So every few months I leaf through my copies of Style At Home, Elle Decor and Domino and tear out any articles I think may be useful in the future, while tossing the less desirable pages of the issues into recycling. It was painful at first, but now it feels good.
Interior designers - the good ones - seem to be able to follow the trends as well as maintain their own signature style. Many of them have rules, which they impose on their clients. Some insist that a house is not a home unless there's a (fill in the blank) on display or in use. So those of us who indulge in the joys of reading about these designers' ideas - in magazines a friend lovingly calls "decor porn" - are left with the challenge of figuring out how to incorporate the ones we like into our own living spaces.
To me, there is no greater decorating sin than being so bereft of imagination or interest that you simply copy someone else's inspiration to a tee. I believe the phrases "living room set" and "display room" should never be used to describe the furniture in your own home. When I see a couch, loveseat and chair that match, placed with matching coffee and side tables upon which sit matching lamps with generic wall art over a beige rug, I run like an arachnophobe confronted by a spider in search of a space with personality.
I have a theory that anyone who says they have no decorating taste is mistaken. Everyone knows what he or she likes and what looks good to him or her. All they lack is a little confidence. Seasoned decorators move items around and experiment with various looks before they achieve that magazine-quality layout. And perhaps that isn't even your goal - and that's perfectly okay. The first thing your home needs to be is livable. Function always trumps good looks in the game of home decor.
Begin with the room's purpose. Will it be a quiet area for reading? Or should it have the resilience of Teflon to endure a daily punishment from busy little hands and feet? The answer will determine whether this particular room will house your collection of delicate Limoges figurines or shelves full of books or neither or both.
Now consider something that is intrinsically "you." In my case, it's my favourite armchair and the decades-old cabinet radio rescued from my dad's garage. It could be a curio cabinet you inherited from your grandmother or a wood carving you picked up for a steal at a garage sale.
Now it's time to bring in the experts.
Find a look that you like from a magazine or television or the home of a friend and consider whether that type of arrangement would work in your home and with the object that represents your taste.
Carefully consider what is involved in achieving the overall feel of the room. Are there flouncy curtains or mini-blinds? Does the rug have a busy pattern or is the floor bare and spare? You don't necessarily have to throw out everything you own and start fresh, but with some borrowed touches here and there you can incorporate what you love into a whole new style.
The days when a house is decorated once and stays that way through the decades are long gone - and good riddance. A home evolves along with our lives. Decor schemes are fluid, so don't be afraid to dive in.