Great Save! HGTV Star's Decorating Intervention

The soon-to-be-married Kevin Kaduk and Mary Beth Summins didn't know what to do with their big open blob of a space, a split-level living/dining area separated by a railing. They liked the openness and the pretty bay windows that looked out on their leafy street in Lisle, Ill., but the two-tiered layout had them stumped. No matter what they tried, they wound up with pockets of unused square footage.

It didn't help that the only furniture they had to work with were two white sofas, leftovers from Mary Beth's bachelorette pad. So they took a chance and sent their story to HGTV, hoping to land a makeover on the show Meg Caswell hosts, Meg's Great Rooms. To their shock and delight, they were picked!

Meg used a single springy green wall color to unify the upper and lower levels. The bright blue on the chairs, credenza and valance is sprinkled around downstairs as well. "An accent color makes your eye dart around the space and helps connect the two rooms," says Meg. Meg knew Kevin and Mary Beth have a great love of the outdoors, so she decided to take some decorating cues from Mother Nature.

The couple's instinct was to not block the window with a couch, but Meg found a way to situate the room for comfortable conversation without obscuring the view. She found two low-profile sofas on overstock.com ($890 for both!) and placed them facing each other. The one near the window sits about a foot in front of it, so lots of light still gets in.