When La Plata, Md.'s Darlene Johnson moved from her condo to a house five years ago, she had no idea how difficult it would be to decorate the larger areas. Her 16-by-18-foot family room poses the biggest challenge: "I find myself at a loss on how to pull it all together, and I'm intimidated about getting the right proportion and scale and making costly mistakes," she says. Johnson would like a "luxurious but family-friendly" room for relaxing and entertaining. Her sectional is new, but Johnson admits it's too big for the room -- so at least part of it needs to stay. She also needs suggestions for TV placement, window treatments and storage.
» Use neutral tones to open up a space.
PHOTOS: Len Spoden - For The Washington Post; EDITED BY: Terri Sapienza - Washington Post Staff Writer; WEB PRODUCER: Andrea N. Browne - washingtonpost.com; INTERACTIVE: washingtonpost.com
