When I drive through the suburbs of a city, I often think how much it looks like any other city. All the stores seem to be the same.

Landscapes used to be that way, too. No matter what part of the country you were in, all the yards looked like they had been cut with the same cookie cutter. Increasingly, though, garden designers talk about “a sense of place.” Draw your inspiration from the countryside right where you live, they say.

Claire Sawyers’ “The Authentic Garden: Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place” (Timber Press, 2007, $34.95) had a profound influence on my thinking. It sounds so reasonable to imitate the native scenery around us rather than import plants to imitate fancy gardens we’ve seen in design books or on our travels. Such a landscape not only looks more natural, but is easier to maintain, too, since native plants are generally much easier to grow in the environment to which they’re accustomed.

Now that I have a brand new landscape to design this fall, my thoughts are increasingly turning to our native grasses. What could be more Midwestern than a landscape that imitates the prairie? With the front yard featuring native grasses, visitors would be reminded as soon as they pulled up that they were in the Midwest.

I’m still in the planning stages, but at this point I’m favoring some of the shorter grasses for our sunny curbside; I want to avoid tall grasses like Indian grass and big bluestem that could obscure our vision as we pull out of the driveway.

A better bet, I think, would be blue grama, which grows only about a foot tall. Or maybe I’ll decide on its close relative, side-oats grama, which is about twice as tall. Both are delicate-looking natives that are actually tough as nails and drought tolerant.

Then there’s prairie dropseed, a native grass that won my deep appreciation during a severe drought because it remained a fountain of emerald green when everything around it was dying. I love the soft, refined texture of this grass, which grows 2 to 3 feet tall.

And who could resist little bluestem’s crimson red in autumn? Against a snowy background, this 2- to 3-foot tall grass also provides welcome winter color.

Switchgrass, which grows 5 feet tall, is too tall for my curbside planting but perfect for screening our low deck. Of all the prairie grasses, it also has the best chance of surviving in the hard-packed clay left around the house by the excavation.

No place to plant a little prairie? Try creating your own “sense of place” by planting prairie grasses in containers. Switch grass in particular will look great all winter.

Click photo to enlarge

As long as I live, I will have more questions than answers. In fact, I’ve built this column on my endless design and home improvement quandaries. I run my problems by experts, then report my findings to you.

Occasionally, however, the tables turn, and I become the sought-out expert. A few weekends ago, for instance, I spoke at a home and garden show in Denver. To create some buzz, the home editor at the Denver Post asked if she could post a blog inviting readers to ask me about their design dilemmas.

“Sure,” I said, and the questions streamed in. Here I’m sharing some of the most universal problems in today’s column, along with my tips from the trenches:

Q We moved into our house six years ago. The previous owner’s dog, Mr. Butler, had had his way all over the almost white carpet. Now add two cats, a husband and two boys here part-time, and the carpet is a mess. My husband wants to put in a darker color carpet, which won’t show dirt. I would like hardwood floors, but he is afraid they will be too cold. Ideas?

A Wood! Wood! Wood! Wood floors are warm, durable, look great with any style decor, are easy to maintain, and you can layer them with rugs. You don’t mention price, but wood flooring will cost more. As a general rule, wood floors can last 100 years or more, while carpeting lasts about seven on average.

Q I downsized my home after my husband died, and now I have this “monster” furniture in my

living room. How do I decorate around it without making it look like the “little house that couldn’t”?

A It could work, but you need to break up the furniture, even if it’s a matched set. Try using only some — but not all — of the pieces. Put some in other rooms or in the garage temporarily. Don’t feel obliged to arrange the pieces just as they were before. And keep accessories to a minimum, so you don’t overcrowd.

Q We recently purchased a townhouse from an “experienced” general contractor. It looks 10 percent overages from his other projects to finish the bathrooms. One particularly hideous part is in the master bathroom, where patterned (mostly black) mosaic tiles frame the mirror. The rest of the bathroom is light stone. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

A This is one of those if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them situations. Instead of ripping out the black mosaic tiles, which would be expensive and wasteful, add more dark-value colors to the space. Paint the walls something strong in value. That will help balance and downplay the dark tones in the mosaic. Add a great area rug with the dark tone in it as well.

Q I am newly divorced with a new (to me) house and new mortgage. I have furnished the essential rooms — living room, dining room and master bedroom. My sister is coming for a visit, and I would like to create a welcoming guest room in my empty 10-by-10-foot spare bedroom. Right now all that’s in the room are a dresser and rocking chair; neither has to stay. What’s the best way to furnish this room on a tight budget? What bed would you buy — a daybed, futon, hide-a-bed?

A I like the idea of a day bed or hide-a-bed; both can double as a sofa. If you add a trundle under the day bed, you can sleep two. In addition to a great sofa-by-day bed, also put in a small side table with a reading lamp and a clock, and window treatments that offer privacy and light control. Make room for your guest’s clothes in a cleaned-out closet or, if there’s room, keep the dresser. A chair is also welcome, and your rocker might rock.

Q We ripped out the second kitchen in our house to make an office, but now we have this big open space where the refrigerator used to be. I desperately need storage space for my work-related items that don’t fit in the desk. How can I make this space look good and be functional?

A You’re lucky to have this perfect storage niche already in place. Build in shelving with some doors, or find an armoire to slide right in.

Q What can a retired couple do to brighten up an outdated living room? We don’t want to redecorate completely, since we won’t get back the money we put into the house, but we don’t want to be stuck in the ’90s for the rest of the time we stay here.

A Paint! Nothing transforms and updates a room faster and less expensively than paint. Look online at Color Marketing Group’s 2012-13 color forecast to see the “in” colors. This year’s great shades include tones of cabernet, deep turquoise and burnt almond. If you need furniture, invest frugally in flexible pieces you can take with you. Add accessories that tie to the updated wall color — pillows, throws, an area rug.

Syndicated columnist Marni Jameson is the author of “House of Havoc” and “The House Always Wins” (Da Capo Press). Contact her through www.marnijameson.com.