home makeover ideas

Achieve a luxe neutral look with white upholstery and decorative accents in a variety of light hues to add extra depth and dimension.

The 11 foot long vintage sofa in this living room is a mod counterpoint to a pair of traditional antique chairs.

Use architectural details, like the cedar ceiling beams in this room, to help visually divide and define the rooms in the open space of a great room.

You can mix old and new, formal and casual, neutral and bold to make an inviting and comfortable space. A neutral toned sofa and armchair introduce contemporary lines while custom draperies add a touch of tradition.

To give Country French my minimalist spin, I avoid the expected ruffles and plaids and keep it about the painted antiques and white linens, says homeowner and designer Regina Lynch. In this house, curtains would have been too much, so instead I painted the trim a dark gray for a similar, but cleaner, look.

Make a classic print like houndstooth check modern by playing with the scale of the pattern and using it in an unexpected color.

Give a random collection of art pieces museum worthy treatment by hanging them together on a single wall.

Use a flat top trunk as a coffeee table to bring a sense of history to a room. This chocolate brown piece coordinates with the neutral color scheme of the room, and the nail head trim is mirrored in the decorative sofa hardware.

As your budget allows, invest in one fine antique per room. Here, the a round French marble topped gueridon table becomes a focal point of the space.

To keep the traffic flow open, pull the furniture away from the walls and into the center of the room a type of arranging commonly referred to as a floating furniture plan. An octagonal ottoman in a bold fabric set on a cowhide rug anchors the arrangement in this room.