1. Paint.

2-6. Make the bed the room's focal point.

7-8. A seating area is for reading and relaxing.

9-11. Balance the contemporary bed with traditional consoles.

12-14. Place lighting throughout the space, and hang simple draperies.

15-16. Hang photos on bare walls.

Tell us about your design challenge: Find out how

The Fernandezes recently moved from a townhouse into a single-family home. "With the exception of our master bedroom, this is truly our dream house," Debra Fernandez writes in an e-mail. The 25-by-14- foot room is long, and the couple is not sure where to put a TV so they can watch it from bed, whether they should create a seating area or how to place furniture so it won't block lake views.

A neutral paint color makes the room feel open. A darker accent shade for the wall behind and opposite the bed prevents the room from appearing too long and narrow. Pick furnishings proportional to the space, such as a canopy bed that stands up against the vaulted ceiling. In between the bed and new seating area, hang a flat-screen TV so it is visible from either zone. Bedding sets the color palette for the room.