Q: We don't have great antiques, but over the years our home became a warm, traditional "cocoon" — so our friends always tell us. Now we're moving to a fixer-upper that needs a lot of renovation, including replacing the floors. Our budget's too tight for hardwood, and we hate the idea of wall-to-wall.

My husband thinks we should install ceramic tile that looks like stone. Is that our only option?

A: Stone-look tile is a relatively inexpensive option when you're looking for natural materials. But it's not your only choice, as you'll see if you consider some of today's man-made options.

Many laminates appear very similar to real wood; you'll forget they ever came from a test tube instead of a tree. New photographic technologies, coupled with realistic embossing and surface-protecting finish, make laminates all but impervious to household wears, tears, spills and accidents.

Plus, as you can see from the pictured traditional living room, they blend easily into a vintage-decorating theme. This cherry-look floor is from the "Elegant Expressions" collection by Pergo (www.pergo.com), one of the largest laminate manufacturers in the world.

Q: Still optimistic enough for yellow?

A: Presidential election and economic downturn aside, the prognosticators at Benjamin Moore Paints think they see a hint of hopefulness in the year that lies ahead.

They're predicting yellow, traditionally the color of optimism ... yellow, as in "flickering firelight with a touch of green," says Benjamin Moore's Eileen McComb. The hue the paint company calls St. Elmo's Fire, "radiates warmth and energy like no other color," she adds.

"Once upon a time, yellow was thought to be for kitchens only," McComb explains.

No longer. She foresees yellow as a top interior paint choice for 2009, in tandem with other lively colors like fuchsia, or softer hues like yellow green. Contrasting deep browns and black will add even more energy to a room, McComb says, while steely gray will look chic and dreamy.

Skeptical? Then take a trial run before reaching for a paintbrush. Benjamin Moore is one of several paint producers that allow you to paint your room virtually and receive a preview of the finished job. You can buy 2-ounce samples of the actual paint, or click onto Personal Color Viewer — an online program that lets you "paint" with any of the company's 3,500 colors. Check it out at www.benjaminmoore.com.

Q: Want to eke out the last of the outdoor living season?

A: Borrow a clever idea from designer Kathryn Tafaro Platt (KP Interiors, Mendham, N.J.), who found herself almost out in the cold on the front terraces of the historic Twin Maples Show House this fall. Unknown to her, show house officials decided to take out the old and huge trees that had sheltered the terrace, leaving her outdoor display out in the open.

Platt's solution: Create a visual windbreaker by standing a tall porch column at the outer corners and attaching two swing-arm curtain rods to form a 'V.' She then draped each arm with a sheer curtain, a filmy suggestion of the walls that aren't there.

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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