On the ongoing game post there was a question about "would you like to have your home professionally decorated?" I'm assuming that most of us could not afford that luxury, so I wanted to pass along a suggestion of something we did. When we bought our house in Baton Rouge we had a lot of updating to do. We decided to buy an older home with more space that a newer house. We have some really wealthy friends here who were building a mansion and having it professionally decorated. I got the name of their decorator and called her. I told her we didn't have money to spend on new furniture, but asked if she could come give decorating suggestions based on the things we have and help pick out paint colors. She charged $50/hour, so I told her I would only take an hour of her time . It was great!!! I only had her do the living areas and kitchen because I knew what I wanted to do with the rest of the house. She was very "Trading Spaces" in that she grabbed a potholder from my kitchen and based the kitchen and family room off of the colors in the potholder. She also rearranged furniture placement, told us what color to paint cabinets, that we needed to build a wall to divide out living room into 2 areas, etc. We have done all of her suggestions over a 2 year period and I am currently finishing up painting the cabinets. Just a thought for a less expensive way to get designer input into your home without breaking the bank. She also suggested that her assistant could meet me at the upholestery shop (asst charges less per hour) and help pick out fabric when we get ready to recover our sofa and chairs

By Palmbchprincess on Saturday, July 3, 2004 - 12:34 pm:

Our current goal is saving up for a home, and we're planning to get a "starter" home and put work into it. I have NO decorating sense, so this is a really great suggestion!! Thanks Pam!!!

By Bea on Saturday, July 3, 2004 - 01:15 pm:

A good friend of mine had a husband who collected art. They had lived in Europe for several years, and he acquired more than a few pieces while there. We both moved from Germany to Tennessee about the same time, and she was bewildered as to how to hang all these paintings on the virgin walls of her new home. Like you, she hired a decorator by the hour. He took every one of her husband's paintings, and drew grafts, positioning them to their best advantage in arrangements all through her house. What could have been a hodge podge of too many paintings became a beautiful display. I think he was worth every penny. People were able to appreciate the beauty of the paintings rather than be simply overwhelmed by the numbers.

By Tink on Saturday, July 3, 2004 - 03:13 pm:

My mom did this. She lives in a home built in 1904 that has had 5 generations of our family living in it and she was stumped because the furniture had always been in the same places. The decorator moved things around, suggested how to hang paintings, and ways to draw attention to the beautiful architecture. It cost my mom about $150 but she swears it was worth every penny.

By Boxzgrl on Saturday, July 3, 2004 - 03:46 pm:

Thats a good idea. In my "fantasy world" i'd love a living room based on paintings (real ones) by Thomas Kinkade. And my bathrooms i'd like to have the Feng Shui type designing since thats where I go to "escape"! I havn't thought about what i'd like for the rest of the house. I'm with Crystal, we're still saving for a house in hopes that the market will go down in the next few years, though we'd ideally like to buy a home in its first phase.

By Feona on Sunday, July 4, 2004 - 06:51 am:

If you really don't have a clue when it comes to paint colors you can hire the decorator at a paint store to come in and give you advice on colors. (Big paint stores) Usually cost $150 in new york area. (Might be free if you buy alot of paint)