Decorating Do Bits Newsletter January 2000 Archived

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MyInteriorDecorator.com Newsletter
MyInteriorDecorator.com: A Web Site Dedicated to
Everything About Decorating You Ever Wanted to Know

January 2000
Vol. 1 Issue 1

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"A good room creates good behavior."
Linda Phillips Ashour in her book entitled "A Comforting Lie"

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Table of Contents:

Welcome Letter from the President
Spotlight on Decorating
Feature Article: Color Misconceptions
Decorating Do's
Updates & New News

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Welcome to our first official newsletter! This is an exciting concept for us because its something we have wanted to do for many years. Now in this format, it has become a reality.

In October of this year, we moved our offices to the historic downtown area of Herndon, VA. In that move we had to REDECORATE the new office! Your frustrations were our frustrations. The purple paint seemed just a tad too bright at first against the existing yellow wall and I just kept shaking my head saying, "it's all wrong." Once it was complete, however, IT WAS PERFECT! The carpeting was delayed in shipping which delayed move in. Furniture was nicked and scuffed. And unpacking was, well, its still not entirely finished.

Thankfully I enlisted my own design services so furniture set up was easy and painless, just pop the pieces where they belong. It was a very exhausting experience and I thought of each one of you as you are working on your decorating projects.

One of the things that kept coming home to haunt me was the fact that sometimes I can't always have it now. Sometimes it takes time to cultivate the perfectly designed room. Not all of the pieces can be purchased today and of course, at least one piece will be held up in shipping. I had to step back and enjoy each phase to its fullest. It was a chore to do and I was not always happy about it but in the end, I came out of the experience with a full head of hair and pleased as punch at the end result.

I encourage you to take a step back from your design projects and gain perspective on them. Get help to focus on the overall plan. Enjoy the painting and the time you have no window treatments. Take your time and do it right the first time. And by all means keep the vision of the finished room in your mind. You will get there and you will love it in the end!

Thanks for letting me share of my woes, enjoy the newsletter!

Rhonda Morin (formerly Rhonda Layton)
President, MyInteriorDecorator.com

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SPOTLIGHT ON DECORATING

Our Contest ends today. If you have not entered, please do so by midnight tonight. Winners will be announced Friday, Feb. 4th. We are also having a sale on our design services, either half price per room or two rooms for the price of one. This sale ends Feb. 29th!

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FEATURE ARTICLE

Color Misconceptions
by Rhonda Morin (formerly Rhonda Layton)

When I was in college, I took an entire semester long class on environmental psychology. This science studies how our environment effects our being and behaviors. How are we effected by color, furniture, temperature and placement of furniture were a few of the things we studied. The studies that have been done thus far in that field suggest that the color itself does not effect us but our perception of that color does.

For instance, the color black to me represents stability and elegance. To someone else, it represents death. To some countries it represents purity, its what their brides wear on their wedding days. So, if you were to place the three of us in a room with everything being black, I would come out of the room feeling very stable and elegant. The person who sees death would be depressed and upset and the person to whom that color represents purity will feel wholesome and good. Now, we were all in the same room. We all three saw the same things. But we all three had different perceptions about the color black and thus very different experiences in that room.

The argument then becomes, is it our culture that dictates our perceptions or our individual experiences in life?

Let's dissect the color avocado green. When this color first made itself known in the seventies, it was EVERYWHERE. Entire homes were drowned in avocado green. During that "fad," it was the color to have. Now, in the new century and millennium, if you have a home with ANYTHING avocado green, it not only dates your home BUT it leaves a very nasty taste in some people's mouths. Why?

As a culture we over did it with the avocado green. It represents to us a time in our past, we did it, we were there, and we have moved on. For some people, however, that color represents the limited funds they have had in their lives to change appliances to newer fresher colors. It limits them and causes strife. For someone who did not grow up in the seventies that color means nothing to them.

It's a combination of many things, including culture and individual experiences, but ultimately its YOUR perception of a color that determines your mood or feelings towards or about a room.

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Copyright, 2000-2007. Rhonda Morin (formerly Rhonda Layton)
All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be
reprinted without express written permission.
Ms. Layton may be reached at 1-877-437-8875
http://myinteriordecorator.com

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DECORATING DO'S

I love, love, love a snowy day when everything is covered in a beautiful blanket of white crispness. Everything seems fresh, clean and bright.

Follow that formula in your home! Add some bits of white to brighten things up. Or, how about on cold dreary days to place a bouquet of fresh flowers on your kitchen table. Usually you can purchase fresh flowers very inexpensively at your local florist. It makes you feel better, makes your home feel better and gives you a happy outlook on life.

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UPDATES & NEW NEWS

Visit The Interior Design Store: http://myinteriordecorator.com/store/index.html New products are being added each day!

Our Book of the Month is "A Comforting Lie" by Linda Phillips Ashour. This book is about a decorator, recently divorced, who is struggling in a new relationship with a client. The design imagery is just beautiful. I am able to transplant myself into the shop and sit in the most comfortable chair to watch the story unfold.

Next month's Book of the Month will be Mary Emmerling's Smart Decorating.

There are so many new things at the web site. If you have not visited lately, please do. There is something there for everyone. http://myinteriordecorator.com

MyInteriorDecorator.com is proud to announce our involvement in several local community events:

The first is for a Benefit Dinner Dance. The charity is Race for the Cure, who assists in research and lobbying efforts for breast cancer. Rhonda Morin (formerly Rhonda Layton) serves on the committee to organize this black tie gala. They are working to raise several thousand dollars for breast cancer through a raffle, sponsorships and ticket sales.

Last fall we were one of several corporate sponsors for a girl's traveling soccer team called Herndon Express. Although the team did not place and go on to championship games, they played their hearts out at every game and finished the season with grace and dignity! Go team go!

Every year for the last 19 years, this community has organized a 4-day festival called the Herndon Festival. About 90,000 people attend each year. This year Rhonda Morin (formerly Rhonda Layton) will be serving on the committee in two aspects. The first is as a representative for the Chamber of Commerce Business Expo. The second is on the Entertainment Committee selecting the national and regional bands for the weekend.

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