Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen advises

Ask Laurence

Our interior design expert solves your decorating dilemmas

Click through for this month\'s suggestions...  

Old furniture, new style

Q \'I\'ve inherited a chaise longue but our living room is very contemporary in style. How can I make it work?\'

Sally Millward, Middlesbrough

Chaise longue

Laurence says:

Chaise longues have been given a new lease of life. Home designers have slimmed down the proportions, smoothed some of the finicky carpentry, and introduced a range of stunning new fabrics to make them fit better into contemporary homes.

It sounds as though your sleek living room has been invaded by the furniture equivalent of a rampant aunt with a penchant for cherry brandy and coke. But don\'t despair. March the old dear to an upholsterer and commission a smartly tailored loose cover in a discreet and genteel Irish linen to veil her ornamentation.

Left: Even the most ornate chaise longue can be tamed to fit your decor

Painting around a picture rail

Q \'My room has coving round the top, a picture rail 18 inches beneath and then a dado. Should the lower wall be darker, and how should I paint the area between the coving and the picture rail?\'

Moira Zernovs, by email

Darker shades

Laurence says:

You don\'t say how old your wall is, but my guess is mid-Victorian, with a skirting board at the bottom, possibly a chair rail, then a picture rail, with coving at the top. This system of division goes back to the ancient Greeks, and is meant to produce harmony, balance and repose. The area from floor to chair rail should be a darker shade than the remaining two thirds. This anchors the colour scheme and makes the proportions loftier. Do the same if you\'re painting below a picture rail.

Left: Paint below picture rails in a darker shade

Sofa so good?

Q \'I\'m thinking of getting a new sofa for my living room and, although I\'d usually go for something traditional, I\'m tempted to buy a style we can all slouch on. I also like the look of recliner chairs. My room is decorated in quite a classic style so would something modern work?\'

Janet Fox, Northampton

Elegant sofa

Laurence says:

I\'m not a great fan of sprawling modern sofas, corner units or recliner chairs. There are, in my experience, only three living rooms in the country large enough to accommodate such a seating arrangement and I own two of them. So stick with tradition. In my opinion, sofas should on no account recline at the flick of a button, extend at the pull of a lever or have a built in compartment for Jim\'ll Fix It badges. They should be elegant, discreet and tailored. Remember this and you\'ll find something marvellous.

Left: Fenton two-seater sofa, from £899, Marks and Spencer