Lauri’s Blog:

I’m excited. One of our cars will finally be getting its special “antique” license plates, next week! My husband and I purchased the two-door when we got married and we’ve taken very good care of it over the years: It has always been garaged, it doesn’t have a bit of rust, the interior and exterior are in mint condition and it has only 100,000 miles on it - not a lot, given its age. Best of all, literally, every mechanic who has ever looked under its hood has told us “they don’t make them like this any more. You’ll probably get many more years from it.”

It’s interesting that folks continue to comment on the vehicle wherever we go, and I mean wherever we go. Unbeknownst to me, a chic editor from Elle magazine who wrote an article about her decorating makeover, noted in her story, “After parking her impeccably preserved 1979 cream-colored Mercedes coupe out front…” And several times, as we have driven on highways going 65 miles an hour (okay, 70 miles an hour), men have pulled up along side of us, waving and screaming out, “How much do you want for that car?” Can you imagine? Each time we thought they were trying to tell us that there was something wrong but, now, we’ve come to realize there was something wrong with them for doing such a crazy thing!

Once in a while, my husband has wavered and has talked about selling “her” but not I. I’ve remained true-blue (you know how I feel about keeping what one has). We’ve had other cars but this one is special: It still has the energy of our loved ones who drove in it but are no longer with us; and of our late, beloved Wheaten Terrier, Morgan-the-Wonder dog who rode in it with her back paws on the rear seat and her front paws on the center arm rest, in between us, to scout out any danger ahead, in order to protect us. No, this sweet car has held a lot of special people; a great dog and too many memories to just say “adios.”

So, next week, to start the new year, we will go to the DMV and get our antique license plates and we’ll celebrate by taking our 30-year-old baby out for a spin. And, if you see us, honk. Except, please, not on a highway.

I am a guest blogger for Reader’s Digest. If you’d like to read my posts about holiday decorating click here.

One of my clients has been thinking of recovering the seat cushions on a pair of armless chairs that are in her entrance foyer. She doesn’t want to spend a lot of money and, therefore, plans to get a heavy-duty staple gun in order to attach the new fabric herself.

To save even more, I suggested that she utilize the fabric from a pretty pillow case she has never used, which has been sitting in her linen closet. It happens to match the color scheme in her entryway. If she cuts the case in half at the top, running along the length of it, and uses the two matching pieces from either side of the case, she will have enough material to reupholster both of her chair cushions without spending a dime and she’ll get a fresh new look, instantly.

Isn’t it fun, using what one has?

P.S. Next week, I will be a guest blogger for Reader’s Digest. Check back here for the links.

There’s a lot to love about Thanksgiving. Of course, the scrumptious feast shared with family and friends is delightful; yet there is more: Because our country is such a great religious and cultural melting pot, having a designated day when everyone celebrates the same ideals, regardless of their differences, is a wondrous occasion. In what other nation on earth does that happen (besides our northern neighbor, Canada)?

This year, after all our country has been through, we really needed a collective day of gratitude in order for us to stop and appreciate what we have, rather than dwell on what we might not have. Thanksgiving could not have come at a better time.

Perhaps, then, we can take a lesson from the message of the holiday and focus on being more grateful every day; regardless of the challenges we face individually and as a country. We Americans are resilient and, although we are grappling with a slew of problems right now, we will learn from them, we will eventually correct our mistakes and we’ll move forward. Historically, that’s what Americans have done, and it’s one more thing we can all be thankful for.

“You say, ‘If I had a little more, I should be very satisfied.’ You make a mistake. If you are not content with what you have, you would not be satisfied if it were doubled.” –Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Last Friday, I worked with a client who’d hired Use What You Have when it first opened back in 1981. After living in her previous home for decades, Marcia Duffy now needed help with decorating her sunny new apartment. One of her primary aims was to keep the place uncluttered and she’d even framed a sign to remind her of that goal. It said, “Clutter: A collection of unmade decisions.”

We got to work and rearranged Marcia’s living room, dining room and entrance foyer and a couple of hours later they looked lovely and had become much more functional. She then asked me to stay and work on her remaining rooms. When we entered her bathroom, Marcia shared a great storage secret with me: She had used double-faced, industrial strength, Velcro tape to line the back of her medicine chest and had also placed a bit of tape on each of her toiletries so that they instantly stuck to the wall of her cabinet. This enabled her to effectively use all of the “air” space for storage as well as the shelves. How clever!

Marcia’s idea was a fine example of one of my theories: air equals potential storage space. If you’ve read my newest book, Downsizing Your Home With Style, you are probably familiar with the concept. If not, just think about it: Anywhere you can wave your hands, you can create new storage opportunities, and the possibilities are endless, as Marcia proved. So, if you need more storage, you have several options: Get some industrial strength Velcro tape; read the downsizing book - which came out in paperback last week - or just start waving your hands around and pondering.

Yesterday, I was someone’s birthday present. Although I did not wear arrive wearing a bow on my head, my decorating services, for a living room and dining room, were a gift to a mother from her daughter-in-law and son.

The birthday girl and her husband were retirees and their rooms reflected a clean-lined, modern aesthetic. Aside from the 10 Common Decorating Mistakes that were present, as usual, one of the more important issues for them was what to do about their extremely low sofa. It was a big, ivory, modular piece that was so close to the floor that anyone who tried to sit down or stand up - no matter his or her age - had difficulty.  For this older couple, it wasn’t an option - they used a pair of higher clubs chairs, instead.

After they explained that they did not want to replace the sofa, there were only a couple of options left:

1) Have the platform base remade so that it would be 6″ higher

or

2) Add tall legs to raise the sofa more and then have a tailored slipcover made for the entire piece (which was somewhat worn anyway) to conceal them.

If you have a low sofa or chair you may be able to use one of these alternatives, too. And, if you are getting older and starting to appreciate the benefits of having higher pieces, you may want to consider a couple of other possibilities: If you are in the market for a new toilet get one that is  “comfort height,” 16″ - 17″, rather than standard height, 14″, and, if you need a new washer and dryer, purchase a pair that have storage drawers on the bottom that raise the units at least 12” and make loading and unloading a lot easier on your back. Actually, two good choices no matter how many birthdays you’ve had.

Last weekend, at a party, I chatted with an acquaintance that had come with a woman he’d been dating for a few years. As he and I spoke - she was across the room with the host - the man leaned in and said, “Since you’re a decorator you might be able to suggest something. Do you know, why Melanie and I haven’t gotten married?” I had no idea. “Because her house looks like the ones you see on Oprah where the people have so much stuff that they can’t even move around,” he said. “Do you mean she’s a compulsive hoarder?” I asked. “Yes. She’s a wonderful lady but you would not believe what her place looks like. I don’t know what to do.” he replied.

Well, unfortunately, I have seen this problem in a number of clients’ homes over the years. They usually hire me for a room or two, that is relatively clear of clutter, and then, after an hour or so of getting more comfortable with me, they shamefully reveal their secret and show me their rooms that each have one narrow path and piles of stuff that go, literally, from floor to ceiling. Although I feel equipped to deal with most situations I encounter, this is one that is totally outside the scope of my work: These individuals usually need a mental health professional who is equipped to help them understand why they are manifesting their problems this way.

If you (or someone you know) are dealing with this dilemma, therapy seems to help a great deal, based on what clients have shared with me. Should you notice signs that it is just starting to develop, try to deal with the predicament now instead of waiting a few months or years. Choosing to take action and get help, quickly, may alleviate the issue before it gets out of control.

One of the most common misconceptions about interior redecorating is that ample use of color can cure any room of its ills. Many people think that all it takes is a great new wall color to make an unattractive room look fabulous. I beg to differ. To me, that idea is comparable to believing that beautiful icing can make any cake taste scrumptious.

If you are familiar with The Ten Most Common Decorating Mistakes that everyone seems to make, and which I write about in my books, you know that these are my commandments and provide the solutions to making every room that is not aesthetically pleasing or comfortable, look and feel better. And, if so, you are probably aware that color is not a factor in any one of these Top Ten. Why? Because a well-redesigned room - like cake - needs to be really good even before the finishing touches are added.

So, fixing the lighting in a badly lit room, correcting an awkward traffic pattern, arranging furniture properly and giving a place a more cohesive look - among other issues - all need to be addressed and corrected before a lot of time is devoted to selecting a fresh color scheme.

As thousands of people have witnessed, it is startling to see what dramatic change can be affected in a couple of hours just by correcting the existing mistakes. Rooms are literally transformed without a paintbrush or any new fabric in sight. That’s not to say that those things aren’t marvelous at bringing rooms to new heights afterward. It’s just that priorities must be established and color is not at the top of the list.

If you are about to embark on redecorating one or more rooms in your home, and don’t want to spend a lot of money, be sure and check to see which of The 10 Most Common Mistakes you’ve made (most people make between 8 - 10) and correct them before you pull out your fan decks and fabric swatches. You’ll be amazed at how yummy your place looks, in hours, all without a dab of new color.

As the sun came up the other morning I found myself standing in line to see the Chanel Mobile Art exhibit in Central Park, along with my daughter, Tracy, and her boyfriend, Matt. We had invited Joe, my husband, to come along but he opted to sleep in.

Why on earth would I stand out there - for hours! - to see an exhibit inside a super modern spaceship looking white pod, designed by architect Zaha Hadid in collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld and based on the quilted, chain-strapped Chanel bag known as the 2.55? For two reasons: 1) Because I wanted to share the “experience” with Tracy, who is absolutely wild about anything Chanel, and with Matt who is an artist and 2) I was curious to see what was on the inside of this super modern spaceship-looking white pod that was traveling the world. Hey, we’re talking movable interiors!

So, here’s what I will tell you in case you did not wait in line at dawn: It was so much better than I’d expected because it was like nothing I’d expected.

Upon entering we were warmly welcomed and asked to surrender everything except our inner layer of clothing. We were seated in a row, literally on the wall, and each given an MP3 player and headset, which was placed on us.

We were then asked to, individually, follow the directions given by the seductive, deep, French voice of Jeanne Moreau, which asked us to stand, turn, left or right, and instructed us when and where to walk. Ultimately, for me, it was all about the experience of the sights, the sounds and the dynamics that were created by the 15 artists within that environment and not, so much, about the iconic handbag that inspired the tribute (although, I admit, I really love the 2.55 darling Joe gave me early in our marriage and, interestingly, which a fellow shopper, fashion designer Mary McFadden, had advised him to buy.)

Like The Gates, Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 2005 Central Park project, the Chanel exhibit was a true New York “happening;” if you happened to have had the desire and patience to wait on a very long line, very early on an autumn morning.

Now that the weather is getting cooler and the days shorter, more than ever I really appreciate the time I get to spend in bed. My husband and I must have been bears in our last life because the minute the clocks are set back; the two of us are ready to start hibernating. Give us a rainy or snowy day and all we want to do is snooze and snuggle under our cozy duvet. We also love to relax in bed: I read while hubby enjoys listening to his favorite radio shows. But, during the week, work calls and those downy dreams are put on hold until the weekend. At least for me.

My husband is a napper - good for him!  If he’s tired on a weekday, he slips out of the office for an hour or so to go take a siesta; he just doesn’t understand why I can’t do the same. I wish I could but I can’t relax and sleep when there is so much work to do, even on days I am not meeting with clients or training a class of decorators.

Whether you try to get some shut-eye during the day or slumber only at night, if you love your bed, especially at this time of the year, read my August 11, 2008 blog, ‘‘No More Casual Flings,’ which offers tips for making a prettier and more comfortable bed. Winter is coming.