How many times have you walked into a room in your house and said, “I need to change this!” or “I should change this paint.” and my personal favorite, “This place is a disaster!”? For most of us these ideas are discouraged by one, or all, of the following:

• “Not right now, I have a million other things to do.”
• “I don’t even know where or how to begin.”
• “I really don’t have the money right now.”
• “Maybe, I’ll make a weekend project out of it.”

  The truth is we all want our homes to be inviting and warm. Not just for the occasional guest or a visit from the in-laws but for ourselves and our families as well. For those adventurous sorts that do get around to tackling a home decorating project successfully, kudos to you! It really does take conviction to create change. If this is you, STOP reading. This article is NOT for you!

  For the rest of you I think you will find yourselves in one of three categories, The Initiator, The Hopeful or The Forlorn.

  The Initiator is the one that commits to change. You grab the bull by the horns, or more accurately, the purse by the straps. You head to the nearest design center or paint store with a goal in mind. You have either decided what wall/room it is you want to paint or you know what in the room you intend to change, be it furnishing or accessories. Now listen closely to what I am about to say, if in fact, you are an Initiator. You have fallen short of the goal at this point. You failed before you even got into your car. This is why when you return home from your shopping frenzy the “make-over” never seems to last long or it doesn’t have the impact you were hoping for. Here’s the “why” of it all. However well intentioned your vision of change was, you were lacking clear guidelines. This is not your fault, stop beating yourself up! It takes a rare individual to understand the process to good interior decorating. But don’t fret my pet; I am here to teach you! Let me first comment on our next personality.

  The Hopeful. Generally this sort doesn’t really have any clear direction on what they are going to do, but they are certain they will know what it is they are searching for when they see it. Unfortunately, the inspiration quickly turns to frustration, am I right? Let me paint you a picture of your decorating disaster. So, you decide to brave your design challenge. (Let’s say you’ve committed to sprucing up the family room.) You head out the door, knowing full well how many mistakes you’ve made in the past all while throwing good money after bad. You have probably even relegated yourself to shopping only at the discount retailers so as to avoid the guilt of what you would have spent on yet another purchase “mistake”. You find yourself aimlessly strolling the aisles; you pick up something you like, a new set of throw pillows for the sofa, an adorable chatski for the mantle or maybe a great piece of wall art. Then you think…does this match anything? Where will I put it? Do I really need this? Or possibly you consider yourself lucky to have found something you like.

  Regardless of your decision you ultimately failed your mission. Although you may have purchased something fabulous, it doesn’t fit. Here’s why, you lack an overall design style. You don’t really know what your style is, probably you consider yourself “eclectic” in style for this exact reason. But that may not be true. Your mission, declare a style and stick to it until the room is complete. Stop jumping around from space to space only adding small touches. Start in one room and for God’s sake, finish that room before you tackle another one!

  Rounding out the design personalities is our final competitor, The Forlorn. You poor, lost and confused souls. Let me simply summarize this type by stating you can’t be good at everything. You have probably already convinced yourself of this very fact. Here are few things you have told yourself about decorating, “I don’t know what I like, but I know what I don’t.”, “So what if it doesn’t all match, I like my things!”, or finally you tell yourself and others, “I have no idea how to do all that decorating stuff!” The truth is you DO want your home to be welcoming, you DO wish you had the talent to create good design, and you ARE willing to ask for help! All of which will allow me bring out that designer in you, with a lot of guidance of course!
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