Best seating for living room

Q: We brought in these two armchairs from our porch but the scale is all wrong. I just don't know what to look for as far as pattern and colour go. My tastes run more contemporary so I'd prefer pieces that don't have scrolled arms. Help!
—CATHERINE TOEWS, VANCOUVER

A: This living room has a lot of potential. I love the matching sofas; it's rare to see a room that carries two boxy pieces as well as this one does. But you can see the danger in this strategy. The furniture cluster starts to feel closed and uninviting, the sofa backs acting as walls. To counterbalance the visual weight of the sofas, use some lighter furnishings, subtle curves and reflected light.

Replace your existing chairs with slipper chairs. You could try the Brooks chair from Pottery Barn, the Addison Chair from Jonathon Adler, or the Abbracci from Flexform. The open form will make the furniture configuration more inviting and the curved backs will give contrast to the masculine sofas. When you're shopping, make sure the chairs are similar in back and seat height to the sofas, never taller. Choose pieces whose legs are high enough to permit sight of the floor. This opens the room up.

Upholster your new chairs in a light neutral to further leaven the atmosphere of the space. I recommend pale grey boucle—it's timeless.

Add decorative cushions to the sofa in soft grey and steel hues for a sophisticated look. Be certain to use varied textures for added depth. To enliven the scheme, I'd mix in muted gold accents—a cushion on the sofa, silk drapery panels on the windows, a gold object or two on the mantel.

I'd also replace the oversize ottoman with a glass coffee table of equal proportion; it will formalize the room and add lustre.

A final suggestion: add a side table with a lamp on each side of one sofa. It's important to have low lighting in a room designed for conversation. You want a warm glow on faces where people sit and conspire.

Quick new look for your kitchen

Q: I have a quality kitchen that the previous owner renovated with tremendous thought and ample budget. It's a little too traditional for my taste, but I'm loathe to rip anything out since it's well done and feels like throwing money away. What do you recommend?
—ELLIE FRENCH, SASKATOON

A: You're right, it's the cherry finish and ceramic backsplash that make this kitchen feel stodgy. But that's no reason to start from scratch. Instead, invest in having the cabinets sanded down and refinished in a dark-toned grey paint like Benjamin Moore's Whale Gray 2134-40. Heed my warning, though—this is not a weekend warrior project. You need to have it done by a professional to have a lasting result.

For the countertops and backsplash you have two options. The economical solution is to retain the existing countertops and replace your dated backsplash with a glazed ceramic subway tile (2"x 8") in pale grey. This will bridge the visual gap between your new cabinet colour and the countertop, making the room more contemporary. Option two requires removing and donating the countertops and replacing them and the backsplash with Bianco Statuario marble slabs. The distinct veining of this premium grey and white marble will make this kitchen spectacular. wl