At two of the charity events I attended last year, I was the highest bidder for interior design consultations. One was for an initial consultation and one for three hours. We all think we have good taste, but I'm woman enough to admit I need help and to know my stuff doesn't really go together. I'm also frugal enough to try and get advice for cheap.
I had the "initial" consultation on Friday. It was enlightening, as I've never dabbled in professional decorating advice before. (You might note that it's obvious...) The designer, Mickey, wisely did not come in and tell me that my mish-mosh (it's "our" mish-mosh, but stay with me) of stuff sucked and had to go. Her approach isn't to clean out a room and have you start from scratch (unless you have a gazillion $$), but to work with what you have and advise on spacial planning and accessories. Cool, I can work with that, my ego still intact.
She didn't even speak unkindly about the Craftsman style rocker with the tropical print next to the Queen Anne style cherry wood coffee table and the rustic cedar chest. I like Mickey.
I love our media room and it is mostly my creation, done while Cameron was away on a business trip a couple years ago. Mickey gently told me that the shiny pillows really didn't go with the texture of the couch and that brocade drapes don't work with tropical print pillows and that blue in the UA print on the wall (which I love) only matched my heating pad and dust rag that were out.
Yikes. But she did it nicely. I still like Mickey. We turned the coffee table, took down the drapes and removed the shiny pillows. Not bad. I'm seeing some improvement. Oh, and removed the UA print. Not happy about that, but I'll figure that out. I get the point.
Before she ended the iniital consultation, the cherry wood coffee table and end tables were out, the living room rearranged and the cedar chest became the coffee table. I can already see the benefit of my "free" advice. I'm thinking about hiring Mickey for a few more hours of advice.
But, first I need to use the other three hours from another designer. Oh, no, what if she tells me I need broacade drapes and shiny pillows?
Stay tuned.
Tell you what... I'll take the three hours from the other designer off your hands. I would SO love a designer to visit me. I am beyond jealous.
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I am so *not* giving up those three hours! = ] I bought 5 new pillows today to replace the shiny ones. I think 3 work, two don't. Tags are still on all of them.
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