Nell Hill's Feather Your Nest: It's All in the Details

Decorating Myths Meet Mary Carol's Decorating Truths

Myth: In finding my personal decorating style, I need to pick a design style that I like the most and stick with it.

Truth: You must simply follow your own heart when defining your style. Don't just replicate the latest trend or let others talk you into a look that may not be yours. Many of us are a mix of design styles, be it French Country mixed with Colonial Traditional, or Modern Contemporary mixed with Eclectic. The only opinion that counts for your house is yours. Stay true to your style and let your home evolve over time.

Myth: Each item in my home should have a clearly defined function and purpose.

Truth: Pick items that you love and develop multiple, even unexpected uses for them. Turn a cake stand into a pedestal to display your favorite art piece, use a small area rug as a dramatic table runner, or turn your grandmother's china buffet into a closet for linen storage in your bedroom. I have a beloved dining cart that spends half of its life functioning as a TV stand and the other half as an impromptu bar when entertaining guests. My friend uses a similar butler's cart in the corner of her dining room to display her breathtaking collection of blue-and-white china.

Myth: I'm unlikely to find a separate set of chairs that will match my dining room table as well as the ones that were designed to match it, right?

Truth: Don't let anyone oversell you with items that you don't need or don't like. If you absolutely love the dining chairs that are being sold with the table set, then go for it. But if you're hesitating, listen to that inner voice. You'll be so glad you did when you visit the local antique store and find the perfect set of dining chairs that look divine when paired with your dining table.

Myth: Pictures should be hung at eye level for optimum viewing.

Truth: One of my favorite decorating tricks is to stimulate the senses with a touch of the unexpected. Whether it's hanging two beloved pictures between door jambs or on closet doors as in Lisa's children's room, or utilizing that otherwise drab spot beneath the windowsill, below the crown molding, up the stairs, you name it. Utilize your space in a way that is your own and display until your heart is content.

Myth: I should invest in quality pieces that are worth their hefty price tags.

Truth: For core items like rugs, sofas, and window treatments, this notion often holds true. But don't be put off by the scraggly upholstery you find on the vintage sofa of your dreams selling at a thrift store for a mere fifty bucks. Sometimes, you can come across a value that isn't always reflected in an item's cost. Likewise, if you absolutely love, love, love everything about a particular item, except for the item's seemingly extravagant cost, reflect a while on the proposed purchase. Perhaps the item's pragmatic, everyday use, or the sheer flutter your heart feels upon beholding it in your home day in and day out will win you over. I often encourage clients to splurge on items they will use everyday, or on that special something that they just keep coming back to. However, if the cost of an item is going to keep you from appreciating it within your home, move on and spend your money elsewhere.

Myth: A well-planned room re-do should include a decisive time-line and end date.

Truth: Yes and No. When it comes to construction, repairmen, and contractors, definitely, but when it comes to putting the finishing touches on a room, well, that can sometimes take years to find just the right piece that pulls all of your planning together. Don't be in a hurry or settle for second best just to get something down on the floor, up on the walls, or anywhere else around your room.

Myth: with kids, I need family-friendly rather than design-minded furnishings, and forget displaying my favorite collectibles. I just can't chance them getting broken.

Truth: With today's plethora of design options, you can achieve both family-friendly and sophisticated style. Keep your family in mind when making choices on fabric and display areas. My friend Lisa uses a decorative shelf above her stove as the perfect accident-proof display spot.

Myth: I love my room just the way it is and could never think of changing a single thing.

Truth: Sometimes comfort stifles growth and being open to change can bring us into a heightened state of decorating nirvana we didn't even know existed. Just as our tastes grow and change, our homes should evolve along with us.

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Contact: Kathy Hilliard, Publicity Director, (800) 851-8923, ext. 7497, khilliard@amuniversal.com

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Nell Hill's Feather Your Nest: It's All in the Details

Author: Mary Carol Garrity
ISBN: 978-0-7407-6858-3
Format: Hardcover 8 3/4 x 10, 128 pages
Price: $29.95 ($37.50 Canada)