Designer Sue Hunter of Home for a Change shares her insights.
• If you have a great view, make the most of it. Don't block it with furniture, and keep necessary items, such as floor lamps, as low-profile and unobtrusive as possible.
• If you have an open floor plan, "create different sitting areas, cozy little spots" for conversation within the larger room, Hunter advised.
• Lofts and other condos with high ceilings and a lot of glass can look and feel cold in winter. Use textures and colors with warm undertones to add visual warmth.
• Create layers of light to "bounce around in the room." In the Vogel/Slaber condo, Hunter used shiny glass tile for the backsplash and shiny quartz tile for the hearth to reflect firelight and light from the windows. She also positioned mirrors to reflect outdoor light. Framed recessed lights in the ceiling create circles of light below.
