Decorating Secrets from Boutique Owners

Mix styles and fabrics for a relaxed classic look

In this living room (left), informal buffalo-check fabric on the ottomans tones down the formality of the ornate French chair. That kind of juxtaposition puts pizzazz in a room's decor, and follows one of the first rules of decorating espoused by Nathan Nichols, whose New England style showcases refinement-- but not stuffiness--with a Midwestern viewpoint.

Nathan, a third-generation New Englander, moved to Wisconsin in 1990 and now runs Nathan Nichols & Company, a furniture and interior design store in Door County. His interpretation of classic American decor is relaxed, and his home exemplifies the idea of using a variety of styles and fabrics to get a comfortable, created-over-time look.

In addition to the interesting formal-informal fabric combinations, Nathan's living room uses a Williamsburg reproduction mirror with a tortoiseshell finish to jazz up the white Victorian mantel.