WE'VE just moved into a new cottage, where the living room has one wall which is wood-panelled. Any ideas on lightening up this dark area? - Meg White, by email.
ZENA SAYS: The obvious answer is to paint it. As you're in a cottage, it might be suitable to use a heritage shade. Try Crown's new Vintage range - 30 flat matt emulsion colours covering the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s (www.crownpaint.co.uk). If you don't want to permanently cover the wood, I'd use some wall art to brighten it up, either one large framed image or several smaller ones grouped together. Make sure your furniture is colourful enough not to blend into the background and add a table or floor lamp for more light in a dark corner.
