Embraceliving

Many women have literally never had time to look around at the home-furnishings market to see what they would like if they could redo their own houses. Harried young mothers and ambitious career women fall into this category. They work so hard and focus so narrowly on one aspect of their lives that they forget they deserve a beautifully decorated home. I remember Leslie, an intelligent and bubbly young woman with a demanding job and two small boys, who presented herself at our studio. “I want to redo my living room,” she announced happily. “I’ve saved my salary for two years.”
“What style do you like?” I asked, and she exploded with laughter. “I’ve been so busy making the money to do it, I haven’t even thought about what I want.” We had to spend several weeks going through design magazines and furniture catalogs and many afternoons going through the showrooms until she got an idea of what her taste really was. Suddenly one day the phone rang.
“I want a dramatic, modern living room in antique ivory and black, with lacquer red accents. I want a clean-lined black lacquer hanging unit on the fireplace wall, and I want to cover the fireplace mantel with ivory travertine and brass trim. I want an ivory sofa and a big French chair, maybe done in red. Accents of brass and glass. Maybe a brass and glass coffee table and Japanese screens behind the sofa. Just big, simple calligraphy scrolls.” And after two months of looking, talking, thinking, and experimenting, it all came tumbling out: Leslie’s MAGIC ROOM. After this breakthrough we put the room together very quickly. It was a knockout—sophisticated with black marble tiles in the entry and a stunning color scheme. The heavy contrasts of black and ivory made a fabulous background for art and flowers.
So take heart, too-busy mother you can develop your own taste rapidly once you direct your energy toward design appreciation.

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