1 WORK WITH ARCHITECTURAL QUIRKS T o avoid drawing attention to ceiling beams or other architectural oddities, designer William Cullum and his partner, Jeffery Rhodes, painted the walls, trim, and ceiling the same color blue in the hallway (seen at rear) of their New York City apartment. 2 BE BOLD WITH COLOR Literary couple James Fenton and Darryl Pinckney opted for bright, jewel-toned walls in shades of green, blue, yellow—and even purple—throughout their Harlem townhouse. 3 PLAY UP YOUR LOCATION At Jean-Louis Deniot’s family retreat on Île de Ré, France, the designer deployed nautical references to emphasize the seaside setting: Maritime rope frames all of the doorways; the steps are hand-painted with wave scenes; and the bedroom wall mural (seen through the doorway here) resembles a sandstorm. 4 MAKE YOUR MANTEL A MASTERPIECE In a Toronto home by Colette van den Thillart, the designer decided to replace the original mantel ...