“WHERE SHOULD I PLACE MY LAMPS?”
In the living room:
When placing table lamps on a side or end table next to a sofa or chair, make sure the bottom of the lampshade is at eye level when you’re sitting, or 40” to 42” inches from the floor. If it’s higher, you’ll end up getting glare from the bulb. If it’s too low, the light will be inadequate for reading.
If you’re placing a lamp on a sofa table behind the sofa, the same eye level rule applies, but because sofa tables are higher than side tables, it may be more practical to use a large lamp for general lighting, or smaller accent lights like candlestick lights.
In the bedroom:
If you use a bedside lamp mainly for reading, and have another fixture for your bedroom’s general lighting, the bottom of your lampshade should be even with your shoulder when you’re sitting up in bed, or about 20 inches from the top of your bed. If your lamp is the only light source in the room and you don’t use it for reading, you can get away with taller lamps.
In the home office:
When you’re sitting in a chair, the same rule of thumb applies to a floor lamp next to a sofa: the bottom of the shade should be at eye level. If your lamp is too tall, move it away from the chair about 10 inches behind your shoulder to change the angle of glare.
When you’re sitting at a desk doing work, again, the bottom of the lamp’s shade should be at eye level. (The typical desk is 30 inches high. This should help you figure out your lamp base height when you’re shopping).
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“WHAT SIZE SHOULD MY AREA RUG BE?”
Rugs in a standard living or family room:
A rug should be proportional to a room’s floor space. Ideally, it should leave an equal amount of bare floor all around it, such as two feet beyond the carpet on all sides. This applies regardless of obstacles like fireplace hearths, radiators and furniture set against the wall.
If you can’t achieve this, an alternative is to place your rug so that it reaches under all or most of the furniture in the central area of your room to unify the seating arrangement. However, it isn’t essential that the back legs of the sofas or chairs sit on the carpet.
There shouldn’t be more than two feet of empty rug beyond the furniture. If, when a seating arrangement is in place, there is more than two feet of rug behind a sofa or chair, set a table there to fill the empty space.
Rugs in a dining area in a larger room:
If your dining area is part of a larger room – perhaps it’s a large breakfast room within a kitchen – its rug should extend beyond the edges of the table by 18 to 24 inches on each side. Ideally, the chairs should sit on the rug even when pulled away from the table.
In a combined living/dining room:
The same rules for sizing and placement apply to rugs in open–concept or dual function spaces, where two rugs are used to define distinct spaces, perhaps a living area and a dining area. Follow the rules for living room and dining areas; just to be sure that there is some space between the two rugs.
In a bedroom:
Use the same rule as in a living room: choose a rug that leaves approximately two feet of bare floor at the edges. However, if your bed is not centered in the room (and this is often the case), centering the rug under the bed could look awkward. As an alternative, two or three smaller rugs in the bedroom – one on each side of the bed, and perhaps a third at the end of the bed – instead of one large rug.
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FOYER ESSENTIALS
What no foyer should be without:
Storage:
Closed storage (like closets and armoires) hides items not needed everyday. Accessible open storage should only hold items needed on a regular basis; use hooks, hall trees and small wall shelves.
Surfaces:
A console table, bench, demi–lune table or a narrow shelf mounted to the wall can provide a place to set down keys, a purse, spare change and the mail. Place small vessels, like bowls, baskets or trays, on top.
Mirror:
Mirrors are great for a quick appearance check on the way out, and they also reflect light and visually expand spaces.
Lighting:
Hang a decorative pendant whose style sets the tone of your house. Incorporate a secondary light source, like a lamp on a table.
Seating:
A handy seat, which acts as a place to don shoes, can serve double–duty: A bench with a hinged top acts as a storage, a stool serves as a catchall tabletop surface, and folding chairs hung on a wall make an interesting visual display.
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OVERSIZED MIRRORS
Oversized mirrors casually propped against the wall are showing up in today’s most stylish rooms. Large mirrors offer maximum reflection and a realistic approximation of a doorway leading into another room (because the reflection carries right down to the floor), so this chic look is especially beneficial in smaller rooms. And it is easier not to have to wall–mount a large, heavy piece like this; however, if you have kids in the house, tether it to the wall for safety. Black and brown frames look finished and up to date, and coordinate with most decors.
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“HOW SHOULD I HANG MY PICTURES?”
• Don’t feel pressure to fill all empty walls space. A wall beside a pretty window need not be filled if the art will compete with the view.
• Don’t hang pictures too high.
• Don’t hang pictures at different heights in a room. Keep them at the same level so your gaze doesn’t jump up and down from piece to piece.
• Ground” your art by hanging it above a sofa, chair or table. Think of each pairing as a single unit; the furniture anchors the work, and you’ll avoid a “floating” effect.
• Consider Proportion. Choose a larger picture, or a pairing of pictures, to hang over substantial furniture, like a sofa; place smaller works over a table or chair.
• Centre Pieces 6” to 8” over a sofa or chair. 8” to 10” above a table – enough room to accommodate the height of books or a vase. Or use this rule of thumb: the centre of each picture should be about 60” from the floor.
• Hang a large work above a mantel, a key focal point in any room. If a favorite mirror or picture is too small, hang it with a piece of a similar size or flank it with sconces.
• To compose a grouping, work outward from the central picture. To maintain a clean look, keep one edge of each piece aligned with the edge of at least one other piece in the group, and space them 3” to 4” apart.
• For a contemporary–style gallery, hang a single row of three to four framed pictures. Frames and mats should be the same color, but you can vary the sizes. For an eclectic look, use frames and mats that are complementary but not identical. For either look, space the works 3” to 4” apart.
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