Interior Design is a part of everyday life.

I am part of an elite group of interior designers that are tested, CEU'd, and educated to provide professional services to my clients. I have always done all the right things professionally to gain the recognition and credentials to practice my profession. Because of this, I guess you might think that interior design is expensive and not for everyone.

I have come to realize that this is simply not true. Good design is actually cheaper than making mistakes in our environments that mean so much to us. Choosing the right kind of storage,

the right textile and the comfortable furniture is priceless, and saves the hassle of doing it wrong,

living with it, and then eventually paying to replace it.

I have watched bargain hunters travel to North Carolina with graph paper drawings in hand of their rooms, offices or projects. They meet with salespeople, get sold, and come home to wait patiently. After the rush wears off, and they start to reconsider their choices, the money that they spent and the true belief that they actually saved money by doing all of this themselves, they typically panic. The day the furniture arrives, and they see that

1) Scale is an important part of what a designer interprets

2) Quality of showroom samples can differ from actual products

3) Color is affected by source, and color of light in a space

4) Paying someone to make these decisions can save marriages, save money,

and make our nights softly dreamable again.

Being a designer is often a thankless job. Great clients shower you with gratitude, invite you into their lives, and become long term friends.

Tougher clients second guess you, make bad decisons in spite of your advice,

and blame you when it is not "what they paid for".

I love what I do. I enjoy the mystery and illusions that we create as design professionals. I also

love difficult clients. I think it is the middle child in me that does not mind always working for approval. I also love to please the unpleaseable. Thrill the pessimist. Make the unhappy person smile when interiors come together. I guess that when the draperies are installed and the area rugs are set in place, the accessories are installed, and the furniture becomes a family

throne, I just like to sit back and watch design support life.

To me that is the greatest gift that I can receive from those that I have come to love.

See you tomorrow to discuss more about a profession that captivates me, inspires me,

and lets me be a little bit crazy, all in fun.