Use What You Have will be unveiling a new website shortly and the pressure is on for me to “get with the program” and sign up for Facebook in order for the new link to work (our redesigned site has actually been ready and waiting for a while). Although I’ve received email invitations from people who want to be my ‘friend,’  I feel awkward about the whole process (obviously, they haven’t realized I’ve been a holdout).

Perhaps it’s because I am a fairly private person it seems strange to me that anyone would care to read about what I, and others, might be doing or thinking at a particular moment. But I felt the same way when I started writing this blog and have really enjoyed connecting with you.

I guess the time has come to join the thousands (millions?) who are already sharing their musings on this enormous social network. Have you? If so, give me a couple of weeks and let’s become Facebook friends, too.

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Everything changes, doesn’t it? Here are 10 ways the interior design industry has shifted over the past decade:

1. There are more home design-related retail stores than ever before.
2. Many trade-only showrooms have opened their doors to the public.
3. The Internet has provided endless resources for purchasing furnishings online.
4. There are more TV programs and catalogs focusing on home design than ever.
5. More interior design books have been published over the last decade.
6. The interest in DIY decorating has grown.
7. Decorating webinars and seminars have gained popularity.
8. Home electronics use has greatly affected the look and function of many rooms.

And, my favorites, saved for last:

9. Decorating help is no longer restricted to only the very wealthy.
10. The affordable services of interior redecorators (vs high priced interior designers) have become accessible so that almost anyone who wants to have a prettier and more comfortable home – albeit on a budget – can do so.

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Have you seen It’s Complicated, the new film from Nancy Meyers?  She’s the writer/director who gave us Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday and (with her ex-husband), Father of The Bride.

In a recent New York Times cover story, Meyers quoted French filmmaker, Francois Truffaut as saying: “Making movies is an accumulation of details.” Anyone who loves interior decor will enjoy Meyers’ funny films all the more because of her respect for design’s value. She pays great attention to every element in all of her films to ensure that they each accurately reflect her characters’ personalities. And she, along with her talented set designer Beth Rubino and production designer Jon Hutman, is always spot on.

Do you remember Diane Keaton’s fabulous house in Something’s Gotta Give? (Love that movie.) It was absolutely gorgeous and, since the film opened, its design has been the most in-demand with homeowners around the country who are renovating their kitchens.                                  Conversely, the kitchen in It’s Complicated belonging to Meryl Streep’s character who is a professional baker, is super cozy and aesthetically appealing but it has quite a few functional problems: poor placement of appliances, insufficient counter space and not enough storage.  Of course, a major renovation is one of the running topics throughout the movie.

We are lucky. Nancy Meyers offers us an unbeatable combination with her thoughtful films: feasts for our eyes and belly laughs for our souls.

(Left photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures. Right photo courtesy of Universal Pictures.)

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It’s hard to believe that 2009 is almost over and the second decade of the millennium will begin in a couple of days.  It has been a memorable year, in many ways, and I am counting all of the blessings and lessons that have made it significant.

Aside from evaluating the past, have you also started thinking about what you would like to accomplish in 2010? I’ll show you my list of resolutions, if you’ll show me yours. Okay?
Here goes, in no particular order:

1.  Take more time to relax
2.  Find more green solutions and implement them at home and in my clients’ homes
3.  Increase volunteer work
4.  Practice my violin
5.  Register for at least two new courses
6.  Visit several new museums
7.  Keep a Mother of the Bride journal of all the exciting details leading up to Tracy’s and Matthew’s wedding day
8.  Increase my meditation practice
9.  Eat even more fruits and vegetables
10. Attempt to do more difficult crossword puzzles

Okay. Now it’s your turn: What are your goals for the New Year?
Whatever your wishes, may you and your loved ones have a healthy, fun and peaceful 2010.

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This year the Obamas did things a bit differently than past occupants to decorate “the people’s house:” they decided to reuse approximately 800 ornaments that were left over from previous administrations and sent them to 60 local community groups around the country for redecoration. Simon Doonan, who is well known for his original displays in Barney’s New York windows, coordinated the project.

The First Lady, Michelle Obama, said, we “… asked them to decorate them to pay tribute to a favorite local landmark and then send them back to us for display here at the White House.”

Some of the ornaments were covered with magnolia leaves and painted an antique gold, along with pine cones, berries and flowers taken from the White House garden. How wonderful: They used what they already had and took advantage of (free) natural materials.

Can you think of anything more appropriate for holiday decorating in 2009?

However you choose to redecorate and whatever you choose to celebrate, thank you for stopping by to read my blog throughout the year.

Have a beautiful, peaceful, happy holiday.

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If you are downsizing to a smaller home and own a sectional sofa, consider removing one or two armless seats to create a better-fitting unit.

A couple I consulted with last week had an L-shaped sectional that was not working in their new living room. While the sofa was attractive and fit the space, the L shape was not conducive to conversation – it took too much twisting and turning. As often happens, they already had what they needed in another room: a pair of saddle-colored leather club chairs, which were taking up too much space in their dining room, were just what the living room grouping required.

We got to work and removed two of the armless pieces from the sectional, creating a more classic looking straight sofa. With the L gone, we brought the leather club chairs into the living room and created a U-shaped grouping by placing the two chairs across from the sofa. An extra occasional table with a glass top was brought in to serve as a coffee table; it will soon have a new, bigger marble top. Now, the grouping invites conversation and offers a place to put down drinking glasses, etc. The couple will also hang a large oil painting on the wall above the sofa, that they already own, and purchase a new rug and a pair of lamps.

Finally, the two pieces that were removed were pushed together in the dining room to create one armless loveseat (since there was no other place for it in their home). It takes up a lot less space than the club chairs. Shortly, a new fitted slipcover, that matches the dining room chairs, will cover the loveseat and no one will suspect it was ever part of the living room sofa. Another L-shaped sofa bites the dust.

Do you have a sectional that would benefit from reconfiguration?

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At this time of year, with holiday decorations taking up lots of space, it’s especially important that we rid our homes of junk mail and catalogs.

There are a couple of steps we can take to proactively prevent pile-ups and save more trees: calling or emailing the senders; asking to opt out of future mailings, and continually tossing junk paper into recyclable bins as soon as it arrives in our mailboxes. Plus, immediately filing our bills and other important mail also helps prevent paper pyramids from accumulating.

Which reminds me: Why is it that so many people have unattractive wastebaskets in their living rooms and master bedrooms? Yes, Rubbermaid pails are ideal for kitchens where practicality and functionality rule, but do they belong elsewhere in otherwise lovely homes? I think not. Perhaps one could also make a convincing case for having something basic in the bathroom but let’s draw the line there. Puhleease.

There are so many spiffy wastebaskets available at all price points – from the $13.99 Neu Home Rose Wire Wastebasket at Sears to the $159.99 Comforthouse.com faux croc pail – that there is no reason not to have an attractive receptacle wherever it’s needed. Another fine option: the Organize.com waste can in Bamboo for $39.99. Come to think of it: Do you need a fresh (and clean!) holiday gift idea? How about giving someone on your list a stylish metal or wooden pail? Toss that around.

(Black leather wastebasket, top: $100 comforthouse.com)

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When the Union Square subway station in New York was renovated a few years ago, the original 14th Street tile-work was salvaged and turned into beautiful stone-backed columns; each a tribute to old-world craftsmanship. The redesign used what was there to transform the former markers into modern works of art.

Right now, above the station on street level, a holiday bazaar is set up with booths of vendors selling their crafts and homemade food during the holiday season. This weekend, I was glad to see that many of them featured green products.

Among them is Engage Green, a company that makes fashionable totes, purses and fabric trays out of recycled plastic, paper and other post-consumer products. One of the things that caught my eye in the booth was the light fixture that was made from recycled detergent containers – so cool!

Both of these examples reconfirm that, whether old or new, it is possible to create beautiful and functional things by simply taking the time to consider how to best use what we already have.

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If you live in the New York area and you’re not too stuffed to think about food, I’d like to share the names of a couple of casual restaurants where my decorator trainees and I enjoyed lunch last week.

The first, Le Petite Cafe on Court Street in Carroll Gardens Brooklyn, has a magical enclosed garden with a river rock waterfall, sculptural tree-shaped chandeliers and rustic antiques. The food is yummy so it’s perfect for a romantic brunch or dinner

The Grey Dog’s Coffee on University Place in Greenwich Village is a fun and funky spot that is usually filled with hungry NYU students. Besides delicious sandwiches (they all sound tempting; it’s hard to choose one!), it offers the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. So good, that Tracy and I are meeting our cousins Debbie and Zoe there for lunch this weekend. Hopefully, by then, we’ll be ready to eat again.

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If you would like to freshen up your home for fall and the coming holidays, you don’t have to spend a lot of money.

Consider buying a pair of pretty sofa pillows or have some new covers made for your existing cushions. That’s what I did last week: I had some pale banana-colored pillow covers made for my living room sofa in a ribbed ottoman fabric.  And, I used a pair of 18″ square down pillows I already owned to fill them. I was looking for texture to replace the pattern that had been there previously.

A colorful vase, an interesting coffee table accessory and a piece of new artwork – perhaps a simple drawing you, a friend or a relative did – can also spruce up your space.

If you have lots of brown wood tones in your home you might benefit from a few new vibrant accents in just one or two colors. Consider adding fuscia, pale lavender, orange or turquoise accessories with some white to brighten things, a bit. And fresh flowers or a potted orchid in the same shade as the accessories can reinforce or compliment the new accent pieces.

Rooms with neutral palettes can benefit from having a few accents in more subdued shades such as grayed-down green, gray-green aqua, soft ginger, or even grayed-down Chinese red. Pick one.

I’m going to pick up a canary-colored dendrobium orchid on the way home tonight, before I head to Whole Foods for some salmon for dinner. Hmmm. On second thought, a salmon-colored orchid would look pretty for autumn, too. Wouldn’t it?

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