. We have a large and bold painting that we love. Although our foyer is tiny, it has a wall that will hold this size picture, and we are determined to hang it there. Do you have any advice to help us make it a focal point?

. The size of the painting in your small foyer will automatically make it a focal point. However, a few additions will show off the painting and add to the drama. Install a ceiling light such as a track or a recessed eyeball that will shine directly onto the painting and nowhere else. There are lights available that you can actually size exactly to the picture. Then select a color that is within the painting for the walls, preferably something bold. And lastly, don't add any tables or benches to your small space and keep the rug simple so as not to detract from the art. The effect will be stunning.

. My husband burned a hole in the seat cushion of our sofa, and the fabric is no longer available. I don't want to spend the money required to recover the entire sofa. What can I do?

. Not a problem. Recover only the seat cushions using a different fabric from the rest of the sofa. Two-tone sofas are done all the time. Even less costly, consider just recovering the top side of the cushions, leaving intact the existing welting and sides of the cushion.

The new fabric selection should contrast with the existing fabric. Don't try to match it. Consider a totally different color that perhaps ties in with the color scheme in the rest of the room. Or, it could be a small pattern if the sofa is a solid color or vice versa. The new fabric could turn out to be a good thing, adding interest and a little punch to the piece.

. I'm having my condo painted and new carpeting installed. Should I paint first and then do the carpeting, or put in the new carpeting and then paint? I have been told it is better to paint first, but in the past when I did it this way, I had to have the walls and baseboards retouched. So now, I'm thinking of installing the carpeting first.

. From years of experience, I have come to the same conclusion as you. The carpet people tend to mess up the walls, whereas the painting people seem to be able to paint very well when the carpeting is already in the room, and they don't mess up.

. In our foyer and kitchen, which are connected, we have light oak wood flooring made from 2-inch-wide strips. The dining room is off the kitchen and can be seen from the foyer. Can we put a honey red oak wood floor with 4-inch-wide strips in the dining room? Or should the rooms have the same color and size of the existing wood flooring?

. The rule of thumb is not to have too many different types of flooring to keep an easy flow between rooms. Of course, just how many types also depend on the size of the home and even their location. If you have the choice, I would have the abutting wood floors match, particularly if your hom
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