The Decor Diva: Home needs design magic

Home's views can provide most decor, with complement from rugs

Dear Dcor Diva: My daughter has moved to Montana from Florida. The living room and dining room in their new home features tall windows with a beautiful view of a lake and snow-capped mountains and they certainly do not want to obstruct the view. Besides, their two dogs have first dibs at the windows to watch the deer strolling through the front yard!

The existing furniture and arrangements in the photos I am sending all need to be changed. The only thing they are keeping is the grey carpeting. It's a lovely home but needs updating. Where do you suggest they start? -- Daughter Goes West

Dear Daughter Goes West: The rooms are very interesting. You didn't mention the wood balustrades around the living room and continuing up the staircase.

Seems to me that the architecture of this home is just waiting to show itself off. Instead there is way too much going on, nothing tied together -- and nothing that ties the house to its magnificent western setting.

One simple way to begin is to shop for patterned area rugs for two prominent areas. Start with the foyer, to set the stage, and the dining room. It looks like you can lay area rugs right over the low pile beige/grey carpeting. Both rugs need not be identical in pattern but their patterns should feature the same colors. Ignore the grey and use these new rug colors as a guide when purchasing new furniture and accessories.

For example if one of the colors in the rugs is rust, go with a rust leather sofa and put a rust-colored tablecloth on the dining table. As you grow with the plan, you'll also want to change wall colors to coordinate with the rugs.

Select rugs with a western, Southwestern, Montana or native American flavor. Most definitely do not obstruct any of those windows.

Clear out as much furniture as possible so you can see the beauty of the rooms. The dining room has too much furniture, the living room not enough. Your daughter also needs to find some interesting art that continues the theme. Not a lot of little stuff but fewer, larger pieces.

The living room could definitely accommodate two seating groups, one for looking at the view and one for viewing the fireplace and the TV.

It's like a puzzle, with rules and limitations. Sketch your ideas on a floor plan until you come up with a workable scheme. Then add one or two more area rugs to delineate the seating areas. Once the new sofa is positioned to enjoy the views, it's your daughter's problem to keep the dogs off the new sofa!

Wants different look

Dear Dcor Diva: The walls in my living/dining room are a lovely, but fairly neutral linen color. My color scheme was burgundy and ivory, but now I want something completely different to complement my new maple-colored hardwood flooring. I also have very neutral furniture. I'm really aiming for a magazine look. What do you suggest? Help! I'm losing sleep over this. -- Maple Nut

Dear Maple Nut: With your neutral maple and linen background -- the sky's the limit! almost any color in any hue will work. Maple shades can vary and you can make your final determination by bringing sample paint color squares home. See how they look next to your floor.

You could also take the same advice I gave to "Daughter Goes West" above. Select an area rug in colors that you love and that look great with your new hardwood maple floor. Then follow the same color scheme that you see in the rug. Voila -- instant color direction!

Perla Lichi is a professional interior designer and syndicated columnist. Submit general questions by writing: The Decor Diva, c/o Naples Daily News, 7127 N. Pine Island Road, Tamarac, FL 33321, or submit questions directly to decordiva@perlalichi.com.