If you are contemplating a decorating project while also dealing with a high stress life situation, I want you to Stop and Back Away from the Fabric Deck. Let’s face, for most of us, sometimes Life hands you a load of lemons in a big carton labeled “This cycle is going to suck, but you will get through it.” It should also have the tag line that reads “This is NOT the time to take on that decorating project you were considering.”
I’m designing now for family in which one partner was laid off right before we began the renovation. I’ve designed for families when they were dealing with a seriously ill family member. Brutal. I’ve designed for families right after the loss of a loved one or a divorce. All a bad move – here’s why.
Decorating and Design hits you in 2 very vulnerable places: A) Where you live (literally) and B) In your wallet. Both of these strike at the heart of stress & vulnerability during decorating because invariably things get taken apart BEFORE they are put back together – AND – it costs you money. It’s unnerving to have your kitchen torn apart under the best of times, let alone 2 months after your husband is handed a pink slip. It’s stressful enough to see how quickly the dollars dribble out the door on even the most budget conscious project, but it’s about 80 billion times worse when the center of your world is also being rocked by a pending or recent divorce, job loss, job change, family illness, death – or any other life stressor that pushes you to the point of “here comes my nervous breakdown.”
Don’t design at those high stress moments. Hunker down. Breathe. Live a little while longer with the ugly kitchen, the half-done living room, the outdated bedroom. It’s all fixable and all in good time. Just not now. Not yet. Soon, soon.
Next time: Best House Plants To Have In Your Home
About Donna Hoffman, The Interior Design Advocate™
Donna is a former top QVC Show Host and now one of the country’s foremost consumer advocates in interior design in addition to being an award winning designer herself. “I help people avoid wasting big dollars and unnecessary frustration when furnishing and decorating their home by offering clear strategies for finding the right products, professionals, contractors and services.” The results are that people get what they want, spend smart, eliminate the stress and get that beautiful home of their dreams. Known as The Interior Design Advocate™, Donna is here as your advocate, making sure you get wise in design so you can get what you want. For more information, go to www.theinteriordesignadvocate.com.