Dear Melissa:
We have just moved and are trying to get ideas to redecorate our new home. My problem is the front hallway or entry way. It is small and seems very dark. The front door has four little windows at the top. Are there any colors or painting techniques you would suggest to make the entry way brighter and more inviting? T.A.

Dear T.:
You’ve just described my foyer. I sympathize completely. The best things to do would be to change your front door so it has more glass, and install good lighting in the entry way. If you prefer more privacy or simply don’t want to change your front door, paint or wallpaper your walls in a light color that complements the rooms off the hallway. A textured wallcovering would be great. So would mirroring one wall (everyone thinks “Las Vegas”, but this really looks great). A tile or stone floor colored in the same light shade as the walls would also give the illusion of a much larger space. M.A.K.

Opulent

op·u·lent Adjective /ˈäpyələnt/

Synonyms:
adjective: rich, wealthy, affluent, abundant, moneyed, well-off, copious, exuberant, luxuriant, ample, well-heeled, plenteous, well-to-do

1. Ostentatiously rich and luxurious or lavish

• the opulent comfort of a custom leather chair

2. Wealthy

• his more opulent clients 

Term referenced in Using Opulent Fabrics in Your Home.

Using Opulent Fabrics in Your Home

One of the hottest trends today is the use of opulent fabrics in the home, particularly silk. At one time we had to really search for the right silk at the right price. Now silks are featured in the showrooms, and with more variety comes lower prices. Slightly lower. Silk is like an “iron butterfly”; it has surprising tensile strength when lined, yet it is highly sensitive to sunlight, heat and moisture.
Silk must be backed for upholstery and should not be used on windows with southern or western exposures.

Linen is another prestigious natural fabric. It comes from flax, which is dimensionally stable. While it is easily bleached, it doesn’t dye well so colors are often limited. Linen has a crisp feel and wrinkles easily unless blended with other fibers.

The most popular fabric in the home is cotton. It dyes beautifully, is extremely durable (often lasting centuries), and is often inexpensive. It is susceptible to sun damage and mildew, however. Cotton, in and of itself, is not considered opulent unless one considers its stunning patterns, rich colors, and transformation into velvet.

Wool is one of my favorites. It takes dyes beautifully, and ranges from stiff and extremely durable to soft and flowing. The latter makes stunning drapery. If kept away from mildew, wool is extremely long lasting.

There are also amazing new manmade fabrics on the market today, particularly from Europe. No more snobbery about polyester; they have come a long way. These manmade fibers eliminate many of the drawbacks listed above when blended with the natural fibers.

There is now so much variety out there that no matter what the budget, everyone can enjoy opulence in their home.