Contributing writer
Do you need design/life/organizing help? I got you. Message @sararuffincostello on Instagram with questions.
My dining room is quite large and opens onto other rooms. Everyone says it MUST be wallpapered, but I’m like “do you have a million dollars?” By the way, is there any wallpaper that you actually like? Frankly, it’s my house so why should I listen to so-called experts? — Wrong or Right?
Dear Right: There is a beautiful restaurant in Charleston called Sorelle’s where the wallpaper budget is indeed serious. Sorelle’s entire upstairs dining room is swathed in an epic scenic mural. It is a transportive space, at least for the two minutes I glanced around during off hours before being asked, not gently, to leave. The server said it was a liability to have people looking around up there. Maybe he thought I was going to trip and accidentally scratch the wallpaper with a fork. The point is, let restaurant investors spend for jaw-dropping scenics while you simply reserve a table. For a mere $200, enjoy being surrounded by a lush Italian forest on someone else’s dime.
But back to your vast and breezy dining room. Obviously, paint is an excellent jumping-off point, though a decent paint job is never as inexpensive as it’s made out to be, so unless you are a skilled DIYer, hang a sparkly mirror and art instead. The most interesting rooms lend to a story about who lives there. You can be made to feel a certain way just by being in them — cozy and warm with clutter or sleek with minimalism. Besides bookshelves, nothing achieves that narrative quality quite like a personal mix of art and objects.
Thusly, my pre-Thanksgiving get-your-dining-room-together advice is to curate a little art salon which will spice up the chitchat should conversation lag. There is a battleship gray dining room I recently uncovered that stands out. The room was lined with all sizes of unframed botanicals, a cheap and cheery antidote to the gray walls. Mismatched wooden chairs gathered around a long farmhouse table covered with a white antique linen tablecloth. In that space, you can imagine feeling both humble and spectacular at the same time. Miss Right, it sounds like you weren’t going to wallpaper anyway. Huzzah! When the gut speaks, listen.
I’m starting the plans for an apartment over my garage for spillover guests and extra space. Thinking of adding a fun kitchenette. Do I need a stove? I really don’t want anyone staying long enough to bake anything, but will I regret not putting it in? — Crash Pad Polly
Dear Polly: My real estate agent claims garage apartments don’t necessarily move the needle when it comes to recouping investment quite like ample parking and storage do. Ergo, forgo the costly appliances. My rule-following Realtor also says many zoning boards won’t pass garage apartments with a full kitchen. One wishes zoning boards would mind their own business. At any rate, check the rules before you start.
I advise the following course of action: After snagging a certificate of occupancy (C of O), push on with the detached crash pad you have always envisioned. Install a tiny, adorable kitchenette with open shelves, under-counter fridge drawers, a good toaster oven and a two-burner induction range (not sure if you are up to date on the latest gas stove industry cover-ups but suffice it to say induction cooktops are THE way to go for healthy air quality, at least until that gets debunked). Instead of a lavish king-sized bed, purchase a set of modern-looking bunks that double as seating. American adults won’t last more than two nights.
Three more compelling reasons in favor of building a habitable garage apartment:
1) A potential rental property that will provide income if you are fired or no longer interested in working.
2) A potential love relationship with a potentially attractive new garage apartment tenant (true story! This happened in real life!).
3) A potential home away from home when you despise all the people in the main house.
Contributing writer
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