Q: Our old apartment has a couple of odd nooks and crannies that frankly have me scratching my head how to furnish them — like the little butler's pantry we don't use because we combined the dining and living rooms to expand the kitchen. We could use a little guest room, but it's somewhat open to the kitchen.

What's smart to do?

A: Repeat after me: Any space is better than no space, especially in an apartment. A smart space designer can help you put every square inch to work and still look good in the process.

New York interior designer Michelle Slovak (www.michelleslovak.com) looked at a little pass-through leading to an apartment balcony, and saw both a guest room and a home office in its limited floor space.

In the first photo, her professional bag of magic tricks included flexible furniture, such as a small sleep sofa, a tall, movable folding screen, and a pair of Antoine Proulx cocktail tables that rearrange themselves in an instant.

Oh, and the ladder is Asian and exotic. It's there, says the designer, to balance the tall wood and mica screen, which can be pulled across the doorway opening when privacy's in order.

On the opposite wall, seen in the second photo, is a long, horizontal window, with a computer desk beneath, and a tall vertical door leading out to the balcony. They are two different shapes, and Slovak elected to dress them differently — only using the same fabric: long draperies on the door, Roman shades on the window.

Add faux-painted walls and the silken shagginess of a flokati rug. Now this is a fun place to be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or vice versa.

Q: What's that straw item on the floors of England's great old houses?

A: Not straw, please, but rush matting - the darling of royals, landed gentry and world-stripe decorators since Elizabethan times. In the past, servants "stewed" the floors with loose flowers and reeds. Today, according to writer Christopher Petkanas, you'd have to stand in line behind England's National Trust houses or New York's Frick Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art to order rush matting from its few remaining weavers.

Here's compensation: A natural material harvested from English rivers, rush matting must be watered betimes to keep it flexible and smelling fresh. Put away the vacuum; get out the watering can! One place to learn more is www.rushmatters.info).

Q: Do you think interior design is going to the dogs?

A: You'd be in good company, if so. Estimates vary, but there are up to 74.8 million pet dogs living in 39 percent of America's homes, according to the U.S. Humane Society. Then it's no surprise that home product producers are catering to our canines. Pierre Deux, the French fashion house known for its provincial charms, has introduced a mini-canape (couch) sized for Les Poodles; they've also launched a design contest called Posh Pets (www.pierredeux.com), which supports animals and can give you shopping dollars in October and November.

Also joining the pet products parade, Eureka now offers a new upright vacuum equipped with a special toothed brush designed to de-hair your habitat. For more information, visit www.eureka.com and search for the "pet lover" vacuum. To remove the dog scent at the same time, add a packet of baking power "Fresh-in" to your vacuum bag or cup (www.armhammervac.com).

Of all the new pro-pet products, best in show goes to New Jersey designer Merilyn Marshall-Cullen's "Dog Lover's Damask." It takes a minute to make out the canines cleverly hidden in the formal damask design, but after that, it's a must-have for any mutt-fancier.

Merilyn did it up in lavender and cream for this year's Mansion in May designer show house; you can have it custom-colored on wall coverings and fabrics, made with any material from cotton to silk for $110 per yard. See more at www.mmcdesignsllc.com.

(set caption2) A small space can also be turned into a home office. Photo courtesy of Michelle Slovak. (caption2)

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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