Spend Now or Save Later

Now that the bad state of the economy has been confirmed, be prepared for a large inflow of "budget-friendly" suggestions. Everywhere you turn you'll find articles and TV shows telling you ways to decorate without breaking the bank. Those "dime store designs" will offer clever ideas that seem good at the time, but from what I've learned you get what you pay for.

So what should you do? Your budget is tight, and you want to decorate.

The side that's touted most says, "Spend your money now. Get things on the cheap. Sure they may not be what you really want, but your home will look much better than before."

The other side you rarely hear says, "Save your money to get the things you really want. In the meantime, make fixes that cost next to nothing."

I'm a fan of the rarely heard side because it's the side that is truly budget-friendly. The first side appeals to impulse buyers who typically end up regretting their purchases and want something new a month or two later because after all it wasn't what they really wanted. They compromised, and no one likes to compromise.

So save your money. Start looking for things you truly love - things you'll love years from now. Make a decorating funds jar where you insert all of your extra change. If you want a way to freshen up your home's current look, try:

• Rearranging your furniture
• Swapping furniture from one room to another
• Going through your attic to find treasures once forgotten

We'll all get through this economy slump, and when we do you're decorating funds will probably be close to full - if not ready to spend. And your decorating ideas will have been perfected after months of careful - and thoughtful - planning.

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Where are All the Pretty Ice Tea Makers?

Is there no love for ice tea fans? I've been searching and searching for a beautiful ice tea maker. And each year I run into the same problem: there aren't any. The only ones available are the standard plastic models that break and stain way too fast. Trust me, I know. On more than one occasion I've had to duct tape my plastic pitcher together in order to get my ice tea fix. And I don't see an end in sight.

At least not this year. But I'm hoping that the current influx of electric tea kettles (That by the way have been used in the UK for years. Yes, they are laughing at us.) will bring a few high-end ice tea makers in with it.

In the meantime, I've decided to help the cause on my own by increasing the number of ice tea addicts (and thus, the demand for beautiful ice tea makers). Given that it's spring, converting coffee lovers to ice tea shouldn't be too hard - especially, once they know the secret to the perfect ice tea. Yes, that's right I'm giving you the secret to making the best ice tea ever.

Use multiple types of tea. It may sound crazy, but mixing multiple types of tea together creates a deep, rich tea. The current blend at my abode is 7 orange and sweet spice tea bags, 4 green tea bags and 3 English breakfast tea bags. Try it. You'll love it.

And then, please send Krups a letter asking for an ice tea model...

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What Happens When...

Your grandmother's precious vase breaks
The cabinets that took four years of saving get scratched
Ink splatters on the discontinued wallpaper in your hall
You find a slight tear on the arm of your week-old leather sofa
A water stain appears on your stunning white marble countertops


Do you cry? Get mad? Don't care? Have a back-up plan?

The first sofa I could call "mine' was a cute, beige and white sofa. I was so afraid it would stain I kept it covered with a sheet - and never saw it. My fear kept me from enjoying it. After two years of living like that, I realized it was ridiculous.

Accidents happen, and if you're lucky, add character to your room. In fact, we pay to have it look as if lots of accidents happened every time we choose a distressed finish. Having imperfections is charming.

Sure, not every imperfection is a good one. But those can be fixed, covered up, patched over or turned to face the wall. And the rest - the ones that are cute - can be left to tell the story of your room, your life. Their the ones that prove your house isn't a magazine photo, but a well-lived in, enjoyed home.

So go ahead, live a little and take those sheets off your sofas. It's okay if one of the horrible things happen. You'll get through it, and maybe this time you'll laugh instead of crying.

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Home Stereos are on the Phased Out List, Should we Rejoice?

When I was 15, I got a job as a waitress. The very first thing I bought was a stereo system. It was big and bold and allowed me to listen to any music I wanted, which was the closest thing I had to freedom until I got my first car.

But as proud as I was to own that stereo, it's now in storage, and I'm guessing yours is too.

The total sales of home stereos is expected to be roughly $1.7 billion this year; whereas, the sales for MP3 speaker docks should be $1 billion and MP3 players $5.6 billion, according to the article "An Audio Legend Adapts" in the April 21, 2008 edition of Forbes.

One look at those numbers, and it's easy to see that the home stereo is being phased out. But if you decide to bring that up, beware. Music enthusiasts immediately start to discuss whether or not sound quality has been compromised. But I'm more worried about the impact on home design.

Has the introduction of MP3 players made it easier or harder to decorate? I believe it's easier. No longer do we have to look at huge, clunky stereo systems. Now we have sleek, small players that fit in our hand and speakers that can easily be hidden behind cabinet doors or brazenly shown off as if it were a fine piece of art.

And as much as I would like to say I prefer my old stereo for sentimental reasons, I don't. These days I find myself dreaming of a home with hidden speakers and an iPod dock in every room. It's a new type of freedom - one I never dreamed existed when I bought my stereo. It's the freedom of hearing music as if it were coming from thin air and meant specifically for that room, no longer associated with a box or radio, but free to be heard with no strings - or cords - attached. Now that sounds beautiful.

P.S. If you're interested in the iPod stereo pictured above, it's the Bowers & Wilkins system that was featured in the Forbes article. And it doesn't come cheap.  

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Decorating for the Four Senses

One of my very favorite places to be is the beach. Everything about it I love. The beauty of the ocean. The sound of the waves crashing. The smell of the salt water. The feeling of the sand beneath my toes and the wind on my face. I could sit in that atmosphere for hours.

But as much as I love the beach, I normally don't love beach themed rooms. And it's not because they don't look pretty. It's because they don't feel like the beach.

When we decorate, we normally have only one sense in mind: sight. We want our room to look as good as possible. But what about the other senses?

When we experience a new - or familiar place - we don't just see it. We smell it, touch it and hear it. We use four of our five senses to determine whether or not we like the atmosphere.

If a room looks good but lacks anything else that's spectacular, it will feel flat. We like rooms that arouse all of our senses - sight, sound, smell and touch. So when we decorate we should plan to please all of them.

There are so many ways to incorporate the other three senses into our rooms. Here are some suggestions.


Incorporating the four senses when you design is one of the easiest ways to take a room from good to great.

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