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Design professionals Rina Capodieci-Quinn, Elizabeth Crafton and Jodi Heimowitz hold forth on headboards, banquettes and when molding should—and shouldn’t—match walls.

THE HEADBOARD IN MY GUEST ROOM IS ON A WALL WITH AN OFF-CENTER WINDOW. WHAT IS THE BEST ART PLACEMENT TO VISUALLY EVEN THINGS OUT? In design it’s all about balance, not necessarily symmetry. If your headboard is tall enough, reaching two-thirds of the way up the wall, you really do not need art above it. Provided the window is of smaller scale than the headboard, adding a window treatment to the window will balance the weight. On the other hand, if your headboard is short, using a more organic piece of art, hung horizontally, would be one solution. Keep the art “see-through.” I would not suggest one typical solid framed rectangular piece of art. If framed art is preferred it should be two smaller scaled pieces, square, if possible, hung centered on the bed. —Rina Capodieci-Quinn, Allied ASID, RCQ Design; rcqdesign.com

I’M THINKING OF ADDING A “BANQUETTE” TO SAVE

SPACE IN THE BREAKFAST ROOM BUT WOULD LIKE AN ACTUAL PIECE OF FURNITURE. CAN YOU RECOMMEND HIGH-BACK OPTIONS THAT ARE COMFY AND DURABLE? Banquettes are great for maximizing space. They add color, texture and pattern. In some cases, they also add storage for rarely used kitchen items. I like to use a corner banquette to add more seating and utilize the often unused corner space in a breakfast area. Banquettes are also a good opportunity to soften a kitchen’s hard surfaces. The design possibilities are endless, since you can add pillows and coordinate dining chairs as well. If you have a small breakfast area, a banquette can be a great space saver. Unlike dining chairs, a banquette butts up right against the wall, creating more space.

Today there are some great options for retail furniture as opposed to a custom built-in piece. If you need storage, I would recommend Ballard Designs–Breton with Sunbrella high-performance cushions. This will give you ample storage as well as comfort. If storage is not a priority, I would recommend the Ross 60-inch slipcovered bench from Serena & Lily. It has a streamlined design and comes in 142 high-performance fabrics. —Elizabeth Crafton, Allied ASID, Lilabeth Interiors; lilabethinteriors.com

SOME HOMES’ MOLDINGS ARE THE SAME COLOR AS THE WALLS, BUT MOST ARE NOT. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE ADVANTAGES OF BOTH? When repainting, it’s very common to paint the molding a different color than the walls. Usually a color in the white family (or lighter than the walls) will give the room a clean, sleek look while bringing attention to the walls, creating a soft contrast. There are circumstances when you want to highlight special moldings, but as a general rule the molding should not be the highlight of the walls.

There are times you may want your walls and molding to be the same color. A good room in which to do that would be a specialty room such as a TV/media room. There you can paint the ceiling that color too, helping the eyes focus more on TV viewing and creating a fun, unique space. Using the same base hue on all the surfaces in the room with different paint finishes can also make the surfaces appear slightly different. —Jodi Heimowitz, Allied ASID,

CAPS, Love Loving Home, jodiheimowitz.com