If one of your New Year's resolutions is to reduce your stress level, consider creating a comfort zone in your home. The American Furniture Manufacturers Association suggests taking the following steps to create the most relaxing area possible:
* Consider your lifestyle. A family with young kids will want a different space than a neat freak will. (One option for the family is the Berkline reclining sectional, left. Depending on options, the piece retails for $1,999-$2,499 in fabric and is also available in leather.)
* Develop a buying plan. Know how much you can spend over time, and prioritize purchases.
* First, think about seating. A comfort zone isn't too comfortable without a place to sit.
* Choose occasional tables.
* Stash electronic gear in a stylish entertainment center to organize and reduce clutter. (Consider the Harden entertainment center, right, from the Vendome collection. It retails for $8,650.)
* Get ready to shop. Remember that comfort is key, so don't be shy about trying pieces out.
* Look for quality. Wiggle pieces' arms, check for straight seams, and examine finishes and joints.
* Add lighting and accessories as finishing touches.
* Enjoy the process. Don't get so stressed that you can't enjoy your new comfort zone.
For more information on the pieces listed above, visit www.berkline.com and www.harden.com.
Colors for a new year
What does the coming year hold in store in terms of color? The 2003-2004 Color Trend Report has five color palettes devised by the Color Marketing team at Benjamin Moore & Co.
For those looking for a more traditional look, there is the Sentimental Journey palette, featuring soothing sage green, earthy taupe and deep purple, balanced with bold claret and rich golden bark (as seen in the surfboard, above).
The Spiritual Haven combination, designed to evoke inner harmony, reflects soft mauve, deep blue and warm amber along with mystical gray, luminous beige and yellowed gold.
The daring Techno-Morph colors include bold orange, celadon green, aqua blue and a complex beige.
The Sensory Balance palette balances pale feather gray, midtone green-inspired blue, whisper-soft blue and sage green, anchored with metallic gray.
The report also includes a sense of embellishment, which in paint terms means more texture and more visual depth.
To find a Benjamin Moore paint retailer, call 800-6PAINT6 or visit www.benjaminmoore.com.
Memories on display
If you've worked hard on family scrapbooks, it's natural to want to show them off. But it's not always convenient to haul out the books every time someone comes over. Now you can show off the craft work as well as the photographs with the Frame-A-Page, which was introduced in June at the Great America Scrapbook Company Convention in Alexandria.
The frames come in three models, and each model comes in three sizes -- 12x12 for regular-size pages, 16x16 for larger pages and 12x24 for two-page spreads. The Crafter model is made of poplar and can be decorated by the buyer. The Prestige (right) is solid mahogany and is finished with clear lacquer, and the Classic is a sleek one-piece frame available in white and antique-white finishes.
The frames protect the pages with Plexiglas and have easily removable backs to remove or insert pages. The frames range from $39.95-$99.95.
Frame-A-Page is based in Westmin-ster. For more information or to order, call 866-872-9300 or visit www.frameapage.com.
Event
* Take part in a bonsai-wiring workshop at the National Arbo- retum (3501 New York Ave. N.E. in Washington) on Jan. 11 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Jack Sustic, curator of the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, demonstrates the fundamentals. Bring your tools and tree. Cost: $20. Registration is required; call 202-245-5898 or visit www.usna.usda.gov.
Home Front welcomes interesting home and garden news. Please send suggestions to Liz Atwood, Home Front, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278, or fax to 410-783-2519. Information must be received at least four weeks in advance to be considered.