sparkle, measure the length and width of the room, then add the two. Say it's 5 feet wide and 10 feet long. Your chandelier should have a diameter of 15 inches.

Other experts say the height of the chandelier can be figured as 21/2 to 3 inches for every foot of room height. Therefore if the ceiling is 9 feet tall, the chandelier can be 221/2 to 27 inches tall.

Drapes

Question: Should I puddle my drapes?

Answer: While it's a yummy, formal look, all our designers agreed you should forego it if you have young children, pets who might play with or curl up on the puddle, windows that you open frequently, drapes you want to pull open and closed or cleaning people you doubt.

"Drapes with puddles have to keep still," said Janet Davidsen, Details in Design, Wheaton. "They look neater when they are fixed. In a dining room, for instance, they can be too wrinkled if touched a whole lot."

Question: What is another option?

Answer: Make your drapes end 1/2 inch above the floor. Depending on the fabric, it might stretch to the floor eventually.

Question: What are other tips for hanging drapes?

Answer: Even if you have great woodwork, the panels should cover it when they are open. But you want to expose as much of the window as possible unless your view is bad. To show off your trim, try blinds or shades of some sort.

Davidsen says your panels should probably be 18 inches wide or maybe 24 inches. It depends on the width of the windows.

If they are just going to hang by the side and not open and close, drape panels can be 16 inches. She likes 6 inches of fabric over the window and 12 inches off to the side.

You want enough fabric to cover the space two and one-half or even three times to create a full, ripply look.

Hang the drapes 3 to 4 inches from the ceiling for drama and to pull eyes up, she said.

Straight panels on a rod with no valance or a simple valance are what Davidsen is seeing these days. And the drapes her clients like have pleats of some sort, not tab tops, which are very casual.