Q: My husband and I looked at our new house on a weekend; we bought it on a Saturday and moved in on a weekend. Imagine our surprise on our first Monday morning in the house when the street that had always seemed so quiet turned out to be a major traffic lane — everyone was going to the nearby train station before 7 a.m. It's so noisy in the mornings that we are thinking of moving out of the master suite on the front of the house into a back bedroom.

What else can we do?

A: Don't move until you've tried some of several available options. Sound-control is largely a matter of fabric layers at your windows and on your walls and floors. The more layers, the more muffled the noise.

Wall-to-wall your floor in thick carpeting, which you can put over thick padding. Upholster your wall in fabric stapled over a hefty layer of fiberfill and muslin. Investigate sound-blocking window treatments, such as the Roman shades in the pictured bedroom.

The manufacturer (Hunter Douglas, www.hunterdouglas.com) says the layers of fabric folds allow the shade to absorb up to 60 percent of reflected sound, which will go a long way toward putting the quietus on a room. As you can see, silence can be attractive. The design team behind this room (Jeani Ziering and Jennifer Huson) framed the shades with long panels of plaid silk curtains, softening the look along with the noise.

Q: Is it getting easier being green?

A: Kermit's manta aside, yes, green is happening all over. And you, the home decorator, get a lot of the credit for the increased attention the home furnishings industry is paying to the environment. As in all items, green begets green. Your interest in buying sustainability is driving innovations in what sellers bring to market.

One of the latest: EcoComfort upholstery introduced this fall by La-Z-Boy, the nation's largest manufacturer of upholstered furniture (www.la-z-boy.com). Their new line of sofas, recliners and chairs features foam cushions made from soybeans, and a choice of certified eco-friendly fabrics including suede.

Now even the toughest eco-watchdogs can afford to lean back and relax some.

Q: Decorating for Halloween?

A: It's downright scary how popular Halloween has become. "America's Halloween," as the Europeans call it, is obsessing not only us — statisticians say it's the second-favorite U.S. holiday — it's also spreading back to the Old World, which had its share of vampires, werewolves and witches well before the Mayflower.

We may love the fun, but find the color scheme frightening. Who can live with orange and black?

Happily, you don't have to, according to a new "Halloween Handbook" from the editors of Women's Day Special Interest Publications. "A Ghostly Good Time" (Filipacchi Publishing) takes its Halloween fun seriously, right down to redecorating the house.

But a number of their ideas can outlive Oct. 31. For example, a hall table mirror, draped with spray-painted silk vines and stacked with gourds and pumpkins, can stay to welcome the Thanksgiving season.

Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Hampton Style" and associate editor of Country Decorating Ideas. To find out more about Rose Bennett Gilbert and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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