Stepping back into the room- more custom work. The large sofa, custom upholstery with Scandinavian fabric, coordinated custom carpet and one-of-a-kind sofa table all contribute to softening a very domineering stone mantel. Furniture placement divides an over-large room into more people-scaled zones.

Around the other end of the sectional niche- sloppy chic. This customized version of an Italian style sofa sold for half the price of the original and is just as classy. A hand-knotted carpet, existing coffee table and pair of custom end tables - one housing a.v. components- fill in the space with...