Just as a picture is created by adding a dab of paint at a time, the best arrangements are created a step at a time, with pauses so you can step back and see the overall effect.

People's live are expressed in little details....The soap in the bathroom, the flowers in the garden, the books on the bedside table are all strong symbols of a life in progress. You look at these details and a world unfolds - here are their books, the paintings they cherish, the music that soothes their souls.

We must occasionally remind ourselves of our brief visit on this planet. Shouldn't we try to express ourselves clearly, make a personal stamp on our environment, and pay attention to the details that make the difference?

I'm more influenced by people's attitudes and spirits than by their particular style. Whether it's Elsie de Wolfe or Pauline de Rothschild, I always admire women who had a vision and stuck to it. Because ultimately, the way you live has to be a reflection of you.

... our objects, bibelots, whatnots, and knickknacks-say the most about who we are. They are as honest as a diary.

What we remember most about rooms we like is the 'atmosphere.'

There are two things that make a room timeless: a sense of history and a piece of the future.