Pumped Up Redecorating
Aug 18th, 2008 by Lauri
Years ago, my husband, Joe, sang the theme song for the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger weight-lifting movie, Pumping Iron, but now, when we hear “pump it up,” we are reminded of how expensive gas has become and how that reality is affecting our lives.
It was the first thing my client, Mrs.Dawson, pointed out last Wednesday when I arrived at her house. “You have no idea how much money I’ve wasted on gasoline over the past year. It’s so upsetting!” She then explained that she has been driving to stores, making purchases, returning home with the pieces, finding that they didn’t work, and then driving back to the stores to return everything; she had done this over and over again. All the back and forth had left her frustrated and, although she has elegant taste and a good eye for design, Mrs. Dawson realized she needed professional decorating help. That’s when she called my office.
Ironically, many of the solutions to her problems were already right there in her home and they required little, if any, new investment. 
Without turning on her ignition or even spending money online for purchases she was unsure about, all she’d needed to do was remedy several of the 10 Most Common Decorating Mistakes.
So we got to work and in little more than 3 hours we had transformed her entry area, living room and dining room into more balanced, peaceful feeling spaces. When we finished she was surprised and happy to see that a number of things she had been ready to part with had been utilized in completely different ways so that they now looked better and functioned more effectively. (To be honest, whenever I see the results I’m still surprised!)
Therefore, before you go shopping for anything, look around and check to see if you have made any of the 10 Most Common Mistakes, and then correct them. Aside from the aesthetic, functional and monetary benefits you’ll receive, by using what you have, correctly, you’ll save at the pump, too.
Lauri,
You are so right! I wish you would post pictures now and then of projects like this. Your books have been inspirational and I’d love to see more of what you do.
frugalscholar
frugalscholar,
I’ll try to post pictures, now and then, although sometimes the photos that are taken that day can not convey how dramatic the changes really are.
Later on, after the client executes all of the suggestions she/he receives would be the best time for photos but I am long gone!