HARTWELL, GA - Last weekend my wife and I were invited to a friend's lake house in north Georgia. It was absolutely beautiful, and I tried to learn how to ski in the clear and warm waters of Lake Hartwell. Let me just tell you that I can't ski as well as I do some other things. So, I better stick to what I do best!

Their home had a large and open living room, dining room and kitchen with very large windows to see the beautiful lake. When I first walked in, I must confess I didn't quite understand their furniture arrangement. Since I was a guest in their home, I decided to keep it to myself. I learned how to keep my mouth closed after I stopped being invited to people's homes because I would sometimes volunteer my decorating opinions without first being asked. You know me, out my suggestions would flow like paint spilling from a tipped can. Then it would occur to me it wasn't MY house!

However, in this case, they did ask for my opinion. I was thrilled because I couldn't wait to rearrange the living room. I decided I would share this experience with you because so many of you face these same kinds of challenges on a daily basis. I thought it would help you to not be afraid to move things around until you find the best possible solution.

I say best possible solution because sometimes there are "givens" that we cannot control. In this case it was the wall of windows that offered a breathtaking view of the lake. The owners had avoided them to not block any of their expensive view. After all, if they can't see the lake, they may as well be across the street.

What happened with their method of arranging furniture was everything either ended up pushed up against walls or forced to work together in awkward groupings in the center of the room. The sofa was on a wall much too short for the sofa's size and definitely away from a bird's eye view of the lake. Two identical over-stuffed leather recliners were positioned on opposite sides of the room. Another large chair seemed to be floating in space for no reason other than to see the lake. End tables were placed here and there and a wonderful leather ottoman was positioned directly in front of the window.

I know they were thinking that the ottoman was so low that placing it in front of the window would not block anyone's view. They were right, but the room was definitely off balance and the owners certainly realized it. They said they had moved the furniture around again and again until they simply settled on the lesser of many evils. Being tired and hot, they gave up and just lived with the furniture placement.

The first thing I knew needed to change was the sofa placement. It was begging to be set free from the small wall and be relocated to the middle of the room. By doing this, it was now facing the window and nicely separating the kitchen area from the living room. Just by making that one move, the room immediately looked better.

Now, what was I to do with the matching recliners? Well, I decided to put them on the wall where the sofa used to reside and place one of the end tables with a lamp between them. They certainly worked better on that smaller wall than the larger sofa. Because they swiveled, it allowed for an adequate view of the lake. It is always nice to have things that are exactly alike together in the room. It is our nature when we walk into a room to visually reunite things that are alike even if they are all the way across the room from each other.

I dragged the large leather ottoman over to the very center of the room directly in front of the sofa. It breathed a sigh of relief because it felt at home with the plush sofa. I placed another end table and lamp at the opposite end of the sofa. Things were starting to work, but I still had the large chair to put somewhere and all that was left was, you guessed it, the wall with the large window.

I decided to place the last chair at an angle by the window opposite the recliners. I placed a small wooden chest beside it, with a floor lamp behind it. It actually blocked very little of the window, but definitely balanced out the room.

I finished off by telling the owners to purchase a small rocking chair to complete my new composition. It would work nicely in front of the window down from the large chair. Since they have one baby and one on the way, they thought it was a splendid idea. I suggested they look for one with spindles so the back of the chair would be open and airy and not distract from the gorgeous lake behind it.

I hope some of these suggestions help. If you have a room you are not satisfied with, move the furniture around until you are. There are multiple ways a room can be successfully arranged.

Keep trying and remain open about some things you may have to purchase to complete the composition. Don't give up and you are bound to find a combination that pleases you and your family. If all else fails, invite me over for the weekend. I will have to check my calendar to see if I can come. You will definitely get points if you have a fabulous lake behind your home!

Mark Allen Ballard (pictured right), The Artist, runs each week in The Telegraph. Send your questions to P.O. Box 4232, Macon, GA 31208; fax them to (478) 474-4930; or call The Artist's Hotline, 757-6877. You can e-mail him at his Web site: www.markballard.com. Watch "The Mark Ballard Show" on Cox Channel 15 daily at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Watch "The Mark Ballard One-Man Comedy Special" through Sept. 28 at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Wednesday.