What Were You Thinking?

Recognizing costly mistakes that everyone makes: Clutter, wrong colors, too many chairs, wrong tables, overpowering decorations, not enough thought into planning what the interior of your new home or special room should really look like.

Do not feel frustrated, worried, or upset because help is definitely one book away as you read What Were You Thinking? By interior designer Howard Wiggins and learn the secrets, the nuances and the creative ways you too can have a more beautiful home.

Change is hard when someone is steadfast in their ideas, thoughts, and impressions of what they feel their home should look like.

All too often the author correctly states in the introduction that buyers will purchase a larger house and leave little for redecorating and furnishing it properly. Understanding the function of each room, the purpose that it provides for you and your family will help when furnishing it.

Even more important is that the author will guide you through the process of how to plan and create each room, which does not have to be decorated in the same style or even period, and at the end you will not only be pleased but you will be more knowledgeable and better informed about interior design and you might have fun doing it.

Congratulations: You just bought your first home and you want to create rooms that depict who you are, your style and your personality. You are an individualist and will not follow the trends set out in magazines, fashion commercials or even in store windows.

However, you want to decorate each room in a specific style that denotes the purpose of the room and its use. Following the rules set out by others will not create the kind of home that you will LOVE and feel comfortable in. Deciding where to begin is vital and understanding how is even more. So, do not attempt to go shopping to buy anything before you read my review of this book by Howard Wiggins, learn what to do, what to avoid and what will help you create success in your home the same you did in your career.

Remember: People often judge you by your appearance and the way you look. People judge you when they walk into your home and might have a preconceived notion of who and what you are just by walking into your living room, kitchen or taking a tour or your house. Listen to the guidance of one of the top interior decorators in the world and your successes will be many. Just to let you know after reading the first two chapters, I actually got rid of the shrine on my piano and the clutter on my glass table. I have only just begun.

When buying a new home you need to create one that matches your lifestyle and your personality. Reflecting who you are important and one that meets your mode of life too. So: start with a clean slate or empty room. Listen and learn carefully as I tell you the 7 mistakes we all, including me, have made when decorating any room or house and will never ever do again after reading my review and buying this book as a resource and guide for yourself.

1.   Monotony: in your fashion or job doing or wearing the same thing over and over again: BORING! Our author brilliantly states that wearing blue and green all the time, doing a menial task the same way every day, placing objects of no significance in a room: MISTAKE number one.

2.   Heirlooms: Forgive me but you do not need to display Aunt Bertha’s vase or pin just because you inherited it. There is no reason to erect a shrine of all of your heirlooms for the world to see. Place them in a safe place or in a room where they belong.

3.   Like vs. Love: Buy only pieces that you absolutely love and want to keep in your home for a long time.

4.   Too Small: do not buy pieces that are too small. Big is better

5.   Shopping for fun, Bargain Hunting and Family Pictures are the last three mistakes people make. Quality pieces over inexpensive, family pictures do not belong in the living room, they belong in your bedroom or better yet in an album not hanging on the wall and when shopping for your home, do not do impulse shopping.

If you want to learn more about how to avoid these mistakes you need to read Chapter One.

Let’s get down to basics of where to begin in order to be successful. As an author creates an outline of his/her chapters in a book, characters are defined, the setting and the plot too, so does the decorator or homeowner need to create a plan. Your first step is to draw a floor plan of the room before you begin. That will help you know the size, shape, and space you are working with. You can then decide on the size of the pieces needed for this first room that you are working on. Next, buy in the correct order. There is a definite sequence of items that you should purchase first stating with the rug and the sofa, which will help determine the colors, needed in this room. Finally, base every decision on previous choices.

As I read these first two chapters I realized many of the mistakes I made and will try hard to rectify when decorating my apartment, which is much smaller than a house. I now know where to put some of the oil paintings and other pictures I have hanging on my walls. The next step is to decide if your design is temporary or permanent. Temporary designs mean you need to prepare to change and discard items and begin again in five years. If it is permanent make purchases that will last and stand the test of time. You can learn more about the Longevity of your purchases, creating floor plans to help you design your room by reading Chapter 3.

Are you a trendsetter or are you someone whose clothes and furniture can stand the test of time. Timeless or Trendy: If you see yourself coming and going, if your furniture is in the window of a store if your whole room comes from a magazine: You are following the trends of the day and eventually like everything else it will become outdated. If you see the same clothes, styles, and colors everywhere and you create a room with only one style and color it becomes monotonous, boring and lacks creativity. In other words: Trends are not what rooms are made of. You need to create your own flair or accent in every room.

Did you ever hear the expression don’t judge a book by its cover! Well: people often judge or prejudge you by your appearance, the way you speak and how you carry yourself when entering a room. Your clothes are you they might say and a well put together person gets a better reception than someone who looks like an art project gone wrong. Create rooms that you love and decide what feeling you want to create.

As you read Chapters 5 and 6 you will learn how to create the right balance in your rooms, when to get rid of pieces that no longer belong and creating the right angles. Last but not least and probably of utmost importance is the NEVER EVER move from one room until you finish the one you started. Never spend all of your money on a big home. Spend what it takes to create your home. Set the budget as high as you want because: Guess what: You do not have a deadline as to when to complete your project. Taking your time will elicit better results. Final mistake and so very true: after a

Final mistake and so very true: after a while, you become so used to a room you do not even see it anymore. How to rearrange the space by adding and deleting items you will learn in Chapter 7. The final two chapters will give you the tips and tricks of the trade and all the reasons why hiring an interior designer would benefit you greatly.

Vivid descriptions, easy to follow floor plans, beautifully illustrated rooms, author Howard Wiggins has not only a five-star book but is a Five Star decorator.

Would you fill your own cavity or go to a dentist? Would you operate on yourself or go to a great surgeon? Would you prescribe medicine for yourself or go to a doctor? When buying a new home, decorating rather than get overwhelmed by the project, buy pieces that won’t fit or suit your taste, invest in an interior designer and decorate stress-free. But, do not do anything until you read this book, understand what mistakes you need to avoid, questions to ask before hiring a decorator and then not only will you succeed: Instead of What Were You Thinking? Now you are thinking? Congrats: Success is just 161 pages away and a phone call to a decorator.