By ROSEMARY SADEZ FRIEDMANN, Scripps Howard News Service

Any window with woodwork or other detail around it that is too pretty to hide is a candidate for shades, either fabric, wood or vinyl. Any of these shades can be installed within the fenestration, allowing the detail of the trim to be seen. After all, you or someone paid extra for that woodwork, so why hide it.

For many years now, there's been a big concern over healthy interiors and with good reason. The air you breathe affects your health and indoor air has claim to most of the hours in your day. Many articles have been written about pollutants in paints, wallpaper, adhesives, flooring, air coming through the air-conditioning system, plastics that emit toxins -- and the list goes on.

Why is it that when black and tan are used together, the look is smashing? There is something very sophisticated, classy and rich about the combination.Take a sofa that is all light tan, add pillows that are black mixed with tan -- it doesn't matter what the pattern is, be it plaid, paisley, geometric, floral -- and the combination will truly lift that sofa up in design caliber.

As soon as we're old enough to know our colors, we start to have favorites. Ask any 4-year old what color he likes and he will tell you. Though there are individual color preferences, there are also strong associations with each of the basic colors that are shared by almost everyone.

Color is probably the most potent device available to artists, both amateurs and professionals. This is true of interior decorators and designers as well. Color influences shape, weight, size and temperature. It also is expressive in that color carries symbolism and emotion.

Window treatments can be as diversified as your imagination. All you need to know are some basic designs, then you can add personal touches as your creative energy starts feeding you ideas. Let's begin by learning the fundamentals.

Many people love antiques. Perhaps the antiques are a link to the past, they have investment value or they are rare, with that one-of-a-kind allure. Whatever the reason, the yen is there for some aficionados.

Art is a personal thing. You either like it or you don't. At least that's what most people seem to think. But there is more to art than just liking it or not. Art can be healing, calming, exciting, boring, argumentative or alluring, just to mention a few adjectives.

Anthropometrics is the study of human dimensions. Who cares?

Did you know that the perfectly equipped house should have 19 different types of flatware?The common ones are tablespoon, teaspoon, small fork, large fork, large knife, small knife ... OK, the list is getting boring.