A few weeks ago, a class of decorator trainees and I worked on the living room, entrance hall and kitchen of a West Side Manhattan coop. The vivacious woman who owned the apartment called because she knew her rooms had potential but she was stumped about how to improve them. Use What You Have to the rescue!

One of the things that bothered the owner most was the wall color in her living room. The space had been painted a vibrant shade of mango because it didn’t get a lot of natural light. Unfortunately, the strong color quickly seemed overwhelming. What my client didn’t realize: correcting the Ten Most Common Decorating Mistakes would help transform the space, even before she phoned her painter.

If you’ve already read Use What You Have Decorating, you’re probably sitting there, mentally ticking off each error you see in the ‘before’ photo. If you haven’t read the book, here are a few hints about the 10 mistakes that were evident: ignoring the focal point, an uncomfortable conversation area, ineffective use of accessories and a lack of cohesion.

Now, take a look at the ‘after’ photo. The room was rearranged in about an hour, thereby correcting all of the errors. Even though the paint color could not be remedied that day, the space immediately looked and felt a lot better. (A week or two after this consultation, the walls would be painted a soft creamy color and the living room would then feel even more tranquil.)

After we finished redecorating the other rooms, the client told us she was thrilled with what had been accomplished. She said, “I’m going to call my friends right now and invite them over for a glass of wine… they have to see this!”

The trainees and I were equally thrilled.