Alice Answers Your Decorating Questions

Q. Hi, I am trying to decide what colors to use for the carpet and wall paint in my new front room. I have a plum purple couch and love seat, there is a brick fireplace in the room and the trim is painted white. I know I would like something fairly neutral, to contrast the purple, I was thinking of warm beiges but wasn't sure how that would look with the white. Also, I will be replacing my entertainment center and bookshelf and was wondering about what finish to go with. I like cherry but was afraid it would be too dark with the purple and also wasn't sure about how different woods would go with the white. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Alice:  The cherry wall unit with the purple couch will work. Keep the walls and carpet light in color. Your selection of beige is a good one. To tie the whole room together also use pillows on the sofa with beige  and purple tones. Happy decorating. 

Q. Hi! How can I get the look of a Victoria's Secret store in my bedroom and bathroom? Also, can you give me any tips about making a vanity to match my wallpaper? Thanks!

Alice: The trick is to use lots and lots of lush, rich beautiful fabrics. Cover the windows with beautiful fabric and swags. Cover the bed with matching or coordinating fabrics in addition to many throw pillows on the bed. An oriental carpet in tones to match the colors in your room would also make the room look very warm and inviting. As far as your vanity, again pick a matching or coordinating fabric and make a beautiful skirt for your vanity table. Hope this helps.

Q. Window treatments: I have 2 adjacent windows in a corner. What can I do o dress them up? Thanks!!

Alice: To dress up the windows use draperies that consist of two panels (one on each side of each window) 4 panels total. They will look very lush and elegant if they pool on the floor, (meaning that they should be much longer than floor length.) When you calculate your length measurement buy the longest length available and you will achieve the look. Another tip is to purchase fabrics that are very soft and flowing. There is a variety of beautiful tie backs on the market to use to tie back the curtain panels. Another idea that sometimes works is to hang the curtain much higher than where the top of the window starts. For example if the ceiling in the room is 10 feet tall and the top of the window is 6 feel tall, try handing the top of the curtain at 8 feet. The 2 feet of exposed wall that will show will be fine as long as the wall is in good condition.  

Q. Home office-Our home has ugly paneling that makes the room look like a man's den. how can we fix it? Should we just paint over it??

Alice: The most economical thing to do is to paint over the paneling. First you must put a coat of primer over the paneling. Then you can apply as many coats as needed to cover the dark color of the wood. In addition, you can if you like add some molding to the ceiling and the floor and you can also add a chair rail with molding depending on how ornate you want the look to be.

Q.- Why are "Lush" fabrics your favorites?

Alice - Jacquard fabrics, brocade fabrics, silk fabrics and antique velvet’s are very lush fabrics
to use. Deep dark greens, deep dark burgundy and deep dark gold's create a very regal environment and are heavier in feeling, along with muted pastels creating a more feminine environment and are much lighter in feeling.

Q- What's important about pillows on the bed?

Alice - The more pillows on the bed the merrier. Pillows create a lush-opulent feeling in your room in all shapes and sizes. It doesn't matter if they are a mixture of solid colors, stripes, or floral's, checks or plaids. The important thing is that the color tones are the same as the bed covering and other colors in the room.

Q - How can certain fabrics create warmth and beauty?

Alice - Using lots of fabrics creates a lived in and warm feeling. If you have a very expensive table with a beautiful top you might not want to cover or hide it. However, if you have a table top that is not in good condition or is not so appealing to the eye, covering it with some beautiful fabric is much more attractive and creates interest.


Q - I get the feeling it doesn't take big money to make a room look lush and opulent.  But it does take some know-how. 

Alice - Draping throws over beds, sofas creates a lush feeling. Beautiful drapes hanging on the windows and pooling onto the floor also ads a lush feeling. When accessories are skimpy, hey look cheep, when lush and overflowing they look rich.

Thank you for sending in your questions.  Alice won't be continuing this column.