I can't decorate! Please help!

From time to time I receive a call from a very frustrated client that says "I just can't decorate". While listening to them on the phone or in person, voicing their decorating dilemma...I genuinely sympathize with them. Although most want me to immediately come and rescue them, I don't and here's why.

The first step in deciding what you like it is to find it, and find it for yourself. You need to scour the books at your local library, home improvement stores, magazines or brochures to find "the look" that suits you and your family. Take lots of notes and start a decorating journal or 3-ring binder with inspiration pictures in it. True, I ask many questions during consultations to narrow down the style that they may have mind, but the truth is every ones perception of a particular style is different, and when you can visualize it and show that vision to another person that is the best way to receive the style that you like.

In addition to this journal I suggest that you also work with a designer that will provide you with virtual renderings of your room so that you with have a pretty good idea as to what the ideas that you came up with will look like in your room. If you would like a FREE sample of what we can do for you send us a photo of your room via email at Jill@ImpressiveWindowsandInteriors.com and put BLOG OFFER in the subject line (one virtual picture rendering per email address, and offer only valid for the first 15 people that respond via email). We will email you back with 3 new decorating ideas for your room within 2 business days. This offer is only good until March 31, 2010.

Words of wisdom

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with a new client that wished to have a window treatment completed for her living room to go over an 8 foot wide patio door and existing vertical blinds. The product that we thought would look best was a large arched cornice made with the same upholstery material that she had some custom chairs done in about 7 years ago when she moved in. She already had the fabric which was absolutely beautiful, so we proceeded quite quickly in order to have it done before the holidays. When we arrived to install the treatment we were prepared to remove the existing vertical blinds and rehang after the cornice was installed. Upon further examination we noticed that the brackets were coming out of the wall and it appeared that not one bracket out of seven initially installed was secured properly...they did not drill into studs and did not use toggle bolts of any kind, even the brackets were improperly spaced apart. Because of all of this, the entire head rail had bent over the past 7 years and when we reinstalled the head rail the vertical blinds would no longer work properly. The client was mortified to find that the existing vertical blinds could have fallen at any time because of improper installation. Guess who she purchased them from? A big box home store that offers "free installation" with any window covering purchase. Upon doing a little research I found out that the manufacturer of the vertical blinds did not warranty the product because of improper installation. I called the manufacturer the very next day and advised the service representative of the issue. She was very nice and explained what I had feared, the product was not covered under warranty.

Moral of the story- Just because a company offers FREE installation...is it REALLY free??? Know the company you are purchasing any item from, just because it seems like a great deal from a big box store it more than likely is not!