Social media fueled magazine for Washington D.C. Suburbs

Question: I have black leather coaches.. Which color is good for the walls?

Home Decor Gurus: With black leather couches, you have a lot of options for wall color. We recommend AC-25 Harbor Gray from Benjamin Moore. It's a light gray that would be stunning against a black couch. This neutral color would also allow you to be more bold with your accessories. If you want to be more daring with your wall color, we recommend 2027-40 Grape Green from Benjamin Moore. This is a very fun, fresh color without being garish, and it's a color you'll be seeing a lot more of in 2011 and 2012.

Good luck! It's always fun to try out a new wall color-- one of our favorite ways to bring new life to a room!

A two-story family room is nothing to fear. All the open space can be daunting, but with a little work, you can turn that space into an inviting, comfortable room for your family.

Start by coloring your walls. When you use color, you create a more inviting and interesting atmosphere. Add your personal furniture and décor and you have the perfect expression of your style.

Next, budget for window treatments--you will not regret it. Window treatments do not just complete the look of your room; they act as a buffer to all the noise that comes along with your open floor plan. The treatment should encompass the full two stories and will really give balance to the room.

Q: I have a bedroom window problem. I need the bedroom to be really dark. No light! But I have 8 windows. I hate to over do any cloth coverings and don't know if shutters could work. What should I do? How much should I expect to pay for each option?
A: Hi Sally,  Wooden Shutters on their own will not give you the blackout effect that you need in the bedroom.

There are a few options in the blind family – Duette and Silhouette (Hunter Douglas products) both may have a blackout option.

If you like the idea of fabric, simple panels can be lined with blackout lining and drawn each evening for coverage.

You could also have roman shades made that have a blackout lining as well.

The main thing you should remember is that if you need true black out coverage, you cannot inside mount the roman shades or the blinds. They would have to be outside mounted and cover the trim of the window. Otherwise you will have an “outline” of sun greeting you each morning.

The cost for any of these options will be $300 to $800 per window.

Suzan and Jennifer

As summer is approaching, I find myself just itching to spend time outside. I love the summer evenings relaxing outside, and having the right outdoor furnishings is essential to enjoying it. We spend so much time making sure our indoor furniture is comfortable and attractive, it's time we bring the indoors outdoors. Technology in fabrics has made a huge move toward comfort. You can now use comfortable fabric and cushions that can be left out in the weather. Sunbrella fabrics will not fade or deteriorate in the weather, and you have tons of choices for fabrics as well: stripes, prints, jacquards, in any color you can think of. You can find cushions that are made to wick away water or let water go in one side and out the other-- my patio cushions have this feature. I can sit on the seats after a rain storm and not get wet-- it's amazing! And no matter your budget, you can find what you're looking for. If your looking for ways to save, check out Target or Lowe's. Or you can go for more luxury with Front Gate. And it's always a good idea to check moving sales or Craig's List; often times people don't want to move their outdoor furnishings.

Q: Can I put a black leather couch with a pair of brown leather seats: They are the same type of leather (smooth, tight seamed).
A: Suzan and I have conferred and this is what we advise. When using leather it is always best to pair it with the same color leather, or to pair leather with upholstery. For example you could pair brown leather chairs with an upholstered couch. But if you already have the black couch and a pair of brown leather chairs you can make it work by adding accents to pull it all together, maybe pillows on the couch that contain both black and brown. Then you could add other elements to the room that have a black and brown theme to make it a cohesive whole and the result would be cool.

1- DUST BOWL : colors this year will take on a dusty hue, color with a smoky look.

2- LOOK UP : decorate the ceiling – also known as “vertical scaping.” Designers and consumers are starting to incorporate ceilings into the design plans.

3- EVERTHING'S COMING UP ROSES: look around you’ll see them everywhere.

4- HOT NEW COLOR PAIR : camel & maroon

5-  ORGANIC: leaf motifs and other nature elements in fabric and wallpaper

6- WARM METAL: bronze and patina metals

7- LOVE THE OUTDOORS: implement more comfortable furnishings for the outdoors, including new lighting solutions

8- FEMININE FLAIR : look for the herringbone, tweed, and other men’s suiting fabrics in lots of design elements

9- AUTHENTIC MEETS MODERN: distressed pieces paired with modern accents will create a current look

10- UNDERSTATED LUXURY: a bedroom spa retreat to get away from it all