An empty room is a story waiting to happen, and you are the author.
There are two things that make a room timeless: a sense of history and a piece of the future.
What we remember most about rooms we like is the 'atmosphere.'
Have you ever noticed how some rooms exude a certain energy, warmth, and a harmony of spirit? If you have, then you have experienced the language of the home. A language softly spoken, and univerally understood.
Casual elegance is all about the mix.
People's live are expressed in little details....The soap in the bathroom, the flowers in the garden, the books on the bedside table are all strong symbols of a life in progress. You look at these details and a world unfolds - here are their books, the paintings they cherish, the music that soothes their souls.
Decorating is like math, a game of adding and subtracting.
Decorating is a footnote to real life for me, a means to an end: Living well.
Take the time and do some small thing that will be noticed and remembered. Choose your objects carefully, and buy only what you love.
Decorating is like music. Harmony is what we constantly strive for. At home, we want a peaceful atmosphere where the objects are the notes and nothing is off-key.
... our objects, bibelots, whatnots, and knickknacks-say the most about who we are. They are as honest as a diary.
Just as a picture is created by adding a dab of paint at a time, the best arrangements are created a step at a time, with pauses so you can step back and see the overall effect.
All the necessary elements of a room should not arrive on installation day. Room should always be left for the things we will acquire...the objects we cannot live without.
We must occasionally remind ourselves of our brief visit on this planet. Shouldn't we try to express ourselves clearly, make a personal stamp on our environment, and pay attention to the details that make the difference?
I'm more influenced by people's attitudes and spirits than by their particular style. Whether it's Elsie de Wolfe or Pauline de Rothschild, I always admire women who had a vision and stuck to it. Because ultimately, the way you live has to be a reflection of you.
