We're all collectors by nature. But if you're talking about an orderly life, there has to be a stop sign somewhere. Building a collection requires a strong constitution and the ability to resist.

Make your home as comfortable and attractive as possible and then get on with living. There's more to life than decorating.

A good decorator not only plans and schemes, but he also knows how the job is done.

When Van Truex defined the difference between designing and decorating, he used the analogy of preparing a roast of beef. Design, he said, is the preparation and cooking; decorating is the final seasoning, the savoring.

The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what's in or what's out. This is not an easy job.

The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live.

Nothing comes cheap, though the educated eye will always spot very nice things for the least money.