FURNISHINGS Arrange seating to suit conversation, comfort

Final touches can really pull the look together.
By MARGI VORDER BRUEGGEAND GEORGE SNEAD
STAMFORD ADVOCATE
Homeowners want their homes to be a reflection of their personality or lifestyle. Many people today are staying closer to home, some even preferring to put the finishing touches on their home in lieu of travel or a vacation.
One of the most frustrating experiences for most people who have just renovated or redecorated their home is the feeling that the process is not complete. How many times have we heard this complaint: "We've spent so much money on new furniture and window treatments, but the house just doesn't seem pulled together."
Finishing touches
In many cases, even though good decisions were made in the selection of fabrics, furniture and window treatments, the rooms haven't had finishing touches.
When we go into a home and do a make over, we generally find that the homeowner has the rooms about 80 percent finished. The home generally has good bone structure, but the makeup's not right -- very much like buying an expensive piece of clothing and not spending money on the correct accessories.
How many times have you gone into a store and purchased a mirror, lamp or accessory only to return it a few days later because you just weren't sure it was right? Chances are the item in question was fine, you just hadn't completed the vignette. If you can afford to concentrate on one room or area at a time and finish it soup to nuts, you'll be amazed how wonderful your newly purchased furniture will look.
Here's an example of a quick-fix to finish a room. When we go into most living rooms or family rooms we generally find a sofa, a loveseat (or chair and a half) and a pair of upholstered chairs. Even when they are properly placed, there is usually room for a secondary seating group. This could be a round pedestal table in a bay window with a pair of occasional chairs -- or a game table (or table used as a game table) with two or four chairs.
The artwork arrangement over the table is one of our favorites. Two horizontal engravings are stacked one on top of the other, flanked by two star candle sconces and then two vertical engravings on the outside. The same arrangement works without the sconces. When you have a set of four engravings to hang, we prefer this "cross arrangement" (two pieces stacked on top of each other with one to either side). Artwork is the biggest category of merchandise we place when we do a "makeover."