By Beatrice Kemp
SDUN Columnist

A couple weeks ago I walked through my living room and realized it looked tired. My first thought was to get rid of everything and go shopping for a totally new look. I was quickly dissuaded of that notion by my checkbook and my mate. Then it occurred to me that what my space really needed—just like humans—was some L-O-V-E. That meant my spending a little time and effort to make it look better, so I’d feel better about it. If you’re in the same spot, here are some thoughts to consider.

Move stuff around
My friend Sonia is a whiz at rearranging her furniture. She moves it around every few months and it keeps her space fresh, exciting and different. Try it. You’ll need help, so hook up with a good friend, offer to return the favor and start moving stuff around. And don’t limit yourself to what’s in the room. Trade furniture with other rooms. I’m sending the two chairs in my living room to the family room in exchange for a pair of ottomans to sit in front of the fireplace. No ottomans? Turn a coffee table into an ottoman or a bench by adding several toss pillows on top of it. Pull the sofa away from the wall and put a console table behind it with a stack of books, a bunch of photos or a single large vase with your favorite florals. Add drama by replacing your white or cream lampshades with black. Try to find shades that are lined in gold to up the drama ante. Lampshades Unlimited on West Morena Boulevard has a great selection and great prices.

Find or refresh a focal point
Has your room lost its focal point? Did it have one? As we add furniture and accessories we love, it’s pretty easy to end up with several stunning but competing elements in a room. Picture a room with a grand piano, a lovely fireplace with a distinctive mantle, a large glass-front display cabinet of tchotchkes, and way too many pieces of bold art—sensory overload at its finest! Any one of these alone would suffice. The intended effect is lost. If you have an interesting architectural feature in the room, draw attention to it and use subtlety with other items. A fireplace is a great asset. Arrange three, five or seven sculptural pieces on the mantle—candlesticks, small carvings, or African masks of varying sizes, heights and shapes work well. Add a stunning mirror on the wall behind them and—voila!—you’ve got a spot that draws attention and leaves an impression. In other words: a focal point. By the way, Torreon Imports on University Avenue in Hillcrest is a must for uniquely beautiful mirrors.

Add Some Green
A plant will not only add a big pop for a few dollars, it’ll refresh the air. Look for one that is semi-grand in scale—say, five or six feet tall, but not overpowering. A leafy Ficus tree or a stately palm resting in a nice basket or a gorgeous ceramic pot and tucked into a corner will do wonders. Both plant and container can be found reasonably priced at home improvement stores or your nearby nursery.

After you show your space some love, sit down and enjoy it. Your space will love you back!

Designer Secret: Rhythm is essential for a stimulating design, and repetition creates rhythm. Repeating a shape or color is an effective way of making a statement in a room or creating a focal point. Take a favorite color and use it in several ways in a room—as the solid color on the wall or major upholstery; in a lighter, darker or a mix of shades for a window covering; or in a print on pillows or a rug design. Need art for a large wall? Use the same frame and matting on six or eight similarly sized prints or photos and hanging them together to create an attention getting display. You’ve got rhythm.

Beatrice Kemp, is the owner of BKemp Interiors and specializes in design and redesign of residential kitchens. Comments and questions can be sent to her at [email protected].