After the design is firmly fixed, the decoration is added. Decorating is the final enhancement.

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

Life is all about manners. Nothing else matters.

Flair is a primitive kind of style. It is innate and cannot be taught. It can be polished and refined. When a person has flair, a grounding in the principle of design, and self-discipline, that person has the potential of being an outstanding designer.

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

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.

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.