Design Hints

California homeowner Linda Scoville, whose home is featured in the July 2008 issue of Country Sampler, believes in personalizing objects to make them work within her decorating style, whether it's adding a fabric flourish or finding a new use for an old item. "I redo things to fit what I want," she says. "You can always adapt things and make them work for you." Here are a few of her best ideas:

Woodn't It Be Lovely?: Add wood partitions to an old drawer to make a wall-mounted display cabinet. Linda created one to showcase her collection of pitchers and creamers in the family room, where the dark wood drawer sets off the light tones of the collectibles and contrasts with the soft yellow walls.

Inside Job: Turn weathered outdoor furniture into interior pieces by sprucing them up with a new coat of white paint. Linda used a little latex paint to punch up an old porch rocker for her family room and revive a ragged garden bench for her master bedroom.

Light the Way: Put your own stamp on lamp shades by covering them with fabrics and trims of your own choosing. Linda did this for her dining room chandelier and many accent lights throughout her home.

New Heights: Prop small lamps on items such as books, boxes or even a small bench to give them a bit more visual impact. "I don't like large lamps, so I just give my small lamps a little oomph," Linda says. She's given other furnishings a boost as well; for example, she had a stand built to turn a six-drawer card catalog cabinet into a perfectly sized side table for the living room.

Makeover Magic: Purchase inexpensive accessories in shapes that you like, and then use paint to make them fit your palette. When Linda found a big copper star at a discount department store, it was the right size for her living room wall but the wrong color, so she simply spray-painted it white.