This week, Sarah tackled a long and narrow living and dining space. I think Sarah is good at many things but she is great at space planning so I was interested in seeing how she addressed this challenging layout.

She maximized the layout by using smaller scale furniture and reworking a floor plan to account for circulation space and create conversation zones. In a brilliant move, she ditched the traditional dining table and chairs and instead used a space-saving custom L-shaped banquette, round dining table, and accent chairs. The furniture tended towards the mid-century modern. Arm chairs were teak, leggy, and updated with graphic fabric. While having so much vintage furniture in a small space can feel too retro, Sarah kept it light by adding contemporary curtains and modern touches of chrome side tables, lucite curtain rods, and a glass stair rail.

She paired this with textural elements like bold grasscloth, an Egyptian brass pendant lamp (which I recently spotted at the IDS preview), and a zebra print rug. Speaking of the rug, Sarah had two rugs stitched together to get the exact custom size she needed. Smart idea! All in all, though some of the furniture isn't my cup of tea, I think the room works. Its a highly functional design and one the homeowners say has increased their use and enjoyment of the space. Really, isn't that what we're all trying to achieve in our own homes?

Tips from the show:

- use chairs to act as room dividers

- when using vintage pieces, recover them in complementary fabrics (like the geometric 1960's-esque fabric Sarah used)

- repeat pattern in a room. Use one strong statement (like a curtain) and keep others more subtle (like pillow cushions)

- choose flowers that enhance your room design. Tall, linear pussy willows worked well in this modern space

- have multiple storage spots (like storage cubes to house toys) to keep clutter at a minimum