Introduction

 The real act of discovery is not in finding new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.
-Ernest Holmes

 A love affair begins…

     People often ask me why I got into interior design.  I guess I got hooked on design with my very first client.
     My dad, who I was interning for, gave me my first client: a retired custodian for a small country school.  She lived in a one room house by herself.  She wanted privacy for her windows, and only had $50—could I help?

 Figure 3- Before: Great room with massive brick fireplace. The client wanted a lighter feel…

     For a girl right out of college, this was not the way I wanted to begin my glamorous career in interior design!  I couldn’t believe my dad had given me this project: six windows for fifty dollars?!  No way!
    This was way before HGTV, so I hand painted some scrolls on roller shades.  There weren’t as many options then as now, so I had to put some thought and effort into this small project.
     When I hung the shades up and pulled them down to show the scrolls, this woman sat down on her bed and wept in gratitude.  I get teary right now thinking about her.

 Figure 4- After: I covered the fireplace with faux stained glass and painted the hearth the same color as the walls.

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 I received a great lesson in humility that day.  I have come to understand that the smallest project matters, because everybody matters.
    So, I’ve poured my expertise, my heart and my passion into this book: over twenty five years of experience in dealing with over a thousand clients.
    I’ve worked a long time to make the ideas in this book as simple and do-able as possible, because you matter!

Had a “Decorating Disaster” lately?
      You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?  You've tried your hand at decorating your home and come away broken-hearted and over-budget…    
    You know what kind of style you like.  Maybe you've seen something on TV or in a magazine you really liked.  Maybe you tried to copy it.  Much to your shock and disappointment, your project turned out nothing like what you thought, or what you saw.
    How about this: you buy several gallons of paint to re-paint a room, only to find that the color on your walls looks nothing like the postage-stamp-sized sample you got in the paint store.
    And, the all-time favorite: the cable-TV plug is across the room from the only wall big enough to put your new all-in-one entertainment center! To top it off, you have to wear sunglasses to watch your favorite program because there's too much sun in your eyes.
    Even if you’ve never had a decorating disaster, you know someone who has.

The one-two punch
    I’ve observed over the years that “DD’s” (decorating disasters) come in two flavors: they arise from too little confidence, and too many choices.  If you have a lack of confidence in your decorating abilities, it probably shows up in one of two ways: you’re either intimidated by the whole process, or you rely on the opinion of tastemakers and “experts” (yes, I guess you could call me an expert, but don’t put down this book just yet).

When you use these “Tips from the Top”, you are going to know more than some people that do decorating for a living.  You are going to know what to do with a piece of fabric, where to place a piece of furniture, and what is going on in the world out there.  Look for them throughout the book!
     If you feel over- whelmed, don't worry!  I want you to feel comfortable.  I will help you build the confidence to tackle just about any decorating project you’re planning to start.  You’ll learn to get the most out of your budget, and your valuable time.

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