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| The key is to make choices that make sense for you and your family. It’s about arranging or rearranging in a way that makes life simpler and easier. If your children hear the words "no" and "don’t" every time they attempt to enter or use a room, it means your home rules are overruling the possibility of living, and there is something wrong with the choices you have made. As Carole Mayhall says, "Being a keeper of the home is a big task, but it won’t be overwhelming if you keep trying to simplify your home as well as your life. I have found that many of the things that we find ourselves arguing about, or frustrated by, can easily be eliminated with little changes in the way our homes function. For example, something as simple as where we drop our keys, handbag, shoes, and books, can clean up clutter and make daily maintenance much easier. Eliminating the need to nag the kids and your spouse. Creating a home of heart and harmony can be that simple.  Color is one of the most important keys to making your house a home. And choosing the right color for your home is one of the most important decorating decisions you will ever have to make. That’s because in addition to making your home look beautiful, the colors in your home will affect your physical, emotional, and psychological well being. Did you know that a blue room will make you feel cold and a red kitchen will increase your appetite? It’s true. With so many options on the market and trends changing almost daily, how can you be sure that the choices you make will be the best for you and your family?The key is determining what colors make you smile. I developed an "Ink Blot" test, which can help you discover your color, pattern, and texture preferences. It’s a simple swatch test. Using fabric and wallpaper swatches, quickly look at them one at a time and put the samples that make you smile into a "yes" pile. Then go back and analyze those "yes" samples. You may, for example, discover you are a plaid and floral person that likes greens, coral, and yellow. Or you may find out your best choice would be a monochromatic scheme with lots of texture. I believe the world is divided into two color groups, blue and green. Blue and green are the two colors we have the strongest emotional response to. Most men prefer blue, while only about 33 percent of population prefer green. There’s a good chance you’re married to an opposite. Compromise is important to solving this color dilemma. Allow the person for whom the room is most important to choose the color. I am definitely a green person and I love bright colors, with strong contrasts – they energize me. I also know that I need a lot of sunshine. In fact, I love to nap in the sun – just like cat. I love Country French and Caribbean – a strange mix for some – but for me it’s perfect and makes me happy. It’s comfortable, inviting, and easy to maintain. I laugh every time as guests fall into the sofa and prop their feet up on the ottomans without my needing to suggest that they get comfortable. It happens automatically because the room invites them in.
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