This week's tips:

• Convert a room into a multi-task room. A guest room can be a home office or nursery. A bathroom can double as a laundry room.



• In a living room, swag the draperies to create the effect of an architectural colonnade or column. Doing so adds a focal point but doesn't block views beyond the windows.



• Buy colored chalk and allow your children to doodle all over your driveway.



• Buy some extra hand fans in case your AC goes on the blink. If your area experiences brownouts or blackouts during the summer, make sure you have flashlights and new batteries around in easy to find (in the dark!) places.



• Plain is in; keep color schemes simple, pare down collections, use natural fabrics, and keep your wood floors bare.



• Sit outside to enjoy your front or back porch, if your home has one. It can serve as an outdoor living room with rocking chairs, fresh-painted wicker chairs, and tables.



• Host a spring brunch and serve seasonal fruits, fruit-flavored spirits, and cold dishes. Buy a dozen lemons and pile them in a white, terra cotta or blue bowl for a fresh and colorful centerpiece. Make real lemonade or limeade, and add a slice of fruit to the rim.

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