■ T rick the eye.
Use the same flooring
throughout to make a
small house look larger.
James had ceramic tile
laid in all the public
spaces and warmed it
up with sisal rugs.
■ Save and splurge.
To keep costs in check,
choose less-expensive
fabrics for big furniture
pieces and save
spendier fabrics for
accents. Less than a
yard of designer fabric
will cover a chair back
or make a throw pillow.
■ M ix it up. Set up
contrasts-old and new,
modern and classic,
upholstery and wood.
“Mixing in elements
that are opposites gives
a room energy because
they’re unexpected,”
James says.
STORE MORE W ith th e a d d itio n o f built-in
display cubes and lo w shelves, a th ird
b e d ro o m becam e a library and office.
“ All th e supplies w e d o n ’t w a n t o u t and
messy are in boxes,” Jam es says, (ft
For buying information seepage
270
.
9 2
SEPTEMBER 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
