really incendiary guest can keep the
whole evening going. Same thing
with wacky furniture.
You can drape your tables with
color chintzes or gossamer linen to
Rooms as warm and cozy as toast in take away the dark look of wood.
colder months can become down-
Take down or pull back whatev-
right claustrophobic when warm er drapes you can spare. Hang sim-
weather arrives. Small, inexpensive ple curtains made of billowy,
modifications can make an immense unbleached muslin. Leave them ex-
difference.
tra long for plenty of "puddling" at
Pick up objects, weigh their sea- the bottom. If you can't spare your
sonableness, then keep certain curtains, think about contrasting
pieces, colors and textures for now tiebacks. You might even use raffia,
and relegate the others to snow-time. rope or some of the iron ones fea-
Overall, think about "opening up" tured in mail-order design cata-
the rooms. Less furniture and more logues.
loosely arranged pieces are more
For privacy, replace heavy blinds
suited to the freer traffic flow char- with sheers. Try knotting a generous
acterized in hotter weather — more bunch of sheers in the middle instead
people moving in and out of doors. of pulling the panels off to the side.
Pull the furniture away from the fire-
Roll-down straw blinds lend a ca-
place and television; position pieces sual texture. Use branches or twigs
at a new angle in the light from the as curtain rods.
sunniest windows.
Bring in the sizzling colors where
Slipcovers serve a dual task They you can — chartreuse, cobalt, rasp-
protect rich fabrics from piercing berry, some sort of ebullient yellow
summer light and from grime that and calendula orange — in wall col-
may be brought in from the garden.
or, window covering and upholstery.
Light, durable slipcovers will also
You'll probably want to down-play
make the room that much airier than the elegance and emphasize the fun.
dense upholstery.
Try incorporating folk-art pieces, ca-
Slipcovers need not be the ex- sually positioned garden tools or
pensive, made-to-order variety. With sports equipment into your actual
some determination, you can bind
decor.
up a chair on your own with muslin.
For example, fill a watering can
Secure it with grosgrain ribbons or with wild grasses. Hang fishing rods
rope. or tie the bundles of muslin
and a couple of straw hats on a blank
over each other and leave them free- wall.
flowing on the back.
Bend the rules with gewgaws like
Gather up your woven and strewn sea shells, piles of fruit, weath-
needleworked throw pillows and in- er vanes, birdhouses and garden stat-
vest in numerous crisp canvas pillows uary.
in stripes, checks or florals. Use these
Brightly hued glassware is dis-
on single chairs, the couches, beds.
tinctly a warm weather addition to a
Store those afghans and throw blan-
room or table as is anything wooden.
kets you couldn't have lived without
Like many homebodies, you may
during the frosty months.
have piles of projects stashed every-
Forgo the heavy quilts and take where. Hide them attractively in an
the dust ruffles off the beds. You want arrangement of wicker baskets or hat
air to move easily through the room,
boxes covered with hot-colored fab-
even under the bed. Use linen or cot- rics.
ton bed covers. Sometimes the re-
Some outdoor plants can thrive
ally pressed look of starched sheets indoors in the summer months with
and a blanket cover with a light- plenty of light and air. Trellised ivies
weight blanket folded down at the or passion flower and even some ros-
end of the bed is plenty.
es could provide a green, gardeny
Augment your regular pillows
backdrop.
with some lace shams. Not too fussy,
Your bare floors might benefit
though. You want a clean appear- from a clump of plant-filled baskets
ance. Pique and seersucker are oth-
in the corner or next to a chair. Hy-
er summer fabrics.
drangeas, ferns and miniature fruit
Exchange some of your stodgier trees are a few ideas. Put away your
furniture for a few wicker chairs and
andirons and fireplace wood. Fill the
tables if you have room to store them.
hearth with pots of tulips, hyacinths
Wrought-iron, bamboo or wooden
or daffodils or a bushy indoor plant.
Adirondack-style furniture used in-
Bring outside in with planters of
doors also lends a relaxed summer primroses or geraniums on the sills.
look.
Terra-cotta pots filled with herbs are
Sometimes just one or two items
an addition to kitchen and sun-porch
completely freshen a room. It's kind
windows. Keep fresh nosegays by
of like building a dinner party; one
the bedside and in the bathrooms.

A COOL
OASIS

1

...... • ••

•

5 6 9/Me

With NO
Money Down!

Vat
Sunroof
ith Ever y Lease
PLUS Your Choice...
ME Cellular Flip
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Niount CD
Stacker

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$11,757"

CADILLAC. CREATING A HIGHER STANDARD.

*Price is plus 6% Mi. use tax, plate fees, title, luxury tax & $500 ref. sec. dep. 10C/mile over 30,000 miles. $500 ref. sec. dep. required. Customer responsible for excess wear & tear. Lease Prices based
on $42,411 MSRP. Previous sales. lags, suppliers & factory sunroofs excluded. See dealer for complete details. New Ameritech line activation required for tree flip-phone offer. Sale ends 6/30V94.
•*Smartlease Plus pymt. is plus ref. sec. dep., plate & title fees.

'itudef//e

7100 ORCHARD LAKE RD. • at the end of Northwestern Highway • WEST BLOOMFIELD

OPEN MON & THURS. 'TIL 9 P.M. & SATURDAY 9-3 P.M.

STYLE • SUMMER 1994 • 3