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Big Solutions for a Small Living Room/Dining Room
Tricks for maximizing style, function, and, somehow, square footage
Jeff McNamara
 Dining Room Solutions
Downplay the negative. A folding screen is an easy, inexpensive way
to hide an eyesore — whether it's an air-conditioner, a radiator, or
an unattractive view. Staple-gun a fabric you like to the edges of
the screen to personalize the fix. Three-panel windowpane-style
floor screen, $79, JCPenney, see www.jcpenney.com for store locations. Fabric cover: Kendra
linen in Ivy, $29 a yard, Silk Trading Co., 212-966-5464.Create order. Even though boxes, notebooks, and papers were piled
in a corner, Meera insisted on using the walls for display only.
But with three 79 1/2-inch-tall white bookcases, she more than
doubled her storage space. Arranging boxes and baskets
symmetrically on the shelves signals order, which in turn makes
small spaces feel larger. Billy bookcases, $59 each, Ikea,
800-434-4532.Paint it. The two-tone stain-and-paint finish on the table and
chairs made the entire room look choppy and thrown together.
Sanding the chairs and table, then painting them white, let them
blend into the white shelving in the background, creating a
spacious feel.
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